Free License to Shift by Kathy Lyons Page A

look at her glistening center. “In a minute,” he growled against her thigh.
    “Don’t for— Ooooh!” Her exhale was low and lusty, and he grinned as his fingers slid in and through her wetness. There was so much here, and her scent made him dizzy. Roasted nuts soaked in pepper. He’d never tire of that.
    He pushed his fingers inside her, playing first one, then two, then stroking all over as he learned what she liked. Leaning in, he wedged her thighs farther apart. He had broad shoulders, and he wanted total access to the feast before him.
    “Don’t let go,” he said merely to prolong the moment. Her aroma swirled through his senses like a delicious fog. He felt drunk on it.
    When he couldn’t hold back any longer, he went in. This wasn’t just about tasting her, though God knew he adored that. This was about hearing her gasp when he pushed against her clit. About the way her body trembled when he sucked. Her thighs were strong where they gripped his shoulders, and he imagined her legs pulling him in deep. But the most amazing thing of all was the way her hips lifted toward him. While he feasted on her, she strained for him, undulating against his mouth and making keening sounds.
    He kept it going as long as he could. He let her cool off while his fingers opened her. Then he surprised her with a sharp push with his tongue or a low growl. He liked the way the vibration of his sounds went through his mouth to her. And he loved that she responded with noises all her own.
    There was one sound he particularly loved. A high gasp, nearly inaudible. But he knew if he kept the tempo quick, her breath would shorten into pants that soon became a scream.
    So he did it. He pinned her legs open with the weight of his arms, and he set to licking with determination. This was something his bear adored and so he let it slip its leash enough to feast. Her sound started low, but quickly built. Higher. Hotter.
    Nearly there.
    Then he bit against her clit.
    Her body convulsed. His fingers were inside her, pulled tight and high. And, oh, yes, she screamed.
    What a glorious sound. What a sweet sight—her body quivering before him. And the scent had his bear roaring in hunger, licking every inch as she orgasmed beneath his tongue.
    What a woman!
    His bear was taking over, the mating imperative coursing through him. This is where he’d lost it so many years ago. He felt the prickling of fur on his skin, the thickening of bone, and the extended length of his tongue as he laved her body. He was shifting. As a teenager, he hadn’t the control to stop it, but he was a man now. He would not terrify her.
    He wrenched himself away and stumbled blindly for the bathroom. He had to stay human.
    His bear ears heard her breath ease before a slow purr of delight.
    “I’ve never…No one…” Her voice was tentative, but he heard every word. “You really do love that.”
    Language. Words. They came slowly, but hidden from sight, he could shape his mouth as a human. He could beat the bear back enough to stay a man. “I do,” he said. “I love. Your taste.”
    He heard her shift on the bed. “Are you getting the condom? It’s right—”
    “Stay there!” The words were more of a bark, and he heard her still. “I’m trying not to explode. Just give me a minute.” He closed his eyes and breathed deep. Her musk continued to fog his mind, but it was muted in the bathroom. His joints settled. The fur receded. His paws settled into hands.
    “Mark?”
    Talk to her. Keep human. “Can we…” He swallowed. “There’s a position I really like.”
    “Yeah?” There was curiosity in her tone. Maybe even delight.
    “I like being able to touch you while I’m in you.”
    “Um, okay.” She clearly didn’t understand, and he didn’t have the mental capacity to explain.
    Instead, he focused on stripping out of his clothes. He found the condoms and suited up with shaking hands. And when he returned to her, she was still in that boneless, dreamy