Unbearable Page 3

  I picture his girth, remembering the thickness of it between my fingers, and I let a hand fall between my legs. My other hand brushes against my breasts, finding a nipple erect and waiting for his lips. The heat of them, along with his tongue flicking through my pussy last night, drive me over the edge and I must release. I drive my own fingers between my lower lips, plunging them in and out. But it's nothing like when his fingers danced inside me.

  Arousal slicks my hand, and I spread it over my aching clit. The sound of my fingers sliding in the moistness flutters my heart, forcing a gasp through my clenched teeth. I rock my hips as I stroke myself, and the chill swirling in the room mixed with the last heat of the fire shoots a tingle over my naked skin. My fingers continue to rub as the memory of him thrusting his powerful cock inside me takes me over the edge, and I cry out his name, willing him to come back to me.

  Tremors claim my body as I ease my stroking and my hand rests against my mound. Only partially satisfied, I suck in a deep breath and release it slowly. The smell of our sex remains strong in the air, hindered by the scent of burning wood.

  I force myself from the bed and over to where my clothes drape his chair. Something flashes in the corner of my eye and I dart to the window. Dark and furry, it leaps behind a large oak tree. I study its movements, and it appears to be studying mine.

  “A bear?” I squeak out in a whisper.

  How will I be able to leave this house if there's a bear stalking the woods? My meager bodice dagger would hardly strike a dent in such a large creature.

  Once again, I peek out the window and it stares back at me. Bright blue eyes grow wide. They carry a hint of fear, not fury, and my heart breaks for the poor animal. Dropping its head low, it pads away as if sullen, heading deep into the woods behind the house, with such torture in its eyes. My soul weeps for it.

  I rummage through the cabinets of the tiny kitchen, searching for something to offer the creature, should it stray in my path along the way home. In the icebox, I spy something wrapped in cheesecloth, and from the smell it's a fish.

  After redressing myself and attempting to force the broken boning of my corset back into a temporary hold, I grab the fish and make my way outside. Beautiful untouched snow graces the land, sun reflecting off it like an angel too holy to lay eyes upon.

  I step onto the footpath, finding only a small crunch of snow under my feet where there should be inches deep. Gazing down the walkway through the wooded landscape I find Marcus has cleared a path for me just as he said. Warmth fills my heart, yet emptiness overshadows it as I close the door to the tiny cottage behind me.

  I continue on my path, but the heat crawling up my neck stops me in my tracks, electrifying my hairs to a stance. I whip around, finding no one behind me. Tossing my hood over my head, I tighten the cloak around my shoulders and press on. But my ears perk once more as the footsteps crunching in the snow aren't mine.

  “Rose Red,” the gravelly voice says from behind me.

  I spin around and lock eyes with the staunch little man, his eyes as black as peat. Long gray hairs fall from his chin, braided together in a beard. A long green and brown tunic swallows his wiry frame.

  “Hestor,” I hiss and grip tight to the dagger in my bodice.

  “Now, now, I'm sure there's no reason to make a hasty decision, my dear. Besides, I'll kill you before you even manage to free that tiny knife from the confines of your rather exquisite breasts.” He taps the top of a thick wooden walking stick with a long grimy fingernail.

  “What do you want? You've taken my mother and now Snow's, what more do you need to take from us?” The words spit like venom over my lips.

  “Oh, there's lots of things I can think of,” he says, inching closer while he runs that same dirty nail along the laces of my corset.

  To my right, a thunderous roar pierces my ears. Before I even turn my head something flies through the air and knocks Hestor down the pathway. In a wicked laugh, the dwarf disappears with a puff of purple smoke.

  My heart thunders, and I pant for breath as I take in the looming black bear standing before me. It locks onto my gaze and those familiar sullen blue eyes melt my soul. I do not move, nor does it. We remain locked in a war with our eyes, both of us wondering who will make the first move. I inch my hand into my cloak, trying not to make any sudden moves to scare it. It lets out a mighty roar and I jump back.

  “I'm not going to hurt you,” I cry out and offer the beast the fish from Marcus' ice box. “I promise.”

  It stares at the offering in my hand and inches its way closer, sniffing the air around it.

  “Go on, I brought it for you.” I extend my arm further.

  It releases a soft bray as it approaches, snatching the fish from my hand.

  I leave my hand held out for it, as if willing it to come closer. “Thank you for saving me.”

  Dipping its head, it nudges its face against my hand. Those blue eyes haunt me, like I've seen them before in a dream. Almost human-like. How often do bears have blue eyes?

  “Will you walk with me?” I ask, as if it's a pet or a person. I find my own question silly and a laugh escapes my throat. But somehow the beast comforts me, and my soul aches for it on my lonely sojourn home.

  It gulps down the fish before giving me a long stare. Releasing a hard breath, it plods onto the path in front of me. With a tilt of my head, I study it, giving him a safe distance before I follow. The beast stops and turns its head back to me, as if wondering why I'm not coming. A smile curls my lips as I hike my skirt in hand and jog after it.

  We reach the foot of the bridge and my shoulders hitch back. I stare at it as the memory of falling through to the icy river below replays in my mind. The bear turns its head and looks at me. It plods its way to my side, nudging its head into my back, urging me to cross it.

  I glance down to the planks and notice there's no longer a hole. The boards have been replaced and repaired.

  “Marcus,” I whisper.

  The bear whips its head up to me and I gaze back. It releases a loud bray, as if yelling at me to cross.

  “Are you coming with me, bear?” I ask, nodding to the bridge.

  The deep blue in the bear's eyes ice over. It drops its head and pads its way back the way we came. Releasing a sigh, I take a hard swallow and press a foot against the bridge. It holds. Giving the bear one last glance, I run as quick as I can over the remainder of the bridge.

  Snow is waiting for me on the other side, her arms open wide, and I run into them.

  “Rose!” she screams.

  We collide, gripping each other tight.

  “Where have you been?” Her hands cup my face as she stares deep into my eyes.

  “I got lost in the woods,” I say, surprised at how easily the lie spills from my lips.

  Her brow quirks to a sharp arch. “You've grown up in those woods, Rose. I know you didn't get lost in them.”

  Slipping my arm through the crook of hers, we walk the remainder of the path together to the house. “The storm, Snow. It came down in a bluster and I couldn't make hide nor hair of where I was. It blinded me. But I happened upon a cottage and holed up there for the night.”

  Her fingers tighten around me as we enter the house. “Are you all right?”

  I manage a nod through clouded thoughts and lies swarming my head. “Yes, I think I will be.”

  “What about a warm bath?” she suggests. “And something to eat? I've put on a stew for dinner. Though I fear I made enough for the entire kingdom, so we'll probably be having it for supper as well.”

  “That all sounds wonderful.” My body needs the cleansing, but my heart sinks at the thought of rinsing the remnants of Marcus away.

  “You change out of these ragged clothes and I'll pour your bath, my love,” Snow whispers, dotting my cheek with a kiss.

  “Snow,” I say, stopping her before she heads out. “Have you heard anything about that cottage I mentioned in the woods?”

  Her brows knit together as she s
hakes her head. “No. You know I don't venture into those woods. I didn't even know there was a cottage. Are you sure you're okay? Did something happen?” Worry lines drape her forehead, shadowing her deep brown eyes.

  My lips give her a tender smile. “I'm fine, Snow. I was just curious, because I too had never known it was there. I just hope someone wasn't living there. I may have to venture back and investigate.”

  “I worry when you're out in the woods alone, Rose.” She gives my hands a tug.

  I swipe a thumb over her cheek. “I can take care of myself. I always have and I always will.”

  “I know. It's just so lonely here with mother gone. And when you're not around...” A gentle sigh rushes her lips. “I can't ask you to stay with me forever. You have a life to lead, doing whatever it is...you do.”

  “You, dear sister, need to get out more.” I shoot her a twisted grin. “Perhaps find yourself a suitor?”

  She sucks in a gasp and her eyes brim with both excitement and fear. “There's far too much to do out here, upkeep of the farm and all, with mother gone. I don't have time for a suitor.” She pours a kettle of hot water into the large claw-foot tub. “And there's still Hestor. What if he comes for us?”

  I ease myself into the water and goosebumps attack my skin as the warmth swallows me. “Hestor will not come for you. I'll make sure of it. I've got a plan in place to keep you safe. Just leave it to me. You mind things here.”

  “Please, I can't lose you too, Rose. Do not needlessly put yourself in harm's way. I beg of you,” she says, pleading with her eyes.

  “I'm being careful. Do I not come back home to you every day?” Giving her a heartfelt smile, I do my best to reassure her.

  “There'll come a time when you won't.”

  Her words come out choked with anguish, and they gut me. I slink into the water to escape them.

  “What about you, Rose?” Spinning around, she scurries through the room grabbing a towel and picking up the remnants of clothing I've tossed to the floor. My crumpled clothes hang from her arms. Her stunning deep-brown eyes peek over the pile. Long black curls fall against her pale face. “Perhaps it's time you found yourself a suitor?”

  I don't want a suitor. I want Marcus. My body craves what only he can give. Having known him only one night, he understood me and my body more than anyone ever has, including myself.

  “Oh, Snow, you know there's not a man out there who can tame me.” I toss her a wink. “But maybe someday I'll find someone I might let try.”

  Chapter Four

  Winter's blustery breath penetrates my fur, prickling my skin. Sloshy snow freezes my paws as I pad my way back to the cottage. I understand now why bears hibernate.

  The sun dips low on the horizon, spreading the last of its fingerling rays across the sky, painting it with oranges and pinks. I plunk my ass into the snow and stare at the ball of blazing orange shimmering over the river, wishing Rose could see it with me.

  Darkness creeps in like a slithering shadow, swallowing the last bits of light. A purple halo shimmers around my body. My limbs tremble. My muscles ache. Adrenaline spikes through my heart. As the last glint of day fades, so does my bear form. Flashes of purple streak through the dusky sky, and my fur smoothes into human skin once more, numbness claiming my bare ass in the snow.

  I leave my animal half outside as I walk into my cottage. Her scent hits me the minute I cross the threshold. Rose perfume mixed with remnants of our sex still on my sheets. It floods my cock with warmth. Gripping them in my hands, I pull them to my face and drink her in, saying a silent prayer she comes back to me tonight.

  Thoughts of her continue to swarm my head as I heat a kettle over the fire for a bath, pouring the scalding water into the tub. I climb in and hope the heat drains me of the sins of her flesh, but instead it burns, churning my desire for her even more. The memory of watching her lie on my bed, pleasuring herself nearly had me break my own damn walls down. Her beauty, her moans, her scent... I'd never wanted anything more in my life than to jump in and reclaim her body for my own.

  But my bear half stopped me. If she ever found out, what would she think? Though when her eyes locked onto mine as she caught me in the window, they gave me a glimmer of hope. I'd never approached anyone in my bear form before, least of all a woman. Yet as Hestor appeared and laid a finger on her breast, my animal side overthrew any sense of rational I had. My life for hers. That was all I thought about. I had to protect her. I want to protect her.

  I want her to be mine.

  Resting my head back on the edge of the tub, I stretch a foot and lay it on the far edge. My hand settles against my cock and it stiffens as her image refuses to leave my mind. I already miss the soft red locks of hair that I gripped between my fingers, holding onto her for dear life. Eyes so deep green they flickered like the emeralds in my father's crown.

  I slide my hand along the length of my swollen dick, which pulsates as I relive the memory of thrusting inside her. As the water sloshes through my hand, I think of it being her arousal, how wet I made her.

  Me. I did that to her. I made her come so hard she screamed my name. I filled her with pleasure. And she'll never know that she gave me more that night.

  My hand works faster along my shaft and water spills over the sides of the tub as my hips rock in rhythm with my strokes. Groans penetrate my lips and I close my eyes, picturing her swollen clit, my lips over it, sucking it, flicking it, gnawing on her flesh until she ruptured in orgasms.

  I cum, screaming her name, one hand gripping the tub to hold me to this plane of existence for fear I'll drown dreaming of her. Swallowing hard, I reopen my eyes forcing my heavy breaths to slow. One last moan escapes my lips and I collapse in the water, still on fire for her. Nothing will quench it. Only her.

  A cold draft sneaks past the dying flames in the hearth, chilling my skin. I force myself from the cooling water and my thoughts of Rose.

  Hours pass and my heart sinks as I stare up at the light of the moon shining through the windows. She's not coming.

  I pace the length of my tiny cottage, running a hand through my hair. Falling into my raggedy arm chair, I grab a book to distract myself. I drape a leg over the arm and force myself to read. But the words just blur in front of me, and I slam the book shut with one hand.

  What if something happened to her? I led her home. I know she arrived safe. But what if she tried to come back and Hestor attacked her on the road again?

  Fear knots my stomach and I launch out of the chair determined to find her. Dashing to the door, I whip it open, then stop dead in my tracks.

  Red stares at me from the other side.

  Wide eyes work their gaze the length of my body. “Do you always answer the door naked, Marcus?” she asks, licking her lips.

  My heart all but leaps out of my chest and words escape me. I force a hard swallow, and inhale a long breath. “I live alone, in the middle of a haunted forest. Do I need to don pants?” My brow quirks as I take in her form. Her perfume hits my nostrils, sending me to a euphoric high.

  With a tilt of her head, she tosses me a sly grin across wicked red lips. “I just thought maybe you were ready and waiting for me.”

  Her rounded cleavage sits high atop a black corset. Layer upon layer of ruffled red and black skirts hide her stunning legs, along with the prize buried between them. I slip a hand along her cheek, guiding it into her hair as I slide down her hood.

  “Well, you're here, so I assume you don't want tea and crumpets,” I say, stepping back from the door as she passes inside.

  Her hips sway in the skirts, tossing them side-to-side in a strut as she glances at me over her shoulder. “Perhaps if you make me work up an appetite.”

  Heat floods my cock and it stiffens at her words. Her eyes drop, as if she senses it. Maybe I should have worn pants; she has far too much power over me and my cock shows it to her.

  I slam the door shut, turning the latch in place to lock it for the night. She is mine.

  **** r />
  A flutter runs through my heart at the sight of his stark naked body. Ripples of rigid muscle mold his body into that of a god. Thick, toned thighs pace the length of the room as he sets my cloak over a chair. Turning to face me, his stunning cock stands ready for my taking.

  I drop to my knees and plunge my lips over it, barely able to fit his girth in my mouth.

  A loud groan rips from his lips. “Fuck, Red,” he growls.

  My tongue swirls across his tip and I grip his shaft, my tiny hand covering barely half of its length. I suck him between hollowed cheeks, pressing him against my tongue and the roof of my mouth. He lets out a hiss and grips my hair.

  “No!” he cries out and yanks me to a stand by my hair.

  I give him a devilish smile, relishing in the tingles prickling my scalp. “I want to taste you, as you did me last night.”

  He shakes his head and lust-filled blue eyes stare back at me. “Not yet. First, you must receive your punishment.”

  My eyes shoot wide open as my heart plunges to my stomach. “Punishment? For what?”

  “You've been naughty, Red. Don't think I don't know what you did in my bed after I left this morning.” His narrowed eyes traverse the length of my body.

  “What?” I gasp and heat floods my cheeks as much as it does my belly at the thought of him catching me pleasuring myself.

  “I smelled the scent of your fresh arousal when I got back.” He tilts his head and a handsome wicked grin molds his lips. “And, I saw your hands making love to your body where only mine should be. Only my lips, my hands, and my cock need pleasure you. Do you understand, Red?” His hands tighten in my hair.

  I nod, barely able to move my head in his grip, and excitement courses through me at what he has planned.

  “Say it,” he demands, and forces my face inches from his. We lock eyes. Behind his lust-filled ones lie a softness as he waits for my reply.

  “Yes, Marcus.” I answer in more of a moan than words, and he seems to like it as his cock twitches against the folds of my skirts.