Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
“Can I ask you a question?” I ask as he’s putting the dishes in the dishwasher. I tried to help but he wouldn’t let me.
“Anything.”
“Why do you keep calling me your mate?”
He sucks in a breath and looks a little nervous. “Did I say that out loud?”
“Multiple times.”
He looks at me for a long moment and it feels like he’s seeing more than just the surface level stuff. I can’t explain it.
“I feel a pull to you, Chloe. Like my soul is trying to reach out of my body and wrap itself around yours. Does that make sense?”
It does. I’m feeling the same thing.
“Yes.”
He steps toward me and I wish that this damn island wasn’t between us.
“Do you feel that with me?”
My core clenches and I swallow hard. It’s too soon to talk about stuff like this. How can I be talking about joining souls with someone I just met?
I close my eyes and decide to just go with it. Connections like this don’t happen every day and sometimes you just have to say ‘fuck it’ and lean into the feeling.
“I do.”
He takes a breath of relief and his smile is so wide that it goes to his shining brown eyes. “That’s because we’re mates.”
I just stare into his eyes as my whole body craves to be closer to him.
“I’m a bear shifter.”
My eyes dart wide open. “You are?”
Now it all makes sense. His huge size, how he broke the thick desk so easily, his incredible strength and tremendous appetite. How did I not see it before?
“I am,” he says in a deep confident voice that gets me all tingly between my legs. “And you’re my mate.”
It hits me hard and I grab onto the counter so I don’t fall off the stool.
I’ve heard rumors about the intense bond that shifters have with their mates, but I never thought it would happen to me. It’s like winning the love life lottery.
He walks around the counter and I look up at him as my mind swirls.
There’s a bear somewhere in his chest, waiting to burst out.
“What… kind of bear?” I can barely choke the words out.
“Grizzly.”
God, that’s sexy. I love the idea of a huge protective beast inside of him watching out for me and having my back. It’s something I’ve always needed.
He takes my hand and gently puts it to his hard chest.
I gasp when I feel his pec vibrating and hear the faint rumble.
“This is my bear,” he says softly. “And he’s mad about you.”
“He is?” I’m staring at him in shock. This is all so unreal.
“Yes. And so am I.”
It’s a lot to take in and all of a sudden, I need some air.
I pull my hand away and rush outside before I faint on his kitchen floor.
The warm summer air feels amazing on my hot skin and I close my eyes and breathe in and out a few times, trying to take it all in and make sense of what he just told me.
But none of it makes sense. I’m just a regular poor uneducated girl who ran away from home. How can I have ended up here like this? Why do I deserve to be so lucky?
The glass door slides open a few minutes later and Ethan steps out, looking like he’s going to be sick.
“Are you upset?” he asks.
“Oh, God, no,” I say as I shake my head. “I’m just… overwhelmed.”
He comes up to me and wraps those big delicious arms around my shoulders. “It’s overwhelming for me too,” he says. “I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my life and I don’t know how to handle all of these protective feelings I have surging through me. I don’t want to share you with anyone.”
I shake my head as I stare into his adoring eyes. “You don’t have to.”
“I’m taking care of you now, peaches,” he says in a possessive voice. “You’re mine now.”
He claims my mouth in a hard dominant kiss that yanks the air from my lungs and makes my legs go weak.
“You belong by my side and that’s exactly where you’re going to stay,” he says as my mind spins and I struggle to stand up from that earth-shattering kiss. “You live here now. Understand?”
I’m so happy I could die. I turn around and look at the stunning lake, amazed that I get to see it every day.
“This is my backyard?” I say as my cheeks heat up.
“It is now. Want to go out on it?”
A few minutes later, I’m sitting on the rowboat and laughing as we nearly tip over when his massive frame gets in.
It’s a gorgeous mountain view, but my eyes never leave Ethan as he paddles us into the middle of the lake. The ducks quack their complaints at us before flying in the air and taking off. Now, we’re truly alone. There aren’t any other houses on the lake, just tall gorgeous trees with little singing birds darting through the branches.