Smokejumpers Werebear (Bear Shifters Of Flathead Forest #1) Read online

He had a look of complete bafflement on his face. She stifled a laugh. He was so cute.

  “I’m scared,” she finally said.

  His head snapped back as he tried to process the irrational thing she just said. He was an adventurous daredevil surrounded by other daredevils. A city girl who was afraid of a simple canoe must have been as foreign to him as an alien from another planet.

  “You can’t swim?” he asked.

  “I can.” She looked past him at the raging river. “But look at those rapids.”

  He looked over his shoulder at the gurgling river and then back to her. “I don’t understand. You’re going to be in a canoe.”

  “Oh forget it,” she snapped. She grabbed his hand and stepped into the wobbly canoe.

  He jumped in after her and pushed off the ground with his paddle. The current took them along the river. Alexi gripped the sides of the canoe with white knuckles at first but then relaxed her body when she saw that Ellis was quite skillful with the paddle. He stirred between the rocks and around rapids with ease. She sat in the back enjoying the view of his arms flexing as he deftly maneuvered the canoe.

  Normally a guy as good looking as him would be out of her league. She was a bigger girl and she was never the one at the parties that the men would approach. She thought of herself as ugly. Greg had drilled that into her head, always calling her fat and disgusting. He always told her that he was dating her as a favor to her parents. That if it wasn’t for him she would die alone.

  Ellis looked back at her and smiled. Droplets of water ran down his face and arms. He put the paddle on his lap and pulled his shirt off over his head in one swift movement. “Almost there,” he said, dunking the paddle back in the river.

  It was a strange feeling, not one that she had felt in a very long time, but she felt sexy when she was around him. She saw him several times, staring at her out of the corner of her eye. It wasn’t creepy. He just seemed to be admiring her body. She could tell that he was gazing at her face like it was a masterpiece when she was watching the stars last night. It felt good to be looked at with want.

  With desire.

  “Ellis,” she said. He turned around with a hopeful look on his face, like a puppy dog waiting to be bought at a pet store. “I’m happy to be spending the day with you.”

  The happiest grin that Alexi had ever seen burst onto his face.

  A few minutes later the ride got a lot rougher and bumpier as Ellis turned up a small river snaking out of the forest. He paddled against the current. The current was hard and there was no way they should have been able to travel up it without a motor but they were. Ellis paddled hard and the canoe cut through the water like a salmon swimming up stream. Alexi was enthralled watching his powerful arms work. The paddle was moving so fast that it looked like a blur. I must have water in my eyes. His shoulders were jacked from the effort, his back muscles ripped.

  He maneuvered around a bend and as the trees gave way a beautiful waterfall came into view. It was like a private oasis in the middle of the forest just for them. It was as if nature had spent the past ten million years setting up this perfect paradise in anticipation of that afternoon. The three story waterfall flowed over slick rocks and landed in the blue lagoon below. The sound of the falling water mixed with the chirping of birds made a soothing soundtrack. Ellis paddled further in and they were surrounded by trees. They were cut off from the world. Just the two of them able to do whatever they wanted without anyone disturbing them.

  Alexi dipped her hand in the water. The bright sun cascaded down onto the pool warming it up like a nice bath. The rays reached out and heated the small sand beach, which Ellis rowed the canoe onto.

  “So what do you think?” he asked, helping her out of the canoe.

  She was speechless. She had been all over the world but had never seen such natural beauty before. Ellis fit right in.

  “Do you come here often?” she asked, looking around.

  He chuckled. “Now we’re even.”

  “What?” she looked at him confused.

  “Your bad pickup line cancels out my bad pickup line. Now we can really start from scratch.” He reached in the canoe and pulled out the cooler.

  They were a long way from scratch. He was way ahead as far as she was concerned.

  He opened the cooler and pulled out a large blanket. He unfolded and spread it out on the sand.

  “Let me help you with that,” she said, grabbing a corner.

  “No, no, no,” he said, shooing her away. “I want to treat you. You should go swimming. The water is really warm. There’s a nice cave under the waterfall.”

  She was in need of a wash, but she didn’t have her bathing suit.

  Fuck it. Time to throw caution to the wind.

  She faced the waterfall with her back to Ellis and pulled her shirt off over her head. She heard a hard swallow behind her as she unhooked her bra and tossed it on the blanket.

  “I have your bathing suit,” he said. “I wanted to surprise you so I went in your bag and found it. I hope you don’t mind.”

  She looked over her shoulder as she unbuttoned her shorts. “Keep it,” she said. She slid her pants and underwear off and kicked them into the sand. She ran into the water without looking back.

  The sun was hot and the water was warm but the real heat came from Ellis’ hungry eyes staring at her from behind.

  She dove in when the waterline crept up over her knees and felt the refreshing water coat her naked body. She swam towards the waterfall feeling a thrill run through her as the water tickled her bare sex. What had gotten into her?

  She had never been so willing to get naked in front of anyone before. And never in the bright sunlight. But she felt safe around Ellis, as if he was totally accepting of her body and even turned on by it.

  She ducked under the waterfall and popped out on the other side. The water was shallow under it and when she stood up the waterline was below her waist. There was a small cave behind the falls like he had said. Not much, just a ledge to sit down on.

  She looked through the falling water at Ellis’ blurred shape on the beach, watching her. Alexi had always been self conscious about her weight. She had a lot of curves but none of them seemed to be in the right places. She despised how she looked naked, but now, with Ellis, she wasn’t concerned. She felt accepted by him, even sexy. She wanted him to see her.

  She stepped into the falls, the water cascading over her shoulders and naked breasts, and emerged out the other side. She was naked for him to see. The water level only went halfway up her thighs.

  Her breathing increased at the way he was staring at her, intense, hungry and erotic. Her pussy clenched and she let out a soft moan.

  “Are you going to stand there staring all day?” she yelled. “Or are you going to come join me?”

  Ellis ripped off his shorts and underwear and dove into the water. It was so fast that she couldn’t see what he was packing. He swam underwater as fast as a fish, never stopping to take a breath, and was in front of her in seconds.

  He emerged from the water and gawked at her with wide eyes. Alexi’s nipples hardened in anticipation as the warm water from the falls caressed her back and shoulders like a massage.

  Ellis stood up and his long, semi-hard erection hung down his thigh. Alexi’s breathing increased as he rose and his eyes trailed over her breasts.

  “Does this mean…” he asked, the last words caught in his throat.

  “No,” she said and grabbed the back of his neck. She pulled his head towards hers and their wet lips met in a passionate kiss. His warm breath washed over her as his tongue explored her mouth. His lips worked forcefully, tasting every inch of hers. She gasped as his hand brushed up her ribs and cupped her breast.

  The waterfall picked up in intensity, beating down on them.

  She slid her hand up his erection and let her fingers curl around the hard shaft. She swallowed his moan as she squeezed his hardness. She wanted him so bad. She needed him inside her.


  He pulled away, breaking the kiss and leaving her dazed. Her lips tingled. She bit her bottom lip, tasting him on it, as he lowered his head and took her breasts in his mouth.

  Her quivering nipples perked under his flicking and sucking tongue. He groaned against her breasts, the buzzing sending a warm chill through her.

  A low, constant growl emanated from deep within him. It was carnal, almost animal-like, and aroused something deep inside her.

  Her heart pounded as he swept his hand up her inner thigh, stopping dangerously close to her throbbing pussy. His hand was so close. She gasped as he caressed her sex, peeled back her folds and slid a finger into her wet hole. The waterfall slapped against her back.

  She swallowed hard as he pushed in a second finger all the way up to his knuckle. She was as wet as the water she was standing in and his fingers glided in easily. “I’ve wanted to do this since the first time I saw your sexy body,” he said, his mouth buzzing against her nipple.

  She ran her fingers through his wet hair and pulled him into her chest, willing to do anything with him at the moment.

  She clenched her pussy tight around his fingers as he slid them in and out. She clutched his muscular arm and moaned as he hit her spot.

  “You’re so fucking hot,” he said, curving the tips of his fingers inside her as he finger-fucked her throbbing pussy. “I love your curves. You’re so voluptuous.”

  She writhed her hips to the rhythm of his hand as he moved his lips up to her neck. She pulled her wet hair to the side exposing her vulnerable neck to him. A small convulsion shook her body as he swept his tongue up the soft skin over her collarbone. She held the back of his hand tight, pushing it into her as his deft fingers found her clit and rubbed it in small circles.

  Her knees shook as she felt the beginnings of an orgasm coming on. She had always had such a hard time reaching orgasm in the past, never feeling comfortable enough about her body to completely relax during sex but with Ellis she was on the verge after only a minute or so.

  She opened her mouth, unable to talk, barely able to swallow, as his rough fingers picked up speed and force, driving her to the edge.

  A whimper escaped her wet lips as the tightness built inside her like a ball, begging to be released. His tongue traveled under the side of her jaw and his hand massaged her breast as her breathing sped up and her throat burned.

  “Come for me,” he whispered in her ear and that was it. The tightness unraveled through her body as the orgasm consumed her, rushing pleasure through every vein in her body.

  She cried out as the waterfall smacked her shoulders and her body trembled. Her knees shook as she gasped for breath. Ellis wrapped his arm under hers, keeping her upright, as her legs gave out and the raw ecstasy ran rife through her.

  He pressed his lips to hers in a collision of teeth and a twisting of tongue. “Fuck me,” she begged, reaching for his hard cock.

  He wrapped his arm under her legs and picked her up as the intensity of her orgasm wained, replaced by a steady glow of comforted warmth. He stepped through the waterfall into the shelter of the cave as she nuzzled her nose in the nape of his neck, breathing in his enticing and masculine scent.

  There was a chill in the air behind the waterfall but Ellis’ hot skin kept her warm. His body was emanating heat like a fire. Steam rose from the water in thin wisps by his legs.

  He laid her down on the cold, wet rock and spread her knees apart. Alexi’s pussy tingled in anticipation as he stood between her legs stroking his hard cock, his hungry, heated eyes taking in every inch of her body, searing her with his gaze.

  “Just fuck me,” she begged arching her back.

  He continued his slow examination of her nakedness, driving her lust forward, as he stepped towards her and brushed the tip of his cock against her throbbing clit.

  A harsh moan surged from her and her body shook violently.

  He slid his tip down to her wet slit and pushed it inside in a slow, controlled thrust. He leaned over her, his muscular chest heaving, with low primitive grunts escaping from his open mouth.

  She ran her hands up his hard, flexed arms as he stared down at her undulating breasts.

  He pressed his hips forward, drawing out a long moan from her as his cock slid deep inside her wet tunnel.

  Ellis lowered his mouth onto hers, swallowing her whimpers as she clawed the back of his arms.

  His hips picked up speed, moving inside her with a steady and controlled rhythm. Every thrust hitting the right spot. Every thrust increasing the pressure.

  She closed her eyes as he pulled her legs towards him and fucked her harder. She let out a guttural moan as he found a smooth, fast rhythm, filling her completely with his gorgeous cock.

  “Fuck Ellis,” she whimpered as the animalistic grumbling in his chest thundered, echoing in the cave around them.

  Her back scraped against the rock under her with one deep and powerful thrust that made Alexi arch her back and cry out. He increased his steady and controlled rhythm slowly and deliberately until the world blacked out around her, and she was only aware of the slow building of pressure in her body emanating from her throbbing clit.

  She gripped his arm, digging her nails into his flesh, as he pounded relentlessly into her. Both their breathing quickened and became louder, the gasps and moans more frequent until they were uncontrollable. The building pressure increased until she felt heat flooding through her and her knees started to shake.

  She hooked her feet together behind him and raised her hips to take him in deeper. His thrusts increased in speed until he was grunting, with strands of wet hair fallen loose over his sweaty forehead, and Alexi was screaming that she was about to come in jumbled words and cries.

  His hips slammed into her as her orgasm released through her in a sweet swell of heat. Her legs trembled and shook as her heart pounded violently in her chest and ears. Ellis bent over her, groaning in delicious pain as his muscles clenched and he came deep inside her.

  He exhaled hard on her shoulder and thrust slowly a few more times before pulling out. Alexi convulsed and whimpered as his softening erection left her, leaving her feeling empty and deserted. She reached out and pulled his head back down to her. His warm face collapsed into her neck as they both breathed labored, heavy breaths, both wonderfully exhausted and spent.

  The intense flood of heat flowing through her veins dissipated and she became aware of the hard rock under her and the stiffness in her back and legs.

  Ellis groaned as he pushed himself up. Alexi closed her eyes and moaned as she reached down and felt his warm cream oozing out of her and onto her fingers.

  “Come for a swim,” he said, diving through the waterfall and disappearing under the water.

  Alexi pushed herself up into a sitting position on the rock, her legs stiff and sore, as she tried to catch her breath.

  She watched Ellis’ naked body glide through the water, as a luscious feeling of satisfaction swelled through her.

  She never realized that sex could be so heavenly, so divine. She felt completely fulfilled and cherished. Secure and desired.

  She stepped through the waterfall feeling the warm water coat her tingling body like a blanket. Ellis’ head popped out of the water and he smiled, beckoning her towards him.

  She dove into the water and swam over to her man.

  seven

  “Take my hand,” Ellis said extending it over the boulder. Alexi grabbed it and he hoisted her up easily as if she was light as a twig.

  The two of them were hiking up Spotted Bear Mountain to have a picnic. He was racing to the top, his bear pushing the pace, eager to repeat the events of yesterday afternoon at the waterfall.

  It was the first time that Ellis had made love to a woman and it was better than he had ever imagined. Her curves melted his insides and made him so hard. He couldn’t stop thinking of the way she felt. The way she tasted. The way his cock felt when he slid it into her wet slit. His bear groaned in response. Apparently he was
thinking the same thing.

  “Do you have another surprise for me at the top?” she asked, pulling his hand down towards her. He lowered his mouth onto hers, tasting the sweet saltiness from her skin. Her kiss was intoxicating and his bear rumbled in excitement. She grazed her teeth over his bottom lip and brushed her hand down his stomach to his belt buckle.

  “I can give it to you right here if you prefer?” Ellis said, his hand sliding up her leg.

  She grabbed his wrist and held it in place. “No you’ll have to work for it,” she said and ran up the hill past him.

  He jogged up beside her, keeping her pace. Ellis’ inner bear was finally content, feeling like he had claimed Alexi as his mate. But Ellis wasn’t so sure.

  He still hadn’t told her that he was a bear shifter. He had no idea how she was going to react. Humans were unpredictable with that kind of thing.

  And there were the secrets that she was holding about her past. Something told him that she was holding in something dark, that she was staying with his crew for protection and not for a holiday.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she said, turning around and admiring the view. It was another gorgeous day with the sun shining.

  Ellis never took her eyes off Alexi. “It sure is.”

  “No, that way,” she said, laughing and turning his head around. The green of the forest was spectacular. The river in the distance snaked in and out of the tall trees. A bald eagle glided overhead in the distance looking for its lunch.

  Ellis had lived here since birth and often took the natural beauty for granted. Alexi was opening his eyes to it again. Just one of many things that she was doing for him.

  Alexi’s eye caught the eagle and followed it through the sky. Ellis watched as her smile faded away. Her chin began to tremble and her eyes filled with tears as she watched the magnificent bird gliding.

  Ellis wrapped his arms around her. “Are you okay?”

  She shook her head and covered her eyes as she began to cry. It broke his heart to see her sad. He would have given anything to make her feel better. To make his princess happy again.