Bear My Heart: A Small Town Paranormal Romance Read online

  He could feel the beast rising in him but he refused to grab Dot and mount her on the hard living room floor.

  He would make her come with his mouth, and he wanted to hear her scream his name before he took her.

  Troy pushed her legs apart and knelt in front of her. She was wet and quivering, and Troy was almost out of his mind with lust.

  He pressed his lips to her wet, pink pussy and sucked and licked relentlessly at her hidden nub until it emerged. Her thighs trembled as her engorged clit peeked out from between her glistening folds.

  “Please...” she whimpered, the scent of her arousal filling the room.

  Troy pushed his hand under her knee and brought one leg over his shoulder. He continued tormenting her aching clit with his tongue, increasing the pressure until she begged and cried out helplessly.

  Troy moved his hands up her soft, sweet body and caressed her heavy, generous breasts. He rolled her erect nipples between his fingers as he pressed his mouth to her pussy.

  Dot speared her fingers through his hair and panted as he pushed his tongue into her. She made pleading, incoherent sounds as he tasted her thoroughly.

  Her sweet, sticky juices were smeared all over his lips and tongue, and Troy grabbed her greedily. He wanted more. So did she.

  Troy pushed his tongue deeper into her slit and inhaled her intoxicating feminine scent. His thumb circled her pulsing, swollen clit, moving faster and harder as she writhed against him.

  Finally, Dot threw back her head and screamed his name. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she came hard against his mouth.

  Still shuddering, she began to slide down the wall as her legs gave out under her. Troy caught her and swung her into his arms.

  Breathing hard, Troy carried her to the bedroom. Even before he put her down on the bed, his lips were already on her.

  The kiss was deep, passionate and scorching. He fell on top of her, their lips locked and their bodies straining hungrily, maddeningly to be joined.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Dot pushed herself up on her elbows as Troy shucked off his jeans and came to her. She panted and arched her back as his body covered hers. She loved being naked beneath him, feeling the hard, defined lines of his body press against her womanly curves.

  They just fitted together so perfectly. Troy nuzzled her neck, his hands moving down her body. She could feel his rock hard cock pulsating against her pussy. But he didn't fuck her. Not yet.

  He took his time to explore and savor her body. He groaned when Dot tempted him by raising her hips to him.

  “Patience,” he drawled. “I don't want to hurt you.”

  “You won't.”

  Troy took a ragged breath. “You're so tiny, so fragile...”

  “I'm stronger than you think.”

  His lips curved. “I don't doubt that.”

  Dot hooked a leg over his hip and rolled them over until she was on top of him.

  Troy's strong hands circled her waist as she straddled him. His eyes had darkened with primal hunger and desire. A low, dangerous growl rumbled from him.

  “You don't scare me,” Dot whispered, leaning forward. “I'm going to tame your bear.”

  Troy stared at her, holding her gaze as she lowered herself slowly onto his huge, hard cock.

  She gasped, feeling her walls stretch to accommodate his girth. She looked unflinchingly into his eyes and pushed his cock deeper into her body. Her breathing quickened as he filled her inch by inch. With a final cry, she impaled herself fully on him and slumped forward.

  “Troy...” she whispered.

  He didn't move a muscle. The veins were throbbing in his neck as he fought to hold himself absolutely still.

  Dot planted her hands on his chest and began to rock her hips slowly. Troy groaned in agony and ecstasy. “You feel so good,” he rasped.

  Dot gripped his broad shoulders as she rode him harder. He jerked his hips and thrust into her, his hands moving over her body possessively.

  Their breaths mingled as their flesh slapped wetly together. Dot could feel the first flickers of a violent, powerful orgasm. She slowed down and laced her fingers through Troy's. She wanted them to hurtle over the edge together.

  Troy read and understood her desire at once. It was as if his body was perfectly in tune with hers.

  His eyes glowed as he flipped her onto her back. Holding her tightly, possessively to him, he thrust harder and deeper into her. His cock slid in and out of her, touching all her sensitive spots and rubbing deliciously against her tight, rippling channel.

  Dot threw her arms over her head and surrendered her body and her pleasure to Troy. His arms tightened around her, holding her safe as he took her to dizzying heights and dropped them both into a never-ending vortex of the most intense, decadent pleasure.

  Dot didn't know how many times she climaxed. The orgasms just kept coming one after another until her screams sounded hoarse and faint.

  “Oh Troy...” she whispered weakly.

  She opened her eyes and reached out instinctively for him. Troy kissed her softly on the mouth and stroked her cheek.

  “You are amazing,” he whispered.

  She must have smiled. She blinked lazily and sighed. Her whole body felt so warm and sated. Troy sat up and positioned her head on his shoulders.

  “Will you let me tell you...about me?” he said quietly. “I know you don't want to feel close to anyone. You've built a wall around your heart, but I'm hoping you'll let me in.”

  Dot took a deep breath and nodded. “I'm listening.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Troy closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the warmth and softness of Dot's naked body against his. He wanted to hold her forever, but after this, after what he was about to tell her, she might not want him to touch her. Ever.

  But he wouldn't keep this from her. She was too important to him.

  “You saw my bear that night,” he began carefully.

  “Yes. Jim would have killed me if you hadn't come to my rescue.”

  “He broke your arm,” Troy snarled.

  “No he didn't. He just dislocated it. Nanny Riddle popped it right back,” she said, keeping her tone light and upbeat.

  “You weren't scared of my bear?” Troy asked.

  “No. I knew you were protecting me. And Casey and Timmy.” She preempted his next question by saying, “I looked into your eyes, and I knew it was you.”

  Troy smiled and kissed the top of her head.

  “I don't shift into bear form often, but that night when I saw Jim hurting you, my bear just ripped from my skin. I had Jim pinned to the ground before I even realized that I had shifted. I just lost control of my bear...”

  “No you didn't,” Dot said firmly. “You didn't kill Jim. You just made sure he never hurt Casey and Timmy again. To tell you the truth, I've never seen a bear, or anyone for that matter, with so much self-restraint.”

  Troy stared grimly at the opposite wall. “It happened on a dark and stormy night.” He managed a playful grin. “It's a good opening line, right?”

  “Not very original though,” she snorted, cuddling him closer.

  “But that's how it happened.” His expression became serious. “It was raining heavily that night, and I spotted a car at the side of the road with its hazard lights flashing. I pulled over to see if the driver needed any help. I didn't see any other vehicles along that whole stretch of road, and I was afraid the driver might be injured. It might be some time before another car came along.”

  “You did the right thing.”

  Troy shook his head. “The windows were fogged up so I couldn't see inside the car. I knocked on the window and there was no response. So I opened the car door and looked inside. The car was empty.”

  Dot nodded silently.

  “I was about to return to my car when I heard a sound from the side of the road. I couldn't see past the dense trees but it sounded like a cry of pain
. My first thought was that the driver had stumbled out of the car and lost his footing. The ground was sloping away from the road, so he may have tumbled down the incline and hurt himself badly.”

  Troy grimaced and went on, “I should have just gone back to my car.”

  “No. You wouldn't leave someone in the lurch,” Dot said softly but with absolute conviction.

  Troy narrowed his eyes as he stared at a spot on the far wall. “The rain was getting heavier and the ground was muddy and slippery, and yet I pushed deeper and deeper into the woods. I was too careless and stupid. I should have noticed the claw marks on the tree trunks and the large paw prints on the ground.”

  Dot tightened her arms around him, and her embrace gave him strength and comfort.

  “By the time I saw the bear, it was too late. There was nowhere to run. The bear kept attacking me, biting and slashing at me.” He pointed to the scars on his arms and neck. “When I kicked at it, it bit down viciously on my leg. It bit right through to the bone. I was a skinny lad then.” He tried to smile but failed.

  “One of the bear's tooth got embedded in my bone as I tore my leg free. The doctors did countless X-rays but they couldn't find the bear tooth. The tooth had somehow grafted itself to my bone and the shifter cells in the tooth were already multiplying in my body.”

  Troy clenched his teeth and said, “That bear, that rogue bear that was lurking in the woods that night, is in me now.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “No,” Dot whispered fiercely, holding Troy by the shoulders. “No. That is not true.”

  Troy looked her straight in the eye and said without any inflection or emotion, “I didn't allow my bear to claim you tonight. We had sex. That's all. It's not mating. I won't allow a rogue bear to have a mate.”

  “No.” Dot shook him angrily. “You're not a rogue.

  Troy's laugh was dark and mirthless.

  “What happened to that bear, that driver after...” Dot trailed off.

  “I was in too much pain to see clearly, but I saw him shift back into human form and lurch away. He was heading towards the road. I tried to follow him. Then I heard the horrible screech of tires and a deafening crash.”

  Dot pressed her hand to her mouth.

  “He was crushed under an eighteen-wheeler. He died a human.”

  “Oh Troy!”

  “I stayed in the hospital for two weeks. But the doctors found nothing wrong with me. My wounds healed quickly, and I went home to my girlfriend. Evelyn and I were living together then, but she moved out soon after I came home. I don't blame her. I was impossible to live with. I was angry all the time, and I refused to talk to anyone.”

  “You were living in the city then. Why didn't you approach the other shifters in the city? I know there are communities...”

  Troy snarled. “Shifters are the minority, and shifters have equal rights only in theory.”

  Dot looked down. Society still had a long way to go. She knew that there were many people who were prejudiced and shifter-phobic. They were suspicious of anyone who wasn't like them, and they tried to shut them out and exclude them. Shifters were hunted and murdered, but in many cases, no one was arrested and prosecuted.

  Troy turned to her and said, “No one tolerates a rogue shifter. No one. Not even the shifters themselves.” He paused and said flatly, “I thought of ending my life to rid the world of the evil inside of me.”

  “You're not evil. I know evil. I...I've seen it.”

  “Dot...”

  “Finish your story, Troy,” she said, her eyes glittering. “I...I can't tell you mine just yet. But I will. I promise.”

  Troy pulled her to him and murmured, “Don't be alone, Dot. I learned that when people need you, you will find the strength and courage to live a good life. For them.”

  Exhaling a long breath, he went on, “Megan called me one night. I could barely make out what she was saying. She was crying so hard. Her husband, Howard, had died suddenly in an accident, and the twins were just a few weeks old. She couldn't cope, and I could hear the babies screaming their heads off in the background.”

  “My sister and nephews needed me. So I came to Bear Cove, and I did as much as I could for them. That's how I became a handyman. I did odd jobs for her and her neighbors, and her neighbors recommended me to more neighbors. That's how I became Mister Handyman.”

  “And your partner, Brandon?” Dot prompted.

  “Brandon was an angry young cub.” Troy gave a crooked smile. “He's a born shifter. His dad was a bear shifter.” A flash of pain and anger flashed through his eyes. “Brandon's dad was a good man. He encouraged me and advised me. He was the one who taught me how to shift back and forth properly and safely. But they killed him.”

  Dot paled. “No.”

  “Brandon's dad was shot in the woods. He had never hurt a single soul in his life. Those sicko killed him for shits and giggles yet they claimed they shot him in self-defense.”

  Troy forced himself to unclench his fists and continued, “Brandon was twenty when it happened. I had been in Bear Cove a few months then, and I became his friend. I dragged him along when I went to do jobs for the neighbors to keep his mind occupied.” Troy shook his head. “It wasn't easy to get him to do anything. He kept swearing and cursing, and he wanted revenge. Those two men who shot his dad were issued fines. They killed a man, and all they had to do was pay a fine! It would have been laughable if it wasn't so horrible. You can understand Brandon's outrage and anguish. He wanted them dead.”

  Troy leaned back and said quietly, “Brandon and I, we were in the same place. We were both in pain. I thought I was helping him, but in fact, he was the one who helped me. By healing him, I healed myself.”

  “So how can you still think that you're a rogue, Troy Hillman?” Dot said sternly.

  There was a long silence. “I don't know. That's the thing, Dot. I won't know if I'm a rogue until I lose control. By then, it will be too late.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Dot walked into the library and went up to the counter where Megan was typing away cheerfully. She looked up when Dot approached the counter and grinned.

  “Hi Dot! Where's your laptop?” Megan said. “You never come to the library without it.”

  “I didn't come here to write. I came to talk to you.”

  Megan's face lit up. “Really?”

  “Yeah.” Dot cleared her throat. “You asked if I would consider holding a talk or a writing seminar for the residents.”

  “Yes!” Megan said eagerly. “Would you? Everyone would be so excited...”

  “I...I think...” Dot stammered and swallowed. “I think I'd like to do it.”

  Megan let out a whoop before hurriedly shushing herself. “This is wonderful! Thank you, Dot!”

  “I've never done this before. I'm not sure what I should talk about...”

  “Oh, you can talk about your stories, and I'm sure everyone will be asking you a billion questions. It doesn't have to be a formal talk. It's more of a...” Megan tapped her chin as she searched for the right word. “A discussion, a question-and-answer session!” She snapped her fingers. “Ooh, this is so exciting! I can't wait to tell everybody!” Megan clapped her hands and did a little dance on the spot. “I'll start putting up the notices and posters for the talk. Shall we say...next Friday night?”

  Dot nodded uncertainly. “I guess. Yeah, okay.”

  Megan hugged her and bounded away to tell a fellow librarian the good news.

  Dot turned away and scurried out of the library. She released a long breath once she was standing at the edge of the sidewalk.

  She had never done anything like this before. This was a big step for her. A giant, terrifying, thrilling step.

  This was the first time she had put herself forward and done something so public. She had always kept a low profile and tried to stay unnoticed and hidden. For the first time, she'd stepped forward and volunteered to do something fo
r the community.

  It felt strange and...really, really good.

  She had never felt like she belonged anywhere. But it was different here. Maybe it was the right time, the right place—and the right people. She felt like she belonged in this town and she wanted to be a part of this small, close-knit community. Here, she actually had friends, neighbors, and...a boyfriend.

  Troy had taken her out to dinner at Papa Bear's and another restaurant in town. Before long, everyone simply assumed they were a couple. Lilly had been teasing Dot relentlessly. She'd even christened the corner booth “Dot and Troy's Loveseat”.

  Troy often had breakfast with her at Papa Bear's. Megan and her boys joined them sometimes. So did Troy's business partner, Brandon. Dot found Brandon to be a very sweet, gentle young man. It was hard to imagine that he had once wanted to have the blood of his father's murderers on his hands.

  She was learning to live again. After so long, she could finally breathe freely.

  Maybe she was truly free at last.

  Dot got into her old, trusty, beat-up car and drove home. She parked her car and ran up her front steps feeling optimistic and determined. She planned to tell Megan and Troy everything about her past. They had a right to know. They were family.

  Dot unlocked her front door and froze as she stepped on a piece of paper.

  Her heart stopped.

  With trembling fingers, she snatched the paper off the floor and stifled a scream when she saw the drawing.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Whistling, Troy stopped his truck in front of Dot's house. He and Brandon had just finished unclogging a bathroom sink for old Mrs Bogg. They had also installed a nice new toilet seat and toilet paper holder for her. It was a simple job and they'd finished up nice and early. Troy had the whole afternoon free, and he wanted to surprise Dot with a homecooked dinner.