He let her look at him for a few more moments, and then stepped back to shift back into human form.

  Once he was in human form, he smiled at her and said, “So, you see, it’s true. Humans can turn into bears.”

  Jackie shook her head in disbelief. “I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. But there’s no denying that you just changed from a man to a bear and back again. That was incredible.”

  Evan started to put on his clothes, but then stopped and took a few steps toward Jackie. He looked at her with the most intense gaze he’d ever given to anyone, because this was the most intense moment he’d ever experienced. He put his hands on Jackie’s shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.

  He could feel himself stiffening between his legs, and he didn’t even try to hide it. There was no hiding how attracted he was to Jackie. He stood before her naked and unashamed. This was who he was: a bear of a man who was completely in love with her.

  “Listen, I know that this is all a lot to take in, but I have one more thing to tell you that might seem kind of strange.”

  Jackie looked up at him with wide eyes. “Not to sound rude, but what could possibly be stranger than the fact that you can turn into a bear?”

  Evan smiled. “Well, when you put it that way, maybe this won’t sound so strange to you. But either way, I have to tell you. Have you ever heard of lifemates?”

  Jackie furrowed her brow. “Soulmates, you mean?”

  “Similar, but a bit different. You see, we shifters all believe in what we call lifemates. It’s sort of like a soulmate, but even more serious than that. Fate assigns every shifter a lifemate, and from the moment we take our first breaths, destiny is working behind the scenes to bring that lifemate across our path. Once we find him or her, it’s usually instant attraction. And once we sleep with our lifemate, a bond is formed: the lifemate bond. It feels like a deep heat in your core when you make love.”

  Jackie gasped. “I felt a heat deep in my stomach when we made love outside the bar! I thought it was strange, because I’ve never felt anything like that before. But I figured it was just because I’ve never been quite as attracted to anyone before as I was to you.”

  Evan’s smile widened. “That’s the lifemate bond. I didn’t know that humans could feel it too, but I guess it makes sense that you could. If you’re my lifemate, then you would need to be able to form the lifemate bond. And the lifemate bond is something you definitely feel when it happens. The heat is unmistakable.”

  Jackie still looked confused. “But what does all of this mean? What does the lifemate bond do, exactly?”

  “In simple terms, it’s a bond that ties you to your lifemate for all time. From the moment we slept together, I’ve known that you were mine. I’ve known that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, because there will never be anyone else for me but you. No matter where I go, and no matter what I do, you’ll always be in my heart. I’ll have a sense of warning if you’re in danger, but, more than that, I’ll always be drawn back to you. I can never love anyone else, because I will always only be able to think of you.”

  Jackie frowned. “That all sounds very romantic, but it’s a little far-fetched, don’t you think?”

  Evan shrugged. “More far-fetched than a man turning into a bear?”

  “Touché. It’s just that I saw so many awful things while planning weddings that it can be hard for me to believe that true love exists. It seems that no one is truly faithful or truly cares about their spouse these days. It’s hard for me to comprehend the idea of knowing that someone is meant to be with you for life.”

  Evan’s heart sank a little. He had seen how fickle humans could be when it came to love, so he could only imagine the things that Jackie had seen as a wedding planner. But he had to make her understand that he wasn’t like that.

  “I know that it can be scary to think about committing your life to someone, especially when you must have seen so many people make that commitment only to back out on it. But you have to understand that things are different for a bear. We’re loyal to a fault. I would give my life for you, and I mean that with every fiber of my being. Trust me on this, and I promise you’ll never be disappointed. You’ll never have to be afraid that I’m going to do anything that’s not in your best interest.”

  Jackie looked up at him, her lips trembling slightly as she spoke. “I want to believe you. I truly do. But how can I know for sure that you mean it? How can I know that there’s more behind your words than just words?”

  “All I can give you is my word,” Evan said. “I know that might not seem like enough when you’ve seen so many broken relationships. But for a bear, keeping our word means everything. You’ll see in time that I would never go back on my word, and that there’s nothing fiercer than a bear’s love for his mate. You’re my lifemate. I will always protect you and always love you. I swear it.”

  Evan looked deeply into Jackie’s eyes, trying to show her with the intensity of his gaze just how serious he was about this. With his eyes, he tried to say the things that he knew words would never be enough to say. He tried to show Jackie that she could trust him, and that he wasn’t like all the other men she’d seen over the course of her wedding planning career.

  She must have seen something in his eyes that told her it was worth it to take this chance. Slowly, she nodded at him. “Okay. This goes against everything I know about the rules of romance, but something tells me that it’s worth it to take this chance. I don’t know what it is about you, but I can tell that you’re different.”

  “Screw the rules,” Evan growled. “We make our own rules up on the mountain, and the only rule I have now is that everything I do is for you. Every day I live is another chance to show you how much you mean to me.”

  And with that, Evan was done talking. There’d been far too much speaking and not enough action in the last few minutes as far as he was concerned, so he leaned down and put his lips on Jackie’s. With the brilliant September sunshine streaming down all around them, Evan kissed his lifemate deeply.

  Suddenly, he understood how a bear could love a human and a human could love a bear. It didn’t matter that Jackie was human. The only thing that mattered was that they were destined for each other, and that she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen in his entire life. Evan pushed his tongue past her lips and let it dance in her mouth.

  And then, for the first time in a long, long time, he felt truly at home on the mountain once again.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jackie felt like she had just stepped into some sort of strange fantasy novel. How was it possible that a man could turn into a bear? And perhaps more importantly, how was it actually possible that a bear of a man wanted to spend the rest of his life with her?

  It all felt overwhelming, but in a good way. Jackie had never been so filled with happiness in her life, and she never wanted this moment to end. She would have been perfectly content if Evan’s kiss continued on forever. It amazed her how his lips felt like fire on hers. He radiated intense, all-consuming heat, and Jackie gave in to that heat completely. She let it burn over her and fill her with a passion like she’d never known.

  Evan was still completely naked from when he had shifted, and Jackie couldn’t help looking down at his erection, which stood stiff and ready for her. Knowing that it was her that had turned him on like this turned her on, and she could feel the hot juices of desire seeping out between her legs. She was still fully clothed, but she had a feeling that wasn’t going to last for long. Evan was already sliding his hands up underneath her shirt, and she savored the feeling of his touch.

  There, in Evan’s unbelievably beautiful garden, she was surrounded by the fragrance of hundreds of flowers. But the strongest, headiest scent didn’t come from the blooms. It came from Evan. He smelled like the forest, woodsy and fresh. Jackie breathed in deeply as he continued to kiss her, and she tried to memorize the way it felt to be there in that moment.

  Evan seemed caught up in the moment, too, letting out a low growl of appreciation now and then. His kiss felt hungry and urgent, like he’d been waiting his whole life for this. Maybe he had. Jackie felt as though she had been waiting for this for so long and not even known it. She’d all but sworn off love after seeing how things so often went south with other people’s fairytales, but this was different.

  She could tell that this was genuine. And as crazy as it was to think that she was kissing a man with a beast inside of him, just knowing that there was a beast inside of him made her trust him more. He was right. Bears were loyal, and fierce in their protection of their mates. And this beast had sworn to love and protect her. Jackie had a feeling that she would never be alone again.

  Evan was growing impatient with mere kissing. He reached to pull Jackie’s shirt off, and she gladly let him. With a roar that echoed across his garden, Evan continued to tear Jackie’s clothes off until she stood just as naked before him as he was before her. Jackie shivered, and Evan’s eyes filled with a look of concern.

  “Are you cold?”

  Jackie shook her head no. The sunshine was bright and the temperatures were unseasonably warm for September. She wasn’t shivering because she was cold. She was shivering because she couldn’t contain her excitement at what she knew was coming.

  “I’m fine…just overwhelmed by the moment.”

  Evan smiled and growled. “That’s what I like to hear. Let’s see just how excited you are.”

  He reached his hand down and slipped his fingers between her legs. She gasped as the heat of his touch filled her and sent tingling electricity throughout her body.

  “You’re so wet for me.”

  Jackie could only nod in response. As Evan’s fingers moved in her, she grew even wetter. He knew how to hit every sensitive spot and send wave after wave of pleasure through her being. As he rubbed his fingers inside her, he moved his mouth to her nipples. He took each hard nub in his teeth and bit down with just the right amount of pressure. Jackie felt a fire building within her, and she whimpered in delight as his fingers moved faster and deeper within her.

  It didn’t take long for her to reach the point of no return. She threw back her head and let out a long scream of delight as her release took her. Her inner muscles clenched around Evan’s finger, which seemed to make him even happier than he already was.

  “That’s it, baby. Come for me. Show me what I do to you.”

  Jackie clung to him as the spasms within her continued. When finally they started to recede, Evan pulled his hand out of her and wrapped both his arms around her, drawing her close. He kissed the top of her head, nuzzling his nose in her hair. For several long moments, he simply stood there, as though unwilling to ever let her go again.

  “You’re incredible,” he murmured. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”

  It was on the tip of Jackie’s tongue to tell him that he was the incredible one, but she decided not to tarnish the moment by arguing with his compliments. For once, she let herself believe that she was worthy to be loved. Somehow, Evan had done what no man had been able to do before: he had made her believe that she was worthy of this. He’d made her believe that she was worthy of love, and worthy of the pleasure he could give her.

  Overwhelmed with gratitude, she tilted her head up to plant a kiss on his lips. He grunted happily when she did, and returned the kiss. Before she knew it, he was once again slipping his tongue into her mouth. As he kissed her, he lifted her up into his arms, placing his hands under her ass as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. She could feel his erection just beneath her, still thick and hard as a steel rod. She trembled, knowing that soon enough that steel rod would be inside of her, bringing her pleasure that topped even the pleasure that his finger could give her.

  Evan carried her to a spot in his garden that was covered with thick, lush grass. He never broke the kiss until he stepped onto the grass and then lowered her down onto her back. As the soft coolness of the grass caressed Jackie’s back, she looked up at Evan, who was looking down at her with fire in his eyes.

  “Mine,” he growled.

  Jackie reached up to pull him down toward her in response. She pulled his lips to hers to resume their kiss, and she could feel the heat of his body as he hovered over her. She was hyperaware of the fact that his erection was mere inches away from her dripping wet entrance, and she trembled with the knowledge that such great pleasure was so close.

  The moment was perfect. The sun was bright, the air was warm, and the surroundings were beautiful. But even though Jackie appreciated all of that, she would have been happy even if everything else hadn’t been perfect. The only thing that truly mattered was that she was here with Evan, and that he considered her his. What more could she ask for?

  In the next moment, Evan suddenly broke off their kiss again, this time to steady himself as he positioned his erection right above her. Jackie smiled up at him, then squeezed her eyes shut, knowing what was coming next.

  It was pure ecstasy as Evan lowered himself into her. His huge erection pushed against her inner walls, filling her as Evan drove deep into her. She once again felt an impossible heat within her core, and she smiled as she recognized it this time: the lifemate bond. She and Evan were mated for life, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Evan began to move, thrusting his hips back and forth and setting off fireworks within her as he rubbed against her. Within moments, the pressure and tingling had once again grown to an impossible level inside Jackie.

  She moaned and pushed her hips upward toward Evan, wanting more and more of him. She clutched at the grass beneath her, trying to contain the ecstasy flooding through her.

  But it could not be contained. As her release once again found her, Jackie cried out with joy. Nothing in the world had ever felt as good as this. The tremors of passion rocked her body as her inner walls squeezed around Evan’s erection.

  He must have liked that feeling, because he let out a loud growl and began to move even faster within her. Then, a few moments later, he found his own release. He stiffened and thrust deeper into her than ever before. She could feel him pulsing into her, and she whimpered in delight as both of them rode the waves of their release together. She let go of the grass that she’d been clutching and instead reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. She held him, feeling as though she had never been this safe and loved, and thinking that she was the luckiest girl in the world.

  The pleasure seemed to go on forever, but when it did finally subside, it was replaced with a different kind of pleasure—the simple pleasure of Evan’s arms wrapped around her as they lay together in the grass.

  It had been a long day already, with a lot to take in. But Jackie had never felt happier. She nuzzled her face against Evan’s and tried not to think about the fact that there were still quite a few details to work out if she wanted to stay here with him. In a way, it was a blessing that her business had just gone up in smoke. It meant that she didn’t have to agonize over whether she wanted to keep the business or not. And yet, even though the decision had been made for her, she was still agonizing over the fact that her business was indeed now gone.

  How was she going to survive without that income? She was sure that if she asked Evan, he would tell her not to worry about it and say that he would take care of her. But Jackie wasn’t the kind of girl who wanted a man to take care of her. Even though she knew that Evan would, she wanted to prove to him that she was strong on her own. As she lay there, she wondered whether Shelly’s offer to work at Pine Springs Florist did indeed still stand. Perhaps that would be a way to make an income. Jackie didn’t think she would earn as much there as she had made working in her business, but it would be a start, wouldn’t it?

  “What’s that frown for?” Evan asked as he looked over at her. “Should I be worried that you’re frowning right after we made love? Was it not good enough for you? I’d be happy to try again?”

  He reached over to tickle her, and she laughed as she swatted him away.

  “You know that it was great. I’m not frowning about that. I’m just thinking about all the logistics of merging our two lives into one.”

  Evan’s smile didn’t fade. “Don’t worry about that right now. We’ll figure it all out, I promise. All you have to worry about right now is relaxing, and about summoning up the energy for another round. I wasn’t kidding—I’m going to wipe that frown completely off your face.”

  With that, Evan flipped over to start kissing her again. Jackie decided that he was right. For the moment, she would let go of the worrying. There would be plenty of time to fret about things tomorrow.

  For now, she was going to focus on enjoying this beautiful day with her bear.

  Chapter Thirteen

  After spending a restful evening at Evan’s cabin, alternating between making love, drinking beer, and sleeping a bit, Jackie decided that it was time to face reality. She still needed to wrap up a few things at the hotel since she was no longer in charge of the Joneses’ wedding. She needed to make sure her name was not listed as the primary contact for any of the wedding vendors anymore, and she was sure the Joneses wanted that, too.

  But more importantly, Jackie needed to find a new job. She didn’t tell Evan that she was planning to find a job. She only told him she needed to take care of some things in Pine Springs, and then took off before he could ask too many questions. He let her drive his truck, since he didn’t need it that day and her rental car was still down at the hotel. The truck was a much larger vehicle than Jackie was used to, but she found that driving it was actually fun.

 

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