And anyone looking at Ryder Hart or who knew anything about this probably would say the same thing.
“Yes,” she said, standing up to hug him. His strong arms enclosed her in a tight hug, and she coughed. “Now I know why they call it a bear hug,” she gasped out.
“Yeah,” he said, not letting go. “Although, you know in the wild, a bear hug is an awful thing. Clawing, fighting…”
“Shhh,” she said, hugging him close, luxuriating in his warmth and the fact that although this should have been too good to be true, she knew it was actually true. She knew it deep inside herself, with that instinctive part she’d never listened to before. She’d definitely not had that feeling about Scott.
No part of her worried about things with Ryder. She knew he’d take care of her and she’d care for him, and the rest was just getting to know each other.
“So you’ll really accept this bear who’s a billionaire?” he asked, running a hand through her hair, placing a kiss to her neck, holding her tightly around the waist.
“I suppose,” she said. “What’s next?”
He stepped back. “I hadn’t thought about that. I mean, I know you’re going to be mine. But the timeline can be flexible. I just needed to know you’d be an eventual mate, because only humans who are mates can see us in bear form. Otherwise, we’re supposed to wipe their memory.”
“How do you do that?” she asked fearfully.
He pulled her in tight again. “Don’t worry. I’m not letting anyone do that to you. But I would definitely have to leave and not tell you any more about our customs. And that would break my heart, so thanks for not making that necessary.”
“No problem,” she said, laughing. “Thanks for rescuing me from a life of boring solitude.”
“Ha!” he said, teasing her. “I doubt your life could ever be boring. That’s part of what I like about you. You seek adventure. You just do it in different ways from other people. After all, you agreed to go work with a billionaire for a week.”
“I did.”
“Even though you probably suspected the billionaire had fairly… untoward motives.” He dipped his head to kiss her neck again and then her ear, and a little thrill shot through her.
“So this mate claiming process,” she murmured as he licked along the inner shell of her ear. “Does it involve actual mating?”
“It can, but not exactly. Do you want to know?” he asked quietly, his lips tickling her ear. Her knees went weak and he held her up.
She nodded.
He laughed, a low, husky voice that affected her down to her toes.
“All right.” He whispered it into her ear, and her eyes widened.
“That’s it? Seriously?”
“Hey, it’s pretty complicated when you factor in the whole telling a human you’re a bear thing. The rest is easy. Well, if they don’t run away screaming first.”
“I can do that,” she said. “I could do it now if you wanted.”
He shook his head. “There’s something I want to do first. The human part of me.”
“Okay,” she said. “What’s that?”
“A surprise,” he said. “I can’t do it now. I’ll have to do it later.”
“Fine,” she said, entwining her hands around his neck. “As long as you do something I want right now.”
He leaned back to look at her, eyes flaring with heat. “Oh, really?”
“Yes,” she said, moving her hand down the front of his pants to cup him. “Really.”
He groaned and pushed her back onto the bed. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? It’s been a rough day.”
“I know,” she said, nipping his ear as he leaned over her. “That’s why I need the stress relief.”
“Any excuse to get your hands on my body?” he asked, smirking.
She laughed. “Yes.”
“Fine by me,” he said. “I’ve been unable to think of anything else since I met you. Well, I mean, I’ve been thinking of how to keep bears off of you and how to tell you I was a bear, but I was—”
“Ryder?” she said, looking up at him.
“Yes?”
“Shut up and take me.”
He let out a curse and then grinned at her. “Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s right,” she said, laughing and wrapping her arms around his neck.
And he did. Slowly, luxuriously kissing every part of her like it was the first time all over again. Like everything was new because she was his now. She’d agreed to it, acknowledged it. The lovemaking was warm with the security of commitment, with the knowledge that he’d fought for her, twice. That he’d never abandoned her, but actually been right there with her.