Okay, slow down, buddy, he told himself. That was two overly possessive type thoughts he’d had about this woman in less than ten minutes. Yes, he’d felt the instant attraction, the instant awareness that this woman was his. His bear was closer to the surface than it had ever been in his life. Inside, he heard the animal whisper to the man.
Mine. Take. Mate.
He stood up and faced her. Like he said, his size intimidated most women. One good look might be enough to scare her away. His bear didn’t like the thought of that.
The man knew she might take one look and run. Yeah, he liked larger women—make that freaking loved women of size—and Paige fit the bill with big boobs and a big butt. Besides the attraction, though, he needed a woman who could go toe-to-toe with him, giving as good as she got. While bears might appear laid back and easygoing, they could be, well, a bear to live with. He didn’t want a shy, mousy woman who’d let him run roughshod all over her. Dominate her—hell yeah.
What were his sisters and mother always telling him and the twins? There was a fine line between being dominating and domineering. Sometimes shifter males learned that difference the hard way.
Before he could say anything, he saw her head turn, her green eyes watching his every movement as he rose. Her gaze raked him from top to bottom and back up again before she spoke.
“You’re very big.”
Oh, baby, he thought, you don’t know the half of it. Her voice was soft and sultry, something you would hear over the phone if you called a sex line. His cock stood at attention. Again. If she kept looking at him like that, she’d soon have a pretty good idea of his size. Her tongue came out to lick her lips and he thought he just might shoot his load in his pants.
“I, um, Deb, didn’t say how tall you were.”
His eyes took on a heavy-lidded look. He needed to hide the effect her voice was having on him. His pupils had no doubt dilated and the golden color of his bear was shining through the natural brown color of his eyes. A bear clawing at the surface, ready to spring into action, ready to mount this woman.
Cherish her.
He felt an unfamiliar stirring inside that had absolutely nothing to do with sex. Did you fall in love with your mate the instant you met her?
“And she didn’t say how small you were.” He grabbed his bear by the throat and yank him back. He had a suspicion she wouldn’t appreciate being slung over his shoulder and carried out of the restaurant for a night of hard, rough loving.
Instead, he needed to get to know her, show her how civilized a bear shifter could be. Then take her home for a night of hard, rough loving. The bear liked that idea. A lot.
She snorted before a smile lit up her whole face and both man and bear basked in the warmth of her expression. Before, Quinn had considered her pretty, now he could honestly say she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
“I’m far from small.”
“Everyone is small compared to me.” He held out his hand to help her from the stool and her delicate hand was lost in his. His mother had once measured his hands with her dinner plates. His finger-span had easily covered the white china and everyone had laughed. Bear shifters were supposed to be big.
“Maybe that’s why Deb thought we would be good together.” Her voice held a hint of emotion he couldn’t decipher.
“Deb knows I appreciate a beautiful woman.” He raised her chin with a finger, making sure she was looking at him before he continued. “Look, I’m a big man. You’re a curvy woman. I think that makes for a perfect combination.”
“You sure don’t pull your punches, do you?”
“Why, because I called you a curvy woman?” If she said one thing about her size, he’d take her over his knee.
“No, because you claim you’re a big man.” Her gaze fell to the bulge in his pants, the bulge she’d put there. Heat blasted him and his heart did a somersault at the spirit behind another sweet smile.
“I always tell the truth, baby,” he grinned. Now that he had her talking, she was turning out to be a little sassy. He liked that. He realized he liked a lot of things about her. He was hard pressed to pick his favorite. The full, pouty pink lips he’d love to see wrapped about his cock or the dark green eyes he wanted burning with passion as he pounded deep inside her. The sultry voice he’d soon have screaming his name as he licked her slit, making her cream all over his tongue.
Okay. He wanted this woman. Any other time he’d be cursing the fact that his big sister had found his mate on the first try and he’d never see the end of her smugness. Now, he wondered what he needed to buy her as a thank-you gift. And how to convince Paige to come home with him tonight so he could show her just how big bear shifters could really get.