Suddenly she was back, banging at the door. “Let me in, please! Hurry, let me in!” Lily was in a full-fledged panic, and squealed with horror.
Phoenix flung the door open. She jumped into his arms, knowing she’d be safe there. He looked to see what had scared her. He shook his head. One of the neighbors knocked a massive bee hive down and was running around swatting at bees. He was trying to get a lick of honey, only he fell out of the tree with the bee hive. Phoenix closed the door as quickly as he saw the scene playing out. The last thing he needed was a bunch of bees getting in there.
“A bear…he fell right in front of me.” She was breathless, trying to relay what happened. “And then the bees were swarming. I didn’t know what to do. He was a few feet from me.”
Phoenix understood she was afraid, but couldn’t help but laugh. “Peter is always stirring up the bees. He’s got a passion for honey, but he likes it raw from the honeycomb.” He shook his head. “He never learns.”
“Peter? He has a name? It’s a bear…” she shot out.
“Peter is the mailman. He’s a shifter like the rest of us. When he’s delivering mail, he’s simply another human. When it comes to honeycombs, his mischievous bear comes out. He loves to climb trees, but he doesn’t have a very good grip.” He didn’t know how to explain it. “All he wanted was some raw honey. If he saw you, he’d simply wave and go back to the bee hive.”
Lily relaxed in his arms. None of this made any sense. It was like some surreal world. Some fantasy come to life. Like a weird dream. And yet, in Phoenix’s arms is where she belonged. She just didn’t know how to stay there. She was torn between fear and longing. How do you love a man that turns into a bear? What do you make him for breakfast? And…does he shed? It was truly the oddest thing. She had all these weird thoughts. Was having a bear like having a pet? And, what about her relationship? Was it only with his human? Would his bear go mate with other bears? Her stomach knotted at the thought of Phoenix, her Phoenix, with somebody else.
It was all too much. How could she love somebody she was afraid of? How would she get used to the fact that the man she loved was an animal as well as a person? Every time she tried to make sense of it, her thoughts overwhelmed her.
But with his arms wrapped around her, big and strong, and holding her close…something about it felt so right. Lily closed her eyes. Nothing in her life made sense anymore. Just a few short months ago she didn’t even know this man, and somehow he’d turned into her entire world. And yet, what did she really know about him? He rarely talked, he was a shifting bear, and he’d never even kissed her…until now.
He knew he should have waited. It wasn’t the right time. This wasn’t the way he wanted to do things, but here she was, wrapped up in his arms. She felt so good against him. She was soft and feminine, plump and curvy, and pressed to him. Even in the craziness of the moment, his libido went to work. He’d give about anything to see her naked, to curl up in bed, to hold her close, and to thrust deep into her as she called out his name in pleasure.
It wasn’t the right time, but there may be no other time if she walked away. Phoenix lowered his head, his lips barely an inch away from Lily’s lips. Her hot breath met his. Their eyes met. Nothing else mattered. He couldn’t hear anything. He couldn’t think. He could only react to the woman in his arms. Phoenix brushed his lips to Lily’s. As her mouth parted and accepted him in, he knew everything would be okay.
Chapter 24 Lily
His kiss. His sweet, wonderful kiss. Lily couldn’t think clearly. Her heart melted. She couldn’t ask for anything more. His mouth was wet and warm, his lips soft and gentle. There was longing and desire in his kiss. He wanted more. She didn’t know how much she could give him, not knowing he was part bear, but his kiss… she could happily get lost in his kiss forever.
Lily was confused. Not knowing enough about shifters, how could she not be nervous? And yet, he never once scared her when she sat by his side at the hospital. They’d bonded, grown dependent on one another, and now here she was, questioning everything she thought she knew.
What if she didn’t run away out of fear? What if she stayed? What did she have to lose? Life would be empty without Phoenix. He gave her a sense of security that she’d never known. He wouldn’t hurt her; she truly believed that. But no matter how many times her head circled around the idea of him being part bear, her heart raced and anxiety twisted inside.
People are afraid of bears. Bears can hurt you. It’s not…natural to love some half-breed, part-man, part-animal. It’s just weird. Yet, Phoenix never hurt her. Her husband did. He was a human. It didn’t really matter. Humans could be just as dangerous. If only her mind would stop churning…