His lips were on hers. Her mind slowed down. Phoenix kissed her again.
Lily lost sight of anything else. All those times she sat by his side. All those moments she’d pictured being in his arms. And here she was. It was even more amazing than she could have imagined. She hoped he’d never stop.
Jett coughed, gently reminding them he was still there.
Phoenix looked over his shoulder at his friend. “Oh, right. Sorry. You can leave early today. We’ll catch you tomorrow. Thanks, as always.”
Jett looked at Lily. “Are you going to be okay if I leave?” He knew she was used to him being near her now. He wanted to make sure she’d be comfortable, being alone with Phoenix.
She looked at the bodyguard and nodded. “I’m okay, thank you.” She tilted her head up and looked at Phoenix again. “I’m safe, right?”
“As safe as you’ll ever be. I’m here, and I’ll protect you with my life. I mean that.” He stared intently in her eyes. “You’ve become so important to me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” He stroked his hand through her hair.
She knew it was the truth. There was so much to understand, so much to absorb. When he kissed her, she knew he was all man, yet how could she ignore the fact that he was a bear? She looked away and found her courage before continuing. “And when you’re a bear? Will I be safe then?”
“I’ll be man most of the time, but if my bear should come out, which I have control of, it would protect you the same way. My human thoughts stay with me in bear form, and my human loves you. That means my bear loves you, too. I’m explaining them to you as if they were separate, but they are one in the same, Lily. My bear, my human…it’s all one. It’s me.”
“I’ve...I’ve heard about them, but…” she stopped. Talking about all of it caused her stomach to knot up. She needed time to get used to the idea. It wasn’t something she took lightly. On the other hand, Phoenix had become her world. If she left, there was nothing for her anywhere else. Everything she wanted, knew, and loved...he stood before her. In a short time, he’d become her entire focus.
Jett excused himself and said his good-byes. The couple sat down to talk. Phoenix knew she needed time. He didn’t want to rush her into anything. The idea of making sweet love to her was overwhelming, but only when she was ready. She still had fear, and that was no way to seduce a woman. When she was ready...and not a moment sooner.
The biggest challenge was knowing that the red moon would be rising soon. He knew his primal urges would come out, but he’d need to control them. He had no idea how at this point. His animal instincts would push him to mate. It was only a few weeks out. And a full moon was coming, too. The push would be strong, but still not as strong as the red moon. He’d figure out how to handle it when the time came.
Lily sat with her hands in Phoenix’s. His massive fingers and hands dwarfed hers. Shifting, she leaned into him. He lifted his arm to accommodate her. Lily liked being in the nook of his arm, her head against his chest. She felt safe and warm near him. The bear talk made her nervous, but it was hard to put in perspective when she’d only known him as a man.
When Jett did that thing earlier...it was as if her mind couldn’t grasp it as reality. She wasn’t sure how to convince herself this was a very real concept and not just a fantasy. And Peter, the mailman… he was a bear? And yet, he was a man. Was everybody in town like that? And Phoenix’s brother and friends...the bodyguards...and wow, they were probably like that as kids, too. Her mind swam in circles. Better to push it out of her brain for now. It was too overwhelming.
Chapter 25 Phoenix
Phoenix wished he could make it all better, but he was a realist. The entire reason he wanted to confront this situation head on was because he knew it might get a little tense. It was only fair to get it out in the open.
Screeeeeeeech! Car breaks tore through the air, the sound echoing.
Cocking his head, Phoenix jumped to see what happened. “I’ll be one minute.” He ran to the door to look out. “There’s a kid down,” he yelled over his shoulder. He was out the door in seconds. Lily was right behind him, though a little slower as she was still getting all her strength back in her legs.
A woman got out of the car, crying. “He came out of nowhere. I just called for help.”
The boy’s bike was crumpled, the tire rim bent. Lily’s nursing training kicked in. She was already checking his breathing, feeling for a pulse, and talking softly to the child to see if he could hear her. Coming out of a fog, he started to cry as the pain and fear kicked in.