Return To The Bear(47)
She understood. She was scared of losing him too.
Minutes ticked by and still he held her, filled her, his breath steadying, and she wished she knew what he was thinking. He was a quiet man, and if she pushed too soon, she wouldn’t have the satisfaction of him telling her on his own. He’d been trying more since their mating ceremony.
“I don’t want Nathan anywhere near you. Not after what he did. Not after how he treated you.” His voice was hoarse like he hadn’t used it in a while.
“Riker will be there and we’re meeting in a public place. He won’t try anything or he’ll risk exposure, punishable by death. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“I should be going with you. This isn’t right, Jo. I’m supposed to protect you, and I can’t do that from here.”
“Mmm. You’ll kill him this time, Brody. We can’t risk that in front of humans, and you could be banished for fighting on neutral ground. You won’t be able to control your bear.”
Another snarl ripped from him and she eased back. “Hey.” She pulled his gaze back to hers with cupped hands on his cheeks. “That’s not a flaw with your bear, Brody. You’re my mate. You should protect me, and I you. But if we want to stop what’s happening, I have to do this alone. He’s asked for me. I have to try and fix this.”
Running his hands through his hair in an agitated gesture, he pulled out of her and stood back. “I trust you.”
“I don’t care about him like that and you know it.”
“No, I know you don’t. I mean I trust you to take care of yourself. You’re strong, Jo. Even stronger now than when you came back to Bear Valley with me.”
“Brody Bannister, are you complimenting me for the second time today?”
His lips twisted into a wry smile. “Figure you’re due after everything we went through.”
She hopped off the dresser and kissed him soundly. The man probably didn’t even know how much he affected her.
“One hour,” he murmured against her lips.
“And what if I’m late?” she asked, teasing.
His hands slid over her backside and gripped her hard. “Then I shall have to punish you, mate.”
Well, that sounded delicious.
His eyes grew serious, and he traced the length of one of the cuts he’d made across her chest the day she’d escaped the Long Claws. “Remember who you are. You’re Bear Valley now. Don’t let him make you feel less than.”
She smiled and grabbed his hand, kissed it and let her lips linger. “I won’t ever forget.”