Bear Apparent (BBW Shifter Romance) (Stone Claw Clan Book 1) by Jade Woods

him, and it was a wonder such a simple glance could weaken him so completely. Her warmth soaked into him, and he leaned against her touch, realizing how cold and hard he had become. He needed the hot, soft touch of a good woman, and he couldn’t think of anyone better than Dahlia.
    Slowly, he leaned in, watching her for clues of resistance. Her gaze dropped to his lips, and he took it as a cue. He claimed her mouth carefully, and let her set the pace. She responded instantly, a little moan vibrating in her throat. He swiped his tongue across her lip, and she opened for him. Accepting the invitation, he took possession of her mouth, his hands coming up to cradle her neck. Her vibrant pulse beat against his skin as he kissed her.
    Whispering against her lips, he asked, “Will you let me show you how beautiful I find you to be?”
    She nodded, a little smirk playing at her lips. Garrett returned her grin, and pushed her down against the mattress.

 
    Chapter Nine
     
    Am I really doing this? Dahlia swallowed a lump the size of an apple as Garrett urged her onto the bed. Her mind was still spinning from his confession that he found her attractive as well as his story about losing his parents. She wanted to hold him close, and cuddle him… and she wanted him to make good on his promise.
    She blinked with wide eyes as he crawled on top of her, his hips splitting her thighs. He didn’t lay his weight onto her, but his presence was immense like a flame close to her skin. She watched in fascinations as his lips slowly lowered to hers and when all that softness made contact, she forgot why she was trying to talk herself out of this—what woman in her right mind would pass up the opportunity that was Garrett?
    Besides, deep inside, she felt as if this were more than a casual hook-up.
    His lips left her mouth, and trailed languorous little pecks across her jaw and down the side of her neck. She rolled her head to the side, giving him the room he needed. His breath flittered across her skin, and sent the sensation right between her legs.
    Rumbling against her throat, he whispered, “I can smell your need. It’s intoxicating.”
    Heat rushed to her cheeks that he could scent something so intimate. “Is that a bear thing?”
    He muttered an affirmative then planted kisses along her collar bone until she was squirming under him. The whole thing was crazy. She couldn’t believe she had confirmed the existence of shape-shifting beings, and now had one in her bed intent on making her melt. She must have discovered a portal to another dimension in those woods.
    Garrett’s fingers dipped under her shirt, and when they grazed the sensitive skin of her stomach, she jerked, biting down on her tongue to keep from laughing. His lips pulled up in amusement as he glided his fingers up her abdomen. They stopped at the base of her bra. Pushing her shirt up with his other hand, his gaze dropped to her bound breasts. Drizzling caramel… yeah, that’s what Garrett’s eyes reminded her of. Warm ribbons of creamy caramel.
    Pushing her shirt over her head, Garrett’s eyes brightened as they settled on her lace covered breasts. “Such nice underwear underneath these casual clothes. Like a gift wrapped in simple brown paper.”
    The tease in his voice made the blood rush to her cheeks, and she offered him a meek look.
    Chuckling, he ran a finger across the edge of the cup. “Tell me you put this on for me.”
    Her jaw fell open, but she couldn’t find her words. Okay, so she had been hopeful that things might progress to the naked stage. No sense in not being prepared, right? But admitting that he had an intense, panty-wetting effect on her was… she thought it might make her appear desperate.
    “It’s okay,” he said, pressing a chaste kiss to the swell of her left breast. “You don’t have to say it. We shifters have other ways of divining the truth.”
    Any sort of counter she could come up with was blown away by his soft lips and