I grab one of his hands and move it from my backside to my stomach, slide it up my chest and over my heart. "Feel that?" I press his hand against my heartbeat. "Feel my heart beating?"
He nods. "I feel it."
"It's beating for you. Only for you."
He closes his eyes, hot rough hand against my heartbeat. When his big gray-green eyes open and find mine, they're clear and strong.
"I don't need to wait. Don’t need to think. I don't need my own time—this is my time."
"Bear—" I whisper.
"I love you, Noelle."
My eyes burn all over again. "I really want to kiss you," I say, laughing through my tears. "But you're so dirty."
He growls, frustrated. "Of all the times to not be able to kiss you."
Everything inside me burns for him.
"Fuck it." I slam my mouth against his, tasting dirt and tears and love.
His tongue sweeps against mine, and the wet beautiful warmth of his mouth subsumes me, drowns me, and I moan.
"Take me upstairs," I whisper.
He carries me upstairs to my room—our room. I wriggle, and he sets me down. I step away from him, keeping hold of his hands.
"Go rinse off," I tell him. "Quickly."
"Noelle, I…"
"Trust me to know what I want, okay?" I grip his beard, pull him down for a kiss. "And what I want is you. Clean. And all for me."
His answering growl does its thing—makes my sex drool with desire, makes my stomach flip and my nipples go hard. "Noelle," he rumbles. "I want you so fucking bad." He tangles his fingers in my hair and kisses me. "Need you."
I break away and push him toward the bathroom. "Then get clean and come back to me."
He backs away, into the bathroom. "Won't be long."
"Better not be," I answer. "I need you too."
He shuts the door, and I hear the shower turn on.
I wash my face off in the hall bathroom and then decide to do this right.
I peel out of my clothes and get ready for Bear.
Seventeen
BEAR
I'm still imploding at the fact that Noelle loves me.
I scrub myself clean, wash and condition my hair and beard, and then wash again, rinse off, get out, and dry off. Run a brush through my hair and beard. Wrap the towel around my waist.
I have no clue what to expect.
I'm nervous.
