Page 50 of Awakened By the Guardian

She waited a moment, watching every minute shift in his expression. Then he said, “What are you talking about?”

Wow, she’d done a really good job of distracting him. But now it was time for him to take the next step. Literally.

“Your legs, Gary. You’ve been using them this whole time.” Then, to prove her point, she rolled the edge of her big toe all the way up his calf.

His eyes widened. “I felt that.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, you did.”

He looked down and moved his legs. “I did that!” He wiggled his toes. “I’m doing that!”

“Yes, you are.”

He was out of bed, landing hard on his feet and dancing around the room. He leapt and spun in a disjointed but thoroughly beautiful way. “I’m doing it! I’m doing it!”

She sat up, clapping her hands in delight as he bounced all around her living room. Then suddenly he was back beside her, pulling her out of the covers so they could run around the loft together. He spun her past her couch and ran on tiptoes in front of her TV. Then he hauled her up on the mattress where they jumped up and down like children.

“I can walk!” he cried.

“I can have great orgasms!” she shouted back.

Realizing what she’d said, he caught her in midair and hauled her against him. “Yeah, you can,” he said, his voice rough. “And you will.”

“Yes I will,” she echoed as she ran her hands over his bottom and squeezed his corded thigh.

“It’s because you said you loved me last night,” he realized. “That has to be it. Back when I was still in the wheelchair, you made me feel like I was whole whether or not I had working legs.”

“You are.” She grinned. “And I do love you.”

“I love you, too,” he said. Then his expression sobered. “But I’m a big guy.” He stopped bouncing on the bed, and she noticed for the first time how very tall he was compared to her. And how very broad and wide. “Do I frighten you?”

“No.”

“Not even a little?”

She didn’t have to think. He was her safe place. Big-ass man or not, badass bear or not, he would always protect her, always put her first. He was gentle and patient. He’d protected her and never once hurt her.

She grinned as she looked up into his eyes. “How can you frighten me? You’re my badass bear.”

He pulled back. “Your what?”

“You heard me,” she said as she stretched up and nipped at his chin. “Bad. Ass. Bear.”

“That’s a horrible name.”

“Comedy is repetition,” she said, echoing his quip from yesterday. Then she quirked an eyebrow. “You got a better one?”

“Yeah,” he said as he stroked a hand down her backside. “Greatest Lover on the Planet. Breast God. Clit Whisperer.”

“Awful!” she said with a laugh, pushing away and jumping off the bed.

He followed, catching her before she could go more than two steps and swinging her into his arms. Wow. Look at that. It was thrilling to be lifted up so easily by a big man. Lifted and cradled close.

“But true, right?”

She tilted her head back and pretended to think. “Nope. Not in the least.”

He stilled. “What?”