Page 28 of Midlife Animal Rescuer Bear

“I’m more than just a bear, Melissa. I’m a person. I always have been. And I’m not the danger I know you think I am. After so long, you still don’t understand me or my kind, and you fear us for that.”

Melissa felt her heart throb, although she wasn’t entirely sure why. She squeezed his arm. “I see you now, Cal. I...I accept you now, for who you are.”

Was that the truth, or was she simply grasping at straws right now? And why, anyway?

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run all those years ago. I shouldn’t have abandoned you like that. I could’ve been more patient.” She swallowed, searching for something else to say. “And...and I’m willing to give us another chance—if you are, too.”

He shifted his gaze to meet hers then, and for a second she thought she saw something familiar flicker in those blue-gray eyes. Her heart pounded harder in her chest. What had she just said? Was she really willing to try again with Cal...with a man like him?

“I don’t know...” he started.

Her breathing quickened, the heat in her belly fluttering into her chest. Melissa watched Cal, saw his lips part again. In that moment, unsure what the right thing to say or do was, she did the one thing that had settled in the forefront of her mind, cupping his face and closing in for a kiss.

Chapter Twelve

“You Kissed Me”

It’s happening again.

The second Melissa’s lips touched Cal’s, she felt her body tighten, then relax, heat surging through her insides like someone had set her on fire. Not that it was far from the truth. Cal was a fire—a large, dangerous one. With everything she knew about him, she shouldn’t be getting too close. She’d done the right thing, staying away from him for ten years. Even being in the same room as him was playing with fire.

Kissing him was something else.

A part of her was aware that this shouldn’t be happening. Kissing was the last thing they needed to be doing right now, especially after what had just happened in the woods. But Melissa couldn’t bring herself to stop. And honestly, she didn’t want to.

And clearly, neither did he.

Cal’s lips were warm, gentle and familiar, and her body responded immediately to the kiss as it grew in intensity. Melissa felt her extremities tingle; her nipples rose to attention, poking against her blouse, and a wetness gathered between her thighs. Cal grunted into the kiss, and she felt his tongue scrape her teeth for a moment.

Her heart thundered in her chest. With each second that passed, she couldn’t help feeling like the breath was being sucked out of her lungs. But she wanted more of this, more of him. It was quite ironic how much she’d found herself craving him in spite of everything she knew about him. Cal was the one man she should be avoiding, no matter what.

But he was also the only man she wanted.

The kiss grew hotter, burning away what little was left of her hesitation. She dropped her hands to his arms, and felt his own creep to her torso. When they found her breasts, kneading them gently, she moaned into the kiss, arching against him.

Cal broke the kiss then, just long enough to stare into her eyes. His were already burning with desire.

“You have no idea how badly I’ve missed this.” His breath was hot against her face. “How badly I’ve missed you.”

Amidst her overwhelming desire, Melissa felt her heart throb. She’d missed him, as well—enough that she’d considered returning to Maine to be with him, more times than she could count over the years. She’d certainly missed his gentle, yet firm, touch, missed the hardness of his body.

Before she could respond, he crashed his lips over hers. She gave his bicep a squeeze before caressing his solid chest, feeling the hammering of his heart against her fingertips. A delicious thrill raced through her body as he pulled on her bottom lip. There were so many sensations filling her, sending her closer and closer to the brink of ecstasy.

And they hadn’t even gotten down to business yet.

Without really thinking, she swung a leg over his, and he pulled her closer, letting her straddle him. She felt his erection throbbing against her butt and ground against him teasingly.

“Fuck,” Cal groaned against her lips. “Melissa, you’re going to drive me insane.”

Coming from the man who was currently pinching her nipples through her blouse, that was pretty rich. A moan rose in Melissa’s throat. If he kept that up, she was going to lose her mind. She tugged at the hem of her blouse, and he helped her pull it over her head, baring her breasts to him. His eyes widened with awe, then narrowed with lust.

The way he looked at her only added to their intensity. Melissa felt his cock pulse again. The temperature in the living room was rising by the second, fueled by their desire.

When he took her breast into his mouth, caressing the nipple with his tongue, she let out a low moan. Only then did it occur to her that they might not be alone in the house. She hadn’t seen Bryon or Henry when she came in, but there was no telling whether they were at the sanctuary or not. What if one of them walked in on them?

“Cal?” she breathed, her eyes fluttering shut for a second as he suckled harder on her breast. “A little privacy, please?”

At first, she worried he wouldn’t know what she meant, but despite the haze of their combined lust, Cal seemed to understand. He wrapped his arms around her and rose to his feet, picking up her blouse. She wound her legs around his waist, holding on to him as he moved from the living room.