BEARing it All (Wylde Brothers 3)

He gathered her into his arms and sensed her slip into a deep sleep. “I’m never letting you go, Kenzie.”

With that, he wrapped his body around hers, and let himself close his eyes. He knew this would be the most restful sleep he had ever had, since his mate was safely protected beside him.“You’re mine, Kenzie.”

She sat up in bed, her heart racing, sweat covering her body, and her hands shaking. The dream was the same, intense and powerful, always about the control Rook wanted over her.

Kenzie looked to her side and saw Bram sleeping deeply. Thank God she hadn’t woken him up. She silently slipped out of his bed and padded into the bathroom. Once the door was shut, she turned the light on and looked at herself in the mirror. Dark circles ringed her eyes, and perspiration had her hair sticking to her forehead.

She’d been with Bram for several days now, and this was the first nightmare she’d had of Rook. Kenzie should be thankful over that, but the thought of waking him up because she screamed out, and then having to explain why she had done that, was something she didn’t want to do.

“Get a grip, Kenzie.” She turned the faucet on and rinsed her face off. This was the beginning of the rest of her life… right?26A little over a week had already passed, and Kenzie actually felt safe. She hadn’t had another nightmare, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t always on her mind. Her dreams weren’t dreams at all, but memories of Rook’s treatment of her. One day at a time. That was all she could tell herself and not break down in the process.

Being with Bram, secluded in his cabin, was like nothing she had ever experienced. He was caring, attentive, and had her crying out in pleasure, not pain, every single night. How had she ever thought she could leave him? He was the only person she had ever felt like this with, and she had actually let the foolish thought of leaving it all behind consume her for a short time.

In just the short time she had been with him, she knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure she was protected. They went on walks through the thick woods that surrounded his cabin, and he had even taken her to a small creek that was only a mile from his home. Everything was so serene, peaceful, and Kenzie never thought there was anything like this in the world.

Kenzie stood over the sink in the kitchen and stared at him through the window. He was shirtless, and the loose-fitting jeans he wore hung low on his hips. That incredibly defined V of muscle was outlined to perfection and only seemed highlighted by the perspiration that covered his chest. He was cutting wood, and he lifted the axe above his head and brought it back down, splintering the wood in one swing.

He did this for another five minutes, and all Kenzie could do was watch this very big male, her very big bear, using all his power and taking his aggression out on each log of wood. She was supposed to be making sandwiches for lunch, but once she had seen him working outside, it had been impossible to drag her gaze away from him.

It had only been three days since she had given herself to Bram, and it was like the bear couldn’t keep his hands off her. It wasn’t just about sex though. They had spent countless hours just talking about random things, and it was those conversations that drew her to Bram even more.

She found that with each passing hour, Rook moved further and further into the recesses of her mind. It was shocking, because she didn’t think she’d ever get to that part in her life, especially so quickly, but having Bram beside her helped speed things along.

She wasn’t a fool to think she would ever fully get rid of Rook, especially when it seemed he still had her mind captive, but she was now seeing a brighter future, one in which she wasn’t constantly thinking about the abuse he inflicted on her.

Even the very small things she learned about Bram made her feel more connected to him. At thirty-three, he was one-third of a family-owned construction company, which wasn’t surprising given his ripped physique; but in-between those intimate talks, there was a lot of touching, kissing, and licking. Every part of her felt taken by him, and even more so every time he licked her body like he wanted to memorize her with his mouth.

Bram tossed the last log away and grabbed the towel that hung on a nearby tree branch. Kenzie finally forced herself back to making lunch.

There was this magnetism between them that she couldn’t control, and quite frankly she didn’t want to. She loved being owned by him, loved that he couldn’t keep his hands off her. His concerns for her were nothing like the obsessed ramblings of Rook. Bram came from something sweeter and gentler. He didn’t push her to do anything she didn’t want to do, and even after only a few days, she couldn’t see herself leaving him. He was her mate in every sense of the word, and their relationship, at whatever stage it was in, was explosive and uncontrollable.