"Do you want to go to my house?" Kendra asked.
"Yeah, sure."
He thanked the doctor, then paid his bill. They returned to the SUV, and she drove home.
When they arrived, he was impressed. The log home was set back from Flathead Lake and surrounded by forest. Homes there were around ten acres apiece, so they were private. The house was one story high, with large front windows and double oak-stained front doors.
She drove into the driveway, and the two of them got out. He was trying to look like he wasn't hurting all over. How would that appear to a potential mate?
He couldn't even believe he was thinking along those lines, but he couldn't help how he was feeling about her.
They unpacked the camping gear to clean it and dry it out, though she hadn’t wanted Grayson to help after all that he had been through.
When they walked inside, she motioned to the couch. "Why don't you get comfortable. Unless you want to sleep. I wouldn't blame you. We can eat dinner after that."
"Yeah, but only if you join me."
She smiled. "I'm all for it." She took him to a large bedroom, all done up in pale blues. "The master bedroom."
It had a king-size bed, and he was glad she had one! Even though she must have felt lost in it all by herself.
She began gently pulling off his clothes, careful not to hurt his injuries. He would be glad when he was all healed up. Being pampered felt foreign to him, though when she was pampering him, he liked that. The numbing medicine would keep his injuries from hurting for a while.
He watched the furrow of concentration in her brow as she pulled his blood-stained T-shirt over his head, careful not to brush his fresh bruises or dislodge his bandages. She slid her hands down his chest, avoiding his bandaged wounds. She hesitated, her breath catching faintly.
He would have laughed, had it not hurt to do so. A week earlier, the idea of allowing anyone else to baby him wouldn’t have occurred to him. He’d always seen his own body as a means to fight, protect, and make things right. Yet there was something in the gentle firmness of her touch that made him, for once, want to enjoy the tactile experience.
There was only the ache in his muscles, the gentle scrape of her fingers, and the awareness that she was doing this not out of obligation, but because she wanted him to rest and heal. She unfastened his belt and then his cargo pants. She pulled them down slowly, again, being careful not to pull any bandages loose, but they seemed to be sticking really well.
Still, her touch was so tender that he was annoyed with himself when his arousal began stirring. She chuckled, pulled back the covers, and had him sit on the bed. She pulled off his boots, socks, and pants.
Then he climbed into bed, and she took his clothes into the bathroom to soak them to remove the blood. She stripped down to her underwear and joined him. “I would cuddle with you, but I don’t want to touch any of your injuries.”
He patted the mattress next to him. “You are too far away.”
She smiled. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
“Tell me if I hurt you. Don’t be all macho and tough.”
He smiled and ran his hands through her hair, just as tenderly as she had touched him. Then he pulled her close, and she cuddled against him.
He just hoped he wouldn’t have a nightmare after the bear fight, cry out, and scare her to death.
They’d had a vigorous day of hiking and fighting the bear, and the adrenaline that had filled their blood had dissipated. But their pheromones were doing a number on him.
He’d never been interested in another female bear in this way. He found it exhilarating and amazing at the same time. Even when he was fighting the bear, he had wanted to impress her, demonstrate his size and wit. Now he wanted to press close and catch her scent, musky and layered, sweet.
The more he tried to resist it, the more she broke down his resistance.
He wanted to kiss her deeply, but his mouth hurt from the vicious clash of teeth with the other bear so he needed to wait until it felt better.
"We can kiss tomorrow," he said, wanting her to know that he desired nothing more than to kiss her deeply, but that he just couldn't. Not until his mouth healed up a bit.
She smiled. "I'll kiss you where it doesn't hurt and expect your kisses when you're able to do so."
"Guaranteed."
