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"No." Gosh, no. She sat back, her cheeks growing warm.
"Well, as I was saying, I was paid to take abuse and annihilate the other team. I sacked a lot of quarterbacks. I realize that sounds . . . aggressive, even violent."
She nodded, restraining an urge to fan herself. When had the afternoon gotten so hot?
"My point is, I was taking hard hits but hitting back even harder. You would think that would anger the beast inside me, right? But with all that violence, I never lost control. I never seriously injured anyone. Even the quarterbacks I sacked were able to jump up and keep on playing."
A vision of him sacking her flitted through her mind. Except when he tackled her, they would land in bed. Touchdown.
"If you don't believe me, you can look it up."
Huge, handsome Howard. He probably had women throwing themselves at him.
"Okay?" He gave her a questioning look.
She nodded.
"Then there's my second point. I work for MacKay Security and Investigations, and for the past few years, I've been a bodyguard for the Draganesti family. Currently, I'm stationed at the Dragon Nest Academy as head of security. They would never trust me to guard their children if I wasn't absolutely in control."
She sighed. He was making good points. And her resolve was slipping fast.
"I would be happy to give you a tour of the school and let you talk to other people. It might alleviate any concerns you have."
She sipped some more juice. "I'll think about it."
"Good." He heaved a sigh of relief. "I don't want to lose you, Elsa."
She didn't want to lose him, either. But wasn't it crazy to date a were-bear? A huge beast of a man? Her gaze drifted over his big, muscular body. Maybe not. She gulped down more juice.
"And then there's my third point." He picked up a chocolate square and ripped open the foil. "You can trust me because I genuinely care about you. I admire you, and I want you to be happy."
She swallowed hard. "I - I appreciate that." She finished her juice and set the glass down. Maybe she should leave before she lost all her resolve. Instead of rejecting Howard, she was tempted to throw herself at him.
"Here, try this." He broke the chocolate square in half, then held one piece up to her lips. "Open."
With her heart racing, she opened her mouth. Just a little, so she could feel his fingers against her lips.
He set the piece on her tongue. "Let it sit there and melt in your mouth." He placed the other piece in his mouth.
She watched his lips brush against his fingers, the same fingers that had been in her mouth. Her gaze lifted to his eyes. They were an intense blue, almost like the blue in burning flames.
"It shouldn't take long," he murmured. "Your mouth was hot."
She was hot all over but still shivered.
He leaned closer, watching her closely. "All melted and gooey?"
She nodded. Heat began to gather between her legs.
He held a huge red strawberry to her lips. "Open."
She did. He pushed the fruit in and she bit down. Juice dribbled down her chin. He caught it with his finger, then brought it to his mouth and licked it off.
She moaned. The strawberry mixed with the melted chocolate in her mouth. So good. And yet so bad. All she could think about was how much she wanted him.
"You like it?" He stuffed the rest of the strawberry into his mouth and chewed slowly, never taking his eyes off her.
Moisture pooled between her legs, and she pulled her knees up, squeezing her thighs together.
"I bet your mouth tastes sweet inside," he whispered.
"Yours, too." He was seducing her, and God help her, she loved it.
He crossed the blanket on all fours, like a beast, till he reached her feet. He grasped her ankles and tugged, straightening her legs. He knelt in front of her, his legs straddling hers. "Goldilocks."
Her heart pounded. "Beast."
"I'm going to kiss you."
She reached for him. "Yes."
Chapter Eighteen
Howard was tempted to drag Elsa deep into the woods and pounce on her, but he restrained himself. Even though this latest strategy was working well, she could still be easily frightened.
So he gently cradled her face and pressed his lips against hers. She wrapped her hands around his neck and leaned into him. An encouraging sign.
"Elsa," he breathed against her luscious mouth. He nibbled on her chocolate-flavored lips, then sucked the bottom one into his mouth.
She moaned, tightening her grip around his neck. Her mouth opened in invitation.
To hell with being gentle. He grasped her head tighter and plundered her mouth. It was hot and sweet. His groin swelled, and he fought the urge to push her down and strip her naked.
He ravished her neck instead, nuzzling and nibbling, reveling in the moans and shivers he incited. She was so responsive, so delicious. Her scent drove him wild. Fresh as a dew-covered meadow at dawn, it was laced with the added scent of her arousal.
No doubt it would shock her that he could smell the moisture whenever it seeped from her core. It made him hard. It made him want to taste her and lick her till she screamed.
With a low growl, he returned to her mouth and gave her a ravishingly thorough kiss. Her body trembled, but she didn't retreat. His brave Elsa kissed him back and suckled on his invading tongue.
He cupped one of her br**sts and squeezed. As she moaned, the nipple pebbled beneath his palm. He circled it with his thumb till it tightened into a bead. He pinched it lightly and groaned when he caught the scent of more moisture pooling between her legs.
Take her, the bear urged him.
He broke the kiss and sat back, still straddling her legs. Damn, he wanted her, but he couldn't take her here, so close to the house.
Carry her to the stream and mate with her.
And that's why you're the beast, he scolded the bear. He couldn't afford to frighten her now.
He eased back into a sitting position on the blanket, wincing at the tightness of his pants. "Are you all right?"
She nodded, breathing heavily. "I . . . I underestimated my attraction to you."
He squeezed her hand. "Don't regret it. Please. I want to bring you joy, not regret."
She gave him a sad smile. "That was your wish in the park."
"And you wished you could trust me. In your heart, you want to."
She sighed. "I - I've never felt quite like this before. I mean, I've been attracted to men before, but not . . . like this."
He nodded. "It's intense. Like we're driven." He touched a strand of her hair that had escaped her ponytail. "We're going to be wild together."
Her eyes widened. "I should be going." She scrambled to her feet.
Damn, did he say something to upset her? He rose to his feet. "Can we meet again? Another picnic like this?"
She glanced toward the house. "Maybe. I suppose a few minutes would be all right."
"Good."
She motioned toward the blanket and food. "Thank you. I enjoyed it."
"I thought you did." He recalled all her shivers and moans.
"I meant the food." Her gaze flitted to the swelling in his pants, and her cheeks turned pink. "I - I'll see you tomorrow." She darted toward the house and let herself in.
Howard smiled. His overall strategy was working. Her desire was becoming stronger than her fear.
The following afternoon, she halted her work once again to glance out the kitchen window. Four o'clock and he wasn't there yet. She clicked the electric sander back on and stepped over the long extension cord that connected to an electric generator in the foyer. Between the noise of the generator and the sander, she was afraid she would miss his call or text.
Her phone was on vibrate and nestled in a chest pocket of her denim work shirt. It was another hot day, and she'd rolled up her sleeves and opted for cut-off shorts instead of pants. Unfortunately, now her legs were coated with sanding dust.
The bad dream hadn't haunted her sleep last night. That had to be a good sign. Maybe her subconscious was accepting the idea that Howard wasn't a threat. Or maybe it was a sign that she was being totally fooled.
She winced. Why couldn't she be a normal person and fall for a normal guy? But after meeting Howard, who would want a normal guy?
At least her aunts seemed to be relaxing a bit. Today they had announced they would take turns guarding her at the house. They ate lunch with her every day at the diner in town, and that's where they planned to switch shifts, one taking the morning, and the other, the afternoon.
