Chapter 11
The next morning Liam woke up early and crept downstairs to the kitchen to start cooking breakfast for his beloved mate. He cracked eggs in a bowl and whipped them up, dreaming about the night they had shared together. He was lost in that wistful dream when he made the decision to ask her to marry him.
Maybe it was fast, but he couldn't resist his feelings. Now all he needed was the perfect ring. He had an idea in his mind somewhere between an antique and modern ring. There were several jewelry stores in town. He could always go to one of the chain ones, but he made a mental note to check all the places where he could find something special. Layla woke and walked into the kitchen as he was placing sizzling bacon onto a plate. He poured her a cup of coffee and slid it across the counter as she sat down.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
Layla groaned and waved her hand at him. “I'm anything but beautiful in the morning,” she said, looking adorable, wearing his shirt and nothing else.
“You always look beautiful to me.”
She accepted the coffee cup and sipped, her face thawing from her deep sleep and her eyes brightening as she set the cup back on the counter.
“That's good coffee,” she said.
“I get it from a bear shifter friend of mine who lives in Columbia. He sends me coffee once a month. It's the best I've ever had.”
“How do you know a Columbian bear shifter?”
“He’s from Fate Valley but moved to Columbia to start a plantation. We served in the military together. Coffee is his passion. We call him Coffee Bear.”
“Like the holidays are your passion,” she giggled, taking another sip.
“That's right,” he said with a smile.
He dished up her meal and handed her a plate with scrambled eggs and cheddar from a local dairy, crispy bacon, melon balls, and toast. He sat beside her in the breakfast nook and they gazed out the window at the lake. Bright morning sunlight shined over the deep waters.
“It's so peaceful here,” she said, taking a bite of melon.
“Where would you put your workshop if you lived in this house?” he asked.
She looked at him quizzically as she took a bite of bacon. And then the sides of her lips tugged upward.
“I think I would have you build me a whole new studio away from the house, so I would be able to focus and have guests here to showcase my work.”
“Done,” he said, slapping the table.
She laughed and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I was just kidding,” she said, looking away, her face blushing as she bit into a piece of toast. “And since when am I moving in here?”
“Anytime you want,” he said.
“Let's just leave that discussion until after the holidays.”
His heart dropped, and he felt like a fool. Why was he pushing so hard? He wanted to give her the world, but that didn't mean she was ready to accept it.
Later, Liam drove Layla home, so she could change before the market.
“You want to come over to my place for pizza and a movie tonight?” she asked, unlocking her door.
“That sounds great. I’ll get some pizza from Fate Valley Pizzeria.”
After kissing her softly, he said goodbye, and hurried into town to do some shopping. Liam was undeterred by her comment about waiting to discuss living together. He wasn't sure what she meant, but he had made his decision.
He walked into the big corporate chain jewelry boutique and began looking around. All the engagement rings just didn’t say Layla to him. From the tiniest micro-diamonds, to the biggest multiple carat ones, they all looked alike to Liam. Layla was an original.
The sales people were all ready to help him, but he wasn't ready to be served, so he excused himself and stepped out of the store. It was getting later in the morning, and he wanted another cup of coffee before he continued his search for the perfect ring. He drove over to the Fate Valley Café and Bakery and found Baker Bear behind the counter.
“Good morning, Liam,” Grayson said.
Liam smiled and approached the counter. “How are things?” he asked his friend.
“Business is great. I've got a couple of my staff members over at the market. I just finished baking a batch of blueberry scones. Would you like one?”
“Absolutely. And a tall black coffee to go. I have a busy day today.”
“Oh, are you buying another house?”
“No, I'm buying a diamond.”
“Really?” Grayson said as he poured hot water over the coffee grounds to do a special slow pour for Liam.
“I've decided to buy the ring now. When I sense she's ready, I'll pop the question.”
“Have you claimed her yet?” Grayson asked.
“No,” Liam said, his face heating at the sensitive subject. “But I will. When she's ready. I know I'm supposed to be patient, but my bear won't leave me alone. This woman is the one. What am I supposed to do?”
“I think you're doing exactly what you're supposed to do,” Grayson said, handing Liam his coffee.
Liam nodded with a smile and handed Grayson a ten-dollar bill. He grabbed his change and threw a few dollars into the tip jar before exiting the café and climbing into his car. He listened to Christmas music on his stereo while he took a bite of scone, savoring the zesty sweet flavor and the flaky crust.
Driving out of the parking lot, he considered the different places where he could find the perfect ring. There was an antique shop on the corner that had jewelry. He parked in one of the few spots he could find, amidst the holiday shopping traffic, and climbed out of the car. Inside the shop, his friend Alexander Ellwood, who they all called Antique Bear, stood behind the counter. He wore a pair of reading glasses as he examined a painting.
“Well, Liam Nash, what brings you to Fate Valley Antiques?” he asked, gazing over his glasses.
“I'm looking for an engagement ring. I'm going to pop the question to my mate when she's ready.”
“Ah, a special day,” he said.
Alexander pulled out half a dozen trays of rings, and Liam examined them all. Some of them were so special it took his breath away, but he wasn't quite sure they said Layla.
“How about this one?” Alexander asked, picking up a diamond and emerald engagement ring. “It belonged to the Princess of Monaco.”
“Really, when was that?”
“In the seventeenth century.”
Liam loved that the ring had belonged to a princess. But he still wasn't one hundred percent sure.
“If it's not her size then we can resize it for you,” Alexander said, handing the ring to Liam.
Liam slipped it on his pinky finger and looked at it under the light on the counter. He handed it back to Alexander and let out a deep sigh.
“I'll definitely keep that one in mind. Can you hold it for me?”
“I sure will, Liam,” Alexander said.
“I'll be back soon to claim it.”
He thanked his friend and left the store, not sure why he hadn't chosen that ring. In so many ways it was perfect. It would look beautiful on Layla's dainty hand and the emeralds would bring out the beautiful color of her dark skin. Maybe he just wasn't ready yet.
He walked down the street, feeling a bit lost. Not knowing what he should do next, he saw the bright lights of a pawnshop at the end of the street. He stopped and looked through the window at the guitars and electronics. A sign blinked in the window saying, “We Buy Jewelry”. He let out a sigh and swung open the door.
“Might as well give it a shot.”
He stepped inside, and a man with a shaved head and a neck tattoo looked up from the counter. Liam walked down the aisle and greeted the man with a friendly, good morning.
“What can I help you with?” the pawnbroker asked.
“I'm looking for an engagement ring.”
“We have those,” the man said.
Liam looked through the glass at the items in the display case, his eyes scanning the jewelry. When his eyes hit someth
ing that he recognized, it took him several moments for his mind to put two and two together. The ruby ring looked so familiar.
“Can I see that ruby ring?” he asked.
“That pinky ring could work as an engagement ring, I suppose,” the man said, pulling it out for Liam to inspect.
He looked at it for several long minutes, turning it over in his hands and trying to remember where he had seen it. Then it suddenly dawned on him. It belonged to Martin Green.
“Where did you get this?” he asked the pawnbroker.
“Why do you ask?”
“I think it belonged to a friend of mine.”
“A guy brought it in here a couple days ago. I don't ask questions.”
“It was a guy, not a woman?” Liam asked.
“Yeah, I would remember him. Not the kind of guy you mess with.”
“Why is that?” Liam asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Because he's a dangerous motherfucker,” the pawnbroker said, crossing his tattooed arms.
“How do you know that?”
“Oh, believe me, I know.”
“What makes him a dangerous motherfucker?” Liam asked, giving him back the ring.
“Well, he's what people in the business call a loan shark. The type who will break your legs if you don't pay him back.”
“A loan shark?” Liam asked. “What’s his name?”
“Why do you want to know so much?”
“Because my friend’s been…missing…”
“I just know him as Vinnie the Snake,” the pawnbroker said. “Now, please, could you just get out of here. I don't think I have what you need, and you're ruining the vibe in my business.”
“Not a problem. Thank you for the information. I'll recommend you to all my friends,” Liam said, turning away.
He slipped out of the pawnshop, confused and befuddled. Usually business people in Fate Valley were so friendly. But he could understand why the pawnbroker was hesitant to discuss the situation.
Vinnie the Snake? He wondered if Martin had sold the ring before or after he was murdered? This really was a question for the police, not a Holiday Bear. But his curiosity had already taken over.
Sliding back into the antique store, Alexander’s face lit up. He immediately pulled out the ring and set it on the counter in a box. Liam slapped his credit card down, and Alexander ran the transaction without a word. Antique Bear slipped the box into a paper bag and handed it to his friend.
“Congratulations,” Alexander said with a grin. “Maybe I'll find my mate soon too.”
“I know you will, friend.”
Liam left the antique store with a song in his heart, and a celebration in his soul.
Chapter 12
The last day of the market came to a close, and Layla had sold almost everything in her stall. As she packed up the last of her things, Liam arrived to help her box everything else.
He had a funny look on his face that she couldn't quite read. She really hoped she hadn't hurt his feelings that morning when he was talking about her living in his mansion. It wasn't that she didn't like the idea of living there. On the contrary. Who wouldn't want to live in a beautiful mansion by the lake with a sweet, honest, and generous man like Liam? The problem was, she still couldn't imagine having so much.
As she helped Liam pack up her things and place them on a cart to be wheeled outside, the voice of her grandmother chided her inside her head.
“That man loves you, child. Why are you resisting so much? When fate brings you your gifts, you better open them up.”
Layla sighed, knowing her grandmother was right. She was going to try to make it up to Liam tonight. They had planned for pizza and a movie at her house that morning. They could just relax together at home after a long, productive market.
She couldn't wait. It was one of her favorite kinds of evenings. Layla wanted to tell Liam the truth about how she felt, once and for all. It was strange and funny to admit to herself that she loved a man she had just met a week ago. But it was true. She loved him with every fiber of her being. He was everything she had ever wanted and more, and she just couldn't believe how lucky she was.
Layla was determined to accept his love, generosity and warmth, and believe that she deserved it. Because she did. All the negative voices of all the horrible people who had hurt her. The betrayal of her ex. None of that mattered anymore. What mattered was that she had found Liam, and he had found her. Now they were together. She wasn't going to let it get ruined by all those horrible, negative people who still chattered inside her mind.
Liam gripped the handle of the cart and smiled at her as she put the last plastic box onto the high stack of her things. She was finally going to claim her life. She was finally going to silence the inner voices that told her she wasn't enough just as she was. Layla was a strong woman with a beautiful body and a mind of her own. She was independent and determined. She wanted a family, and Liam loved her for that. He wanted the same things. She loved him for how sweet and good and powerful he was. She would never again hurt his feelings due to her resistance to happiness.
They carted her things out of the event center down the ramp and into the parking lot where her SUV was parked. Liam and a few of the loaders helped her lift all boxes into the car. After a few minutes, it was all packed away inside.
“I'll meet you back at your house in about forty-five minutes. I'll bring the pizza,” Liam said.
She kissed him on the cheek and brushed away the lipstick she left behind. After climbing into the driver’s seat, she pulled out of the snowy parking lot onto the road. Listening to Christmas music on the way back to her house, singing along with the words, she didn’t care one bit that she was slightly off key. All that mattered was how happy she felt. She was who she was, and she was never going to let herself be held back again.
When she got home, she parked the car near the shop and unpacked a few things. Inside the house, she took a quick shower and changed into her fluffy velour tracksuit, her fuzzy bunny slippers and took off her bra.
When Liam arrived with two boxes of pizza, smelling of pepperoni and garlic, and a two-liter of root beer, she was ecstatic. They laid everything out on the coffee table in front of her big screen TV. Grabbing glasses with ice, Layla poured the soda as they looked through the options of movies to watch.
They both agreed on a romantic holiday comedy they wanted to see and dished up pizza onto paper plates. Snuggling up next to Liam on the couch, and eating pizza while watching a funny romantic movie, was heaven on earth.
She was tired from a long week at the market. But it was a good tired, the kind of tired that meant she had worked her butt off. Like her grandma always used to say, “Rewards come for those who go out and get them.”
When the movie was over, and the pizza was eaten, Liam tidied everything up in the kitchen and came back to sit beside her. He kept stroking a spot on his pocket with a distant look in his eyes, and she couldn't quite tell what was up with him.
“My feet are killing me,” she said.
“Let me rub them.”
He patted his lap. She dropped her slippers on the floor and lifted her feet into his hands. His deft fingers kneaded the arches of her feet like a magician, and she let out a long groan.
“Oh wow,” she moaned.
“Do you like that?” he said in a low voice.
“Oh yeah,” she breathed.
He bent over and kissed her. When he withdrew, she looked at him seriously, gazing into his eyes.
“Liam,” she said. “I…I love you, sweetheart. I want you to know that I love you. I don't care how fast this is happening. I don't care that I'm a human and you’re a bear. All I know is what I feel, and I'm not going to hold it back any longer.”
“I love you too, Layla Watson. More than words can possibly express.”
Growling, he claimed her mouth, pressing his lips hard against hers. He gripped her thighs and scooped her up like a bride being carried across the threshold on her we
dding day. Hurrying through her house, he took her to her bedroom and deposited her on the bed. He unzipped her top, revealing her bare breasts underneath. He growled and threw off his clothes in a blur of movement. Naked except for his boxer briefs, he tugged off her pants.
Climbing between her legs, he licked her lovingly as her body throbbed with pleasure. Layla stared at the ceiling, thinking of the nights she had laid there, feeling alone and unloved after her boyfriend had cheated on her. She was definitely not that woman anymore. Her body exploded with pleasure before Liam climbed over her and slid a condom over his length. She considered asking him not to use protection, but she knew it was better to wait for such things until after they were married. Married…
Just the thought of it made her soft and languid with desire. He darted his tongue deep into her mouth as he glided inside her effortlessly. Holding her close, he moved into her. He growled hungrily in her ear.
“I love you so much, Layla. I can't hold back when I'm with you. I want to put cubs in your belly. I want you to be mine forever.”
“Oh Liam,” she moaned. “I want that too.”
He thrust, and the sounds of their bodies slapping together filled the room. She looked into his eyes and could see his grizzly so close to the surface. His teeth sharpened. She lifted her neck, offering herself to him.
“I'm going to claim you,” he growled in her ear, nipping her earlobe.
“Yes, Liam, yes. I want to be yours. All yours.”
His sharp teeth pressed against her flesh, and she took a deep breath before he suddenly bit down hard, cutting off the breath caught in her throat. She orgasmed with him, the throbbing heat of his shaft pulsing inside her.
The pleasure mixed with the pain of his bite as they climaxed together. In that moment, it was like the instant the universe was created. A supermassive explosion of reality where all things came into existence. Everything was one. Ying and Yang, day and night, dark and light, male and female, ever dancing, ever present, ever moving, as one throbbing, climaxing pleasure-filled being.
She could feel his bear, running toward her, out of the starry darkness of the void. She was there in the black, naked and open, ready to be loved, ready to be claimed, ready to be his mate. He stood before her in the vision, naked, and they embraced, soft, calm and tender.