"Don't ask and I won't have to lie." I scrubbed a hand over my face.

Doris scoffed. "You gonna go over and make sure Brittin and Blaine are okay?"

"She taking Blaine today?" Doris nodded. "Yeah, I wouldn't know that directly from her because she's been avoiding me." Doris didn't respond, but then I didn't think she would.

"You should go over there, Law."

I nodded, knowing I should, but also wondering if it was a good idea to do that right now.

"Just do it and stop thinking. For as tough and gruff as you are, and how stringent you are in keeping things in line in Stales, I wouldn't have taken you for the type of man to stand back, especially not when it concerns Brittin."

No, she was right.

I had some patrolling to do anyway, but that was just an excuse.

I grabbed my hat and gave Doris a nod, because hell, I was glad she called it like it was, and I headed out to my car. A few of the other police officers were coming and going, and I gave them a chin tilt as I backed out and headed toward Blaine's place. I didn't even know if they would be there, but it was as good a place to start as any, especially since she refused to answer my calls.

She'd come to realize I was serious, and I wouldn't just let go.

Brittin I felt gutted. My emotions were raw, and my chest ached. I'd dropped Blaine off an hour ago at the rehab, and I wouldn't be able to talk to him in the beginning as he detoxed and got stable emotionally and physically. After that, we could speak on the phone, and if he was doing well, I could even visit him.

But I just wanted him healthy, focused on healing, and not worrying about anything else.

I sat on the back porch staring at the sun as it started to set. It wasn't hot out, but with the chill in the air, I'd brought a blanket out. I wrapped it tighter around me and breathed out. I hoped Blaine did well this time, because he wasn't going to live much longer on the road he was going down.

I wish Law were here. I wish I could talk to him about this.

No, I couldn't think like that. I'd avoided his calls and texts over the last couple of days just because I needed to focus on Blaine, setting up everything for the rehab, and helping him pack. But now that he was gone and I was alone, all I wanted was to be with the one man I loved more than anything.

I rested my head back on the chair and closed my eyes. I don't know how long I sat there, but after a while, I heard gravel crunching as someone pulled into the driveway. I was too tired to bother getting up. If it were important, they'd find me back here, or call me. If it wasn't anyone that I cared to see, well, then they could talk to me when I wasn't in such a shitty mood.

I heard a car door open and close, and after a few moments of me assuming they were knocking on the door, I finally heard someone coming around back.

Great.

I wrapped the blanket tighter around me, staring at the peaks of the mountains I could just make out over the tree line.

"Brittin?"

Law's deep voice sounded, and I closed my eyes automatically. I didn't answer right away, but it didn't matter, because Law knew I was here. I sensed him coming closer, the heat from his body spearing into mine and taking the chill away.

"Look at me, Brittin," he said softly, coaxing me to be calm.

I opened my eyes and looked up at him. He blocked out part of the setting sun. He was in his Sheriff's uniform and looked so sexy, so in control. Just seeing him, remembering all we'd shared, and having the turbulent emotions rising up in me, had me crying.

Yeah, I just burst out into tears, and I hated that I couldn't control myself. He had me in his arms a second later and on the chair with me in his lap. He kept the blanket wrapped around me, held me close, and rubbed my back.

"It's okay, baby."

God, I loved hearing that endearment come from him.

"I know you're in pain right now, but Blaine will be okay. He'll get through this because you love him, and he has support."

I nodded, knowing he was right. But it wasn't just about Blaine that I broke down. The truth was since I'd come back to Stales and seen Law, the love and emotions that I had for him rose up like a violent beast.

I lifted up slightly, looked into his face, and knew what I wanted.

I just wanted him to love me ... and God, he was so good at that. Despite our differences, and how things had played out, I knew he still loved me. I knew he'd do anything for me.

"I hated being apart from you," he said softly and moved a strand of my hair off of my shoulder. "I thought about you every day, Brittin. I'm not saying this to try and get back with you, because I don't think it'll be that easy. But I want you to know that I still love you." He leaned in and brushed his lips across my forehead. "I'll always love you. There will never be anyone else for me." He brushed a stray tear away from my cheek, and I leaned in and rested my forehead against his.

"I'm not this emotional just because of Blaine," I whispered, feeling his warm, cinnamon-smelling breath move along my lips. "I'm feeling all kinds of confused because of being back home, seeing you again, and wanting to just fall into the routine we had." I pulled back and looked at him. "I want you, too, Law. I have never stopped loving you, even after I broke it off."

"Brittin, baby." He kissed me on the forehead again. "I fucked up back then. I have been thinking about the night you broke it off since it happened. You don't know how many times I wanted to take that back, to change the way I acted. You deserved better."

"I deserved you, because you are it for me, Law." Yeah, I said it. I wanted the last two years to be nothing but a dream. I wanted to have been strong enough to work through our issues. Because even if I had thought I was before the breakup, the truth was I don't think I did. I think I was just fed up with my life, with Stales, the shit with Blaine, and having an overprotective and mostly overbearing bear-shifting boyfriend.

But it was those qualities I'd come to miss.

"No, you weren't, baby."

I realized I'd said it all out loud, but I didn't care because I wanted Law to know these things. I wanted the man who had given me purpose back in my life; he had made me smile, feel safe, and at times, driven me crazy.

"I can be the man you deserve, Brittin. I know how my personality and what I wanted from you was not going to make things work. I know trying to keep you locked up, safe from the world, was only making you grow to hate me."

I shook my head. "I don't hate you. I never will and never have, Law."

"We can take it slow. I can be there for you in all ways, but still let you be your own person. I want you so fucking badly, Brittin, that I am man enough to admit things should have been different."

I stared into his eyes and lifted my hand up to cup his beard-covered cheek.

"We can make this work," he said gruffly. "I can make this work, Brittin."

I didn't say anything in response, just leaned in and kissed him. "Make love to me, Law. Make all this okay." He tightened his hold on me, and I knew he wouldn't deny me this.

I hadn't thought things could be patched up so quickly, but the truth was I had never felt more right in my life than when I was with Law. Sure, we had our problems, but he'd always been there for me ... and Blaine, too.

I knew one thing for sure: I didn't want to be alone anymore.

10.

Brittin

We'd moved into the house and into one of the spare bedrooms. We were frantic in our passion, like we were starving for each other.

"I tried to move on, but it isn't going to happen. It'll never happen, Brittin," Law murmured, his need rising just as quickly as mine.

He slipped his fingers under my shirt and moved up until he reached my bra. Then he stopped. I was wearing a plain white lacy bra, nothing fancy, but then I knew Law didn't want me in anything at all.

And the truth was I wanted him to tear my clothes off.

Before I could move, he was taking my shirt off in frantic motions. Law had never been one for patience. I stood there with only my pants on, my big breasts shaking slightly as I breathed in and out harshly.

"Tell me what you want."

"You," I whispered, not hesitating.

"Fuck, baby, I want you too." He sunk his fingers into my hair. "You're mine. You've always been mine."

He claimed my lips, making me moan.

Sliding my hand down his chest, I didn't stop until I grasped his cock. We both moaned, and my mouth watered.

"Go on, baby," he growled out.

Sinking to my knees, I started to unbutton his jeans.

"There's no turning back."

I shook my head. "No, there isn't."

I continued to open his pants, knowing exactly what I was doing and that I wouldn't stop.

We were meant to be together.

Law I didn't think Brittin had the first clue what she did to me. The way she lowered to her knees before me was enough to send me close to orgasm, enough to have me just coming right then and there. But I wanted inside of her.

She wanted me to make love to her, but what she didn't know was that no matter how rough and raw I was when we were together, it was always me loving her.

Brittin unbuttoned my pants and lowered them to my knees, releasing my cock. When she wrapped her fingers around it, I groaned deeply, about to explode just from that simple touch.

She worked the length of my cock in her hand, and I gritted my teeth in ecstasy.

"Put me in your mouth, baby."

The way she looked up at me, her mouth opened, my cock poised at the entrance, had me so hot.

She knew exactly how to get me worked up.

Pre-cum leaked out of the tip of my cock, and I cursed as she licked it up. She sucked me into her mouth for long seconds, and I knew if she kept this up, I'd come far too soon.

I pulled away from her, groaning at the loss of her hot, wet mouth, and tore at her clothes until she was naked. I finished removing the last of my clothing, needing to be as naked as she was.

I cupped her waist with one hand- my bear right here with my human side, needing this like it needed to breathe fresh, mountain air when it shifted.

"You want me to touch you, to make you feel good?"

She nodded.

I slid my hand between her thighs to discover her soaking wet pussy. "You're so fucking wet for me, baby."

"Yes." She released a sigh, opening her thighs even more.

I groaned, unable to hold back as I moved farther down and circled that pussy hole. Moving my fingers up, I started to tease her swollen clit.

She shook a little, and I closed my eyes, trying to rein in my desire. I wanted to last so I could at least be buried inside of her when I came.

Spinning her around, I pushed her to the bed, spreading her thighs wide. Sinking to my knees this time, I opened the lips of her pussy with my thumbs on either side of her and stared at what was mine.

She was so wet and her clit so swollen that I couldn't help myself. Leaning in and inhaling deeply, I took in the scent of her and growled low. I flicked my tongue across the hard little nub at the top of her cunt, and we both moaned at the same time. The sounds she made were so fucking hot. I wanted to keep her like this forever, in this pleasure-induced coma.

"God, you're so fucking wet for me, baby."

She only made a soft sound of need, but that was all I needed to hear.

I couldn't even describe what that did to me, what she was doing to me now.