Proposal 2.0

A MOUNTAIN'S HEARTBEAT BONUS SCENE

Emilia Ellis sighed happily as the last bit of red-orange in the sunset sky gave way to the navy-purple hues of twilight.

The day had been absolutely perfect. Ike had wanted to show her his favorite mountain lake, and she had not been disappointed. The Mountain District boasted dozens of lakes, some large and some smaller, but all with cool, crystal-clear water that felt amazing during the warm days of the Mountain District summer.

Emilia had to agree with Ike that the secluded lake he’d brought her to was one of the best in their district, if not the best. The lake was on the smaller side, not much bigger than a glorified pond, but it was surrounded by dense, lush trees which made it private and intimate—the perfect place to come for a romantic picnic with your lifemate, which was exactly what Ike and Emilia had done.

The picnic had been Ike’s idea, and he had planned it to perfection. He’d made them a selection of delicious salami and cheese sandwiches, along with fresh veggies and dip on the side. He’d also brought along several kinds of chips, and an assortment of fresh fruit to munch on. Emilia didn’t know where he’d managed to find such a fresh pineapple way out here in the mountains, but her mouth started watering all over again at just the memory of the juicy pineapple slices she’d indulged in.

Of course, Ike had packed other desserts besides just fruit. He’d baked chocolate chip cookies from scratch—his mother’s recipe, he’d told her—and they had been absolutely divine. He’d also brought along a few bottles of wine for Emilia to choose from. She’d decided to go with the champagne, since she was in a celebratory mood. How could she not be, when she had so much to celebrate? Despite the challenges the Mountain District faced every day, Emilia could not have asked for her own life to be going better. The general store she owned was thriving, and she and Ike had recently discovered they were lifemates! He’d even officially asked her to marry him, proposing with one of the rocks he’d painted for his rock-painting hobby. He’d apologized over and over for not waiting until he had a diamond rock to propose with, but Emilia thought his proposal could not have been more perfect. It had come from the heart, after all. He’d been so excited to ask her to spend the rest of her life with him that he hadn’t been able to wait for tiny details like finding an actual ring.

Emilia giggled. She was a lucky girl.

“What’s so funny?” Ike asked in a sleepy tone, cocking one eyebrow up as he glanced over at her. The two of them were lying on their picnic blanket on the sandy shores of the lake, basking in the summer evening and in each other’s company. With the food mostly packed away in the picnic basket, they had a luxurious amount of room to spread out and relax.

“Nothing’s funny,” Emilia murmured back. “I’m just happy.”

She thought from the curious look on Ike’s face that he would press the issue, but instead he shrugged and sat up.

“Good. If you’re happy that means I did a good job planning this little date. It’s not over yet, though. Want to come for a swim with me?”

“In a minute,” Emilia said, stretching lazily. “Once I work up the energy to stand up.”

Ike chuckled, and leaned over to give her a kiss. “Come join me when you’re ready. I’m going to look for rocks on the bottom of the lake.”

Emilia raised her eyebrows. “Wouldn’t it be easier to look for rocks on the shore? No diving required.”

Ike shook his head emphatically. “I’m telling you, the best, smoothest rocks are always on the bottom of the lake. I’ve painted a lot of rocks over the years, and I’ve a learned a thing or two about how to source them.”

Emilia shrugged. “Okay. Suit yourself.”

She settled back onto the picnic blanket and looked up at the brilliant stars and full moon, admiring their beauty. The full moon lit up the lake and forest quite a bit, which was good since Ike was being a weirdo and searching for rocks on the bottom of the lake. Even with his keen bear eyesight, seeing the bottom without bright moonlight would have been difficult.

Despite her intentions to get up and go swim with Ike, Emilia found herself dozing off. She might have slept for quite some time, if excited splashing and shouting from Ike hadn’t startled her awake.

“Emilia! You have to come see this rock! It’s perfect!”

Emilia sat up and gave Ike a skeptical look. She thought his rock-painting hobby was adorable, but she couldn’t bring herself to get as excited as he did over finding the perfect rock. “Can’t you bring it over here? I’m still feeling too lazy to come swim.”

Ike made a pouty face. “You said you were going to come swim eventually. Don’t leave me out here all alone.”

Emilia sighed extra-dramatically for his benefit. “Fine. I’m coming to see your rock.”

She stood, then gave him a devious grin as she ever so slowly pulled her coverup over her head to reveal her skimpy red bikini. It was the sort of thing she usually would have only worn when she knew she would be alone with her best girlfriends, Georgie and Maya. She didn’t feel confident enough to wear it to a lake full of other bear shifters. But now, with Ike, she could feel confident as well. He took every opportunity to both tell and show her how much he loved her body, and she reveled in the chance to show off for him.

Her efforts at being sultry clearly worked, because Ike let out a long groan.

“Damn, woman. I’m going to forget all about looking for rocks with you sauntering around looking like that.”

Emilia winked at him. “That’s the idea, mister.”

She sauntered toward the lake, and stepped in, trying not to wince at the cool water. Even in summer the water stayed fairly cool. During the day that coolness felt good, but once the sun went down it could take a few minutes to get acclimated to the water temperature.

Of course, all Emilia had to do if she wanted to warm up was look at the heat in Ike’s gaze. She felt heat unfurling in her own core as his blazing eyes roved up and down her body, and she shuddered with anticipation. Would he make love to her here in the lake, in the moonlight? She could already feel her desire starting to rise. They’d been teasing each other all day with kisses and touches, but she was ready for more. If the look in Ike’s eyes was any indication, he was ready for more as well.

She slowly waded toward him, the water getting deeper and deeper until it came up to her armpits as she stood in front of Ike. He was a good deal taller than her, so it didn’t come quite as high on him, but he was soaked from head to toe anyway since he’d been diving to look for rocks.

“So,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him. “You wanted to show me a rock or something?”

“Rock?” he said dumbly.

“The perfect rock for painting?” she prompted in a teasing tone. “Did you forget already?”

“How can I remember anything with you standing in front of me wearing next to nothing? I want to rip those little strips of fabric off and have you completely naked.”

“So why don’t you?” she invited.

His gaze heated even more, and he reached behind her back, searching for the strings to her bikini top. But then, he suddenly cursed and pulled his hands back as though he’d been burned.

“What’s wrong?” Emilia asked, alarmed.

Ike groaned. “I just dropped the rock. The perfect rock that I was about to show you.”

Emilia did her best to stifle a groan of her own. “I’m sure you can find it again, or one similar. No need to interrupt playtime.”

She winked at him, hoping he’d go back to removing her bikini. But he only cursed again. “You don’t understand. It was the perfect rock.”

Emilia frowned. She hadn’t even noticed that he was still holding a rock when he reached to put his hands behind her back. Not that she’d been paying that much attention to whether he had a rock in his hands or not, with so many other, ahem, things on her mind. She tried to tamp down her annoyance that he was interrupting their fledgling makeout session because of a rock. She knew he took his rocks seriously, but still! How could he be thinking about a stupid pebble when she was standing in front of him wearing a barely-there bikini?

He didn’t notice her annoyance. He peered toward the water’s surface as it glittered in the moonlight, a distressed look on his face.

“I’m going to find it,” he declared, then dove beneath the surface. Emilia did groan then. So much for making an impression with her little red bikini.

Ike remained below the surface for a ridiculous amount of time. Emilia sighed and stared up at the moon, trying to enjoy its beauty rather than focusing on her growing annoyance with Ike.

“If he’s been looking so long and still hasn’t found the rock then it must not stand out from the rest of the rocks all that much,” she grumbled under her breath. “Which means it isn’t actually anything all that special.”

A few moments later, Ike popped up again with a big splash and a whoop.

“I found it!” he declared. “Want to see?”

He held his hand out in a tightly closed fist, hiding the mysterious rock from her view in a teasing manner.

“Fine,” Emilia said flatly, trying to keep the annoyance out of her tone. “Let’s see this amazing rock.”

Ike grinned, and slowly unfurled his fingers to reveal the rock in his palm.

Emilia gasped, and clasped a hand over her mouth.

“Ike!” she shrieked. “That’s not some ordinary lake rock!”

“No, it’s not,” he agreed, looking very pleased with himself.

Emilia could only stare at his hand for several beats. In his palm he cradled a gorgeous golden ring with a large oval diamond affixed to it, sparkling brilliantly in the moonlight.

When she remained speechless, Ike jumped in to fill the silence. “I’d get down on one knee except it’s rather impractical here, since that would put my head below the water and make it difficult to talk.” He chuckled, but Emilia still could only stare as she tried to process the fact that Ike was holding a giant diamond ring apparently intended for her.

“You didn’t really just find that on the bottom of the lake, did you?” she said when she finally found her voice.

“No,” he said with another laugh. “I’ve been carrying it in the pocket of my swim trunks all day.”

“But…you already proposed to me a few weeks ago.”

“I did, because I couldn’t hold back the question. But I didn’t have a diamond for you then, and I promised I’d get you a proper ring.”

“I don’t need a fancy diamond,” Emilia insisted. “Spending my life with you is what matters, not having a showy ring.”

“I love that you feel that way. It’s one more reason I know you’re perfect for me. But even though you don’t need a fancy diamond, I want you to have one. I want to spoil you as much as I can. So I’m asking you again, this time with a proper ring: Emilia Ellis, will you marry me?”

Tears sprang to Emilia’s eyes. “Yes, of course. You already know my answer is yes!”

A wide grin spread across Ike’s face as he reached for her hands. “Even if I already know, I’ll never get tired of hearing you say yes to me.”

Gently, he slid the sparkling diamond onto Emilia’s ring finger. She looked down at it, unable to believe that it was hers, and that it meant that she’d found her lifemate. Even a month ago, such a life had seemed like an impossibility. And yet, here she was, living that life.

Ike looked hopefully down at her, his expression so earnest that it melted her heart.

“You like it?” he asked.

“I love it,” she gushed. “It’s perfect.”

He smirked. “Told you I’d found the perfect rock.”

She slapped him playfully. “You are such a rascal! Trying to drag me out here acting like you want me to look at a lake pebble when really you meant this.”

Ike smiled. “I might be a rascal, but I’m your rascal.”

“Mine,” Emilia agreed.

“Now,” Ike said, his voice dropping an octave. “Where were we on that little matter of removing your bikini?”

He reached his hands behind her again, pressing his body against hers as he did. Emilia could feel the hard rod of his erection pressing up against her. Tingling heat unspooled in her core as she thought of what that hard length would feel like inside of her. She would never get tired of that feeling, of him. And she would never have to. They were lifemates, destined to be together always.

She turned her face upward toward Ike, inviting him to kiss her, and he readily took the invitation. His lips were warm and caressing on hers, and then he slid his tongue into her mouth and let it dance with her tongue, and Emilia felt another surge of heat.

This was all she could have ever asked for. A bear shifter who loved her, who turned her on, and who made every aspect of her life feel richer and more alive. She was pretty sure she was the luckiest girl alive.

By that point, Ike had removed her bikini top. He threw it towards shore, but Emilia didn’t even bother looking to see if it made it all the way. She couldn’t concentrate on anything other than Ike’s lips on hers, and his hands running down her body, leaving a fresh trail of heat wherever they roamed. She reached up to cradle the back of his head with her hands, firmly pulling him closer to her. Her ring caught the moonlight during the movement, and Emilia marveled once again at the fact that she owned such a beautiful piece of jewelry.

But then, she closed her eyes and forgot all about the ring. All she could think of was how divine Ike’s hands felt as they found their way to her breasts, caressing her nipples and sending ripples of pleasure up and down her spine. How was it possible for anything to feel this good?

Good was about to become even better, however. Ike dipped his head and went from kissing Emilia’s mouth to kissing her nipples. He took each hard nub in his teeth in turn, nibbling and gently twisting until Emilia could not hold back gasps of pleasure. Even though they were in the lake and already in water, she could tell she was becoming so wet for him. She could feel the pleasure building in her core as the juices of her desire filled the space between her legs.

Twilight had given way to full night now, with the sky a deep velvet black dotted with a million stars. Each pinprick of light looked like a diamond, which Emilia thought was fitting given the fact that the theme of this night seemed to be diamonds.

Ike’s kisses and touches had become more urgent, and he let out a low growl. Emilia trembled, knowing this meant he was getting close to the point where he wouldn’t be able to hold back any longer from entering her. He always tried to hold out as long as possible before sliding into her, to give her a full taste of foreplay. Emilia loved how thoughtful he was, but she had to agree with his impatience tonight.

They had held back long enough. It was time to fall completely into each other.

She let out a low growl of her own, then reached down to push off his swim trunks so she could grab the hard length of him. Firmly, she pulled it toward her, guiding it toward her slick entrance.

“Emilia,” gasped Ike. “I don’t want to rush you, but if you’re going to touch me like that you have to know that I’m not going to be able to keep from slamming into you in about three seconds flat.”

“That’s the general idea,” she said in a teasing tone.

He growled, and didn’t waste any time taking her up on her invitation. Emilia moaned as he tore off her bikini bottom in one swift movement. Then he filled her, his rock-solid width pushing against her inner walls, making room for himself. Being joined with him like that felt unreal. She couldn’t comprehend how any man could be so big, not even a mountain bear shifter.

But big he was, and hard, and hers.

He slid back and forth, rubbing every sensitive nerve ending and sending her entire body into a complete frenzy. She panted as the heat and tingling pleasure filled her, growing to a deliciously unbearable level. She squeezed her eyes shut and took in every sensation, the sound of his panting mixing with the sound of the water lapping against their bodies as they moved. The fresh aroma of mountain water mixed with the woodsy scent of her bear, and she knew nothing had ever smelled so wonderful. He smelled like home. He felt like home.

He was home.

Her home. She let the hot pressure take over then, giving it full reign as Ike slid back and forth inside of her. It only took a few moments for her to reach her breaking point. She threw back her head and let out a primal roar of passion as her release took her. Hot waves of ecstasy rolled over her as her inner muscles spasmed and clenched around Ike’s dick, as though claiming it as her own.

Ike groaned as Emilia’s body responded to his movements. “You’re so hot,” he panted out, his words barely decipherable between his growls and gasps. But Emilia knew what he was saying. She understood, because she felt the same about him. Her body trembled as quakes of pleasure continued to rock her, sending shocks of hot passion across her whole being.

And then, Ike joined her in finding his release. He roared and stiffened as he made one last hard thrust into her and pulsed into her, the two of them truly becoming one. For several heartbeats, they clung to each other, letting the heat and pleasure wash over them together. When the trembling in Emilia’s body finally began to subside, she let herself fall against Ike’s chest, reveling in the feel of his bare chest against hers.

“How’s that for a picnic?” he murmured in her ear, pushing back a few strands of her wet hair.

“Mmm,” she replied. “I’d say you set the bar pretty high for future picnics. Now I’m going to expect you to make love to me like that every single time you break out the picnic basket.”

“Happy to oblige,” he said with a chuckle. “As long as you don’t also expect a new diamond every time. I’d go completely broke pretty quickly then.”

Emilia grinned as she held her hand up to admire the diamond on her finger. “No, I don’t need any more diamonds. You were right. This one is the perfect rock. What more could I ask for?”

Ike grinned and kissed her. “It is perfect, and you look perfect wearing nothing but that rock. In fact, you look so good I’m already ready for round two. What about you?”

Emilia smirked. “I will be, just as soon as I finish dunking you.”

Before Ike could respond, she pushed him under the waves. He recovered quickly, and dunked her back. Soon they were both shrieking and wrestling in the moonlit water. The wrestling quickly turned into kissing, which Emilia knew would soon turn to something more. It was going to be a very good night.

Yes, she thought as she jumped up to wrap her arms and legs around Ike’s body, the bar has certainly been set high for future picnics.

And she wasn’t going to complain about that. What a life lay ahead of her with her bear, full of sexy picnics, perfect rocks and all the love two hearts could hold.

* * *

Thank you for reading! If you're ready for Book Two in Bear Nation, you can find it by clicking here: A Mountain's Seduction