Eye of the Beholder

Author’s Notes: Thank you Michael, blue_lioness, Capt_Davy_Jones_Lover and poyson for your reviews.

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She wakes to the feeling of being warm and safe and loved and being poked by something hard in the small of her back. With her sleep fogged brain only registering that something is making her uncomfortable, she reaches back to push it away and ends up with a hand full of cloth covered erection. He immediately groans as he thrusts himself into her hand and pulls her closer to him.

“Oops,” she mumbles, realizing that he’s trapped her hand between them.

“Oops?” he questions in a voice that’s between a purr and a growl.

“I think I’ve just woken up the Beast,” she teases as she manages to get her hand free.

“Oh, the Beast has been awake for a while now and has been waiting for you to join him,” he purrs as his hand slides up her top and his fingers gently caresses the underside of one of her breasts.

She lets out a whimper just before taking a deep breath, releasing a huge yawn and giving in to the need to have a good full body stretch. He loosens his hold on her long enough for her to finish and then he’s upon her once more. She finds herself on her back with his lips nibbling on her neck, one of his hands under her shirt holding her just below a breast and him grinding himself into her hip.

“Hank,” she moans as she reaches through the dark to touch him.

“Amanda,” he groans as he nips her neck. “Stop me now or I’m taking this all the way.”

“Not to sound like a slut,” she pants, “but take me.”

Before she knows it, her top is gone and his hands and lips are quickly driving her insane. He suckles on her neck while his hand cups her breast and his thumb rubs the nipple until it’s a hard pebble. She grabs a hold of him wherever she can, sinking her fingers into his fur and holding onto him as if her life depends on it.

Within moments he has her gasping and moaning his name as he leaves a trail of hot wet kisses down her neck, over her collar bone and down to her breasts. She cries out and arches her back as he sucks her previously ignored nipple into his mouth, quickly driving her to the edge while his tongue does incredible things to that little bud. It doesn’t take him long to have her completely incoherent and writhing beneath him and he’s feeling very proud of himself.

“Hank, please,” she begs as she wraps a leg around his torso.

Suddenly he pulls away from her and she cries out in alarm, trying to reach for him, but barely able to see him. Then she feels his fingers grabbing hold of the waist band on her pajama bottoms and before she can say anything, he rips them and her panties off of her in one swift move, partially lifting her off of the bed in the process. She can hear him moving around and the bed slightly shakes with his movements, but she has no idea what he’s doing.

“Hank?” she calls as she sits up and reaches for him, gasping when he easily catches her questing fingers.

“Patience, my lady,” he purrs just before planting a kiss on those captured digits. “Just taking care of business before I take care of you.”

He releases her hand and a moment later she can hear the sound of a paper bag being opened. There are various strange sounds that have her a bit confused including the sounds of things being torn open. She wraps her arms around herself and continues to listen to the unusual noises and nearly jumps out of her skin when one of his hands suddenly touches her knee.

“Are you alright?” he asks as he moves next to her, sliding his hand along her body as he does so.

“Yeah, just a little cold,” she assures him while he gently pushes her back down.

“Then, I guess I better get you warmed up again,” he purrs seductively.

Before she can respond his mouth is on her, kissing, licking, and nibbling on various parts of her body so that’s she soon panting and moaning again. She buries her fingers in that wonderfully soft fur again, barely even noticing when he pushes her legs apart. He climbs between her legs, settling his weight on his elbows so as not to crush her beneath him.

When the top of his erection presses against her lower lips she gasps and he pauses, almost too far gone to stop what’s about to happen. They both lie there trembling, anxious to let nature takes its course and at the same time scared out of their wits. Then her legs circle his hips and he gladly takes her up on her invitation. He slides into that tight heat and they both let out a groan of pleasure, but hers is also tinged with pain.

“Are you alright?” he questions with a shaky voice.

“It’s been nine years,” she nearly whimpers, “and you’re not exactly tiny.”

“As much as that just bolstered by ego, I don’t want to hurt you,” he says softly as he adjusts his weight on his arms.

“Just give me a minute,” she whispers while she wraps her arms around him, drawing him closer. “Kiss me.”

“As my lady wishes,” he purrs just before his lips capture hers.

His lips are warm and soft and she quickly loses herself to them as they work their magic on her. She moans as his tongue invades her mouth and one of her hands comes up to caresses his face. He makes a noise between a whimper and a groan as he gently pushes his hips forward and she breaks off the kiss.

“Be gentle,” she softly requests as she pulls him closer.

“As my lady commands,” he whispers as he slowly pulls out and then just as gently pushes back in.

“Oh God, Hank,” she moans as he starts to set a slow rhythm.

The slow pace is driving Beast mad, it rages inside Hank’s head, trying to take control until Hank reminds it that they’re making Mate happy. Slightly placated, Beast backs off as Hank tries to concentrate on not ending this too soon, but it’s not easy. It’s been so long since he’s been with a woman and the fact that she’s so tight and hot and the little mewling noises she’s making just isn’t helping.

“Faster,” she softly begs and he gladly complies.

He can feel Beast easing up next to him, not taking control, but helping as he sets his lips to nibbling on her, driving her closer to the edge. Her mewls have turned to cries of passion and she clings to him for dear life, trying desperately not to grab fists full of hair while he pounds into her. He can feel the familiar tingling sensation working its way from the base of his spine to his sac and he knows he won’t be able to hold off much longer.

Suddenly, her body freezes as the walls of her vagina clamp down on him and she yells her release to the room, convulsively grabbing his fur. He slams into her a few more times before he roars his own release into a pillow and then bites down hard on her shoulder. She screams as a secondary orgasm hits her like a freight train and he briefly purrs in pleasure.

She whimpers in pain and he quickly realizes what he’s done. He swiftly releases her and slides off of her and the bed, not caring about the strands of hair she accidentally rips out and causing her to whimper for his sudden retreat. He turns on the light and she covers her eyes as she lets out a startled cry.

“A little warning next time,” she complains as she blinks furiously.

“Sorry,” he mumbles as he grabs her and pulls her closer to the light.

“Ouch!” she cries out as he prods her shoulder. “This isn’t exactly what I had in mind for post-sex activities.”

“Amanda, I’m sorry,” he says, his voice full of pain and regret while Beast proudly admires the mark on their mate. “I didn’t mean to bite you and I certainly didn’t mean to bite you so hard.”

“Is it bad?” she asks as she reaches out and strokes the fur on his chest.

“It doesn’t look like I’ve broken the skin, but we should put some ice on it,” he tells her as he heads for the bathroom. “Let me get cleaned up and dressed and I’ll go get some ice.”

He disappears through the bathroom door as she tentatively touches her shoulder and feels the indentations his teeth left on her skin. He turns on the light and then carefully removes the condom that he’s still wearing. He goes to throw it in the garbage when something shiny catches his attention.

When he comes out of the bathroom, she’s standing in front of the mirror over the desk trying to see the damage his teeth have done. She turns to look at him and sees the look on his face, filled with hurt and some anger. Then she sees what’s in his hand and her face goes from horror to shame in seconds.

“Hank, I’m sorry,” she whispers, dropping her head so she doesn’t have to see the pain in his eyes.

“In the garbage, Amanda, I found it in the garbage,” he tells her, the hurt very evident in his voice.

“I was angry,” she explains quietly, her shoulders drooping with the weight of her guilt. “I’m sorry.”

“Did I really hurt you that badly?” he softly asks as he looks down at the gold heart in his hand.

All she can do is nod and take a deep, ragged breath, trying to fight off the tears and failing. He takes those last few steps to reach her and gently pulls her into his arms. She quietly buries her face into his shoulder and cries while he brushes her hair to the side and kisses the shoulder he bit.

“I’m sorry that I upset you that badly,” he quietly tells her a short time later as he presses the necklace into her hand. “But the next time you’re angry with me, take it out on me, not the jewelry. Ok?”

“Ok,” she agrees with a sniff while her fingers curl around the small treasure.

“I need to get some ice,” he reminds her as he steps back. “Get back in bed and stay warm. I’ll back in a little bit.”

She nods that she understands and he watches as she climbs back into bed, curling her body around the hand still clutching the pendant. He covers her up with the blankets, gently plans a kiss on her temple and then goes to get dressed. Once he’s covered, he grabs the ice bucket, blocks the door open and then goes in search of the ice machine.

By the time he returns, she’s nearly asleep again and he quickly gets a bag of ice ready for her. He swiftly strips, climbs back in bed with her, cuddling up behind her and then carefully putting the ice on her shoulder. She makes a small noise to protest the sudden cold and he makes soothing sounds as he holds her closer. With a sigh, she relaxes into him, gladly absorbing his heat as she drifts off to sleep.

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She wakes to the sound of growling and she groans as she buries her face in warm, soft fur. She makes a happy humming sound as she breathes in his musky scent and tries to snuggle up even closer to him. She tries to pull the covers over her head when the growling sound returns and it’s followed by the sound of him chuckling right under her ear.

“That’s your stomach that’s growling, not mine,” he tells her as he holds her close.

“Prove it in a court of law,” she grumbles and he laughs out loud making her head bounce. “Stop that.”

“Sorry,” he snickers as he kisses the crown of her head. “We should probably get up.”

That gets her growling as her arm wraps around his middle and one of her legs tries to trap one of his. A certain part of his body rouses enough to start taking interest in the naked woman beside him and Hank quickly squishes those thoughts. He does smile at the absolute futility of pinning him down and he nuzzles her hair as he tries to think of a way to get her out of bed.

“Come, love, it’s time to get up,” he tells her.

“You first,” she challenges as the hand that was across his stomach moves south and gives a quick, gentle stroke to his already waking manhood causing him to gasp.

“That’s playing dirty,” he nearly growls.

“All’s fair in love and war,” she counters with a devious snicker.

“Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be is it?” he playfully snarls.

The next thing she knows is that she’s pinned on her back and he’s kissing and touching all of the right places. He’s careful not to hurt her, but he’s working her into a frenzy in record time and she’s not sure her heart can take it. She tries to wiggle, squirm, push and pull him where she wants him, but it’s no use. It’s like wrestling with a mountain, a big, blue, furry mountain, but a mountain none the less.

“Hank,” she nearly whines while he suckles at her breast and he chuckles.

“If it is a war my lady wants, then a war my lady shall have,” he teases just before he blows on the wet nipple.

“A bit one sided,” she whimpers as she tries to get him to move again.

“I’m just waiting for your unconditional surrender,” he purrs in her ear.

“Then take me, I’m yours,” she whispers and he goes perfectly still.

“Do you mean that?” he softly asks. “Are you mine?”

“Yes,” she breathes.

He kisses her passionately as her hands sink into his wild mane, making her moan while he reaches into the bag at the head of the bed. He pulls her hand away from his head and presses something into her palm. She looks at it when he lets her up for air and sees an object that she’s not too familiar with, but she’s got a pretty good idea what it is.

“Um, I don’t think I’m supposed to wear this,” she says as she looks at the small object.

“You’re not,” he replies, his voice a sexy rumble as he nuzzles her ear. “This is part of the surrender agreement. Put it on me.”

“I suppose me telling you that I’ve never done that before won’t dissuade you,” she points out.

“No,” he chuckles deep in his throat. “Open it.”

With shaking fingers, she manages to get the little foil packet open and she’s left with the small circle of latex in her hand. He positions himself where she can reach him and she tentatively reaches for him as her face starts to heat up. She carefully places the condom on the tip and then starts trying to unroll it only to have him stop her.

“It goes the other way, love,” he gently tells her.

Ignoring the fact that her cheeks are probably bright red at this point, she flips the prophylactic over and easily unrolls it down his length causing him to groan. He takes a couple deep breaths to calm himself before reaching into the bag again. He pulls out a small squeeze bottle, opens it, takes her hand in his and then squirts a small amount of clear, slippery gel into the palm of her hand.

“What’s this?” she asks, carefully touching it with a finger.

“Lubricant,” he answers as he returns the bottle to the bag. “It’ll make things go much smoother.”

“Another condition of my surrender?” she questions nervously.

“Oh yes,” he purrs as he guides her hand into place.

She gives a nervous gulp and then slides her hand down his erection causing him to moan as his eyes roll back in his head. Slightly encouraged by his reaction, her fingers wrap around him and he gives a small grunt. She starts to spread the lube and soon he’s groaning and thrusting into her hand. She’s amazed by her ability to affect him like this and more than a little turned on by it.

Suddenly, her hands are pinned above her head, her legs are forced apart and he’s inside her. She gives a startled cry which quickly turns to grunts of her own as he pounds into her, quickly driving her towards the precipice. He releases her hands and wraps his arms around her body, holding her close as he continues his insane pace.

“Mine,” he grunts in a deep guttural voice. “My mate.”

“Oh God, YES!” she shrieks as her orgasm hits.

It takes him a couple more thrusts before he roars his completion, not bothering to muffle the noise this time. They lie there panting and shaking and she’s dimly aware that her ear is ringing from that roar. Suddenly, his body violently shakes and he takes a deep, gasping breath before collapsing on top of her, trembling.

“Hank,” she gasps. “Can’t breathe.”

“Oh heavens, Amanda, I’m sorry,” he says as he quickly scrambles off of her.

She lies there spread eagle and takes a very deep breath and he just wants to crawl in a hole. Beast sits smugly in the back of his mind, very proud of itself for taking over long enough to pleasure their mate.

“Are you alright?” he softly asks.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to get my feet together again,” she tells him with a smile.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers as he goes to sit on the edge of the bed with his back to her.

“For what?” she asks.

“I’m afraid Beast got the better of me again,” he quietly admits, not able to look at her. “I had hoped to make your first experiences with me more enjoyable.”

She forces her tired body to roll over and move despite the complaints of many sore muscles. She crawls over to him and circles his neck with her arms, draping herself along his back. She moves her face next to his and rubs her cheek against him

“Care to explain,” she requests as she rests her head against his.

“I bit you earlier this morning and just now I all but flattened you,” he says miserably. “Perhaps I’m not the one for you.”

“Perhaps that’s something I should be allowed to decide,” she points out as she presses herself against him more thoroughly. “Hank, the first time I had sex, I was drunk, we were both virgins and neither one of us had a clue to what the hell we were doing. The second time was a complete disappointment. For six months I lived with Bobbi and I could never understand her obsession with sex, but now I do and it’s because of you. You’ll excuse me if I’m not really interested in finding someone else who can do that for me. I’ve waited too long to find someone who makes me happy and I’m not giving you up without a fight, whether he be man or beast.”

“Amanda, I…,” he starts, the sound of defeat in his voice, but he’s stopped by her suddenly nipping his jaw.

“Mine,” she whispers as she tightens her arms and presses herself more firmly against his back. “My mate.”

She holds him tight, waiting for his response, afraid that his feelings for her have changed since last night. She can feel him trembling and he takes a deep breath as he reaches up and caresses the arms around his neck. He rubs his cheek against hers and she can feel the tension leave his body as he lets that deep breath out.

“You know, I’ve changed my mind about this bed,” he states after a few minutes of silence.

“Oh?” she questions.

“Yes, I’ve decided that it does need to come back to New York with us,” he continues.

“Oh really?” she smiles.

“Yes, I’m going to have it bronzed,” he tells her and she falls over laughing.

“That’s going to make it very hard to sleep in,” she points out when she catches her breath.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are lately?” he asks out of the blue, leaning over her prone body.

“You’re not so bad yourself, sir,” she quietly tells him as she reaches up and brushes some of his rather mussed up mane out of his face.

He leans over and gently kisses her, making it last for as long as possible. When he pulls back, her hands are tangled in his hair again and he smiles at her.

“We should get cleaned up and dressed,” he says and she gets a sneaky look on her face.

“Not up for round three?” she teases.

“No, and even if I was, I doubt you would survive it,” he chuckles.

“You’re probably right,” she moans as she sits up, wincing. “I’m sore in places it didn’t think I could be sore.”

“I’d offer to rub and make better, but I have a feeling that would end with us being even later than we already are,” he replies with a smile.

“Oh God, don’t remind me,” she groans. “I think this will be one of the hardest Christmases that I’ve ever had to endure.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me there?” he asks as he helps her to sit up.

“No, I’ll tell them on my own,” she answers. “After they’re done with me, the Spanish Inquisition will look like a walk in the park. There’s no sense in putting you through that too.”

“As my lady wishes,” he replies unhappily and she reaches out to caress his face.

“What I wish is that I could tuck my tail between my legs and run away to Vermont with you like the sniveling little coward that I am,” she mutters and he chuckles.

“Ah, but you see, you’re not tucking your tail in and running,” he points out as he pulls her into his arms. “You’re standing and facing them like a lioness.”

“A lioness with her knees knocking,” she sighs as she rests her head on his shoulder.

“But a lioness none the less,” he replies as he gives her a gentle squeeze. “Now, let’s go get ready to face the day.”

“Are you sure I can’t hide under the covers and hope the whole thing just goes away?” she nearly begs.

“Positive,” he laughs as he pulls her out of the bed and forces her to stand on her own two feet. “Now go take your shower and I’ll go take mine”

“We could save water if we took a shower together,” she suggests with a sly look.

“Tempting, but no,” he tells her with a kiss on the nose. “Now go.”

With that, he turns her around and gives her a gentle push towards the bathroom. She turns back around to give one final protest only to see the door between their rooms being shut. She glares at the door for a few moments before heading for the bathroom, sulking all the way.

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Nearly an hour later, she’s cleaned, dressed and in the process of packing her things when Hank reopens the door.

“Amanda, you better come see this,” he says in a very serious tone.

She follows him into his room and sees that he has the TV on a local news channel. It’s obvious he wants her to see something on the set, so she watches it for a moment and then her eyes get very wide.

“Sweet Jesus,” she whispers in shock.