Page 5 of Bear With Me
“Not so fast there, sweetheart.”
I’m in no way used to having the thoughts of others invade my mind, but I assumed I’d grown accustomed enough that their innermost desires didn’t shock me anymore. The mundane, the obnoxious and everything in between. But I’d never experienced something as insidious as this guy’s thoughts.
I recoil, jerking my hand roughly, probably bruising the flesh of my wrist, but I don’t care. Anything to get away from his touch. “Let me go.”
When he doesn’t and his little friends make no effort to help me, I pull back my free arm and punch him square in the nose. The satisfying crunch causes him to drop his hold on me and I take a few hasty steps backward. Relief is short lived.
So much for making friends here tonight.
Thunder rumbles and the roar from the crowd brings back the pulsing behind my eyes. I lose myself in the throng of bodies, putting as much distance between me and the jerk as possible. I’ll find somewhere quiet to hide until Sam has had his fun. Beer still in hand, I ease my way back through the crush of people and take solace in the emptiness of the woods. The tension stringing me up tight loosens the moment I step beyond the trees.
Swift River National Park borders the town of Hillsborough and from what I understand it’s huge. I make sure to keep the party in my sight and manage to find a cluster of rocks where I climb up and sit while sipping my beer. There’s a thick section of trees that separates me from all the other people.
It’s not lost on me this is how I feel most of the time since my parents’ deaths. Separated. Apart. Alone. Other. It’s like my life forked off into Before and After. Before they died I’d been a normal teenager, getting ready for my freshman year of college, looking forward to starting my life as an adult. Full of possibilities, with boundless opportunities. After, I became isolated by the cursed gift I received without warning, adrift on a current of fear and desperation.
I drink deeply from my cup. No more self pity. This move is a chance to start fresh. Soon, the sound of the distant party and the distant sound of animals in the woods lull away the encounter with the jerk and my nerves settle.
Twigs snap behind me and my spine straightens. I squint through the growing darkness. “Who’s there?” I ask, lifting a hand to my eyes and squinting. My heart beats double time and I wonder if maybe punching that asshole hadn’t been the smartest move.
All too belatedly I realize I shouldn’t have gone so far from the crowd. If something were to happen to me, no one would be able to hear me scream.
The shadows shift and part to reveal the biggest man I’ve ever seen. The kind of man that sends a thrill of warning down my back. He’s dressed in jeans that have seen their fair share of toil. Definitely not the expensive designer ones that Sam prefers. A simple white t-shirt and flannel cover his broad shoulders, the sleeves are rolled up to reveal forearms corded with thick muscles. He doesn’t seem like the type to hit the gym. No this is a man who built his muscle through sheer physical effort. A beard frames his full lips and disappears into the beanie covering his head. Dark hair peeks out from the vee in his shirt and the feminine parts of me tighten.
He’s not a boy like the one I’d just run from. This guy is all man. Too old for this crowd, for sure. Too old for me, definitely. What was he doing out here?
“Didn’t mean to scare you,” he says and I shiver. Not from cold or fear, but from a pure rush of desire. His voice is pure warmth and I feel it like a wave of heat from a crackling fire.
I glance back towards the line of trees and note that they’re too far away for me to make a dash. He could catch me, if that’s what he wants. From the way his assessing amber eyes follow me, studying, I get the feeling that he’s calculating every move and I have no doubt that he could snatch me up in seconds, even considering his bulk.
“You didn’t scare me,” I say with more confidence than I feel. “Just wasn’t expecting anyone else to be out here. I figured everyone would all be up at the party.”
He leans a big shoulder up against the trunk of a tree. “There are all kinds of things out in these woods, especially at night. You’d probably be best back over there with the rest of them.”
Laughter trails through the thick brush and I spot the guy who grabbed me. I am unable to suppress a shudder at the memory—his memories. “I’m okay out here.”
He straightens and moves to go, then pauses, his bottom lip sucked between his teeth. Heat unfurls low in my stomach and my breath hitches. I can feel his eyes on me like a predator waiting to stake claim on his prey.
“I’m not going to lie to you, I saw him grab you and I followed you out here. Wanted to make sure you were okay.” He glances back at him, then raises an eyebrow at me. “Clearly you handled yourself.”
I shrug and wrap my arms around myself against the bite of chill in the air. “I’ve got a twin brother so I’m fairly used to male stupidity.”
The first drops of rain begin to fall and I shiver. I’m going to kill Sam for dragging me out here. I scan the crowds, but don’t see his familiar face, just a sea of unfamiliar ones.
He takes a couple steps toward me, shrugging out of his flannel button up and laying it over my shoulders. A groan very nearly escapes from my lips, but I swallow it down. The warmth and scent of him wraps around me like a blanket. Having him so close to me causes the heat in my stomach to ignite.
“I’m Declan,” he says, holding out a hand. It’s sexy, as far as hands go. Big palms and thick fingers. It looks harmless enough, but I know what secrets lie behind such a seemingly innocent touch.
Even knowing there’s a horrible possibility in returning the gesture, I fit my much smaller hand in his. I brace myself for the onslaught and I nearly fall off of the rock when I see…nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
My eyes lift to his in shock and I forget to release his hand. I know there’s no way I’ve lost the gift so quickly, not when flashes of that jerk’s memories still surface every few seconds like a bad nightmare.
“Gonna tell me yours?” he asks and at first I think he’s talking aboutmysecrets.
When I realize he means my name, and I finally have enough brain cells under control to answer, I release his hand and stutter out, “Sullivan. Sully,” I add without thinking.
“Nice to meet you, Sully.” He sits next to me on the rock. “What brings you to Hillsborough?”