Page 7 of Caught Bear Handed (Sawtooth Security #3)

Chapter Six

Beau

This woman was a one-way ticket to trouble.

She’d drawn in a shaky breath and turned back to her puzzle, putting up an invisible wall between us.

Of course she did. You just referred to her as an assignment, you dumbass , my bear scolded.

I rose from the chair, leaving Kayla to her project, but my bear wasn’t done with me.

That’s her arousal that’s singing in your nostrils. Or it was, anyway, before you shut her down.

My mouth watered at the thought of the taste of her.

I closed my eyes for a long blink. Too long, since I was treated to a vivid image of her curvy body, naked and writhing in twisted sheets, from the best possible view—between her thighs.

I looked back at her, but she was engrossed in her puzzle, the moment lost.

For now , my bear was nothing if not encouraging. Even if what he wanted would be career suicide.

I’d done the right thing, I reminded myself as I opened the refrigerator and pulled out the pot of leftover chili. My instincts had told me something was wrong when I’d come back to the cabin. Gigi had felt it too.

Was Kayla keeping something from me?

No, Barrett had verified everything I’d told him about her story. Well, that the crime syndicate existed and there were connections. He hadn’t told me what they were, and I couldn’t take it personally. I was spending a lot of time in close quarters with this woman, and no one could risk a slip up.

He’d told me I’d done good work. But I felt like it wasn’t enough.

“Do you like stuffed peppers?” I asked.

Kayla jumped and gave me a bewildered look.

Something was definitely spooking her.

“Thought I’d mix things up with the chili and put them in the peppers, if you’re into it.”

Her lips curled into a smile that was way too seductive for its own good. “I’m into it.”

“Good to know.” I gripped the island, my gaze fixed on her, but she’d already gone back to the puzzle.

Saying ridiculous shit and pulling a gun weren’t the only stupid things I’d done today.

I’d pushed Barrett, telling him I wanted more responsibility.

He reminded me that a television star’s wellbeing had been placed solely in my hands, and if I didn’t think that was enough, he’d happily swap me out with Brad.

Brad and I had a somewhat friendly rivalry going. We’d joined Sawtooth Security at the same time, both had military backgrounds. But where I was rambunctious, he was smooth. When I was impulsive, he was patient. He’d bet me he’d be the first to lead a case.

He didn’t get assigned a private detail , my bear reminded me. Think you can say you won that bet.

But still, I’d seen him at the Redheaded Stepchild, the local bar with an exclusive room in the back called Red Heaven where anything could happen.

He had no problem bringing local ladies back there, with a wink and a nod.

I gritted my teeth as I spooned the chili into the peppers, thinking of him putting the moves on…

My gaze landed on Kayla, but there was no stopping my bear.

Mate.

I needed to be a team player and think long term, for all of us, including Kayla. She’d be on the next flight out of Sawtooth Forest the minute the bad guys were apprehended. I wanted that for her, even if I hated it. This wasn’t about me.

The peppers came out of the oven, melted cheese bubbling. After dropping a little cheese into Gigi’s bowl, I plated them and brought one over to Kayla.

“Sweet moon, this looks amazing,” she said as she dug in. “I really hope we get to go to that cookout.”

“I do too.” But right now, I’d savor this moment, sitting with this honey-scented woman who loved my cooking, because it was pretty damn good.

No big surprise, I was starting to have that feeling that my skin was too small. The walls of the tiny cabin were starting to close in on me. Usually, when I felt like this, I’d pick up as many shifts at the fire station as possible. But now, it was just Kayla and me.

And of course, Gigi, who was trying her best to make friends with Kayla. Sometimes, she welcomed her, and sometimes she was distant. Maybe I was reading too much into it, and that’s just how she was.

Either way, I needed to get out of this fucking cabin.

Knocking on Kayla’s bedroom door felt scandalous. She had a tendency to disappear in here. Not that I was judging. She was probably sick of looking at the same four walls too.

She didn’t answer right away, and I realized she could’ve been sleeping. Although, she’d come out for coffee a couple of hours earlier.

I balled my fist, considering knocking again, when she came to the door.

At this stage of the game, the sight of her so close shouldn’t have taken my breath away. But it did. I’d forever blame her scent. Anything to deny the fact that she was my mate and I couldn’t keep her.

Her hair was piled on top of her head, and she was wearing a loose black T-shirt and a pair of ripped up denim shorts. Those little hints of skin peeking through made my cock twitch.

She leaned against the door, holding on to it, guarding her space like a good little wolf. “Did they get them?”

I shook my head. “Not yet.”

She nodded, but her expression didn’t change. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you were in the mood for a little adventure.”

That got her eyes to brighten. Fuck. My bear liked making her happy way too much. This was a terrible idea for many reasons, but there was no going back now.

“Tell me more.”

“There’s a local shelter in town. Forever Home. It’s where I got Gigi. They do some pretty amazing things, and they also have a rescue farm where they take in bigger animals. To make a little extra money, they offer horseback riding.”

Her lips parted. “Do you think it will be safe?”

“I might have bought the place out for the afternoon.” I leaned against the wall. “The farm is run by a wolf and his human mate. Members of the local pack.”

“What if they recognize me?” she asked. “I want to go, but I also don’t want to screw up the case because we got careless.”

“These wolves know what it’s like to have everything taken from them.

I trust them.” It wasn’t the local pack that would be the problem.

While our team was gathering the intel, they needed to make their move.

There was no telling what the other guys knew about Kayla.

“And I won’t let anything happen to you. ”

“So you’re saying I should trust you.” She filled in the blanks for me.

“I’m saying that if we’re gonna make a break for it, this is the time. So if you’re in, all you have to do is say the word. Either way, the rescue gets a nice donation.” Our gazes locked for a long moment. Too long. “But I’m not gonna tell you what to do.”

She pushed away from the door.

“Too bad,” she said softly, like she was talking to herself. “I might like that.”

My bear was on point inside me.

“What was that?” I couldn’t have heard her right.

Oh, yes you did.

“Nothing,” she said loudly and quickly, and slipped her feet into her sneakers. She grabbed a baseball hat off the dresser and put it on her head. “I’m in.”

I shook my head. “You’d look good in a cowboy hat.”

“Are you saying you don’t love my baseball cap?” She gave the bill a tug, and then pulled her hair through the hole in the back, and fastened it into a ponytail. “A cowboy hat feels like something you have to earn the right to wear.”

“Then let’s get to it.” I held my arm out, motioning for her to take the lead. Her ponytail swayed with each step, and that ass. Fuck, it was cradled perfectly by her jeans, moving with the delicious rhythm of the rest of her body.

She stopped when she got to the porch and blinked. “It’s only been a few days, but it feels weird to be outside,” she said. “Does Barrett know about this?”

I shook my head, and my bear groaned inside me. He probably should.

“This is perfectly safe. The ranch is in a remote area. And I bought it out.”

She stood frozen in place for too long, then finally gave me a nod.

“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.

” It was hard to read her expression with her eyes obscured by the shade of the cap’s bill.

“I’m not one for breaking the rules either.

But after you mentioned it, I wanted to make it happen.

I would never knowingly put you in danger. My ass is on the line too.”

She stiffened. “So you’ve said.”

Touché.

“You’re the boss. Tell me what you want to do.”

“I’d really like to go,” she said softly. “But I hate to admit I’m scared. It’s a piss-poor reason not to do something.”

“These guys won’t win.” Before I realized what I was doing, I reached for her hand.

Her gaze fell to it before I had a chance to pull it back and pretend it never happened.

It wasn’t professional at all, but it felt right.

And it didn’t matter why we were here, I liked Kayla.

Not just because she was my favorite actress or because she was fucking breathtaking, but because I enjoyed spending time with her.

Being trapped in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with one other person was usually my idea of torture, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’d be sad to see this arrangement end.

She took it. Her skin was velvety soft against mine, which was rough and calloused. But her grip was firm and sure. Electricity surged through me on contact.

“They won’t win.” She met my gaze, and no shadows could hide the fire in her eyes.

We walked to the SUV. It wasn’t mine, and it had been switched out several times. The only time I’d used it was to pick up deliveries, and I’d used different routes each time. I’d have to make sure it was switched out again after this trip.

How are you going to explain that to Barrett? my bear asked.

Hopefully, I wouldn’t have to. But hope was a lousy strategy, and I had to keep my head in the game if I was going to keep this woman safe.