Page 4 of Coveted By The Bear (When Worlds Collide #1)

T he repair shop was farther away than I remembered, but that wasn’t why I stood barely inside the dimly lit garage. Thunder and lightning filled the sky, but I paid it no mind.

Something had my full attention, or rather, someone did.

“Let’s see. Sweet or salty,” the moonlit goddess murmured as she bent over, sticking her plump ass out towards me.

Grrrr.

Mixed in with the scent of motor oil and industrial cleaner was something soft and sensual.

“Sweet,” I growled, because she was. Like honey crisp apples ripe from the tree.

“SWEET GEEZUS FUCK!” The woman yelped, spinning around so quickly she slid on a patch of oil staining the floor.

I was in front of her in an instant, ignoring the crash of my motorcycle as it hit the concrete. No way was I letting her hit that hard floor because I was stupid enough to scare her.

Shit.

I cradled her soft body against mine, and her delicious fragrance wrapped around me like a boa constrictor. It brought parts of me to life I thought were long dead.

Particularly my cock.

“I’m hope,” she whispered, and I swayed on my feet.

But no, that was wrong.

She wasn’t some idea. Some intangible sentiment.

This female was real.

Alive.

One hundred percent flesh and blood.

Sniff.

She was human. I sniffed again, and fuck me, I was right the first time.

She really was a normal.

A fucking normal?

Gods be damned! It couldn’t be. The Fates couldn’t be this fucking cruel.

Mate , my Bear snarled.

Fuck.

My inner Grizzly snarled and clawed at my skin. Apparently, my fucked up beast didn’t give a flying fuck if she was human.

“You’re mine.”

Desire detonated inside my blood like a bomb going off, tearing down the walls and blockades I’d placed around my stone heart.

Adrenaline rushed through my veins, and my chest squeezed, making it hard to breathe. The more I tried, the more I sucked in the flavors of her, and the headier my intoxication got.

Fuck.

I wanted this woman. More than I should. More than I thought was capable.

So much more.

Thunder roared in my head, and it was like lightning struck me right in the heart.

“Oh, uh, you can let go of me now,” she murmured, her small hands pressed lightly against my chest.

No. I can’t.

But I didn’t say that. Instead, I rose from my half-bent over stance, so we were both standing now. Then I forced my arms to loosen, allowing her to step back.

“Careful,” I muttered, one hand cupping her elbow, steadying her when she slid a little more.

“Yeah. I guess it looked clumsy, but wow, you are fast!”

“Uh, thanks,” I muttered, finally releasing her when we moved to a cleaner part of the floor.

She grabbed a few rags from a bucket and wiped the soles of her sneakers, then tossed the same rags on top of the oil spill.

“So, what can I do for you?” she asked, and fuck, her smile was blinding.

She was so pretty. Curvy. Fragile. Perfect.

I couldn’t tell the length of her dark brown hair since it was wrapped up in a messy bun at the nape of her neck.

But I did notice a tiny butterfly tattoo behind her left ear, and it made me grin.

Pretty girl with a secret wild side.

“Is there a mechanic in? My bike died on me,” I said, nodding at the Harley laying on its side.

“Yep. I am in,” she replied.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I just assumed?—”

“Well, you know what they say about people who assume,” she said, and I could tell by the way the light in her eyes dimmed she’d heard it all before.

I felt like a total dick.

“I’m sorry. I mean, I am sure you are excellent at this,” I told her, believing every word I said.

“Why do you assume that? I could suck at this,” she mumbled and shrugged.

“You’re feisty. I like that.” And my stupid grin was back.

“Okayyyy,” she replied and raised her eyebrows.

They were natural. A shade darker than her hair, nice and full with a graceful arch. Not tweezed within an inch of their life like some women did.

“You have nice eyebrows. And your eyes are pretty, too. Like warm, brown velvet,” I murmured, rubbing my hand over my face.

You have nice eyebrows. What the fuck am I saying?

“Oh. Well, thank you. I don’t think anyone has ever complimented my eyebrows before,” she said with a chuckle in her voice.

Her laugh was nice, though, so I didn’t take offense. I did, however, jog so I could reach my bike before she did.

“Where do you want it?” I asked, and yeah, my thoughts got dirty.

I’d like to take her right now. Do anything she wanted. My dick was hard and ready, aching for a taste.

Right there against the wall.

On the nearest bed.

In the rain that was still pounding against the pavement.

“Roll her right on over here,” she said, pointing to a small worktable with a lift under it.

I rolled the bike up the small ramp and put the locks on so it wouldn’t roll off. Then I stood back while she stepped on a little pedal and raised it so she could get a better look.

“This might take a while. Do you have someone to call to come get you? A girlfriend maybe?” she asked.

I smiled then. Wide.

“Nope. No girlfriend or wife. No women at present. And I don’t actually have anywhere to stay yet. Is there a motel?”

“Um, actually there is one not too far, but there’s a fall festival in town, so I doubt they have room.”

“Oh,” I frowned, wondering what I was going to do.

“I have a room available. You can rent it from me,” she said, still looking at the bike.

“What?”

“Oh, my mom used to rent out the room above the garage to college kids or folks wanting to be near the shore for the summer. We’re only like half an hour from the beach here,” she explained.

“That sounds really good. I’m Miles Orson,” I said.

She turned and offered me her hand, wiping it on her thigh when she noticed the grease.

“Oh, sorry. My name is Hope D’Amato,” she repeated, and my smile got bigger.

Hope was her name.

What a coincidence.

My inner monster chuffed. Usually my Bear was scratching at my insides, or tearing up the ground inside that metaphysical plane where he waited until the time came to swap skins.

I waited for the familiar spiraling madness that came whenever I thought about settling down to start. I braced myself for that pain to commence.

But it didn’t.

My Bear was silent. Watchful. And that was a first.

“Okay, Hope, you’ve got a deal,” I said, and took her hand in mine.

Electric shocks zapped through my hand where we touched and she frowned and tried to let go at first, but I applied the tiniest bit of pressure, and she settled.

Her eyes widened, and her pretty lips parted. I couldn’t be positive, but I was pretty sure Hope was my fated mate.

My one and only opportunity for happiness in this world.

I did not deserve her. Hell, I wasn’t fit for any woman. But for the briefest of moments, standing there in that garage, with no one else around, I felt like maybe I could.

It was like a spark had ignited inside of me.

No, I wasn’t worthy of this beautiful, soft woman.

But maybe I could be.