Page 5 of Coveted By The Bear (When Worlds Collide #1)

M iles, or Hottie McHottison, as I have been calling him since he walked into the auto shop in the wee hours of the morning, had insisted on waiting for my shift to be over before heading to the room I had rented him over my garage.

I sunk all my savings into buying my childhood home and my mortgage was pretty solid. It helped my mom live the life she deserved after Dad passed. I knew my brother, Honor, sent her money every month to help out. Just like I knew she hated taking it.

When I offered to buy the house, she was thrilled. Happy for me, actually.

“I am so glad you left Bruce, honey. He wasn’t the man for you. Come home and find yourself again.”

Those had been her words of wisdom when I’d let her know I was coming back.

Honestly, after all this time, I didn’t know why she hadn’t sold the house before. Maybe she’d been waiting for me to come to my senses.

Anyway, my job at the auto repair shop was good. I mean, I got paid a decent wage, and I even had insurance. But the cost of living was high and renting the room made sense.

Sure, it was sudden, allowing some sexy stranger into my home. Some would say careless. But I had a gut feeling Miles Orson was a good guy.

I know, I know. Not very smart.

I mean, I didn’t know the man from Adam.

He was big. Tall and wide, full of muscle. Handsome as sin, with electric blue eyes and a five o’clock shadow that just seemed to enhance his chiseled jawline and cheekbones.

But I wasn’t intimidated. If anything, I simply enjoyed the view. Barvale was full of big sexy men, though, so maybe I was just used to it.

Even though I knew better, being a true crimes docuseries addicted kinda girl, I felt fine with my decision to offer him a place to stay.

There was just something about him that just made me feel, I don’t know, safe .

He was certainly thorough, though. After we shook on it and I got to work, he spent the time organizing references and emailing them to me, along with his resume, and a copy of his license.

He also sent me two months’ rent using one of those bank apps, which I didn’t even know how he got my information, but my phone pinged when it went through, and I’d been shocked.

“What if you hate it?” I asked when six AM finally rolled around, and we were driving home in my old Chevy Blazer.

“I won’t.”

That was all he said. I noticed the small rucksack and frowned.

“There’s a washer and dryer in the back of the garage. It’s connected to the main house, but you have your own separate entrance to your apartment. You’re welcome to use it. Oh, and there is furniture up there, and appliances. Nothing fancy. An electric range, refrigerator, heat and air conditioning, counter with stools to eat at, a small sofa, and uh, a bed,” I murmured the last bit, suddenly feeling warm.

“It’ll be perfect. Thank you, Hope.”

I felt warm all over at the hushed tone and deep timbre of his voice. He spoke very little, and I was a nervous talker.

So, yeah, by the time we got to the house, I’d touched on every topic from favorite foods to which TV shows I was currently binge watching and who was the best frontman for Van Halen.

David Lee Roth. Change my mind.

“Okay, here we are,” I said, expelling a breath.

I caught sight of my face and rolled my eyes. I was such a mess. There was a smudge of grease on my cheek and, of course, I had on zero makeup.

I never bothered with the stuff when I was working. But still. I felt kind of embarrassed by my appearance. My hair was frizzy, curls were sticking up here and there.

I tried to tame them while he was distracted, gathering up his bag. I rubbed my left hand over my head quickly while I scrubbed the grease spot with my right.

“Uh, you okay, Hope?” Miles asked, and I turned to see he was frozen in place. Just staring at me, clearly concerned.

Whether about my emotions or the state of my mental health, I couldn’t be sure.

Crap.

“Yep! Yeppers, um, yes. I mean yes, I am fine,” I said, but my voice had reached a squeaky high I’d never intoned before.

FML.

“Okay. Wait there,” he murmured then got out of the Blazer.

My hand froze on the door handle.

Wait here? For what?

I did not have to wonder for long. Miles had rounded the front of the car and opened my door for me, holding his hand out.

I blinked up at him, noting the strange way he canted his head and seemed determined to help me exit the vehicle.

Biting my lip, I reached for him, not ready for the sizzling spark I felt shooting up my arm.

“Wow! You must be full of static electricity, or something,” I murmured as he tugged on my hand till I was standing right in front of him.

“Something,” he said, his gaze riveted to my lips.

Oh my God. Is he going to kiss me?

I admit it had been a while since a man looked at me with anything akin to passion. Miles was a stranger, but he was gorgeous, and I was single.

But he was my tenant, so really, I shouldn’t tempt fate.

“This way?” he asked, stepping back, and I had to wonder if I’d imagined the whole thing.

Did that moment of mutual attraction actually happen? Or was it a figment of my overworked and undersexed imagination?

The way he was standing there now, all nonchalant, had me leaning towards the latter.

“Yeah, right this way,” I said.

After showing him the side entrance and giving him a guest code on the keyless entry system, I showed him the garage and where he could do his laundry.

“Help yourself to the detergent.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it, and I’ll send a little extra in the rent to cover it,” he mumbled.

“No need. I, uh, your rent includes meals,” I lied on the spot. “But my hours are strange,” I said, realizing my blunder.

“Meals, huh?” The corner of his mouth tipped up a little as he talked.

I waited with bated breath to see if I could maybe conjure a smile there. Miles didn’t look like the kind of man who’d had many smiles in his life, and suddenly I wanted to give him one.

“Yeah, so if you want to eat with me, I’ll be making breakfast for lunch at around one,” I told him.

“Oh, I want to eat with you.”

“Yeah?”

He nodded, That teasing quirk of his lips still refusing to give in to a full blown grin.

“Okay. See you at one.”

“One o’clock,” he confirmed with a nod.

But still no smile.

Challenge accepted.