Page 66 of Good at Being Bad (Rock Canyon, Idaho 8)

“I didn’t sleep with Mike or anyone else. I just didn’t want to see you anymore.”

“Yeah fucking right. You couldn’t even wait one day to wrap those fat thighs around him.”

Ellie glared at him. “I don’t remember you complaining my thighs were fat when you were trying to get between them.”

“Because I heard you were a sure thing! But I guess you only whore for losers.”

Out of nowhere, a blur of brown and green hit Forrest, sending him flying back through the gate. Ellie watched in horror as Clark the mascot threw back a brown furry fist and hit Forrest in the middle of his face. Blood exploded from Forrest’s nose and he stumbled back again when the Bruin took off his head and swung it at Forrest’s chest, sending him flailing back over the bench to the ground.

Without him even turning, Ellie knew the mascot wasn’t Clark. It was Mike.

And he’d just beat the hell out of Forrest with his bear head.

Giggles bubbled up from Ellie’s mouth as Mike grabbed the alumni’s giant drink container and dumped it all over Forrest, who lay sputtering and cursing. People gave the men a wide berth, but Mike’s voice rang clear and he picked up his head.

“You go near her again, even look at her wrong, and you’re going to disappear. Period.”

Mike turned and headed back toward the gate, ignoring the shouts as Forrest climbed to his feet and people held him back.

Ellie saw the purpose in Mike’s eyes and it tightened everything low in her stomach. What was it about watching a man defend her honor that made her want to rip off that bear costume and screw his brains out.

“Hang on to my head.”

Mike thrust his bear head at her and before she knew it, he had picked her up in his arms and was striding away, leaving Jenny and the rest of the town to gape after him.

“That was quite a scene,” Ellie said, her voice shaking with laughter.

“He was lucky I couldn’t kick in this costume or I would have taken out his family jewels.”

People pointed and stared at them as they

passed, some laughing, others just wide-eyed. When they finally reached the parking lot, and his SUV, Mike set her on her feet.

He unlocked the door and started pulling off the bear costume, revealing jeans and a T-shirt underneath.

“Thank you for what you did.”

Before she could blink, he had taken the bear head from her and tossed it inside the car. Then, he pressed her against the car, cradling her face. “You deserve to be cared for and cherished. How do you not know that?”

She couldn’t answer though because his mouth was on hers, devouring her and she could feel every hard muscle in his body tight against her. Her hat went eschew as he deepened the kiss and the explosion of want touched every nerve in her body as she gripped his back with her curled hands and kissed him back.

When Mike pulled away, he was breathing as hard as she was.

“We should probably get out of here. Do you want to come over to my place?”

Biting her lip, she wanted to say yes.

“I want to, so much, but I have to make sure Dalton is coming over to be with Jenny.”

“Because you think that whoever slashed your tires might come back?”

“Yes. I’m worried if I leave them alone too long, someone might hurt them.”

“You think they would try to break in? Why?”

“I got a freaky phone call tonight. I don’t really want to talk about it, but I just don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone.”

Mike nodded grimly. “Now I regret carrying you off. Call her.”