Page 20 of His Bear Hands (Bear Creek Grizzlies #1)

20

ZOE

I t took a month for the land purchase to go through. The neighbors were happy to sell to Simon, and even though they didn't understand who Zoe was, she didn't care. The land was in her name as well as Simon's, so it was even more of a commitment than the mating ceremony he insisted they have. Eventually, Zoe always added, because there was a part of her that knew it was too good to be true. She waited for the other shoe to drop, for Castellano or his guys or something bad to show up and ruin it.

But as she waited for the lawyers and realtors to do their thing, and for the long process of transferring the digital money into real money without getting caught at something illegal, Simon started building her cabin. Zoe didn't know how he did it while running the business, taking the guests on long fishing trips into the backwoods, and working with the game wardens to track predator levels throughout the newly acquired land. But Simon advertised needing some construction help down in town, and all the young men with extra time on their hands or a desire to show Simon Crawford they could work hard showed up to cut logs, split shingles, and mix mud.

Zoe still helped in the lodge but focused on getting Simon's books in order. It turned out her business degree was worth something after all. She spent most days in Simon's office, especially since he spent so much time out and about, and usually wore one of his sweatshirts just to remind herself what he smelled like. She frowned at the new computer she'd made him order, clicking through the accounting software she installed to try to re-create his archaic ledger in a manageable, useful format. Zoe didn't look up as the door swung in and Simon appeared. "Hey."

He grumbled something that might have been a greeting, but she could tell he was tired. He walked around the desk and waited until she stood up, then took his place in the big chair. He pulled her onto his lap, just like he did every night, regardless of how much it distracted her from what she needed to get done. Zoe concentrated on the computer as he sighed and relaxed in the chair and drew shapes on her back. She flipped through the ledger and exhaled in irritation. "This is a ridiculous way to run a business, you know."

His hands settled at her waist and she jumped. Simon didn't comment on it, but she knew it bothered him that she still wasn't entirely relaxed around him. She couldn't help it. It still felt too good to be true, too much a dream. As if she would wake up any moment and it would wisp away like fog in the sun. Simon squeezed her sides and wrapped his arms around her to draw her back against his chest, nuzzling her neck. "Maybe it's a good time to pause. I have a small surprise I want to show you."

"A surprise?" She wiggled to face him in his lap, rewarded with a groan and immediate evidence of how much he liked having her there. "What kind of surprise?"

"A good surprise." Simon stood her up and closed the ledger, turning off the computer monitor before he led her out of the office.

Zoe's heart beat a little faster as she followed him out the back of the lodge and down the narrow deer track toward where their cabin would be. The guests and the guys, including Tate, congregated around the fire pit behind the lodge, so no noise disturbed the night as Simon meandered through the trees. She squeezed his hand. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, girl. Be patient."

"Did I ever tell you I don't really like surprises?"

"You'll like this one," he said, and paused long enough to kiss her. "Now hush."

Zoe rolled her eyes but followed along, and when they turned a small bend in the trail, she saw the cabin. She hadn't seen it in a week or so, and stopped dead in her tracks. It looked nearly complete, the walls up and the roof shingled. She covered her mouth to keep from saying something ridiculous. Simon chuckled and picked her up, carrying her the rest of the way to the cabin and through the doorway. He kissed her and set her down, and for a long moment, Zoe could only stare at what waited inside the cabin.

A fire crackled in the stacked stone fireplace, and though the floors weren't finished, he'd spread a small mountain of blankets, sheepskins, and furs across the area in front of the fire. A few candles cast just enough light to see by, and a bottle of wine and two glasses waited as well. She turned to look at him, speechless, and Simon laughed.

He rubbed a hand through his hair until it stood up in spikes. "We're so booked up with guests, I wanted to stay with you here for the night. For a little privacy."

Zoe laughed; she knew what that meant. He didn't like being quiet when they made love.

He closed the door behind them, then caught her hand and laced their fingers together. Zoe almost couldn't see through a blur of tears as Simon led her to the big open space to the right of the door. "This is going to be the kitchen, and over there is the living room. I thought we could put the dinner table here, and in the back..."

He kept talking but the words rushed past Zoe until she didn't understand any of it. A house. He'd built her a house and wanted to show it off, leading her through the spacious floor-plan with only framed walls to the back of the cabin. Simon released her hand long enough to stand in the middle of what he called the master suite, frowning as he gestured and turned. "I thought the bathroom should be here. We laid the plumbing for two sinks and a shower, but I think we need a tub, too. A big tub. Deep."

"Oh?" She wanted to laugh at him; sometimes he was too much a bear, even in human form. No doubt the extra large tub was just so he could submerge himself in hot water and bubble bath, not so they could share. Zoe pressed her fingers to her lips to keep a giggle in. Her knees weakened as she watched him. Imagine — he was hers. All hers.

Simon grinned and winked. "Bet your ass." But then he waved at another corner of the room. "And the walk-in closets should be here. I didn't know how big of a closet you wanted, so I asked Rosie and she said as big as possible. So here's your closet."

"I don't have that many clothes," Zoe said, still wanting to laugh. "Even with everything Tate boxed up and brought out here."

"I'll buy you more." Simon grumbled as he picked her up again and swung her around, pausing only long enough to kiss her hungrily before putting her down and taking her hand again. But he hesitated as he gestured at a small adjacent room, or at least the set of framed walls. "And this is supposed to be — a nursery. If you want. When you want. In case we — you know."

Her breath caught as she looked around at the empty space. A nursery. She hadn't even thought about kids. Hadn't ever thought about kids. She didn't know how to be a mother, but she knew he would be a damn good father. They could learn together, when it came time. So she gripped his hand and nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah. This would be a good nursery. But where will the first one go when number two and three come along?"

His smile almost blinded her, and he pulled her in for a rib-cracking hug. Zoe squeezed her eyes shut and wondered if it was possible to die of happiness. To literally just stop breathing from too much joy.

Simon cleared his throat a couple of times before launching toward a basic staircase. "Upstairs, of course. A guest room up there, too, and a couple of bathrooms. So no one fights over the sink. That happened a lot when I was a kid."

Zoe wasn't quite brave enough to test the two-by-four steps, and was glad when Simon didn't insist on showing her everything. Instead, he kissed her, walked her backwards toward the crackling fireplace, and tugged at the front of her jeans.

She laughed and backed up, eyeing him sideways as she played with the hem of her shirt. "What, you build me an amazing cabin and I'm supposed to put out?"

Simon's grin sparked heat all the way through her, until she was pretty sure she must have backed right into the fireplace. His voice got all deep and grumbly as he pulled off his flannel shirt and tossed it aside, large hands flexing as he studied her. "That nursery isn't going to fill itself, babe."

Zoe shivered in anticipation. His intensity still made her nervous, but he went out of his way to be careful with her. Like she was delicate china. Something precious. She swallowed another knot of emotion and his expression softened. Zoe kicked off her shoes and unbuttoned her jeans, let them slide low on her hips as she tried to pull her shirt off. She wanted him too, in a sudden desperate surge that flooded through her until every piece of clothing was too much. Sometimes it was the bear, demanding to stake a claim on him again, and sometimes it was her, needing to be touched. The gap between the two narrowed, until some days Zoe didn't know whether it was the bear's idea or her own, and that was just fine by her.

Zoe only got halfway out of her shirt before Simon started to help, tearing the fabric in his determination, and Zoe laughed as clothing flew everywhere and then they lay on the soft pile of blankets in front of the fire, naked together.

He lay over her, running his fingers over her face, and breathed against her mouth for a long moment. "I love you, Zoe."

She lifted her head to kiss him, to taste the warm whiskey he'd been drinking earlier, to feel the heat of his tongue against hers. He gripped her sides and her breath caught. She managed to say, "I love you too," before Simon rose over her and filled her in one smooth thrust.

She sighed and moved under him, always ready to feel him inside her, pressing into her until they were so close she almost lost where she ended and he began. Simon groaned and pushed up on his elbows so he could see her face, and Zoe held on to his arms as their bodies collided. Rapture rolled through her as he kissed her again and Zoe wanted it to last forever. Wanted to be with him forever.

Simon grumbled and slid his hand under the small of her back, then rolled until Zoe lay on top. She pushed upright and shook her hair back, reveling in the way he stared at her, lusted after her, held her hips until bruises formed. He loved when she rode him, and not just because he was a lazy bear who wanted to share the hard work. He couldn't keep his hands off her hips and stomach and breasts, and would have kept her naked all the time if Zoe allowed it. He groaned and squeezed her thighs as she rocked her hips against him, rolling and thrusting as her pleasure grew in a tidal wave. Zoe's head fell back as it crested, as she fell over the edge of pure ecstasy, as her muscles seized and she froze, moaning as she tried to move through the aftershocks.

She sighed and leaned forward on his chest, dazed. He chuckled and squeezed her hip before sitting up to hold her closer. "We're not done yet," he said, all grumbly and rough and dark, and desire immediately lit her up.

Zoe worked her hands into his hair to drag his mouth to hers, though she murmured against his lips. "Simon didn't say."

He laughed and nibbled on her shoulder, and Zoe gasped. Simon kissed her deeply before he squeezed her hip, settling closer still. "Yes, I did."

Zoe held on as he started to move. Simon could say just about anything and she didn't mind at all. She could play his game for the rest of her life and not regret a moment of it. She held on to him tighter. She loved him, her bear loved him, and once again she felt content. At peace. At home.