Page 22

22

Oh Bear. So strong in so many ways, and yet so cautious in others. She’d seen his face when he’d first appeared at the window. Under the glaring light of his headlamp, his face had looked caved in from worry.

Sure, he’d be worried for anyone in town. But there was an extra depth of raw fear in his eyes that she’d known right away was for her. She meant something to him. Maybe he didn’t quite know it yet. But she did.

She smiled to herself as they drove the rest of the way in silence. He didn’t want to admit yet that he cared for her. Fine—he could take his time. But she had realized something important during those dark moments in the woods.

Huddling inside the truck, with the bear poking around, probably on his way to hibernation, her heart had been flooded with yearning for the human Bear. Her feelings for him, the longing, the pull toward him, went so much deeper than anything she’d ever experienced. She couldn’t compare it to what had come before.

That meant that she didn’t know for sure that she would leave Firelight Ridge, leave him. Her fear had been about inevitably hurting him. But what if that wasn’t going to happen? How could she predict anything when it came to Bear? All she really knew was the reality of the here and now, of how much she wanted him.

At the bar, which had a big “closed for storm” sign on the door that made her giggle, he insisted on carrying her up the stairs. He set her down in his kitchen and watched as she gingerly tested all her limbs, bending, stretching, wincing now and then. He moved a finger in front of her face and watched her track it back and forth.

“Your pupils are evenly dilated,” he told her. “That’s a good sign. I don’t think you have a concussion. Where do you feel pain?”

“Mostly just my chest.” She pointed to her sternum, then touched her jaw. When she pulled her hand away, she saw dried blood flaking on her fingertip. “And my jaw. I think the edge of the seat belt cut me.”

He disappeared into the bathroom and came back with a warm washcloth. As he gently dabbed at her cut, she closed her eyes, happiness swamping the slight pain in her jaw.

Oh yes. This was the man for her. She knew it. Maybe she’d suspected it for a while, but now she knew it. Suddenly and irrevocably.

“It’s a small cut,” he said gruffly. “No stitches needed. I can get you a Band-Aid.”

“Okay.” Even though it was ridiculous, she liked being babied by him. She smiled at him so radiantly that he stumbled on his way to the bathroom. When he brought her back a pink Band-Aid with Snow White on it, she burst into laughter, which hurt her ribs. “Why do you have a Snow White Band-Aid?”

“I keep an assortment of Band-Aids around. Kids get scraped knees and so forth. This was the first that came to hand. You want it or not?” He waved it at her.

“Of course I do. I’ll treasure it.” She tilted her head to make it easier for him to apply. He was so gentle as he pressed it into place. How could those big fingers manage to be so precise?

She sighed. He was definitely the man for her, but that didn’t mean this was going to be easy. Just like her, he had a lot of defenses built up around him. It was a good thing that she was surprisingly persistent when something—or someone—really mattered to her.

“Do you want a bath? It takes a while for the hot water to get going, but it’s worth it. I have a nice old claw-foot tub.”

She imagined the two of them cozy and intimate in a cast iron tub, then realized it would have to be gigantic for both of them to fit, and that he hadn’t been inviting her to a joint bath.

“I heard a rumor you have a Japanese soaking tub.”

“A rumor, huh?” He shook his head. “I acquired one, yes, when Taro Matsuka traded it for my old welding kit. Still haven’t set it up, though.”

Someday, maybe, under the stars…

“I think I’d rather go right to bed, if that’s okay.”

The subtext was that she wanted to be snuggled next to him under some covers. But maybe he wouldn’t pick up on that.

“You can have my bed,” he said right away.

She’d called that one. “No, I can’t possibly take your bed away. We can share. You can pile up pillows between us if that makes you more comfortable.”

He gazed at her with dark unreadable eyes. A muscle twitched in his cheek. “Yes, I need all the protection I can get,” he said gravely. “Maybe we should both wear all our winter outdoor gear.”

“I suppose, but I don’t usually like to sleep with a lot of clothes on,” she teased. “I prefer to sleep naked generally.”

If possible, his eyes went even more dark and deep. “Good to know.”

“I’m surprised you don’t do the same. I bet you tend to get hot at night.” She blinked at him innocently. Playing with fire, she knew.

“I get quite hot at night. Can you handle that? I wouldn’t want you to get overheated.”

“I’m very adaptable. Very flexible.” Even though they were both keeping their tone light and teasing, her throat was tight and her nerves were thrumming. Her heart was doing crazy things in her chest. Her mind was going in all kinds of directions— what are you doing? Is this nuts? You were just in a kind-of accident, maybe you should just rest and not flirt up a storm with a man who’s basically sex in work boots?

They gazed at each other for a long silent moment saturated with meaning and intensity.

Are we doing this? Do you want to do this? I want it. Me too. Could be risky. I don’t care. Do you?

With a quick nod, as if he’d just won a debate with himself, he took her hand and they both stood up. He led her toward a closed door that she hoped, as her blood pounded through her veins, was his bedroom.

He pushed open the door. That was when things got strange. A blur of orange fur flew through the air as an enormous cat jumped down from an elaborate cat tree in the corner. The cat wore a snarl that made Lila shrink behind Bear.

“Jack,” scolded Bear. He bent to pick up the giant ball of fur. “Be nice. This is Lila. Lila, meet Jack Daniels. He came with the place.”

Lila gazed at the cat warily. She’d always been cautious around cats; their energy could be so powerful. She respected them and didn’t like to interfere in their lives. “Hello, Jack Daniels,” she said gravely. “Would it be okay if I came in and spent some time with Bear?”

Bear chuckled as the cat butted his head against his chin. “He doesn’t get to make that decision. He thinks it’s his house still.”

Lila thought that Jack Daniels was probably correct about that. One thing she knew about cats was that they responded well to flattery. “How did I not know such a glorious creature lived here with you?” She offered her hand for Jack Daniels to sniff.

“He doesn’t like the outdoors. He’s the most indoor cat that ever catted. And mostly he stays in his cat tree.” Bear stroked Jack’s head and scratched behind his ears. This was a side of Bear she hadn’t seen before, a soft, mushy side she found entirely endearing. “He won’t even leave to see the vet. I have to ask Doc Brody to make house calls.”

Lila smiled at the way Jack Daniels had the humans in his life dancing to his tune. That was cats for you. “Goldfish are much easier to get along with. I’m thinking we should keep Jack Daniels and Goldilocks far away from each other.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. Jack is far too lazy to take a swipe at a fish. He’d have to get his paw wet to do that. He likes his ears scratched, in case you want to make friends with him.” He moved his hand to make room for hers.

Gingerly, she extended her hand, giving the cat the opportunity to object. “Does he generally like meeting new people?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged his big shoulders. “I don’t invite a lot of people up here?”

“Not even women?” She couldn’t help asking the question. A reasonable one, since they were standing in his bedroom with the intention of diving into that king-size piece of temptation.

“You’re the first.”

“What?” She blinked up at Bear as she lightly stroked his cat’s head. A loud purr made the air between them vibrate. “I’m the first?”

“Not my first,” he added quickly. “The first to come up here to my bedroom.”

“Why?” she said softly, so surprised that she just blurted out the question.

“I’m a private person. I see a lot of people all day long at the bar. When I come up here, I like quiet.”

She glanced around his bedroom, at the soft gray-green paint on the walls and the thick wool rug that cushioned her feet. A single lamp with a geometric bamboo shade offered a warm illumination that didn’t quite make it to the deeper corners of the room. Everything in the room was simple and designed for comfort—so different from most of the rough-edged places she’d seen in Firelight Ridge. The cat tree was the most elaborate element, like a multilevel jungle gym with boxes to sleep in and rope-covered posts for scratching.

“You said Jack Daniels came with the place. Did you make that for him or was it here already?”

“I made it,” he admitted sheepishly. “I wanted him to like me.”

The sight of this huge, powerful man cradling that enormous, happily purring cat did something to her on a primal level. “I think it worked.” Her voice cracked with desire.

He gave her one look and set the cat down. “Go on, Jack. Get your dinner.” After shooing him out, he firmly closed the door. Her breath stopped as he came toward her. His presence made her dizzy.

“I think about you a lot,” he said bluntly.

“You do?”

“Yes. I just…wanted you to know that.”

Was this his way of saying he had feelings for her? It might be easier if he stated it outright, but she could read between the lines. Or maybe “sense” between the lines. “I think about you too.”

“When I saw my truck off the road?—”

She winced. “Sorry, again.”

“Fuck that.”

Her gaze flew to meet his. When he was this close to her, she had to crane her neck to meet his eyes. They blazed with more fierceness than she’d ever seen from him. “I don’t care about the truck. But when I thought you might be hurt…”

“I’m fine,” she assured him quickly. “I promise I’m fine.” She spread her hands across his chest and felt the slow steady thump of his heart. Bear’s heart was a thing of beauty. Big enough to encompass an entire Alaskan wilderness.

And one small-ish woman with white hair and some serious quirks.

He crouched down to lift her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his hips, the feel of his strong bones and solid muscles sending waves of heat through her body.

It wasn’t that she was a sucker for big muscles. The opposite, really. Sometimes she felt nervous around powerfully built men. With Bear, her lust was based on what she knew about him, on how he used his physicality, tending to other people, keeping peace. No one wanted to mess with someone his size, so one of Bear’s stern glances could stop a bar fight in its tracks.

With their bodies sealed together, they dove into a deep and very conscious kiss. She was hyper aware of everything about him and around them. The heat of his body as it penetrated through all their clothing. The slight roughness of his lips from spending so much time in the chill air. The surprising silkiness of his hair as she ran her fingers through it. The smell of fresh air and salt that clung to his skin. The thump of his heartbeat getting faster. The hum of the generator in the shed outside the bar. The whistle of the wind.

The kiss seemed to reach inside her and pull something out of her she hadn’t known existed. Something deep and thrilling, as if she’d suddenly discovered the ocean and was being invited to dive in. And because Bear was right there with her, it was safe to do so.

She moaned into his mouth. He spun her around and moved her toward the bed. She tightened her legs around his hips, not wanting to be separated from him yet. “This feels so good,” she murmured against his mouth.

He gave a grunt that she hoped was agreement, then ran his hands down her back and cupped her ass, squeezing lightly with those big hands. She arched and cried out and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to be in his bed naked.

Surprising him, she twisted out of his grip and landed on the bed. It was just as comfortable as the rest of the room, with a firm mattress, a simple neutral comforter the color of beach sand and several pillows propped against a headboard.

Rising onto her knees, she beckoned him toward her. “This is such a huge bed, it’s like an entire country. ‘Welcome to Bear-landia,” she proclaimed. “Watch out for an extremely handsome man with a panty-melting smile and a heart as big as a winter den.”

He cocked his head at her teasing. “Panty-melting smile?”

“Oh yes. Hasn’t anyone ever told you? I’m surprised you don’t use it more often. You’d have panties melting wherever you go. Maybe that’s why you don’t smile much, come to think of it. It could be a real problem at the bar.” She was being ridiculous, she knew, but she had to do something with all this giddy energy.

“Does it work on other clothes besides panties?” Still standing over the bed, Bear planted his hands on his hips and lifted one eyebrow.

“Only one way to find out.”

He smiled. No, it was more than a smile. It was a grin that completely changed his face from stoic to magnetic.

It definitely did the trick.