“Bear,” I exclaim with surprised delight. My lips automatically pull into a smile at his handsome, friendly face. Just as attractive as I remembered, I try not to let my gaze drop lower, his T-shirt so tight I can see the outline of his abs…
Pull yourself together, Holly. You’re going to start drooling.
He might be built like a bear, but his happy, friendly demeanour softens the effect. Without knowing him, some might find him intimidating until he smiles at them and that quickly disappears.
“Holly,” his face lights up. He looks a little confused but pleased all the same. “You work here?” He glances around at my employees, noticing their uniform and my much more casual attire. His brows shoot up. “You own the bakery?”
I chuckle quietly at his slow realisation, my smile wide. Nodding, I glance to the printed logo on the window that clearly displays my name. “Yes, my sister and I.”
His half-smile widens, flashing off his pearly white teeth as he laughs. “I probably should’ve guessed from the name of the shop. If you’re Holly, I’m assuming your sister is Ivy.”
“You would be right.” I can’t help but smile back at him widely, my frustrations forgotten as I speak with the bear of a man.
“Is this Ivy?” His gestures towards Ashley with a slight incline of his head, yet his eyes never stray from me for long.
“Oh, no, no,” I chuckle awkwardly realising that I’d completely forgotten Ashley is still here, watching our entire interaction with interest. “My sister is more of a silent partner. I run the bakery. This is Ashley, my best friend.”
She steps forward so she’s by my side and appraises him slowly. “Best friend, agony aunt, soulmate. I go by many names,” She smiles, but there is a shrewdness to it that puts me on alert.Ash is looking at him like he’s a cold drink on a hot day, yet I know she’s not assessing him for herself.
There’s no way that he hasn’t noticed what she’s doing, as she’s not subtle in the slightest. However, he’s kind enough not to mention it.
“Ah, yes.” He nods, his attention briefly turning to my best friend as he replies, “We met before, in the park.”
His smile is different when he looks at her. It’s still wide and friendly, yet it dims to politeness. I’m probably just imagining it – his gorgeous eyes return to look at me and there’s a glow in his eyes that makes my stomach flip with something that almost feels like excitement.
Before Ash can chime in with something that I know is going to embarrass me, I quickly change the subject.
“Anyway, how can I help you? Are you here for some bread?”
What a stupid question to ask.Look at him, Holly.To have a body like that, this guy probably hasn’t eaten a single piece of bread in his entire life. Carbs are pretty much the enemy of body builders, and I just offered him a whole loaf of them. Still, he smiles, his eyes crinkling at the side. He has such a warm, welcoming face despite how muscular and intimidating his body could appear.
“I’m actually here for a different reason.” His body language shifts ever so slightly, and had I not been watching him I would have missed it. “My brothers and I have bought the shop next door. I hear that you have already met Elliot.”
Brothers? Bear and Elliot are certainly not full blood brothers, but perhaps they have a different parent, or they’re related by law? He’s also implying that there is more than just himself and Elliot. Just how many of these guys are they shipping into our small town?
“You own it?” My smile dims, and I attempt to keep myself bright and cheery, but there’s no hiding my dejection at this news.
Why do I even feel so disappointed to discover he is one of the owners? Bear and I just met – we had one conversation and I really don’t know anything about him – so why does him moving in next door make me feel this way?
People move and businesses come and go, so I’m not against them being here. What I object to is the business that will be in competition with me, and how it might affect the rest of the town. That’s why my ire is focused on the owners. In my head I had built them up to be these cold business tycoons swooping in and changing everything. Elliot wasn’t what I expected, but Bear doesn’t fit the profile in the slightest.
“I know you have some concerns,” he says calmly, clearly picking up on the change in my body language. “I would like you to visit so I can introduce you to the others and we can talk through your concerns.” He places his hand on the counter between us. My eyes drop to his large, calloused hand, so close to mine. All I would have to do is slide it forward and our fingers would be touching.
“We really don’t want to step on your toes and I think you’ll see that if you come over,” he continues explaining, his voice soft, and when I look back up at him, the rest of the bakery falls away. Deep hazel eyes stare back at me and although I’ve interacted with him for less than an hour, I trust him.
I jerk back from the counter as though I’ve been shocked by electricity. How can I think that I trust him when we only just met? There are very few people that I trust in this world. I must be sex-starved, throwing my trust at good-looking men because they are gorgeous.
My instant reaction is to say no to his offer. But this is happening whether I want it to or not, so I might as well attemptto play nice and find out their plans. Keep your enemies close, that’s what my dad always used to tell me. His voice rings in my mind as I remove my apron and hang it up on the hooks at the side of the kitchen.
“Fine, let’s go.” I call out and quickly shift my attention to my assistant manager who is currently taking stock. “Annie, could you finish up this dough for me please?” I call out, and she nods in agreement, a movement I barely catch as I look at my best friend. “Ashley, I’ll see you later.” I know that she’ll be annoyed at me for cutting out on her here, but she’ll soon forgive me.
Bear seems surprised at my agreement, or perhaps my apparent readiness, but he says nothing, only stepping back with a smile so I can move from behind the counter. In a gallant move, he takes the lead and holds the door open for me as I step out onto the street. He’s clearly on his best behaviour.
The sun is shining and it’s a lovely warm day, a slight breeze blowing my curls forward. Reaching up, I brush them back, paying attention to everything around me except the man at my side. Their shop isn’t directly attached to mine – a small alley separates us – but it only takes a few short steps until we reach it. I pause outside and glance over it, taking in the differences now that they have begun work on it. The windows have been changed, large planes of glass now taking up most of the front of the building. Plastic sheets are hung up inside to stop people from seeing the work being undertaken. However, the door is open so I peak inside. It’s been stripped down completely, the partitions knocked out to create a bigger space. All traces of the previous owners have been wiped away completely.
“Are you okay?” Bear asks quietly, and it’s the concern in his voice that snaps me from my trance.
“Oh, yes, sorry.” I reply with an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of my neck with embarrassment at being caught out. Bear just nods and gestures for me to head inside.
