"Oh, they weren't rude exactly?—"
"They were." Bear's voice is quiet but steely. "You said no. That should have been the end of it. No woman should have to turn guys down repeatedly, especially when it's two men and one woman." His hand rests gently on my knee, his thumb rubbing back and forth. "You must have felt cornered, sugar. I'm sorry I didn't get over there faster."
My stomach flutters. This is a very…relationship-pyreaction. I'm surprised by how deeply arousing it is to have him acting so possessively. I also appreciate that his instinct was toscare those guys away subtly, instead of flattening them with his massive fists.
Not that I think that Bear would get violent, especially at an event with women and kids.
"Thank you." A laugh bubbles out. "I'll be careful never to get cornered again."
"You won't be." There's something extremely final in his tone. "Hey, since we're here in town, do you want to swing by your place to pick anything up?" He searches my eyes, as if trying to read my mind. "I don't know how long your vacation is going to last, but if there's anything else you need?—"
"Are you sure you that’s okay? I could always ride my bike here tomorrow."
He squeezes my knee. "Hell, no." His eyes blaze. "I'm not letting you ride your bike that far alone." There's a twinkle in his eye that takes the edge off his words. Then he grins. "Is it…reverse kidnapping…if I personally escort you everywhere you want to go?"
"Kind of. But I'll let it slide this time."
"Thanks, sugar."
We swing by my place, where I quickly pack a shoulder bag with a few clothes and other little things. Bear can't even stand up straight in the basement.
"Living underground." His growl echoes around the small space. "No wonder you have nightmares."
There's that overprotective vibe again. The brand-new sensation of feeling cared for flutters through me. Almost as if an actual spot across my lower belly and hips had been waiting for it. Is a craving to feel grounded a thing? Is this my body trying to scream that Bear could really be the one?
Honestly, what are the odds that a man would appear out of nowhere in a forest and end up being my true love? It's not logical, no matter how much I want it to be the case.
I finish stuffing things into my bag, then turn to leave, barely choking back a giggle when Bear unfolds himself and stands from the tiny chair.
"You seem a bit rattled, sugar.” His body seems to take up all the space in the room as he comes over and slips his hand around my waist while taking the bag from me. "Maybe we had too much sugar today. Let's get a sandwich over at Charming Café."
"Good idea."
Before I can take another step, Bear pulls me close, dropping my bag to the floor and wrapping both arms around me. He nuzzles along the side of my neck and catches my lips against his. Then he kisses me.
He isn't the most talkative person I've ever met, but wow – does he ever speak volumes through touch. As the kiss deepens, he clutches my body against him, until I'm moaning into his lips. I feel I can tell exactly what he's thinking.
He doesn't like me staying in this small basement. He wants me to stay with him…I think.
But most importantly, I can feel to the very depths of my soul that Bear wants me.
17
BEAR
I’m pretty sure Joy can already read me like a book, and even if that weren’t the case, there was no way I could keep the sour look from my face when I saw her living space. The entire house was small, which is fine. It was clean. Had all the basics.
But the idea of Joy living mostly underground, with just two tiny windows, each barely larger than the span of my hand…hard no.
At the same time, how can I tell Joy I want her to move in with me and let me care for her, when we've only been together a few days?
When we arrive at Charming Café, it's packed. Yet I'm not going to allow my girl to go hungry for the long drive home. We walk in and order sandwiches, then Joy spots a couple leaving, and quickly grabs the table.
While I wait at the counter for our food, a brief look around confirms I know a lot of people here, at least vaguely. There's a friend of my mother's. One of Dad’s golfing buddies. A woman that I'm pretty sure is dating one of my cousins, though I couldn’t tell you which one.
By the time I reach Joy with a tray of our food and drinks, a scrawny guy from the next table in a ripped blue t-shirt is already leaning over to chat to her while his two friends egg him on.
"Come chill with us," the guy begs. "We're going down to the river for a beer, then?—"
