Her face fell. And I hated myself for causing her even a moment of pain. But not as much as I hated the thought of her staying in this hotel—over a kilometer from our cave den—whereI couldn’t see her, protect her, make sure she had everything she needed.
I so badly wanted to circle around the desk and just tell her she was coming home with me. But that would be psycho—and scary for her.
So I made myself wait. Wait for her to say she didn’t know what she was going to do at nine twenty-three p.m. without a room.
She sighed, her shoulders sinking. And my heart thrummed, my hopes rising.C’mon… I just needed her to give me one excuse to offer the extra room in our totem cave den.
“Oh, well.” She looked down at her feet. “I guess I got lucky that guy at the bar offered to host me at his place tonight. May I have my suitcase?”
Everything inside me went deadly still. “What guy?”
I didn’t realize I’d said that out loud until she fretted her hands and answered, “Oh wow, this is actually embarrassing. I was so busy scarfing down the steak dinner he bought me, I didn’t catch his name.”
Of course…
Of course, some nameless bearhole had already sniffed my mate out. Bought her dinner. Probably imprinted on her. She smelled like fucking honey. What bear wouldn’t?—
“So… my suitcase?” she asked again, tone careful.
That weirded-out look was back.
Okay, don’t spiral, you fucking psycho. Think! Think!
“Hey, how about this…?” I grabbed the handle of the bright-yellow suitcase Sarah had parked behind the front desk. She could never be bothered with the tag system, no matter how many times I reminded her we’d be liable if anyone’s stuff got stolen.
“I’m about to close up, and the sun’s set. So I’ll walk you back to the bar.”And beat this piece of shit who thinks you’re goinghome with him into the ground if he doesn’t back away from my mate,I silently add.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that!”
I pretended I didn’t hear her as I clicked off the front desk light and put the explanatory plaque about reception returning at ten a.m. next to the five-dollar coupons for the Bear Mountain Bar & Grill.
The whole time, I held on to her small roller board. I wouldn’t let it go.
Not until it was in our den, where it belonged.
Whereshebelonged.
Without waiting for her agreement, I headed for the door, giving her no choice but to follow after me.
Fuck, I hated taking my eyes off her. But I had to at least pretend this wasn’t the beginning stage of a kidnapping.
“Okay, well, it looks like you’re pretty eager to do me this kindness,” she muttered. “So… I’ll just say thank you.”
“No problem,” I answered in my most easygoing Callum voice.
Thank the fucking Great Bear for my twin.
One, I’d matched him in a plaid button-up and jeans just loose enough to hide my erection. And two, pretending to be him made it easier to strike up some small talk on the way to the Bar and Grill—to intimidate whoever the fuck thought they were making a move on our mate tonight.
“So, how was your trip up?” I asked her. “Did you take the bus or bring your car?”
“I took the bus. I’ve got a license, but haven’t really driven since I moved here to Vancouver from America for a teaching job.”
“So, you’re American?” I asked cheerfully.
She glanced sideways at me. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Do what?” I asked.
