Bear-ly Valentine's Read online

  “A person made for you – fate’s plan,” he lifted his hand and went to run his fingertips against her cheek, but her eyes snapped to it and he felt her tense. He held in place. “Destiny – kismet…”

  “I don’t need it in a foreign language stick to English,” she scowled.

  “True love…” he allowed the gentle growl to roll through his chest to see what she’d do.

  She blinked … twice.

  “Define love.”

  “Us.” He watched as her eyes narrowed on him. He waited while she processed.

  “Says?”

  “Fate.”

  “Hmm,” she thought about that for a moment, “call me old fashioned, but I like to believe that I’m in charge of my own destiny.”

  He smiled again then. A teasing smile that made butterflies flutter inside of her – or maybe she was just hungry for more stew…

  “Believe what you will, but how do you explain this attraction between us?”

  “Define … us.”

  “You like to project a crispy covered shell, but inside … I think you know that there’s something between us.”

  “Lust … maybe. Attraction … what’s not to be attracted too? I kind of like the kickass, bad boy thing, I guess, and you ain’t hard to look at.” She gave a small shrug, but he liked that she wasn’t trying to get out of his arms.

  “I feel like a sex object,” he teased back and she couldn’t help but smile.

  “Well, welcome to the wonderful world of being a female. Watch what you eat, those calories might end up on your thighs.” She teased back. “Although, I guess that wouldn’t worry your bear so much.”

  A deep roll of laughter rumbled through him and she continued to eye him for a long moment.

  “You can let go now, I’m not falling into your bear trap,” she informed him.

  “You think it’s a line?” He was still grinning, but he did let his arm loosen around her, like a compromise.

  “I think if you’re fishing for something then you’re at the wrong pond.”

  “It’s not a line,” he gave a slow shake of his head.

  “Good, because you’re using the wrong bait.”

  “What bait?” Jack didn’t understand.

  “Love. Forever…”

  “You don’t believe in true love?” Jack frowned. He couldn’t help it.

  How was he supposed to woo a woman who didn’t believe in the whole framework of what mates meant?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ~

  “I like pop tarts, do you have any…?” Lorelai said.

  “What?” Jack scowled. She’d throw him for a loop with that question and his brain had shot off in all different directions just trying to catch up. “No.”

  “Oh,” she tried to look as downcast as she could.

  Her change of direction had thrown him, and she’d noted that, but had it thrown him enough?

  “True love?” He demanded, getting back on track, and she rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

  “Me and pop tarts? No, I would say that would apply to pizza and ice cream…”

  She was deflecting and he got that. It annoyed the hell out of him, but he got it. He still only just about managed to hold onto the growl that threatened to rumble through him.

  “If I get you ice cream will you answer my question?” He thought it couldn’t hurt. Females liked sweet stuff, and he wasn’t making any progress by holding her in his arms.

  He was, however, torturing himself.

  He wanted to kiss her. She’d said she’d try to kill him – he didn’t think she meant it in the literal sense, but he didn’t want to rile her up or make her feel threatened in any way.

  Ice cream might sooth the savage beast.

  “Depends on the flavour, but it’s a start.”

  ~

  ~

  ~

  Two bowls. For two bowls of ice cream he’d sat and watched her devour it like she just couldn’t get enough … still no answers.

  Not that he’d been that intent on asking her questions all that time, because he was more interested in watching her eat.

  The way that she swirled the spoon in the ice cream – the moment that she brought it to her lips and it disappeared inside of her mouth – damn, but that did something to him…

  Then the worst and best of times as she slowly sucked the spoon as she drew it out between her closed lips … hell … hell on earth.

  His mind was caught in a constant loop of X-rated thoughts and imaginings. Heaven and hell.

  His cock was practically dancing, or it would have been if the tight hold of the fabric of his jeans wasn’t holding it in place, making it ache to be set free.

  He wanted to be that spoon. He wanted his cock to be that spoon…

  He disgusted himself with those thoughts and revelled in them at the same time.

  She was his mate and he was supposed to be wooing her and all that he could think was … lucky spoon.

  He guessed it was natural. His instincts were screaming inside of him to mate … make her his.

  Sex was naturally going to be in his mind, bouncing around his brain – the little one and the big one. He needed to snap out of it, get back to the bargain that they had made…

  He needed to know her. Truly know her. Mind, body, and soul.

  He needed to ask her questions…

  She slowly sucked the spoon again and he wanted to growl.

  Lorelai’s eyes flicked to him and she almost jumped in her seat.

  Oh wow! He’s practically drooling!

  She snapped her body to attention and tossed the spoon into the bowl. She saw him frown, and then a look of pure disappointment etched onto his face … she almost laughed … almost, but not quite.

  His eyes snapped up to hers and locked on.

  She swallowed hard, and the taste of vanilla ice cream was still on her tongue, but she didn’t give a damn about the ice cream, it was the look in his eyes … desire.

  Jack cleared his throat. He really wanted to run head first into the nearest wall to try to shake the fog in his brain, but he knew that would only make matters worse … she already thought he was some kind of nut.

  He didn’t need to confirm her worst fears.

  “Questions,” he said, determined to get back on track.

  “I don’t think I have any,” she gave a small shrug off her shoulders and berated her with just a look.

  “You’ve got a story.” It wasn’t a question and they both knew it.

  “Don’t we all?”

  “Deflecting,” he grumbled. “Why are you travelled alone and on foot over the mountain?”

  “Sightseeing. Backpacking.” She lied, and they both knew that too.

  Jack sighed. There was a twinge of guilt inside of her. Just a little pang and yet it rubbed against her nerves.

  “Wanna try that one again?”

  “Nope.” She gave a small shake of her head and he sighed again.

  “I don’t need to tell you that you shouldn’t be here alone,” Jack grumbled, his voice was gruff.

  “That’s what I said, but you insisted that I get in your truck and then you drove me here without…”

  Jack couldn’t hold onto the growl that rumbled in his chest that time. Lorelai stopped talking and just looked at him. The man looked as if he was chewing a wasp.

  “Ok,” she held up her hands in surrender and his eyes snapped to hers.

  “Ok?” He asked.

  “I was driving, but my car broke down and I couldn’t afford to have it fixed.” She shrugged again.

  “So you walked?” he looked as if he didn’t believe her.

  “Yes, I walked.”

  “To where?” He asked and she frowned.

  “To here.”

  “No, to where were you walking?”

  “I don’t…” she shrugged again. “Anywhere. Nowhere. Just … away.”

  That sounded stupid even to her ears and she knew why she was walking, why she
need to get away.

  God, I’ve been an idiot… she berated herself.

  “Away from what?” he asked and she just stared back at him for a long moment. “Are you in trouble?” She flinched. “Of course you’re in trouble, nobody needs to get away from sunny days and the good life.” He grumbled.

  “I’m not in trouble.” She shrugged again. “Not anymore.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ~

  “So you were in trouble.” Jack growled again.

  He didn’t like it. The thought of her being out there alone, and in trouble. Having to leave … somewhere, her somewhere.

  Fate had brought her to him and he was grateful for that. But what if they’d never met?

  What if he’d left the bar early, or not gone in at all?

  What if she’d run into the Crane brothers by herself?

  Although Kiel had shown up, and the man probably would have done the same as he had and stepped in…

  But then what if she’d gone off with the vampire?

  Or maybe she could have left alone…

  What if she’d been walking over the mountain alone when the snow storm had hit?

  There were too many questions in his mind.

  There were too many ways that fate could have screwed up, and he cursed fate for putting her in that kind of danger.

  Fate was stupid and thoughtless.

  She was stupid for being out there in the first place… no, she was just following fate’s path.

  “I just needed to get away for a while,” she said.

  A long while…

  “Do you actually have any way at all to protect yourself from … life?” He growled.

  “I guess … not really, no.” She shot back.

  “Tell me that you at least have a weapon in your backpack,” he demanded.

  “I’ve got …” she faltered. “A can of deodorant.”

  “It’s not a joke,” he shot back, scowling.

  “It wasn’t meant to be,” she tossed back.

  Jack pushed up to his feet and turned away from the table. Now he wanted to just shake some damn sense into her.

  “You should get some sleep,” he grumbled.

  Lorelai liked the idea of retreating away from him. He made her feel like an idiot of the worst kind.

  She’d known that just taking off on foot had been a bad idea, but she needed distance. She needed to keep going.

  “Can I get a blanket?” She asked as she pushed up to her feet and Jack turned to look at her as if she’d just spoken in a foreign language. “For the sofa?”

  “Sofa?” Jack sighed long and hard. The woman was a nightmare, and she really didn’t have the first clue about shifters. “The bedroom is through that door.” He lifted his hand and pointed.

  “I’ve been enough…”

  “Trouble?”

  Lorelai opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again on a small, wry smile. She nodded.

  “What part of you are my mate don’t you understand?” Jack twisted his head on his neck and questioned her with his words and his eyes.

  Lorelai shrugged.

  “All of it.”

  Jack took a moment to take in her words. Then he nodded.

  “Get some sleep and tomorrow I will try to explain it to you.”

  “Where are you going to sleep?”

  “Sofa,” he tossed a thumb back into the room.

  “So, it’s good enough for you but not for me?”

  “Yeah,” he said in disbelief.

  “So, you’re like a male chauvinist pig?” She asked and he craned his head towards her on his neck and questioned her sanity with his eyes.

  “Yeah,” he gave a small nod.

  “Just checking,” she said on another shrug.

  ~

  ~

  ~

  The moment that the wolf’s howl hit her ears, Lorelai shot up in the bed. She couldn’t see a damn thing. There were no streetlights outside the window sending shafts of light around the sides of the curtains, and that was the first clue that she wasn’t at home in her own bed … and that howl, long and deep, and just scary enough to make her heart beat against her chest was the most definitive.

  She’d cursed a good one out of fright, and her mind whirled at the sound of the heavy thumps that were coming through the darkness, getting closer, and then she caught a squeal in the back of her throat when a loud bang coincided with the darkness being broken by the light flooding in from another room.

  It took her a moment to focus her mind on the giant figure that blocked the doorway to freedom, to safety, as he stood like a boulder in the way.

  “Lorelai?” Jack’s voice was sleep filled, gravelly deep, and it soothed her nerves without even trying.

  Him.

  Jack.

  Bar guy. Coffee. Knight in shining armour.

  Mate…

  Mate … oh, mate … that’s not good, right?

  “Jack…?” She breathed then.

  “Yeah,” his hand hit the light switch and she blinked and squinted against the suddenness of the light… “Sorry,” he snapped it off again and moved towards her.

  Just one huge block of a man in the semi darkness.

  The sound of a click brought better lighting, less harsh for her eyes, and there he was, bathed in a soft glow, all manly man with no shirt on and muscles… so many muscles that she had the urge to start counting them…

  “It’s just a wolf,” he said as softly as he could.

  He could scent her fear. He didn’t like it and he didn’t want to add to it.

  “I … heard.” She fisted the covers tighter and nodded a little, whilst trying not to take him in.

  That was the hardest thing that she’d ever had to do – not look – boy did she want to look.

  She half thanked God and half cursed in her mind that he was wearing jogging bottoms. She had the urge to follow the line of muscles at his hips down past where they disappeared inside the low band of his sweatpants…

  She swallowed down hard on a sandpaper tongue as her eyes darted away from him and back again.

  Awkward!

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ~

  “Are you okay?” Jack asked.

  “Stupid question,” Lorelai shot back, without even thinking.

  “I have a lot of those,” he teased and her eyes flicked back up to him.

  “You’re male, it’s a given.” She shrugged just the one shoulder as embarrassment hammered within her like a woodpecker in a frenzy.

  Jack grunted in reply.

  “You’re on the mountain – there are shifters, there’s gonna be howling. Although I think that’s probably the guy from the bar making a point.”

  “He was a wolf?” She asked and Jack nodded. “I can’t tell the difference.”

  “Bears are sexier,” he teased and she chuckled with embarrassment. “You don’t think so?”

  “No, I…” she tried to bring her eyes right back up to his but her gaze got lost in the muscles that lined his torso … so many muscles…

  Looking damn sexy from where I’m sitting…

  In bed … oh, Lord, I’m sitting in bed … and not just any bed, his bed!

  I should get up … no, I shouldn’t.

  He should leave … but then I wouldn’t have that view … great view.

  “Gotcha tongue tied, don’t I?” He grinned then, and a day’s worth of stubble that was clinging to his chin made him look even sexier. His eyebrows were pinched and trying to meet, and she felt that rush of excitement – of adrenaline – of lust go through her.

  Lorelai didn’t answer.

  What could she say?

  To say anything would probably have come out wrong anyway and then it would be even more awkward.

  She jumped a little as he walked around the bed … not so much walked as stalked … it was as if he was on the hunt for something, and when he reached out and snatched one of the pillows from the bed, she eyed him to see what he’d
do next.

  When he tossed it down onto the floor she couldn’t help but speak.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Sleeping on the floor,” Jack shot her a look.

  “On the floor?” She asked, taken back at the thought of having him in the room with her while she slept. Not that she would get much sleep with him there.

  “Unless you want me to sleep in the bed?” He grinned again and she had to admit, though not out loud, that it didn’t sound like such a bad idea.

  “No … I’m … good, in this big, really big, bed all alone.” She gave a small nod.

  “Sure? Because you don’t sound too sure.” He teased again.

  “Sure, I’m sure …” she nodded again, but this time she frowned too. “The surest.”

  “Ok then, so I’ll sleep on the floor,” Jack whipped the spare blanket from the bottom of the bed.

  “But why?”

  “Why what?” Jack shot her another look as he flicked the blanket out.

  “Why are you sleeping on the floor?”

  “Because … you won’t let me sleep in the bed with you.” He answered, as if it wasn’t rocket science to figure that one out.

  “Yeah, but you were sleeping on the sofa,” Lorelai absently pointed towards the open bedroom door. She didn’t have the slightest intention or desire to take her eyes off of him.

  “And you got scared. If I’m at the foot of your bed, you might not feel scared.”

  “Like a big old guard dog?” She grinned, she couldn’t help herself.

  Jack grunted in reply. Then he lowered himself to the floorboards.

  “Goodnight, Lorelai,” he offered back and she frowned.

  “You can’t sleep on the floor,” she berated him.

  “I can’t sleep in the bed,” Jack offered back, and she was stuck for answers.

  The man was pig headed. She knew that he knew what she meant.

  Lorelai sighed and slowly eased herself back against the pillows, pulling the covers up around her neck as she frowned up at the ceiling. She felt guilty … again…

  She pulled herself back up in bed and tossed a hand in the air out of frustration.

  “Ok, look, just go sleep back on the sofa.”