Bear Seeking Bride: Thorn (Bear Canyon Brides Book 6) (BBW Paranormal Bear-Shifter Menage Romance) (3 page)

He’d fucked up. The minute the words left his mouth, he’d known he’d blown it by the look on her face. Apparently, their mate wasn’t the kind to swoon over the thought of having sex with two men.

“Let me get this straight,” she said, glaring back and forth between the two of them. “You, the two of you, pretended to be one man and placed an ad for a curvy plus-sized human to share? Is this some kind of joke? Do you prey on the insecurities of curvy women for a good time? Do you think we are all so desperate for sex that we’ll do anything to get it? Even if it means being used by two arrogant playboys who fill our heads with empty promises? I thought you were sincere. I trusted you. I know that was stupid on my part, but I did. Unfortunately, I don’t play games with untrustworthy men who have too much time on their hands.”

She stood up so fast her chair scuffed the floor, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

“Do
not
contact me again.”

She whispered the angry words and hurried out of the building.

He and Hawk stared straight ahead and didn’t turn back to watch her leave. He didn’t understand how her angry insults could hurt, especially since she didn’t know them, but his heart ached as if it had been betrayed. Inside, his bear whimpered and growled for release. Her reaction left him dumbfounded and he found it difficult to breathe.

The owner of the restaurant carefully approached their table.

“Doctors Thorns…sirs…is everything okay? Can I get you anything?”

“Everything is fine,” Hawk forced out. “Two bottled waters please, and the check.”

“There’s no check, sir,” the owner replied. “It’s on the house. I’ll be right back.”

“Did that seriously just happen?” Gavin asked.

“I think so,” Hawk answered.

“What the fucking hell? What went wrong?” he asked just above a whisper.

“How the fuck should I know?” Hawk replied, looking around the room. “I feel like we’re on one of those hidden camera TV shows.”

“At least that would make some sort of sense.”

He instinctually looked around, too. Everyone had gone back to their meals the moment Ava ran out the door, and he appreciated the semi-privacy the others had granted them.

The owner returned quickly with their waters and they both drank in silence.

“Well, on the plus side—” Hawk smiled.

“There’s a plus side?” Gavin interrupted, deadpan. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am serious,” his brother said laughing. “At least she didn’t run away screaming.”

“Oh lord,” he shook his head, standing. “There’s a reason you’re not the funny one. Let’s go home.”

Five minutes later, they both stood on their patio and shifted into their bear forms. They raced through the canyon until the sun set and their stomachs growled in protest from skipping lunch.

Chapter Three

Ava pushed through the restaurant door and ran out onto the sidewalk. The sunlight, combined with the water in her eyes, made everything blurry and sparkly. She could barely see, let alone make it back to her hotel.

How could she have been so stupid? In an effort to really give
Thorn
a chance, she’d booked a five-star hotel and had planned a week-long mini vacation. The commute back to her apartment in the city was a manageable thirty minutes, but she’d wanted to get away and explore Bear Canyon. Luckily, she hadn’t shared her plans with him—them—so they had no way to find her.

Men and bears on the street moved out of her way as she hurried past them, unfazed by the animals. She glanced over her shoulder every few seconds to find the men hadn’t followed her, and for some reason the realization hurt more than it should have.

The hotel was still three or four blocks away, but she could no longer contain the tears. Water streamed down her face uncontrollably, and when she saw a friendly woman looking at her through the window of a nearly empty hair salon, she figured it might be a safe-haven.

She entered the building and walked straight into the friendly woman’s arms.

“Are you injured or hurt? Is someone bothering you? Do you need me to call the police?” the woman asked.

Her cheeks heated and she pulled out of the hug, taking a step back from the woman. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had hugged her and a new wave of tears threatened to fall. She was so tired of being alone.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “I’m…fine. Just a little shaken. I don’t need the police.”

Another stylist shoved a box of tissues into her hand, and she pulled a couple free and used them to dab her wet eyes and dry her cheeks.

“How about a trim then?” the woman asked. “Come on. Sit down and catch your breath. If you feel like talking, I’m a great listener.”

She dutifully followed the woman to her chair.

“I’m Bree,” the woman said as she wrapped a protective cape around her neck. “Welcome to Bear Canyon. Are you moving here, or just visiting?”

“Just visiting,” she said. “I was supposed to meet a man for lunch…a blind date.”

“Oh, he didn’t show?” Bree frowned.

“No, he did, but…,” she glanced around the room and noticed the other stylist had disappeared into the back and left them alone.

“But…you didn’t like him?” Bree prodded.

The woman worked with her curls effortlessly, proving her skill without saying a word. The stylists she’d visited before had all complained about her unruly hair, and often times refused to talk to her.

Bree was friendly, beautiful and curvy with chestnut colored hair, and light brown eyes. As she moved around the chair, Ava noticed the distinct round baby bump she’d missed when she’d first walked in. A wave of sadness swept over her, but she pushed it away. She’d have a family one day, but today wasn’t her day.

“There were two of them,” Ava said carefully.

“Two dates?” Bree asked.

“Yes. No. I mean two men. Twins,” Ava explained. “They deceived me into thinking they were one man ready to settle down, but that wasn’t the case. I just feel so stupid for thinking I could find someone through an ad.”

“I met my husband through an ad,” Bree said, “and so did one of my close friends. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, but it can definitely happen.” 

“Oh, wow, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

God, I am such an idiot.

“How could you?” Bree laughed. “Don’t worry about it. There are a few sets of twins in town, but I only know the Thorns. Too bad they weren’t your dates. Apparently, sharing a mate between identical twin shifters is completely normal. Can you imagine? Two men completely devoted to you? It’s not for everyone, but the woman who lands those two will be one lucky girl. Personally, I can’t tell the Thorns apart, but they’re both nice, honest, professional men, and very patient doctors. Especially to a new mom. I ask a lot of questions.”

Bree giggled, but stopped when their eyes met in the mirror.

“It was them, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” said Ava. “I thought…I thought they were just looking for a good time.”

“Did you feel something for them? Something you’ve never felt for any other man? Like some kind of pull, or desperate need to touch them? Something, you know…unexplainable?”

She had felt something, and truthfully it had scared her half to death.

She’d never been one to excessively drool over a hot man, but one look at the two sexy strangers near the door had changed all that. They were gorgeous, and even though they’d matched the description she had of her date, she didn’t believe they were there to see her. They were identical in height and stature with broad shoulders just like they’d described, and she doubted there was an ounce of fat on their perfect muscular forms. Their black hair was short in the back, but longer on top, giving them a dangerous edge.

When they’d approached her table, their dark green eyes held her captive, and her pussy wept, soaking her panties. Even though she’d been insulted by their perceived betrayal, she’d still wanted to know what it felt like to be touched by both of them at the same time.

She thought back to their conversation. From the moment they’d approached her table, they had been honest about their deceit. They hadn’t asked her for anything except a chance, but she’d lashed out and acted like a crazy person. She knew how hard it was to find someone to share your life with, and yet she hadn’t even tried to know them, or even given them the benefit of the doubt. Instead, she’d treated them with disrespect and disgrace.

“Oh god,” Ava whispered. “I think I might have made a huge mistake.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Bree sympathized. “If you felt something, they probably did too, and that’s good news. It means they’ll be more likely to give you another chance.”

An hour later, she finished her walk down the main strip, and returned to her hotel room.

Bree had done a fantastic job on her hair, and though the change was virtually unnoticeable, she felt lighter, more confident and sexy. Not only had she found a new stylist, but she’d made a new friend, and had been invited to coffee with the girls the following day.

Now she just had to figure out how to apologize to Gavin and Hawk. Even if she never saw them again, she owed them an apology for the way she’d reacted. No one deserved to be treated that way, and she was embarrassed by her behavior.

There were three ways she could contact them, and she carefully weighed her choices. She could send an email, but there was no guarantee they would check the responses from the ad again. She might spend an eternity waiting and wondering if they’d ever received her note.

The second option involved showing up at their place of business, and she immediately crossed it off the list. She wasn’t brave enough to face them in person without a buffer. The third option required more bravery than she felt, but unless their service provider sucked, she’d have a better chance at an instant response.

In their last email exchange, they’d given her a phone number to use if she needed to get in touch with them for any reason before their date. She pulled the tiny sticky note with the number out of her purse and entered the ten digits into her phone.

Several minutes later, she stared at the words she’d typed and retyped to perfection and forced herself to breathe. She thought about Bree’s words, and her own desires for love and a family. There was only one way to know if she’d really judged them too quickly.

She took a deep breath and pressed send.

***

Gavin turned on the dishwasher and leaned against the counter with his arms and legs crossed. After their run, Hawk had prepared two large steaks, and served them with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. Because he was more selective about food, his brother did most of the cooking, but Gavin didn’t mind. Cooking wasn’t something he enjoyed, and he preferred to clean up after a meal, rather than prepare it.

His thoughts drifted back to Ava, and once again he wondered if there was something they could have done differently. Her words had been harsh, but he felt certain they were driven by fear and confusion instead of her true sentiments. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure was to send an email and hope for a reply. Over dinner, Hawk had convinced him they needed to move sooner than later, and they planned to reach out to her again this evening.

He checked his watch and cursed. He hadn’t checked his cell-phone in a few hours, and though they didn’t give their personal phone numbers to patients, they did have an answering service for professional calls. Luckily, clients were instructed to visit urgent care or the emergency room if they needed medical assistance and didn’t get a call back within fifteen minutes.

He sauntered down the hallway to his office, sat down at his desk, and entered his PIN into his phone. The screen lit up, and when he saw the symbol indicating a text message, he pressed the box with the speech bubble. The sent from number wasn’t recognizable, but when he read the words, he raced upstairs and banged on Hawk’s door.

“Hawk! Open up,” he yelled.

“Dude,” Hawk growled. “It’s open.”

He burst into the room and found his brother on the bed with his eReader.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Hawk asked, setting the reader aside.

“She texted,” Gavin said, holding the phone out to him.

“What?” Hawk sat up and took the device.

He watched as Hawk read the words he’d already memorized.

Dear Gavin and Hawk,

I’m sorry. Please forgive me.

Ava

“She’s forgiven,” Hawk said, tossing him the phone and standing. “Text her back.”

“Damn, we’re pathetic,” Gavin laughed.

“Maybe a little, but who the fuck cares,” Hawk said.

His brother pulled a t-shirt over his head, and grabbed a pair of jeans out of his drawer.

Gavin sat on the bed and composed a short message. He didn’t have to ask to know Hawk wanted what he did. If she agreed to see them tonight, they’d meet her anywhere.

Dear Ava,

You’re forgiven. Would you like to meet for dessert and coffee?

Gavin and Hawk

Hawk joined him on the bed and they both stared at the screen, waiting for her response.

Dessert and coffee sounds wonderful.

They both sighed in relief.

We’re on our way. You pick the place.

He shoved the phone into his pocket and raced down the stairs to grab his keys and put on his shoes. His phone dinged again when Hawk met him at the door.

I’m still in Bear Canyon and I don’t really know where to go
.
You guys pick the place.

“She’s still here,” Gavin said.

“In Bear Canyon? Really?” Hawk looked over his shoulder to see her typed words.

“Yeah. Do you think she plans on sticking around for a while?”

“I hope so,” Hawk said, “but there’s only one way to find out.”

He typed a quick text back, instructing her to meet them at the same Italian restaurant from earlier. It was a little bit after eight on a Sunday night, but he knew the owner wouldn’t rush them out at ten o’clock if things went well.

They waited until she replied with confirmation on the location, and then, for the second time that day, they rushed out the door hoping to meet their future mate.

***

Hawk watched as Ava stepped through the restaurant door and glanced around the room. Earlier she’d been dressed in a silky purple shirt and jeans, but he’d only gotten a quick glance at her curves because she’d been sitting during most of their exchange.

He looked his fill while she waited for the hostess.

He hadn’t realized how tall she was before, and his cock twitched at the thought of all the ways he wanted to take her. He and Gavin were six feet, four inches tall and they both preferred a tall, curvy woman over a short one.

Ava looked about five-foot-nine, and unlike earlier, she wore a turquoise capped sleeve cotton top, and a pair of khaki capris. The blue made her eyes sparkle like sapphires and her wild red curls danced around her shoulders playfully. He again imagined wrapping her locks around his fist and his cock throbbed, begging for her touch.

Shit! Stop thinking about sex!

He took a gulp of ice water, but it was no use.

Her ample breasts filled out the top perfectly and he noticed the fabric stretched slightly in the middle, revealing the snug fit. He couldn’t wait to see how the mounds of flesh filled his hands. The capris molded around her thick thighs and he wanted to see her turn around so he could ogle her ass.

He and Gavin had arrived first and asked for a secluded booth in the corner. When the hostess led her to their table, they both slid out to greet her, and he noticed she’d painted her toenails to match her top. She granted them both a tiny smile and thanked the hostess for the escort.