Bearly Hers: A Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (2 page)

All fine and dandy—she wanted all of that. A lot. But mostly? She wanted connection and passion. The flaming hot, makes-you-dizzy kind. Human men weren’t doing much for her in that department, so time to step out of her comfort zone. Or so Hope said. Looking at the man who just walked in, Gia wasn’t so sure. Even from a distance, he was huge, his broad shoulders taking up the doorframe, legs going on forever beneath dark jeans. His hair shone golden in the lights and looked as if it had been combed back, but he’d run his fingers through it a few times. Rugged features gave him a hard-cut masculine beauty… and made her insides flutter.

He looked her way, pausing just long enough that Gia thought he might have spotted her there in the shadows, but then he moved on. Heart pounding, she realized she needed to sit down, as if his simple gaze had robbed the strength from her legs.

“Here they come.” Hope said excitedly, hurrying over with a drink in each hand. “Once they get a look at you, you’re going to get mobbed. Ready?”

Gia wiped her palms on her hips. “Stop it.” Hope had been nudging her to attend a shifter-dating event for a while now, telling her she was exactly the type these men went for—full-figured, pale skinned and brunette. She’d waved it off, but looking at the drool-worthy selection of men coming in, she figured it would be a nice change of pace to have her pick of guys for once.

Hope took a swallow of her mixed drink, seeming to lose some of her sparkle. Having broken off her engagement less than two months ago, Gia was surprised that Hope jumped back into the dating pool so soon. Putting on a cheery smile, Gia lifted her glass in cheers.

“To us.”

“To us.”

Why not make the best of tonight? They were both overdue for a little fun, Gia thought. Heck, she hadn’t taken a vacation day in over two years and couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a drink. Her life was on autopilot without a blip of turbulence to spice it up. The boredom in her life was tired of being bored. No wonder the alcohol went down easily. Too easily. By the time they downed their third round, the room was full of mingling people, the shifter men easily recognizable by their intimidating stature. Gia figured it was time she came out of the shadows. Hope, in all her golden haired, spunky glory, would want to mingle, not sit in the dim light and babysit Gia’s nerves.

Finding that Hope had made her way to the bar for another refill, Gia gave herself a mental slap and stepped away from the table. Thinking briefly about her skirt, she dismissed the urge to pull it down. Screw it. It felt kind of nice there, swishing so high up on her thigh. Sexy. The remnant of sweet alcohol was heady on her tongue, the liquor working its magic as she made her way to Hope.

Men turned her way. They stared at her, nudged each other and murmured things pointed in her direction. A light touch on her arm. An interested greeting. An appreciative murmur. Huh, maybe this dress was exactly what she’d needed.

“You look amazing.” The deep male voice followed a touch on her shoulder. She looked sideways… up, into deep green eyes. Handsome to a fault, the shifter ran his fingers lightly over her upper arm. “Get you a drink?”

Before she could answer, a hand on her other arm drew her away.

“Hi there.” Darker than his counterpart, the man reached for her hand and lightly gripped it in his. She looked between the two men, a smile crossing her lips at her good luck. Her thoughts strayed to the man she’d seen first walk in, the blonde, and some of her excitement faded with the realization that she’d really like one of these guys to be him.

Oh, who cares?
She smiled at them both, reaching out to touch the tie of the man on her left, without an ounce of pre-thought. Whatever Hope gave her to drink, Gia hoped she’d get another. It was working. He caressed the back of her hand, obviously enjoying her hand on him, while the other shifter radiated heated anger. Really? Would they fight over her? A little giddy at the thought, Gia mentally slapped herself. So she didn’t get much attention from human men. Didn’t mean she wanted to be in the middle of a bear shifter MMA match.

Needing that drink ASAP, she broke away from both men, only to be detained a second time in her attempt to reach her friend. If men weren’t trying to engage in conversation with her, they were waiting on the fringe, eyeing her over their drinks. All this male attention was every girl’s dream, but on steroids. Gia smiled and laughed her way through the crowd, nearly to Hope when a man in a black suit took her hand.

He was human, based on his size, the temples of his brown hair graying. “A moment, miss.” Urging her away from the main group of people, he offered his hand. “Mack Campbell, owner of After Hours dating service.”

She shook his hand, relived to be away from the sea of admirers. “Gia Santos. Nice to meet you.”

He kissed the back of her hand, dark brown eyes twinkling as they squared in on her cleavage. She tugged her hand away, distaste creeping up her throat.

“I hope you’re having a good time.”

She had been. Sort of. Until the testosterone had become overwhelming. “Yes, thank you.”

A waiter walked by and he grabbed a flute of champagne from the tray, handed it to her with a gracious dip of his head. Something about his greasy smile made her feel nauseous. “You’ve certainly drawn attention from the clans here this evening.”

Needing something to do with her hands, she clutched the glass between them. Where the hell was Hope? “It’s a nice crowd.”

“Indeed.” He stepped closer, lining his mouth to her ear. Gia resisted the urge to step back as his breath touched her neck. He was the host after all, even if he gave her the creeps.

“I’m sure you’re very aware that a woman of your particular beauty is highly appealing to shifter men. All men, really.”

“Oh, well… thank you.”
I think?
Her smile was so tight, it hurt her cheeks. “I think I’ll get back to mingling.”

Gia moved to turn away, but his hand went to her wrist. “We offer many services here, Ms. Santos. Profitable services that a woman such as yourself may benefit from.
Financially
.”

She pulled away this time, uncaring if she came across as rude. Maybe she’d had too many drinks, but what he’d just said sounded like a proposition, and not a good one. “I’m not quite sure what you mean.” Nor did she want to. Taking a quick step back, Gia slammed into someone. She spun with a gasp, a shape jerking toward her as a splash of something cold and wet hit her chest and trickled between her breasts.

Stunned, she spread her arms wide and looked up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Breath squeezed out of her.

It was
him
!

“I am so sorry.” He snagged a napkin from a passing waiter and descended on her chest before she could react. They both glanced down as he patted at her cleavage. With a start, he withdrew his hand like it was on fire. At least he had the grace to smile ruefully.

“That’s not helping, is it?”

Whew. The tingle racing through her body might disagree. Gia laughed despite herself, gingerly taking the napkin from him and catching the last few drops off her skin. Aware that he watched her, she stopped. Not before heat flushed her skin from his gaze. Catching a whiff of something spicy and clean, she had the urge to step closer to the shifter and see if it radiated from him.

Creepy guy forgotten, she followed her instinct and shifted closer. Yep, it was him. She had to pull back before that delicious scent melted her panties clear off.

“It’s fine. Accidents happen.”

“I’m really sorry. I was bumped from behind and it was… it was bad timing.”

Gia waved a dismissive hand. “No problem.”

With a smooth glide, he offered one big hand, which she took without hesitation. “Trey Cross.” She introduced herself in return, catching his eyes and looking away as shyness crept in. A white dress shirt, no tie, with the top buttons undone graced his broad chest, a gray suit jacket open and displaying the flat plane of his abdomen. Dark jeans hugged his lean hips and she didn’t allow herself to look any farther down because her heart was already going top speed.

“So, do you come to these things often?” He winked. “Sounds like a lame line.”

She laughed again, genuinely warmed by his easy-going nature. “Actually, I—“

“Gia! There you are.” Hope cut through the crowd, pausing to look up at Trey with a bemused glint in her eye. She dragged her gaze to Gia and made an Oh-my-God face. “I was just… going to tell you that I’ll be at our table. So, take your time.”

“Oh, okay.” Gia took a drink of her champagne as her friend walked off. Realizing she was alone with Trey again, she drained her glass. Her skin prickled with lovely warmth when she caught his eyes on her.

“Would you like to sit?” He motioned to an empty table and she nodded, words too much of a feat at that moment, and when he placed a hand on her lower back, that weak feeling in her legs returned. He could be trouble… more than she could handle, likely.

When they sat and she found her hand settling over his wrist in blatant flirtation, Gia wanted to both hide under the table, and crawl into his lap. He flipped his wrist, turning her hand upside down and threading their fingers lightly, a wicked, self-satisfied smile on his luscious mouth as if he knew exactly where she wanted to be right now.

Oh, yeah, she was in big, big trouble.

CHAPTER TWO

That hadn’t taken long. The woman across from him might be sexy as hell, but she fit the description of the same who’d preyed on his shifters. Dell had described her as milky skinned, dark walnut hair, and breasts as full as her hips with a curved little waist in between. She even had the blonde highlights in the front of her hair. He’d failed to mention the amazing brown of her eyes or the natural red to her soft lips or the sweet dimple in her right cheek.

He’d smelled something—someone—amazing when he’d first walked in and had honed in on the feminine scent after the room had filled with people. Surprised to find it was the woman in the red dress, he’d been both excited and disheartened to realize she fit the description, that she might be the suspect.

By the way she’d smiled and flirted her way through the room, she seemed more than comfortable charming the proverbial pants--and wallets--off besotted shifters. She was good, if the heat in his blood was any indication. Getting her to weasel her way into an invitation to his home was the next step in his plan. He shouldn’t have so much delicious anticipation over that prospect, not when there was a chance that she might try to drug and rob him. Thinking of that, he pulled his drink farther away from her. Her smile was uncertain and shy, taking him a bit off guard.

“So… so, Trey, what do you do for a living?” She scratched behind her ear and he didn’t miss the way her hand trembled. Her question could start this whole ball rolling. Taking care to flash his Rolex—an older one he’d borrowed from his brother who had gotten it second hand—Trey made a light circle in her palm with the tip of his finger. Her skin was smooth and delicate, his touch drumming up her scent to his keen senses.

“I’m a rancher. My brothers and I own Aspen Ridge Ranch about an hour from here.” That probably wouldn’t be enough to pique the interest of a gold digger, so he figured he’d better push it into brag zone. “We’re the most profitable ranch on this side of Colorado. Nothing is off limits for us.”

She arched her eyebrows. “Really? Well, that’s good for you.”

Trey leaned in and brought her hand to his mouth. Her breath hitched audibly as he placed a kiss on her palm. “And good for my future mate. Anything she wants… it’s hers.”

Disgusted with himself, but willing to play the game, Trey put her hand down and gave his best smile. The Cross family had money. That was no secret. His parents built a thriving ranch, and their good management had made it hugely profitable in a way that helped support the whole clan. If a member needed money for a business start-up, or to send a child to college or for emergency bills, they knew they could come to him and get what they needed and pay it back when they could. It was like that in the clan; they helped each other out. Dangling that in front of Gia, an outsider, was unpleasant at best.

It was true, though—whoever he took as a mate,
if
he ever did, would reap the benefits of the Cross wealth.

Gia shifted in her seat, ending up closer to him. Her eyes were sparkling, and he knew he’d snagged her. “I see. Well, how lucky for your future wife. Is that why you’re here tonight? To find
the one
?”

Trey had the strongest urge to bury his nose in the curve of her neck and nibble his way to her lips. “Isn’t that why any of us are here?”

She took a sip of her champagne, nearly set the flute down before changing her mind and draining it. “I think that some people might be looking for just one night. You know, see how it goes.” Her cheeks colored, her mouth jumping as if she were holding back a giggle. One night, huh? Her cleavage looked amazing, her breasts outlined by the fit of the dress. He’d love to ask her to get up and come stand between his knees, so he could grip her hips between his hands and fully appreciate each line and curve of her. One night wouldn’t be enough with a woman like her. No wonder his shifters had fallen so easily. Hell, he probably would have, too, if he didn’t know enough to be wary.

“I don’t see a problem with one night, if both parties are willing.”

The pulse in her wrist jumped. “I see.”

“Except, the rule.” He studied her closely. She played innocent very well.

“What rule is that?”

Aware that other men were milling around their table to see if Trey was going to get up and give them any opportunity, probably, he leaned closer to Gia, his arm going around the back of her chair in blatant alpha display. Back the fuck off.

“After Hours’ rule, about no hooking up after a mixer. You can get banned from attending again if you break it.”

She looked around, eyeing him to do the same. Couples were paired up here and there, some close and cozy enough that smoke was virtually coming off them. “You can’t tell me some of these people won’t be going home together tonight.” Her voice dipped low. “There’s a way around any rule, right?”

Bingo. Sure there was, and she’d found it twice already. Taking the bait, Trey wound a strand of her hair around his finger, actually enjoying the contact. “Feeling like a rebel tonight, are you?”

A small, pleasured sound came from her lips. “You know, I wasn’t until that last glass of champagne.” Glancing down, Gia ran a finger along the tablecloth. “I, um, don’t usually do this sort of thing.”

How could she seem so fresh and innocent, even as she lured him in? Trey leaned back, sensing he needed to give her a little space to buffer her comfort zone. The way her voice leveled, gave him the impression she might change her mind about him and he couldn’t let that happen.

“Don’t do what, Gia?”

She withdrew her hand from his and straightened in her chair. Maybe the alcohol gave her some added courage -- courage that was wearing off. Or, maybe this was part of her game. He waved over a waiter and grabbed a flute of champagne for each of them. A thought popped into his head, one that would give him a little more control over how this went. He wanted to catch Gia in the criminal attempt, sure. But more deeply, he wanted to spend time with her. It was purely selfish, but he couldn’t ignore the need to be with her.

Because hell if she wasn’t perfect.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said, his heart taking a painful turn as she looked at him with those wide, beautiful eyes. “Next weekend is our annual family ranching four-day retreat. People come from all over for a little horseback riding, hiking, that kind of stuff. Why don’t you come? Spend a few days as our guest... with me.”

“Seriously?”

“Absolutely. Bring a friend, too. One night might be enough for some people, Gia. But I like to take my time, go slow. Get to know you, show you what I have to offer. What better way to do that than to spend a few quality days together?”

She cocked her head, the movement baring the column of her pale throat. He stifled a groan, his fingers curling with the need to trace the length.

“I’ll think about it,” she finally replied, looking around the room. Searching for the blonde woman he’d seen her with earlier, probably. “Will you excuse me a moment?”
Fuuuck
, he’d just scared her off. Mentally kicking himself, he stood as she did. Gia’s hand found his arm, her fingers trailing down to his wrist where they paused over his Rolex. Then she walked off, momentarily swallowed by the crowd. Holding himself back from following her, mostly to keep the swarm of men away, Trey tracked her movements. Sure enough, she sided up to her friend. Within moments, men surrounded the two women. He had enough of a visual to see Gia flirt and laugh her way through the lot of them before finally breaking away.

Irritation clutched him hard. One moment, she seemed completely innocent. The next, she was a vixen with more than enough capability of charming her way into a man’s wallet. Which was it? Looking away, he downed his drink and contemplated how he could be so conflicted over one small woman. Usually his instincts were spot on, but Gia had him all tangled up.

Movement from the corner of the room caught his attention. A woman had her arm around a shifter, her brown hair swaying as she tossed her head back and laughed. He cupped her face, leaned down to kiss her and she strained on tiptoe to reach him. Burning anger flashed through him, until he realized the woman’s dress was blue, not red.

It wasn’t Gia, and, even if it had been, what right did he have to be so pissed? Because he wanted her. Shit.

He caught her scent before he saw her. “Okay, cowboy, you have a deal.” Gia moved next to him and pulled out her chair. Trey burst to his feet, taking her upper arm and turning her to him. Without a moment’s thought, he took her face between his hands.

“Excellent,” he murmured, bringing his mouth to hers. Gia gasped, stiffening before she melted, leaning into him as her lips parted to receive him. Her taste flooded him, all woman and sweet champagne. Treading his fingers into her hair, he deepened the kiss, his tongue meeting hers with a flurry of sensation that made them both moan.

“Wow.” She pulled back, a smart thing, Trey supposed, before this desire got out of hand. They shared a smile before she turned to the table and pulled a pen from her clutch and scribbled on a napkin.

“Here’s my cell number. Call me with details?”

Nice. She was putting the ball fully in his court. He’d call her all right, because it was game on.

*

“What do you mean,you’re not coming?” Gia looked at the small suitcase in the back seat of her SUV, wanting to suddenly yank it out of there.

“I’m sorry, G. One of the women at the mixer coughed all over me and now I can’t keep anything down.” Bitches and their stomach viruses had just vacation-blocked her big time. Gia ran a hand over her forehead. She still trembled thinking about Trey and that damn kiss. How was she going to handle a weekend alone with him without a Hope buffer? What if the retreat was a mistake? She didn’t know anything about horseback riding or cattle or ranch things…

“You’re going.” Hope said firmly. “I swear I can hear all the doubt rolling around in your head. Stop it. Shit, G, he could be
the one
. Right?”

She twirled a foot along the driveway. “I don’t know.” There had been a lot of chemistry between them, that’s for sure. But she couldn’t help but sense that something was a little off. He’d been watching her a little too intently, as if her every move was under scrutiny. Still, it hadn’t erased any of the attraction she’d felt for him.

“If you get uncomfortable at all, leave. Just pack up and go. Call me when you get there and check in every day. Okay? Text me.” Hope made a dry-heaving sound and Gia pulled the phone away from her ear with a frown.

“I will. Go. Back to bed.”

Hope hung up without a response, leaving Gia to stare at her vehicle with equal parts trepidation and excitement. Trey had called her two nights ago and given her all the details. The sound of his voice sent her into overdrive, and the tingly sensation still hadn’t faded. When was the last time she’d felt this much excitement over a guy?

There wasn’t any harm in going, she supposed. There would be other people there, and if she found it wasn’t for her, she’d gracefully exit. Besides, the thought of giving up her vacation days to go back to the lab was a sour one. The sun was shining, the air heavy with warmth. No, she was doing this.

Mind made up, she slid into the driver’s seat and took a deep breath. Trey. He was an hour away. A little giddy with the thought, she put the SUV in reverse just as her phone rang. Recognizing the unknown number as the same that had called three times in as many days and hung up each time, she ignored it. The call went to voicemail, only to immediately ring again. Parking at the end of her driveway, Gia took the call, with an irritated, “Hello?”

Silence met her greeting. About to hang up, a voice through the line stopped her. “Ms. Santos? It’s Mack Campbell, from After Hours.”

She remembered him with distaste, how his eyes had been glued to her breasts the entire time he’d spoken to her at the mixer. She wondered briefly how he’d gotten her number, and then recalled the form she’d had to fill out to attend the event.

“Hi. What can I do for you?”

“Oh, this is just a follow up call. Did you happen to make a connection at the mixer on Saturday?”

“Sort of, yes.” Shaking off a sense of unease, she looked in the rearview mirror to check her lipstick.

“I see.” He sounded disappointed. “May I ask with whom?”

She wanted to say no, but didn’t see what matter it made, either way. The sooner she could get this follow-up over with, the better. “Trey Cross. We’re actually meeting for the weekend at his ranch to see how it goes. So if you’ll excuse me, I really need to head out.” Maybe a little haughty, but the dude gave her the creeps.

He made a disapproving sound. “I… I see. Actually, Ms. Santos, I’d love to meet with you when you return—“

Nope. That was a
whole
lot of nope. “I really have to be going. Have a nice day.” She clicked off and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. Mack Campbell had that ass hat vibe, the one some men wore like bad cologne. Though he hadn’t done anything to outright offend her, the mere sound of his voice or his presence set off her asshole-alert. Unlike Trey, who set her off but in other, delicious, ways.

Double-checking the map on her GPS, Gia set out. Soon, the scenery and beauty of the day robbed away the last of her nerves about doing this… until she turned down a long dirt road and followed it along a purple and gray mountain range. A driveway veered off to the left, a tall, arching sign with ASPEN RIDGE carved into it. She followed the drive down a small hill and then up. Before her, the ranch seemed to bloom out of nowhere. Excitement uncurled in her belly.