Beary Merry Winter: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Shifter Seasons Book 1)
Read Beary Merry Winter: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Shifter Seasons Book 1) Online
Authors: Kate Kent
Copyright © 2015 by Kate Kent
All Rights Reserved: No part of this publication may be replicated, redistributed, or given away in any form without the prior written consent of the author/publisher or the terms relayed to you herein.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination, or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to organizations, actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.
No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner, except as allowable under “fair use,” without the express written permission of the author.
Published by: Lil Black Dress Press
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“Ugh,” I grunted as I passed by a park bench, watching yet another couple smooching. It was a chilly December day but the pair seemed oblivious to the cold as they huddled close together. That was now four different couples I’d seen kissing during my short walk to and back from the bank to make a deposit for Courtland’s Gems, the jewelry store I worked at. Today, as on most days around the holidays, there had been several happy lovebirds that had come into the jewelry store to pick out that ‘special ring’. It seemed that everyone was in love—everyone except me, of course. And I had to admit, I was a little jealous.
Normally I tried not to let it bug me, but at this time of the year with Christmas around the corner, it bothered me a lot. It meant another year of trimming the tree alone, making eggnog for one, and driving along the streets to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the Christmas lights by myself.
I knew I had to shake it off. I was finished with men. My past relationships had ended badly. When I’d caught Byron, the man I had thought of as the love of my life, cheating with Vanessa, the woman he rented an apartment from, it was the final straw. I found out later he’d been seeing Vanessa almost the entire time we had dated. It hurt so much. No way could I go through that again.
So, I’d decided on life without a partner. I wouldn’t have to wait on a man, put up with his bullshit, or worry about getting cheated on.
As I rounded the corner to get back to the store, a woman was passing by me, pushing a stroller. I couldn’t resist glancing in the carriage. A little baby wearing a small pink knitted hat was snuggled in a fluffy yellow bunny print blanket and blissfully sleeping inside.
“How old is your little one?”
The woman stopped walking and beamed at me. “She just turned eleven months.”
“She’s beautiful,” I let out a sigh. I wanted to pick that sweet child up and hold her so badly. I looked at the woman’s tummy. She had a skinny frame with a big stomach. It looked like…
“Her baby brother is coming soon,” the woman said, patting her belly.
“Congrats!” I exclaimed, trying to sound excited. It was hard. I had to admit I was envious.
“Do you have kids?” she asked, smiling.
“I wish I did. But no, I don’t…maybe one day.”
“Well, good luck to you.” She fussed with the baby’s blanket for a moment, making sure the child was tucked in just right. Then she waved a hand at me. “Take care.”
“Thanks,” I said, grimacing. I turned and continued my walk back to the jewelry store. Luck—I was going to need a lot of luck if I wanted a baby. That was my one big problem with giving up men. I dreamed of a precious, tiny little one to love and hold. But without a partner, there was little chance of that happening. I’d tried adopting but I hadn’t found an agency willing to work with a single person, and
in-vitro fertilization was just too expensive.
Absorbed in my thoughts, I was startled by a manly voice as I reached for the door to the jewelry shop.
“Can I get that for you?”
I looked up to see a hulk of a man pushing open the door to the jewelry shop for me. As we stepped inside, I couldn’t help but admire him. Damn, he was hot in that bad boy, rough, sexy way. He sported a scruffy beard, thatch of chocolate brown hair, bedroom eyes that were so dark they were almost black, and his body—his build took my breath away. He was large, at least 6’5”, with a thick neck and rippling muscles. I’m a big woman, fairly tall at 5’8”with a lot of curves, but I was petite compared to him. With his size, I knew he had to be a shifter.
“I should have gotten the door for you,” I said, smiling at him. “I’m Anne Williamson.” I reached out my hand and shook his. “I work here. Can I help you with anything?”
He held my hand just a little too long before he let it go.
“Zane Harlan’s the name. Yeah, you can help me. I’m looking for something special.”
“Of course,” I said. They were all looking for something special. Tell me something I didn’t know. Most men were clueless when they walked into a jewelry store. They had no idea what to look for. If I was unethical I could have sold them the most expensive stuff we had. Courtland’s Gems had a lot of beautiful, pricey pieces; from the creamiest, cultured pearls, to sparkling diamond necklaces. But we also had gorgeous jewelry at lower prices, and I made it a point to show people a variety of things so they could find something in their budget.
“So, what can I help you with today? Are you looking for earrings, a bracelet, a necklace, a watch…is this for yourself or for someone else?” I glanced up at him. God, his eyes were gorgeous; so deep and dark, fringed with long, lush lashes.
“…a ring for someone special.”
I glanced away quickly, sighing. Of course he wanted an engagement ring for his fiancée—another Christmas engagement.
“Most of our rings are over here.” I waved Zane towards several glass cases near the side wall. “Tell me a little more about the type of ring you would like.”
Zane frowned as he glanced at the showcases filled with glittering jewelry. I knew he was overwhelmed by all the choices.
“What do you like?” he asked.
I hesitated for a moment. “My absolute favorite ring is this lovely one that’s set in white gold. Look here…” I said as I stepped behind the showcase of diamond rings. I unlocked the case and pulled the diamond out. It had just recently come in to Courtland’s Gems and I knew it would sell quickly. The ring was gorgeous. The cut, color, and quality were top notch. It was exactly what I would want in an engagement ring. What girl wouldn’t? It almost pained me to show it as I knew someone other than me would eventually own it, but it was my job.
Mr. Gorgeous placed it on the tip of his pinky. “It’s certainly sparkly.”
“Yes, diamonds have beautiful light reflecting qualities. When they are cut, the light gathers inside the stone and it is reflected back.”
Zane tilted the ring to the side. “I see what you mean.”
“This one really sparkles. It’s an asscher cut. So it’s similar to a square emerald cut, but it has larger step facets so it allows for a lot more light and shimmer.”
“Hmm, pretty,” Zane nodded his head as he moved his pinky back and forth, allowing the ring to catch the light.
“It was popular years ago, then sort of went out of style, but recent modifications in the cut have given the shape even more brilliance so it’s gained popularity again.”
“You know your stuff,” Zane grinned. “The ring is very nice.”
“It’s more than nice! It’s gorgeous. It’s beautiful…modern, yet classic. The color on this one is a G. So it’s less expensive than a D-F grade but the warm tone is beautiful. Many women love this style and your fiancée probably will too…but if she doesn’t, we will exchange it for something else.”
Zane wrinkled his brows.
“We have a 30 day return and a 90 day exchange policy and we offer lifetime trade up privileges. But I’ll doubt your fiancée ever wants to trade this beauty in. It comes in a special, red velvet box.” I tapped my fingertips on the glass case directly above where the red velvet box was nestled in the silk display material.
“Fiancée? Engagement ring? You’re right. It’s really beautiful.” He handed the ring back to me. “But I’m not looking for an engagement ring right now.”
“You’re not?” I said, surprised. I’d just assumed.
“No, I’m looking for a ring for my mother.”
“Oh, sorry…” I put the ring away. “I thought you were looking for an engagement ring. Let me take you over to another section. We have a large selection of jewelry for mothers, including bracelets and rings.”
“I’d like a ring that will go with the bracelet I bought her last year when we lived in Indiana.”
As we walked over to the showcase that held the mother’s jewelry pieces, I could smell his scent. It was warm and earthy…so delicious. I wondered what type of shifter he was. From his size, I guessed he was a bear.
“Indiana, that’s a ways off from Nashville. So, what brings you to Music City?”
“I play guitar with the Indie band the Hogwashers. We got our start in Indiana but moved here for more opportunities.”
“Well, hopefully you’ll find plenty of opportunities here. Nashville
is
the music capitol of the world.” Of course there were tons of people trying to make it big and competing for those same opportunities, but he’d find that out soon enough.
“Yeah, and I hear the town is pretty open to bear shifters. I hope that’s true,” he gave me a quizzical glance.
Damn, his dark eyes pulled me in. So, he was a bear shifter…I knew it! I had to admit that was a huge turn on. I’d never been with a shifter, but I’d heard they had plenty of sexual prowess—yum! Shake off those thoughts Anne, I told myself. You’ve sworn off men, remember?
I met his gaze head on. “Nashville is pretty diverse and we welcome all kinds of shifters...so long as they stay out of trouble and behave themselves,” I added, smiling.
“Oh, I behave…”
I raised my brows. It was hard to believe this sexy shifter behaved. “That’s a good thing.”
“Yeah, I behave most of the time…” he chuckled. “But what happens if I don’t?” he growled, winking at me.
“Well…I…” There was no mistaking it, this big hunky bear man was flirting with me. So, maybe he was shopping for a ring for his mom and that was very sweet...but I could tell from his sexy, bad boy appearance he was nothing but trouble. It was best to stay away.
“You know, being new to town and all, I was wondering where the hot spots are?” he looked me over slowly. “I bet a pretty girl like you knows where all the action is.”
“Ha! My action is all in my bed.”
Zane gave me a double take, a big grin widening across his face. “Well that sounds good.”
“Wha…no, I mean sleeping, not doing anything else!” I could feel my face flushing.
As I stumbled over my words, Susie came walking over to us. Susie and I had been working together at Courtland’s Gems for several years, and we’d become more than just co-workers. We were good friends.
“Your mom’s on the line. She said it’s important,” Susie laughed. “Do you think she ran out of milk?”
I rolled my eyes. Susie knew my mom all too well. “Maybe that, or she can’t find her eyeglasses, her pen ran out of ink, or a light bulb burned out.”
My mother was constantly calling me at work, and according to her it was always important. Her emergencies ranged from needing me to buy something at the grocery store, like chocolate doughnuts, to asking me if I wanted to go shopping.
“She sounds like my mom,” Zane said, grinning. “She likes to know what I’m doing all the time. When she found out I was moving to Nashville, she had to move here too, not in with me of course, but nearby. I love her, but…”
Susie shook her head. “Moms are awesome but they sure can be a pain in the butt. Should I tell her you’ll call her back later, Anne?”
Normally I would wait and call her at the end of the day, but this man was making me squirm. I could feel my resolve to swear off men weakening. I needed to stay strong, so I welcomed the chance to get away.
“Thanks, Susie. I’ll go talk to her. Will you help Mr. Harlan?”
“Just call me Zane. No need to be formal,” Zane said, eyeing me hungrily.
Damn, the way he looked at me. It sent a little shiver down my spine.
“Susie, Zane is looking for a special ring for his mother. He wants one to match a bracelet he purchased for her in Indiana last year.”
“Sure,” Susie said perkily as she eyeballed the man in front of us like he was a piece of yummy candy. “I’m happy to help.”
“Thanks, Susie.” I smiled my best professional smile. “Zane, Susie will take good care of you. I’m sure you’ll find something lovely,” I added.
“I already did,” Zane grinned as his eyes roamed my curves.
Wow, what a flirt, and so obvious about it. Well, his charisma was wasted on me. I knew all about his type—a love ‘em and leave ‘em playboy. And he could think again if he thought I was falling for his good looks and charm—totally not happening.
He could flirt with Susie instead. She was the opposite of me. We both had a lot of curves, but where I was a tall brunette with dark eyes, she was a short, voluptuous, blue-eyed blonde who could play men like a fiddle. I wished I had her self-assurance, but unless I was at work, I was shy, especially around men, and getting dumped and cheated on several times had done nothing to help bolster my confidence.
I glanced at Zane again before walking to the office to get the phone. Damn, he was just too sexy. Good thing Susie was taking care of him and I would probably never see him again. I could tell just by looking at him that he was trouble—with a capital T!