Blind Date With A Bear (A BBW Paranormal Romance) (3 page)

“Been in a bar?”

“No, been on a blind date with a bear.”

CHAPTER TWO

Oh, she was so in trouble now. It had taken Deb over a month to convince Paige she should go out with her brother. When she’d finally said yes about a week ago, their schedules had prevented a date, at least that’s what Deb told her. More than likely Quinn had said no and it had taken Deb a week to convince her brother a blind date with the chubby girl from the office was a good idea. As it was, he’d chosen to go out on a Wednesday night, not the usual day of the week for a hot date.

Over the past month, she’d seen a lot of pictures of Deb’s family, including her hunky brothers. Deb was the oldest of four siblings. There was a younger sister, then Quinn and twin brothers. In the photos, Paige had always been drawn to Quinn, even though all of the Blackwood siblings were drop dead gorgeous. Deb and her sister were two of the most beautiful women Paige had ever seen. Extra curves and all.

Paige…well Paige wasn’t the prettiest bloom in the bunch, but she wasn’t exactly a weed either. Sexual impulses—like those engulfing her right now—did not overtake her very often. Not because she didn’t want sex. Cause she did. But she wanted hot, sweaty, you-make-me-wild sex.

The two men she’d had sex with had proven less than satisfying in that department. That was why she’d been so reluctant to start dating again. Plus, it was difficult to meet men in a new city. She’d moved to Georgia when the firm Deb worked for had enticed her away from her previous employer. It had been time to move. The relationship with her last boyfriend had ended on a sour note and she needed a fresh start.

So what made Quinn the living, breathing embodiment of her ideal man?

First, he was big. Tall, broad shouldered with a trim, fantastic body—hey, big girls appreciated a fine specimen of manhood, same as the next girl. His bone structure was to die for. High cheekbones, a firm chin, and a wide brow. Native American had to be part of the bear shifter DNA. Riveting brown eyes, a mouth both firm and sensuous set in a well-shaped head and topped with sun-kissed brown hair was icing on the cake so to speak. She sighed. If he was this gorgeous in his human form, his bear must be downright beautiful.

He was blatantly male, strong, self-confident, determined, and even a bit arrogant. What male shifter wasn’t?

Quinn interested her, excited her. But did she want something he couldn’t give her?

Deb had hinted that Quinn was looking for a serious relationship. Despite her friend’s encouragement, Paige knew shifters didn’t do relationships, they mated. They knew who their mate was as soon as they met them, or scented them. Quinn had given no indication that Paige was his true mate. If he had, wouldn’t he have slung her over his shoulder and carried her off to the nearest bed?

Oh, how would it feel to be this man’s chosen mate? This time her sigh was on the dramatic side and his eyebrow arched. To prevent another slip, she grabbed another roll and broke off a huge hunk. She lathered it with butter. Might as well make the most of the meal. It didn’t appear she’d be feasting on rock hard bear shifter anytime in the near future.

He’d ended the call by the time she’d popped the piece of bread in her mouth. He quickly grabbed her hand. “Honey butter. My favorite.”

She grinned at him. “Really? A bear who likes honey, who would have thunk?”

He licked her hand where a small amount of butter had fallen. Her sarcasm dried up at the first swipe of his tongue over the pad of her thumb. If someone were to have asked her how she felt at that very moment, she would have described the sensations as arrows of heat striking her womb and setting it on fire.

No, she wasn’t Quinn’s destined mate. Looking at him across the table, she decided that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy him while he searched. It was time to learn to be…if not bad, maybe a little naughty. Her pussy tingled as he licked away the rest of the butter. Or a lot naughty.

“Let’s dance,” he said once he’d cleaned her fingers with his talented tongue. Well, he didn’t so much ask as ordered. The restaurant sported a bar and dining area along with a nice sized dance floor. One corner of the large room housed a small stage where a live country and western band played the latest hits.

Paige looked at Quinn, hesitant to accept his offer. She really wanted to dance. The thought of his arms around her warred with the knowledge that she’d be exposed to everyone’s scrutiny on the dance floor. On display, something big girls avoided at all costs. Well, at least this big girl avoided it. He didn’t give her a chance to say no. Helping her from the booth, he led her to the dance floor with his strong hand beneath her elbow.

“I’m not much of a dancer,” she protested. He stopped when he reached a darkened
corner and turned, wrapping her securely in his arms. Paige hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until it slid out in a long, slow sigh at the feel of his tall body pressed against hers. Her whole body went soft, sinking into his hardness.

“No worries, I’ll teach you all you need to know.”

Paige’s eyes widened ever so slightly and Quinn didn’t know if it was in reaction to the double entendre or the massive erection poking her soft belly with the strength of a metal pipe. He hadn’t been this turned on in years. He allowed himself a smile as he felt the rapid beating of her heart against the palm of his hand where he caressed her back. He wasn’t the only one affected by their closeness.

The first song was a lively tune and he knew he surprised her with his expert dips and twists. Quinn didn’t display any of his animal-in-the-wild’s large and clumsy movements. All shifters moved with an inherent grace. It was still early in the evening so the dance floor wasn’t crowded. There was plenty of room for a bear to show his girl some of his moves. Her eyes beamed with delight when the song ended.

“That wasn’t what I expected,” she laughed.

“What did you expect? The
Moon Walk
?”

“Well, it would have been appropriate. You are a shifter,” she glanced at him through her long lashes, a teasing look on her face. Man, the woman was sweet.

“Yeah, but I’m not a damn wolf shifter. Bears aren’t harnessed by the moon, love. We have complete power over our animals.”

The music changed and the band switched to a slow, languid ballad. Her laughter faded as he gathered her closer. They both groaned when she bumped against him. His erection hadn’t abated during the last dance. If anything, it had grown bigger. Her softness was a warm, shimmering heat along his front. He couldn’t wait to get her alone and naked and wet. Her scent held a slight trace of fear and he cursed himself. Too fast, Quinn, you’re moving too fast.

No, you’re not
, his bear complained. It was so close to the surface he could feel the warmth of the animal’s breath.
Faster, faster
, it urged.

He adjusted his hold, allowing her to pull away and put some space between them. Both man and beast disliked the idea that the woman might be frightened, no matter how horny they were. He moved slowly, guiding her around the dance floor. As arousal slowly replaced the smell of fear, he tightened every muscle in his body, striving for control.

His hands ached to cup her bottom, to feel the heaviness of her body. Her tension eased and he placed both hands on the upper curves of her hip. When she didn’t protest the intimate touch, he squeezed the ripe flesh, letting his fingers splay, his hands cradle the impressive width. That earned him a small feminine glare. He didn’t know if it was because of his intimate touch or where he caressed her. He knew some women were self-conscious of their curves. She’d have to get use to him gripping her hips because he planned on burying himself inside her from behind on many, many occasions.

He wasn’t surprised that when the song ended she tugged at his wrists until he moved his hands. He was grateful she’d allowed his touch as long as she had. Entwining his fingers with hers, he moved them off the dance floor and back to their booth. He knew he was overwhelming her. That his bear, still hidden inside, was overwhelming her. He had a feeling if he let her go completely she would take the first opportunity and run out the front door.

Paige followed Quinn as he led her from the dance floor, her heart still hammering in her chest. She was in such deep shit. Without even trying, the man was turning her into a mass of need. She hadn’t protested when his hands had skimmed over her sides and grabbed a handful of her ass. Never had she liked a man’s hand on her body where he could feel the overabundant rolls of flesh, but she’d been a minute away from begging him to caress each and every one of them.

Their appetizers had arrived while they were gone along with another glass of wine and a bottle of beer. “Uh, shouldn’t you sit on your side of the booth?” she asked when she slid into her side of the booth and Quinn followed closely behind her.

“It’s too lonely over there, darlin’. I like it much better over here.”

“But it’s crowded.” Paige nudged his shoulder with hers, hoping he’d take the hint. There was too much of him, way too close to her. His thigh bumped against hers and she forgot to breathe. She was drowning, drowning in the uncharacteristic lust flooding through her. She wished she had the courage to rip open her blouse and offer herself to him as the first course. The air was thick with longing. Mostly hers, she guessed. Though by the way he was looking at her, some could be his.

“That’s all right, I’ll just eat one-handed.” He put his big arm on the rear of the booth, its massive size hanging over the edge and rubbing against her shoulders. “I can do a lot of things one handed.”

He winked again and Paige’s panties got a little wetter thinking about what he did one handed. She glanced at his lap and saw the large bulge that was still there. Dang, he was big. Would it take both of her hands to wrap around his width?

Even though she wasn’t Quinn’s fated mate, it didn’t mean the bear shifter might not be interested in having a little fun with her. His sister had said he wanted to dip his toes into the relationship waters while trying to find his mate. And she needed someone to help rebuild her self-confidence after her last boyfriend. Maybe they could help each other.

Paige’s heart hadn’t been broken. Just severely bruised by the last man she’d been in a relationship with. When they had hit it off so well, she’d thought he might have been
the one
. She’d even been willing to overlook the fact that the sex was nothing to write home about. Being a realist, she couldn’t blame a man for not wanting her as passionately as she’d always dreamed someone would. That kind of passion belonged to those thin, skinny blondes. Something Paige would never be, and, frankly, didn’t want to be. She was quite happy with her size and shape, she just had a few insecurities about certain parts of her body.

That didn’t mean she wanted a passionless relationship, which was why she’d said goodbye to Dave. That and the fact that he turned out to be a complete ass wipe. He’d left her owing two months back rent and cleaned out their joint savings account. Not to mention he’d been
Facebooking other women the entire time they’d been together. The trifecta of loser boyfriend behavior.

Watching the flex of Quinn’s thigh as he settled in beside her, she thought what better way to get back in the game than with a gorgeous hunk of a bear shifter? Who, she was pretty sure wouldn’t turn down the chance to take a willing woman to bed, even if he was on the prowl for a mate. He was still a male, and Paige was more than willing.

Quinn filled out his pants like there was no tomorrow and the damn man practically oozed charm. Charming and sexy was just what she needed. Even if it wasn’t exactly what she wanted. Scratch that. She did want sexy and charming—just long term.

When she’d agreed to allow Deb to help her get back into the dating game, Paige hadn’t confided in her friend that she wanted more out of a relationship than a casual hookup. She certainly hadn’t told her that she had the
hots for her little brother. Paige smothered a grin. There was nothing little about Quinn Blackwood. Remembering the feel of his hardened cock against her stomach, she suppressed a moan and prayed the wetness seeping from her pussy didn’t seep through her pants. Her panties were already wet.

Feeling the heat radiating from his body and inhaling the fragrance of forest, wind, and rain, Paige decided to let fate run its course. If it ended with a rollicking good time, then more power to her, the curvy girl. If it ended with a chaste kiss on the cheek, then she would say
que sera, sera
and move along. She really hoped it didn’t end that way.

“Hey, what put that frown on your face, darling?”

“Nothing,” she shook her head, shaking away the memories of a failed relationship and the expectations of a new one. Quinn was the best blind date—the best date period—that Paige had ever had.

Quinn had ordered two appetizers, unsure what Paige would like. He dipped a homemade tortilla chip into the spinach and artichoke dip and held it to her lips.

“W
hat–”

The moment she opened her mouth, he gently pushed the food inside. “Eat.”

Her eyes snapped at him before she took a bite. A dollop of the dip clung to the corner of her mouth and her small pink tongue wiped it away. He crammed the rest of the chip into his mouth before he did something stupid. Like order her on her knees to lick his cock. Man, was he obsessing about that or what? But what red-blooded male wouldn’t be?