Shifters of Grrr 1 (98 page)

“A bear hug?”

She waggled her fingers. “Nearly as good, come on.”

Ada fell into her friend’s embrace, all warm and soft and filled with sincerity. When they parted, she put her hands on her shorter friend’s shoulders and gazed into her startling blue eyes.

“Damn, you give good hug.”

She gave her friend a quick kiss, eying the clock on the oven. “I’d better move. I have to be at Charity HQ by eight-thirty; bright-eyed, idealistic and brimming with enthusiasm. Have you got a spare personality in your handbag you can lend me?”

“Sorry, I need that today. I’m trying to do something clever with incontinence pads…without taking the piss out of the product, if you know what I mean.”

Ada paused at the kitchen door. “Why do we do it?”

“Because we’re fabulous, and one day we’re going to catch ourselves gorgeous men who will find that in us.”

Thirty minutes later Ada sat with her forehead leaning against the window of the bus, her breath making small foggy clouds against the glass, as she watched the city pass on her way across town. If only she could forget about Ranger and that whole magical two weeks she’d had with him last summer. He’d set an impossibly high standard for any man who followed. Maybe it was time for her to lower the bar.

CHAPTER TWELVE

~RANGER~

Ranger Sachs-Severin entered the elevator, and hit the button for the private parking basement beneath his apartment building. His Auckland penthouse was massive, with sumptuous views that stretched from the Waitakere Ranges to the west, across the Waitemata harbour, to the pretty Victorian suburb of Devonport. Further east sat Rangitoto, the harbour’s dominant and dormant volcano. A further sweeping glance revealed Waiheke Island. In reasonable weather, he could see all the way to the Coromandel Peninsula, the place where he preferred to live.

The view from the top was outwardly stunning, but inside his apartment was horribly bereft of spirit and joy. Today it was one hundred and eighty-two days since he’d allowed Ada to walk away. One day he hoped he might stop counting.

The lift doors slid open to the basement parking. A few feet away, his Bentley Flying Spur idled, and his driver, Moe, stood point, albeit with little reverence, holding open the rear door.

“Good morning, Moe,” he said, sliding cautiously across the leather upholstery and settling back in his seat.

“Kia ora, Ranger.” Moe was in the driver’s seat in seconds. “Did you have a good trip?”

Ranger had only returned to New Zealand the night before from business in Vietnam. He’d arrived in late, and taken a cab from the airport, much to the chagrin of the woman in the driver’s seat. She was loyal beyond belief, taking her sense of duty to the extent that she would allow herself to be on call every hour of the day if Ranger would allow it.

Moe needed a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, but she insisted her life was fulfilled by being allowed to drive his luxury cars. For fun, she drove midget cars at the speedway tracks all over the country, giving her mad driving skills.

Not only that, she never appeared flustered by the constantly snarled Auckland traffic, and seemed to have a direct line to the parking angel when a space was required. Either the angel owed her big-time, or was terrified by Moe’s Krav Maga skills—the other
fun
in Moe’s life. Nearing the age of fifty hadn’t slowed her in the least.

“So, tell me about the ribs; broken or bruised?” she asked.

What the hell?
“What makes you think—”

“Come on,” Moe laughed, sliding the Bentley into a non-existent gap in the traffic. “The way you gingerly eased your way into the seat, that’s either ribs or haemorrhoids. I’m calling ribs, seeing as you’d never admit to having anything but that big handsome head of yours stuck up your ass.”

“Darn right there, woman.” He dropped his head back, squeezing his eyes shut in an effort to block out the cause of the injury. “Bruised ribs, maybe a crack or two, but almost healed.”

“You’re turning into a pussy in your old age.”

Ranger coughed out a laugh. “For someone with two decades on me, I’d hardly consider myself old.”

“Age is a mind concept, and your mind is broken. You’re becoming feeble. I think you need a certain woman back in your life.”

“Great, now I’m getting unpaid relationship advice from the most dedicated-to-remain-single person in the world.”

“Master Pavel and I have been working on a technique to take you down. We think we’ve done that. Want to come to Krav Maga training when those ribs have healed?”

“I’m rolling my eyes, Moe.”

“You’re chicken. You know we can do it.”

“Not if I bear-up on you.”

“Your bear is what Master Pavel wants. Your human is a pushover.”

“Said nobody ever!”

Moe snorted. “Yeah, right.” She turned the car down a narrow lane at the back of Karangahape Road, and pulled up in front of a low-rise older building that sat between funky art studios and a couple of boarded-up brothels.
 

“This is your stop, boss. Bear Protection Society is on the second floor.” In a flash, she had his door open, the speed of which made Ranger want to assign Moe her own shifter status.

He stepped out and straightened his tie. “How do I look?”

“Not my cup of tea, but I guess you’ll do.” She nudged him in the ribs causing a wave of pain to rob him of his breath.

“Ow, Moe, what was that for?”

She winked at him. “Just checking the validity of the haemorrhoid denial. See you in thirty.” He was still clutching his side working through a few cautious inhalations while he watched his car disappear up the street. Entering the building, he gave thanks Moe had only taken an elbow to him rather than shoving a finger up his backside. He wouldn’t put anything past that woman.

A group of people stood in the foyer waiting for the building’s single elevator, so Ranger opted for the stairs. As he passed the gathering, his bear rumbled. Settle, he thought, but something stopped him at the door of the stairwell.

His human side had tried to void the painful memories of a mate who didn’t want him. But his bear had quicker instincts than his human, and his extraordinary scenting skills told him his mate had recently been in this building.

Ada has been in this foyer!

Ranger’s heart sped as he glanced again over the group patiently waiting for the elevator. Certainly, with her height, if she were among them he’d easily find her.

He took the stairs two at a time and still burst through the doors of the BPS offices scarcely panting. Her scent was stronger here, and his bear rumbled with pleasure, sending inappropriate demands to his cock. He cast his gaze towards the corner of the reception area, where her scent was heavy. The room was crammed with people dressed in bear suits, making the place look like some sort of shifter-groupie convention. But he zeroed in on one person.

There she stood, alone, leaning against a wall, towering over the other women and looking for all intent, totally pissed off.

Even angry and dressed like a bear she was arresting.

One revelation six months ago had taken them from life-mates to stalemate.

Since then, he’d filled his days making the hedge fund even more successful, resolutely forcing Ada to a shadowy place in the back of his mind. His evenings and weekends he spent training with the other guys from Bear Force and taking on every mission that came his way; sadly, his bear had never stopped pining.

 
Neither had he, if he could honestly knock back his human ego and admit to it.

And today she was here.

Ada Hastings.

His mate.

There was no way to describe the way his heart leapt in his chest, robbing him of his breath, so that if he fell now at least he could end his life filled—.
 

“Mr. Sachs-Severin, is everything all right?”

Ranger fought his emotional bear into submission and acknowledged the woman trying to gain his attention.

“Of course, ah…” Hell, he’d completely zoned out there. What on earth was her name?

She held out her hand. “Claudia de Kosta, chief executive of BPS. Can I say how thrilled we are to have you here today?”

She could say what she liked; he’d found his mate!

“So very pleased to meet you, Ms. de Kosta.” He couldn’t hide his delight at this turn of events, and his irrepressible smile had an obvious effect on the chief executive.

“Please, call me Claudia,” she said, her spare hand fluttering towards her throat.

“Claudia, of course. It’s my pleasure to be here.”

The woman was slight but remarkably strong, and he had to tug his hand free from her grip. Ada was still in the corner, head bowed, studying the tip of her shoe. What the hell was she doing here, dressed as a bear?

Ranger cast a worried look around the room to see if there were any other shifters trying to make a move on her. He had always been concerned that since Ada attracted him, she would carry the necessary essence to appeal to other shifters. The place seemed clear, and he relaxed.

“…so if you could give them a little pep talk…”

He swung his attention back to Claudia. “Yes, of course.”
 

“It will give the volunteers an enormous boost to know they have the backing of such an eligible…
ahem
…such a successful businessman. I’m sure they’ll try extra hard to squeeze gold coins from the people on the street knowing Sachs-Severin Funds are matching their efforts, dollar for dollar.”

A bit vulgar, but whatever. He waited as Claudia called for the attention of the bizarrely assembled group. His bear was fighting to break through, trying to make him claim Ada, to the extent that he could scarcely concentrate on Claudia’s introduction while he forced the bear back.
 

He began his prepared speech. His skin prickled with the effort of the aroused bear trying to push a shift. Ada’s head snapped up at the sound of his voice, making eye contact, acknowledging she knew he was there. It was all he could do not to run to her.

He huffed a breath of relief, the recognition and eye contact enough to force his bear into a reluctant retreat. One long shuddering inhalation and he was able to hold Ada’s gaze, even though her emotions were hidden, and finish his pep talk.

“Thank you, Mr. Sachs-Severin, and we wish you well in promoting our street fundraising campaign on Aotearoa Television’s
Top of the Morning.
”

Claudia led the volunteers in a round of enthusiastic applause which Ranger noticed was not amplified by Ada. She was scowling like a five-year-old who’d been promised no ice cream unless she ate her spinach.

Until being reminded he was due to leave for the slot on morning television, he’d planned to corner her. Already Ada was making her way to the exit, the head of her bear costume hanging limply from her hand like a badly-played football. Still, she looked fabulous among the rest of the volunteers.

She was getting away from him, and Ranger’s attempt to follow was thwarted by the return of Claudia’s impressively tight clutch at his sleeve.
 

“Before you go… I wanted to suggest that it might help the cause if you took one of the costumed volunteer bucket-rattlers with you on the television spot. It would give viewers an idea of who to watch out for during collection on the streets this Friday.”

He jerked himself from her grasp. “Sure,” he threw back at her. He’d agree to anything if she’d just let him catch Ada before the elevator she’d summoned stopped on their floor.

“May I suggest Andrea?”

Hell, she was getting away. “Ada!” Ranger shouted, trying to stop his mate.

“No, Andrea Collinson. She’s our most experienced bear bucket-babe. This is her fifth year…”

Bear bucket-babe? Fuck me!
“What?” he asked, immediately regretting the terse tone of his voice.

“Andrea would be perfect.” Claudia gave the Andrea woman a little shove so that she now stood, blocking Ranger from the lift. This bucket-babe was so thin her costume hung off her making her look emaciated, as if she’d come out of hibernation having not stored enough food for winter. He noticed the others in the room appeared much the same. Except Ada. She looked perfect.

The elevator had stopped, the doors sliding along their tracks then stuttering slightly before the great gaping maw of the metal box that would take his mate away completely opened.

“Stop, Ada,” Ranger called, breaking his mate’s concentration just enough to allow the doors to shudder closed again, and the elevator car to make its pedantic journey to the next floor. He heaved out a breath and shoved past the two women who eagerly awaited his decision on his television appearance partner. In a few quick strides Ranger arrived alongside Ada, the two women still waiting for his answer annoyingly close on his heels.
 

“Ada, Christ…wait…stop.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

~ADA~

Ada tried to hide her disdain when she was handed an oversized bear costume. The others in the room—about forty or so, mainly women—were eager and hyped, giggling about dressing as bears for a day.