Bear to the End (Bear Claw Security Book 5) by Terry Bolryder Read Free Book Online

moved hair back from her face. His thumb lightly grazed her ear. She looked up at him, gaping at how one male touch could feel so terrible and another could warm her right down to her soul. She started to lean into his touch, but then she saw him reach down and unbuckle his seatbelt and then hers.
    Then he pulled her into his arms.
    And that’s when the tears came. Thick and wet and loud, as if she’d never allowed herself to cry before. She let herself think of Clay, of how terrified he’d made her during so many standoffs, of how afraid she still was when she thought of him. Of how he’d changed her life, added fear where there wasn’t any, and made it hard to trust anyone.
    Even though it was easier than she would have thought with someone like Mark.
    “It’s okay to cry,” he said soothingly, running a hand lightly over her back. His hands were wrapped gently around her, nothing inappropriate, just a warm, protective barrier shielding her from the world.
    She didn’t know how she would get along without him once the job was over.
    “I don’t know,” she said. “It’s just being in that position, feeling so weak again, feeling fear freeze me up… I feel so worthless. He made me feel worthless,” she choked out. “I swear I used to feel stronger. But when you’ve been overpowered so many times…”
    He growled low in his chest and held her closer for a moment. She could hear his heart beating just as hard as hers. Then she pulled back to look into his eyes. The blue there was uncharacteristically dark.
    “You aren’t worthless. You’re beautiful and strong and the best woman I know.”
    She choked out a laugh. “You don’t seem like you know a lot of women.”
    “I actually know quite a few good ones. But for me, you’re head and shoulders above them all. Though I’m sure my co-workers would say the same about their mates.”
    Her mouth dropped. “Mates?”
    He bit his lip. “I just mean the only women I know are my co-worker’s mates, to be honest. That’s all.”
    She sighed in relief. “Yeah, I guess they would say that, then.”
    He cupped the back of her head with one big, warm hand. “Yeah. But seriously, don’t ever feel worthless. If you do, just tell me and I’ll tell you how gorgeous and special you are.”
    She looked up at him warily. “Those don’t really sound like the words of a bodyguard.”
    He pulled back from her and sat up, his blond hair mussed, his posture rigid. He shot a sideways look at her once, then twice, and then sighed and put his hands through his hair. “Here’s the thing… I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t say this.”
    “What?” she asked, feeling a tingle of anticipation.
    “I just… From the moment I met you, I haven’t really been looking at you like a bodyguard. I mean, don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything you don’t want. If you want, I’ll be one hundred percent professional all the time. But yeah… I guess I have kind of a crush on you…?”
    His handsome, carved face looked almost boyish. She was a woman in her thirties, and this gorgeous, protective man had a crush on her?
    It was too sweet to be offended by, even if she was his client.
    “I… That’s sweet of you,” she said, putting a hand over her chest and wondering how she really felt about it. When she thought about it, about being with him, something about it felt really right.
    Especially after he’d protected her and shown himself to be a good man.
    “Sweet?” He scoffed. “Sweet isn’t exactly how I want to be thought of, but I’ll take it. How do you feel?”
    She squirmed in her chair and looked out the window, realizing that during this conversation, a lot of her stress had left her body and her nerves were tingling from another reason. “I… don’t know what you mean.”
    He gently guided her face to look at him, and she felt blood rush into her cheeks. She loved his touch, so tender, so soft and comforting and warm. She loved looking at him but