Big Sexy Bear by Terry Bolryder Read Free Book Online
Authors: Terry Bolryder
now, she was feeling happy. Well rested. Well fed.
Ready to be loved.
But what was he thinking? She was on the run. Scared for her life. He needed to drop her back at home, get in touch with Hades, and start getting info on the man chasing them.
He didn’t have enough info yet though. When she pushed her pie away, sighing as if she wished there were more of it, he laughed and waved down Belle to order another. Who knew how long she’d been living on a fast food diet?
“Man, you must not have gotten much on the road,” he said.
She looked down, and he instantly regretted mentioning it. “No,” she said. “I admit I wanted to save what we had for Mac.”
“You mean there wasn’t enough for both of you?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Dammit,” he said. “Katrina, you’re breaking my heart.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, sitting back in the booth, blinking her big brown eyes at him. “How can my life break your heart? It doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
“You really think so?” he asked, reaching out and capturing her hand with his, cradling it inside his big palm, covering and keeping it safe like he wanted to do with her. “You really think your life doesn’t have anything to do with me?”
She gulped as she stared back at him, and he could feel the temperature rising in the room around them.
He squeezed her hand gently, running his thumb along the top of hers. “Can’t you feel it, Katrina?” he asked in a low voice as her eyes dipped to his lips. Bingo. “You can, can’t you?”
She pulled her hand back, flushing deeply. “I can feel that you’re an attractive man, and you’re being nice to me. And the sleep and the food are all going to my head… And the kiss and the compliments.”
He nodded, happy about that.
“But in a few days, I’m going to drive out of town, and you’ll be left with the pieces. If I give you much more of me, I’ll be broken when I leave.”
He caught both of her hands this time, leaning over the table. It was sunny outside, and the little trees lining the street leaned in the summer breeze. “What if I don’t want you to leave? What if I could tell you right now that you’re it for me and I knew it from the moment I met you?”
She frowned. “Then I’d say fairytales don’t come true and you were trying to get in my pants.”
He sat back with a huff, running this hand through his hair and thoroughly ruffling it. Apparently, humans weren’t so big on the love at first sight thing. But that’s all it was for bears. They knew their mate quickly and never wanted another woman after.
“Why can’t you stay?” he asked.
“I don’t want to look over my shoulder,” she said.
“It sounds like you would be no matter where you went.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Where we’re going, I hope not.”
“What if I made it safe for you to stay though?” he said. “Would you consider me then, Katrina?”
“I don’t know anything about you,” she said, blinking up at him. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to, in so little time.”
“It can’t hurt to try,” he said. “For the next couple days, let me woo you. Take you out. See if you can get to know me a little better.”
“What about Mac?” she asked.
“Don’t you think he’ll be happy with Maude? It’s been a while since she’s had kids in the house, and she’s happy. I can tell.”
“Plus, she’s been trying to match-make us ever since she met me,” Katrina grumbled.
Ares grinned. “She has?”
Katrina nodded.
“Good woman,” he said, standing to help Katrina out of the booth. “All right, let’s get that extra pie we ordered and head back. I have a job I have to go out to for a few hours today, and you can get some rest or spend time with Mac.”
“Do I need to talk with the guy at the shop? It’s my car after all,” she said.
“Nope,” he said, tucking her arm into his as they left the restaurant with a wave at Belle and stepped into
Ready to be loved.
But what was he thinking? She was on the run. Scared for her life. He needed to drop her back at home, get in touch with Hades, and start getting info on the man chasing them.
He didn’t have enough info yet though. When she pushed her pie away, sighing as if she wished there were more of it, he laughed and waved down Belle to order another. Who knew how long she’d been living on a fast food diet?
“Man, you must not have gotten much on the road,” he said.
She looked down, and he instantly regretted mentioning it. “No,” she said. “I admit I wanted to save what we had for Mac.”
“You mean there wasn’t enough for both of you?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Dammit,” he said. “Katrina, you’re breaking my heart.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, sitting back in the booth, blinking her big brown eyes at him. “How can my life break your heart? It doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
“You really think so?” he asked, reaching out and capturing her hand with his, cradling it inside his big palm, covering and keeping it safe like he wanted to do with her. “You really think your life doesn’t have anything to do with me?”
She gulped as she stared back at him, and he could feel the temperature rising in the room around them.
He squeezed her hand gently, running his thumb along the top of hers. “Can’t you feel it, Katrina?” he asked in a low voice as her eyes dipped to his lips. Bingo. “You can, can’t you?”
She pulled her hand back, flushing deeply. “I can feel that you’re an attractive man, and you’re being nice to me. And the sleep and the food are all going to my head… And the kiss and the compliments.”
He nodded, happy about that.
“But in a few days, I’m going to drive out of town, and you’ll be left with the pieces. If I give you much more of me, I’ll be broken when I leave.”
He caught both of her hands this time, leaning over the table. It was sunny outside, and the little trees lining the street leaned in the summer breeze. “What if I don’t want you to leave? What if I could tell you right now that you’re it for me and I knew it from the moment I met you?”
She frowned. “Then I’d say fairytales don’t come true and you were trying to get in my pants.”
He sat back with a huff, running this hand through his hair and thoroughly ruffling it. Apparently, humans weren’t so big on the love at first sight thing. But that’s all it was for bears. They knew their mate quickly and never wanted another woman after.
“Why can’t you stay?” he asked.
“I don’t want to look over my shoulder,” she said.
“It sounds like you would be no matter where you went.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Where we’re going, I hope not.”
“What if I made it safe for you to stay though?” he said. “Would you consider me then, Katrina?”
“I don’t know anything about you,” she said, blinking up at him. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to, in so little time.”
“It can’t hurt to try,” he said. “For the next couple days, let me woo you. Take you out. See if you can get to know me a little better.”
“What about Mac?” she asked.
“Don’t you think he’ll be happy with Maude? It’s been a while since she’s had kids in the house, and she’s happy. I can tell.”
“Plus, she’s been trying to match-make us ever since she met me,” Katrina grumbled.
Ares grinned. “She has?”
Katrina nodded.
“Good woman,” he said, standing to help Katrina out of the booth. “All right, let’s get that extra pie we ordered and head back. I have a job I have to go out to for a few hours today, and you can get some rest or spend time with Mac.”
“Do I need to talk with the guy at the shop? It’s my car after all,” she said.
“Nope,” he said, tucking her arm into his as they left the restaurant with a wave at Belle and stepped into