Hard To Bear by Georgette St. Clair Read Free Book Online

good enough to eat. 
    She was wearing a silky dress with a flared skirt. It dipped enticingly low at the neckline, revealing the ivory swell of her breasts.   Her curls were piled on top of her head in a delightfully messy bun; he wanted to mess her hair up even more.  
    She was talking to one of the bachelors who were up for auction, a human whose flowing black locks were slicked back with hair grease.  She laughed at something the human said, and he leaned in, staring straight down her cleavage.
    Flint fought to suppress a growl.  He didn’t like her laughing at what the man said.  Was she actually flirting back, or just being polite?  The thought of her being with the human sent a surprisingly strong surge of anger rippling through him, and he had to fight to keep his claws sheathed.
    And suddenly, Flint’s plans took a complete 180.
    He couldn’t stop thinking about her, which was clearly a problem.  The best way to get her out of his system was to have a quick fling with her.  Just a casual roll in the hay.  She wanted him too, didn’t she? He was sure he hadn’t read the signals wrong. He’d asked around, found out she’d only be here for the summer.  That was perfect. They couldn’t get emotionally attached. He was only here to fulfill his mission, and once that was done, he’d also be moving on, as he always did.
    Resisting this woman would be dangerous, he re asoned, because if she muddled his head like this, he couldn’t do his job properly.  Therefore, for the sake of national security, he needed to have sex with Coral Colby. Preferably a lot of sex. The more sex he had with her, the better chance he’d have to get her out of his system, right?
    He ignored the nagging little voice in his head which told him that one taste of her would never be enough.
    The man was still talking to Coral.  Before he could stop himself, he felt his face growing furry and his hands turned into huge paws, with long, deadly claws scything out.   Glancing around him, he took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and forced his bear back down, and his paws turned into hands again.
    The human put his hand on Coral’s arm, and Flint bit back on the growl that rumbled up from deep inside him. 
    As if Coral and he were connected by an invisible thread, as if she sensed the red hot rage emanating from his body in waves, a startled look flashed across her face and she glanced around the room and then her eyes met his.  Her eyes widened with surprise. 
    Grinning, he began to push his way through the crowd, but then the MC’s voice sounded over the loudspeaker. “Gentleman, please assemble backstage. Ladies, take your seats.”
    It took every ounce of self- control for him to turn and join the crowd of men streaming to the small side door by the side of the stage.  What he wanted to do was race across the room and tear the man who was flirting with her to pieces.
    As he turned to walk backstage, he felt a hand on his arm. It was Melinda.   She was frowning, looking downcast now.  She’d probably seen him looking at Coral.
    “Flint, you know that you should be with a bear shifter, don’t you? If you were with a shifter from some other species, you would have mixed litters. You might not even have a bear cub. You could be father to a dog or cat.”
    Flint shrugged uncomfortably.  He hadn’t really thought that far ahead, but having a wolf pup wouldn’t be so terrible.
    “That’s what your mother would want,” Melinda added, playing what she clearly thought was her trump card. “She’d want you to be with a bear.”
    “Actually, Melinda, I know my mother better than anyone, and she doesn’t have those prejudices.  She doesn’t  care whether I’m with a shifter or human, she just wants me married. If you’ll excuse me,” he said, and shook her hand off his arm, annoyed at her for trying to use his mother against him. He turned and walked towards the door that led to the back stage area.
    Coral took