Montana Wild Bears: Books 1-4 Bundle (BBW Paranormal Werebear Shape Shifter Romance Boxed Set) by Anya Nowlan Read Free Book Online Page B

never been afraid of what could lurk in the dark and the peculiar rustlings and chirps soothed her more than anything. Tess leant back on her elbows, unzipping the front of her jacket as the cold seeped from her bones and her feet took the welcomed break. It had been a long, hard day, but she was in the best possible company, and the evening was turning out to be just about perfect.
    Well, I could think of ways to make this even better, she mused to herself, grinning wickedly.
     
    Jackson caught her smile and raised his thick brows at her, stirring the beans with one hand.
    “And what amuses the scientist so? What’s on your mind?” he asked, a note of teasing in his tone. He had turned out to be quite the sarcastic joker, and Tess was still mulling over whether it was one of her favorite traits about him or not. Next to his hunky body and breathtaking eyes, anyway.
    “Oh, you know, just thinking about how the day has gone so far. I’m glad you took me here, Jackson,” she said, looking up at him and allowing the sharpness to fall from her smile. He was a good man and deserved proper gratitude. Jackson smiled back at her, breaking the pile of steaming beans into two cups.
     
    “You’re welcome. Just so you know, you still have to climb down from here tomorrow, and just as quickly as you got up.” She accepted a mug of beans and dug in with the ravenous hunger of a woman who had done a honest day’s labor, even if it was just walking with a heavy load on her back. Tess murmured with satisfaction as the hot mouthful went down her throat, filling her with physical warmth where Jackson’s company hadn’t managed to do so already. She had learned to live with the fact that she was just about constantly aroused around him, though she was more than certain that she had missed a bunch of details in her work due to the giant, bulging, sexy… ahem, the man’s presence.
     
    “So, you asked about my love life, but I never got to return the favor. Is someone waiting for you back at home, Tess?” he asked, rinsing out the pot and setting it back on the flame with some water for tea before digging into his dinner. Tess’s gray eyes went wide with surprise, almost choking on a mouthful of the beans, before managing to press it down. She shook her head quickly, trying to hide her astonishment at the question. Jackson had been more than politically correct so far with asking about her social life and her life back home. Apparently the starry skies and fresh air allowed even the secretive and reserved ranger to let loose his curiosity.
     
    “No, no! I mean, not really. My dog’s with my mom and I think Buck is the only one who misses me. I’m sure he’s spoilt rotten now, though,” she said, thankful for the scant light for hiding the blush that crept on her cheeks. “Do you mind being stuck in the woods with an untaken woman?” she asked, teasing him to hide her mortification. When he shook his head, Tess almost sighed with relief. It was like a rock fell from her chest and her heart could beat with wild expectation again. She could hardly keep from fidgeting with excitement, her body bubbling with hot arousal.
     
    Jackson let a pause linger between them, Tess positively buzzing next to him. He set down his tin of dinner and Tess watched him stare into the fire for a while, his face wracked with contemplation. She finished her food and straightened up a bit, curling her legs under her body next to him. The young scientist hadn’t even noticed that she had been staring at his solemn face until he turned to look at her, catching her by surprise. Tess felt her core tighten and twist and a tremble go through her as he considered her with his brown eyes, locking them with hers. Her breath caught in her chest and she thought she would pass out if he didn’t say something soon. The tension had been turned up from the usual four that lingered between them to a sizzling nine, and it was messing with Tess’s