One in a Bear-llion (Polar Heat Book 3) Read online

  His bear rumbled in a low growl, and he told it to shut up. “Something going on at home?” he asked.

  She shrugged, not eager to talk about it. But he knew deep down a part of him wouldn’t let it go until he found out what was bothering the small, luscious woman.

  She wasn’t his mate. It just didn’t sit right with him to see females mistreated or afraid.

  “So your wrist? Too much painting?”

  She opened her mouth in surprise and then nodded. Damn, she really was hiding something. He shifted in his seat, suddenly eager to get her to trust him with what was bothering her.

  Which was laughable given how he treated her so far. Like something that was in his way.

  “So anyway, is there a shop around here where I could buy a swimsuit?” she asked.

  “Sure,” he said, taking a turn that took them into a small tourist town. He pulled up in front of a shop that displayed brightly colored swimwear in the store window, and she got out before he could get over to open her door.

  Fine, then.

  He opened the door to the shop at least, and she walked in under his arm.

  The store was relatively empty. Most people were already out on the beach. A bored-looking clerk glanced up from the magazine he was reading to greet them, and Scott gave him a polite wave.

  It was easy to be polite to strangers.

  Mara went straight to a rack of swimsuits and started leafing through them. She pulled several extremely modest swim dresses off the rack, all in solid colors like black or dark blue with some kind of spandex wrap in front, and started for the dressing room.

  He frowned, imagining how the suits would disguise her beautiful curves.

  He was pleased when she stopped to look at a mannequin in a bright, happy-colored bikini in shades of turquoise and orange and pink that would look amazing against her skin. But to his chagrin, she shook her head and went into the dressing room.

  Now, that just wouldn’t do.

  * * *

  Mara struggled to pull on the tight, full coverage, one-piece swimsuit she was used to wearing back home. She wished she was brave enough to wear the beautiful, colorful bikini she’d seen on the mannequin outside.

  She looked in the mirror and frowned at the black suit. It fit. That was about all she could say about it. What would the man outside think?

  She shook her head. That shouldn’t matter. He was attracted to her now that she was putting herself on show for him, but he was still probably going to go back to treating her like she was a pain in the ass when the day was over.

  She couldn’t get attached. Even though she’d badly wanted to confide in him when he’d poked to find out what was bothering her.

  But she had to remind herself that, despite his godlike good looks and perfect blue eyes and that tight, hard body, too tall in the suits he always wore, he was only doing his job. Nothing more.

  She came out to see him just finishing ringing up at the counter. He took a black bag from the clerk and turned to her with a grin. It caught her off guard.

  “Find something you like?” he asked, holding the bag at his side.

  “Sure,” she said, handing the black swimsuit to the clerk. At least they’d be going in the ocean soon. She was looking forward to being out in the tropical sunlight and beautiful weather.

  Outside in general—and safe. How long had it been since that had happened?

  “Did you get a suit, too?” she asked, taking her purchase from the clerk and holding it against her.

  “Mine’s in my duffle bag.”

  She looked in the backseat as they got back in the car. “Ah.”

  “I packed it last night after work so we wouldn’t have to waste time before heading out. Which was good because you were late,” he said. His tone was half chiding, half teasing, and she turned up her chin as he started the car and continued to give her amused looks.

  Just because he could be charming when he wanted to, it didn’t mean she had to cave to him.

  Though, she had to admit it was very hard not to.

  “So I noticed you passed up the bikini for the one-piece. What’s that about?”

  “I like one-pieces,” she grumbled, which was a total lie.

  “Doesn’t it make it harder to pee?” he asked. “I mean, you have to strip off the whole thing.”

  Her face burned with a flush and she pinned him with an offended glare. “Excuse me?”

  He waved a hand. “Sorry, I see a lot of swimsuits throughout the day. It always seemed to me that two-pieces look infinitely more comfortable.”

  “Well, this one will be more… flattering.”

  He scoffed. “By hiding you?”

  She gaped at him. Was he really suggesting she should wear less? Wasn’t he the who wanted to keep this all business?

  She wouldn’t let herself hope for a connection like she had when she first saw him from the balcony of her hotel suite.

  She’d had fantasies about him when she found out he would be the one to show her around and keep track of her during the week. Who wouldn’t fantasize about spending time with a man like that?

  But he’d quickly doused those fantasies with his attitude, and even though he was behaving now, she knew he could easily flip back to his other, grumpier self. At least if she expected it, it wouldn’t hurt her feelings when it happened.

  She wasn’t sure what happened to change his mood so much, but he was humming happily to the radio as they drove.

  When he stopped, she looked out to see a path that led out to a wide, long beach with pale, soft sand. People dotted along it, relaxing on towels or running into the pale blue-green water that matched Scott’s eyes.

  She wondered if everyone in his family had those amazing eyes.

  He grabbed her shopping bag from the back, along with his duffle, and led her toward a small building that housed bathrooms where she could change. “See you in a bit,” he said, handing her the bag and disappearing into the men’s side.

  She sighed and reached in, ready to pull out that stiff swimsuit and start the arduous task of putting it on, but when her hands touched something soft, she gasped and pulled out the bikini she’d admired on the mannequin.

  She turned it over. Her size. How had he known? Why would he go to all that trouble for someone he clearly didn’t want to be around?

  The man was a mystery. But the longer she held the soft material in her hands, the more she wanted to put it on.

  She was a beautiful woman and she deserved to wear pretty things and feel happy in the water. She turned it over to look at the tag and winced. Expensive. Perhaps he was apologizing for being rude before.

  Or perhaps he was being pervy and wanted to see her in it. That thought was kind of exciting. A man like that wanting to see her in such a colorful bikini.

  She grinned and put it on, tying the sides tightly in double knots. Then she picked up her towel and slung it over her shoulder. She put a hand on the door handle, took a deep breath, and then walked out into the sun to face him.

  3

  Holy shit, she was gorgeous.

  The bikini was worth every penny. Not just because it put every bit of her amazing hourglass on display for his hungry eyes, but because she was wearing a shy smile that said she enjoyed wearing it even though she’d been too shy to purchase it for herself.

  She flounced in front of him down the beach after handing him her bag, now filled with her clothes, for him to put in the car. He hurried to do so and then put up the top and locked the car quickly so he could follow after his curvy little goddess.

  Damn, the longer he spent in her presence, the more he had this urge to just follow her around. To not let her out of his sight.

  It was those stupid protective instincts.

  No, that wasn’t entirely it, because he also wanted to make her happy. Wanted her to have the swimsuit she wanted. He scratched his head as he carried their lunch and an umbrella down to the beach.

  It was crowded with familie
s today. He picked a good spot, set things up, and kept his eyes on her all the time.

  It was like he kept expecting something to happen, but he didn’t know what.

  She was looking out at the ocean with folded arms. Damn, he loved the look of her from the back too. Those curvy arms, that luscious waist he longed to take in his hands. Those wide hips that could accommodate him just right.

  Her fruity scent blew toward him. It must just be the pheromones, he reassured himself.

  But he couldn’t say for sure. She pulled her hair out of its knot and let it blow in the wind. Her ass looked amazing in the little bikini bottom. She was sumptuous; there was no other word for it.

  And when she looked over her shoulder with a shy little grin, he almost ran over and picked her up to ravish her right then.

  Instead, he flexed one hand into a tight fist and then released it. Get a hold of yourself, man.

  She walked over to him. “Aren’t we going to swim?”

  “Sure,” he said. “If you like.”

  Oh damn. The thought of her wet in that bikini made him instantly hard, and he strode toward the ocean quickly, hoping to get in before she noticed the effect she had on him. She was a shy little thing, and he didn’t need to make her more nervous than she already seemed.

  * * *

  Mara grinned as she watched Scott walk away. The man had an ass that didn’t quit.

  And he wanted her. That was obvious. For the first time in a long time, she had male attention that was fun and exciting rather than terrifying and awful.

  She shook away thoughts of the man that had made the last three years of her life utter hell and followed Scott out into the water.

  His body looked even better half naked than it did in a suit, rippling muscles from his wide shoulders to his tapered waist and powerful legs. His strides were so much longer than hers. When she got to the spot where the waves broke, she realized he was going to have a much easier time of this than she was.

  When she was about waist deep, a wave crashed on them. He easily walked through it, but it took her down. She held her breath as she was swirled in the sandy water.

  Then strong arms caught and pulled her up, and she looked into Scott’s surprised blue eyes.

  He set her on her feet.

  “Sorry, I didn’t think the waves would get you. They generally aren’t bad here.”

  She scoffed. “Maybe not when you’re six feet six, but when you’re five feet two…”

  She trailed off as she saw his eyes twinkling in amusement. She tried to stomp ahead of him into the waves, only to get knocked back again. He laughed and caught her under her arms.

  “If we’re going to get out to the calm part of the water, I guess we’re going to need to change our approach.”

  Before she could ask what he meant, he’d scooped her up in his arms and was holding her against his wet, slick chest. She could feel every muscle and loved the feel of her curves against his firmness.

  He lifted her to easily pass through the waves, and when they got to the gentle swells, it was only slightly too deep for her to touch. He set her down, and she treaded water.

  “Damn, you can’t touch here either?” he asked. “You are small.”

  She sputtered, but he laughed, taking the sting out of the comment.

  “Nothing wrong with that, though,” he said, teasing. “I like ‘em small and curvy.”

  “That has nothing to do with me,” she scoffed. “After all, you’re just my guide, and a reluctant one at that.”

  “I’m growing less reluctant the longer I see you in that swimsuit,” he said.

  She felt blood rush into her face and treaded water facing away from him. She didn’t know if she was trying to hide her irritation or the fact that knowing he thought she was beautiful aroused her, but either way, it always felt like he had the upper hand if he knew what she was feeling.

  For a while, they just rose and fell with the waves. She floated on her back, and he kept an eye out.

  She couldn’t help but notice how safe she felt and how good that feeling was.

  She knew Scott was just doing what his dad had assigned him to do, but she felt comforted nonetheless. She sort of wished she could stay on this island forever. It’d be so much harder for her stalker to reach her here.

  And having a family of tough polar bear shifters around didn’t hurt either.

  She thought of her family as she floated in the ocean. Her parents were quiet types. They knew about what she’d been dealing with and had supported the vacation one hundred percent. They’d been sad to see her painting taper off then stop altogether.

  It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair one stupid person could ruin another’s life.

  “You okay?” Scott’s deep voice resonated from beside her, almost as if he could read her thoughts. “You look intense right now.”

  “Oh, just thinking of stresses back home.”

  He splashed water at her half-heartedly. “Hey, being a workaholic who only thinks about duties is my job. You’re supposed to be a good contest entrant and enjoy yourself.”

  “Why are you so stressed anyway?” she asked. “The hotel seems to be doing fine, but from our conversation yesterday, you’d think it’d burn down if you weren’t there for ten minutes.”

  He shrugged and moved up and down with a wave. “It’s always been my focus. When we moved here, I was the only one old enough to be able to help my dad. Or at least old enough to think I could.” He gave her a pained grin. “Everything just makes sense when I’m there. Whether I’m taking care of guests or doing paperwork and checking the books, I just feel like I have purpose.”

  She bit her lip, trying not to comment that was basically the definition of a workaholic. Someone who used work to survive.

  She’d used to love disappearing inside her painting until that was ruined for her. Now she hadn’t had an escape in a long time.

  “You’re getting that look again,” he said.

  She gave him an appraising glance. His blond hair was wet and looked darker. His tanned skin glowed in the sun and his blue eyes were bright and relaxed. But by the stubborn look he gave her, she guessed he wasn’t going to give up on finding out what was bothering her.

  “I’m having trouble back home. This is the first time I’ve been out on my own in a long time. You know, just out in the open.”

  She could feel something change in the air between them. Tension. The wind picked up and the waves grew slightly more intense, and he reached out and took hold of her arm, pulling her toward him. He linked her elbow though his.

  “So you don’t float away,” he said. “So why haven’t you been out in the open?”

  Should she really tell him? If she did, it would probably guilt him into spending the rest of the two weeks with her. She wasn’t sure she wanted that. If he could be fun and charming like he was now, she wouldn’t mind, but if he acted like he did before…

  “If you tell me why you’re so anxious about the hotel, I’ll tell you why I haven’t been outside.”

  He nodded. “There’s a resort being built just next to us. You’ve probably seen it. It’s not as luxe, but it’s affordable, and it’s affecting our occupancy rates even though it’s not even fully built yet.”

  “I see,” she said. The resort his family owned was massive. Could losing a few guests really hurt it, or was he just the type that needed something to worry about?

  “Anyway,” he said. “Your turn.”

  “Fine,” she said. “I acquired a stalker and it wasn’t safe to go out.”

  “What?” he asked. “Go on.”

  “No,” she said, yanking her arm free to swim away from him and tread water while facing him. “You gave me a short answer, so I gave you one.”

  He sighed and folded his arms, watching her with that heated gaze. She shook water off her face and hair, and his stare grew more intense.

  Yes, he definitely liked the way she looked. And she liked him. But it couldn’t g
o much beyond that.

  “So is that why you accepted the trip here?” he asked, pulling her close again. “You were running away from him? It is a him, right?”

  She nodded, trying to ignore the warmth of a blush creeping into her cheeks because of his close proximity.

  His face tightened. “And what were you planning to do when the trip is over?”

  “Go back to my life and find a place to hide,” she said. “It’s not that he’s been that aggressive. He’s just… gross.”

  “Is he why you don’t paint?”

  “I told you, my wrist—”

  He growled. Actually growled. “He hurt you?”

  “No!” She waved a hand. “No, not at all. I guess the wrist is my excuse. It’s what he does with the paintings. He… never mind.”

  “Really?” he asked, folding his arms. “You’re going to stop there?”

  She nodded.

  He exhaled slowly, looking out at the water and then at her. “Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot. Take the swimsuit as an apology. I was being self-centered. But I promise you I’m not the type that can hear a woman is in trouble and not want to do something about it. So you’ve got me the rest of the time you’re here.”

  “What about work?” she asked.

  “Well, if I need to work on something, you can come with me,” he said.

  She guessed that was better than nothing. “Okay,” she said. “If you’re sure.”

  He cracked his knuckles. He looked intimidating when he was angry. “If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a man hurting a woman.” When she opened her mouth to correct him, he pinned her with a glare. “Even if he’s just scaring her.”

  She nodded slowly. She’d had guy friends involved in the thing. Cousins. Family members. None had been able to get the guy off her trail, and in the end, she’d decided just staying in was the safest thing to do.

  But now, for just two weeks, she’d live and be free and feel safe. She didn’t know why, but she knew when she was with Scott, nothing would happen to her. He just had a way of handling his business. Literally.