Chapter Seven
Rick
Rick finished wiping down the bar. His bartenders were both running five-minute smoke breaks after the midday rush. The steady ebb and flow of the bar had helped relax him. There was always somebody readily available who needed to unload their burdens on anybody that would listen. Rick was happy to be that someone, because other people’s problems helped him forget about his own.
The door to the bar banged open. Rick turned to put the final clean glass away before acknowledging the lone customer. When he turned back around, all the air left his lungs. Her blonde hair flowed down past her shoulders. Her lips were painted a sultry red to match the form-fitting dress that clung to her perfect body. Rick’s bear growled, giving Rick mixed signals.
It was uncommon for his bear to react when the man in him responded to a beautiful woman. His bear seemed offended by the woman, though. Rick didn’t sense any evil about the woman. Her eyes locked onto his as she made her way to one of the bar stools.
“Hello,” she said with a beautiful baritone mixture in her voice.
“What can I do for you?” Rick asked, clearing his throat.
“Do you carry whiskey?”
“Of course. Any particular one?” he asked, turning back to his whiskeys.
“I prefer single barrel Jack, if you have it.”
“Certainly. On the rocks?”
“No, neat,” she said, finally sitting down.
Rick did a shallow pour and slid the glass over to her. He didn’t want to watch her sip the dark liquid, but he found he couldn’t look away. Her dark lashes fluttered shut as she took a small drink and then hummed in pleasure. Rick found himself wanting to lap the liquid up off of her lips. He turned away then, and started to clean the other side of the bar.
“Pretty slow today,” the woman cooed.
“You’re in between rushes. Things will pick back up around four.”
“So, you’re a shifter?” the woman asked, causing Rick to turn.
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
“No, just curious. I used to know a shifter, once upon a time. He looked a bit like you, actually.”
Rick didn’t respond. He wasn’t sure why she would mention that. Women like her usually had ulterior motives. Women like her could wreck shifters’ lives.
The bartenders came back in and Rick tossed the towel over to Steve.
“Here you go, boys. I’m going to take off. I’ll stop by again later,” Rick said, heading for the door.
“See ya later, boss,” they both replied.
Rick made it to the edge of the parking lot before he heard her voice call out to him. Part of him felt the strong desire to keep walking and ignore the blonde-haired beauty. The male part of him stopped and turned around.
“You don’t really know when you’re getting hit on, do you, shifter?”
“I’m not someone you want to toy with,” he said as gently as possible.
“I think you are. Now are you going to show a lady a good time, or go spend the night alone?” she challenged.
Rick knew he should walk away. There was a familiarity to her, but he couldn’t place it. Women like her were a dime a dozen. A flash of another woman came into his mind, pushed there by his bear. It was fleeting, and Rick lost it before he could even make the image out. Then the sharp stab of a migraine began. It was intense, and Rick was afraid he would be sick, the pain was so strong.
The woman rushed to his side.
“Are you okay?” she asked, showing genuine concern.
He waved her off, but her touch took away the pain immediately. Rick grabbed her by the arms and studied her. He still wasn’t detecting any evil, but something wasn’t right. The migraine was completely gone then. Rick decided she was worth keeping around for a while even if she just kept the migraines at bay.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“My name is Arriell,” she chirped.
“I’m Rick. It’s nice to meet you, Arriell.”
Chapter Eight
Stella
“Justin, please. I know you think that if I’m not his mate, I’m useless. I’m not, though. I can’t explain it, but I can find Rick. I just need to get in his house. Please?” Stella begged over the phone.
“Stella, I know you mean well, and you’re doing us all a favor helping at the casino. I don’t mean to sound hurtful, but I don’t see what you could possibly be able to accomplish by being in his house. Rick’s a very private person. If he finds out I let you in there to snoop around on a hunch, he’ll kill me,” Justin explained.
“No, he won’t. He won’t even know I was there. I won’t touch anything. If I don’t accomplish anything then there’s no harm in letting me try. If I could accomplish something, and we don’t try, I’ll never forgive myself.” Stella tapped her fingers on her kitchen counter.
Justin’s side of the phone went silent. She wanted to scream at the shifter, but she knew that wouldn’t help her case. She had called Emma, but neither she nor Jasper had answered. She didn’t have time to wait around to hear back. If Justin refused, Stella had made up her mind she was simply going to walk over there and bust out a window.
“Fine. I’ll meet you over there. It’ll probably take me an hour with traffic this time of day,” he said with a sigh.
“Okay, see you then. Thank you so much,” she said before hanging up the phone and rushing upstairs to grab a bag.
Even though she didn’t plan on staying, she wanted to be prepared. Being in Rick’s office had worked, and if she had to stay at his house all night to find the answers she was looking for then she wanted to be prepared to do just that. After she stuffed a few clothes and toiletries in an overnight bag, she decided to go ahead over.
When she got there, she walked around the entire perimeter of his house. It was probably the biggest house she had ever seen in person, let alone been inside of. Rick was a humble person to speak to, but his possessions screamed with wealth. Stella had never cared for possessions. Money was fine, and obviously necessary, but she’d seen too much evil come from it to ever want any more than she needed.
She hadn’t waited long before Justin pulled up. He unlocked the door and offered to give her a tour, but she declined. Stella wasn’t sure how she was going to respond once she walked into his home and she didn’t want Justin there. She waved goodbye as he backed down the drive, and then braced herself before throwing the door open.
The same sensation she’d had when she first stepped into his office came over her again when she was inside his home. She ran her fingers across a wall, and her fingertips tingled and his scent surrounded her instantly. Stella felt like squealing with delight. She had been right. This was where she needed to be.
Chapter Nine
Rick
Arriell and Rick walked along the beach. She chattered away about her job as a secretary and the plans she had to one day own her own business. Rick respected her dreams and goals, but she didn’t strike him as the type who had any follow-through. Owning a business was ruthless and exhausting.
She finally said she was hungry and asked him if there were any good places to eat nearby. Rick hadn’t planned on spending any more time with her than he already had, but he felt bad blowing her off. She clearly needed a companion, and who was he to shove her away? She had been right about him just going home alone. The strength of how lonely he had felt earlier crept up his spine and he shuddered.
“I know a place,” he said as he grabbed her hand to lead her over to one of his favorite spots.
When they walked in the Fat Hen, a strong scent of seafood and hushpuppies assaulted their senses. Rick was glad for the reprieve of Arriell’s scent. It wasn’t that she smelled bad, but to his bear there was something off. The male part of him appreciated the fruity aroma.
“It smells awesome in here,” Arriell commented as they followed the hostess to a booth.
“The food here is good,” Rick said vaguely.
“So, shifter
, what is it that you turn into?”
Rick was used to the question. Most humans always asked, but he was irritable today so he had to keep himself from rolling his eyes.
“I’m a bear shifter.”
“That’s sexy.”
Rick ignored her comment and was thankful the waitress had chosen that time to arrive at their table. Once they had ordered, Arriell looked as though she was expecting his response.
“So, Arriell, do you live around here, or just visiting?” He figured if he could get her talking about herself again she’d have less time to attempt to seduce him.
“I’m just visiting. Checking on an investment, if you will. I’m from New Orleans originally.”
A sharp pain shot through Rick’s mind, causing him to set his head down in his hands for a minute. The pain was blinding.
“Are you okay?” she whispered.
The pain began to ease, and he looked up again.
“Yes, sorry, I get migraines from time to time. So, New Orleans, huh?”
The city’s name slipped off of his tongue, and there was something familiar about it to him.
“Yup, the voodoo capital. I love it there. Have you ever been?” Her eyes seemed to be searching his soul.
“Not that I’m aware of.” He said it through clenched teeth as the migraine hovered, waiting to attack again.
Arriell kept up most of the conversation while Rick added bits and pieces as needed. When they were finished, Rick walked her back to the bar. Even though he could tell she wasn’t ready for the night to end, he said his goodbyes and went in the bar to check on the guys. The parking lot was full, but Rick knew they would have it under control.
“Hey, boss. How was your afternoon?” Steve asked with a smirk.
“Okay. You guys okay down here?” he asked, dismissing Steve’s underlying question.
“Yup, good as gold.”
“Alright, I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”
Rick went out the back door and up the stairs to his apartment. He undressed and shifted into his bear form. His bear shook his fur out, as if trying to rid himself of something. Then he curled up on the floor and fell into a deep sleep. His bear was more lethargic than ever, but Rick was tired of worrying about going feral. If it was going to happen, he would welcome it at this point. His life was lonely, almost unbearably so.
Chapter Ten
Stella
Stella gently pushed the door open to Rick’s room. The rest of the house had helped her build her confidence. His room, his bed, was where she knew she would find him. It had called to her from the moment she opened the front door.
She stepped inside and closed the door. The strength of his scent knocked her to her knees. It almost felt like a force was trying to keep her from going forward. The woman’s voice from the phone rang out in Stella’s mind. It just pushed her to keep moving forward.
Originally, she had planned to crawl into his bed. After seeing his clothes littering the floor she changed direction. For some reason the idea that Rick would be so messy made her smile. He always seemed too neat and proper. She picked up a grey shirt off the floor and brought it to her nose.
Stella cried out from the strength of the connection she felt holding his clothes. Quickly, she ditched her clothes and slid his shirt over her lean body. The soft cotton felt like a lover’s touch against her body. She turned and slid into his bed. Tears fell from her eyes. She could already feel herself calling out to him. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the calming sleep that beckoned her.
“Rick! Where are you?” she called out.
A bear growled in response. Stella gasped, afraid to believe it could be Rick’s bear. She could feel him and hear him, but she was blind.
“Rick, it’s Stella. Please answer me. I know you can feel me,” she begged.
Then, as if someone turned on the lights, Stella was standing in a room with a giant bear lying on the floor. The bear was growling low but Stella wasn’t afraid. She knew it was Rick. Stepping lightly, she made her way over to the bear and ran her fingers through his fur. The bear turned to look at her. Recognition filled his eyes. The bear rose to all fours and then shifted.
“Rick!” Stella cried as she threw herself into his arms.
His strong arms came around her body and Stella was afraid she would collapse with relief. She pulled back and held his face in her hands. He seemed confused but happy to see her. Before she could say anything, though, his hands lifted to her face. He caressed her cheeks, wiping her tears away, and then brought his mouth down on hers.
The kiss was deep and passionate, unlike anything Stella had ever felt before. His tongue moved inside of her mouth and twirled and teased hers. His hands moved from her face down to her shoulders as he pulled her closer. Stella instantly became aware of his naked form pressed against hers.
She wrapped her arms around him and sunk her fingers into his back. He growled in response, their kiss becoming more passionate. A whimper escaped her throat as she clung to Rick, begging for more. As if reading her mind, he picked her up and carried her to the giant bed in the middle of the room. He brought himself down on top of her, but kept his full weight from resting on her. His mouth left hers and he peppered kisses down her neck, stopping to nip and lick until he made it to her collarbone.
“Is this my shirt?” he asked before ripping it off of her body.
Stella was too wrapped up in what he was doing to her to respond. His hands kneaded her breasts through her thin, lacy bra. She arched into his touch with a moan. His experienced hand slid around to her back and unhooked her bra, releasing her full, aching breasts into his hand. His thumb slid across her nipple as he growled deep in his chest.
Then his mouth was on her, pulling and sucking her nipple while his hand found its way to her other breast to tease. Stella wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled the rest of him close to her. Rick’s erection laid against her throbbing core. She writhed against him, trying to find release from her building pleasure.
“Easy, baby,” Rick’s voice whispered huskily as he came up for air.
Stella was frantic, though. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but she needed it to happen. She pulled him back down for a kiss. Rick’s hand went to her panties and tore them from her body. Just as he lifted her hips to line them up, a scream filled the room.
Pain tore through Stella as she desperately tried to keep hold of Rick. He was slipping from her grasp. She yelled for him until her throat was raw. Darkness consumed her, and as much as she fought, he still slipped away.
Chapter Eleven
Rick
Rick’s vision blurred and then came back into focus. He fell forward on the bed, as the worst migraine he had ever had crippled him. He reached out, tried to feel her body. He roared in pain and anguish. Then a fruity aroma surrounded him and dread settled in his stomach.
He couldn’t have. It hadn’t been her he had just held in his arms. Rick didn’t open his eyes for fear that it would become reality. Then her voice slid over him.
“Rick, are you okay?”
He opened his eyes and took her in. She was in her lingerie next to him in bed. His stomach threatened to empty itself as he gasped for air.
“What are you doing here?” he snarled.
“I think it’s obvious what we are doing here. Are you okay? Did you have one too many at the bar?” she asked, looking confused.
“I didn’t drink anything at the bar. It’s not obvious what we were just doing, because I… it wasn’t...” Rick stumbled over what to say. He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to calm himself down.
“Come on, baby, let’s just finish. You’ll feel better,” Arriell purred as she made her way to her knees and started to reach out to touch him.
He yanked back, and then jumped to the floor frantically looking for his clothes. He yanked on his jeans and buttoned them, feeling safer with a layer of clothing on. When he looked back at her, she was po
uting, but there was a fire in her eyes. Something more. His bear threatened to shift, but he held his ground.
“I’m sorry, Arriell, but I think it’s time you leave,” he said, walking to the far side of the room.
When she didn’t immediately jump up to leave, he slammed his fist down on his kitchen counter.
“Leave!” he yelled.
She slowly got out of the bed, and kept her eyes on him the entire time she slid her skin-tight dress up her body. Then, with a flip of her hair, she grabbed her shoes and went to his door.
“See you later, baby,” she said with a smirk, and then she was finally gone.
Once the door shut and he was alone, Rick ripped the sheets off the bed. Then he smelled them. It wasn’t Arriell’s harsh, fruity perfume. Rick sat and soaked in the scent and tried to picture her in his mind. He had said her name, but now he couldn’t remember it. Her touch was burned into his skin, and he longed for it now as he sat alone. His bear rumbled with pleasure thinking about her, and whimpered with need as Rick tried to reach out to her.
Her scent started to fade, and Rick wondered if it had just been a dream. A dream from a desperate shifter who was close to going feral. He dropped his head down in his hands and tried to clear his mind. Rick had never felt so shaken and scared. His bear felt different, though. His bear felt hopeful.
Chapter Twelve
Stella
“NO! Rick! Dammit, Rick, come back!” Stella screamed as she thrashed in his bed back in his home.
Stella felt like her throat had been ripped from her chest. As she started to calm down, she looked down to find herself still clothed in Rick’s shirt, with her bra and panties still in place. A brief moment of doubt danced in her mind, but Stella shut it down. She knew what she had experienced with Rick had been real. He was alive and well, living in a studio apartment somewhere.
She needed to physically find him. Reaching out to him was great, but it wasn’t getting her closer to finding him in person. Whoever was against them knew exactly where he was and had ripped them apart, and for some reason didn’t want them being together.
Saving the Bear (Bear Kamp Book 4) Page 3