Was he really so undesirable as a mate that she couldn’t even look at him?
She stood suddenly, planting her hands on the table. “Excuse me, but I’ve got to head back,” she said quietly, looking at her friends with a silent message he couldn’t read.
Leslie looked regretful, and Kylie seemed to be reluctant to pull her eyes from Ryan’s face, but both Leslie and Kylie stood in solidarity. “Sorry, guys,” Leslie said. “Looks like we gotta head out.” She gestured out the window. “Snow is getting bad, and we need to get back to town.”
“When can we see you again?” the little blonde, Kylie, asked.
“Whenever you want,” Riley said, winking at her and making her blush from head to toe. “We’re going to be staying here for a while.”
“Maybe not that long,” Ryan grumped.
The blonde flinched.
Ryder felt bad for her. She was setting her eyes on the wrong male. Ryan might be a bear, but he was a bear more interested in staying in the wild than being domesticated.
And as for Riley, in whom Leslie seemed to be interested, well, Ryder doubted Riley would ever be happy with less than a full harem.
But for him, he’d always known just one would be perfect, if it were the right one. Someone to raise a family with, to run in bear form with, to play with cubs with. And he could see all that in Janna’s clear brown eyes. She stood and pushed past him, not even acknowledging him as he stood.
The three women left, only two of them promising to come back. He’d been thoroughly rejected.
But he wasn’t offended.
Ryder never shied away from a challenge.
Chapter 2
Janna shuffled the papers in front of her absent-mindedly and then put them in a folder. She couldn’t get the man from the night before out of her mind.
Blue eyes, like a sapphire night, like a lake under the stars, twinkled in her mind, making it hard to keep her mind on her work or even focus on what she was supposed to be doing today. The end of the year was coming and tax season would hit soon, and she needed to get her other work up to date before all hell broke loose. As the only accountant and tax professional in a tiny tourist town, Janna was the main person people depended on to keep their businesses straight.
A small bell jingling over the door alerted her to someone entering, and she looked up to see Scott.
She noticed with some small satisfaction that his fine, blond hair was thinning and the lines on his forehead were deepening. She didn’t think it was fair for such an awful person to be so handsome, and she thought it was about right that he was losing his looks now.
He didn’t seem to think he was, however. She could tell from the cocky glow in his gray eyes that in his mind, he was still the hottest thing in town and any woman should simply feel blessed to be in his presence. Someone should tell him that as of last night, that was no longer true.
As of last night, he was at least three ranks lower on the hotness totem pole.
Her mouth watered as she shoved the papers haphazardly into a file. Each of the men from last night was an amazing specimen of the best mankind had to offer. The fact that they were all together was startling. The fact that they were also brothers was mind-blowing.
The fact that she could think about them now, with Scott’s presence both threatening and obnoxious in the distance, was something she’d rather not think about.
“Seems like you’re doing all right for yourself here,” Scott said sardonically, walking forward into the store in a relaxed posture, hands in his too-tight Chino pockets, wearing a leather jacket over his worn, pink designer polo. Scott was the picture of average success and above-average looks, with his smooth skin and boyish good looks that were only slightly marred by his wrinkles.
But Janna knew beneath the good looks was a personality that was less than ideal. Less than normal. Less than desirable. But that didn’t stop her heart from aching just slightly at what she’d thought she wanted. Security and a home with him. Even now, as he eyed her with what he must feel was a charming look, a part of her wanted nothing to have happened between them. For her to never have found out what he was doing behind her back. So they could go back to what they were. When she was happy.
At least she’d thought she was happy.
Maybe, in all reality, all she’d been was comfortable.
Certainly, looking into Ryder Hart’s sapphire eyes, she had seen the promise of everything except comfortable. Life with him, even at its best, would never be anything like it was with Scott.
Not that she knew him enough to know much about him. But something about his intimidating presence, the sense that he took no crap from anyone and he took care of his business, made her think life with him would never be easy, but it also would never be full of the cowardly crap Scott had dished out.
“You okay?” Scott asked, taking another unwelcome step into the room toward the front counter. “You seem a little out of it.”
Her heart skipped a beat and she kept her eyes on the folder she’d just closed. She never knew what to say to Scott. A part of her felt that if she talked to him at all, it’d be letting him win in his game of trying to pretend nothing had happened. That he could just start over pursuing her and she’d fall at his feet once again.
Maybe that would have been true before. When she was new to this town and alone and younger and not sure she could stand on her own two feet. But now she was certain. She had friends in Leslie and Kylie and a life here with a successful and busy business, and she didn’t need stupid Scott interfering.
But how to tell him that without actually talking to him? She really felt if she spoke to him, she’d start yelling and never stop.
“You’re going to have to talk to me at some point, Janna,” Scott said. “You can’t just keep ignoring me. Not in a town this small.”
She sighed. He should have thought of that before he cheated on her. Yes, they’d be trapped alone in this small town. He probably thought since she didn’t have many options, she’d come back to him eventually, regardless of how he’d treated her. But that simply wasn’t how things had worked out, thank heavens.
Sapphire-blue eyes winked in her mind again. Maybe she should be a little less standoffish. Maybe just so she didn’t have to look at Scott.
But then, when she first met Scott, hadn’t things been so much more exciting and promising? Maybe she was forgetting how it all went down. Maybe she was just trying to distract herself or hoping for rescue from an awkward situation. Whatever it was that had made her think Ryder Hart was an option, it also seemed to have called him out of thin air, because the bell over the door rang a second time as his large presence filled the room.
Maybe it was just the cold air that blew in at his bold entrance, maybe it was just the way his broad shoulders filled the room and the way his simple elegance bespoke wealth and power in a style Scott couldn’t achieve with ten times the effort.
Janna told herself it was just the cold winter air causing her breath to catch in her chest, but an uncomfortable tightening in her legs as she met Ryder’s eyes told her otherwise.
Gosh, she got turned on just by looking at him. Had she even fallen for Scott this instantly? She berated herself for being a silly woman and planted her hands on the counter to stay steady. She noted with some pleasure that Scott wasn’t pleased at all by the disturbance the newer, larger man caused.
Ryder, for his part, cocked an eyebrow at Scott and pulled his lips into a frown that suggested the other man should just disappear. Scott quickly complied, flashing Janna a look that said this was far from over. She sighed and rested back on the standing stool behind the counter.
“Did you need help with something?” she asked Ryder, who was still just standing there, hands in the pockets of his expensive black ski jacket, dark hair tousled by the wind and snow. When she spoke, his eyes flashed and locked on hers. She bit her lip in response and then flushed when his eyes moved down to her mouth.
“If I did, w
ould you help me?” he asked, a bit of a tease in his words—and something darker. Something that made her press her legs together in anticipation. “You weren’t very friendly the other night.”
She pressed her lips together and tried to look relaxed on her chair. She didn’t often have billionaire tech investors in her shop, and when she did, they didn’t have movie-star good looks. “Well, I guess it depends on the type of help you need.” She nodded behind her. “But if you need accounting help, I’m probably your only option in this town.”
He exhaled as if disappointed that their banter was gone and there was actual business talk in its place. “Fine. Business it is. I need your help with the books up at the lodge.”
“Really? I thought the lodge had Barry?”
Barry had been the other accountant in town, but he worked exclusively for Ryder’s father. She was sure he was paid well enough that it hadn’t been an issue.
Ryder’s handsome face tightened and an angry flush heightened the color on his high cheekbones. “We discovered some… issues. He was let go.”
She swallowed. Had Barry been embezzling? She’d never liked the man, with his cranky, pinched look and the little smirk he gave her when they crossed each other on the road. But she’d just put it down to him not liking that they were competitors. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Ryder waved her concern away with one hand. Probably the amount of money that Barry had taken was a tiny amount compared to the fortune this billionaire possessed. She wondered why he was even back here at all. She couldn’t remember ever seeing him around here before.
Gosh, she just wanted to hole up with him in a cabin for the winter and let him tell her everything about his life. By the hot, appraising look he gave her as she sized him up, she had the feeling the sentiment was somewhat mutual.
But why did she get the feeling that Ryder Hart had deeper secrets than anyone could fathom?
A chill went through her as the door opened and closed, and a little old lady named Ada came in to schedule a later time to work on some tax issues. She concluded the business quickly, trying not to feel Ryder’s eyes on her with each breath, but by the time Ada had given her a quick hug and left, she was all too aware of the presence of the large man in front of her.
“So what can I help with?” she asked. She pushed a signup sheet toward him. “Want to work out a time to come in and go over your books with me?”
He slowly removed leather gloves, revealing smooth hands and long fingers. This was a man who had made his fortune with his mind, not his brawn, though from the muscles bulging through his winter clothing, it was clear there was plenty of that as well.
“I was actually hoping you could come up to the lodge with me. I think it’ll take a good amount of time to go through what we need to go through. And I’d hoped to get to know you better while we were at it.”
She blushed at the words “at it,” thinking just what she would like them to imply. Oh no, she was doing it again. Getting romantic and dreamy-eyed and getting way too many ideas about where things could go. For the past year, she’d been the cool, cold accountant, and that had suited her fine. Everything by the numbers.
Nothing about Ryder Hart would be by the numbers.
She bit her lip as she tried to decide whether she’d give him his way.
“You know you’d be buying only my accounting services, right?” she said nervously. “Nothing more. I don’t know if you’re the type who thinks you can walk in and buy the local women, but I assure you, women here have their choice of partners same as anyone, and we don’t need men coming in and assuming we’re waiting here for someone to rescue us.”
His lips pressed into a hard line and his expression grew colder as she finished. “Are you done?” he asked sharply. “I can assure you I have the highest of ethical expectations of myself as well as others. All I’d really ask of you is that you put whatever baggage is obviously bothering you behind you while we work together.” A small grin tipped up the corners of his lips. “And if we should decide to take our relationship beyond the professional, it should only be because you find me as irresistible as I find you, Janna.”
His grin deepened as he approached the counter and placed a finger under her chin. She gulped. So close. Those sapphire eyes seemed to go on and on. She pulled back, snapping her chin out of his grasp and taking deep breaths to try and undo the hold he had on her.
“Don’t count on it,” she grated out, folding her arms over her chest to hide her heightened breathing. “Don’t count on it, Ryder Hart.”
He raised an eyebrow as he stepped back. “Ah, so you know who I am? I couldn’t tell from your lack of response at my earlier introduction.” He took out his phone and checked it, tapping it a few times with a tense expression before placing it back in his pocket. “Well, then you should know what Ryder Hart wants, Ryder Hart gets. And when I set my mind on an acquisition, it’s only a matter of time before it’s mine.”
Her heart beat hard at that. “I’m not something to be acquired,” she spat out angrily. “And I can’t work with you if you see it that way.”
He shrugged and threw out a number. “That’s what I’ll pay you for coming up to the lodge. Should take only a few days, maybe a week, max. Think it over.”
Her heart stammered. That was enough to get her out of the lousy mortgage on this place and happily settled in civilization. “Why would you pay me that?” she asked suspiciously. “There’s no way I’m worth that.”
He gave her a hard smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Then maybe you aren’t giving yourself the correct valuation.” He held out a hand. “Do we have a deal or not?”
She eyed him skeptically. She didn’t know if she should really trust this mysterious man, but then again, if he did anything untoward, there were about a million journalists who would want to hear about it.
She bit her lip and thrust her hand into his. He caught it and jerked up the sleeve in a smooth movement to place a kiss on the top of her hand.
“Perfect,” he said. “Looking forward to working with you. I have a few more errands in town. I’ll pick you up in an hour, sound good?”
She blinked. She’d need to call in someone to schedule things and watch the store, but that shouldn’t be too hard. Sherry from the grocery store had been looking for more hours. And it wouldn’t take long to pack.
And a part of her just hadn’t been on an adventure in so long that she couldn’t wait another minute to get started on something with this powerful, mysterious man.
And unlike last time, at least if this man broke her heart, she wouldn’t be left alone in the middle of nowhere. He was her ticket out of this life, and she intended to take it.
“Fine,” she said, feeling like she was sealing her fate. “One hour.”
He nodded and pulled up his hood to head back into the cold. She bit her lip and held back her sigh until he disappeared back into the storm.
Beary Sexy Boxed Set: On Amazon now
Also by Terry Bolryder
Polar Heat Series
A matchmaking papa bear sets his three bear shifter sons up with women on a Caribbean island.
Bear-ever Yours
Some Bear to Love
One in a Bear-llion
Remem-bear Me (Dad’s book)
Dragons of New York
Dragons work in pairs, the fire-breathing enforcers of the shifter world and rescuers of anyone in distress. And these sexy dragons are about to find mates:
Double Dragons
Desired by Dragons
Destined Dragons
Bearstone Park Series
A billionaire tech mogul, a movie star, and an Olympic snowboarder come back to Bearstone Park and find unexpected but wonderful mates.
Bearllionaire
Bearlebrity
Bearthlete
Beary Sexy Boxed Set: All three brothers in one
Soldier Bear Series
Big Bad Bear
Big Sexy Bear<
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Big Strong Bear (Coming soon)
The Alpha Series
Alpha Games Serial (Novellas with cliffhangers between volumes)
An alpha female returns home to the pack mates she left and finds herself choosing between three alpha males in this paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder
Alpha Games Boxed Set on sale for .99
Alpha Rogue Serial (Novellas with cliffhangers between volumes)
An MMA fighting shifter meets his match in his exciting paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder.
Alpha Rogue Boxed Set on sale for .99
Alpha Contender Serial (Novellas with cliffhangers between volumes)
A average human woman finds out she’s a desirable female alpha and ends up in a mansion with ten possible suitors in this paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder.
Alpha Contender Boxed Set on sale for .99
Alpha Defender
When alpha wolf Thor finds an acquaintance on his doorstep needing his help, will he take the mysterious person in, or step aside?
*Stars Thor from Alpha Contender Series*
Alpha Defender on Amazon
Wolf Protectors Series
Three hot, wolf shifter brothers run a martial arts studio and divide their time between training to be the toughest around and winning over their sexy, independent mates. All in KU!
*Stars Asher from Alpha Contender Series*
Alpha Champion
Alpha Hero
Alpha Protector
Thanks so much for reading!
Terry
Big Strong Bear (Soldier Bears Book 3) Page 13