by Zoe Chant
Lee unclipped his seatbelt and fought free of the frigid contraption so he could slide across the benchseat and scoop her into his arms. She escaped her own seatbelt to meet him halfway, and lifted her mouth for his kiss with the same hunger that was coursing through his veins. Cold as he was, he burned for this woman, his perfect mate.
Their kiss was a tangle of tongues and a release of fears and despair, deep and long and lingering. If it hadn't been for the gasp of pain that Patricia gave when she moved her foot wrong, Lee was not sure how long they would have stayed there in the frosting truck cab.
Instead, he pulled back, then began cursing again as something occurred to him.
"What is it?" Patricia asked in alarm.
"Your ring," Lee told her. "It was in my pocket, and must be back with my ruined clothing at your car."
"My... ring?"
"Will you marry me?" It wasn't even close to the way he had planned to ask her. "You're mine, and I want everyone to know it."
The glowing smile she gave him, and the kiss that followed was answer enough.
Chapter Twenty
Patricia gave Lee her parka to get into the house; he wrapped it inelegantly around his waist as an attempt at modesty. Both Andrea and Clara seemed more bothered by the way that Patricia was limping than by Lee's state of undress.
Andrea, to Patricia's surprise, was wrapped in Lee's oversized clothing. She looked between them, more puzzled than suspicious. There had been no other vehicle in the drive. "You're a shifter, too?" she guessed.
Andrea grinned. "You always said I had eyes like a hawk."
Patricia groaned. "This explains so much."
"Clara and I are making cookies," Andrea said with a nod towards the stairs. "I think Patricia needs a detailed checkover," she suggested. "Make sure she doesn't have any scrapes she doesn't know about."
Clara thought that was a fine idea, and brought Lee a first aid kit from the downstairs bathroom that he slung over one shoulder.
"You should both take a hot shower, too," Andrea suggest unsubtly. "To warm up, you know. We'll be down here making cookies for a long time. Don't rush, or anything."
Patricia could only sputter helplessly at the suggestion, but Lee seemed to think it was a perfect idea. "I want to check your head for lumps," he said, tightening the parka around his waist.
Then he swept her up into his arms over her protests, and carried her up the stairs.
"Have fun!" Andrea called up after them.
Patricia thought she would be too embarrassed to do anything, aware that Andrea was downstairs knowing exactly what was happening, but when Lee put her gently down on the wide ledge of his bathtub, nothing else seemed to matter.
He shed the parka so that his check-over of her was done entirely nude, and took his duties very seriously, undressing her slowly and looking over every inch of skin as it was exposed. The cuts from glass, all minor, were gently cleaned and antibiotic cream was applied. The bandages Lee had were all princess-themed, and carefully applied over a handful of abrasions. He explored her skull with probing fingers that lingered in her hair more than strictly required. Together they found a few tender spots, but no rising lumps.
"You're going to have a black eye," he informed her, sweeping her hair back from her face.
"I don't have to look at me," Patricia said, aware that her smile must look foolish.
"You'll still look beautiful to me," Lee said with a kiss.
The kiss only delayed their first aid for a moment, then it was time for the part that Patricia was dreading. He pulled her first boot off carefully, and the second even more cautiously. It hurt, but not as badly as Patricia had feared it would. The ankle was angry and swollen, but she could, at his insistence, move it through its entire range. Lee bound it up snugly with a bright pink stretch-bandage, and helped Patricia carefully wriggle out of her jeans to complete their inspection. There would be bruises where the seatbelt had kept her in the seat. "I should probably stay out of swimsuit competitions for a few weeks," she joked, poking at one of the bruises that was already starting to purple.
"You were lucky," Lee said grimly. There was a scowling ferocity to him that Patricia now recognized was driven by his grumpy bear.
"It's passed," she soothed him, caressing his shoulders. "I'll be fine, just forget it."
Lee responded, his nudity making his sudden arousal apparent. "Forget what?" He lifted her up into his arms again, and carried her to the bed. They were both still chilled, and he swept the comforter up over them and dove in. Wrapped in its warmth and darkness, they explored each other's bodies blindly. Lee was surprisingly delicate for his size, taking painstaking care not to jostle her ankle.
It took only moments of delicious discovery to warm up and thrust the blanket off, and Lee gently kissed her from jaw to naval, then straddled her, his erect penis promising unspoken pleasure. When he hesitated, Patricia pulled him down onto her, careful to keep her injured foot out of the way. His entrance claimed her, and her heart sang when she remembered that he felt for her as she did him.
Soulmates. Mates.
They were perfect partners, and they fit together like interlocking puzzle pieces, entwining as only two things destined for each other could.
His touch made every square inch of her skin burn for him. He drew her up to heights of pleasure she'd never known or even imagined, then fell with her in the warm afterglow.
Later, in a haze of sated exhaustion, Patricia let Lee tuck her under the comforter with her foot propped up on a pillow. She fell asleep to the smell of cookies and the sound of a shower running.
When she woke a short time later, she found herself alone. There was a glass of water on the bedside table, and a few over-the-counter pain pills that she gratefully took. A package lay on the other side of the bed, wrapped with a paper bag and tied with what appeared to be a sash from one of Clara's dresses. A cane leaned against the side of the bed.
Curious, Patricia unwrapped the crinkly package, and unfolded a length of fuzzy material, printed all over with pink kittens and mittens. A small black box fell out of the folds, and she scooped it up with trembling hands. It opened with a snap and revealed a sparkling ring, with rubies and diamonds flush to an intricate braid of multi-colored gold. She pulled it out of the velvet case and slipped it carefully onto her ring finger, marveling at the fit and sparkle and grinning fit to split her face. For some foolish reason, she wanted to cry, and to distract herself, she turned to inspect the cloth it had been wrapped in. It took her a moment to figure out what it was, and when she did, she burst out laughing.
Andrea laughed as well, when Patricia made her way down to the kitchen wearing both gifts and limping on the cane. "Is that a pair of footed kitty pajamas?"
Lee insisted that Patricia sit down at once, and fussed over elevating her foot. Clara brought her an ice pack from the freezer and carefully perched it onto the ankle, while Andrea brought a plate full of cookies.
"Where on earth did you find these?" Patricia asked Lee. She felt like she was wrapped in downy feathers, the fabric was so soft and fuzzy, and she was deeply cozy and warm. Was this what being a bear felt like?
"It was a special order," Lee said, smiling at her from across his own plate of cookies. "My tailor thought I was nuts, but he put it together anyway."
"I love it," Patricia said, deeply content. Looking around the kitchen, at Clara's eager face, her best friend's laughter in the air and her mate looking at her with love and adoration, she could not imagine a happier ending in any fairy tale ever.
Epilogue
"I'm not used to having anyone take care of me," Patricia confessed, letting Lee pile pillows under her ankle. "It's not even broken."
Lee scowled at her, a dear, familiar expression. "It's sprained," he said fiercely. "And you aren't staying off of it at preschool!"
"I make Andrea do most of the work," Patricia promised, touched by his care.
"How was it?" Lee asked. "Really, are you careful?"
Patricia put a hand over his, and was caught by the still-unexpected sparkle of gems on her finger. "I really do take it easy," she laughed. "And things are going smoothly. The new car handles great. Harriette is still missing and Trevor's living with his Dad now. That was half my stress!"
She was rewarded by an easing of the lines in his face, and then Clara was scampering into the living room, carrying a tray with a variety of Lincoln Logs on it. "I baked you cookies!" the little girl announced, and she solemnly gave one to each of them, and then took them back, declaring, "They have to cook more now."
She was gone as quickly as she'd come in, and Patricia exchanged an amused look with Lee that faded to alarm as something occurred to her. "Should I be worried about Clara turning into a bear cub some day at preschool?" she demanded. She couldn't imagine explaining that one away at storytime.
Lee shook his head. "Some shifters are born shifting, but my family has always come into it at puberty. It varies."
Patricia raised an eyebrow at him. "As if puberty weren't complicated enough," she said wryly.
"Are you reconsidering?" Lee gave her ring a tap.
Patricia gave him a searching look, trying to decide if he was really worried, or if he was just teasing her. She smiled. "You can't scare me off that easily."
"I'll have to try harder," Lee said with a sigh, and Patricia knew he was needling her.
"I can't imagine you being harder than you were last night," she whispered suggestively.
He grinned back. "I'm sure I can rise to the challenge."
***
A note from Zoe Chant
Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list.
Please consider reviewing Dancing Bearfoot, even if you only write a line or two. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.
Please keep paging down to read a special sneak preview of In the Billionbear's Den!
Cover art © Can Stock Photo, design by Layla Lawlor
***
More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant
Protector Panther. (Protection, Inc. # 3). A curvy paramedic who doesn’t know the meaning of fear + a mysterious panther shifter bodyguard with the power to inflict terror + sinister experiments and desperate passion = one heart-pounding romance!
A Werewolf’s Valentine. A BBW cat shifter who's turned her back on love + a handsome werewolf stranger who comes to town + a very special Valentine's Day = a hot and heart-warming romance!
The Bear’s Christmas Bride. A BBW who's alone at Christmas + a lonely bear shifter searching for his mate + a crowded house full of relatives = a snowy yet sizzling holiday romance!
Alpha Lion. A frightened but determined BBW + a sexy lion shifter martial artist + a dangerous enemy = one unforgettable romance!
Guarding His Honey. A BBW in danger + the hot bear shifter who'll do anything to protect her + a dangerous fight with the mafia = one thrilling romance!
Hero Bear. A wounded Marine who lost his bear + a BBW physical therapist with a secret + a small town full of gossips = a hot and healing romance!
In the Billionbear’s Den. A stressed-out BBW in need of a break + a sexy billionaire bear shifter in need of a mate to share his home + the remote woodland house he built himself = one steamy romance!
The Bear With No Name. A BBW park ranger + a sexy bear shifter with amnesia + a town that needs their help = one unforgettable romance!
Bearing Your Soul. A shy BBW who’s been burned by love + a sexy veteran bear shifter + a family code of silence = one sizzling hot romance that defies all odds!
And many more!
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Laura’s Wolf, by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine Roy Farrell, scarred in body and mind, thinks he has no future. Curvy con artist Laura Kaplan, running from danger and her own guilt, is desperate to escape her past. But together, they have all that they need to heal. A full-length novel.
Prisoner, by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine DJ Torres is a born rebel. Genetically engineered assassin Echo was created to be a weapon. When DJ is captured by the agency that made Echo, the two misfits find that they fit together perfectly. A full-length novel.
Partner, by Lia Silver. DJ and Echo’s relationship grows stronger under fire… until they are confronted by a terrible choice. A full-length novel.
Mated to the Meerkat, by Lia Silver. Jasmine Jones, a curvy tabloid reporter, meets her match in notorious paparazzi and secret meerkat Chance Marcotte. A romantic comedy novelette.
The Christmas Tree Bear, by Rosie Lynne. Bear shifter Willis Barnett meets his fated match in Charlotte Caldwell when she hopes to earn extra money as Santa Helper’s on Willis’ family farm turned Christmas Tree Town for the holidays. A romantic comedy novella.
The Strength of the Pack, by Jorrie Spencer. Seth Kolski, a werewolf, hides his heritage and passes for normal. Until he meets Jamie.
Taming the Beast, by Honey Dover. Beauty is a paranormal investigator hired to deal with a man cursed to become a monstrous beast. Helping him recover his humanity will change her life.
Claimed by the Wolf, by Candi Jackson. Zenobia Jones ends up pregnant after a night with a billionaire—and lands herself in a war between werewolf packs. A full-length novel.
The Right Bear's Arms, by Nora Eli. After a sizzling one night stand with bear shifter Jake, curvy Katie realizes her perfect man is everything she's tried to avoid. If they can both stop running from their pasts, they may find a destined future together.
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, by Lauren Esker. Curvy farm girl Julie Capshaw was warned away from the wolf shifters next door, but Damon Wolfe is the motorcycle-riding, smoking hot alpha of her dreams. Can the big bad wolf and his sheep shifter find their own happy ending? A full-length novel.
Handcuffed to the Bear, by Lauren Esker. A bear-shifter ex-mercenary and a curvy lynx shifter searching for her best friend's killer are handcuffed together and hunted in the wilderness. Can they learn to rely on each other before their pasts, and their pursuers, catch up with them?
Guard Wolf, by Lauren Esker. Avery is a lone werewolf with no pack; Nicole is a social worker trying to put her life back together. When he comes to her door with a box of orphan werewolf puppies and danger in pursuit, can two lonely people find the family they've been missing?
Discovering the Dragon, by Sofia Stone. When reporter Chloe Martin investigates Lancaster Gold, she finds herself tangled up with the oldest son—Isaac Lancaster, billionaire dragon shifter.
***
Keep reading for a special sneak preview!
If you loved Dancing Bearfoot…
You’ll also love In The Billionbear's Den!
A stressed-out BBW in need of a break + a sexy billionaire bear shifter in need of a mate to share his home + the remote woodland house he built himself = one steamy romance!
Curvy Kristin Harris can’t get a break. Between her overbearing boss, all-nighters at the office, and her needy ex-boyfriend, she’s stretched to the limit. When she books a long weekend at a B&B in the tiny town of Forest Mills, she’s just hoping to catch up on her sleep―not to find love.
Billionaire bear shifter Michael Reed has almost everything he wants. He’s built his own dream house in his beloved hometown, he has acres of beautiful forest to roam in, and he has more money than he can spend. But what he really needs is someone to share his gorgeous house with, and he’s starting to think he’ll never find her.
When Michael meets Kristin, he knows she’s the one. After a sizzling night together, all he wants is to sweep her away and give her a better life. He’s built a house, but he’s sure she can help him make it a home. But will she still be willing to live in the billionbear’s den when she learns his secret?
This is a sizzling hot, standalone BBW bear shifter romance. No cliffhangers!
Kristin Harris pulled up in front of the tiny Fore
st Mills Inn and turned off the engine with a deep sigh, reaching up a hand to rub her aching forehead and shove flyaway curls out of her face (again). She’d driven four and a half hours to get here, and her vacation was finally—finally!—about to start.
Well, her mini-vacation, at least. Long weekend. She’d tried so hard to get a week off of work, and Andy, her boss, had said Sure! months ago when she’d asked. You deserve a break! he said. Take the week.
But then, of course, there was a crisis. And another crisis. And Sure became We might need you for a couple of days that week, which became We need you at the meeting on Tuesday, it’s too important to reschedule. And finally, If this isn’t done by Thursday evening, we’ll lose the client.
Now it was Friday, and she’d booked the B&B as a last resort—originally she’d been planning on lying around her apartment all week and sleeping, but after all the work disasters, she’d decided she had to get away from the city entirely, so she couldn’t go in to the office even if she wanted to. It was a little bit of a splurge, but she’d been working so much, she felt like she deserved it.
So she’d gotten up at six AM to get on the road as soon as possible, to squeeze out every inch of her vacation-weekend. She wasn’t going to check her phone for three days and it was going to be glorious.
In fact—she picked it up from the front seat where it had been GPS-ing for her (not very well, the last hour or so—they were way out in the middle of nowhere now, Kristin and her phone) and turned it off. There. Andy couldn’t email her, text her, or call her.
And neither could Tim.
She shook her head hard, making her headache throb sharply. She wasn’t thinking about Tim and his sad text messages this weekend. She was thinking about the adorable little bed and breakfast right in front of her face. It had an adorable sign, adorable painted trim, and adorable petunias lining the walk up to the front door. Kristin loved petunias.