Can't Bear It

by Celia Kyle

  “I understand that, ma’am.”

  She was really beginning to hate being called ma’am as well. As if she were old or something.

  “But we do have policies in place in order to ensure the company’s assets, and one of those is that cars can only be rented--”

  “Listen, lunchmeat,” she snapped at him. She could feel her incisors extending, her skin itching as the change inched closer. Stupid lioness. She was going to get them arrested. “Quit reading from your little cue cards on the computer and rent me a car.”

  She wasn’t going to lose her home when she was this close. Not yet, not now.

  A throat cleared behind her and she couldn’t care less about the spectacle she was surely creating. She wanted to go home and these humans could just wait until she’d gotten the car she needed. Or they could become dinner. Whichever they preferred.

  The throat cleared again. “Ma’am, if you’ll come with us...”

  She froze. “Oh, hell no.” She eyeballed the clerk. “You called security.”

  All the blood drained from the clerk’s face, leaving him a deathly shade of white.

  Meg huffed and turned around to face who most surely were the guards the clerk had alerted. As soon as she’d finished her turn she was faced by two rent-a-cops, hands on their batons, chests puffed out as if they could do anything to her that she didn’t want. She was a lioness ... of Strange Hollow! Damn it! Who was apparently stranded.

  “Fine!” She threw her arms up in resignation. “I’ll figure out another way to get home.” She stomped from the office out to the parking lot, holding her breath. Her inner kitty wasn’t going to take much more of these smells for long before she decided her method of transportation would suit them better, and Meg wasn’t looking forward to a trek on four feet.

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw a phone booth and trudged toward it, thankful to see that it, at least, accepted cash.

  Stupid car rental place with its stupid “must have credit card” policy.

  Meg dropped in a few quarters and dialed a phone number she had memorized. The phone rang one, two, three, four times before it was answered by an upbeat, bouncy man. “Hello, hello, hello!”

  Meg sniffled. She wasn’t near crying or anything, but the stress of the day was wearing her thin. “Is Jacinda there? Th-this is Margaret--”

  “Megsie! You’re coming today? Yay! It’s me, Ethan. I help Jacinda and I gave her your application and she’s gone right now, but I can help you. Can I help you? What’s all that noise? Sorry. I’m a pup and I get all excited and my guys usually exhaust me, but they didn’t today and did you say what you needed?”

  The man, Ethan, took a deep breath, and Meg cut in before he could start another round of babbling. “I’m stuck at the airport and no one will rent me a car and I can’t get there. Can anyone there come get me? I’ll pay them, of course, but I could really use--”

  “Yup, yup, yup! I’ll have someone come over. Stay by the Seraphim Hands airlines desk and I’ll send ... someone. Don’t know who, but they’ll come and tell you that Ethan sent them. See you soon!”

  Soon...

  Chapter Four

  Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my God. There was a reason bears came in last, the fuckers were bigger than a Mack truck. Hell, even she was scared of their size.

  The woodsy, musky scent of the bear assaulted her the moment he stepped into the terminal. The air conditioner grabbed his natural odor and spread it through the building. Dark, primal, strong and definitely male. Her body did something it hadn’t done since she turned eighteen. It responded. Before she even glimpsed the man whose scent intoxicated her, she became damp with arousal. Her pussy felt heavy, aching and wanting.

  Meg panted and gripped the obnoxious blue purse, her knuckles white with the tight hold she had on the strap. With each and every shallow breath she inhaled more of the scent, the dangerous smell that threatened to overpower her senses. She squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable with the wetness of her bathing suit--her poor excuse for panties. The spandex did little to soak up her ever-increasing juices.

  This first time arousal frightened and confused her. She’d gotten away from men, was willing to forgo companionship, even love, for a chance at independence. Yet her body betrayed her. And all this before she even glimpsed him.

  Then ... he broke through the crowds, steps long and purposeful toward her. Tall. Massive. Huge. All of those words pushed to the forefront of her mind before anything else. Her lioness purred. An honest-to-god purr from the beast within. What? Why? Meg needed to know, to understand.

  Protection.

  Protection? The man looked as if he could snap her in two, yet the beast inside wanted to rub and cuddle the man striding toward her. Those long, thick legs were encased in tight blue jeans. The pants hugged each and every muscle, shifting and moving with each step closer. The fabric pulled and melded to his skin.

  The cotton T-shirt he wore did the same. It clung to his chest, accentuating the chiseled muscles of his abdomen, chest and arms. Wide and thick with muscle, the man looked as if he could take care of himself and more. Those thick arms looked like they could cradle or destroy, whichever he chose.

  Meg’s attention continued its upward journey to his face. His chin was strong, rough and solid with a five o’clock shadow at noon. His lips were full, kissable, and looked so sweet and soft she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. The eyes were a startling blue that seemed both resigned and also held a deeper hurt.

  “Megsie? Ethan sent me.”

  Meg jerked and shook her head.

  “You’re not Megsie? Sorry to have bothered you.” The man, the stranger, took a step back and turned his attention to the milling people.

  She stood and reached for the man, snapping her hand back a moment before she touched him, remembering that sometimes males disliked an aggressive female. The males of her pride hadn’t cared for a woman who made the first move, who reached out.

  “Sor--I mean, I’m Meg, Margaret Montgomery. I’m not “Megsie” but Ethan must have saddled me with the nickname. It threw me for a moment.” She smiled, watching his eyes, watching the different emotions fly from here to there, wondering what he was thinking when she had no business wondering.

  This time was for her, alone. Not to go male hunting. She’d just broken free.

  The man held out his hand and Meg took it, marveling at the difference in their size. She couldn’t even begin to guess how tall he was. He towered over her. His hand enveloped hers in a soft, tender grip. He didn’t try to overpower her with his strength, but seemed to acknowledge and accept that she wasn’t an opponent he needed to battle.

  “Jacob Williams, pleased to meetcha.” He winked. “Any baggage or are you ready to go?”

  Jacob’s open manner put Meg at ease at once and she smiled in return. “Nope. I travel light.”

  “Naw, not too light.”

  Meg retreated into herself, of course. Big good ole boy like him probably went for the typical prom queen. Then again, he had to have something wrong, or at least something that made him an outcast. That thought boosted her as she walked toward the sliding glass doors of the terminal. She wondered what his problem was... She hoped it was the fact that he shot blanks or couldn’t get it up at all. Yeah, that’d be karmic retribution all right.

  Asshole.

  *

  Asshole.

  Idiot. Dumbass.

  Jacob followed Meg, Meggie in his mind, out of the terminal, admiring the extra cushion in her ass that she brought along with her. Of course that reminded him of how much of an idiot he was and how he’d opened his mouth and shoved his whole leg in it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He’d only meant that he liked what he saw, but obviously she didn’t take it that way. Her hunched shoulders and downcast eyes proved that to him.

  The moment he’d walked in the door, he’d smelled her heavenly scent. The perfect mixture of fresh-cut grass and the open plains. Utter perfection. He’d spent s
ome time weaving around passengers and others milling around the concourse, searching for her, trying to hunt her by scent alone. Too many and too much crowded his beast from all sides until he was forced to use his other senses. He found her by sight.

  The sweet girl was sitting alone by the official Strange Hollow airline desk, Seraphim Hands, just like Ethan promised. The little Labrador pup fairly burst with energy when he’d enlisted Jacob’s help, and in truth, he didn’t mind helping the guy out since Jacinda was off dealing with some emergency.

  He’d noticed her legs first, full but muscular. Strong calves and thick thighs led to hips that filled out the airport seat. He’d hoped that there was an ass to match the rest of her. Her breasts nearly popped out of her top, and he wondered about the color of her nipples. Were they a dusky rose or a dark peach to match the peaches and cream of her skin? Her long black hair cascaded around her shoulders, falling in large curls and delicate waves.

  Her hair confused him a bit. Most lions, whether they were male or female, had blonde hair, and he wanted to know if her collar matched her cuffs, so to speak. Hell, his cock surely wanted to know.

  Those clothes, though ... the bright pink and obnoxious blue of her purse didn’t fit her at all. Ick. He’d have to take her to the mall on the way back to Strange Hollow to get her some new clothes. He knew enough about her situation to know she’d just dropped everything and run. Something about controlling males...

  From the moment he realized that the woman he’d been eyeing was Ethan’s Megsie, he’d been hard as a rock and ready to go. Real ready. Then he’d shoved his foot in his mouth until he was kicking his own ass from the inside out. Idjit.

  She would have been a nice distraction. After his encounter with Avery, Jacob had been off his game. The smooth words and sexual chemistry he shared with everyone but the mated, and Jacinda, had been off. It wasn’t as if no one wanted him, per se, it was just that jumping from bed to bed was getting a little harder to stomach lately.

  “This way, sugar.” Sugar, his word for every woman in the world. Just like the “baby” he used for men, “sugar” kept him from embarrassing himself with the women.

  She nodded, a quick jerk of her head, and he kicked himself once again. He really needed to get a hold of his tongue. Without checking to see if she followed him, Jacob took off toward where he’d parked his SUV.

  “Hey!” He heard someone yell, but he hadn’t walked in with anything so he sure as heck hadn’t left anything. “Hey, Jacob!” The rhythmic flip-flop of sandals reached his ears and he stopped mid-step and turned around.

  Meggie was jogging toward him, the purse draped across her body accentuating her bouncing breasts. “Slow down, Mr. Too-tall!” She finally caught up with him, a little out of breath.

  Jacob winced. “Sorry, Meggie. Forgot you’re just a tiny thing, aren’t ya?”

  She snorted. “Tiny, right. Make up your mind, will ya?”

  He couldn’t hold it back and he let out a big ole bear of a laugh. Pun intended.

  She just rolled her eyes at him and kept on stomping by, leaving him to laugh by himself. She paused on the outskirts of the parking lot. “Well, He-man, you coming or do I have to guess which over-compensating piece of garbage is yours?” Then the spitfire had the audacity to harrumph.

  Oh, he liked her already. Liked her a lot. She had a nice mix of fire and ice and a body that was anything but “nice.” It was perfect. The only thing he’d have to work on was her self-esteem, but he’d give her enough praise to have her melting in his hands. He wanted Meggie for a day ... and night. Or four. Not permanent or anything. Bears didn’t “do” permanent. Ever.

  Jacob didn’t ask for permission, but just snagged her hand, needing to touch her in some way whether she wanted it or not. Hand holding wasn’t anything overtly sexual, but it soothed his beast a little. Big bear inside wanted to spread his seed and get inside Miss Meggie Montgomery. Wanted her like a squirrel wants a nut, and a bear wants to fuck every man and woman in sight.

  Okay, his bear was probably the only one who wanted men and women, that’s why he was in Strange Hollow, but whatever.

  “This way.” He kept his steps small, not wanting to cause her discomfort or make her jog again, but he did keep her moving toward his SUV. Once there, he turned off the alarm with his remote and the SUV chirped in response. He opened the door for her, admiring the way her shorts, regardless of their god-awful color, rode up her legs, revealing more and more thigh to his gaze. Yeah, that’s it. “Meggie?”

  She sighed. “What, Jacob? I’m tired. Today has been trying and you haven’t made it much better. Can we please just get to Strange Hollow? I don’t like being in unfamiliar places and I’d like to settle into a place that will be familiar someday.”

  That urge to touch came back and he didn’t resist it once again. He traced her lower lip with his thumb, feeling the silky smooth skin beneath the pad. His eyes locked on hers and he decided it was time for a little true confession whether it earned him a slap or not. He didn’t want her thinking that she wasn’t beautiful in any way. “Meggie, back there, when I said...”

  “Yeah, I heard ya. I get it. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. It doesn’t matter.”

  “Oh, but it does. ’Cause when I said you didn’t travel too light, I meant it as a compliment. A big guy like me? I like a woman with meat on her bones. Curves, curves like yours,” he leaned forward, his mouth mere centimeters from hers, “they get me hot.”

  Meggie gasped and Jacob retreated. This was supposed to be a slow, subtle seduction. And, apparently, his bear was as subtle as an ox.

  Closing her door, he strode around the back of the SUV and took a moment to adjust his aching cock. He was hard as a rock, his prick extending down his pants leg, begging and hoping to be set free, but it wasn’t going to happen just yet. He wanted her, no doubt about that, but it’d take a little finesse--and when he wanted to, he could pull off finesse. Sorta. Maybe. Okay, probably not, but he’d sure as hell try.

  Chapter Five

  The house... No, not just the house, but her house, was perfect in every way. It was quaint and small. Jacob swung the mammoth SUV onto the smooth concrete driveway and Meg sat, mesmerized.

  The front lawn was well manicured with grass all the same length and blooming flowers lining the front walkway to the porch steps. Steps. She had porch steps and a porch! In addition, it was a wraparound porch extending the entire front and side of the cottage. The home was a soothing pale blue with wood siding construction. On either side of the front door were big bay windows with white curtains. And the front door... It was bright cherry-red, accenting the sky-blue of the home.

  “If it doesn’t suit you, we can always contact Jacinda. I’m sure she’ll...”

  “It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.” Beyond the color and lawn and anything else she could think of, the most important part of the house was one simple fact: it was hers.

  “Well, all right, then.” Jacob exited the car.

  Meg quickly followed suit, unable to contain her excitement over seeing the house for the first time. She bounded toward the front door as if springs were attached to her feet and skidded to a halt in front of the wooden barrier. She reached for the doorknob, but Jacob beat her to the brass handle. “Hey!”

  “Who has the keys to this operation?” He raised one eyebrow and the corner of his mouth followed suit. His infinitely kissable mouth. Meg stepped aside and he unlocked and opened the door, bowing to her with practiced ease. “After you, madam.”

  She curtsied, a small dip of her knees, and skipped through the doorway feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. For the first time she was out on her own in a house that belonged to her--and no lions or other lionesses to listen to.

  Inside the home, Meg was awed by what she saw. Cherry hardwood lined the floors of each and every room except the bathrooms which had an off-white tile. All the walls were the institutional white of an apartment, but essentially, she had a
blank canvas.

  “Wow.” She stood in the living room, taking in the small brick fireplace, the large bay window looking out to the street, and the sheer size of the room. She could easily fit in a couch and loveseat along with a coffee table and entertainment center in the room. Something nice and comfy-cozy to relax on in the evenings.

  Her next stop was the dining room that she immediately decided would become her office. For what, she didn’t know, but every entrepreneur needed an office and she’d have one. If only because she could.

  Then there was the kitchen. And, oh, my God, a Better Homes and Gardens worthy kitchen. Stainless steel appliances were abundant as was granite on each and every surface. There was an island and a hanging above it for her pots and pans--once she had some.

  The other rooms she viewed were just as spacious and gorgeous. There were two bedrooms, both large, that could easily accommodate king-sized beds and all of the other furniture to match the bedroom suite. The bathrooms both had jet tubs and stand-alone showers along with double sinks and more marble than she could imagine. The house was fit for a queen ... or a newly-free lioness.

  Standing back in the living room, Meg stared through the bay window out over the street, unbelieving that this truly was her new place.

  “Well, what do you think?” Jacob’s deep voice rumbled through her, zinging from head to toe and then settling in her sex.

  She spun to face him, not realizing how close he really stood. “Oh.” She stepped back, her rear coming into contact with the windowsill. “It’s, um, gorgeous. Beautiful. Better than I imagined.” She swallowed against the growing lump in her throat and willed her rising ardor to cool. She didn’t need emotional attachments yet ... if ever.