“These are good,” she said tentatively over a mouthful, as if unsure how Luc would react.
He shook his head. “I keep asking you this, but are you all right?”
She seemed to consider this for a minute and Luc held his breath.
“Ribs are sore, but other than that I’m…fine.”
“Any reason you’re in the closet?”
She frowned as if she hadn’t realized where she was.
“No.” The word sounded thin.
Luc leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms, which looked human again. She glanced at them, but her face was a mask. A big glob of chocolate was on the top right of her mouth, but he didn’t think this was the time mention it.
“Why don’t you come out to the kitchen so we can talk.”
“About what?”
He shrugged. “Maybe about the fact I just turned into a bear to protect you.”
She bit the corner of her lip. “Yeah, that was interesting,” she said carefully.
“Is that why you’re hiding in the closet?”
“No. I’ve done that since I was a kid. I used to steal food from the kitchen and that was the best place to hide. I think instincts took over.” She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. “When you’re a bear, are you also human or pure animal?”
“I’m in control.” He pulled the milk carton out of the fridge, filled her a glass and poured one for himself. The liquid had a calming effect on him. If anything, he seemed more worried about the situation than she was. “Always. The bear is a part of me, but at my core I’m human.”
“So you weren’t going to eat me?”
“Of course not. I’d jumped into the circle to protect you.”
She continued to sit in the closet. Her hand trembled slightly as she put the milk on the shelf. Good, she was at least sane. Only an insane person wouldn’t be frightened at least a little.
“So you can control the bear part?”
“I understand why you’re freaked out, but I promise I would never hurt you. I do have a temper, and sometimes when I lose it like that, the bear takes over. But I’m always aware of what is going on.”
“Okay. And no one else took notice, so does that mean they’re bears too?”
“Yeah, that’s a tricky question. We aren’t allowed to share info about other shifters,” he said honestly. He kept waiting for her to scream or run upstairs and lock the door.
“Huh. Other shifters. That means different animals. So that tiger the other night. He really did get my morbid jokes.” She took a hefty bite of another brownie.
“So if he was human, then he wouldn’t have hurt me.”
Another tricky one. “Not all shifters are good. It’s true they are part human. Some of them stay closer to the animal than their humanity so it’s best to be wary on all counts.” If she hung around long, she’d need to know, especially with full moon so close.
“Noted.” She sipped her milk.
“I called the Doc,” he said trying to keep his voice level, but he was worried about her. The calm made him anxious about shock. She’d already been through a great deal the last twenty-four hours.
“My ribs are sore because one of them bumped into me, but everything is okay.”
He glanced down at the pan in her lap. “By any chance are you a stress eater?” He’d remembered seeing that on one of the medical shows his wife used to watch.
“What makes you say that?” Her mouth still full of brownie.
He shook his head. “You should be screaming, begging to get away from here,” he said softly.
She chewed and swallowed, then drank the rest of her milk. Grabbing one of the cup towels from the shelf, she wiped the chocolate off of her mouth.
“The thought has crossed my mind a few thousand times in the last ten minutes. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t freaked out earlier. But where would I go?” she said simply. “Fact is, I’m safer with a giant bear than I am in my own home.”
The woman amazed him.
“And call the Doc back. I don’t need anyone else fussing over me. You’re enough for ten mother hens.”
Chuckling, he picked up the nearly empty pan of brownies, set in on the counter, and started pulling out the ingredients to mix a new batch. No one had ever called him a mother hen.
“How long is it going to take you to make some more?” She didn’t meet his eyes, but she pointed at the pan.
“Forty-five minutes at least.”
She stared down at the floor. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay in here a little while longer.” Reaching up, she closed the pantry door, and then opened it again. “I don’t suppose you have any cookies to tide me over until the brownies are done. Or pie. That pie last night was really good.”
He started to say something, but thought better of it. She was coping. His crutch had been a bottle of bourbon. Hers was sweets. Who was he to judge?
“I have a chocolate peanut butter pie.” He’d made it for Patty, as it was one of her favorites.
“Great, that will do.” She held out her hand, but still she didn’t look at him.
“How big of a slice do you want?”
She clasped her hands to keep them from shaking, and he knew she was going into shock. Good thing the doc was on his way.
“Don’t go to any trouble. Just give me the pie and a fork.”
Luc bit back a smile, but did as she asked. He put it on a tray with what was left of the gallon of milk. Then he knelt down to give it to her.
She kept her head down, but pulled the tray toward her. “Okay, I’ve got it, thanks. Shut the door please.”
“Do you want me to turn on the pantry light?”
She shook her head violently. “No, thanks.”
He stood there for a few seconds unsure of what to do.
“Please,” she begged. Her voice trembled slightly.
Damn. “I promise you. No one here will hurt you. Ever. I swear it. Please, don’t be frightened.”
Her shoulders jiggled and he feared hysterics were on the way.
“A bear swear,” she snorted as she stuck a fork into the pie.
She was laughing.
Yes, she was definitely in shock.
Bear swear. He shut the door. She’d come out when she was ready, or when the doc arrived.
At the realization that he was more concerned for her than he had been for anyone in a long time, he closed his eyes.
She won’t be here for long.
Now that she knew about Luc and the town, she’d be leaving a lot faster than she’d originally planned. He was sure of that.
Chapter Six
Later that night, Ainsley finally opened the pantry door and stood. If she didn’t need to go to the bathroom, she might have stayed there all night. But she’d consumed a pie and two small pans of brownies, so now her stomach protested the sugar. Stretching, she winced at the stabbing pain in her ribs.
What the hell was she going to do?
“There’s a bowl of soup in the fridge for you,” Luc’s voice came from the darkness near the back stairs.
She let out a little squeak, then forced herself to calm down. “Thanks, but I think my stomach is a bit upset about my trip to the dark side with the sweets.” She smoothed down her t-shirt and picked up her shoes from the floor of the pantry.
“If it would make you feel more comfortable, I can stay across the street at a friend’s house. You can lock the door and have the apartment to yourself.” There was something in his voice and it took her a minute to catch on.
Luc was sad. She’d freaked out, rightfully so, but she’d also hurt his feelings. Nobody wanted to be made to feel bad for who they really were—especially when it wasn’t something they could control. Luc had already proven that he was kind and caring. Even though he wished she was anywhere but in his bar, she knew he’d protect her.
Having grown up in a world of money and privilege, she was used to people having an ulterior motive. Everyone wa
nted something. But not Luc. Without knowing anything about her—even her full name—he’d helped her when the chips were down and she’d had nowhere to go. As odd as it seemed, that no-strings-attached quality may have made him more unique than even the bear shifting stuff. At least to her.
“I’m not going to drive you from your home, Luc. I’m just—” she honestly didn’t know what she was. “The past week has been hell and I had a meltdown. I’m sorry. I know you think I’m scared, but it’s not so much that as I’m confused. My world has been turned upside down…and you’re a bear.”
There, she said it out loud.
He grunted, but didn’t say anything.
“It’s not the same thing but I’ve looked different all my life,” she said. “I’m a lot chunkier than any of the other girls in my social circle. Mom called me big-boned but as you just saw, I like food. Well, I’m not usually quite so, um, eager to throw a couple of trays of brownies down my throat. But I’m never going to be a super model.” She was going about this the wrong way. She just wanted him to understand that it wasn’t about the way he looked as a bear, which was kind of hot and weird at the same time. He’d been human, but his nose and eyes were that of a bear. Then as quickly as he’d changed, he morphed back. At first, she wondered if she’d been hallucinating. But the way he looked at her, as if he saw the disgust and fear in her eyes.
She took a deep breath and tried again. “Not being the ‘required’ size two used to bother me but then I learned to accept myself. And with the help of judo, even enjoy my sturdy build. Still, it’s hard when you don’t fit into society’s ideals or look different.”
“I think you are a damn beautiful woman. You have the perfect body. It’s soft and supple and your skin is like white silk.”
No one had ever said she had the perfect body.
“That’s—oh, uh. Now I can’t talk at all. Thanks. But I think I need some time to adjust to the fact that there are shifters, and goodness knows what else out there. And you were right. At first, I did want to run away. But I didn’t lie before. I have no place to go. I feel safer here.”
Luc grunted again. “I’ll go across the street. Just lock the door upstairs, and I’ll make sure everything is locked up tight down here.”
Nervous, she bit her lip. “Luc, I would feel safer if you stayed here.”
There was a long pause.
“I’ll sleep on the couch,” she said. “Load me up with blankets and I’ll be fine by the fire. You can have the bed so you can stretch out comfortably.” His bed had obviously been custom made for him, since it was the largest one she’d ever seen. It was if he’d put a king and a queen mattress together and surrounded it with a beautiful carved wood canopy.
“You’re not afraid to be alone in the same room with me?”
She chewed on her lip some more, deciding the best way to respond. Even as scary bear Luc, looked like he was trying to protect her. So if magical creatures suddenly existed, better to have them on her side, right?
Still, it was a lot to take in and she’d met her quota of heavy things to deal with days ago.
“I’m not afraid. Confused, like I said. Too when someone tried to shoot me, I was terrified.”
“Wait! Someone tried to shoot you? Why the hell didn’t you tell me that,” his voice rose.
She lifted her hand to the bridge of her nose and rubbed. The sugar was heading toward migraine territory. She had to be careful about what she said.
“If you tell me what’s going on, I might be able to help you.”
She scrunched her shoulders and popped her neck. “I will. I trust you. You’ve certainly tried to take care of me up to this point. But tonight, I think I’m hitting a low after eating so much sugar and I’m really tired. And—I’m not so much freaked out as just done in. You know? I need to trust someone.” Her voice clogged with emotion. “But right now, I just want to sleep for a really long time.”
He started to say something, but he stopped.
“Go on up,” he said. “I have to take care of some paperwork. Take the bed, you need to stretch out with your injuries.”
Prepared to argue with him, she stopped. He’d taken a few steps toward her and his face became visible in the moonlight shining through the back window. Something was wrong.
“Luc, I’ve been nothing but trouble. I beat up your bar patrons and ate all your brownies. I’ll leave in the morning if that’s what you want.” The knot in her gut tightened. If he turned her out, she didn’t know what she’d do.
“No. You aren’t going anywhere until I know you’re safe,” he said, finality in his voice. “And you are supposed to be upset about the idea of shifters being all around you. I just wish you didn’t ever have to find out. We’ll talk about your situation at home in the morning. I promise you won’t have to stay any longer than you want to. We’ll find the underlying cause of this so you can go home soon.”
“Luc,” her hand reached out and touched his arm, but he flinched away.
“I have work to do.”
With that, he strode through the swinging doors into the bar, leaving Ainsley alone in the kitchen. She wanted to follow him, to explain—what, she wasn’t sure. She just hated seeing that look on his face and she would have done anything to get rid of it.
Two hours later, Ainsley stared up at the ceiling of the loft space. She’d taken the sofa, saying it was better for her ribs to have the back support. The night was surreal. She was in a town full of shifters, something she didn’t know existed until the moment Luc changed in the middle of the bar. Never in her life had she been so—there wasn’t a word because it went far beyond shock. The man she’d slept next to the night before was half bear.
No, she still couldn’t wrap her mind around it. She had a million questions about the whole shifter thing. But when he’d looked at her, it had been through the eyes of a man. One, who almost expected to be hurt by whatever words came out of her mouth next. Even though she’d been frightened of the situation, she’d never really been afraid of him.
Amazing how much a girl could take after someone had tried to kill her.
She was stuck in this Podunk town full of shifters, and it was probably the safest place for her. The situation at home would most likely land her in the morgue. She had no idea how deep the betrayal went within her family.
But it was her brother who hurt the most. Was he the one who sent someone to kill her? It was all too much. How sad that the safest she felt was in the loft apartment of a man who turned into a giant beast.
A man-beast who had returned from the bar a short while ago and was now settled in bed.
“I’ll give you the money to get your truck fixed if you want,” Luc’s deep voice came from the bedroom.
“Thanks, but I’m good. I’ve already raised a hundred and sixty dollars in tips toward the repairs.” She paused. “Do you still want me to leave? I can try to find somewhere else to live in town.”
As gruff as he might be, Luc was the most thoughtful man she’d ever met. That first night when she’d slept in his bed, she thought he was with her all night. But at some point he’d gone out to find her some clothes. The jeans were one size to big, but that was all right considering how sore her hip and ribs were. He’d also wrangled some panties, socks and a clean bra in the right size. But her favorite things were the bright pink Chucks.
They were her size, brand new and were much more comfortable than the shoes she’d worn when she arrived. Hard to believe that was a little over twenty-four hours ago.
“You should stay here,” Luc’s voice was gruff. “I can’t protect you if you’re living somewhere else.”
She smiled to herself. How could she not adore a big old bear who wanted her to hang around even though she drove him crazy? “Thanks. I will until I raise the money to fix the truck. I don’t think I should stay any place too long,” she said giving herself an out. She didn’t need to warm up to Luc any more than she already had, for a number of reasons.
> Luck hadn’t been on her side when it came to men and relationships. The ones who weren’t hung up on her not being a perfect size two found her affluence, education, and personal success intimidating. Not that she and Luc were headed that way. He was practically a stranger and part animal. She didn’t even know how that worked exactly.
“I could help with your problem.” He had said that before, but she didn’t see how.
Confused she thought back to their conversation. “With the truck?”
She heard his snort from the other room. “No, the reason you can’t go home.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s something anyone can fix.” There was nothing she could do, not without hard proof, which she didn’t have.
“I haven’t owned a bar my whole life,” Luc said cryptically.
Curiosity piqued, she asked, “So what did you do?”
“An Agent for the FBI.”
She shot up so fast, she winced with pain. Oh, hell. If he were involved with law enforcement, he’d have to tell them about her.
“Can you give me a couple of days head start before you tell, the Feds?” Ainsley folded her bedding. She had enough with her fifty bucks and tips to get a bus ticket. She couldn’t go into Canada without her passport. Maybe she should run south.
“You aren’t going anywhere,” Luc’s deep voice was suddenly right behind her and she jumped, tripping backwards over his low aspen coffee table and directly into his arms.
“Ooohmmmph.” They said at the same time. He held them steady, proving he did have the strength of a bear.
She could tell he wasn’t wearing a shirt. She faced away from him but the warmth of his body enveloped her. Soothing her nerves like a balm of calm. “Please,” she begged not trusting herself to look at him. “I just need a few hours to catch a bus and you never have to see me again.”
“Don’t move,” he ordered. Before he backed away, she felt his hardness against her ass. “Let me grab some jeans.”
Luc didn’t know about her family or her money, but he wanted her body, exactly the way it was.
Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears, Oh My! Page 5