Romance: Loving The BillionBear: BBW Bear Shifter Romance Standalone (Spicy Shifters Book 3)

by Ashley Hunter

  While they talked a few times via text, she had been busy helping Carlie go baby shopping. Carlie was four months along and very excited, so as the closest childhood friend in the vicinity, Amelia was nominated to help her friend decorate the nursery.

  It was a strange feeling to actually miss Barend. They really still didn’t know each other well. They had only spent that one night together, but she missed him. And, for once in her life, she had been so ready for Monday to roll around.

  And, she sat at her desk, fidgeting and giddy with the knowledge he would be stepping off the elevator at any moment. She tried to make herself busy by checking emails, but after reading the same message four times and still not knowing what it said, she gave up. Instead, she straightened her desk. Then, she heard the tell-tale ping of the elevator and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest when he stepped in the room.

  However, her excitement quickly turned to dismay when he barely glance her way and simply said as he passed by: “Amelia, I need to see you in my office.”

  Oh no. What had gone wrong? What happened in just two days? She didn’t want to get up. Didn’t want to walk in his office. Didn’t want to hear him dump her because that was surely what he was going to do, right? Hesitantly, she knocked on the door and stepped inside.

  “I have some things we need to discuss.” He spoke calmly, sitting in his big leather chair. He was leaning forward on his desk with his fingers touching like a steeple.

  “Ok…ummm…shall I get a notepad?” She was trying so hard not show any emotion in her voice.

  “No, that won’t be needed.”

  She crossed the room and sat down on the edge of a chair, steeling herself for whatever he was about to say.

  “Amelia.”

  “Mr. Kensington.”

  “We need to schedule in an appointment.” Seriously? He was giving her a heart attack and it was all about work? First, she was relieved and then she got indignant. How dare he act so cool and distant?

  “Ok, is this for a meeting, sir?” She knew the last word was dripping with sarcasm, but she couldn’t help herself. Then, he smiled. He actually smiled. She knew she had screwed up getting involved with him. What a jerk!

  “Well, it’s sort of a meeting.”

  “Mr. Kensington, I need to know how to list it for your appointment book.”

  “It doesn’t have to go in the books.”

  Now, she huffed, exasperated. What on earth was he talking about? “I’m confused.”

  He laughed that deep laugh that was just as silky as his voice. “I need to schedule some time when I can be alone with you.”

  “What?”

  “I know you aren’t deaf Amelia. All I have thought about this weekend was you. Touching you. Hearing your voice. Having you again. I can’t get you off my mind. And I’m afraid if I don’t get you in the next hour or so, I may lose my mind, and that’s no way to run a company.”

  “Oh.”

  “So, when are we both available?”

  “Ummm..right now?” Every bit of anger and disappointment melted away. He had been playing with her. Teasing her. And then he talked about wanting her that badly. No one ever wanted her so much. No one ever said they had to have her right then and there.

  “Well, could you please come here a moment?” He made a welcoming gesture, so she walked around the desk and stood in front of him. With one smooth motion, he grabbed her legs and tugged so that she virtually fell in his lap, straddling him. “Oh god Amelia, you are so gorgeous. I want to throw you over this desk right now.”

  “Not a good idea sir.”

  “Why? Why can’t I have you right now?”

  “You have a meeting in 15 minutes.”

  “Who said I needed more time?” He said, with a wicked gleam in his eye.

  “As much as I would enjoy it, I don’t think it would be a good idea if you showed up to this meeting with sex hair.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “Sex hair? You think I get sex hair? I thought that was a girl thing.”

  “No, you get rather tousled. It would be unprofessional.”

  He sighed deeply. “Well, could we at least make out for a while?”

  “That we can do, Mr. Kensington.” She leaned down and kissed him. His hands, still on her legs, slowly slid up her hips, holding her against him where she could feel his growing erection. It was everything she could do not to unzip his pants right then. But, their kissing was interrupted when the phone rang.

  “Don’t move.” He growled and then pressed the speaker phone button. “Barend Kensington.”

  “Mr. Kensington, the representatives from Glouster, Incorporated are here for the meeting at 8:30. Shall I send them to the conference room?” It was the receptionist and Barend’s meeting was about to begin, Amelia felt herself a little disappointed.

  “Yes, Shelly. See them in and bring them refreshments. I will be there shortly.”

  Amelia started to climb out of his lap as he ended the call. “Oh no you don’t,” he whispered and pulled her back down on him.

  “Barend, you have to go.”

  “Not before one more kiss.” He lifted his hand from her hip, put it on the back of her neck and pulled her into a passionate kiss that left her dizzy. Once he let go, he let her stand back up, although she felt a little wobbly on her feet. “Go get ready.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You are coming to the meeting with me.”

  “Ummm..why?”

  “Well, for one thing, you are my assistant. I need to you know what’s going on and take notes. For another thing, if I have to let you out of my sight even for a minute today, I won’t be able to stand it. I need to be able to look at you anytime I want.”

  She blushed again and hurried out of the office to grab a few supplies. Barend was right behind her and she was having trouble thinking straight. As a result, she dropped her pen three times before stepping out from her desk, ready to join him at the meeting. All the while, he watched her with an amused look on his face.

  Throughout the whole meeting, she was simply…captivated. Sure, she had met business people before, but she had never seen someone command a room the way Barend did. For the past few weeks, since she had started working for him, she always had seen Barend as rude and cold toward other people who worked for him. Now, she was seeing him differently.

  He commanded the room. He was in charge. When he walked in, people listened. Maybe sometimes it came across as rude, but more than that, it came across as he was the boss. And, there was something incredibly sexy about that. She hung on his every word, and she kept finding herself forgetting to take notes from her little corner where she sat.

  In fact, at one point, he gave her a little smile. No one else noticed, probably, but she did. And she blushed, looking down quickly so that people didn’t see it. When she finally looked up, he was smirking. She was pretty sure he enjoyed the effect he had on her.

  The meeting seemed to drag on for hours and Amelia was getting antsy. While she was smart enough to understand what they were talking about, it wasn’t all that interesting. Barend’s company was considering buying another company.

  That’s about everything she really cared to follow. Other than that, her mind kept wandering to everything that had happened between her and Barend in the last few days.

  The way he kissed. Oh god, it was amazing. He was, by far, the best kisser she had ever encountered. He was passionate and fervent. And, he gave it his all the moment his lips touched hers. And, the way he always nipped at her lower lip right when he was about to step back and take a breath. It sent shivers through her whole body.

  And, it’s like he just knew exactly where to touch her. No man had ever been immediately drawn to the crook of her neck, which was one of the most sensitive places on her body. The crook of her neck was an immediate turn on.

  The second his lips touched it or when she could feel his warm breath on it, she was gone. There was no question after that what
she wanted. He found that spot all on his own, and boy did he get to her.

  Then, there were his hands, and the way they explored her body like he worshipped it. His hands were just as skilled as his mouth. They traveled over the planes of her body, leaving little trails of fire wherever they touched.

  Unlike many men, he knew how to touch her everywhere and not just the obvious. Yes, he gave attention to her breasts. Yes, he touched them in just the right way. And, yes, he knew how to use his hands further south too, but he didn’t leave an inch of her skin untouched.

  She completely forgot she was in a business meeting until a voice jarred her out of her reverie.

  “Are you coming? Amelia?” Even his words were…well, she took them another way. And she blushed more furiously than she ever had. For a moment, she really wanted to go hide somewhere, anywhere.

  He caught her thinking things that didn’t belong in the office, and the worst part was, there were other people around. She tried to gather up her things quickly and follow him out the door, and she was pretty sure he was smiling the whole time.

  ---

  He knew what she had been thinking about it. He could see it in her eyes and the way she blushed and looked down when she caught him looking at her. She was thinking about him, or rather the two of them together. And, it was getting to her even in a formal business meeting.

  He liked that.

  The funny thing is, he was thinking the same things. Even as he discussed the minutiae of acquiring another company, his mind was thinking about her body, her curves, the way she felt in his arms, the way she kissed, the way she called his name making love. Yes, he enjoyed thinking about it. He could just hide it better than she could. While she blushed and fiddled with her pen, he continued with the meeting like nothing else was on his mind.

  When everything got wrapped up and people began to leave, she didn’t move. Instead, she stayed in her seat, lost in some very naughty thoughts, he imagined. Finally, after watching her for a few moments, he stood in front of her.

  “Are you coming? Amelia?” The way she blushed furiously, he could only imagine what she was thinking. The way she fumbled with her things, she was flustered that she had even been caught in those thoughts.

  He followed her out the door with a smile on his face. He didn’t say a word to her on the elevator. He could see her squirming next to him, and he found it amusing. And, when they stepped off the elevator, he escorted her right into his office, closing the door behind him. She immediately turned around and started talking.

  “Oh god, I’m so sorry. I’ve never been so unprofessional in my life. I was distracted and I didn’t keep up with what was going on. You can fire me. I understand. I’m so stupid.”

  “Amelia.”

  “You told me to go to that meeting and pay attention. I probably embarrassed you. I don’t know what I was thinking letting myself daydream like that.”

  “Amelia.”

  “I am a horrible employee and so unprofessional. I don’t even know what I am doing here. I can’t keep my mind straight.”

  He realized nothing he was saying would break her…rant. So, he took a different tactic, lunging forward, and started kissing her. The kiss was so hard that he pushed her backward into the wall. At first, she didn’t react, but it only took a moment before her body responded and she started kissing him too.

  When he pulled away, he put the palm of his hand on her cheek, gently running his thumb over her lower lip.

  “You were so sexy in there.”

  “I was distracted and unprofessional.”

  “No, you were beautiful and hot. It was such a turn on knowing what you were thinking.”

  “How do you know what I was thinking?” She smiled.

  “It was about us, was it not?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Oh just maybe? I should remind you. You meant you weren’t thinking about this?” And he brushed her hair to the side and nibbled at the crook of her neck.”

  “Oh I definitely wasn’t thinking about that.” She tried not to gasp.

  “Maybe it was this.” He smiled and slid his hand up her blouse, cupping her breast through the lace of her bra.

  She did gasp this time. “Ok, ok I was thinking about you. And us.” You win.

  “That’s what I thought.” He smiled and kissed her again. “Don’t worry. I was thinking the same thing.”

  “You looked so focused on the meeting.”

  “My dear, a good professional can be busy focusing on mergers while his mind is thinking about fucking you.”

  “Oh.” It was not a sound of disappointment. Instead, it was the sound she made when something was both sexy and embarrassing at the same time. Even though she had experience with men, he always had a way of making her feel shy like it was her first time.

  “If I didn’t have so many things to do, I would have you over that desk right now. But, unfortunately, that can’t happen. Not today at least.” He faked pouting even going so far as to poke his bottom lip out.

  “Umm, yes I need to go take care of some things too.” She tried to wiggle out from between him and the wall, and instead, he pressed against her harder.

  “Not before one more kiss.” He whispered and pressed his lips to hers.

  After Amelia went back to her desk, Barend sat back in his chair and pondered things. Was he actually falling in love with this woman? Is this what love felt like? Of course he wanted her body. There was plenty of lust to go around. But, he wanted more. He wanted to romance her, take her to fine dinners, spend evening with her cuddled on the couch. He wanted her. All of her.

  He was falling in love.

  But, he still had the secret. He still had to introduce her to the beast. And, he was so terrified she would run away. Who could blame her really? Any sane person would run in the opposite direction. That’s why he had never really gotten close to anyone.

  He knew what would happen. He had even tried to keep away from Amelia, acting brusque and cold when she first started working for him, but it was a façade he couldn’t continue. Not with her beautiful curves, sarcastic wit, sweet smile, intelligence and everything else that was wrapped up in the blond hurricane.

  So, he would have to tell her. Or maybe show her. He had no idea the best way to handle it, but it had to happen because eventually she would wonder what was going on if he continued keeping her at arm’s length.

  It was that time, he decided. He would take her to his mansion this weekend and see what would happen. Maybe she would run away. But, maybe, just maybe, she would stay and listen. Either way, it was best to find out before he got in any deeper. He didn’t particularly care to have his heart broken.

  Chapter Seven

  It was Friday, and Barend found himself nervous. He was so nervous that his palms were sweating and this was an unusual situation for him. He was used to commanding a room, being the one in charge, and always feeling confident. B

  ut, he was about to walk into the reception area and ask Amelia to come to his house that evening. It was time to tell her everything, and he was actually scared about how she would react. After pacing his office for a few more minutes, he steeled himself and walked through the door.

  “Amelia…”

  She jumped. She had been engrossed in something she was looking at on the computer screen and didn’t see him walk up to her desk. “Oh, hey!” She smiled and he was pretty sure part of his heart melted. She had a beautiful smile.

  “What are you doing this evening?”

  “Umm, nothing that I know of.”

  He walked around and sat on the corner of her desk, facing her. Then, he reached out and took her hand in both if his. She looked a little puzzled, probably because he was acting really serious after the last few weeks of fun, sweet, flirting.

  “I was wondering if you would come to my house this evening. It’s starting to get chilly and I thought we could enjoy wine in front of the fireplace.”

  She visibly relaxed. “Oh, I
would love to!”

  “Perfect. Why don’t you just ride in my car? I can bring you back here to get yours later.”

  “That would be great! I hate trying to follow directions and with the full moon and all, the crazies will be out tonight!” She smiled at her own little joke, and he tried to smile. It wasn’t quite so funny to him.

  “Right. Wouldn’t want you getting in a wreck.”

  “Just out of curiosity, where do you live?” She tilted her head questioningly. It was another one of her adorable habits.

  “In Shay’s Heights.”

  “Oh wow. Well, of course you do, you are a billionaire. I bet your house is huge.”

  “It’s ok. Well, I won’t lie”, he chuckled, “it’s rather large. I’ve gotten lost before.”

  She laughed too, a sweet, sweet sound. “Maybe we will play an epic game of hide and seek.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe I can think of something else we could do.”

  She bit her bottom lip. “I am sure I would be ok with that.”

  It was everything he could do to control himself right then and there. He wanted her again. It’s all he thought about for the past week since they slept together at her house. But, he didn’t want to do that until he had told her the truth. It wouldn’t be fair to her, or him for that matter.

  So, later in the day, when he just couldn’t stand it anymore, Barend told Amelia they could leave. It was only four, but he was anxious, and it was his company after all.

  “Ok,” she smiled, “Is my boss going to get angry at me for leaving early?”

  “I just talked to him and he said it would be ok.”

  “Alright, well, I don’t want to come back Monday and find out he’s mad at me.”

  “He could never be mad at you.”

  This time, she smiled, put her hand in his and then they walked toward the elevator together. He had never been this nervous. For the first time in his life, he was going to tell a woman his secret. And, also, for the first time in his life, he was in love with a woman.