Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2015 Doris O’Connor
ISBN: 978-1-77233-476-0
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Karyn White
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
To all my lovely readers, I hope you like this new and extended version as much as the original.
Thanks, as always, to Evernight and my editor for making my stories shine.
Special thanks to Kim and Catharine for their help in making sure the bears sound authentic.
And to my very own Sir, otherwise known as Papa Bear.
CLAIMED BY HER BEARS
Doris O’Connor
Copyright © 2015
Chapter One
Goldie Lockwood hobbled up to the imposing glass double doors that made up the entrance to Sexation’s top floor office space and winced under her breath when the cardboard tray of coffees she held in one hand wobbled precariously and spilled yet more of the hot contents over her already abused fingers. Not that a little bit of spilled coffee would matter much now. It just added to the fast forming bruises on her knees and the scrapes on her forearms, caused by her impression of a sack of spuds, when she’d caught her heel in an uneven paving slab. The dratted six inch heel had snapped straight off and sent her flying. So much for dressing up to impress the new CEO. It wasn’t so much sexy professional going on here, as had been her aim, but the drowned urchin look. She felt as though she’d been dragged through a hedge backward and no doubt looked it.
A quick glance inside the open plan office showed the entire staff to be lined up for one of Heidi’s inspections, and Goldie was so dead. Yes, fired, dead, and already buried, that was her. Heidi wouldn’t give two hoots about the myriad of mishaps that had befallen her this morning on the way to work. Only that she was late, and that she had spilled so much of her immediate superior’s macchiato that Heidi would no doubt send her straight back out to get her another one, regardless of the way Goldie looked.
With a deep breath in for courage, Goldie pushed the doors open with her back, trundled through, and promptly stumbled as the jagged leftover edge of her stiletto caught in the plush carpeting that made up the executive offices. More coffee sloshed in the air, and Goldie swore under her breath as said carpet came up to greet her. Bracing herself for impact, she was saved from yet another humiliating fall by a hard masculine arm around her waist.
Her breath left her lungs in a very unladylike whoosh of relief, as whoever that arm belonged to, pulled her back into a human furnace, made of hard, solid muscle. Goldie had the oddest sensation of floating as she was held up several inches above the floor, until she slowly slid back down to earth.
“Easy there. Falling at my feet is not a requirement I have for my staff.”
The amused, deep, gravelly, American drawl held the charming southern accent that reminded Goldie of Rhett Butler, and wrapped itself around her senses like a comforting cocoon, before Heidi Symmond’s shrill tones pulled her out of her fanciful thoughts.
“Goldie Lockwood, what on earth do you think you’re doing, and where have you been? Excuse me, Mr. Stanhope. I will deal with this myself.”
Her personal nemesis advanced on Goldie with a face resembling a constipated duck, as she pursed her lips and fixed her grey eyes on Goldie in pure contempt. Had it not been for the arm of steel still around her waist, Goldie would have already taken several steps back in retreat, as Heidi ran that cold gaze all over her disheveled attire.
“Look at the state of you.” Heidi glanced at the congealed brown mess that was her macchiato slowly seeping into the carpet by her feet, and the evil smile that kicked up her painted lips made Goldie wish herself far away.
“You’ll clean this up yourself, you silly girl. That’ll teach you to defile company property.”
A deep rumble rose from the massive chest Goldie was forced to lean against, and Heidi blanched as she heard the animalistic sound that erupted from the man at Goldie’s back.
“Ms. Symmond, do you really think that would be appropriate for someone of Miss Lockwood’s paygrade? I sure don't. Nor do I think sending her off on coffee runs is either.”
The censure in those words stung, and Goldie had a hard time drawing air into her lungs, when the mountain of a man behind her moved, until she could see him.
Holy shit.
Everything from Goldie’s neck down clenched in need when she looked up at her rescuer. His amber eyes crinkled up at the corners when he glanced at her, and then turned to molten steel when he switched his attention to a bristling Heidi.
The expensive tailor-made suit Jason Stanhope wore only served to accentuate the width of his shoulders, and Goldie swallowed nervously. She’d hate to be at the receiving end of his displeasure, and even though his ire wasn’t directed at her, she quickly dropped her gaze. Not that it helped one little bit, as her wayward hormones sighed in submission at the prime specimen of male in front of her. She was pretty sure there couldn’t be an ounce of fat anywhere on this man’s body, and as she let her gaze wander over the tawny beard covering his strong jaw, down the thick neck, and along the buttons of his expensive shirt, she fought the heat rising in her cheeks. The tailored trousers lovingly caressed a rather impressive bulge, and she had to hide her grin at the cowboy boots he wore on his feet.
The hand he left on her elbow as though to make sure she was steady did strange things to her equilibrium, as tingles of awareness shot out from that innocent contact to every feminine part of her. It was beyond embarrassing really. This man was her new boss. This insta-lust she felt was a completely unreasonable and not wanted reaction, especially when he was no doubt just being kind. Then again, she would probably be fired in five anyway, so what did it matter?
“Well, now, that is to say…”
Hearing queen bitch Heidi momentarily lost for words shook Goldie out of her lecherous perusal of her boss’s body, and she risked a glance at the woman. The grin she was desperately trying to hide broke free, and she brought a hand over her mouth to cover it. The rest of the assembled staff didn’t even try. Heidi had earned herself no favors with any them, and the goldfish impressions she was currently doing were long overdue.
“Yes?” Jason Stanhope dropped his voice to nothing more than a growly whisper, and Heidi blanched. “Is there something wrong with the coffee making equipment in the kitchen?”
“No, sir, not at all, it’s just—”
“They’re not good enough for you, is that it?” Jason interrupted Heidi, and there was a brief flare of defiance in the other woman’s eyes, before she masked it and shook her head. The ice cold glance she threw at Goldie, however, deflated her temporary amusement with the full force of an ice bucket upturned over her head.
Yep, dead, that’s me.
“Then I would very much appreciate it if you would stop wasting company resources for your own entertainment. Are we clear?”
Jason Stanhope tightened his hold on Goldie’s arm briefly, before he let her go and ran a hand through his messy brown hair. Longer on top, it fell in enticing waves over his forehead, and made Goldie’s fingers itch to straighten it up for him a tad.
Jeez, enough already with the inappropriate thoughts.
When he smiled
at Goldie, she had a hard time not to swoon, especially when he ran his gaze slowly over her disheveled form. Her nipples firmed and pushed against the lacy cups of her bra, and she hastily crossed her arms to hide her body’s reaction to this man. There was nothing at all she could do about the way her panties dampened in her arousal, and she wanted the ground to swallow her whole when his nostrils flared, as though he could smell her need.
His grin deepened. The action showed off even, white teeth that formed a startling contrast against his tawny beard, and a wave of his own scent hit her straight in the gut. Laced as it was with expensive cologne, it was a primal, masculine, spicy scent with a hint of danger that made her heart beat faster, and she had to fight the urge to sink to her knees in front of him.
That would definitely not be appropriate in the office, and lord only knew where that thought had come from. Sexations might be the premier supplier of sex toys and custom made BDSM furniture, but that didn’t mean she’d ever wanted to participate in the lifestyle—until now, that was.
Goldie was honest enough with herself to admit that certain aspects of BDSM held some appeal, and submitting to Jason Stanhope would be as natural as breathing. It was a most disconcerting feeling as was hearing Heidi’s meek response.
“Yes, sir, crystal clear.”
“Good. I’ll be in my office. Will you please come with me, Miss Lockwood?”
Heidi looked as startled as Goldie felt at that request, and before her supervisor could stop her, Goldie hobbled on after him, all too aware of the dagger looks burning into her back. She was so just digging her hole deeper, but she could hardly refuse the CEO, now could she?
When Jason Stanhope stopped abruptly she almost ran into his broad back and teetered precariously on her uneven heels. For the second time that morning her boss grasped hold of her to stop her from falling, and heat stained her cheeks at her inherent clumsiness.
“I think you should take those off?” He withdrew his hands from around her waist with seeming reluctance, and Goldie, too, immediately missed the contact. There was just something so reassuring about his touch, as well as terribly arousing. How this man could raise such conflicting emotions in Goldie was beyond her right now, as was the ability to form a coherent sentence, as all she managed in reply to his question was a mumbled grunt.
“The carpet is nice and soft, and you’ll be far safer out of those, I reckon. If you give me your size, I’ll have some new shoes delivered to you here, as well as some clothing. As much as I appreciate the view, it might prove too distracting for your male colleagues.”
That brought Goldie’s head up in surprise, but she could read nothing but genuine concern in his dark eyes, as he held her gaze.
“Erm, that won’t be necessary. I have some flats in the drawer at my desk, as well as a spare shirt, ‘cause I always spill things, and…” The sudden flare of heat in his gaze meant she lost her train of thought completely, and to hide the surge of hot arousal coursing through her veins, she bent to retrieve the death traps on her feet.
Jason grasped her arm, and she winced as he touched the grazes there.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, and before she could stop him, he lifted each of her arms up to inspect their undersides. His face darkened, and that deep rumble erupted from his chest again. It was the sexiest sound ever, and chased away the embarrassment that threatened to engulf her. Everyone was staring at them, after all, and here she was in her coffee stained blouse that started to cling to her like a second skin, her stockings all torn, and on the verge of combusting on the spot, just because Jason Stanhope ran the calloused pads of his fingers over her myriad of scratches with the lightest of touches.
“It’s okay.” She murmured the words, desperate for the sweet torment to stop, and at the same time, willing his hands to continue.
“Not at all. These'll need some cleaning up. I have a first aid kit in my office, and I think we've given everyone enough of a show.”
That much was certainly true, and it was with a certain amount of relief that she managed to kick off her heels, pick up the broken footwear and follow him into his office.
“Shut the door, would you, please.”
Goldie did just that, and when she turned back round her breath stalled in her lungs completely, as he shrugged out of his suit jacket, frowned at the coffee stains on his shirt, and started to unbutton it.
O-okay then.
****
The expression on little Goldilocks’s face was priceless, as Jason proceeded to shrug out of his shirt. Apart from the stains, the material felt too constricting on his skin, as his bear roared his need to come out and play. Ever since this delightful little human morsel had fallen into his arms, his inner beast had wanted her. It was her sweet, alluring scent that had first alerted him to her presence. Like the sweetest honey, it had drawn his bear to investigate, and when he’d saved her from a certain tumble, everything inside of him had tightened in need and screamed mine.
The fact that she was his employee complicated matters somewhat, but his animal didn’t care about that one iota. His bear was all for locking the door, bending her over his desk, and fucking her silly, while he sank his teeth into her shoulder and marked her as his. Something that wouldn’t go over well with Jacob and Catalina, his several minutes younger siblings, and he pinched the bridge of his nose and willed his animal to stand down.
She was human, and no doubt completely clueless about the existence of shifters, let alone what it meant to be mated to him and, by proxy, his siblings. The trembling woman in front of him would run for the hills at the mere suggestion of such an arrangement, and that’s if you took the fact that all three of them were Doms out of the equation.
No, he needed to tread carefully here.
“Sir, wha-at are you doing?”
With a strangled groan his little Goldilocks turned round to face the wall, and the dominant in him roared at the title she had just bestowed on him even though she no doubt didn’t mean it in that way.
“Changing my shirt, pet. Macchiato is not my preferred beverage. You should probably do the same, but I want to take care of those injuries first.”
A visible shiver went through Goldie’s frame at his words, and he grinned. Acting on instinct he left his shirt undone and stepped close enough to her to touch. The rapid heartbeat visible in the pulse point at her neck called him, and she jumped when he put his hands on her shoulders.
“Easy there.” He murmured the words, and she drew a shuddering breath into her lungs, as he dropped his head and inhaled against her neck. Wisps of her blonde hair had escaped her attempt of a chignon and clung to her damp neck, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed to not pull out the hair clips and allow the silky strands to fall down her back. He idly wondered how long they were, before he pulled back and turned her around until she faced him.
Blue eyes wide, his little prey stared up at him, and a rush of protectiveness flooded his system. Without her killer heels she barely reached up to his chest, and she looked incredibly small and fragile, and so delightfully rattled, the sadist in him drank in her confusion and unwilling arousal. However, they were at the office, and he needed some answers first. A moan escaped her when he slowly withdrew his hands, and he hardened in his pants at that needy sound. He’d been half erect ever since he’d first scented her, but in the close confines of his office, the sweet, yet spicy aroma that was his Goldilocks pulled him further under her spell. With his bear growling at him to claim her he stepped backward until he could rest his butt on the edge of his desk. The urge to adjust his dick was almost overwhelming, and he mentally thanked his tailor for the soft fit of his pants.
“I really ought to … I mean…” Goldie’s words faltered, and she didn’t seem able to drag her gaze away from the tattoo on the right side of his chest. Three bear cubs entwined, it represented his siblings and him, and both Cat and Jacob had a similar version.
“You really ought to what?” he asked. He dropped his
voice on purpose, and like a startled rabbit, Goldie wrenched her eyes upward. However, she didn’t seem able to hold his gaze, and hastily dropped them back to his chest, then his groin, which made his cock twitch in need as she licked her lips, and finally to his boots. Her scent grew stronger, and his bear damn near salivated at the wetness he sensed between her legs.
Before she could answer him there was knock on the door and without waiting for his bid to enter Heidi Symmond strolled through it as though she owned the place.
“I’m assuming you’re finished with her now, and oh…”
The infuriating woman’s eyes narrowed, and Jason inwardly groaned at the calculating light that came on in her cold eyes.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything, Mr. Stanhope?” The smile she offered didn’t reach her eyes, and Jason’s bear growled a warning. It deflated this woman’s superior attitude somewhat, and she took a step back when he advanced on her while buttoning up his fresh shirt.
“If you had the common decency to knock and wait for an answer, you wouldn’t need to worry about interrupting anything now, would you? I am far from done with Miss Lockwood, and once I am, I would appreciate it if you arranged for every member of staff to come and see me one by one. There are certain questions I would like to ask them all regarding your conduct, Ms. Symmond.”
When she looked as though she was going to argue with him, he stepped past her and to the door she’d left open in her entrance.
“Close the door on your way out, please.”
Heidi’s eyes narrowed, and the look she threw at Goldie would have killed a lesser mortal, but not his mate. She squared her shoulders and stared the other woman down, and pride surged through his veins. He’d read Goldie Lockwood’s personal file before he set foot in the office, as he’d read everyone else’s, and what he’d found had made him determined to clear house.
Claimed by Her Bears Page 1