by Lily Marie
Love to Bear
Heart of The Bear Book Three
Lily Marie
Copyright, 2015
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except for use in any review. This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locales, and events are either pure invention or used fictitiously, and all incidents come from the author’s imagination alone.
Cover Design by Jacqueline Sweet.
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A single shifter…
Nothing turns on Elijah Black more than food, much to his mother’s constant disappointment. She wants Elijah mated and settled, like his older brothers.
But Elijah is far from ready, and hasn’t met a woman who comes even close to touching his heart.
A gun-shy, curvy woman…
Kaylee Jackson found Pine Heart while she was running from her past. Here, she could reach for a new future, one that would help her forget her past.
When she meets Elijah Black, she sees a good man – one she might be able to spend the rest of her life with. But her first priority is to create the dream that was taken from her.
Two lives, one goal.
After Kaylee’s restaurant is sabotaged, Elijah vows to keep her safe. His bear has other plans for her – plans that involve the rest of his life. If Kaylee will have him.
One
Elijah Black never saw it coming.
One minute he was strolling along the main street of Pine Heart, enjoying the mingled scents wafting out of the bakery—and the next his face was plastered against the huge window of the former home decorating store across the street.
Someone was opening a new restaurant. The scent of beef and roasted vegetables, in what smelled like sage gravy, had drool pooling in his mouth.
His older brothers would have laughed at him, but Elijah had always been able to distinguish individual ingredients. It was one of the reasons he decided to start his food blog. A blog that became a paid column.
That column was about to be syndicated, changing his life in ways he didn’t want to think about right now.
He turned his attention to what he could see through the tear in the butcher paper that covered the window. The interior looked—homey, with rough beams on the ceiling, chunky wood tables, and big, comfortable chairs. No snobby, big city pretensions here, unlike the business it was replacing.
He snorted, remembering when the store opened. “A home environment store,” he muttered. Even his mom had balked at the prices, and she rarely did if she wanted something badly enough. “Bad time to start a restaurant, right before Christmas.”
He couldn’t wait to taste the amazing dish whose scent was driving him crazy. Maybe he could help them out by…
Every thought drained out of his head when she walked into sight.
She wore black pants and a white t-shirt, and they outlined every mouth-watering curve. His bear growled at the sight of firm breasts that would fit Elijah’s hand perfectly, a small waist that would let him pick her up with one arm, and hips that curved out from that waist. Hips he could hold on to as he thrust himself deep—
“Damn,” he whispered, cutting off the visual too late. His cock was already hard, and throbbed at just the thought of loving her. “She’s not the one.”
His bear grumbled, disagreeing with him. His cock completely disagreed, straining against the zipper of his jeans.
“Shut up. Both of you.”
He adjusted himself, which didn’t help, and glanced one last time through the tear in the paper. Wide, startled green eyes stared back at him.
Elijah jerked away from the window, embarrassed at being caught. God—he was as bad as Marv, the local peeping Tom. Staring at the woman like a drooling, horny fool.
He headed down the sidewalk, wanting to run. When the door to the new restaurant flung open, he wished he had.
“You!”
God help him, even her voice turned him on.
He swallowed, and turned to face her. She stood on the sidewalk, hands on those luscious hips. In the cold winter sunlight he finally saw her hair color—numerous tones of gold, scraped back into a messy bun. A frown marred her stunning, heart shaped face—a frown directed at him.
“I—” He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I smelled whatever magic was being whipped up in there, and I had to see.”
Her frown disappeared, replaced by a smile that left his knees weak. “You liked it?”
“You—you’re the chef?”
She strode forward, her five foot nothing height barely topping his chest, and held out her hand. “Kaylee Jackson. Proud owner of Kaylee’s Kitchen.”
Elijah knew that taking her hand would be a mistake. He did anyway, and his bear hummed.
“Elijah Black.”
Her smile faded as she stared up at him. “Elijah Black—the Food Flings Elijah Black?” By the time she finished her voice was barely a whisper.
“I won’t bite.” Not on Main Street. “There’s no need to worry—if your food tastes even half as incredible as it smells, Food Flings is going to give you an enthusiastic two thumbs up.”
“You can’t—” She backed away from him. “I won’t let you destroy my dream—”
Before Elijah could tell her he’d never do that, she took off, disappearing inside her restaurant.
He stared at the door, still trying to figure out exactly what triggered her frantic escape. His bear grumbled, disappointed.
“So am I.” The memory of her soft, lemon scented skin left him painfully hard. “So am I.”
He headed for his intended destination, tried to adjust himself without being obvious. It didn’t help. With a sigh, he buttoned his jacket to cover his obvious erection. Mom wouldn’t be embarrassed, but she’d badger him until he told her exactly who had been the cause of his condition.
The last thing he needed was her matchmaking him.
His bear roared in disagreement.
“I said shut up,” he muttered. He adjusted himself one last time before he went inside the mayor’s office, and tried to look like he wasn’t attracted to the curvy little chef.
***
Kaylee locked the thick oak door, her fingers trembling so badly it took three tries to turn the deadbolt.
She slid to the floor, and fought to even out her breath. Elijah Black must think she was crazy, losing it like that.
“I have to let go,” she whispered. “What’s done is done. I can do this. I can do this.”
She chanted the mantra that had gotten her through the last year.
A year of hell, betrayal, and the explosion of all her dreams.
Angry at herself, she wiped her eyes and stood, brushing dust off her butt. She knew how to pull herself out of the despair before it swallowed her.
She headed for her new kitchen.
Stainless steel counters caught the bright overhead lights, the new, professional appliances waiting for her to create, experiment, lose herself in her passion. She had all but depleted her savings on this kitchen, and the décor filling the cozy dining room. The odds were against her success.
But when she had stopped here in Pine Heart, meaning to only stay the night, she had wandered down Main Street and fallen in love. Finding the empty store, with a huge back room already fitted for plumbing, had been her sign.
She was meant to stop here. To make her new life here.
“Okay—time to get cooking.”
Kaylee gathered the ingredients for her favorite get-out-of-a-funk recipe—her
potato leek soup. Made without any dairy, it still managed to be thick, rich, and delicious. Peeling and chopping settled her, and by the time she finished sautéing all the vegetables and poured in her homemade stock, her near hysteria had been pushed down.
She pulled up a stool and watched the soup bubble in the huge stockpot. “I’ll have to apologize to Elijah Black, maybe explain.” The thought of telling anyone about her humiliation, the loss of her dreams, left her shaky again. “I’ll just tell him I was having a stressful day.”
Hopefully, he wouldn’t retaliate by slamming her in his column.
That would finish Kaylee’s Kitchen before it had even gotten started.
Two
Lindy Black smiled when Elijah walked into her office.
His mom was tiny, but she was a powerhouse, and the driving force behind Pine Heart’s prosperity. That same drive could also play havoc with her sons’ love lives—which was why Elijah would not even mention meeting one gorgeous, curvy little chef.
“Come sit down,” Lindy said. “Tell me about your day.” The gleam in her eyes warned him.
He lowered himself to the comfortable armchair, knowing it would be the only comfortable thing about the next few minutes.
“I had a meeting this morning, to finalize the syndication contract.”
“And?”
Elijah grinned. “It’s a done deal.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Lindy rushed around the desk and hugged him. “I am thrilled for you.” She kissed his cheek, then leaned back to meet his eyes. “And so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
After another kiss, she let him go and leaned against the desk. “Now that your career is settled, have you thought about—”
“No.” He stood, putting some space between them. “I’m not ready.”
Lindy crossed her arms. Uh, oh—she was hitting stubborn mode. “Now that Jedidiah and Isabelle have eloped,” she didn’t hide her disappointment at her plans for the wedding thwarted by Jed’s impatience, “I have time to worry about my youngest, to worry about his happiness.”
“I am happy, Mom.” Elijah moved back to her and laid his hands on her shoulders. “I want what Roman and Jed have. Eventually.” His bear grumbled, and he ignored both it and his still hard cock—along with the sparkling green eyes and heart shaped face that popped into his mind.
“Viv told me you met our newest resident on your way over.”
He bit back a groan and sank into the chair. Viv was his mom’s secretary, and a notorious gossip. If Father Roberts shook a woman’s hand in public, Viv would have them in the middle of a secret, torrid affair.
“What did she say?”
“That she saw a definite spark, and,” Lindy smiled. “That your bear was showing.”
“Oh, God.” Elijah covered his crotch without thinking.
“No need to be embarrassed, sweetheart. Kaylee Jackson is a lovely young woman, and I would be thrilled to see you two together.” Her smile faded. “She’s had a rough year, Elijah. If you do approach her, be the gentle boy I know you are.”
That would explain her freak out. Something he said must have brought back a memory she didn’t want to face.
The warning should have sent him running. Instead, he was intrigued. Hell, he’d been far more than that since he first saw her. His cock twitched in agreement. He tried not to flinch, needing to adjust, again. His erection would have to be taken care of, sooner rather than later.
No woman had ever left him so aroused for so long.
“Thanks for the heads up, Mom.” He stood, and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I have to get home. My next column isn’t finished yet, and my deadline is looming.”
Her voice stopped him at the door. “Kaylee’s grand opening is tomorrow night. I’d love for you to be there, maybe mention her in your column.”
That was a command, not a request, and he was more than happy to accept.
“I think I can manage that.”
Laughter followed him out of the office. Delighted, triumphant laughter. Lindy Black was a matchmaker—and obviously determined to get her youngest son mated, so she could move on to the next brother. Why she was focusing on him next was a mystery he wouldn’t even try to solve.
Elijah shook his head, but he couldn’t help smiling. All she wanted was their happiness—and Roman and Jed were incredibly happy with their mates.
His heart skipped as he approached the curve of Main Street—and started pounding when he saw smoke pouring out of the alley next to Kaylee’s restaurant.
***
“Kaylee!” Elijah shoved the alley door open. Black smoke engulfed him. He covered his nose and mouth with the collar of his jacket and ran inside. “Kaylee—can you hear me?”
Coughing came from the other side of the kitchen. He blinked his eyes to clear them, and spotted the source of the fire—a pile of rags in the far corner had caught, and the wall behind them was starting to burn.
“Shit—” He searched for a fire extinguisher, found one on the wall near the door. Taking long enough to pull on his leather gloves, he yanked it free and moved to the fire. One glance told him that the fire had been set deliberately.
He shoved down the rage for later and doused the fire. It took most of the extinguisher to put the flames out, which told him an aggressive accelerant had been used. Years working with Jed had given him a good eye for arson.
Once he was sure the fire wouldn’t flare up again, he set the extinguisher on a nearby counter and went looking for Kaylee. Relief loosened the knot in his gut when he found her on the floor next to the walk-in fridge, a dish cloth over her face.
“Kaylee.” He crouched next to her, looking for any injuries. “Can you sit?”
“Yeah.” Her husky voice sounded raw. She clutched his arm when she started to sit. “God—”
“Slow now. You inhaled some smoke.” He eased her up, and stifled the need to gather her into his arms. His bear was not happy about that. “Let’s get you outside, so we both can breathe.”
By the time Elijah led her to the alley, the fire truck had pulled up. They were both guided out to the street and checked by the paramedics. Kaylee refused to let go of his hand. Elijah found that he liked the feel of her soft skin in his calloused palm. Liked it too much.
When his mom and Jed’s wife Isabelle appeared, it gave him as excuse to free himself from Kaylee’s grip.
“Elijah—oh, thank God.” Lindy wrapped her arms around him and held on. He hugged her, rubbing her back until she stopped shaking. “Is Kaylee all right?”
“She inhaled some smoke, but she’ll be fine. I got to her in time.” He pulled her away from the group, and kept his voice low. “Someone set the fire, Mom. I found Kaylee on the other side of the kitchen from the fire. I haven’t talked to the paramedic yet, but I’m betting she was knocked out and left there.”
“Good Lord.” Lindy looked shaken. “Who in Pine Heart would—never mind. We’ll get to that once I know everyone is all right. I want you to stay with her, Elijah.” She gripped his hand when he tried to pull away. “If this was deliberate, someone wants her restaurant to disappear before it can open.”
“Afraid of the competition.” Elijah studied her. “You have a couple potential suspects.”
“People who will be watched. I won’t have this in my town.” The steel in her voice told Elijah that Mayor Black was talking now. God help the fool who did this. “Tell me you’ll stay with her, just for today. She’s in the upstairs apartment that came with the restaurant.”
He wasn’t surprised that she knew. “I will, Mom. But she needs to stay somewhere else, so we can watch the restaurant.”
“I’ll book a room at The Cozy Respite.”
Elijah groaned, ignoring his mom’s chuckle. The Cozy Respite was the most overblown, floral stuffed B&B in Pine Heart. Walking in the lobby could lower a man’s testosterone.
“Just until everything’s in place at her restaurant,” he said. “This is going t
o delay her opening, isn’t it?” He knew that could be death for a new restaurant.
“Absolutely not.” Lindy squared her shoulders. “We’ll have the kitchen clean and ready for her in the morning. Whoever thought they’d create havoc in my town is going to find out what Pine Heart is really all about.”
“Go, Mom.” He kissed her forehead, and left her to direct the fire fighters. Kaylee stood in front of her restaurant, wrapped in a plaid blanket. Elijah moved to her side, careful to keep distance between them. “I’m taking you over to the B&B for tonight.”
“I’ve been informed.” He raised his eyebrows at the anger in her voice. God, it turned him on. “I won’t be chased away from what I worked so hard for.”
“It’s not running, Kaylee.” He stepped between her and the restaurant, waiting until she met his eyes. Defiance and fear darkened the usually sparkling green depths, and that hurt to see. “It’s a strategic retreat. I know you don’t know her very well, but you can trust my mom.” He took her hands, and fought his reaction to the feel of her, so close, so warm. He was quickly losing the battle with himself. “You can sleep tonight, knowing you’ll be safe, and tomorrow you will be ready to take on the challenge of opening your restaurant.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You believe I can still—” She cut herself off, those tears sliding down her pale, soot streaked cheeks. “You believe in me,” she whispered.
Elijah wanted to beat whoever hurt her to a bloody pulp.
“I smelled the bit of heaven wafting out of your kitchen. Tasting your food has become a driving goal.” He smiled down at her. “I have a serious weakness for good home cooking.”
“Good.” She freed one of her hands and wiped her eyes. “Because that’s what Kaylee’s Kitchen is all about.”
He watched her change before his eyes, her confidence making her beautiful. He didn’t just want her now. He craved what she exuded, like a man who had eaten fast food and finally had the chance to taste gourmet.
Before he pulled her into his arms and made out with her in front of half the town, Elijah let her go, heading toward the B&B.
“Let’s go get you cleaned up.”
She ran to keep up with him. “I don’t have a change of clothes. Or anything else.”