Goldie and Her Bears

by Honor James

  Both he and Torben looked at Ark who just grinned. “If Ark would stop growling at them every damned time they tried to do anything, we’d keep them longer. What we need to do is find a big ass male who will just punch him in the nose when he growls.”

  “Yeah, but then we’d have a body to bury when Ark goes all hairy on his ass and kills him,” Mahon pointed out, leaning on the back of the seat. “What we need is some cute little thing that has no fear of smacking him with a rolled up newspaper. He won’t kill a female but we really need to find one with a fucking spine.”

  “Good point,” Torben had to admit as he sped along the road toward the house the three of them had constructed. Right after they’d made their first million, they had bought the land, and two years later broke ground. Many found it too cold from the outside but once inside, they saw the true genius about their design. It’s what they did.

  Arkadios was the guy who knew just where to put a building. He knew where to drive the structure deep and keep it strong. He was brute strength. Which, when you were six foot eight with a muscle packed wide frame, it was pretty obvious he was the one people went to when they needed something hefted. His black short cut hair, dark brown eyes, and deeply tanned skin added to the image he had and one he cultivated to ensure people gave him a wide path.

  Mahon was their money guy. He wined and dined people and got into their heads. He found out what they really wanted and needed in a home. People felt comfortable around him, his looks helped with the persona. He had dirty blond wavy hair and deeply tanned skin. The swimmer physique gave him a surferesque look even if he was six foot six and much too tall for the sport. A relaxed personality, calm blue eyes, and an easy smile made him the perfect one of the three of them to talk to people, calm them and get them to agree to whatever the men wanted to do.

  Then there was Torben. He could stand on a plot of land right where Ark had picked the spot and feel the building around him. He was the designer. At six foot six, dark brown shaggy hair to his collar and a rich tan along with his deep green eyes that were often focused on things others just didn’t see, gave him a dreamer quality. He was also right in the middle of the personalities of the three men, not as tense and rough as Arkadios, but definitely nowhere near as relaxed and easy going as Mahon. He was the balance and often mediator when Mahon got Ark going on one topic or another.

  The three of them handled all phases of the construction with their fifty man and woman crew. Once the building was up, it was left to the designers who they employed or the ones the client preferred.

  Turning onto the road to their place, he had to smile. It was a giant glass structure, and yet it wasn’t cold. It just seemed to fit into nature. From within the glass walls it felt like nature was crawling right up to them.

  Parking out front, he slid out and stretched. “Alright, guys, we got shit to do tomorrow.”

  “Barbecue,” Ark said and got nods from them. “I’ll get the steaks if you guys want to get the rest ready.”

  “I’ll clean up from earlier. Since we ditched lunch I’m thinking we need to get those steaks on the grill pretty damned fast.” Mahon looked at them as they pushed into the house.

  They never locked the door, who the hell was going to steal something out in the middle of nowhere? You couldn’t see the house from the road, and no one coming through the woods was going to be able to haul anything of worth out of it. Especially since most of it was nailed down and heavily alarmed. The house could be turned into a lock-box in under ten seconds.

  Part of why they didn’t mind the glass windows, was because it wasn’t actually glass. A product, which didn’t chip or ding but could quite literally stop a bullet. Chuckling, Torben stepped into the house, then came to a stop right behind the others and inhaled.

  “Someone’s in here,” Arkadios snarled around fangs that already filled his mouth.

  “Calm down, Ark,” Torben put his hand on his very volatile friend’s shoulder. “I’m going upstairs, you two check down here. Do not hurt the person. They could be looking for assistance or help. Don’t jump to conclusions either,” he warned and headed for the stairs yelling over his shoulder. “And don’t eat them, Ark! Mahon keep an eye on him.”

  Jogging up the steps, he checked all the rooms, wincing at the bright pink room that was Arkadios’s niece’s room when she stayed with them. Closing that door, he kept moving on light feet until he was standing over his bed and staring down at the little human woman. Growling low in his throat, he leaned in close. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to crawl into a strange man’s bed, little girl?” he whispered next to her ear.

  Chapter Three

  Goldie’s scream caught in her throat when the growl and deep voice spoke. She jerked up in the bed, her forehead connecting with his and dropping her back on the bed. “Son of a bitch,” she muttered. “Damn it, you could have at least pulled back.”

  “Why?” he asked, staring at her. “You’re in my bed, in my home, and I don’t recall inviting you in. Besides, it didn’t even phase me,” he murmured before his eyes began a roam down her body. “Care to explain why you’re hiding out in my bed?”

  Goldie narrowed her eyes, so far, she was still alive, and he wasn’t on the phone calling the police. She figured honestly was her best policy at this point. If she did the crying thing, for sympathy, she may get on his last nerve and he would kill her. Some guys just didn’t respond to a good sympathy act. He may be overbearing, but she didn’t feel like he was gonna hurt her, she felt and instinctive pull towards him.

  “Because it was comfortable,” she said with a shrug. “Look, I just wanted in from the rain. I will pay you back for the food I ate. I just had to get away from some perverted assholes who thought that by me agreeing to go camping with them, I was agreeing to share their sleeping bags. It wasn’t what it meant. I just simply wanted to come to the forest. I love being out in nature and while I typically spend my weekends outdoors, I’ve never really been able to come to the forest because I don’t have a car. So when they offered this overnight camping trip even if on a work day, I jumped at it without thinking it all the way through.” Simple and pure truth, Goldie hoped this worked.

  Nodding, he finally pushed back and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m guessing you managed to lose them since you don’t appear injured,” he said. “As for the food, don’t worry about it. You needed it and it's all that matters.” He stared at her for a time before getting to his feet, “I’m Torben by the way. Bathroom is through there if you want to grab a shower. We’re throwing steaks on the grill if you’re at all interested. After dinner you can tell us just who you came out with, what all they suggested, and where last you saw them. Food will be ready in half an hour. Beer is in the fridge if you want one, and we’ll be out back.” Pivoting on his heel, he left the room pulling the door closed behind him.

  She looked at the door after he left, her mouth fell open as she did so. “Holy shit what just happened?” she asked herself but scooted to the edge of the bed. Shrugging, she said, “What the hell, why not?” She moved to the bathroom and decided to go ahead and shower, she might as well in case they decided to have her arrested anyway. She would be in lockup for a while and who knew hard long she would have to go without a shower. If they killed her, at least she would be fresh, maybe that would cover the death smell a little. Besides, she still felt that trust, Goldie was pretty sure he would not follow her, and the door had a lock, which she secured and prayed he didn’t have a key. For good measure, she moved the chair in the corner and braced it under the handle.

  Stripping out of her clothes, she looked at the back of the bathroom door and snagged the robe that was hanging there as if it was just waiting for her to put it on. After finding a towel, she then got into the shower and let the hot water cascade over her body before getting clean.

  ****

  Goldie paused on the stairs. She heard three distinct voices—all male. Well shit, had he invited his murder partners to torture

and kill her? Maybe it was the police he called and they were drinking coffee waiting to arrest her. Her first instinct was to run, but she knew that would be wrong if it were the police. Goldie had to face her fate either way, she would go down swinging. Pulling the robe she was wearing closer and tighter, she took a deep breath, stepped down the last couple of steps, and turned so she could walk into the kitchen. Lifting a hand, she said, “Hi.” Holy hell, these men are smokin’ hot, was all she could think.

  “Our unexpected house guest,” Torben said to the guys. “Arkadios and Mahon, this is... Well, honestly I have no idea. Woman that was in my bed, this is Arkadios and Mahon,” he indicated each of the males. “How do you like your steak?” he asked her as he moved to the stove to pull out the corn on the cob, dropping them into a bowl.

  “My name is Jacilda. However, everyone calls me Goldie. I prefer Goldie to Jacilda because the name just frustrates the hell out of me.” She shrugged. “And what’s your name, guy whose bed I woke up in?” she shot back at the massive man.

  “Torben,” he said moving the pot off the stove. “Grab a beer or something else from the fridge,” he told her.

  Goldie nodded and walked to the refrigerator, “Just to be clear, are you calling the cops, or are you serial killers. Want to make sure we are all on the same page here.”

  The three men looked at her with an amused expression. Torben laughed aloud and said. “Neither, we are just trying to figure out how you found us.”

  “Why is she running around in your robe, Torben?” Mahon asked curiously, darting looks back and forth between them. “'Cause I have to say this is a shocker honestly. Not that I mind the company for dinner given she’s prettier than you two, but still totally shocked.”

  “Because he scared the bejesus out of me and felt bad, so he told me I could use his shower,” Goldie said as she reached into the fridge and pulled out a beer. “I’m the one who broke into your house. Although, I didn’t technically break into the house since the door was unlocked. Why the hell was it? Don’t you guys lock your doors?”

  “Never have,” Arkadios said, inhaling deeply while quietly watching her, his arms crossed over his chest, his senses went into overdrive when he smelled her. “Most people around these parts know about us and know better than to steal shit. And if they don’t know about us and steal something, we track their asses down to introduce ourselves. Up close and personal.”

  Goldie stared back at the big one speaking. He could crush her with his arms no doubt but she had just showered and he kept sniffing as if she smelled bad. It was kinda pissing her off. Forgetting she was in their house illegally, wearing a bathrobe, she stood her ground.

  “Well, I wasn’t planning on stealing shit,” she muttered and got right back into his face. “If you didn’t notice, it was raining cats and damn dogs out there. I was wet. I was cold. This place was empty so deal with it, big boy. You have a guest even if it is unexpected so get over yourself.”

  When Arkadios growled, Mahon put a hand on his shoulder, “And you are a lovely guest. We were not accusing you of anything,” he smacked Arkadios when he growled again. “But he is right, means you’re not from around here. Which means you have a story to tell,” he smiled. “So tell.”

  “Like I told you upstairs, I really wanted to come to the forest.” She began, “You see I don’t drive except for when it is a necessity. I get panic attacks when I’m behind the wheel of a car so I figure it’s better that way.” The inability to control the other drivers was what made her go bat-shit crazy and panic. “A friend of mine from work said he and some friends were coming camping overnight and invited me. I figured there would be no issues. Boy was I wrong,” she mumbled. “Assholes brought me to be their fucking amusement—literally, so I told them to fuck off. I told them I would rather be mauled by fucking bears than stay and be their plaything.”

  Torben snorted and beer shot out of his nose before he started choking and coughing all at the same time.

  “Well there are only a few bears in these woods, so as long as you don’t poke them they won’t eat you,” Mahon said with a sneaky looking grin.

  Ark inhaled deep and then grunted, “Steaks should be done,” and headed out the back door to the patio.

  “And that is our cue to go out and pull up a chair,” Mahon said, moving to pound Torben on the back. “Geez man, pull in some air. You’re starting to look a little pasty and blue all at the same time, seriously not your color.”

  Goldie snorted and shook her head, “Are you brothers or something? With the easy way that you tease, I would think you were either brothers, very best of friends, or lovers.” She hoped that it wasn’t the last one because they were seriously damn hot, and she wouldn’t mind being stuck with them for a day or five. She was worried about that pick girly room. “And do you think I will be able to use your phone? My cell has crappy reception out here, and I really do need to call for a cab sometime soon.”

  “There are no cabs out here,” Torben said once he managed to pull air into his lungs. “And the closest cell tower is nearly six miles from here thus the spotty if not nonexistent service. We’re best friends and partners in business. This,” he waved a hand at the house while Mahon grabbed the corn and left them alone, “was one of our projects, a personal one. We bought the land once we had the money, and then broke ground and started to build it between jobs, on weekends, and in the dead of the night. Pretty much any chance we had we were out here putting it together. Phone’s on the wall there,” he pointed past her shoulder, “if you want to call someone else to come out and get you. Or we can give you a lift into town in the morning when we head in for our meetings and such.”

  “The morning would be fine, if you guys don’t mind that is?” Goldie asked quietly. A little embarrassed that she didn't have any close friends to call or any family left, being alone in the world sucked. And even with the hot men being so nice, she really hoped she wasn't setting herself up for the same situation as with Barrett and the rest of the jerks. “If you do, I can make a call but I would really rather not have the ‘I told you so’ debate with any girlfriend anytime soon if you wouldn’t mind,” she grumbled." “You’re welcome to stay, Goldie,” he told her. “Grab your beer and let’s get out there before they eat all the meat.” Snagging his bottle, he tipped his head. “Come on,” he said and headed for the back door. Stepping out he held it and waited on her to decide.

  She moved outside with him and to the table that was laden with food. Taking the seat offered to her, she settled in and smiled. “Thank you for letting me stay with you guys, even though I did just kinda broke in and all that.” She lifted her beer for a toast and said, “To your hospitality.”

  Tipping their heads, they began piling food on all of the plates. Passing her one of the plates, Arkadios eyed her before nodding and settling into his chair.

  “So, Goldie, what do you do to keep yourself busy?” Mahon asked her curiously. “School, work, finding yourself in the woods without a vehicle?” He grinned.

  “I’m actually a personal secretary,” she told him. “Not very glamorous, I know, but I love it. I’m able to keep people in line that need to be kept in line. I don’t take shit and they know it.” Although, more than likely, her job would be forfeited as soon as she got back since asshole number one who brought her to the woods was the boss. “I work for an architectural firm that has a division for builders as well. So yeah, I kinda know what you guys do.” She had a feeling she knew the men too. Their names were sparking some memory but she couldn't fetch it out of her mind...yet.

  They all looked at one another and brows went up before she was the focus of three pairs of eyes. Torben licked his lips, “If you’re ever looking for a job, we have a position continuously open. Ark tends to scare off our assistants, so we’ve been hunting desperately for another. So far we haven’t had much luck and beyond putting a muzzle on him, we aren’t sure anyone will survive his snarky growly ass.” Only half joking about the muzzle.