“That’s impressive, sir. Well, whenever she’s up to it, we’ll gladly take her back, but we understand needing a break.”
Jerry slapped him on the shoulder and gave him a smile before walking off. Most rich people Justin had come in contact with while growing up in that circle out west had been the complete opposite of what he had seen from Jerry so far. Jerry seemed to love his wife, and was obviously exuberantly proud of his daughter. Justin’s dad would have been disgusted if he had had a daughter and no boy to carry on the family name. He didn’t even really like his boys that much, especially Justin. His dad had also had several girlfriends on the side, and just kept Justin’s mom around because she fit his social standing better.
Daniel whistled, pulling Justin from his thoughts. When Justin looked up he saw that Daniel was signaling for a lunch break. He shot him a thumbs-up and decided to try and grab something to eat, himself. Jerry poked his head back in the barn then, as if on cue.
“Oh, and Lucy’s got lunch up at the main house today for you boys. She’s spent all morning fixing up a real nice spread. She’d be awful disappointed if you didn’t come over.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Daniel laughed as he set his lunch pail back down and followed Jerry out the side door.
Justin didn’t want to be rude so he followed suit. The thought of being around Veronica’s family any more than he needed to just made him feel guilty. He shouldn’t feel guilty for Veronica being his mate, but knowing how much of a disappointment he would be to them made him want to run. His bear growled at the thought of leaving Veronica.
Once in the big house they all gathered around the kitchen island while Lucy showed them all what she had prepared and where everything was so that they could fix their plate. Justin asked for directions to go wash his hands before he ate, and followed them up to the second-floor bathroom.
Assuming in a house that size he was being sent to a guest bathroom, he didn’t bother knocking. When the door flew wide open, so did his eyes. There was Veronica in nothing but a towel, still damp from a shower. He groaned out loud as white-hot desire reverberated through his body. When her eyes landed on him, they didn’t even budge. She met his gaze head-on as if daring him to say something to her.
“Do you not know how to knock, Justin?” Her tone was harsh, but it didn’t match the vulnerability in her eyes.
“I just assumed this was a guest bathroom. Your mom made lunch.”
“I know. That’s where I’m headed now. Sorry I didn’t come down to work today.”
“It’s fine. Your dad came down to let me know.”
Neither of them moved as the sexual tension continued to build between them. Justin’s fingers itched with the urge to touch her, more so to pull the towel off of her and finally lay eyes on his mate’s perfection.
“Feel free to wash your hands. I’m just finishing up.”
He stepped in front of the sink and started to wash his hands, but he never took his eyes off of hers in the mirror. She stood to the left of him and watched him cautiously the entire time. Once he was done, he reached for the hand towel to dry them, and then changed his course. He couldn’t help the smirk as he lifted the edge of the towel wrapped around her body and slowly dried his hands. He wanted to laugh when she reached out and steadied herself on the bathroom sink, but didn’t.
Their mate bond was pulsating between them, and he knew it. She wouldn’t, however, understand or know why her feelings were so intense. Justin knew he shouldn’t use it to his advantage to torture her, but she was so easy to rile he couldn’t resist.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she stuttered after him as he shut the door and went back to his food.
Chapter Six
Veronica
Veronica managed to finish the rest of the week at work with Justin without any arguments. She did, however, get annoyed when she took special care with what she wore to work. Or that she was constantly looking for excuses to casually brush up against him. None of which seemed totally lost on him because when she’d catch him looking at her or right after she touched him, his eyes were that deep hazel that seemed to glow.
Justin invited them out to The Kamp again Friday night to celebrate their first week together. At first Roni was hesitant, but she couldn’t resist the opportunity to be close to him. This time she took her time getting ready. She let her long blonde hair hang loose down her back. Her makeup was perfectly applied and her clothes were tight enough in all the right places.
She rode over with Daniel again. The last time she had taken a cab home, but tonight she was hoping maybe she’d end up riding home with Justin. Daniel hadn’t seemed to notice their chemistry or maybe he just wasn’t commenting on it. Their talk in the truck was mostly about the new mare, Bri. Everyone wanted a crack at breaking her, but Justin still hadn’t let anyone on her except himself.
They had continued introducing his bear to the horses slowly. It wasn’t going terribly, but Roni still wasn’t sure why he seemed so adamant about it. When they pulled up to The Kamp, her heart pounded in her chest. Daniel parked next to Justin’s truck. With a final deep breath, she followed Daniel into the bar. Daniel shot Justin a wave, but made his way immediately to the bar. He had dropped several hints at work about his interest in the waitress, Annie.
Justin’s eyes locked with Roni’s and she couldn’t resist the call to go towards him. His eyes washed down her entire body without shame, and she could feel the heat spread on her cheeks at his thorough once-over. She gave a small wave to the men he was seated with. There weren’t quite as many tonight as the other night.
“You clean up nice,” he whispered close to her ear so she could hear him over the music.
“You do, too,” she said, noticing he had showered as well. His tight black shirt clung to all the right places, and his jeans looked tailored to fit him. When he reached out to grab his beer she couldn’t help but notice his hands.
Roni had a thing for hands. Most of the men she knew in college had pretty hands. There were no scars or callouses, and there probably never would be. Justin’s, however, were marred to perfection. His many hours out in the sun gave him a beautiful golden color as well. Roni tried to shake herself out of her sexually-infused stupor. She was literally salivating over the man’s hands in public in front of all of his friends. Roni cleared her throat and stood up to go get a drink.
Justin’s hand found hers to bring her attention back to him.
“I’m going to go get a drink. Do you want anything?” she yelled over the music.
“No, I’m good. Annie will be back in a second.”
“That’s okay, I don’t mind going over there.”
He released her hand, but she felt his eyes bore into her back as she made her way to the bar. Roni had never been very good at seduction, but she hoped her hips had that sexy sway she always saw in the movies. Once at the bar she had to wait a minute for the bartender’s attention. A guy slopped down next to her, and she immediately looked over at Justin for some reason. He started to stand up and she shook her head.
“What can I get you, ma’am?” The bartender’s drawl was thick. She bet he made a killing on ladies’ night.
“Could I get a glass of wine, please? Anything white is fine.”
“Coming right up.”
“How about you let me buy you that glass of wine, and you reward me with a kiss,” the man next to her slurred out.
“No, thanks,” she responded curtly.
“No reason to be stuck up about it.”
Roni didn’t respond to him, knowing he was just itching for an argument. When the bartender brought back her drink, she paid and turned to head back towards Justin. The man couldn’t leave well enough alone, though, and smacked her on the butt hard enough to send her drink flying out of her hand as she lunged forward. Daniel happened to be close enough to catch her. Before she could right herself and turn to deck the guy, Justin was up and had the man by his throat,
lifting him up off his bar stool.
“Justin! Justin, it’s fine. Please calm down,” she begged, but Daniel wouldn’t let her get close to him.
Justin carried the man through the now silent bar, and threw him out the door. As the man flew through the air, he shifted into a giant jaguar. Roni already knew what was coming and she elbowed Daniel in the chest and ran towards Justin, hoping to stop him. One of his friends stood up, though, and caught her around the waist.
“You don’t want to do that, honey. This man has it coming to him.”
Justin shifted and the roar he let out shook Roni to her core. It was as if he was calling out to her. She felt his anger roll over her to the point where she thought her knees would buckle. Justin stood up on his hind legs and growled again. The jaguar lunged, causing Roni to scream. Justin swatted the jaguar off with his paw, sending him into the dirt. Justin dropped down to all fours and went after the jaguar. Once the jaguar had its feet under him, he tried to lunge again, but this time he barely caught Justin’s neck before Justin rolled, taking the Jaguar with him and pinning him under him.
Their fight then was claws and teeth. Roni felt dizzy with nerves that something would happen to Justin. Nobody else in the bar seemed to care. Finally, Justin got the jaguar in a tight bear hug, and the jaguar whimpered and then went limp. Justin tossed him off to the side and gave him one final swat with his paw before turning back to the bar. Roni started to go to him, but the man stopped her again.
Justin didn’t like that at all. He growled, turning his rage fully on his friend.
“It’s okay. He won’t hurt me.” She wasn’t sure how she really knew that, but she did.
Once she was free she raced over to Justin. When she got within touching distance she stopped and put her hand out to touch his fur. He made that rumbling sound in his chest again, which caused her to smile. Then she got mad at him all over again for foolishly fighting some crazed giant cat.
“That was stupid. I could have handled myself in there if you had given me a chance. I pack a mean right hook. You’ll probably find out soon enough if you keep acting this way,” she said, half joking. Having him come to her rescue like that had made her feel treasured in an odd way.
He shook his giant head and made a huffing sound. She took that to mean he disagreed.
“Well, now what? You’re going to be naked again, I take it, since you changed on a whim like that.”
He sauntered over to his truck and sat on his back legs.
“I see, so now I get to be on clothing duty. Maybe I’d just as soon leave you naked,” she laughed as she turned to get into his truck.
“That’s fine by me as well,” he whispered in her ear, sending her heart plummeting to her toes.
She didn’t move. His breath on her ear sent her hormones into overdrive, not to mention the fact she knew he had shifted and was now stark naked behind her. Every fiber in her being wanted to turn around and take him all in. The other part felt inadequate and shy so she just stood there with her back to him like an idiot.
“So you’re all talk then, Veronica.” Hearing her full name roll off his lips made her turn. Nobody called her Veronica. Hearing him say her name made it sound like it had been meant to be saved and said only by him her entire life.
“What is this?” she asked. He knew she was referring to the mate bond. It was so strong between them it felt like he could have reached out and touched it.
Instead of responding, he pulled her against his body and captured her lips with his. The kiss was passionate and almost primal. He took absolute possession of hers, and she whimpered into his mouth in response. Her hands skimmed up his muscular arms and then wound around his neck. He had one hand on her back pressing her against him and the other was in her hair, pulling her to him.
She could feel his erection against her stomach, and she wanted to be closer to him. The kiss was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Roni wanted him with a passion that she had never thought imaginable. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any better he lifted her up and brought her legs around his hips, putting them together in just the right spots. She rocked her hips over his erection as they continued to devour each other’s lips.
Finally, he stopped the kiss but he didn’t pull them apart. He nuzzled his head in the crook of her neck. She rested her head on his shoulder and tried to catch her breath. Justin lifted her away from him, and then leaned around her to open the door to his truck. She stepped out of his way while he grabbed what looked like sweats. She kept her eyes above his waist while he put them on.
“Do you need a ride?” he asked, his voice still gravelly from their kiss. Otherwise he seemed unaffected.
“Yeah, if you wouldn’t mind.” She tried to seem nonchalant, but her hands were shaking and her legs were wobbly. She hated herself for being so weak, but to her that hadn’t been just any kiss. Whatever it was, though, Roni was determined to get more of it.
Chapter Seven
Justin
When they got back to the stables, Justin pulled his truck into the main house’s driveway to drop Veronica off. Their kiss had been electric back at The Kamp, and as much as Justin wanted to pick up where they left off back at his place, he knew they couldn’t. Veronica deserved better than him, mate or not. Maybe once he got the money to get his own place he would approach her again. By then she’d probably be married off to some trust fund frat boy. Justin squeezed the steering wheel to keep from punching something at that thought.
Veronica turned to him before she got out of the car. Her lips were still swollen from their kisses, and her eyes still blazed with unfulfilled passion. Justin had to turn away or he’d never have the strength to let her get out of his truck.
“Justin,” she said, hoping to get his attention back on her again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Veronica.”
There was a pause, and then Justin could feel the anger radiating off of her. He knew he had pissed her off by seemingly rejecting her, but it was for her own good. She threw his truck door open.
“Yeah, I’ll see you then,” she spat out before slamming his truck door and storming into her parents’ million-dollar mansion.
The red door slamming shut seemed appropriate to Justin. He needed to find a way to throw cold water on their mate bond. He never dreamed he’d run from his mate, but watching her walk into that house knowing his boss was her father solidified his decision. He pulled his truck around the back to his apartment. He knew sleep was not going to happen at this point. His hormones were raging so he threw himself down on the couch and flipped through late night TV.
The alarm on his cell phone blared the next morning. After a mad hunt to find where it had fallen the night before, he finally shut it off. The best part about living where he worked was that his lack of commute gave him more time to sleep. He scarfed down a microwaveable chicken burrito and started in on his second cup of coffee as he headed over to his office. He still had ten minutes before Veronica or Daniel showed up for work. He hoped Daniel would show up first so he wouldn’t have to worry about being alone with Veronica.
Luck was on his side as Daniel strolled in and immediately started throwing hay bales down to give to the horses. Justin checked the time. Right at six, Veronica came strolling in, looking like something out of a western magazine. Her long blond hair was in a high ponytail, but it still landed halfway down her back. Her jeans fit her right in all the best places, and she had just a hint of cleavage showing at the top of her skin-tight white t-shirt. One look at Daniel confirmed that Justin wasn’t the only one taking notice. He growled low and squeezed his coffee mug so he didn’t put his fist through his employee’s face.
Veronica grabbed her gloves from where she had left them the other day and went to work helping Daniel. Neither of them complained about taking alternate days off so that there were always at least two people working in the barn. Sunday would be Daniel’s day off, leaving Justin and Veronica to carry the load; Tuesdays were
the days Veronica had chosen as her days off.
Everybody worked in silence throughout the day. Daniel seemed to be nursing a hangover. Justin hoped that’s why he wasn’t talking, and not because he had seen Veronica and Justin outside the bar. He trusted Daniel to keep his mouth shut, though. The guy kept to himself and seemed completely unaware of Justin and Veronica’s tension.
Just before the day was done, a courier truck pulled up. Assuming they had missed the main house, he went to meet them. The guy walked over to him with a small manila envelope.
“I’m looking for a Veronica Miller?” he said.
“That’s me,” Veronica said, coming up behind Justin.
“There you go, ma’am. Have a great day.”
“You too,” Veronica said as she looked at the package. “Oh wow, I think this may be in response to one of my resumes from my career day in grad school. Do you mind if I use your office to open it up? I can’t stand to wait ‘til after work.”
Her face was flush with excitement. Justin wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless. Not trusting himself to talk, he just nodded and went back to what he had been doing. Justin had to fight not to stare through the glass window to his office while she read over the information. Whatever had been in the packet had the potential to take her away from him forever. His bear rumbled, letting him know that would never happen. Justin agreed. Even though he wasn’t financially in a place to see their mating bond through now, he’d follow her to hell and back to keep her close.
Daniel walked Poohbear back into the stables from his second round of training. The day was coming to a close, and Justin knew Daniel would be leaving soon. He hoped Veronica left immediately after. Any time spent alone with her put him in danger of taking things too far, too soon. Then another car pulled down the driveway. Justin sighed with annoyance. Every time he got close to getting his organizing done, someone came down the damn driveway.
Growth of the Bear (Bear Kamp Book 3) Page 3