by S Cinders
I turned my back on him and leaned over to grab my tool belt that had slipped from the counter. I heard a growl and then felt him press against the back of my legs, his length bumping my ass.
“You have no idea what I want, Fire-Fly.” He gripped my hips and I bit back a moan.
“You want your piece too?” I straightened and turned in his grasp, feeling the anger from earlier returning. “You think that because your brothers each got some that I will put out for you too?”
He blinked in astonishment. “No, that’s not at all what I was thinking.”
“Right,” I huffed angrily, “That’s why you are shoving your big dick against my ass.”
His eyes glowed. “You think my dick is big? Sweetheart, it’s a monster.”
CHAPTER 8 – Goldilocks
Obviously, I was a glutton for punishment, because here I was once again walking into the Tranquil Bear for another spa day.
To say that I was surprised about Benton coming to the shop would have been the understatement of the year. I had written off the bear brothers as the complete assholes they appeared to be. But after Benton had gone and made his dick-head comment about his massive dick I decided to ignore him and go about my work.
If you want to know how easy it is to ignore a two-hundred-pound bear shifter, imagine a yeti in your living room; kinda hard to miss.
After the first hour, I got the impression that he wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. And so, I asked him to hand me one of my tools. It was an obscure carving chisel. I was sure he wouldn’t have a clue what it was.
The man was on a mission to impress. Not only did he retrieve the carving tool, but he asked if he could help. I don’t know what it was that made me say yes. Perhaps it was the blatant attraction between us, or maybe I felt bad about ignoring him for the past hour.
Whatever it was, I ended up grateful that I had. Benton had a dry sense of humor that appealed to me. And what was most telling was that despite the raging attraction between us. Benton didn’t try to make another move on me.
We talked about books; he was a sci-fi thriller kind of guy whereas I loved a good naughty romance. The conversation flowed easy and fast between us, from movies to favorite types of food. And before I knew it, my entire day had passed, and the project was finished and ready to be delivered.
All he had to do was take my hand and I was sunk. “Please come back to us. I know it’s not what you are used to but give us a chance.”
I didn’t pretend to not understand what he was asking. Benton wanted me to give all three of them a chance. Honestly, if my friend Scarlett hadn’t recently married the big bad wolves I don’t think I could have considered it.
I wasn’t the kind of girl that slept up with multiple men; the words ‘gang-bang’ rang through my mind and I was scared. Scarlett said it wasn’t anything like that. She had an open and honest relationship with both of her wolves.
Yes, there were times when they all made love and sometimes it was only two at a time. But Scarlett had said everything between the three of them was equal and from a place of love.
Apparently, in the animal culture, it isn’t unusual to have one female for a pack or family. The problem was that I was not a shifter and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it all.
I told him truthfully what my concerns were, and Benton didn’t try and dissuade me. He listened to everything I said and told me what I was feeling was perfectly normal. This lifestyle wasn’t for everyone.
So, you must be wondering why I’m back at the Tranquil Bear? Well. I thought long and hard about what Benton and Scarlett had said to me. Benton asked that I get to know the bear brothers as individuals.
It made sense. The only one that I had taken the time to get to know on a personal level was Benton. The sexual feelings that I had for the bears were intense enough that I knew I had to follow my heart. If after getting to know them I didn’t enjoy being in their company, then it wouldn’t really matter if I was okay with all three of them.
“Are you going to stay out here on the stoop, or would you like to come in?”
Bryson had popped his head out the door. There was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.
My heart was pounding, it was now or never.
“Hi, Bryson.” I gave a stupid half-hearted wave and he beamed at me.
Swinging the door wide, I moved into the spa, catching just a hint of the forest. I stepped a fraction of an inch closer to him and took another sniff. Bryson smelled like fresh rain, the forest, and a hint of the rich earth.
I must have been rather obvious because Bryson cleared his throat. “Hmmm, Goldie?”
My eyes flew to his as heat suffused my cheeks, “Yes, Sir?”
His eyes darkened, and an animalistic groan sounded from his lips. “I’m trying to control myself. So, I will give you this one warning. Don’t poke the bear, Goldie.”
Heat spiraled in the base of my stomach. Damn, the man was sex on a stick. How was I supposed to carry on a conversation with him?
But then I had thought the same thing about Benton and we ended up talking all afternoon. I drew myself up to my full height and apologized.
“Sorry, I promise to behave myself,” I said sheepishly.
I saw a flash of disappointment in his eyes, but it was gone a second later when a wide grin spread across his handsome face.
“Let’s get you checked in; we are doing a facial today.”
Nobody got naked at a facial, at least I didn’t think they did. It was certainly the safest way to proceed. I signed into the books and he led me to a room with comfortable spa chairs with built in massage function.
I moaned as it dug into my sore muscles. Working with my body day in and day out made it so that I was often tightly wound up. Sore muscles and a stiff back were just part of the trade.
“How often do you get a massage?” Bryson’s husky voice broke my bliss in the massage chair.
“Counting today?” I quipped, and he nodded. “Once.”
Bryson could hardly believe it. Soon he had launched himself into a conversation about taking care of our bodies and the specific things that will help with the symptoms I had been experiencing.
I loved how passionate he was about his work. Bryson was knowledgeable and specific about the things that he wanted me to try. Including boots with better arch supports, which I made a face at.
Rolling my eyes, I said, “I already look like a man. Why would I want to add old to that?”
He stared at me in shock. “Who in the fuck thinks you look like a man? Are they blind?”
I felt the familiar shame churning in my gut. Ever since Stuart had clued me in on what men really thought about me.
“I know I don’t dress like a lady,” I motioned to my overalls. “My old boyfriend told me how much of a turn off that it was.”
Bryson’s jaw actually dropped.
I laughed at his expression, some of the embarrassment leaving me.
He shook his head as if to dispel the notion. “Goldie, you are a fucking knock out. You could walk around in a barrel and your sexual magnetism wouldn’t be diminished. Your ex is a complete idiot, shit, he’s a fucking idiot. I can’t fathom how you could ever doubt how beautiful you are.”
To my horror, tears pricked the back of my eyes.
“I knew that I wasn’t ugly. Before Stuart, I had more confidence in myself. I thought I was sporting the girl next door vibe and I wasn’t ashamed of it. But he made it clear that I looked like the boy next door.”
Bryson captured my hands in his. “I promised my brothers that I wouldn’t touch you except for doing this facial. But know this, Goldie, my cock has been in the most painful state of arousal since you arrived. Why do you think I laid this sheet over my lap? I was trying not to embarrass you.”
I felt the side of my lips twist up. “Really?”
He leaned forward and placed his forehead against mine. “It’s all I can do not to rip you out of that chair and bend you over it. I want you
in a way that I have never experienced before.”
My panties were soaked at his admission. He moved back, and it was then that I realized the green goop that was on my face was now all over his forehead.
I burst out laughing motioning to his head. He took a mirror off the tray and looked at his face.
Grinning he turned back to me, “I think green is my color, don’t you?”
His smile did wonderful things to my insides.
“Most definitely your color; and Bryson?”
He had taken a towel and was wiping off the green mixture.
“What’s that, sweetheart?”
“Thank you, for what you said, and all of the things you suggested. I’m not used to someone wanting to take care of me. Sorry if I came across as not appreciative because I am.”
He gulped his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Shit, I really want to kiss you.”
I pointed to my face, “Even with all of this?”
He cupped my green face and leaned in so that his minty breath brushed my lips. I wanted him to move that fraction of an inch closer so that I could taste his lips. But he didn’t.
“I told you before, Sweetheart. There is nothing that could change how beautiful you are, not overalls and certainly not a face mask. Your true loveliness shines right on through.”
CHAPTER 9 – Braxton
My bear brothers and I had made an agreement. There wasn’t to be anything sexual between Goldilocks and any of us unless she initiated it. That way we weren’t forcing anything on her, and we would know for sure that this was something she really wanted.
It was fucking killing me.
Goldie had begun coming back for spa days with Bryson. I was dying to know what they did when they were alone together. Bryson called dibs on the spa, it was ‘their thing,’ he claimed.
What an ass-hat.
Benton had started going by her work and helping out, that was ‘their thing.’ I wasn’t sure what pissed me off more. The fact that my two brothers already knew her well enough to have a thing. Or that I was such a fuck-up that I couldn’t establish one.
It wasn’t like I could take her grocery shopping a few times a week. I already knew she hated the place. That left me—what? I honestly wasn’t sure.
The first outing we tried roller skating. How hard could it be? Goldie was a natural at it. Watching her glide around on those skates with her long hair trailing behind her had me hard and ready. However, just being in her presence, thinking about her, talking about her, or dreaming about her had me hard and ready.
Me on skates? Let’s just say that Storybook Skating Rink might never be the same, and I was banned from ever returning.
Stupid fuckers.
I assumed, being the athletic guy that I am, it would be easy to catch on. There were three-year-old’s out there doing it, surely, I could. I was taught a valuable lesson.
First off, when a three-year-old falls on their ass it’s not that far to the ground. I’m sure you get where this is going. Every time I fell, my tailbone felt like it was being fractured into a million pieces. I am lucky as a shifter that my body will regenerate. But healing still hurts and I had to have broken mine a dozen times.
Second, when someone falls the natural reaction is to grab the nearest person as an attempt to save yourself. How was I supposed to know that grandmother would be behind me? It could have been a huge ass man, you never know.
By the time the ambulance arrived, and she was yelling something about a hip replacement, Goldie politely suggested we leave.
The manager was screaming obscenities at me, and I can’t say I blame him. The only thing Goldie said about our date was, “That was interesting.”
Shit, damn, fucking hell.
There is never a time when a man wants to hear, “That was interesting.”
For example, ‘How did you like dinner?’ When the answer comes back, ‘that was interesting,’ you know that it sucked butt. It’s the same thing I would tell my brothers when we would get a real piece of work at the spa. The stinky ones that never bathe?
That was interesting.
Ugh.
Our second outing we went to the shooting range. I’m a fairly good shot, and I knew that I wouldn’t embarrass myself there. My first mistake was not telling Goldie where we were going. Her eyes widened but it wasn’t with excitement.
“Why did you bring me here?” She was deadly quiet, and I knew I had fucked up, I just wasn’t sure how.
“I thought you might like to shoot guns, you are a guy’s kind of girl, aren’t you?”
Before you go burning me at the stake. I meant that she was one of those unicorn girls that every guy wanted to have around them. Fucking hot, sassy mouth, fierce as hell, and everything good about womanhood.
This is not how she took my statement. The next thing I knew she was hurling accusations at me. Saying that just because she was a carpenter and worked with her hands didn’t mean that she wasn’t all woman. Not every woman liked to traipse about in dresses, she made a face like I had suggested she was covered in cow dung instead of her adorable overalls.
No matter how I tried to backpedal, nothing seemed to help. She was beyond pissed, and I was enemy number one. I attempted to change our plans, but Goldie wasn’t having it. If that is what I planned, then we were sure as shit doing it.
To make matters worse, she smoked me on the range, never once missing a bulls-eye. I got the impression that her anger helped her shot. Just my luck I had once again struck out. I went home to my brothers feeling completely dejected.
And Benton has the audacity to say, “Maybe you should see what she likes to do.”
Ask the woman her opinion on what would be a good date?
Okay, so I’m a complete ass-hat and I know that now. But I swallowed my pride and called her. She was a little stiff at first despite my apologies that I didn’t mean to offend her. When I asked what she liked to do I was surprised, to say the least.
So, I pulled up to her place for date attempt number three. And prayed that my brothers weren’t leading me astray.
Goldie opened her door with a hint of trepidation. “Hey, Brax.”
I handed her the flowers that I had been holding. They seemed a little bent and I noticed that in my anxiety I had crushed some of the perfect stems.
“I brought you daisies; they are your favorite.”
A hint of a smile crossed her face. “They are my favorite. Would you like to come in?”
I shook my head. “No, we have reservations at 7:30 so we need to get a move on.”
She smiled at me then and I felt my stomach flip. “Okay, just step inside for a second while I put these in some water.”
Her apartment smelled like her, the forest, citrus, and woman. The woodwork was incredible. Her apartment wasn’t large, but it was excellently decorated. I especially liked the paintings on the walls. Almost everyone was a scene of the woods. The tall majestic trees and sparkling streams seemed to come to life as I gazed at them.
When she returned I was looking at the one over the mantle. It was a painting of a little clearing; a small bear cub was chasing a butterfly. There were two more cubs wrestling in the tall grasses.
“Where did you get this?” My voice was gruff.
Goldie reached up and touched the initials. “I painted this. For years I dreamed about these cubs and eventually, I decided to paint them.”
Suddenly my date plans for a painting class seemed stupid. She obviously didn’t just like painting—she was a professional. I was an idiot. I was scared that this would be my final strike.
But even with all of those emotions swirling around my head I couldn’t get over the fact that she had painted Benton, Bryson, and me as cubs. We have always been the best of friends; our mothers were close, and we were all born the same spring.
It was slammed into me hard at that moment—Goldie was meant for us. I had wanted this and even hoped for it, but this to me was the final nail in the coffin.
; Goldie looked at me concern scrunching her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I said hoarsely. “Look, we don’t have to go anywhere tonight.”
She tilted her head in question, and I scrambled with some kind of excuse.
“Brax, you just said we had reservations.”
“I mean,” I floundered on, “If you wanted to stay here instead, I would be okay with that.”
Goldie smiled but her expression clearly showed she was perplexed. “I want to do whatever you have planned, Brax. I am sure it will be,” she cleared her throat, “interesting.”
I fucking hated that word.
At this point, I had no other choice but to paste on a smile and escort her out to my SUV. Any attempt she made at small talk fell sadly short. I was embarrassed and knew that after this night she wouldn’t want anything more to do with me.
I could tell that she was confused by my bizarre behavior. I was acting like an untried youth instead of the grown ass man that I was. It was humiliating.
We pulled into Painting with Rapunzel and her eyes lit.
“No, freaking way!”
“We don’t have to do this,” I began. “I feel like such an idiot.”
Goldie grinned at me and then to my astonishment launched herself over the center console and kissed me soundly on the cheek.
“Rapunzel is one of my best friends! She’s been struggling to get this business going. I can’t thank you enough for bringing me here. She is going to die when she sees me!”
Anything else went by the wayside because my dick was chanting, SHE KISSED ME FIRST—Green light, Son, fucking green light!
CHAPTER 10 – Goldilocks
I have always led somewhat of an unusual life. But lately, even I have taken that to a new dimension. I was dating three men—actually, three werebears. One would think that my girly bits had more company than the president.
But the truth was that not one of them had touched me romantically in weeks. WEEKS! I couldn’t understand what was going on. Was it possible to get blue balls as a lady? What would you call that, blue ovaries?