Bears of Burden: WYATT

by Candace Ayers

  Sterling stood up and stretched. “She’s a hot piece of ass, Wyatt, but she’s got trouble written all over her.”

  I shoved him backwards a few steps. “Careful.”

  He grinned at me and then turned to the dancefloor. “I’m going to be careful. I’m going to go out there and find a nice, easy, sweet beauty to take home. Someone not-high-maintenance who isn’t going to hand me my ass before I get a piece of hers.”

  I wanted to hit him but, despite his complete lack of class, I wondered how much of what he was saying was true. Georgia did look like trouble. I wanted her like I’d never wanted a woman before, but I could still see trouble.

  Thorn slapped me on the back and headed towards the bar. “Good luck, man. You’re going to need it.”

  I stared at the door she’d disappeared through. Fuck. I knew, without a doubt, that my life had just gotten a whole lot messier.

  *

  The rest of the weekend dragged. I smelled Georgia in the wind a hundred different times, drifting from spots she’d just been. It was like she knew I was coming her way and ran just before I got there. It was pure fucking torture.

  By the time Monday morning came, I was ready to tear my hair out. My bear was just as agitated as I was. He didn’t like feeling toyed with any more than I did. By that point, I’d pretty much given up any hope that she’d show up for the tour. I’d accepted that I was going to spend the week in the woods without her. It wasn’t my first choice, but not having the teaser of smelling her constantly dangling in front of me would be a welcome reprieve.

  When she showed up, wearing a flirty little pair of shorts that looked soft enough to cradle a cub and a skimpy top that fell off her shoulders, I cussed out loud. She was dragging a rolling suitcase behind her and wearing flip flops.

  She looked around at the group of people who’d gathered for the tour and her face twisted. She looked down at herself and then back at them. “Well, shoot.”

  I laughed before I could help it and ambled over. “Allie and Thorn didn’t mention that you might need some different gear for this?”

  She looked up at me and tugged her bottom lip into her mouth. When she released it, there were tiny teeth marks indenting it. “No, they didn’t. I’m not dressed right. I don’t even have one of those bag things.”

  “A knapsack?”

  She grabbed a strand of her hair and tugged at it. “I think I’m just going to head home.”

  I reached out and lightly squeezed her shoulder. Ignoring the tingling that started in my fingers and traveled up my arm, I shook my head. “You’re here now. Come into my office and I’ll see if I have anything you can use.”

  She surprised me by following me in. She looked around and frowned. “I probably should go home. I decided to do this without thinking first. I’m a city girl.”

  I found an extra knapsack under my desk and tossed it to her. I wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Put your clothes in there. I should have a few extra things you’ll need.”

  “Are you listening to me?”

  I stopped and turned to face her. She was a tiny thing, at least a foot and a half shorter than me in her flip flops. And beautiful. I couldn’t help the places my brain went when she looked at me with her hands on her hips and her lip sticking out in a pout. “I’m listening. I’m just not letting you run back home. You wanted to do this for a reason. So, let’s do it.”

  Her cheeks flushed and she took a step back, right into a pile of gear I’d been meaning to clean up for weeks. Her arms windmilled as she lost her footing and toppled backwards.

  I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, keeping her from cracking her head open. “Whoah, there.”

  She glanced up, eyes heavy. “You’re fast.”

  Her eyes were flecked with gold. They were wide and full of wonder as they stared at me. Her plump mouth was slightly parted and I could smell strawberries on her breath. I pulled her tighter against my chest, savoring the feel of her in my arms.

  “Wyatt? I wanted to surprise-”

  At the sound of a woman’s voice, Georgia pushed me away from her and stepped way out of my reach. “Better get my stuff switched over.”

  “Stay. I’ve got to give you a few tools.”

  “Looks like one big one in particular.”

  I looked over and blinked at the woman in the doorway. It took me a second, a second too long, to place her. In that second, she’d sidled up to me and waved a tin pie pan under my nose.

  “I made you a wild berry pie from those berries I picked last week.” Sarah, the floral scented woman from my desk, smiled at me before darting a frustrated look Georgia’s way.

  I could’ve slapped myself stupid. The last thing I wanted was Georgia getting the wrong idea. I’d been a careless idiot for sleeping with Sarah, but there wasn’t anything I could do to change it now. “Thanks for the pie. We can all share it after dinner tonight.”

  She frowned but didn’t argue with me.

  Georgia, on the other hand, wasn’t as magnanimous. She’d lugged the knapsack out of the office and was outside, already shoving clothes into it when I walked out. I watched her. Everything she was switching over looked pink or frilly or too sexy. “Did you pack anything warm?”

  She sent me a slight glare and then looked over at Sarah. “If it gets too cold, I’m sure I can just follow your lead and find a snuggle buddy to warm up with.”

  I noticed the men around us for the first time and let out a low growl. If any of them tried to warm up my mate, I’d tear their arms clean off. “You need a jacket.”

  She tugged a pathetic looking sweater out of her suitcase and held it up proudly. “Does this pass inspection?”

  Her attitude set me on edge because I knew that she was going to be freezing when the sun went down. As much as her sassiness made my blood boil, it also hardened my dick to steel. I wanted to grab her and yank her over my knee. “Nope.”

  Her eyes narrowed and then she looked over at Sarah again. “When did y’all meet?”

  I didn’t trust the drippy sweetness in her voice. I doubted there was anything anywhere near that sweet in my little mate. She was proving to be a fiery one.

  Sarah looked up at me and licked her lips. “Not too long ago. Long enough, though.”

  Georgia straightened and sent a grin towards her. “He’s good, isn’t he? Must’ve been even better with you. Good enough for a pie, at least.”

  CHAPTER 9: Georgia

  What the hell was I doing? I’d somehow lost my damn mind. I should’ve been heading back towards that crooked little trailer with the dented floor and crawling back into bed. I didn’t belong on some nature hike trip. I belonged in the salon with matching highlighted blondes, gossiping about the local men. Yet, there I was, sinking my claws into Wyatt so the woman with the pie would get lost.

  Jealousy had reared its ugly head and I was imagining shoving her off a cliff. Instead, I focused on my current task. Shoving all of my cute outfits into a giant, hideous knapsack.

  The three of us were gathering the others’ attention. I glanced around at them and noticed several men and even a couple of older women staring.

  “You two? When?” The woman sounded pissed and I hoped she’d just leave. Then, maybe I would be able to relax enough to leave, too.

  Wyatt started to talk but I spoke over him. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’s nothing as serious as y’all.”

  “I wasn’t worried.”

  “Perfect.”

  “Good.”

  “Okay. Is everyone ready?” Wyatt’s eyes were glued to me.

  I finished shoving my clothes in the knapsack and then unzipped the front to shove in my other shoes and toiletries. I was instantly pissed at myself for playing the jealous woman. I’d shown my cards to Wyatt. He knew I was jealous and that pissed me off even more.

  I looked down at my bag and crossed my arms under my chest. I thought about just going back home. The pie woman could have Wyatt. I didn’t need a ma
te. I sure as hell didn’t want one.

  Wyatt clasped my elbow and held it as he talked to the group. “I’ve got to get a few last-minute things. Why don’t you all head up the trail? Sarah can lead the way. Stop at the bridge and wait for us.”

  Sarah, the awful pie woman, stroked Wyatt’s arm and smiled. “We’ll be waiting for you.”

  I watched as the group marched away from us and then turned to Wyatt. “I’m not going. This was a stupid idea.”

  He grabbed my other elbow and jerked me into his chest. “You’re going.”

  I started to argue, but he had to go and kiss me. It quieted my argument, for sure. His lips were warm and firm, his beard tickly. It was a simple kiss, just a pressing of his mouth against mine, but my heart was racing. My body responded like a raging wild fire. I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled myself closer.

  His big hands cupped my ass and squeezed until I gasped. When I did, he slipped his tongue into my mouth and I moaned into the kiss. A growl rattled his chest and I was shocked into a moment of clarity. Just enough of one to pull away from him.

  “Don’t you dare kiss me again.” I took several steps back.

  Wyatt glared at me. “It couldn’t be easy, could it?”

  I nodded my head in the direction the group had gone. “Seemed pretty easy with wild berry pie girl.”

  “You always get this jealous with men you just met?”

  I gritted my teeth and grabbed the knapsack. “Have fun on your little trip.”

  “Where do you think you’re headed?”

  “Home. Maybe even back to the East coast. Just so long as I don’t have to see you again.”

  He grabbed my bag and threw it over his shoulder. “You’re going.”

  I yanked at it, uselessly. “I am not going. Don’t think you can boss me around just because you’re my-”

  He snapped his head around to me so fast that I was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. “Your what?”

  I swallowed. “My guide. Tour boss. Whatever!”

  “Tour boss?”

  “Just give me my clothes back. They’re the only ones I brought with me. You can go on with your little nature group and I’ll go back and get drunk at the bar. It’s a perfect compromise.”

  He grabbed another pack and threw it over his other shoulder. It was about the size of me. “You come with me or you say goodbye to your clothes.”

  I stomped my foot. “Wyatt, I don’t want to.”

  A boyish grin tilted his mouth and his eyes turned soft. “Come on, sugar. I’ll make it worth your while.”

  I should’ve kicked his knees out from under him. I should’ve snatched my stuff and ran while I could. Instead, I crossed my arms and trailed behind him. “I’m only coming so you don’t give my clothes to Sarah.”

  “I wouldn’t think of it.” He glanced back at me. “Keep up. I’d hate to lose you up here.”

  I stuck my tongue out at his back and stepped over a fallen branch. “Don’t you clean up the trail? That could hurt someone.”

  “I’m afraid you don’t know what a survivalist is.”

  I had no clue. I mean, I knew, in theory, but I didn’t know what they’d do out in the Texas woods for a week. Hike up a trail, camp out, and then come home. Seemed easy enough. As I edged to the side of Wyatt’s wide back to look ahead, I gulped. The trail seemed to go straight up and I couldn’t see an end in sight.

  “Where is everyone? Did they finish without us?”

  He laughed. “No. They haven’t even started yet. They’re just up around that curve there.”

  “That’s just the beginning?”

  “Yep.”

  I was a dead woman. I needed to just chalk this up as a loss and leave. Who needed a mate? Sarah could have him.

  Then, he turned and smiled at me and I was done for. I followed him like the idiot I was.

  CHAPTER 10: Georgia

  I followed the pig-headed man up a damn mountain—a literal mountain. I didn’t know how I’d made it. In flip flops, I’d hiked up rocky terrain, hopped across a small river on slippery rocks, and even climbed up a rock face only to get to—more mountain. I was already sunburned, scratched, bruised, and damp from where I’d slipped on the rocks and fallen into the river. Not to mention my massively bruised ego. Sarah had been there the whole time to enjoy herself by laughing at me.

  Luckily, one of the other women, Martha, had come to my rescue. She planted herself at my side and graciously helped me along. We’d become fast friends when she helped me to pee in the woods for the first time.

  Wyatt was never too far off. He’d helped me up each time I fell and stayed away from Sarah, but I was still pissed at him for making me climb a mountain. Some mate he was. Allie had gone on and on about how mates protect each other, yadda, yadda. Wyatt clearly hadn’t gotten the “mate protocol” memo.

  Once we reached the top of the mountain, he’d tasked us all with finding a suitable campsite for the night. When I noticed the setting sun, a feeling of panic set over me. Everyone scattered and started putting together collections of leaves and sticks. I looked around and held my hands out. Where were the tents? Where were the sleeping bags?

  Martha tugged on my hand and pulled me with her. “Come on. You don’t want to be the last one to find a place. We could get stuck next to the shit hole.”

  I made a screeching sound. “What?!”

  She laughed. “I’m kidding. There are plenty of places. This is a big mountain.”

  “And the shit hole?”

  She winced. “That part is, unfortunately, a reality.”

  “Oh, god.”

  She led me into the woods and pointed out different things. “That’s an insect nest. You don’t want that branch. And that, up there?”

  I looked up at the trees above us. “What about it?”

  She pointed to one spot where a branch was broken and only hanging on by a bit of bark. “That’s called a widow maker. You don’t want to sleep under that accident-in-waiting.”

  I trailed behind her, slapping at things as I went. It felt like bugs were crawling all over me. “How do you know so much?”

  “I’ve been doing this for a long time. My late husband got me into it and I’ve continued to do it a couple of times a year.”

  She stopped against another rock wall and nodded. “Here’s a good spot for you. You’ll only need to lean some branches against the wall and rest some heavy leaves against it. It’ll be an easy set-up. I’ll be just farther up the slope there, if you need anything. Don’t stress, Georgia. Have fun with it.”

  I watched as she trotted off, and groaned. How the hell was I supposed to have fun when it was very probable that I was going to get myself killed? I kicked at a rock. Stupid Wyatt had gotten me into this and he wasn’t even around to help me. I groaned and looked around. I guessed it was time to start finding some branches.

  *

  As soon as the sun set, the temperature dropped significantly. I dug through my bag and pulled on my sweater, but it wasn’t much help. I was leaning against the side of the mountain, shivering, when I heard a rustle of leaves. I let out a healthy scream.

  Wyatt appeared, alarm on his face. “Georgia?”

  I held my hand over my heart panting, “You scared the hell out of me!”

  He shook his head when he saw me. “Jesus, you’re going to die out here.”

  I pulled myself up and stumbled a bit when my ice-cold feet didn’t want to work. “I know! That’s why I wanted to go back home. You didn’t let me and now I’m going to die—because of you.”

  He shrugged out of his jacket and slipped it around my shoulders. “Hold on.”

  I gasped when he effortlessly threw me over his shoulder and carried me away. “Please tell me you’re taking me back down the mountain.”

  “Nope. I’m carrying you to my pack so I can dress you in some pants and socks.”

  I was almost too cold to appreciate the view of his backside. Almost. “I’d rather you carry m
e back down this mountain and deposit me inside my toasty trailer.”

  He carried me silently for a while and then let me slide down the front of his muscled chest. He knelt in front of me and grabbed stuff from his knapsack. “Lift up your foot,” he stroked his hand over my ankle.

  “Do you ever ask instead of just barking orders at people?”

  He looked up at me and frowned. “Lift your foot, Georgia. Now.”

  When I still didn’t move, he grabbed my thighs and lifted me into the air. I screamed at the sudden falling-off of the ground beneath me then found myself sitting in front of him. I gave him what I hoped was my pissiest glare as he slid a pair of too-large sweatpants on my legs, and I tried to wiggle away as he tugged first one sock and then the other on my feet.

  “Georgia!”

  I snatched my foot away. “I’m ticklish!”

  He grabbed my hips and yanked me forward until I was right in front of him on the ground. “I’m sorry. I should’ve checked on you sooner. Sarah slipped and sprained her ankle so I was helping her.”

  I wanted to hiss at him… or claw his eyes… or something. He’d been helping her instead of me. I turned my head away from him and pretended to inspect my nails. “Whatever. I didn’t need you. I was just about to get up and build a fire and everything. You can go back to Sarah now, if you want.”

  He caught my chin in his fingers and turned my face to his. “You’re pouting.”

  “I am not.”

  His thumb raked over my lower lip and I realized I’d been poking it out. “You are. It’s cute. I’m going to say this again, so you hear me. I should’ve come to you first. I’m sorry.”

  I tried to scoot away from him, the moment suddenly too intense for me. He wouldn’t let me, though. “Wyatt!”

  “Georgia?”

  I smacked his hand and scooted back until I was just out of his reach. “Are you going to take me back to my shelter?”

  “Not a chance. I looked at your shelter. It’s barely two leaves strewn over a twig. That thing wouldn’t provide shelter for a squirrel.” He stood up and pulled me to my feet. “You can stay in mine. It’s big enough.”