Lauren didn't realize she was shaking and whimpering until Reid laid a hand on her arm.
“You'll just be sleeping here. I won't maul you,” he said. She gasped and staggered back. He sounded both angry and contemptuous at the same time.
She managed to give a jerky nod, and stared blankly at the big, king-size bed in the room.
She felt Reid's eyes on her and summoned her courage to look at him. She couldn't back down from this. Now wasn't the time to lose her nerve.
Lauren lifted her eyes to his and started.
Reid's green eyes had darkened with raw hunger and desire. She could almost see the bear within him. He was a powerfully built man, a full head taller than her, with broad shoulders and wavy brown hair.
Her first thought when she saw him was that a man like that should have no trouble finding a wife. Why would he need to advertise for a mail-order bride?
But she had hurriedly pushed her doubts away. She was here on false pretenses. She wasn't a widow and certainly not a mother to a four-year-old. She had wolves breathing down her neck. Reid Ken had no idea that the innocent-looking woman and child who had just appeared at his doorstep were wanted by the Dire Wolves.
Who was she to question another person's motives?
She just had to get Reid to marry her as soon as possible.
“You...do want to get married, right?” Lauren blurted out.
Heat flared in Reid's eyes and she could almost see his muscles bulging and throbbing under his t-shirt. Her eyes flicked down and she gasped when she saw the huge bulge at the front of his jeans.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him so forcefully she collided into his solid chest.
Lauren didn't pull away. She couldn't. A scorching molten heat was unfurling in her core and spreading through her body. She felt her nipples peak and she clenched her thighs together, trying to stop the ache in her core. She wanted to be nearer to him, to feel him against her, inside her…
Reid dipped his head towards her, but before he could kiss her, Eddie came racing into the room. “Ma! What's taking you so long?”
CHAPTER TEN
Reid released Lauren with a snarl. She stumbled back, looking dazed and shocked. But she shook herself and focused on her son as soon as she saw the boy.
“Shall we go outside, Ma?” Eddie said excitedly, tugging at Lauren's hand. “Are you going to wear a big, white dress today?”
Reid saw Lauren glance uncertainly at him. “I...don't think so.”
“Why? You came here to marry him, right?” Eddie pointed at Reid. “Doesn't he want to marry you?”
Lauren bit her lip, and a look of hurt and guilt?— flashed across her face. Reid frowned. Why did Lauren look guilty? Did she have something to hide?
“We have to get to know each other better, if we are to get married,” Reid said to Eddie. “You want to make sure I'm a good man, don't you? A man who will take care of you and your mom.”
“Yeah.” Eddie kicked up his chin and faced him. “I'll protect Ma.”
“From me?” Reid asked, a smile playing on his lips.
The boy raised himself on his toes so he'd look taller. “From anyone who wants to hurt her.”
Reid smiled and surprised everyone including himself, by ruffling the boy's hair. “You're a good kid.”
Before he realized what he was doing, Reid had grabbed his car keys and said, “Come on, I'll show you around the town. You've never been to Shadow Point before, right?”
“No, sir,” Eddie answered as he bounced on the balls of his feet eagerly. “Can we go now?”
“Yep.”
“Yay! Let's go!”
Lauren turned to smile at him as Eddie dragged her impatiently towards the front door.
Reid looked into her deep, brown eyes and felt a sudden stab of lust and longing for her. He was on dangerous ground here. He had to pull himself back before he fell right off the precipice.
He had never been so attracted to a woman before. The attraction was primal and powerful. Sure, Lauren was pretty but so was Shelly, his ex-wife. Shelly had awakened his lust, but not his heart and his bear. His bear had never accepted Shelly as its mate. In fact, when he married Shelly, his bear simply turned its back on him and ignored him. He hadn't heeded his bear's protests, so his bear wasn't going to bother with him.
But with Lauren, his bear was fully engaged. His bear wanted her, and was urging him to claim her and make her his.
Was Lauren truly his bride, his mate?
Reid swore that he would never trust another woman again, but could he trust Lauren? Would she lie to him, cheat on him and reveal her true colors only after they were married?
So maybe he wouldn't marry her.
But he could have her. She seemed willing enough. She had come to him, and hadn't protested about sharing his bed.
They were both adults. They could pleasure and satisfy each other, maybe for a few nights, and then he would let them go.
Lauren and Eddie would go back to their lives, and he would go back to his.
It was safer this way. For everyone.
He wasn't going to risk his heart, his business, his future for any woman again.
But without her, you have no future, his bear growled.
I'm safeguarding my financial future, Reid shot back. I'm not getting younger. I don't want to be a penniless old man.
Your name isn't Reid, it's Scrooge!
Reid ignored his bear. The beast just whiffed a sweet piece of ass and wanted some pussy.
Reid would oblige his beast on that score. He would have sex with Lauren. He would have her the whole night and well into the morning. He knew he was capable of satisfying Lauren in bed. He was a generous, skilful lover and he knew how to pleasure a female. They would both get what they wanted.
That's what women wanted, didn't they? A big cock and a meal ticket. They all wanted a good time, but they never stayed when times got tough.
Lauren hadn't revealed much about herself in her letters. All she said was that she was looking for a fresh start, and she wanted a big, happy family.
Despite Reid repeating to himself that Lauren was just a gold-digger and a liar, he didn't believe it. For starters, he didn't have much gold for her to dig, not after Shelly cleaned him out.
He stared at Lauren's youthful face and frowned. He just couldn't shake the feeling that she was lying about something. She did look awfully young to be a mother, but teenage pregnancies weren't uncommon. There was more to Lauren and Eddie, and he resolved to find out the truth.
But the truth shouldn't matter if he was never going to see them again.
The voice at the back of his head refused to shut up. They've got nothing to go back to. She quit her job, terminated her lease and gave up her old life to come here. You can't just send them back.
But he couldn't let them stay, could he?
To his frustration, Reid couldn't answer that question.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lauren was standing outside the toilet door waiting for Eddie when she heard the doorbell ring.
“Ma? You still there?” Eddie called out, a hint of panic in his voice.
“Yes, don't worry, buddy. I'm here,” Lauren answered.
They were about to leave the house when Eddie grimaced and complained of a stomachache. He hadn't had much to eat on the way here, so Lauren suspected that the boy's stomachache was caused by stress and nerves.
“Take as much time as you need, Eddie,” she called through the toilet door. Eddie was a trooper. The boy must have been way more nervous and apprehensive than he'd let on. But he had been so calm and so brave when he met Reid.
Lauren peered out from behind the wall and saw Reid opening the front door. A man pushed past Reid and rushed breathlessly into the house, his green eyes shining with excitement. The man spotted her and exclaimed, “Oh! You must be Lauren! I'm Damien, Reid's cousin.”
Lauren stepped forward and shook his h
and. “Nice to meet you, Damien.”
Damien looked her up and down appreciatively and whistled. He nudged Reid and said under his breath, “She didn't send a photo, but I took a chance. And wowza! Told you you'd thank me.”
Lauren frowned, not sure what they were talking about. The two cousins were an exercise in contrast. Except for their eyes, the two men were nothing alike. Damien had light hair and was friendly and talkative, whereas Reid was dark-haired, brooding and reserved.
“How are you settling in, Lauren? When is the wedding? Oh, don't look so surprised. Reid told me. You're his mail-order bride! Reid tells me everything. There are no secrets between us. Right, Reid?” Damien winked at his cousin who was giving him the death stare.
“I'm settling in fine. Thank you. Reid's been very hospitable,” Lauren answered.
Damien arched a brow. “Really? Reid's been warm and welcoming?” When Lauren nodded, Damien barked out a laugh and clapped. “I'll be darned! This is going way better than I'd hoped!”
Before Lauren could ask what he meant by that, Damien peered around and asked, “Where's Eddie?”
“He's in the toilet,” Lauren said and smiled. “Wow. Reid does tell you everything. You even know my son's name.”
“There's nothing I don't know about Reid. In fact, I know him better than he knows himself,” Damien boasted.
The toilet door opened with a bang and Eddie came running out, drying his hands on his pants. He froze when he saw Damien. “Who's that?”
“Hello, Eddie!” Damien grinned and wiggled his fingers.
“This is my cousin, Damien. You can call him Uncle Damien or Uncle Busybody,” Reid told Eddie with a straight face. “Come along. You want to explore the town don't you?”
“Oh yes! Bye, Uncle Busybody!” Eddie giggled as he scrambled out the front door.
“Eddie!” Lauren scolded.
“Bye? Did he just say bye to me? We only just said hello! Hey! Where is everyone going? I just got here! Are you all leaving without me?” Damien whirled round, looking flabbergasted but not in the least insulted.
Reid didn't even turn around. He simply ushered Lauren smoothly out the door and let the door slam shut behind him.
Calmly, Reid helped them into his car and started the engine. Lauren stared at him as he backed the car down the driveway.
Lauren's eyes bugged as she stared at the front door. She expected Damien to come rushing out after them, but the door didn't even open a crack.
Reid's mood seemed to improve as he drove away from the house and his cousin. He was even humming a little tune.
“You're going to just leave him in the house?” she sputtered at last.
Reid shrugged. “He knows where everything is.”
“But...”
“Don't worry,” Reid assured her. “He'll be gone by the time we get back.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
When they reached the town center, Eddie stared admiringly at the rows of shops and restaurants. “Can we eat here?” he asked. “Please?”
“Eddie...” Lauren sighed. “It's expensive to eat out. We can eat at home. It's cheaper and more nutritious.” Reid saw Eddie's shoulders slump as he nodded obediently. The boy had heard this argument before and knew that it was pointless to object.
“We'll eat out tonight,” Reid said. “We'll shop and we'll have ice-cream. We can have a late dinner.”
“We can?” Eddie's face glowed.
“You don't have to,” Lauren told Reid softly.
“I think we all deserve a nice dinner. You've had a long journey today,” Reid said. “And it's been a long time since I had ice-cream. I'd like to see what's new in the shops these days. I don't shop much,” he confessed.
“Yippee!” Eddie cheered. “Let's go into the shops! I want to see the toys!”
As they strolled down the sidewalk, Eddie broke away and pressed his nose against a shop window. Anxiously, Lauren hurried after him and put her hand on his shoulder as she spoke in his ear.
“I know, I'm just looking,” Reid heard the boy say as he walked up to them.
“Let's go in. I haven't visited a toy store in ages,” Reid said, winking at Eddie as he pushed into the shop.
Eddie grinned and ran after him. When Reid told him to pick out what he liked, Eddie shook his head even as he eyed the dinosaurs on the shelf longingly.
Quietly, Lauren bent down and whispered, “Go ahead, buddy. Choose what you like.”
The boy gasped and scampered off. He returned with two dinosaurs and a big book about dinosaurs under his arm.
“I want to be a paleontologist when I grow up,” he told Reid proudly when Reid paid for the items and handed them to him. “Thank you, sir! Very much!”
Reid nodded and listened with amusement as Eddie corrected Lauren when she mispronounced the name of his dinosaur. He was impressed with the boy's vocabulary. The boy certainly knew all things and words related to dinosaurs. He bet the kid could rattle off the names of all the dinosaurs, and even the periods they lived in, with ease. Reid looked up at Lauren. Somebody had been reading to the boy.
“I borrow books about dinosaurs from the library to read to him,” Lauren confirmed. “Eddie's crazy about dinosaurs.”
“Dinosaurs are cool!” Eddie crowed. “They're so awesome!”
It was a pretty hot day, so Reid suggested grabbing an ice-cream each. When they stepped into the ice-cream parlor, Eddie kept his head down and tried not to stare at the other kids enjoying their towering ice-cream sundaes and milkshakes. The boy swallowed and glanced at Lauren, and she gave a subtle shake of her head. Her apologetic smile was more of a wince. Sorry, sweetheart, but we can't afford these expensive sundaes.
“We'll just have two glasses of iced water,” Lauren told Reid.
Reid made them sit at a corner booth and went to place their orders at the counter.
When the waitress came and placed three large ice-cream sundaes on their table, Lauren and Eddie gasped and stammered.
The little boy looked awe-struck when Reid pushed the ice-cream sundae in front of him.
“For me? All of it?” the boy squeaked in disbelief.
“Of course.”
“Thank you, sir!” Eddie gave him a grin so wide and so bright it almost broke Reid's heart to see it.
“Eat more,” Reid said gruffly.
The boy was lively and spirited, but he was skittish and there was a certain sadness and fear in his eyes. His shirt looked too big for him and there was a hole in his shoe. His clothes were obviously hand-me-downs. And why did the boy think that there were people who wanted to hurt his mother?
They had dropped everything to come to Shadow Point. Just what were they running from? Reid couldn't help wondering.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Reid observed the interaction between Eddie and Lauren with interest and curiosity. They were affectionate with each other, and it was obvious they were very close. They did look alike, with their dark hair and eyes, but something made Reid doubt that they were mother and son. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, and in the end, he dismissed it as just a groundless suspicion.
The boy ate everything with gusto. At dinner, he almost licked his plate clean of the sauce. But when Reid asked if he wanted a second helping of mashed potatoes, Eddie politely declined. “Thank you, sir. But I'm stuffed!” he grinned.
A full day of sightseeing, shopping and eating proved exhausting for the little man. “This is the best day ever,” Eddie murmured contentedly from the back seat as Reid started the drive home. Seconds later, soft snores could be heard.
Reid had only intended to feed them and show them around town for a bit. It was the least he could do since his idiot cousin had made the poor woman lug her kid all the way to Shadow Point. It was a wasted trip for her. She thought she would be snaring a husband, but Reid wasn't about to be snared again. He had wised up.
But in the end, he found that he had enjoyed him
self tremendously. They had spent the whole day in town, and Reid had been surprised to discover new shops and cafes. Perhaps Damien was right. He should get out more often. He was only thirty-five, but he was fast becoming a grouchy, old hermit.
Eddie slept throughout the drive home. Without the kid's incessant chatter and questions, the car felt awfully silent. Even Lauren wasn't talking much.
Reid glanced at Lauren. She seemed to be deep in thought as she gazed out the window. What was she thinking? Did she regret coming to Shadow Point? Maybe she would be the one to tell him “thanks but no thanks” at the end of the visit. It wasn't like he was such a great catch.
If she was a gold-digger, she would most certainly have been disappointed at seeing his small, plain house and old car. He definitely didn't have dollar bills oozing out of his ears. He was just a simple plumber. He worked for himself, and he worked hard. But that was it.
He could provide for his family, and they would be comfortable enough. But they wouldn't be living in the lap of luxury.
Reid studied Lauren quietly as he drove. She didn't look like a high maintenance woman. Her clothes were simple but neat, and she didn't wear any make up or jewelery. She hadn't ordered the most expensive dishes in the restaurant knowing that he would pay for them. And she had given Eddie stern, disapproving looks when the boy pestered Reid to get him a dinosaur robot.
“No, Eddie. I mean it.” The boy pouted but didn't throw a tantrum. The look she gave Reid told him that she would put her foot down and stop him if he insisted on getting the toy for Eddie. But he would never override her. She was the boy's Ma. He was just…“sir”.
Reid suddenly wished that the little boy would call him something other than “sir”. He didn't know why but that distant, respectful form of address stung him. Eddie was keeping him at arm's length, making sure he didn't get too attached to him. Even at this young age, the boy was guarded and wary of letting someone get too close.
With a start, Reid realized that the boy was doing the exact same thing he was doing. He wasn't the only one who felt safer keeping people out rather than letting them in.
Mail-Order Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BRIDES fur BEARS Book 5) Page 3