Stefan’s eyes widened. He stared across the table at his brothers. They both stopped eating, mid-chew and stared at Tess.
Tess smiled as big and bright as the Northern lights, then slapped her hand on the table. “I’m just joking!” She laughed and eyed his brothers mischievously. “Wow. You guys really fell for that.”
Stefan reached under the table and squeezed her thigh. “Isn’t my Tess funny?”
Tess let out a little squeal and gave his hand an equally tight squeeze back.
Everyone laughed with words like too funny, you got us, and hilarious.
Tess whispered in Stefan’s ear, “Ouch. That hurt.”
He whispered back, “Keep to the script.”
Tess forcibly laughed. “Oh my, I’m getting threats if I don’t tell you all the truth.” She glared at him. “What actually happened is we were at a barbeque at Adam’s. I’m a friend of his neighbor’s and we went waterskiing.”
Stefan knew what she was going to say. If he interrupted, he’d only appear rude. Tess droned on and Stefan was helpless to stop her.
She spoke with dramatic expression. “You see, another boat passed us so fast, it threw a huge wake, and before you know it, poor Stefan wrecked. The ski hit him in the head and he was knocked out cold. I used to be a life guard when I was in high school, so my instincts automatically kicked into gear. I jumped into the water and dragged him back to the boat. He had his life jacket on, so there was no risk of him drowning, of course, but I doctored the cut on the back of his head. When he came to, he looked into my eyes.” She turned to him and smiled. “He said it was like an angel was looking over him.” She pointed to her chest. “That’s me of course.”
Both his brothers gave Tess a skeptical look. They weren’t buying it.
“No really,” she said, “it’s true. That’s why I like the stripper story better because nobody believes the one about Stefan getting knocked out, and me rescuing him.”
“You didn’t exactly save me. As you pointed out, I was wearing a life jacket.” Stefan hoped the look he gave scared her, but he doubted it.
She blinked several times and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I know, sweetheart, but it was just so precious the way you said those words to me when you first came to—you really thought I was an angel. It was the sweetest thing. I was completely smitten from that moment on.”
Responses from his sister-in-law and soon to be sister-in-law were “ooohs” and “awwws.” There was no point in refuting Tess now after she’d babbled on for several minutes. And he didn’t want to reveal her true profession.
In fact, he wasn’t sure he’d given as much thought as was necessary to the idea of her dancing naked. He got hard thinking about it and he was completely pissed off at her right now. He wondered how much more he would want her if he wasn’t mad?
It occurred to him that hundreds, if not thousands of men and bears had seen her naked. He didn’t like that. He didn’t like it one bit.
A wave of possessive anger clutched at him. Everyone had gone on to talk about other things. He leaned against Tess and cupped his hand around her ear. “Just for that—you’re going give me my very own private lap dance.”
She shivered, then shot him a glance. “Depends on how much you’re willing to pay me.”
“I’m not paying you,” he growled. His brothers and their mates were busy talking shop, so the conversation between Tess and him remained private.
“Then I’m not dancing.” She cocked her head to the side, before placing her index finger alongside her cheek. “Besides, I don’t see any poles around here anyway.”
The vision of her dancing naked on a fireman’s pole wouldn’t leave his head. “You can give me a lap dance without a pole.”
She shrugged, then licked her plump bottom lip. The lip he remembered kissing only a short time ago. “I might be convinced, but if you aren’t going to pay me, then you could give me something in exchange.”
“Like what?”
“Like, how about your truck?” she purred.
He laughed so loud, his brothers stopped their conversations to look at him.
“What?” questioned Silas. “What’s so funny?”
Stefan pointed at Tess. “She thinks I’m willing to make a deal with her where she’ll end up with my truck as the prize.” His shoulders shook with his chuckle. “I won’t part with my truck.”
“Oooh, I love dares—I want in,” Lexi exclaimed. “If your truck isn’t collateral, then what are you willing to put up?”
“Who said anything about a dare?” Stefan asked. “Besides, it’s private between Tess and me.”
“I see what kind of dare it is.” Lexi stood up from the table and gathered a pile of dishes. “Fine. Keep it private. I probably don’t want to know anyway.”
“Hey,” Stefan said, “don’t take the food away.”
“Aren’t you guys done yet?” Lexi asked.
“We’re just getting started,” Stryker said.
“Hey, I know. After we finish eating, let’s go swimming at the lake,” Ava said.
“That’s a great idea, babe.” Stryker turned to Tess and chuckled. “How about if Stefan and Tess do a reenactment of the waterskiing debacle?”
Tess had just put a spoonful of fruit salad in her mouth, but talked anyway. “Yeah, let’s do that. I’m all in.” She gave a thumbs up gesture.
Stefan chose to ignore his brothers’ teasing and eat more food instead. He wanted to savor the moment and let himself thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie between them. Admittedly, he was surprised by how well Lexi fit into their group, and even Ava being an outsider to Alaska seemed like she’d been living here forever.
Ava and Stryker acted like they’d been married a lot longer than a couple of months. Silas and Lexi, despite being werebear and human, also seemed immensely happy. Stefan felt a twinge of jealousy. Where that feeling came from, he couldn’t guess.
He’d been focused on his career, not settling down. Besides, his brothers were older than him. The urge to take a forever mate hadn’t hit him yet. But then, he’d also never been so pre-occupied with a she-bear like Tess. At least not since Misha.
Tess loved ruffling Stefan’s feathers, or in this case, fur. She had a feeling that both of them had been so driven in their jobs and working, that they didn’t make time for a love life or taking time off. When she first came to work at Bared In Alaska, it had been as a bartender, but when the dancers had costume mishaps, she discovered she had a flair for sewing and design. She’d stumbled upon her passion by accident.
The night the wolf had confronted her, she’d been working at the bar because the regular bartender was out sick. She’d never admit to anyone that she had been scared, but there was no way she’d let a wolf intimidate her.
Then when someone took a shot at her three days later, she also never outwardly showed any signs of weakness. That wasn’t what bears did. Bears stood strong and never backed down.
Ava’s words reverberated in her head, have him chase you...until you catch him. She didn’t know if irritating the heck out of him by telling half-truths about how they met constituted as “chasing,” but she’d certainly left an impression.
After cleaning up, the consensus was to go swimming at the lake. Tess privately asked Stefan, “You didn’t by chance get me a swimsuit, did you?”
“No, I sure didn’t.” He wrapped his arm around her and leaned against her. “Darn. Guess you’ll have to go without.”
“I am not swimming naked. There are teenagers around here.” The heat of him had her insides feeling mushy.
“You’re right,” he said quietly, so only her ears could hear. “Guess we’ll just have to get settled into our cabin, so you can start that lap dance you promised me.”
She elbowed him in his rock-hard abs. “I didn’t promise you any such thing.”
“You think I’m going to let you get away with telling that waterskiing story without some kind of punishment?”
&nbs
p; She shrugged. “We had to tell them something.”
They all congregated on the deck. Stefan finished the last of his beer and sat down beside Tess. “We had agreed to give minimal details—to just say we met at a barbeque.”
“No. You said that. I never agreed to that plan.”
Stefan gave her a squeeze. “You’re one stubborn she-bear.”
Stefan glanced at Stryker. “Where are you putting us up for the night?”
“All the cabins are full except the twenty-mile cabin.” Stryker gave his wife a wry grin. “I’d have you bunk with me, but I already have a roommate. And you know we always keep that cabin fully supplied with food and anything else you might need.”
Stefan scowled at his brother, completely understanding his meaning.
“What’s the twenty-mile cabin?” Tess asked.
“It’s a secluded cabin twenty miles from here,” Stefan replied.
Stryker, Lexi, and Silas talked shop, specifically how they needed more activities for the girls who stayed at Denali Crossings.
Stefan leaned into Tess and spoke quietly. “I thought we’d stay here in camp, but it would probably be safer if you’re not seen by anybody.”
“No one here would know anything about what happened. I doubt it even made the state news.”
“Yes, but if anyone came looking for you, I think it would be best if no one here had ever seen you. It’s best if we’re away from everyone.”
Tess realized this could work to her advantage. She’d have Stefan all to herself far away from anyone else. “We may as well get going then.”
“Wait,” Ava said, “I thought we were going swimming.”
“I didn’t pack a swimsuit,” Tess replied.
“Well, that’s a shame,” Ava said sadly, but smiled at Tess when she said it.
“Have another beer,” Stryker said.
A foreign smell permeated the air. Stefan sniffed again. “Is that a wolf I smell?”
Everyone except Lexi sniffed.
“We get lots of wolves in the area, but they don’t come into camp,” Silas said. “They know better. This camp isn’t for their kind.”
Stefan stood up. “I didn’t smell them when I first arrived.”
“They travel around and through Denali Park, just like bears who aren’t part of our den,” Silas said.
“I can’t take any chances.” Stefan grabbed her hand, then turned to both his brothers. “I’ll explain later. In my truck are our clothes and in the glove box is my gun. Bring them to us later, along with our cell phones. Whenever you can, when you know you aren’t being followed. In fact, don’t drive out in a truck. Come out via the river in a four-wheeler.”
Tess had expected some questions from his brothers, but they didn’t say anything other than “Okay.”
Stefan looked at her in earnestness. “You and I are going to shift and get to the cabin.” He stripped off his tee shirt, then pulled on her hand down the back steps of the deck. “Come on.”
Tess hadn’t shifted in so long, she wondered if she’d remember how, but she didn’t argue. They ran to Stefan’s truck, stripped themselves of their clothes, and shifted into their bear forms.
Her bear senses came to life. The smell of the lake water, other animals nearby, last year’s fallen leaves on the forest floor, the scent of spruce—everything was in high definition. She’d forgotten how freeing it felt to let herself be a bear. They ran through the trees like a human walked through a crowded mall on a Saturday afternoon.
Dodging trees and boggy areas, she followed Stefan. Her heightened eyesight detected everything from a chickadee to a falling leaf. The wind ruffled her fur. At one with her surroundings, she didn’t worry about her safety. She had Stefan and she had her bear.
She felt invincible.
8
Stefan sniffed the air. He no longer smelled any wolves. He stopped on the front steps of the twenty-mile cabin and shifted into his human form. Maybe he’d been over-reacting. All he knew is that he’d been so distracted by Tess’s nearness that he was afraid the smell of the wolves had been there all along and he hadn’t noticed.
He had to keep her safe. He watched her shift into her human form and he knew, without a doubt, he also had to have her.
“You look like you’re about to eat me up.” Tess modestly turned her back to him. “Only, we just had dinner.” She swiveled her head around. “Please tell me there are some clothes in this cabin.”
He nodded. “Yes, there are.” Only, he couldn’t bring himself to look away from her backside. She had the nicest ass of any she-bear he’d ever seen. No wonder she had a career as a stripper.
He’d pay good money to see that ass, but lucky him, was viewing it for free. “It’s easy to see why you’re in the profession you’re in. You are gorgeous.”
“You’re supposed to be a gentleman. Turn your back, and go inside and get me some clothes.”
“What if I don’t want to be a gentleman? And if I recall, you owe me a lap dance.” His feet felt frozen to the cabin’s front stairs. It would take a monumental effort on his part to shift his eyes another direction, but somehow, he’d muster the resolve to do it. Protecting Tess was his job. This wasn’t a vacation, he reminded himself.
She turned around. Her wide hips and full breasts invited him to touch her. Her eyes were no longer a solid green, but had flecks of gold in them. “I don’t have my cell phone with me for music. How can I dance without music?”
“We can make our own music.” He told himself to look away—look away, but his bear had other ideas. “Or if that doesn’t work, we could pretend I hit my head and you have to doctor me up. We never got a chance to reenact how we met.”
Her eyes didn’t move away from him. In fact, she was checking him out. Surveying him up and down very thoroughly. Her gaze stopped. She made no secret of exactly where she looked.
His throat went dry. His stomach clenched. His palms twitched. He’d never wanted a she-bear so bad. Finally, he got the wherewithal to turn around, walk up the stairs and step inside the cabin. He called out to Tess, “I’ll get clothes for us. We always keep numerous sets here.”
The one room cabin had the basic necessities. Cabinets full of food, a small refrigerator, a table, a sink, a bathroom, a fireplace, and a bed. He rifled through drawers and threw clothes on the back of a chair. He sensed Tess standing behind him and pointed to the yellow tee shirt and blue-jean shorts he’d laid out. “There’s some clothes for you.”
“Warm colors don’t go good with my skin tone.”
He kept his face averted until he found the underwear drawer. He grabbed a pair of boxers and bent over to put a foot in one of the leg holes, but before he could finish the task, Tess touched his arm.
He flinched.
She snaked her hands around his waist. “Don’t.”
Her breasts pressed into his back and he stood rigid in every way. She whispered, “Don’t get dressed.”
“Tess, you’re a client. A she-bear I was assigned to keep safe. We have a business arrangement.”
“Arrangements are made to be broken.” The heat of her body against his back nearly made him lose his resolve. Her breathing ran unsteady, just like his.
“I have a job to do,” he managed to say. “To…to watch over you.”
“I’ll tell you exactly how I want you to watch me.” Her voice shook.
The image of her dancing on stage with men and werebears watching her erupted in his brain. Jealousy bit at him like a slow ache, but suddenly the pain of it opened into his chest. “I bet a lot of bears have watched you. I just haven’t been one of them.”
He wasn’t prepared for the slug in the shoulder and he toppled sideways on the bed.
“You son of a bitch!” she roared. “How dare you?”
Stefan held up his hands. “You’re right. I’m sorry. That was out of line. I apologize.”
“You’re such an egomaniac. You think you know everything, don’t you? You don’t know a
damn thing. Not one thing.” She shoved a finger in his face.
He leaned back into the headboard of the bed to avoid her finger poking him in the eye. It occurred to him that even with a red face and smoke coming out of her ears, she was incredibly beautiful. And if there was one thing his mother taught him, it was not to even attempt to win an argument with a she-bear as mad as Tess. “I’m sure you’re right. I don’t know much,” he stammered.
She spun around and stalked to the other end of the cabin. Whirling around, she faced him. “You think that just because I work at a strip bar that I must be a stripper. Your very small male brain associates strip bar and women in one category, apparently. Well, guess what?”
He assumed she didn’t want him to guess, she was just taking a breath, so he didn’t say anything.
He’d been right because she rambled on with her arms flying as though accentuating each word. He tried to keep his gaze from the beauty of her breasts. “There are other forms of employment at a strip bar besides strippers, you know. Like bartenders, waiters, cooks—we do offer food too. Hell, I could be a custodian. Did you ever think about that?”
He decided to take a stab at saying something. “I just assumed that with a body as rocking hot as yours, you would be a stripper. It was an innocent mistake. I do have a small modicum of brain cells.”
“And furthermore…” She swung around and approached the bed that he still laid on spread eagle, and as naked as the day he was born. “What did you say?”
“I said I do have a small modicum—”
“No, not about your brain, about the stripper part.”
“I thought you were a stripper because your body is so damn hot. I couldn’t imagine you’d have another job besides that. Look at yourself in the mirror—you are like a—like a Venetian goddess, or is it Greek? I don’t know, one of those goddesses. I only know that I’m so hard for you, the way you’re pacing around here buck naked. I can’t take another second of it.”
She gave a curt nod. “Yeah, I can see that.”
Stefan continued. “I need you to leave so I can take a cold shower.” There. He’d managed to get a few words in—in almost one breath. Well, maybe three.
Bound to the Bear (Denali Den Book 3) Page 5