A Fox Between the Bear's Sheets (Wylde Bears)

by Jenika Snow

  “Hi.” That one word was a silky purr from her overly painted and Botox injected lips. “Ford, right?” He picked up his shot and down it without taking his eyes from her. She knew who the fuck he was, especially since he had seen her on a few other occasions at the shifter bar. Besides, he had fucked a lot of females in the town of Sweet Water, and he wasn’t so delusional to not think they didn’t talk about what an asshole he was. So yeah, she knew who he was. “You need a little company tonight? Maybe an extra body warming your bed?” He was a one-night kind of male, and despite the various females over the years who had tried to tie him down, he would not change who he had become. It was like a fire burning brightly in his belly, one that gave him the strength and indifference toward everything that happened around him. He didn’t bother answering, because what was the point? He wasn’t proud of the male he had become, but he also wouldn’t apologize about it. If this female lived in Sweet Water, then she knew who and what he was, knew that if she gave herself to him it would only be for a few hours, and that he wasn’t interested in anything but a piece of ass.

  “If I didn’t I wouldn’t be fucking talkin’ to you, right?” He was being an asshole, he knew this, but he was also fucking drunk, needed some pussy to help clear his mind, and didn’t want to have a conversation with her. He wanted to be horizontal with the female, so why not just cut to the fucking chase? “You want a drink?” He might be a dick on the best of days, but he could at least buy the chick he was about to screw a shot. And there was no denying she was primed for him. Hell, he could fucking smell how wet she was and knew he wouldn’t have to do much sweet talking to get her panties to drop, if any at all. He wouldn’t call her a whore, but it was clear she didn’t care who she let between her thighs.

  “Sure, sugar.” Ford didn’t correct her on the fact he didn’t want her calling him shit like that. After ordering her a shot, because hell-fucking-no was he going to order some feminine crap, he waited for her to take it down before he took her to the small motel next to the bar. Whoever decided to build the rinky-dink little place right next to where everyone in town came to get drunk had been a fucking genius. When he fucked these random females it was never in his home … never. That was his spot, his sanctuary, and he sure as hell didn’t want it tainted by the filthy shit he did.

  It was clear she wasn’t used to the hard stuff since she started coughing and sputtering as soon as she swallowed the whiskey. He slammed a few bills on the counter to cover his tab, took her hand and led her out of the bar. He had taken his Harley, knowing that he hadn’t wanted to be in the cab of his truck with the cloying scent of perfume suffocating him, because all of the chicks he brought back to fuck wore the shit. He bypassed his bike, because frankly he was surprised he could even walk straight for as much as he had drunk, and strode quickly to Sweet Water Motel. It wasn’t a Hilton, more like a Motel 8, but it served its purpose with four walls and a bed. “Wait here.” He left the female right outside the front door of the motel, paid for a night even though he’d only use it for an hour or two, and went back outside. After taking her hand again and leading her into the stale, generic room, he wasted no time in pushing her on the bed, shoving her too tight skirt up her thighs, and telling her exactly what he wanted from her.

  “Spread your legs and start working your pussy with your fingers.” Ford didn’t bother taking off his clothes, just unzipped his jeans, took out his cock, and stroked himself with his palm until he was hard enough to put a condom on. If he could have wrapped his dick up ten times with latex he would have, because he felt like a disgusting asshole for the way he led his life, but there was no room for those thoughts right now. He wanted to screw this nameless, faceless female until he got off as the momentary bliss of nothingness filled him.

  She wore no panties, big fucking surprise, and started rubbing her finger over her clit. She was already good and juicy for him, so instead of prolonging this, he knelt on the bed between her thighs, positioned his cock at her pussy, and shoved it in fast and hard. Her yelp of surprise turned into a groan of pleasure as he started slamming in and out of her. This was meaningless sex, just an outlet to expel his anger, hatred, and overall shitty attitude over what he harbored for the last ten years. How fucking pathetic was he that he was still pissed about something that had happened so long ago? Mina had moved on, and although he had, too, he was still fucking pissed, not with her, but with himself. He started thrusting in and out of the female harder and harder until he had moved her body so far up the bed her head was banging on the headboard. Gripping her hips and pulling her down on his dick, Ford closed his eyes and focused on the feelings only. It didn’t matter who he was with, because in the end this was just empty pleasure for both of them. She was using him as much as he was using her.

  When he had gotten off and lay on his back, his arm behind his head, just staring at the ceiling, he felt the familiar self-disgust that usually showed its ugly fucking head after he did this. Those few minutes when he came that brought him the void emotions had since left, and now he was left with what consumed him. Bram and Charlie slept around just as much as he did, well, not Charlie any longer since he was now mated to a little ocelot shifter, but Bram was still a fucking whore. But the difference between him and Bram was the fact Ford did this shit to forget, to make himself less angry, and more numb. He didn’t give two shits about Mina anymore, not in the way he was sure his brothers thought. He was over her, wanted nothing to do with her, and didn’t give a fuck that she was getting married in his fucking town. What he was still hanging onto after all these years was the ugliness of what he had with her, of the raw and rage filled emotions that wouldn’t leave him. It was those feelings that kept him on edge, made him feel alive in a sense, and something he wouldn’t fucking give up on. He liked his life, liked living alone with no one to fuck with him, and only his foul-ass attitude to keep him company.

  After fishing out his pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lighting the end, he took a long drag. He really didn’t smoke, not regularly anyway. But when he was feeling especially volatile he needed that extra punch of nicotine to make him feel a little scuzzier. He was a masochist and a sadist all rolled into one, a damn magician and expert at making people see something that wasn’t there. He didn’t let his brothers see this side of him, didn’t allow the ugliness that consumed him to seep out to the only two people he loved. He could fool the best of them, put on a fake as hell smile, laugh and act like he enjoyed the life he was living. But in the end, when he was alone staring at the ceiling, it all came back like a powerful punch to his chest.

  Rustling beside him alerted him to the fact the female was awake. She was experienced enough in these little one-night stands not to ask for anything more than what they had just shared. She stood and pulled her skirt down, adjusted her top, and was out in a matter of minutes.

  Now here he was again, alone and sour, feeling sick as fuck and needing a good hot shower to wash away the filth he allowed himself to be immersed in. He pushed himself up and off of the bed, and went into the closet sized bathroom. After turning on the water and making sure it was hot enough to melt skin, Ford got undressed and stared at himself in the mirror. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and he ran his hand over the dark stubble that lined his jaw and cheeks. He was a fucking mess, with his blood-shot eyes, dark circles, and pinched ass expression. His mouth was a mixture of alcohol and cigarettes, and he wanted to take a gallon of bleach to it, to his whole damn body actually. Turning away from his reflection he pulled the shower curtain aside and stepped into the steam filled enclosure. The instant the hot droplets splashed against his skin he clenched his teeth. Yeah, it was scalding and hurt like a motherfucker, but that was what he needed right now.

  For an hour he stayed in that shower, and it was only until the water turned icy and not at all satisfying, that he finally allowed himself to get out. He was more sober now, a damn shame, but he wanted out of this cramped room with the scent of sweat and sex still li
ngering in the air. It was those aromas, and those memories of how those scents came to be, that kept Ford in his life of self-destruction, and he didn’t think he would ever be able to climb out of that dank, dark hole.

  Chapter Three

  Talia Landon stared at her brother’s fiancée and had to grit her teeth or she would have made some nasty response. Why Luke had chosen some high-maintenance bitch of a female to marry was beyond her. For the past two years Talia had watched Luke dote on Mina Sheldon in a sickening display of affection. It wasn’t even about her being a human and them being shifters, red fox and cougar, respectively, but more so that Mina was an uptight asshole. At every turn she bossed Luke around, made him run ridiculous errands, and just had this air about her that screamed high-priced whore. Talia hated her, had ever since Luke brought her to their parents’ house for their Sunday family dinner.

  “I told you I wanted the white lace accents.” Mina tossed the fabric aside and turned to stare at herself in the full-length mirror before her. She opened up her tube of cherry red lipstick and applied a generous amount to her overly plump lips. Ever since they announced they were getting married, a new level of hell for Talia to live through, Mina had been in Bridezilla mode. Nothing was ever right, and it was Talia’s brother who suffered her wrath. It made no difference though, because even when Talia had brought up her concerns to Luke he had gotten so upset and offended that he had shut her out until she had been the one who felt guilty for even bringing it up. It wasn’t that she wanted to hurt her brother, but how anyone in their right mind would want to be saddled with a woman that bitched nonstop was beyond her. But whatever, if Luke wanted to subject himself to that kind of abuse who was she to get in the way? Talia realized that if her older brother wanted to live his life with a banshee and didn’t want to see reason, then he could suffer in his own personal hell. And there was no doubt Mina would deliver on that. He was an adult, knew that his choices would affect him in the long run, and would have to deal with the consequences. At least Talia was pretty sure they wouldn’t have children, at least not for a good long while, because that would require Mina to actually gain some weight. God forbid her wraith-like appearance actually looked healthy, or that she went bigger than a size two.

  Talia looked back at Mina, with her perfect hair, and her perfect body, and everything else that was just too damn perfect to be real. But what made this day even more of a nightmare was the four equally gorgeous and fake women who gathered around Mina. Their catty laughter, hushed whispers behind their hand covered mouths, and the aristocratic air around them made this day especially lovely, just like getting her teeth cut out with a rusty razorblade.

  There was no doubt one of the main reasons Mina was with her brother was because he was a renowned surgeon, and she loved to spend his money, hence the Prada pumps and Tiffany earnings that dotted her earlobes. Mumbling more to herself than anyone else Talia stepped outside the small boutique in Sweet Water, Colorado. The breeze was warm and smelled fresh. It wasn’t like the smog-filled air that she was familiar with.

  Originally from California, she had been excited to come to Colorado even if the reason behind it was less than pleasant. When Luke told them the wedding would be held at Mina’s parents’ in Sweet Water, no one had showed their concern that their home and the rest of their family were in LA. So, instead of voicing their opinions on how it made a hell of a lot more sense to have the wedding in California since the majority of the guests lived there, everyone had packed up their shit and headed over to the boonies. Talia wouldn’t lie and say Mina’s parents’ estate wasn’t gorgeous, because it was. But then there was the irritation that came when Talia usually thought about her brother’s fiancée. She needed a stiff drink, but it was only ten in the morning, so it seemed a cup of coffee would be her only option unless she wanted to look like some kind of lush. She certainly didn’t want to start some kind of small town gossip about the new drunk stumbling around. Lord forbid Mina get mixed in by association.

  Looking left then right, she finally remembered passing a bistro/coffee shop when they had come into town for Mina’s dress fitting. Heading down the sidewalk that was still cobblestone, she rounded the corner and came across the small café. The little bell above the door jangled when she opened the door, alerting everyone to her entrance. The scent of coffee beans and fresh pastries filled her senses, and she couldn’t help but fall in love with the small town a little more, despite the fact Mina was from here. It certainly wasn’t like LA with the cars packed back-to-pack, the overly tanned residents walking around, and the posh shops lining the streets. For the hundredth time since she had come to Sweet Water, Talia wondered how a quaint and gorgeous little town could produce such a vile and obnoxious creature as Mina.

  An upbeat song played overhead, and the sound of laughter and hushed voices filled the small interior. After ordering the biggest latte they made, she took a step back and people watched while she waited for her order. A human couple sat close together at a table. The man held both of the woman’s hands, and they stared lovingly at each other. There was a coyote shifter sitting alone in the corner, his laptop in front of him, and his black framed glasses perched high on his nose. A snow leopard shifter held a crying baby on her hip and tried to calm the child. All Talia could do was smile at each of them. What she wouldn’t give for something like that: normalcy and blissful chaos. As it was, she had immersed herself in her studies over the past six years. Finally acquiring her Master’s Degree in education, she was ready to start her life. It wasn’t as if she had much time during school to date, but it also didn’t help that her bright, wild red hair and pale blue eyes, compliments of her mother’s red fox genes, made her slightly off in the appearance category. So basically that meant she hadn’t exactly had guys beating down her door to take her out, but that was all right because it gave her the time to focus on her schoolwork. Her looks tended to steer men away, as if she was some kind of freak. She also wasn’t the tiniest thing, not with a figure pushing size eighteen, and a height of only five-foot-five. She felt like an Oompa Loompa on the best of days. Damn Luke for taking after their father’s cougar genes. With his blond hair, dark eyes, and muscular, six-foot-two frame, he was quite a catch, and not to mention wealthy and intelligent. He was every female’s dream guy, and here she was, his fat, ginger sister.

  When her order was up she took the steaming oversized latte and started making her way toward the front door. A beeping noise from her purse alerted her to a text, most likely from Mina asking her where in the hell she was. Reaching into her purse and digging around for her phone she slammed right into a wall, or at least that was what it felt like. The jarring motion of her suddenly coming to a halt had her arm slamming back into her chest and her latte spilling down the front of her white blouse. Of course the lid popped off, and the scorching liquid splashed against her chest, causing her to cry out in pain and surprise. She instantly gripped the material of her shirt and pulled it away from her body.

  “Oh shit. Are you okay?” The deep voice had chills popping out along her flesh instantly even though pain like no other spread across her chest. Looking up and seeing a wide, ridiculously chiseled chest hidden behind thin white cotton, Talia continued her ascent until she was looking into bright blue eyes and dark brown hair shaved close to his head. The light coloring of his eyes mixed with the twin dark slashes of his eyebrows made for a striking combination. The scent of male bear filled her nose, and she was surprised that her reaction to him was so immediate. He took hold of her upper arm, and the next thing she knew the noise from the café vanished, her shirt was ripped open, and he had a cold rag pressed to her chest. All of this seemed to happen in a matter of seconds, and it took her a moment to realize what in the hell was going on. Relief was instant, but then realization that her shirt no longer covered her, and that this strange, gorgeous man could no doubt see her breasts and fat rolls had her pushing his hands away and taking several steps back and clenching the edges of her co
ffee stained shirt together. She bumped into a stack of boxes, which of course had them crashing all around her. Heat flooded her face, and she looked anywhere but at the gorgeous bear shifter that was just a few feet from her. He had taken her into the café’s storage room apparently. The scent of coffee beans was strong, but it didn’t take away from the fact that she made a complete ass out of herself in front of this man.

  He moved closer to her, but she held her hand up to stop him. “No, I’m okay, really.” She was humiliated, and it felt like fire was licking across her face and chest. Although this stranger was being so friendly to her, she just wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? It looks like you got burned pretty good.” She looked up at him, and for just a second she forgot about the situation she was in and got lost in how rugged and handsome he was. “I mean, fuck, I feel like a total asshole for not paying attention back there.” The wilderness that came from him was stronger than any male shifter she had come in contact with. It was untamed and powerful, and had something inside of her melting instantly. Her feelings were unwarranted, bizarre, and made her feel off-balance. Here she was, standing in front of him and checking out his bulging biceps, muscular abdomen, and overall prowess in the back of some damn coffee shop. She was pathetic, and horny. Dammit.

  He pointed to her chest, and she gripped the edges of her soaked, latte stained blouse together tighter. Her face heated impossibly more, and she looked down at the ground. “It was totally my fault. I should have watched where I was going. Listen, thanks again for … everything.” Ugh, Talia. She made a move to walk past him, but he stepped in her way and blocked her path. Talia tilted her head back and stared into his eyes, confused on what the hell he was doing. Damn, but he was a huge male, one that actually made her feel small and feminine. For several long seconds he did nothing but stare at her, this perplexed look on his face, like she was some kind of science experiment. No doubt he was actually seeing her, what with her red hair that was probably frizzy as hell, and her crazy ass blue eyes. This awkward kind of silence stretched between them, and she cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. She wanted out of there, now, but stranger than this whole situation was the magnetism that she felt toward this guy.