Leeward Bear (BBW Shifter Romance) (Fisherbears Book 3)

by Becca Fanning

  Aiden turned to Simon and Jake. “It took a woman to get you both to stop behaving like teenagers and you should be ashamed of yourselves. You both walk around here like kings of the mountain, and I let you because you are both extremely competent. However, that does not mean I am afraid to replace you. You monitor people to whom you are supposed to be role models. Yet you squabble like entitled children over something I can take from you without so much as a flinch. Stop it! Compete, bust each other’s balls, upstage each other! But when it comes to these meetings and the proper management of my business, do fucking better!”

  Anna was shocked at how long Aiden had spoken and the ice-cold tone in which he did it. She thought that was the longest she had ever heard him speak. And despite the fact that he was obviously not trying to be cute, she found him absolutely adorable. The fire she had for him blazed even more than she could control. She had to get out of this room, but he was not done.

  “Thanks Anna for bringing the meeting under control,” he said turning to her. She lost the ability to speak. “Now I want the updates that were supposed to be given. Should any of you piss me off, I will relieve you of your employment effective immediately.”

  He sat down with the confidence of a man in control and the sources of his ire were humbled.

  “Now that is a man who knows how to handle his business,” Kelly said taking a sip of her glass of water. Anna agreed, but the entire time she was wondering if he was just as good at handling other business.

  Get a grip you harlot! She reprimanded herself as she tried to listen to them speak.

  When the meeting was done, she was the first one out the door. If she had a cock she would have been going someplace to blow one. But being a woman it was more complicated than that, and so she decided to settle for a hotdog. With a fleeting glance behind her she could see Aiden speaking to a few others. His eyes met hers on the stairs and she dashed away with her cheeks blazing red. Taking the elevator to the ground floor, she walked out into the cool autumn breeze to the hotdog cart.

  “You look like you are running from hell hounds,” Jim the man who owned the cart said. He had become one of her best friends and she looked forward to their lunchtime chats.

  “No, just trying to get away from Aiden before I decide to back him in a corner and fuck him.”

  Jim laughed. “You really should just go for it. Lasting relationships have been built on far less and I can tell you that I have seen him eying you too. You should just go for sit before all that heat you are carrying for him makes you spontaneously combust.”

  “What is this about spontaneous combustion I hear?” Aiden’s sultry voice asked from behind her.

  She turned in shock to look straight into the Amazonian bronze of Aiden’s face. His ancestry was evident, and it added to the mystery of him and she couldn’t help but want to know. She chose not to ask however. If she followed Jim’s advice she might end up knowing sooner than later. If not, some mysteries might be better left unsolved.

  “How the hell did you get down here so fast?” she asked in shock.

  He simply smiled and cocked his head to look her up and down. He did that too. Whenever he was around he moved so fast you had to wonder if he was normal. You would see him in the coffee room one minute and then he would be gone. By the time you turn for a second he would be seated in his office clear across the hall.

  “Anyway anybody with an inkling of common sense, would just about jump out the window to get away from Jake and Simon,” she said when he didn’t answer.

  She didn’t wait on a response and she knew that she might have crossed a line; after all he was the boss.

  “It was that bad?” he asked.

  “It was far worse than you can imagine! That has been going on for months you know,” she said with gusto and she did mean that.

  He chuckled. As she turned to look at him as a strong gale of wind picked her scarf up off her shoulder and floated it away on the wind. With a swift snap of the hand he grabbed it before it could get too far. And then he stepped dangerously close to her to wrap it around her neck. He was so close she could smell his subtle and intoxicating scent stealing into her senses. Despite all that, he maintained a respectful distance. Anna was not sure if it was to provoke her more or simply because he wanted to respect her personal space. She stood still; unable to move as he wrapped her scarf around her with gentleness. There was not even a hint at the powerful beast that lived inside him. She had never before been this close to him. The sensory overload his presence caused was something she could do little to hide.

  Keep calm and eat your hotdog. But that order she gave herself was not working out for her at all. Her knees felt rubbery as she watched his hands tie her scarf properly. She almost had to ask him to stop touching her. The back of his hand brushed against her cheek when he was done, and she could only mutter a barely audible thank you before he stepped back.

  “That should do it,” he said when he was done bundling her up, and took two deliberate steps away from her. The hotdog vendor, who had silently been taking in all the action, stretched a hotdog out to her and as she regained control of her limbs she took it. Aiden handed the man a fifty, shoved his hands into his pockets and nimbly walked away. He did it as if he had not just nearly cause her to spontaneously combust. For a moment she felt like a groupie or one of those stupid teenagers who couldn’t control herself.

  “Did that just happen?” she asked Jim in a whisper.

  “Yes...” the man said staring after Aiden. “Yes, that did just happen.”

  “You look absolutely ravishing, by the way,” Aiden turned and called to her.

  She went red as the people hustling about paused for a millisecond to throw a glance in the direction of the woman he had just paid a compliment. He knew what he had done as he smiled suggestively at her. The nonchalance of the compliment was even stranger. Oh, what lovely weather. I think I would like to fuck you, by the way.

  Clearly she was the idiot for even thinking something was wrong with that. He most certainly did not.

  “I told you the man had the hots for you!” Jim hollered at her in complete jubilation. “Just go for it.”

  She smiled; happy he was a man who clearly had an appreciation for her curves. The same curves she had grown to love despite society’s insistence on telling her that bones were the ultimate must have. She had learnt the power of her curves. She love the confidence that came with her curves. In the past those curves had driven both women and men alike crazy with lust.

  Aiden was clearly the newest addition to that lot.

  Stop! She admonished herself. He is your boss and you will not go down that road with him.

  She took a bite of her hotdog to stop herself from drooling over the man. His curved, long legs were accentuated by the kind of strong masculine ass that would make any woman weep and disrobe without question. The black suit he had chosen that day was carried off by the rose pink tie that blew lightly on the breeze. Both of which were a testament that his self-confidence far surpassed any need to have his ego soothed. And Lord knows his swag was more than enough to feed a thousand man army.

  “Are you going to take him home and fuck him?” Jim asked, breaking through her lust session with his crass question. His eyes followed hers as she gobbled up the image of Aiden walking away, and his question was a valid one. She turned and glared at Jim more out of embarrassment than anger.

  “What?” he asked laughing at her hopelessness. “You better or I most certainly will.”

  She swatted him across the shoulder and turned back to Aiden who had stopped to talk to someone. She watched him as he walked through the revolving doors at the front of the building. He entered backwards, and from where she stood she could see a flash of lust in his eyes as he stared at her again. She quickly looked away, gazing down at the black shirt he wore beneath his suit. All she could think of in the seconds before he disappeared behind that glass, was that he must have some seriously gorgeous abs beneath
that.

  Was he even a single available man? Women must be throwing themselves at him. The truth was that she did not care whether he was romantically engaged or aspiring to become a monk. She wanted him and she would have him.

  “I suggest you stay away from that half-breed if you want to avoid trouble,” said a gruff voice behind her that just interrupted her moment.

  “Excuse me?” she said to the man who wore the motorcycle cut of one of the most troublesome gangs in town. Most other motorcycle crews were called ‘clans’ because they represented a brotherhood or sisterhood that stood for something. The cut this one wore was from a group called a gang, because racist, sexist and ignorant were just some of the nicest words that could be used to describe them.

  “I said, if you know what is good for you, then you stay away from him.”

  Anna rolled her eyes. “What crime is this one guilty of now? Since you and your crew go about this city accusing people of basically the sin of being born.”

  The man stepped up to her menacingly. “You listen to me carefully. We will be keeping an eye on you because any woman who beds a half-breed is just as much an abomination we will wipe from the face of the earth.”

  He spoke the last words up in her face and the stench coming from his mouth made her gag. “I think you should go brush your teeth and wipe your stinking breath from the face of the earth before you try to tackle any other problems.”

  The insult landed a solid punch and the red of anger that crept into the man’s face made her want to hightail it. She took a few steps back from him, not wanting to turn her back to a potential threat. but then she walked right into the solid frame and a familiar scent...Aiden.

  “Do we have a problem here?” Aiden asked the man as he rested a hand on her hip where she stood before him.

  “Yeah, stinking half-breed. You are the problem. If you defile another human woman I will make sure you end up just like your brother.”

  Anna didn’t know what really was going on, but the words the man spoke angered Aiden. He stepped in front of her. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”

  “Aiden, let’s go,” she said pulling on his hand and trying to get away from the crowd that had just gathered. “He isn’t worth it.”

  She pulled on his hand but he did not seem to notice her there.

  “I said I will make sure you end up just like your dead broth-“

  The rest of the word the man was about to say did not leave his lips as Aiden swung upward in one powerful swing. In slow motion the man lifted off the ground and went flying backward into the hotdog cart. Jim managed to dart out of the way just in time, but his cart was not so lucky. The flimsy frame crumbled under the weight of the man falling on top of it.

  “I will make you a promise, you scum,” Aiden said bending over the man who was scurrying to his feet. "You touch a hair on her head and I will make sure you meet your maker before you have time to repent for ever being born.”

  “I will get you back,” the man hollered as he ran off.

  “I look forward to it,” glowered Aiden. The man couldn’t hear him, but she did. Even then the look in his eyes told Anna that he was very serious. Though she had many questions about what the man meant by half-breed and defiling a human girl, she didn’t ask. It was neither her place nor the appropriate time.

  “Are you okay,” Aiden turned to her, his eyes softening.

  “Yes,” she said looking at his hand that was bleeding from the power of the blow he had just landed.

  “I will be fine,” he said smiling and straightening his suit. He turned to Jim and pulled a wad of cash from his pocket. “I am sorry about your cart.”

  “It’s okay man,” Jim said. “I know what they did to your brother. My cart is insured.”

  Aiden patted his shoulder and handed him the cash. “Here is five grand. I am sure it will cover the damage and then some.”

  Jim tried to protest but Aiden wouldn’t have it, and when he was done he turned to Anna as if to say something. She waited, but all he did was look at her with sadness in his eyes and sighed before walking off.

  “What did that man mean by half-breed?” she asked Jim.

  Her friend looked at her in shock. “You really don’t know?”

  “No,” she said looking towards where Aiden was disappearing into the building.

  “Aiden and his entire motorcycle crew are shifters. Bear shifters and the Tribe gang killed his brother three years ago for that very reason.”

  “No!” she exclaimed in horror.

  “Yes,” Jim said coming to stand beside her. “The gang has dangerous people and they don’t like human girls who sleep with the bears so be careful.”

  “I am not sleeping with him,” she protested.

  “Not yet,” Jim said with a knowing smile. “Just be careful.”

  “I have to go,” she gave Jim a peck on the cheek and drew herself back to the present.

  She rushed into the building meaning to apologize to Aiden for what had happened, but he was already busy. Their eyes met through the glass of his office and he looked at her apologetically. For a moment she just stood looking, wanting to say something, but unsure of what she should say.

  “Hey!” Kelly came up to her. “I have been looking for you. There is a problem with one of our accounts.”

  She reluctantly drew her eyes away from Aiden and instead focused on the job he had hired her for. She hoped she would get a chance to talk to him. She had this urge to go be by his side, and nothing could shake it. Later when her day calmed down he was already gone. But as she made her way home five bikers from the Tribe gang followed her. She changed her mind and decided to go back to the office. There were rooms beside the gym downstairs where she could sleep. Luckily she always had two changes of clothes there for the days she worked out before work.

  She didn’t exactly like the idea of leaving the comfort of her home because of a group of men. However, safety came first and so she would make sure she stayed out of harm’s way.

  Chapter 3

  Aiden was steaming with anger as he left the office that day.

  “Hey Hank!” He called to one of the plain clothes security forces he had employed since his brother’s death.

  “Sir?” The man jogged over to him.

  “I need you to get a couple more guys and work overtime tonight. Make sure Anna is safe. I think those motorcycle guys might go after her.”

  Hank smiled. “Already ahead of you on that sir, but what about you?”

  “I will be fine. Call me if anything comes up.”

  With that he rode off. He broke every speed limit as he made his way to Jeanette's bar to meet up with the others. He had tried his best to move on from his brother’s death but it had not been easy. The Tribe was still a reminder of how cruel people could be. And they were making it particularly difficult for him today.

  “Your hand?” Carrie, Brian’s wife asked him as she served him a beer.

  “I am fine,” he said coming off harsher than he intended.

  “What happened?” Brian asked. Aiden related the events of his day.

  “You have to make sure she is protected Aiden,” Carrie told him. He could see her reliving the day the Tribe bikers had set Jeanette's bar afire with her inside.

  “I know,” he said. He explained he had beefed up security for her.

  “Isn't she the one you have a thing for?” Jackson asked. He nodded.

  “I like her way too much to put her in danger so I am going to just stay away from her. I have seen what the fact that we are shifters can do to the people we love.”

  The others were silent but Jackson didn't leave him alone. “Truth is Aiden, we are allowed to be happy and we can't let a bunch of arrogant and ignorant men take our joy away. She is also safest with you now that they know you have a thing for her. Now more than ever you should make sure you are by her side.”

  He thought about that for a moment and decided he was right. He hung out in the b
ar playing a few pool games to calm himself down before he decided to go. He watched Carrie and Brian, the epitome of what a perfect couple was. Tyler and Mary couldn't get enough of each other either. All the love blooming around him made him nostalgic for a love like that of his own. They were entitled to love and that was the truth. The only problem was that the Tribe was making it hard for them in this town.

  Picking up his phone he called Hank. “Where is she?”

  “At the office sir,” Hank said.

  He was shocked. “Why?”

  Hank chuckled. “She is smart. When she left work earlier a group of tribe bikers followed her out. We stayed close enough should they try anything. That was when she realized they were following and turned back to the office. I guess she figured with the rooms and twenty-four hour security here she would be safer.”