“I’m not sure I trust this Joe guy. He knows me a little too well. What if this is some kind of trap?”
“A trap involving abused children?”
“What better way to trap me since I was one?” Rock asked, narrowing his eyes.
She put a hand up to his cheek and sighed. He flinched but then leaned into the contact. She was the only one he allowed to touch him like that. “Only you would see that as a problem,” she said. “It actually works perfectly because you would be able to understand them.”
“Not all of them, just the ones who got the shit beat out of them.”
She frowned. “I know. But better than I could understand them.”
“Too bad, because I was hoping for your help when you aren’t at the bar.”
She grinned. “I can do that. I was able to understand you anyway.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” he said. “I found you tremendously healing. Maybe others would as well.” He backed her up into the tree again, this time getting closer so their breath was mingling.
He ran a hand through her hair, combing out the small tangles. “Now, how about that kiss you promised me?”
She bit her lip, briefly reddening the pink flesh. “I guess so. I mean, healing, is that all you find in me?”
“No,” he said, leaning forward and nipping at her upper lip gently. “I find you sexy,” he said, tickling her mouth. He nipped at her lower lip, sucking it in, not caring who else had been there as long as he claimed it for himself. He worried it gently between his teeth and then released her, and she let out a gasp.
Then he came back with an open mouth, forcing hers to open for him, swiping his tongue deep inside her, claiming every inch he could reach, holding her body up with the pressing of his own, chest to chest, hip to hip, groin to groin.
He could never get close enough to her.
She kissed him back with abandon, her arms winding up around his neck, holding on as her tongue twisted with his, giving as good as she got, making him stifle a low groan as his body responded.
When he finally pulled back, sure that if they went any further, he’d end up taking her on the ground, she was flushed a deep pink, lips swollen, hair mussed.
Now that was a properly kissed woman.
Rock knew he had two different options. What he wanted to do and what he should do in order to keep her guessing, make her want to come to him when she was ready.
So, ignoring his own aching arousal and pounding heart, he pushed off of her, leaving her sinking against the tree, staring at him, agape.
“That was nice,” he said over his shoulder as he turned to leave. “Now I’ve got to go discuss things with Joe.”
Her stream of muttered expletives made him smile all the way back to the cabin.
10
Ros couldn’t believe Rock had turned her on and just left her like that.
No, she could.
He’d always been the one with the upper hand all those years she was waiting for him. So she should have known that now, when he’d decided to throw his hat in the ring, he’d do it just as overwhelmingly and efficiently as he did everything else.
She was just another bus to jump, and he had no trouble revving the gas.
She wandered along the small dirt path leading back to the cabin the served as an office, pulling her hair back into her ponytail holder as she went.
It was so cool and fresh up here, a nice change from the bar and the constant people streaming through.
But she had responsibilities there, couldn’t just stay up here with Joe and Rock, trying to get to know either of them.
She checked her watch. Not time to open for the evening shift yet. Perhaps she should think about hiring help, especially with Connor likely to be there.
Should she ask Rock, knowing he was going to be busy with Joe and other concerns in the town? Francis would be, too, so who did that leave?
When she reached the cabin, she tentatively climbed the front steps just as the log door swung open.
“Trying to spy?” Rock asked, staring at her with amused gray eyes. He was still laughing at her for her reaction to being left in the woods, fully kissed and not even close to satisfied.
“Hm,” she said. “I wouldn’t have to spy if the two of you would just include me in what seems like a worthy cause.”
Joe waved a hand, appearing next to Rock. “It’s not something you have to worry about. You have enough to keep you busy, right?”
She flushed because Joe was right. But she kind of wanted to stay wherever Rock was. See what he was up to.
But she had to help her father and keep the bar running, and having Rock running around Bear Canyon, being fascinating, didn’t change any of that.
He somehow turned her into a mooning teenager every time he blew into town, and it was worse now that he was journeying outside the bar and saying more to her than drunken proposals.
At times, it almost felt as it had when they were growing up, and that was a dangerous thing to get used to again.
“All right,” she said, slamming her hands in her pockets. Unlike Rock, she knew how to pick out a pair of thick, sensible jeans and had paired them with a checked shirt and a windbreaker to protect from the mountain air. “I have some things to take care of before work. I guess I’ll see you two later.”
Rock gave her an absent-minded wave, but she could swear she could feel his eyes boring into her as she walked back down the path toward town.
Trees shaded her overhead, the scent of wildflowers and brush filling her nose as little sticks cracked underfoot.
She had someone to talk to about a proposition. She didn’t know a whole lot about Harv Jackson, who’d only moved back to town in the last year or so. She’d avoided him, mainly because he’d been such a bully when he was younger.
She could remember a time when Rock had to pull him off of her because he’d pushed her down and been planning to feed her a cricket, but she doubted Rock remembered the same.
But Harvey was different now. He ran a responsible shop in town and had given her dad business advice and offered a loan for the repairs needed on the home. He didn’t have the completely selfless heart some of the Brolins did when it came to helping people in Bear Canyon, but then again, he had to make a living.
Most of the Brolins seemed to do that fine on their own.
She’d heard Ryland was some kind of business genius who was a wonder with investments. But Ryland was always the brother who played things closest to the chest, so aside from the night when he’d brought Rock to her, bleeding and nearly dead, and a few polite conversations over the years, she knew him least.
Quiet, well-mannered, seemingly safe, but with something simmering under the surface. That was her impression of Ryland Brolin.
She straightened her clothing and checked her hair in a shop window as she walked onto the main sidewalk that ran along the street that went down the center of most of the main shops in town.
Harvey’s shop was among the newest, and she saw the fresh-painted windows advertising a sale just a few doors down.
When she pulled on the new-looking glass door, a bell jangled over the top of it. The office had a gray, sterile feeling, the carpet and walls neutral colors and cheap materials. Serviceable. The shop was empty.
She heard rustling and the click of a door, and Harvey emerged from the back room, dark hair and flashing blue eyes unmistakable, as if there were always a fire inside him.
She’d heard he was black bear and a bit overcompensating for it. No need to. He was handsome enough, in a stocky, square-jawed way. Short for a shifter at only an inch over six feet, but still tall enough to tower over most humans, especially with his muscular bulk.
He folded arms that were dusted with dark hair. He wore a blue button-up shirt that emphasized his eyes and was rolled up to show muscular forearms that were more lumberjack than accountant.
“What do you want?” he asked, coming around the desk.
“What?” she asked, blinking. She’d thought his meeting with her dad had gone well, that he’d been polite at least. But the way he was looking at her, slightly angry, eyes narrowed, wasn’t at all what she’d expected.
She felt rather like a little girl in the schoolyard again, trying to figure out if she should run from a bully.
“I have a business proposition for you.”
His nose wrinkled. “I’ve heard about your proposition,” he said flatly, walking closer to her.
She held her ground, tired of bear shifters backing her up. “You have?” But how? She’d only just thought of it.
“Yeah, and I’m not interested,” he said, poking a finger into her sternum, just below her neck.
She gasped and swatted his hand away.
“Watch it,” she said. “My dad could still go into business with you.”
Harvey snorted. “As if I would now.” He turned his back on her and went behind the desk, shuffling papers together roughly.
She exhaled in relief at the increased distance between them but then caught her breath again as he looked up at her intensely.
“So I told you I’m not interested in being your gigolo. What are you still here for?”
She choked. “What? Gigolo?”
“Your stupid Brolin friend told me,” he muttered. “Rock Brolin, always interfering in town, always thinking he knows best. Pitying me, probably because I’m a black bear and not a—”
“No, no,” she said, realizing this was all about the interview. “Wait, what did he say in the bar when he was talking to you?” She remembered now that Harvey had looked offended when he left.
Harvey grunted. “Something about basically auditioning to have you. As if I couldn’t find my own mate. As if I wasn’t good enough for a she-bear.” His nose crinkled again. “And he wanted me to compete against a half bear. A half.” He shoved some sorted papers to the side and started on a new pile. “I’m tired of the prejudice against smaller bear species. I don’t need no Brolin brother hooking me up with a one-in-three chance of dating some random she-bear.” He looked up at her. “No offense.”
She put up her hands. “None taken.”
“I mean, I probably would have gotten around to asking you out at some point,” he said. “There aren’t many she-bears around, let alone in town. But that’s not the point. I don’t need some other guy arranging that for me.”
“He didn’t mean anything wrong by it,” she said. “In fact, he meant it as a complement since my dad is dying and…” She trailed off, realizing she’d said more than she meant to.
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m sorry about that. Listen… Wait, why are you here then?”
“Nothing about the interviews. I think Rock gave up on that one. Hopefully.”
“He did?” Harvey raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
She flushed and looked away, hoping the answer wasn’t obvious in her eyes.
“Ah, yeah, I get it,” Harvey said. “He was always white-knighting for you as a kid. You need any help getting him to realize it? I can always get him to come to the rescue again.” He winked at her, and she realized she liked this new Harvey.
“No thanks,” she said. “No, I just… I realize that things are slow up here…” He narrowed his eyes, and she realized this could be coming across as pity. “No, what I mean is I can’t handle the bar on my own. My dad isn’t coming back to help. I have to accept that. The thing is, though, I need someone who is fun, who the guys can relate to. Another former brawler, like my dad was. At the same time, I need someone who can help with money.”
“A partner?” he asked.
“Maybe,” she said. “But for now, just someone to help part time and keep an eye on things.” She took a deep breath. “Someone strong who could watch out for me or the bar if needed.” Okay, now she was just stroking his ego, but if it got her what she wanted, fine.
He pursed his lips. “When?”
“Evenings,” she said. “I know you usually close early afternoon since most of your business is in the mornings. That’s when I open the bar. It’s kind of perfect. And besides, as a former brawler, I know there are tons of people who would want to hear your stories.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
Plus, it would free her up to spend more time with Rock or to feel safer when she had to be at the bar without Rock and Connor was around.
“Okay,” he said, walking forward and putting an arm around her to lead her out of the shop. He turned the sign on the door from opened to closed and then held it open for her. “Why don’t we go discuss it over lunch?”
“Friends only?” she asked.
“Sure,” he said. “Friends only. Though I don’t promise I won’t torture Rock whenever he comes around as revenge for that stupid interview.”
“Please don’t,” she said flatly.
“Oh, come on,” Harvey whined. “He deserves it.”
Fair enough.
“Ros has been gone for a while,” Joe said, looking up at Rock, who was stretching after a long discussion about possible locations for the cabins.
“So?” Rock said. “She has things to do probably.” And he shouldn’t follow her around all the time. She might hate it. “She’s probably going down to get the bar ready.”
“That’s right, the bar,” Joe said. “When I was there for the interview, I couldn’t help noticing there were some unsavories. How is that going?”
“Connor and his group?” Rock asked. “That’s nothing.”
Joe looked at his hair. “Are you sure? Why the haircut?”
Damn, Joe was perceptive. “What do you mean?”
“Just, they were watching you that night and then you showed up the next day with a haircut. Seemed weird is all.”
“Yeah, well, the douchebags grabbed me by the hair, and I remedied it. Besides, I’ve been wearing it too long anyway.”
“To hide the scar?” Joe asked.
Rock nodded. He didn’t see the point of hiding anything from this man if they were going to be business partners. And he wanted to be business partners if it meant he and Ros could get down to “business.”
“So I’m guessing you beat the hell out of them,” Joe said.
“Of course,” Rock said.
“But why were they attacking you?”
“I think Connor wants Ros. He was trying to make a play for her when I got into town. I made it clear I had a claim on her, even though at the time it wasn’t true, and I thought that would keep him off. I think it has, but it transferred his attention to me.” He scratched the back of his head. “But after I nearly lost control and his friends had to stop me from killing the guy, I don’t think he’ll pull that again.”
“We may want to keep an eye on Ros, then,” Joe said. “Don’t you think if he can’t get to you, the next reasonable move would be to just try and steal her when you aren’t around?”
Jealousy and nerves moved through Rock. He’d been so caught up in trying to figure out how to be a good enough man for her that he’d forgotten there were others lurking in the shadows.
Maybe Joe was right.
“I think we’ve made good progress here,” Joe said. “I have some things to do. Someone to call.”
“Another investor?” Rock asked, slightly suspicious.
“Something like that,” Joe said lightly, but there was something hidden in his gaze.
Rock decided not to think about it. It wasn’t his business who else Joe answered to. “All right. I think I’ll head back into town, then.” He stood, stretched again, and then ducked and headed out the cabin door into the sunlight.
It was midday now, about an hour or two since he’d seen Ros, and he was already ready to see her again. It was like a hunger, always there but slowly building the longer he went without seeing her face.
Just being near her nourished him.
And now he had the excuse of her maybe being in danger.
“Happy stalking,” he hea
rd Joe call from behind him just as the door to the cabin slammed shut.
He grimaced as he jogged down the path to main street. He looked forward to the time when he and Ros could be officially together and no one could make the stalking joke anymore.
Right now, it was a little bit true.
He scented the air, surprised when it led him in a direction that was neither toward her bar or her home.
What was she doing?
Dark feelings swirled in him as he got closer and closer to Harvey’s business. Why would she be there? But when he reached the shop, it said closed.
Anger rankled through him. He was certain she’d gone in there, by her scent, and now someone was trying to make it seem like no one was there. He was just about to raise his fist to break the glass when he heard a feminine gasp and caught a whiff of something floral and familiar on the breeze.
“Rock Brolin, what the hell are you doing?” Ros gasped, running toward him.
Harvey got in front of her and grabbed Rock by the front of his shirt.
Rock was too busy looking down at Ros’s hand and the two takeout containers nestled in a bag she was carrying. He could scent sandwiches on them both.
They’d been to lunch.
On a date.
With a snarl, he grabbed Harvey’s hand and flung him backward. Harvey nearly tripped on the curb but righted himself and charged at Rock, who locked with him.
The two men were trying to wrestle one another to the ground when Ros let out a loud whistle.
As they looked over, she hurled the bag of food at them and the takeout containers burst all over them, showering them in condiments and lettuce.
“Can both of you just calm down for a minute?”
Rock, abashed, stepped back, and Harvey did the same, looking sullen and guilty.
“He was trying to break into my place.”
“You were on a date with my mate,” Rock snarled.
Harvey raised an eyebrow. “Your mate, huh? You done anything about it?”
Rock raised a fist, but Ros ran between them, pushing Rock back. He dropped his hand immediately, a rush of warmth going through him at the touch of her hands.
Craved by the Bear (Trapped in Bear Canyon Book 2) Page 9