Covert Bear

by Candace Ayers

  The memory of how easily she’d brushed me off compounded the discomfort of my melancholy and my hangover that morning. Still, I floated next to the pier, waiting for her to show up. And she did! The moment I saw her, a desperate neediness and longing arose in me and I knew I looked like one of those fucking animal rescue commercials.

  Heidi didn’t saunter her way down the pier like she normally did. She stopped on the beach and slid her little jean shorts down her hips. Her tank top followed and then she waded into the water in a small yellow bikini that left me drooling.

  I swam closer to her, ready to rub all over her, but she beat me to it. When she was close enough, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me.

  “You big devil. How the heck did you get out again? If I didn’t think you were completely harmless and didn’t love to see you so much, I’d report Mr. Zoo to the authorities. Or, are you some kind of Houdini of the animal kingdom?” She moved back and scratched the top of my nose. “Come on. Let’s have a swim before I have to take you back to that sorry excuse for a zookeeper.”

  I wanted to stay distant, but my bear wasn’t having it. He was overjoyed at having her next to him, splashing us back. She swam beautifully, in long strokes that cut through the water easily. When she was far enough, I nudged her with my nose, worried about her going too far out. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, but still, I worried.

  As she swam in place, she chatted away. Her mood was bright that morning, her eyes glittering as she looked at me. She spoke to me like I was a pet. Or a friend, not just some random animal, and I found myself listening to everything she said with apt attention. I wanted to know more. Maybe she wanted nothing to do with me as a man, but I could still spend time with her.

  After a few more minutes of swimming, she moved closer to the beach and stood in waist deep water, looking around. “This place is so beautiful. And you’re displaced in this setting but I think that makes the fact that you’re here even more extraordinary. I wish I had a camera right now.”

  When I grunted, she laughed.

  “I swear you can understand me. It’s amazing that I just went for a swim with a polar bear, but I feel like you’re my buddy. And I should probably be checking myself into a mental health facility.” She stroked my face and sighed. “If not for talking to polar bear like he’s my long lost pet pooch, then for walking away from that hot guy in the grocery store yesterday.”

  I perked right up. I was afraid to move for fear of her changing the subject.

  “He was beautiful. Sexy, muscled, he had literally everything going for him. He even smelled good. Too bad he was cocky as hell, although he had good reason to be, I’m sure.” She tilted her head back to dip her hair into the water, giving me a full view of her chest. “I know I should be over an interaction that lasted all of two or three minutes, but I had a dream about him last night. I woke up in a hell of a state, all hot and sweaty. I still haven’t been able to get him off my mind.”

  Unable to resist, I ran my tongue up her stomach. When she squealed and splashed me with water, I just grinned at her.

  “Keep your tongue to yourself.” She wagged her finger at me. “You have nothing to worry about. You’re still the most interesting guy in my life. I walked away from Hottie McHotterson. I can spot trouble when I see it and he had trouble written all over him.”

  I wanted to tell her that I wasn’t trouble. I was a good time.

  “Although, you’re trouble, too. You keep breaking out of the Wildlife Sanctuary and Mr. Zoo’s going to find some other refuge to take you. You’ll be too much of a risk.” She frowned. “Does he treat you well?”

  I desperately wanted to shift and talk to her. I wanted to tell her who I was and how I felt like we were buddies too and that I wouldn’t be trouble. I’d take her out and I’d listen to her talk about whatever she wanted, like I was listening now.

  She sighed and twisted her hair into a knot on top of her head. “I’m conversing with a polar bear like it’s not utterly bizarre.”

  I grunted. It wasn’t bizarre. She liked me. I liked her. She would like human me, too, if she’d give me a chance.

  “Okay, my big snuggle bear, it’s time to get you back to Mr. Zoo’s.” She held my head in her hands and brushed a kiss over my nose. “He told me I smelled like fresh doughnuts. Ugh! I’m thinking of him again! Okay, I’m stopping right now.”

  Following her back to Zoo’s place was no fun. I didn’t want our time to end and I especially didn’t want to have to wait another day to see her again. I was hooked.

  She stopped before she knocked on the door of the sanctuary and I mentally called out to Leon Zoo telling him not come to the gate yet. “I wish I could bring the boys to see you. Jayden and Jonas would flip out. Maria would have a heart attack. Rightfully so. I’m not ready to share our time together yet, though. Although, this will probably be the last time. Mr. Zoo’s got to do something about you wandering around the island. I know you’re a sweetheart, but still.”

  I pushed against her and nuzzled my face into her chest. I wanted to remain with her. For a second, I was starting to feel like I actually was an animal being dropped off at the zoo. I didn’t want to be left behind. My bear was miserable, too. We were both desperate to stay with her.

  She knocked on the gate and smiled at me, though. “Is it weird that I’ll miss you? Yeah, it’s weird. I probably need a lobotomy.”

  I grunted at her and then growled at Leon Zoo as he opened the gate and waved me in. Once again, I left Heidi’s side and stepped into the sanctuary reluctantly. The gate shut and she was left on the other side.

  I was spurred with a determination to see more of her, though. A few minutes in the mornings with her just wasn’t enough.

  9

  Heidi

  That night at work, Hottie McHotterson, a.k.a. Alexei, showed up. He was with another guy, both of them in similar outfits of tight, black t-shirts and some type of canvas military pants. Heads turned and jaws dropped as the two of them walked in. Alexei had combed his hair back from his face and it looked like he’d been running his hands through it over and over again. It had the effect of making me want to run my hands through it.

  I’d been mid-pour on a whiskey double when I spotted him. He wasn’t reserved about his intention. He was staring right at me as though his eyes were laser pointers boring holes in me. His slow smirk heated my blood and he nodded to his friend before heading over to me. I wasn’t able to take my eyes off of him until I felt liquid splashing on my hand and looked down to find I was still pouring the whiskey into an overflowing glass.

  Cursing, I put my bottle down and slid the glass towards the customer, not caring that I’d given him more than he was paying for. I leaned towards Alexei and raised a brow. “Coincidence?”

  He flashed those pearly whites and shook his head. “Not even close.”

  “Just stubborn then?”

  He bit his lower lip and grunted. “You could say that.”

  I rested my hands on the bar in front of him. “What would you like to drink?”

  “Whatever’s on tap.” He watched as I poured him a beer and brought it over to him. “You’re a hard woman to track down.”

  My stomach fluttered and I was about to answer when Sarah called out an order. I held up a finger to Alexei and went to fill the drinks. I worked fast, but my hands were shaky. I could feel his eyes on me, taking in everything I did.

  When I passed the drinks to Sarah, she grinned. “Looks like you’ve got an admirer.”

  I glanced back at Alexei and released a breathy little sigh. “So, I do.”

  “Well? Why are you still over here? Go, girl, get him.”

  I wanted to drag her back and use her as an excuse to keep my distance from Alexei. The man still spelled out trouble with a capital T. Sarah vanished on me, though, and I had no choice but to scoot back over to him. The bar wasn’t busy enough that I couldn’t stand and talk to him for a bit.

  “Hi.” Alexe
i leaned towards me, his dark eyes focused on mine. He gave me a slow smile that sent heat coursing through my body. “I should apologize.”

  I found myself leaning into him and braced myself on the bar top. “For?”

  “For not being able to take a brush off when I get one.” He took a long pull from his beer. “I should’ve gone to Capt’n Jim’s where I usually drink and left you alone, but I was craving glazed donuts.”

  I laughed suddenly, unable to help myself. “Are you always so full of shit?”

  He grinned and shrugged. “Pretty much. Are you still denying me the pleasure of taking you out?”

  “I don’t remember denying you that. I remember you telling me that I could take you out.”

  “You’re right. May I have the pleasure of taking you out?”

  I heard someone call out an order but held his gaze. “No.”

  He laughed and the sound sent warmth pooling in my lower belly. His eyes practically twinkled and he bit his lower lip. “You’re busy. I’ll ask again when you’re free.”

  “The answer will still be no.”

  “We’ll see.”

  I shook my head as I moved away to fill more orders. When I got back to him, he was still watching me, his eyes hyper-focused. I just leaned against the bar and raised a brow. I was playing with fire, but I felt like there was something drawing me to his side, like a crazy strong magnet.

  “Change your mind yet?”

  I ducked my head to hide a smile. “You’re stubborn.”

  “I like to think of it as determined.” He glanced over his shoulder and his face grew serious as his friend came up beside him. His friend said something quietly to him and then he stood up. Leaning over the bar, he slipped a couple of bills into my hand. The brush of his skin over mine was electric, but he just moved back and forced a smile. “Duty calls.”

  I wanted to tell him to come back. It was insane. I wanted to slip him my number and tell him to call me, visit me, whatever me. Instead, I shrugged. “Saved yourself the embarrassment of another denial.”

  He winked at me and then was gone.

  I sagged against the bar, not exactly sure what to do with myself after being so amped up while Alexei was there. Fortunately, my duty called, too. People came and went at the bar and I kept busy until the closing.

  I slept fitfully that night, dreams of Alexei taunting me the entire night through. In the dreams, I was with him and my polar bear, swimming in the ocean. I could feel the brush of his legs against mine under the water, the way he wrapped his big arms around me, and the way his fingers trailed over my face. Some of the dreams had been sweet, while others had been enough to leave me blushing when I remembered them the next morning. Dream Heidi was a kinky woman.

  I was wired. Wired and tired. It was a vicious combination that made me cranky. It was almost enough to keep me in bed and persuade me to skip my morning fishing routine. Almost. I couldn’t resist going out to the pier on the off chance that maybe my polar bear had outwitted Mr. Zoo again and found a way to get out. I just skipped bringing my fishing gear and went straight there.

  Only, when I arrived, he wasn’t there. I waited around for a while, a part of me hopeful, but he never showed. Which was a good thing, or so I tried to tell myself. it wasn’t safe for a polar bear to be freely roaming an inhabited island. Still, my mood sank lower and lower with each passing moment. I didn’t understand why I was so tied to seeing the damn bear, but I was. When the sun had fully risen and one by one, joggers and sunbathers showed up on the beach, I headed to the animal sanctuary. I knocked on the back gate for what felt like eternity before Mr. Zoo opened it.

  “What?”

  I frowned. “I guess the polar bear didn’t escape today.”

  “No.”

  “Could I see him?”

  “No.”

  I stammered. “What?”

  He shook his head. “No. Not today.”

  I stepped back and stared in shock as he slammed the gate in my face. What the hell? I crossed my arms over my chest and walked away muttering to myself about how he should be a little more grateful to me for saving his ass and returning one of his runaway animals to him—not once, not twice but three times. I had half a mind to go back and tell him what I thought about that but I had to get to work and, really, what was the point?

  I wondered how he managed to contain my bear. Maybe he’d reinforced whatever home the bear was living in. I’d definitely have to go by and check on him.

  10

  Alexei

  I showed back up at Mimi’s Cabana the next night, unable to stay away from Heidi. I hadn’t been able to see her that morning and I was jonesing for some time with her. The job from the night before had run over. Two hundred miles north of the island, we’d ended up chasing a rogue shifter through swampland. By the time we got back home, it was late morning—too late to show up at the pier where Heidi fished.

  I half worried that she wouldn’t be at Mimi’s. I needed to know the other places on the island she frequented so I could plan to “accidentally” run into her. I’d spent the day searching for her, but I’d had no luck. As soon as I got close to the bar, though, I could smell her. She was there.

  When I entered the place, I spotted her and knew right away that something was off. She had a frown on her face as she spoke to someone at the bar. She turned away from them before I could zone in and hear what she was saying. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked tired. I wanted to fix whatever was making her frown like that.

  That thought struck me, the truth of it settling into my bones. I wanted to take care of her, to hold her and to do whatever I could to make her feel better. No matter what was wrong, or what it took to fix it.

  She glanced up from the bar at that moment and spotted me. Something passed over her face and then the corners of her mouth tipped up slightly. Her smile made my heart melt. Surely, she knew what it did to me.

  I crossed to the bar and slid onto a stool. I didn’t pretend that I wasn’t watching her as she moved around, waiting on other customers who’d been there before me. Her body swayed, the short dress she wore flitted around her thighs as she moved. It was tantalizing, wondering if I’d catch a glimpse of one more inch of thigh when she grabbed a bottle of liquor from the top shelf or bent to grab a bottle of beer from the cooler under the bar. The curves of her breasts had me leaning forward and holding my breath as she leaned across the bar to hand someone a drink.

  Then, there was the way her eyes kept landing back on me. Every few seconds, she glanced my way, her head down, looking through her lashes. I could see the pulse at the base of her throat work, smell her sweet, sugary scent strengthening. As she danced around behind the bar, working fast and efficiently, I felt like I was back in the wild, honing in on prey. When she turned her back to me, I could see the way her body tightened, like she was aware of the precarious position she’d put herself. Her body recognized the apex predator in mine, and maybe even felt the desire I had to leap over the bar, drag her off with me and make her mine.

  When Heidi did make her way over to me, her eyes seemed brighter. The frown from earlier was gone. “Should I be worried that you’re stalking me?”

  I nodded. “Very.”

  “At least you’re honest.” She pushed her hair behind her ears. “Beer?”

  “I can’t stay.” No matter how much I wanted to. “I just figured I’d try again. I’m hoping I can wear you down eventually with my masculine good looks and endearing charm.”

  Someone called for a drink but her eyes were locked on mine. The bright green looked almost glowing in the lighting over the bar. “How long can you hear ‘no’ before it just breaks that endearingly charming heart?”

  I stood up and leaned across the bar. Not touching her, I spoke with my lips only a hair away from her ear. “More times than either of us want to count. Save yourself the trouble.”

  Her blood pumped faster, her heartrate sped. A barely audible little intake of brea
th was followed by the scent of her sexual arousal filling my senses. “I don’t think there’s anything about you that isn’t trouble, Alexei.”

  Hearing my name on her lips just about killed me. I just barely brushed my mouth over her ear before pulling away and leaving her in her own space. I ran my hand through my hair, the interaction shaking me probably more than it did her. I clamped my teeth down on my lip to keep from begging her.

  Another call came for more drinks, but Heidi just held my gaze and shivered. “Like I said. Trouble.”

  I watched the guy who’d been talking to her earlier snap his fingers to get her attention. She frowned. He was clearly a fucking asshole. Just when I had decided to not rip his fingers off, I heard him lean over to his friend and snort.

  “Maybe they need to replace bimbo over there with someone who can actually tend bar.”

  I knew Heidi had heard it. Her eyes dimmed again and she shook her head. “Sorry, I’ve got to get back to work.”

  I forced a smile and casually stepped over to the guy. I rested my arm along his shoulder and applied just the slightest bit of pressure. My anger was like a living, breathing entity. “Hello, friend.”

  The guy looked up, and up, at me, his smirk dying. “Hey.”

  I squeezed his shoulder tighter. “So, I got the impression that you don’t know this lovely woman’s name. It’s Heidi. I’m sure you didn’t mean to actually call her something other than Heidi.”

  He shifted, uncomfortable with my clear aggression, but not wanting to lose face in front of his friends. “Dude, fuck off.”

  I growled and he jumped. “I’ve had a long day and you’re starting to piss me off. Not good. I’d hate to lose control and snap your head off your scrawny little neck.”

  He winced at the pressure I was putting on his shoulder. “Whatever, man.”

  “What’s her name?”

  His friends were leaning away from him, leaving him to face the big, bad bear alone. “Heidi.”