Bearly Consenting: Russet Falls Series (8 page)

“I don’t believe we have any more business together,” Drew
said, his tone short.

“I think we do,” Marcus smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“And you haven’t introduced me to your lovely date,” he said peering around
Drew’s shoulder and looking at Avery who was now seated at the table.

Drew’s bear was on edge, which made Drew even more worried.
His bear seemed to pick up on things better than he could, and if his bear was
on edge, that meant that Marcus was up to no good.

“Avery, Marcus,” Drew said shortly. “Marcus, Avery.’’

Avery stood up and gave Marcus a small smile as she extended
her hand. “Nice to meet you,” she said quietly.

“Likewise,” Marcus drawled, “I didn’t know that Drew kept
such lovely company.”

The meaning wasn’t lost on Drew.

Avery laughed politely and sat back down.

“How lucky of you,” Marcus said looking Drew directly in the
eye.

His bear roared.

Drew didn’t know what the hell Marcus was playing at, but he
wanted no part of it.

He practically grabbed Marcus by the elbow and dragged him
out of earshot.

Marcus cursed and yanked his elbow back.

“Why don’t you tell me what the fuck is going on,” Drew
growled.

Marcus shot him a dirty look, fixing his collar. “I told
you. I have business I want to talk about.”

“Bullshit. We have no more business to do.”

“I have a product and I want to get it out on the
international market.”

Drew practically laughed. “And you think that I’m going to
do that for you?” he asked incredulously. He leaned in close to Marcus’ face so
that Marcus was the only one that could hear him. “I helped you one time, and
that was because I had no choice,” he growled. “I made your problem go away and
now we are finished working together.”

Marcus stood there staring at him, his eyes narrowing and
his mouth turning up into a sneer.

“We’ll see about that,” he spat, before shaking out his
arms, fixing his sleeves and stalking away.

Drew took a deep breath, trying to calm the angry beast
inside of him. His anger coupled with his desire for Avery was going to be too
much for him tonight. He knew that he would need to drive out of the city late
tonight and shift in the woods.

“Everything okay?” Avery asked as he sat down.

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Avery was quiet for a moment. “Everything is not okay, Drew.
I know you better.”

Drew turned to her and clasped his hand over Avery’s slender
hand. “You’re right. Everything is not fine. But it will be. Just a disgruntled
business associate.”

“I didn’t like him,” Avery said simply, “I don’t trust him.”

“Good instincts,” Drew agreed. “He definitely should not be
trusted.’’

They didn’t get a chance to speak again because the emcee
came out, a local news personality, and welcomed everyone. After a brief
introduction, he sat back down and waiters in crisp tuxes came out and began
placing tiny plates of salad and roasted duck in front of the guests.

“This is so fancy,” Avery whispered.

“You’ll be fine,” Drew promised.

They ate their first course, making small talk with the
other two couples at their table. Drew knew one couple—the husband, Jack, was a
partner of one of  Portland’s biggest law firms, and his wife, Jennifer, headed
one of the bigger charities in the city.

He could tell that Avery felt slightly out of her league,
but both couples were polite and Jennifer especially was going out of her way
to talk to her. Drew couldn’t remember, but he was pretty certain that
Jennifer’s charity revolved around children.

As the plates were being cleared, the band began to play
again, and Drew took Avery’s hand and spun her out onto the dance floor.

Laughing, Avery tossed her head back and wrapped her arms
around Drew’s shoulders. It was the most relaxed he had seen her all evening.

“This is a little much, isn’t it?” he asked.

She bit her lip, which always meant that she was going to be
honest. “Yes,” she admitted after a few seconds. “But I’m glad you brought me,
and its something that I will never forget.” She gave Drew a shy smile. “And
the company isn’t half bad either.”

Drew whirled her around the dance floor, feeling her body
pressed to his. It felt so familiar and yet so different.

“You haven’t let your guard down with me.”

Avery shook her head. “What did you expect?” she asked.

Drew was right. What did he expect?

What did he even want?

“I know,” he said softly, his mouth pressed to her ear. “I
just can’t let you go this time.”

Avery pulled back and looked at him. Her eyes were sad but
resolute. “You didn’t have to let me go last time.”

Drew had set himself up for that.

He bowed his head. “You’re right. It didn’t seem like it.
But I did.”

Avery nodded, her face a mask, concealing her true feelings.

“But let’s forget for now,” Drew said, pulling her in close
once more. “Let’s just focus on this music, and you and I dancing.”

He felt Avery relax as she rested her body into him, and
Drew tried to calm his bear.

He pulled Avery close, smelling her, and his hands softly
rubbed her shoulders. He could hear her heart accelerate, and he smelled the
arousal on her.

“Avery,” he groaned softly, pulling her body into him
tightly.

He couldn’t help his erection and Avery moaned quietly as he
pressed into her.

“Come on,” he said gruffly, yanking her by the hand and tugging
her off the dance floor.

“Huh?” she cried bewildered, but she stumbled after him.

Drew knew the mansion well, he had been to a number of
events in the various rooms, in fact, he hosted a few events here himself, and
he knew exactly what room he wanted.

They turned down to small hallways, and then Drew pushed
open the second door on his right. His desire for Avery was overwhelming and he
could feel his pupils dilating as his bear pressed far too close to the
surface.

He pulled her in the room, slammed the door and then pulled
Avery to him hard, pressing his lips against hers.

“Drew!” she exclaimed in surprise, pushing him back. “What
the hell?”

“Don’t tell me that you don’t feel it too!” Drew exclaimed,
practically panting. He took her hand and pulled her towards him, more gently
this time. “Avery, please,” he said softly. He wasn’t above begging.

“I—I can’t. We just reconnected.”

“It’s a kiss,” he insisted, tracing his fingers along the
back of her hand.

“I know,” she feebly protested, as he pulled her in closer.
She wasn’t resisting this time.

“There’s nothing wrong with a kiss,” he reminded her. He
gave one gentler tug and she fell into him. He wrapped his hand around the back
of her neck, and softly pulled her to his mouth.

“Drew,” she murmured.

Drew pressed his mouth to hers, and this time, she kissed
him back. Drew groaned from the feeling, and he kissed her harder, running his
hands along her sides, feeling the soft material of her dress.

Their kiss quickened, and Avery met his intensity as her
breath came faster. Drew had fully intended for the kiss to start out softly,
but it was quickly spiraling into something heavier and hotter.

He could feel Avery’s guard coming down by the second.

He reached lower until he grabbed her backside, and Avery
groaned louder this time.

Drew had to admit that he desperately wanted to sleep with
her, but he wasn’t going to cheapen what they had by trying to screw her in
this small, side room. And he knew full well that Avery would never allow it
anyway.

Drew stopped, pulling back.

“What?” Avery asked quickly, her hand flying to her lips.

Her lips were pink and her face was flushed.

Drew sniffed the air.

Avery went to say something else, but he held his hand up to
silence her.

“Come on,” he said quickly, grabbing her hand.

“Drew! What is going on?”

He hurried into the hallway with her.

“Drew” she exclaimed.

“I smell smoke!”

“Smoke?”

His bear was alert now.

He pulled her down the hall and his nostrils filled with the
acrid smell—it was strong and it was coming from this part of the mansion.

“Oh my god, I smell it too!” she cried.

He couldn’t tell exactly where it was coming from, but it
didn’t seem to be near the ballroom.

“We need to tell someone,” he said.

Avery nodded, and they ran down the hall towards the ballroom.
They burst into the room, to see everyone dancing and having a good time. The
smell hadn’t reached them yet.

Drew hurried over to the emcee and tried to tell him, but he
wasn’t listening. Avery ran up to Jack and Jennifer who were stopping to drink
some champagne at the table. Drew saw them look around with alarm.

He ran up to the band, and tried to wave at them to stop but
they continued to play.

Before he knew what was happening, there was a deafening
crash in the room, followed by screams and overwhelming heat.

“Drew!” Avery screamed from across the room.

Drew looked up and saw that half the wall had caved in, and
the left side of the room, not far from Avery was engulfed in flames.

People were screaming in panic as they rushed for the exit,
and with sick dread, Drew knew that there were injuries.

“Avery!” he bellowed, dashing across the room.

“Drew!”

He grabbed her just before a rafter came crashing down,
directly on their table, exploding in fire.

He looked with panic and saw Jack and Jennifer by the exit.
He wanted to help but his priority was Avery.

“Come on,” he cried, rushing for the exit.

“There’s too many people,” Avery moaned. The room was
getting hotter.

“This way,” Drew cried, praying that he knew his way around
the mansion well enough.

“Drew—I don’t know,” Avery cried with distress. There were
people yelling and crying behind them.

“Come on! I have to keep you safe!” he burst through a side
door, pulling Avery with him.

His heart was pounding in his chest, and instinct was taking
over.

The hallway wasn’t nearly as hot as the ballroom. He made
two more turns, and then they burst outside into a small garden.

Avery cried with relief, dropping to her knees to breathe
the fresh air.

Drew looked her over and she seemed to be unscathed.

He helped her and the small group that had followed him
around the side of the mansion and to the front of the building where the
others guests were congregating in panic.

The fire department hadn’t even arrived yet.

And then there was a flash of black that caught his eye.

A smooth chignon with an emerald clip, and a midnight black
dress.

A trim figure with an elegantly long neck.

Drew dropped Avery’s hand and tried to follow the woman.

There was another flash of black and  emerald and then she
was gone.

Seraphina.

Chapter Eleven

Avery was still shaking as the limo pulled up outside of her
house. It was hours after the fire, and Avery and Drew and finally been
finished being questioned by the police on the scene.

“I’m worried,” Drew said in a soft voice, wrapping his arm
around her shoulder. “I don’t think that you’re okay.”

“I’ll be fine,” Avery said weakly, though her voice
certainly didn’t sound like it. She kept thinking about the rafter that had
come crashing down on their table. Avery only had a few cuts and bruises and
Jennifer, one of their other women at their table, had some minor burns. But
Elsa, the lovely older lady they had been spoken to at the beginning of the
night, had been trapped under one of the burning rafters. She and one other
patron, a man, had perished in the fire.

“That poor woman,” Avery said, feeling her eyes fill up with
tears again.

“Hey, hey,” Drew pulled her tightly to him, and he wrapped
his arms around her, softly kissing her forehead. “Elsa
was
a lovely
woman,” he agreed, and there seemed to be something dark in his voice.

“Will we know what caused the fire?” Avery couldn’t help
asking again. It all just seemed so strange.

“Oh, I hope so.”

Drew squeezed her hand one last time and then pushed the
door open, he held out his hand, and Avery stepped out on shaky feet, using his
hand to steady her.

“Avery, I am so sorry this night turned out like this,” he
said as he led her up to her door. “I had no idea something like that would
happen.”

Avery frowned and she tried to make out Drew’s face in the
soft light of the street lamp. “Of course you didn’t know,” she assured him,
“It was a freak accident.”

They reached the top of the stairs, and Drew pulled her in
towards him, hugging her again. “I wanted more time with you tonight,” he said
in a soft voice, and Avery easily read between the lines. She so desperately
wanted to lean into his embrace, to blissfully fall into his arms.

She laughed nervously and pulled back just a bit so she
could look at him.

“What are we doing Drew?”

Now it was his turn to frown. “What do you mean?”

“This. Us. What is this? What are we doing?”

There. She had said it. She put it out there and now there
was no taking it back.

Drew looked startled for a minute, and Avery caught a
glimpse of the young boy she had fallen in love with.

“I thought we were reconnecting,” he said slowly.

“I know,” she agreed, “But where is this going? And I’m
sorry to have to be so blunt so soon, but I can’t help but feel like I’m
waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Drew’s face filled with pain, and Avery almost jumped in to
say never mind, that she hadn’t meant to ask the question, but she didn’t.

“I’m sorry about what happened back then, Avery. I am. I
know it hurt you, and trust me, it hurt me too. But I had to do that then, and
I thought we were able to move past this.”

Drew was right, of course. Avery had agreed to move past it.

“I know,” Avery said, feeling so unlike herself. Everything
was unfamiliar yet familiar. It was as if her two worlds had merged, and no
matter what she did, she couldn’t get her bearings.

“Avery,” Drew pulled her towards him once more and this time
she didn’t resist.

“I know that I’ve screwed up, and God knows that I’ve made
mistakes and done things that I’m not proud of. Walking away from you was one
of my biggest regrets. I can’t ignore the fact that we’re living in the same
city now, so please, let me try to make it up to you.”

He tilted her face up, kissing her softly.

His lips were warm and gentle, and Avery didn’t bother
trying to resist. She kissed him back, feeling the embers from their earlier
kiss ignite within her. The kiss quickly turned more passionate, and she
entwined her fingers in his hair, hungrily kissing him back.

“Avery,” Drew moaned, his voice deep with a rough edge,
which Avery had recognized as him being close to his bear.

She couldn’t pull back though and who knew how carried away
she would have gotten, if it hadn’t been for the flash of light she saw at the
window.

Molly and Lindsay were spying on her.

“Damn them,” she cursed.

The mood was broken and she glared at the window where she
had seen the curtain move.

“What?” Drew asked, his voice husky.

“My roommates are spying,” she said darkly.

Drew chuckled. “Let’s give them a show,” he teased, pulling
her closer, and running his hands up and down her hips.

Avery closed her eyes, moaning softly.

Oh, it was far too easy to slip back into old habits with
Drew.

She would need to watch herself.

“I think that’s enough for now,” she said carefully, pulling
away. “And I need to tell my roommates to mind their own damn business,” she
growled.

“I haven’t even asked about your roommates,” Drew said,
somewhat abashed. “That was pretty rude of me.”

“It’s okay. I live with a friend from college, Molly, and
her cousin Lindsay. Actually, Lindsay knows of you.”

Drew raised his eyebrows.

Avery giggled and nodded. “She was offended that Molly and I
didn’t know who
the
Drew Alexander of Alexander Global Industries was.”
She tried to forget about what else Lindsay said.

Clean slate.

It was all about a clean slate.

Drew rolled his eyes. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Apparently it is,” Avery said. “But you can tell me all
about your amazing empire another time.”

Drew scoffed. “It’s boring.”

“I should go inside,” Avery reminded him, fishing her lone
key out of her small handbag. “Good night, Drew,” she gently touched his face
before turning the key into the lock.

“Avery!” he called out and Avery turned back around. “I am
so sorry about tonight,” his voice was filled with sorrow.

“It’s not your fault, Drew,” she reminded him, “I’m just
glad that we are both okay.”

Drew nodded and Avery stepped into the house, closing the door
behind her.