Big Sexy Bear

C
opyright
© 2015 by Terry Bolryder

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

P
lease
, don’t let this be happening to me.

Katrina willed her car to start as she pushed the key in the ignition. The engine of her beat-up ‘82 Datsun turned, whirring and creaking, but didn’t start. She’d been driving hundreds of miles, and she couldn’t stop now. She had to get as far away as possible before it was too late.

She bit back a curse and tried again. Outside, rain plopped on the windshield and roof, a relentless pitter-patter of droplets that would soak anyone in minutes.

On the last try, the car engine simply stopped trying, as if it had finally given up the ghost. Katrina couldn’t believe it. Before she’d left, she made sure the battery was charged, and along the way, she made frequent stops so she never ran out of gas. Whatever it was, it was probably serious.

Still, hoping against hope there was something she could do about it, she pulled on a jacket and checked the map on her phone before braving the cold, foreboding rain. It showed she was five miles outside a town called Bearstone Village.

To Katrina, it was going to be just another tiny town she passed through on her way to the West Coast, a blur of houses and small buildings that faded into nothingness on her journey toward freedom. But now, it was the only real city within a hundred miles.

Bracing herself, Katrina got out of the car. She used to like rain, the feel of it on her skin, the sound it made as it plip-plopped around her on the ground. But rain felt different when everything in the world was going wrong.

She trudged to the front of the car and popped open the hood. Under it, she saw what she expected, a tangle of metal and tubes and wires and geometric shapes that meant basically nothing to her. Sure, she knew how to add window washing fluid and top off her antifreeze, but that was about it. She scanned the engine compartment for any signs of distress, but saw nothing but old dusty parts.

She pulled out her phone again. Maybe she could find a repair shop. She checked the battery and it read five percent remaining.

Not good. She’d planned to charge it at a motel in the next city past Bearstone and had made sure not to fiddle with it or even listen to music so she could make it last until she arrived safely. If she tried to search for the number of a repair shop and make the call, her battery could go out on her any second, and then she’d be stuck in the middle of nowhere without even a GPS to direct her.

Katrina shook her head at the silent engine again and considered her options.

In that moment, she heard a vehicle approaching in the distance, from the direction she’d been coming. She ducked behind the car, not wanting anyone to see her there. Hitchhiking out in a place like this wasn’t going to be an option.

A large black truck drove past, and Katrina sighed in relief. She could take care of her own problems.

But to her dismay, it slowed and then stopped shortly after passing. She saw the red lights glow bright as it backed up along the empty road and pulled onto the shoulder about twenty feet from her.

She didn’t recognize the car or the plates. And she sure as hell didn’t know anyone around here.

The shiny black door swung open, and a huge man stepped out. And by huge, she meant gigantic. Probably standing around six feet six, with wide, incredibly muscled shoulders. He turned and walked toward the car, and even at this distance, she could see the man’s huge pecs covered by a long-sleeve flannel shirt and bulging thighs under dusty jeans. He wore big, scuffed leather boots, and because of the darkness and his truck’s lights behind him, she couldn’t make out his face.

Primal fear coursed through Katrina’s body as she hid. If he came any closer, he would see her. Was he a murderer or just some friendly local hoping to lend a hand? Should she run or play it cool?

Deciding running from a man like this would be futile, she stood and walked to the front of the car casually, trying to look as in control as she possibly could, even though her veins twitched with adrenaline and anticipation.

“Is everything all right?” the man asked. His voice was low and powerful, but the underlying tone was welcoming and friendly.

“No, everything’s fine. I’m okay,” Katrina said coolly.

She heard the man laugh as he walked closer, a warm chuckle. “Doesn’t seem all right to me. Want me to take a look?” he asked.

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll call a tow to take it into town,” she replied.

At this distance, she could make out his features, glistening with raindrops. Striking blue eyes. A strong, straight jaw. A perfect nose and perfect lips. High cheekbones. Short blond hair darkened from the rain.

It was the hottest, most masculine man she’d ever seen in her life.

Katrina hoped this Adonis-like man wasn’t a murderer. That just wouldn’t be right. Not after everything she’d been through.

“It’s pretty late for a tow. The only shop in town is closed until tomorrow. And that car looks like it probably needs more than just an oil change,” he said, pointing to the worn, beat-up old car Katrina had depended on for far too long. “Can I look under the hood?”

She waved a hand, not wanting him any closer to the vehicle. Or her. “No, it’s okay. I’ll figure something out.”

Rain fell around them, soaking her hair and causing rivulets to run around her nose and lips. The stranger narrowed his eyes at her stubbornness, and a little thrill of panic ran through her.

Men liked to do what they wanted regardless of what you wanted. Would this man be like that too?

She felt her hands trembling and clenched them in fists at her sides, trying to ignore the cold. She had more than just herself to keep safe at a time like this.

He pressed his perfect lips together and then looked up at the sky as lightning flashed overhead. “I can’t just leave you out here in the rain. Not in this area.”

“What’s wrong with this area?” she asked, folding her arms against her with a squelching sound. The stranger looked at her for a moment with those piercing green eyes and then turned and walked back to his truck.

She wasn’t sure if the feeling that rushed through her was relief or disappointment, but she didn’t have time to figure it out because he grabbed something out of his car and then was on his way back.

He held out a leather jacket that was five times too big. “Take it,” he said. “I’m not going to watch you shiver in the rain while we deal with your stubbornness.”

“It’s caution, not stubbornness,” she said. “I don’t know you. I don’t like you. I don’t know how you do things here in Bearstone Village, but where I come from, you sure as hell don’t accept help from strange men on the side of the road.”

He ignored her bristling and leaned lazily against her car, folding his arms. His muscles were well outlined in the completely wet flannel shirt he wore, and she knew if she looked lower, she’d see every detail of his magnificent legs in his wet jeans.

But she had to stay focused. “Look, I’ll be fine. I was just going to figure out who to call and…” She remembered the phone was about to die. “Dammit.”

“Look, it’s not a big deal,” he said, waving a hand. “You want a reference? You can call my friends.” He held out his phone in a waterproof, sturdy-looking case but drew it back when she didn’t take it. “But we gotta get you out of this rain. Besides, like I said, it’s not safe out here. You don’t know what’s hiding in the woods.”

She looked around them. There were towering pine forests on either side of the road, as far as the eye could see, making the night even darker. He was probably right. And she wanted to trust him. It was just…

“Kat?” a little voice squeaked from inside the car. Her heart fell into her stomach as she met the man’s surprised eyes.

“Was that… a kid?” he asked, drawing his eyebrows together.

“No,” she said. “No, it’s just—”

“Kat? Kat, where are you?” The voice was more panicked now. She lowered her eyes and stepped in front of the car, blocking the man’s view of the backseat. She pressed a hand to the window, hoping Mac saw it and calmed down. She’d been hoping he’d stay asleep a little longer, until she could figure out a way to get them out of this mess.

“If there’s a kid in there, I definitely can’t leave you on the side of the road. Even if you want me to,” he said, reaching around her to gently move her aside.

Her protective instincts kicked in and she fought him, pushing him back and struggling against him. He easily caught her arms and held her still against the car, gentle but strong as steel. She looked warily up into his eyes, a mixture of arousal and fear flooding through her. On the one hand, it was nice to have a strong man around. But she still didn’t know whether to trust him.

On the other side of the car, a door opened and closed, and she heard the pitter-patter of little feet on the gravel as someone came around the side of the car and stopped right beside them.

She looked down at the love of her life, standing angrily with tiny clenched fists, glaring up with angry blue eyes at the man that was holding her.

“You let Kat go or I’m going to body-slam you,” he squeaked out in his high, childish voice.

The man holding her let her go, eyebrows raised as he appraised the situation, and Kat gathered Mac against her, waiting with bated breath for the man’s next move.

A
res didn’t know
what to say. The small kid glaring angrily up at him and threatening bodily harm seemed to mean every bit of what he said, yet it took everything Ares had to resist the urge to laugh at the thought of it.

But he wouldn’t. The kid had shown pride and courage, and that deserved to be respected, not laughed at.

He remembered being that age, wanting to be strong, wanting to make everything right. He could almost see himself looking back through those angry blue eyes.

But it made the whole situation that much more confusing.

The woman in front of him was stunning. His senses had been buzzing even before he stopped on the side of the road, and she’d been setting off the bear in him with her feistiness ever since they’d begun to talk.

There was no way in hell he wasn’t taking charge of the situation. As a former elite special ops soldier, his need to protect was surging to the forefront. But he could tell from the look in her eyes that this was someone who had been hurt before. Someone to whom control was important, and he didn’t want to take it from her.

Not if it meant being on the receiving end of the tiniest body slam in the world.

“I’m sorry for not introducing myself sooner,” he said, crouching to the level of the kid who was now pressed to the woman’s legs, giving Ares a mean side glare. He stuck out a hand for the boy to shake. “My name’s Ares. I live in Bearstone Village, and I’d love to be your friend.”

The boy stared at his hand and then put out his own. Ares gave it a respectful, quick shake that let him know he felt they were equals, and he saw the boy stand just a little straighter.

And it made Ares feel pretty dang good.

He stood to face the woman, who was glaring at him with gorgeous brown eyes underneath long, rain-saturated lashes. “I know this all looks bad,” he said. “But there’s nothing to be done for it. I’ll take you and your son into town, and we’ll get this all figured out.”

She gave him a tense look, not seeming at all relieved by the help he was offering. “This wasn’t a planned stop,” she said.

“I gathered that,” he said, giving her car a wry glance. “But I promise we’ll get you back on the road quick.” He felt an odd twinge of regret at the idea of her leaving. “Bill at the shop owes me a favor.” As did pretty much everyone in town since Ares did a lot of contractor work for free for folks who couldn’t afford it. He enjoyed the work and didn’t need the money, so it worked out. Especially at times like this.

If this woman wasn’t going to let him help her directly, he’d make sure she was helped all the same.

“I don’t have money for a motel,” she said, glaring at him proudly. “And I don’t need your charity.”

The boy looked at her and then mirrored her proud glare, making Ares’s mouth curl into a half smile he quickly suppressed by covering his lips.

He’d seen countless tours of duty, gotten himself and his team out of jams so tight air couldn’t squeeze through, yet somehow, getting this woman and child to trust him might be the toughest mission of all.

“I have a friend you can stay with. She runs a bed and breakfast in town, and she—”

“Owes you a favor,” the woman said, a slight twinkle in her eye that had Ares hoping this wouldn’t be so difficult after all.

“I want to sleep in a bed,” the kid said, making Ares’s heart twinge in an odd way.

“Where are you headed?” he asked. “And I didn’t get your name.”

“I didn’t give it to you,” she said simply, pushing dark curls off her forehead. She had a pretty, oval-shaped face with round, luminous eyes and a small nose and full lips. She had a killer body with curves that made it hard to focus, even though they were currently mostly hidden by his leather jacket. Which was getting ruined in the rain.

Ares didn’t care though. Some things were more important.

“I’m guessing it’s Kat?” he asked, looking at the little kid, who nodded. “All right, Kat,” he said, reaching out a hand. “Let’s get you and…” He paused, waiting for the kid to tell him his name.

“Mac,” he said, blinking up at him, seemingly awed by his size. Ares guessed the fact that the kid was tiny to him meant he was huge to the kid.

“Let’s get you and Mac back to town, safe and warm, and I’ll make sure my friend Bill is out here first thing in the morning.”

She’d been following him, though she hadn’t taken his hand. But now she stopped. “The morning?” She looked down, holding her arms tight. “You mean he can’t come tonight? It’s not that late.”

“Honey, that car isn’t going to be fixed in a day. It can wait until the morning.”

She nodded and followed him to the truck, throwing one last forlorn look over her shoulder at the car behind her.

Protectiveness welled up within him as he opened the door to the cab and she climbed in. Mac started trying to get up on the step, but Ares quickly lifted him inside. With Ares’s strength, he was light as a kitten.