Fast and FURious Bears: BBW Bear Shifter BWWM Werebear Paranormal Romance (Wild Alpha Shifters Book 4) (2 page)

There were other differences, too. Shifters weren’t widely known outside their own kind, which tended to complicate the world of dating and mating. Things could get squirrelly when the women you were interested in had no idea you might transform into an eighteen-hundred-pound grizzly bear when the need arose. However, all those things aside, the biggest complication Greg experienced with Amanda was the fact that they were such good friends. He’d heard it said more than once that when a guy crosses over into the friends zone, there was no going back. And so far, in his experience, that had been entirely true.

Chin up, Greg. At least the sun is shining.

Greg’s thoughts turned to Tom Cooper. He hadn’t wanted to hire him in the first place but had done so as a favor to Amanda and her brother. It occurred to him, however, that it was about time that Tom and he had a word.

“Hi, Tom.”

Tom finished spraying off the soapy Ferrari before turning to him.

“Yeah, I know. Amanda told me about the shirt,” Tom said.

“Rules are rules,” Greg replied.

Tom smirked and looked away.

“Is there something funny?” Greg asked.

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“I just think it’s rich listening to you go on,” Tom said.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, playing by the rules hasn’t always been your thing, has it, Greg?”

Greg felt his hackles rise. He was an Alpha bear, after all, and he was beginning to resent this rogue bear shifter he had allowed to remain in his territory. Tom knew perfectly well that Greg was a grizzly shifter because the two of them had once been acquainted. But that had been a long time ago. When Tom arrived in Wild Summit a few days ago, Greg had been suspicious. But Amanda had asked him for a favor and he had laid his doubts to rest. Now he was wondering if he had been right to be skeptical about Tom’s sudden presence.

“What are you doing here, Tom?”

“Washing cars.”

Greg walked forward.

“No. What are you doing
here
, in Wild Summit?”

Tom dropped the hose and stared Greg down, unflinching. Tom was several inches shorter than him, but Greg was no fool. He knew from past experience that Tom could be a dangerous opponent. Tom smiled.

“I think you know what I’m doing here, Greg.”

“No. I can truly say I don’t.”

“Well, let me refresh your memory. You and I have unfinished business.”

Greg gritted his teeth as he felt his bear welling to the surface. His blood heated to a simmer and he felt an urge he hadn’t felt for a very long time. It was the urge to rip into Tom, the urge to take him down to the mat, the primal urge to fight.

“You asked for a job and I gave you one. I did that because the past is the past. We have no unfinished business,” Greg said.

Tom dropped his washrag.

“Well, maybe business is the wrong word,” Tom said, glancing at his car. “But there is the little matter of a race. That is, if you’ve still got a car and the balls to drive it.”

Greg stepped forward to within an inch of Tom’s face. Greg’s blood was now approaching a boil. His bear wanted out. It wanted out so badly he could almost taste his prey.

“Oh, I’ve got my ride,” Greg said.

“Good,” Tom smiled, seemingly taking Greg’s blatant aggression in stride.

“But I won’t race.”

“No balls?” Tom said.

“None that I’m laying on the line for you.”

“One race,” Tom said.

Greg shook his head. He couldn’t believe the guy. Not after what had happened so long ago. “Is that really why you’re here?”

Tom shrugged. And then Greg reached forward and took him by the forearm. Tom’s muscles tensed and his brow furrowed.

“Let go of me,” Tom said.

But Greg didn’t want to let go. He held Tom in his iron grip. “One thing you need to understand, Tom. I don’t race. Not anymore. Not against you. Not against anyone.”

Greg released Tom’s forearm. “Now, get to work. You’ve got cars to wash.”

“Yes, boss,” Tom said with a smirk.

And he walked back to his bucket.

Chapter Two

It was Saturday morning, the first day of the Labor Day long weekend, and Amanda pulled on her sleek, hip-hugging party dress. Though she’d be working that day, Wild Alpha Auto was closing early for the annual Labor Day Barbecue. The barbecue was Amanda’s favorite work-related event of the year and she was happy because the weather forecast was for a hot day and clear skies, so the event would last well past sundown.

Amanda brushed back her straight, blonde hair and applied a little mascara—nothing too heavy but enough to add some intrigue. She told herself that she didn’t really know who she was getting dolled up for, but of course, that wasn’t true. She knew exactly who she was getting dolled up for. Tom Cooper. Since he had come by looking for a job, she had been intrigued.

The feeling reminded her of when she had first met Greg. At one point Amanda had thought that she and Greg might amount to something. From her first days on the job, she had felt an attraction between them. His kind hazel eyes, his broad shoulders, his gentle but firm handshake. Greg was the kind of guy a girl could rely on, the kind of guy she could trust. He made her feel safe, and not just that, there had been a spark there, too, a simmering spark.

But as he trained her and they got to know each other, something had happened. Amanda had realized that Greg didn’t look at her as any more than a coworker. He was gracious, a true gentleman, and Amanda had taken her cue. She had moved Greg over to the friend column and everything had been fantastic since. No lingering tension. No uneasy moments. They shared laughs, they shared problems, they shared a part of their lives. They were even friends after work. But that’s what they were. Friends. Amanda finished off her look with a creamy red lipstick with just a hint of a metallic sheen. Nothing wrong with a little flare on party day.

**********************

It was a busy day at work, and by the time the showroom door closed to the final customer at four o’clock, everybody was ready to cut loose. The barbecues were fired up, burgers were put on the grill, and the staff began shuffling around outside. The mechanics took off their coveralls, and more than one salesperson removed their tie. Brandon set up the speakers on a makeshift stage. Amanda could feel it in her bones. It was going to be a good night.

“Coming through.”

Amanda eased over as a man in a tank top with a keg on his shoulder brushed past her. She felt the friction of rough denim against the light fabric of her summer dress, and in the mood she was in, she liked it. Amanda looked up. It was Tom. He put the keg down on the table.

“Sorry about the squeeze,” he said, not looking at her.

“No problem,” Amanda said. Tom turned around.

“Oh, if it isn’t Amanda James. Do you like beer, Amanda?”

“I’ve been known to have a glass,” Amanda said.

“Then let me pour you one,” Tom offered with a smile.

**********************

Greg minded the grill, one eye on the burgers and the other on Tom. A rogue bear on the prowl was generally trouble, and in Tom Cooper’s case, doubly so. Greg didn’t trust him farther than he could throw him. Of course, Tom was a black-bear shifter. They were smaller than grizzly shifters and if it came to it, Greg was fairly certain he could give Tom a good toss.

In another lifetime, when he was younger and dumber, Greg used to get out of Wild Summit to race—street race, to be precise. And although racing was unregulated, under the radar, and illegal, it was also exhilarating. But like all things, that exhilaration came at a cost. And in Greg’s experience, that cost was too high.

Greg flipped the meat as the party came to life around him. There were thirty or so employees at Wild Alpha Auto and many of their spouses and partners had come to join them. Brandon would probably be making a speech sometime soon. Mick Heller used to be the one to do that, but Greg expected that as Brandon oversaw more of the general operations there would be a visible shift of power. Interestingly, Jeremy and Peter didn’t seem to mind their brother taking on the lead role. Different strokes, Greg supposed. Jeremy seemed happy in the service department, and Peter was still working out his future.

But with all the changes at Wild Alpha of late, Greg’s biggest concern was his hiring of Tom Cooper. Greg now knew for certain that Tom still bore a grudge. He wasn’t in town to wash cars. No, Tom was there because he couldn’t let bygones be bygones. Greg watched the younger bear as he flirted with Amanda.

Just the sight of Tom speaking to Amanda stoked Greg’s ire. Greg had been thinking about Amanda a lot lately. He had been thinking about her pretty green eyes, about how they worked so well together, about the way they high-fived each other after a particularly good day. And thinking about her stirred his bear.

Greg was the quiet type. The solid type. But he hadn’t always been that way. He was compensating for his past. But sometimes Greg thought that he’d gone too far. That he’d become too well balanced. Too moderate. Sometimes he thought that when Amanda had walked onto the showroom floor six years ago, his bear should have pounced and claimed her as his mate.

But it wasn’t that easy. There were other issues. Amanda had a boyfriend when she first started at Wild Alpha. And there were others in her life after that. Greg had seen them come and go. He’d felt his bear each time he’d seen her with them, but he’d never said anything to her, never done anything but counsel her as a friend. This time around, however, things felt different. Seeing Tom speak to Amanda, watching him touch her hand, it felt personal. His bear bristled with rage. He didn’t trust Tom Cooper, period. And if things kept going the way they were, he’d have to do something about it.

**********************

Amanda laughed hysterically. Tom was really funny. And sexy, too. When she looked in his dark eyes she saw laughter. Like the whole world amused him. Greg sure was looking at her weirdly, though. For about the fourth time in the last hour, she caught him staring in her direction. It had never bothered him to see her talking to a guy before. What was up?

“So, do you like roses?” Tom said.

“I like roses,” Amanda said.

“Every rose you’ve ever seen?” Tom asked.

“Well, yeah,” Amanda smiled. “I pretty much like all roses.”

Tom lifted his T-shirt, hitching his pants down low. “What about that one?”

Amanda blushed, looking away. Tom had a red rose tattooed on his treasure trail, directly below his belly button. She wanted to laugh. A red rose? There? If he wasn’t so buff, she wasn’t sure he’d be able to pull it off. But he was buff. And more than that, he had that edge to him. Amanda had a thing for bad boys. Always had. They appreciated her curves and she appreciated their devil-may-care attitude. Not that they were good for anything but a romp. They always broke your heart. Always. But sometimes, like right now, it felt worth it.

Amanda took a sip of her beer. “You got anything else to show me?”

Tom laughed. “Depends. What have you got to show me?”

“Well, I don’t have a rose tattooed below my belly button, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No. But I’m sure you’ve got a flower.”

Amanda blushed again. My, my. Cheeky
and
forward. What was she going to do with this guy? She sat down on the rock wall bordering the forest and crossed her bare brown legs to assuage the ache she felt growing between them. Amanda pulled her short dress down a little to ensure she was still presentable, because she didn’t feel that way. She felt exposed. Like everybody could sense what she was thinking.

“Can I get you another beer?” Tom asked.

“Please.”

Tom took the empty glass from her, and Amanda’s skin thrilled as his fingers brushed against hers. Oh, boy. Here she went again. She saw a bad boy in her future, and she smiled inwardly at the thought of it. At the company picnic no less…

“How’s it going, girl?” her good friend Jada asked, taking a seat beside her.

“Not too shabby.”

“You likey?” Jada asked.

They both stared at Tom as he bent over at the keg, his taut behind filling out his faded jeans. Tom’s T-shirt was hitched just high enough up the back to reveal his bronzed skin below.

“Yes, I likey,” Amanda said quietly. “What’s not to like?”

“Nothing that I can see.”

“Jada.” Amanda punched her playfully in the arm. “Does the name Brandon ring a bell?”

“Honey. The name Brandon rings all my bells. Doesn’t mean I can’t look. For you, of course.”

Amanda smiled. “Well, he is cute.”

“Cute? He’s scrumptious.”

Tom ambled over with two fresh beers.

“Thanks,” Amanda said.

“And one for the lovely Jada.”

“Why thank you, Tom,” Jada said.

Amanda sipped her beer. It was cool and refreshing, and she was beginning to feel just a little tipsy in the hot sun.

“You are looking even better than you did when I left you a minute ago,” Tom said.

“Easy, charmer,” Jada said.

“Relax, you look good, too,” Tom said to Jada.

“Glad you noticed,” Jada replied.

“Bathroom break,” Amanda said. “Hold my beer for me?”

“You got it,” Tom said, taking her glass.

Amanda got up and made her way through the crowd and toward the bathroom. She had to admit she was feeling pretty good. The warm day, the fresh breeze, the little buzz she had from the beer, and Tom, yes, Tom. She was feeling better than good, she was feeling great. Amanda used the toilet and washed up at the mirror. Her lipstick needed refreshing. She puckered her lips and reapplied it.

“Amanda, promise me,” she said to herself. “You are going to be a good girl.”

Her reflection stared back at her blankly, not saying anything. She gave it a chance to speak, but it didn’t.

“Oh, well. Naughty it is, then,” she said with a smile.

Amanda left the bathroom and stepped out the rear of the service department.
Wham!
She caught her toe on the doorsill and felt herself falling.
Stupid shoes.
A strong arm reached out for her.