Tamed by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan 3)
Tamed by the Bear
Bear Creek Clan
(Book Three)
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Note from the author:
My books are written, produced and edited in the UK where spellings and word usage can vary from U.S. English. The use of quotes in dialogue and other punctuation can also differ.
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All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.
This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.
© 2015 Harmony Raines
Silver Moon Erotica
Kindle Edition
“I need to get on and do some work,” Daryl said, getting up from the table, leaving Sam with his half-eaten breakfast in front of him.
“I don’t think I’ve ever known you work so hard,” Sam answered. Breakfast in Bear Creek’s diner had always been a daily affair for the two brothers. A time for them to meet up and talk. Now his brother had found his mate, Sam was often left alone to finish his food. He wasn’t bitter; he enjoyed seeing Daryl and Kayleigh so happy. The one thing it did was make him yearn for a mate of his own.
“I have something to work for now. I want Kayleigh to have the wedding of her dreams.”
Sam laughed. “I never thought I’d see the day when you took your responsibilities so seriously.”
Daryl patted his brother on the shoulder as he left. “You just wait, Sam. When you find your mate you’ll know exactly how I feel.”
“If that day ever comes,” Sam said. For once his light tone held a hint of something else. Longing.
“It will,” Daryl assured him. “It will. You deserve it, Sam. You really do.”
“We don’t always get what we deserve though, do we?” Sam said, looking up as Will and his biker buddies came in.
Will smiled. “If it isn’t the lovesick brother.”
“Morning, Will,” Daryl said lightly. “You’re in a good mood this morning.”
“I certainly am. I have some business lined up, and that always makes me happy.”
“So have I, so if you’ll excuse me...” Daryl went to walk out, but Will called him back.
“If I could have a quiet word with you two,” Will said.
“Now?” Daryl asked impatiently.
“It’ll only take one minute,” Will said quietly.
Daryl sat back down at the table, folding his arms in front of him. Sam recognised his brother's hostile behaviour. If Will was going to suggest a wild stag party, it would be turned down flat. Daryl took his new responsibilities seriously. He would never jeopardise his relationship for the sake of one wild night.
Will leaned over and said, “I know your wedding is in a week or so, and I wanted to give you my gift now.”
Sam looked up suspiciously. “He isn’t accepting anything that might upset Kayleigh.”
“I wouldn’t dream of upsetting your mate. I like Kayleigh, you know that.” Will looked genuinely hurt.
“I’m sorry, Will, that was out of order,” Sam apologised.
Will waved his hand at Sam. “You’re only being protective. I get that. Anyway, the gift is, I’ll supply the bar for your wedding.”
“I don’t know if I can afford your prices, Will, even wholesale,” Daryl answered.
“You missed the part when I said this was a gift. I’ll cover the cost, plus give you a couple of my people to look after it all for you.”
“That’s too generous, Will.” Now Daryl was suspicious.
“Listen. This is my way of saying: I will not be attending your wedding. Not for any other reason than weddings make me feel ... uncomfortable.”
Sam exchanged a look with Daryl; they both knew Will’s past. There was no way Daryl could turn down a generous offer like that without offending Will. “Thanks, Will. I’ll tell Kayleigh, she’ll be thrilled. Not about you not coming, though ... that will disappoint her, but she’ll understand.”
“I’ll send someone round in a couple of days. You can let them know what you want and I’ll order it for you.” Will got up and went back to his crew, leaving Sam and Daryl alone again.
“That’s one job off my list. Though I’m sure Kayleigh and Mom will find something to replace it with.”
Sam laughed. “You can’t blame Mom for getting excited. She’s waited a long time for one of us to get hitched.”
“I always thought it would be you first, Sam.”
“Well ... one day. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a cold breakfast to finish eating, and you are supposed to be working.”
Daryl got up, snuck one of Sam’s hash browns and headed for the door. Sam said something to him that he didn’t catch, but waved his prize in the air, not looking where he was going. The door opened and a stranger to the town walked straight into him.
Sam would have laughed at the look of surprise on his brother’s face. He would have smiled when the woman berated him for knocking her purse out of her hand. Instead, he sat with his mouth open and his heart beating so rapidly in his chest he thought he was going to have a heart attack.
Worse, he felt a rush of arousal, making his cock harden beneath the table. Adrenaline pulsed through his body and his fists clenched. He wanted to throw the table out of the way and punch his brother for upsetting his mate.
The words reverberated around his head. His mate. His soul mate.
There she was, standing in the doorway. Now she bent down, picking up the contents of her purse, while his brother squeezed past and made his getaway.
Sam was out of his seat and on his knees helping her before he knew what he was doing, or what he was going to say. His tongue refused to work properly; the messages wouldn't get through from his brain. Now he realised what Daryl had been going through for months since he first set eyes on Kayleigh. It hit like a thunderbolt and left you floundering to realign your senses. This woman standing in front of him was the missing piece of him, the piece that made him complete.
He looked up into her eyes, expecting some kind of realisation on her behalf. Some kind of reaction.
Well, he got one - just not the one he expected.
She had only been in Bear Creek for ten minutes, and already she was convinced it was full of imbeciles and hillbillies. First, she had struggled to find the town; the road signs were not clear and only by chance had she ended up here. Did they purposely not want visitors?
Then she had struggled to find the diner where Kayleigh worked. She had wanted to check it out before heading off to see her sister. Now, walking through the door, some rude jerk had run straight into her. Compounding that, another idiot was grovelling on the floor in front of her. He was trying to help her pick up the items that had dropped out of her purse. Including the packet of condoms she had brought with her to give to her sister. She hoped to make sure Kayleigh was practising safe sex.
She made a grab for them just as his hand curled round the packet. Snatching them out of his hand, she shoved them back in her purse.
“I can manage,” she said, scooping the rest of her things up and dumping them in her purse. The last thing she did was check she still had her wallet; she didn’t trust this man in front of her. She didn’t trust him at all.
“I was only trying to help,” he said, looking at her all funny.
“Thank you,” she said stiffly. The door banged into her and she found herself in his strong arms. How had he stood up so fast? She didn’t care; she simply wanted to get away from him. Right now, she was wishing she had gone straight to where Kayleigh was living. Checking out the diner was turning out to be a big mistake. However, she was here now and with people coming in behind her, it was easier to stay than to battle her way back to the door. She could certainly do with some coffee.
“Are you OK?” he asked.
She pulled back from him and straightened her skirt. “Yes. I just came in to grab a coffee.”
“You're not from Bear Creek. I know, because I haven’t seen you around before.”
“That’s right,” she answered, looking around for a table. Anything to get away from this guy.
“Oh, here, come and sit with me.” He pulled out a chair, and between him and the jostling of other customers, she ended up looking at him across the table.
“Hi there. What can I get you?” the waitress asked.
“Oh, coffee, please,” she answered.
“Anything else?”
“No, thank you,” Antonia answered, knowing it was too late now to just get up and leave.
“Thanks, Kerry,” the man opposite her said. “Put it on my tab.”
“No, thank you. I'll pay for it myself.” The look she gave the strange guy stopped him objecting.
“No problem, can I get you anything else?” Kerry asked, giving the guy a come-to-bed look.
Then it clicked: this guy was a ladies’ man. Fine. She would brush him off and he would move on. That made things a lot easier. Then he looked at Antonia again, and his expression made her feel so special inside she almost couldn’t bear it. To distract herself, she opened her purse and started putting everything straight.
Raising her eyes to see him still staring at her, she said, “Don’t you think you should finish that?” She indicated his cold, congealed breakfast.
“I’ve lost my appetite.”
“Corny,” she murmured.
“Here’s your coffee,” Kerry said, before he had a chance to speak. The waitress placed the cup down in front of Antonia. However, her attention wasn't on her job; instead, her fleeting glance caressed Antonia's companion.
“Thank you,” Antonia said, picking the hot cup up and blowing on it. The quicker she drank it, the sooner she could get out of the door and away from this guy. He gave her the impression he was a potential stalker. She wasn’t going to give him any personal information about herself or why she was here. None at all.
“So, what do you think of Bear Creek?” he asked.
“It’s very ... mountainous.” She took another sip of her coffee, burning her tongue once more.
“There are some stunning views once you get higher along the trails.”
“I bet there are.” Did he really think she would go off into the mountains with him? They had only just met.
“I could show them to you, if you’re staying for a while.”
Yes. He really thought she was gullible and naive enough to go off into the wilderness with a strange man. “Thank you. But I’m not staying that long.” It wouldn’t hurt him to think she was only passing through.
“Oh,” he said, looking genuinely troubled. “Maybe I could take you out to dinner tonight?”
She didn’t answer. Not at first. How was she supposed to give him the brush-off without upsetting him? And she didn’t mean upsetting him in the hurting his feelings kind of way.