Bear Mechanic: BBW Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (5 page)

Tyler was unbothered by the criticism. “So it's simple and delicious. Perfect, right?”

“You could have at least cooked some bacon. I can't believe you travel the world and this is all you can ever come up with,” Oliver griped, then turned to Elise. “Seriously, he makes this every. Single. Time.” It sounded like a well-rehearsed complaint.

Tyler shrugged. “I can't help it if I spend most of my time abroad being served five-star meals instead of cooking for myself.”

Oliver rolled his eyes, but Elise could tell that the ribbing was affectionate.

“You travel?” Elise asked Tyler between bites of scrambled egg. She was, she could admit to herself, just a tiny bit envious. She had visited Europe once in college, and the little taste she'd gotten had given her an as-yet-unfulfilled appetite for more.

He smiled almost dazzlingly, and Elise could tell he was turning the full force of his charm on her. She wasn't quite immune, but the whiff of playboy that hung about him wasn't a turn-on so much as the complete opposite. She found she much preferred Noah's straightforward, serious interest.

“That I do,” he said. “I was in Monaco last year for the Grand Prix.”

“As a spectator, or…?”

“As a driver,” he corrected. “I'm in Formula One. Oliver here works on my car,” he added blandly, while Oliver sputtered insulted protests.

Elise sighed wistfully. “I'm so jealous. I went to Italy for a study-abroad program in college, and I've always wanted to go back.”

Tyler gave a roguish grin. “I'd love to take you back…
mia cara
.”

From Elise's left, Noah growled a warning in the back of his throat, an almost animalistic sound that surprised Elise but also made her squirm. But in a good way. One of his arms slipped around the back of her chair possessively.

“What a grumpy bear,” announced Tyler to the room at large.

It must have been some kind of inside joke; both Oliver and Tyler laughed, then stopped themselves and looked guilty, before the conversation turned toward other things.

“Noah doesn't often bring women home. So, tell us about yourself, Elise,” said Gabriel. His head was cocked to the side as he studied her.

The way everyone at the table quieted down at his words and turned their attention to her made her think she was an object of curiosity among the group. She wondered if they'd been talking about her before she arrived.

“There's not that much to say,” she said, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.

“What did you study in Italy?” asked Noah. He sounded interested.

“I majored in art history. There was a special program—we visited major architectural sites, important historical works of art, that kind of thing. We were mostly in Rome. It was only for a few weeks, though. I've always wanted to go back.”

“They don't have programs like that for those who major in engineering, alas. I've never been out of the country,” said Oliver. “Pretty much everyone else here has, though. Noah and Gabe were deployed in Afghanistan, and Cam and Will lived in Japan for a while.”

“For three years,” confirmed Will. He had finished eating and had been quietly observing the conversation.

“What kind of work did you do there?” asked Elise.

“We were hitmen for the yakuza,” said Will with a perfectly straight face. His sister elbowed him.

“I mean hit-people,” Will corrected gravely. “I wouldn't want to exclude assassins of other genders.” He had to be pulling her leg, but he looked so serious.

“You must kill at poker,” Elise said admiringly.

Will laughed, a short bark, and even Cam cracked a smile, though it quickly vanished. Elise got the feeling that was a rare occurrence, and fist-pumped internally.

“Actually, it's Cameron who usually cleans the rest of us out,” interjected Gabriel. “When it's not Oliver, who counts cards, by the way. Just so you know.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” said Oliver with what looked like his best facsimile of an innocent expression. It wasn't very good.

“Thanks for warning me,” Elise said, feeling the warm, fuzzy glow that came with acceptance.

She had the feeling these people were more important to Noah than just regular employees. They acted like a family. And Noah thought she was important enough to include her in it.

With a start, she realized that the serving dishes on the table were almost all empty. And she'd thought her brother had a hollow leg.

“Where did all the food go?” she asked reflexively, staring. “I swear, there was enough here to feed a herd of animals.”

A choking sound came from next to her, like a laugh that had been suppressed.

“We eat a lot,” said Tyler, and flexed a bicep. “Hard work in the shop, you know. All that lugging around heavy parts and screwing in bolts.”

“Right,” she said. “If you guys don't mind, can I save the last plate for my brother?”

A round of nods circled the room.

“Tyler, up front,” Noah instructed. “Everyone else, on the floor. Projects are on the board. I'll join you when I'm done with the dishes.”

This seemed to be everyone's cue to disperse, although Tyler complained a little about having to sit at the front desk.

Noah started gathering all the plates and cups from the table and taking them to the sink. Elise grabbed a few, too, not knowing what else to do with herself.

“You don't have to do that,” he said, plucking the stack of plates from her with one hand, without any visible effort. Being a mechanic really did do amazing things for one's physique, apparently, and it wasn't just for looks.

She shrugged. “I like to feel useful. Especially since you've gone out of your way for me.”

“It's nothing I wouldn't do for anyone.”

She gave him a sly look, remembering what Gabriel had said about Noah not usually bringing women home. “No? Including… all of last night? Are you sure?”

The tips of his ears, she observed, were very red. It was cute. “Maybe not just anyone,” he allowed.

Setting down her mug, she took the plate he'd been scrubbing at and slid it into the dishwasher.

“So you do this every week?” she asked.

“Every week,” he confirmed.

“All of you seem really close.”

“We're like family.” There was clear warmth in his voice.

“So it was kind of like meeting the family?” she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice.

He paused in the middle of handing her a serving platter, looking consternated. “Was that too much?”

She couldn't contain her smile. “It was exactly right.”

Chapter Four

Noah

Even though his workday was like any other—responding to clients, managing the crew, working on cars—it felt completely different. Everything felt fresh, like he was seeing it through new eyes. Or maybe he was seeing it through Elise’s eyes. He knew it was her presence at his side that was making his day brighter.

He had been nervous about how she would like his crew. They were a group of misfits that had banded together for their own various and sometimes secret reasons, and they had some very different and strange stories to tell. Not to mention they were shifters. Shifters sometimes experienced life in very different ways from regular people, and they didn’t always get along.

But any fears he had had been allayed. She’d accepted Will and Cam’s reticence with grace, even though he could tell she was confused and curious about them. Tyler had been outrageous, as usual, even worse than usual. They were going to have words at some point in the near future. But Elise had shaken it off and made it clear who she was there with.

They had taken to her like a house on fire, too. At first he’d thought they were making the effort for his sake, but Noah couldn’t remember the last time Gabe had been so chatty.

Not that he was worried so much about Elise’s likability; if someone didn’t like her, he thought, the problem was with them.

She’d gone back upstairs to change into something a little plainer. He was planning to show her around the shop, and the oil and grime could be rough on clothes.

She was probably changing right now. Noah allowed himself the luxury of imagining the scene while he waited.

Elise had such creamy pale skin, dotted with the cutest freckles. And not just on her face. It was a shame she covered them up so much. He wanted to take his time next time, discovering and lavishing love on every freckle that accented her generous body.

She had looked so perfect in his bed that his heart had almost stopped. With her in it, the bed was the perfect size. When he was alone, it was a cavern that left him tossing and turning all night.

It didn’t look like it belonged with the rest of his things, either. His suite over the shop was starkly simple, almost embarrassingly so. He hadn’t minded that fact when he was the only one to see it, but Elise’s presence had reminded him how empty and plain it was. He almost cringed.

Bears didn’t usually build their dens before meeting their mates. Tradition said to do it after, together. But he had built the bed beforehand out of sturdy oak and wrought iron in his own design. He told himself the act of building it was boredom, his hands itching for something to do when he wasn’t working. But now he knew it was a shot in the dark—a shot of hope, a desire for someone to fill the glaring gap in his life, for someone to hold and protect. For a mate.

He knew that mate was Elise.

His crew had noticed the change in him right away, when he’d gone down to get Elise coffee in bed.

Gabe had given him a thoughtful look as he went for the coffee and said only, “You’re in a good mood.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

But it hadn’t stopped there. Will was watching him with that quietly perceptive way that he had, the one that always made Noah feel like his most intimate secrets were being bared.

Tyler had crowed immediately from his place at the stovetop, “Someone got laid!”

“What are you—” Noah had said, then seen all the little smirks around the room, and changed tactics. “Shut up,” he'd said halfheartedly, and started to put together a tray.

“Are you making her a breakfast tray?” Tyler had, poking the eggs with his spatula.

“What if I am?”

“Why so defensive?” Tyler had a truly obnoxious grin on his face. “Is she your
maaaate
?”

“I’m not defensive! Give me some of that,” said Noah, nodding to the eggs Tyler was scrambling.

Tyler jerked the spatula away before Noah could grab it. “No way. Is she your mate?”

If there had been any justice in the world, Noah’s glare would have burned holes in the brash tiger shifter. As it was, Tyler, being Tyler, just laughed the threat off. Noah’s bear had growled, and he’d even let out a bear-shaped rumble before catching himself.

“Wait, is she?” asked Gabe from the table.

Of course he’d interrupt his brooding for this,
thought Noah darkly.

“I didn’t give her the mark, if that’s what you’re asking,” he snapped.

“But you want to,” said Oliver shrewdly.

“I didn’t say that. It’s not… She doesn’t even know about shifters. I’m just helping her out.”

“Methinks the werebear doth protest too much,” said Tyler in a horrible, fake British accent. God, tigers were smug. Sometimes the urge to knock his stripes off was overwhelming.

“Just give me some damn eggs,” Noah ordered. “I’m definitely not letting you lot loose on her.”

At this, Tyler’s demeanor changed in an instant. “Boss, I’ll be on my best behavior. I swear. You know how good I can be with women,” he wheedled.

“Yeah, no shit. That’s why I don’t want to.”

“Don’t want to let her near me?” Tyler preened. “Smart move, I wouldn’t either.”

Rolling his eyes, Noah turned to the group gathered at the table. “Anyone else want to air their oh-so-important thoughts on this matter?”

“Unlike Tyler, I would be a perfect gentleman,” promised Oliver, holding up a Boy Scout salute.

“I’d like to meet her,” Gabe offered.

Will and Cam only shrugged.

“Fine,” he snapped, and turned back to the tray he’d been preparing. It was stuffed full of coffee accessories and accoutrements anyway. “But I’m going to take her coffee first.”

“She’ll need it, if she’s having breakfast with Tyler,” said Cam in a deadpan, a trace of amusement lingering in her voice. “And there’s Splenda in the cabinet if she wants that. If you have room for it,” she added, eyeing his tray archly.

“Shut up,” he'd muttered for what felt like the dozenth time that morning. Everyone laughed.

He'd known it. Everyone had known it.

What he didn’t know was how she would respond to knowing the truth about him. She might be his mate, but would she want to take his mark?

Noah had never met a woman he wanted to mark, so he was at a loss. Moreover, none of his crew had ever taken mates, so they weren’t any help either. If Noah’s parents, or any of his clan, were alive, he could have asked them. But they weren’t.

She was a regular human, and as far as he knew she didn’t know there was any other kind. Shifters had all kinds of horror stories about humans reacting to shifters—their fear, their prejudice, their violence. Mentally, Nick knew this was garbage. Mostly garbage, anyway. But even if she didn’t assemble a mob and arm them with pitchforks, that didn’t mean she would want to be bitten by him. Not only was it a permanent scar—mating marks never disappeared—but it was a lifelong bond. Unbreakable.

And they’d known each other for less than twenty-four hours.

Obviously he’d have to wait for a while. Once her brother’s problem got cleared up, they would have all the time in the world to get to know each other, and each other’s secrets.

So long as his crew all kept their mouths shut, he thought wryly.

Elise returned in something more serviceable, although she would never be plain to him. Her golden hair fell in loose, natural curls down to her shoulders. Noah was tempted to tug on one of them and watch it bounce back, like a spring.

He resisted that urge, but not the one to kiss her. His hands fit to her waist and he ran his thumbs over her ribcage, fluttering.

She shivered, the gesture too small for anyone but him to see, and returned the kiss. It was maybe a little deeper than appropriate for a semi-public place, but Noah couldn’t bring himself to care.

His bear made a contented sound in his chest.
You should keep her
, his bear told him.
She makes us happy
.

“Hello to you too,” she said when they parted, looking rather pink. Then she blinked twice and pretended confusion. “What did I come down here for again? I can’t quite remember.”

“Well, if you want to stay upstairs…”

She giggled. “Not an unappealing idea. But I think your employees might protest.”

“I’m the boss. I can do what I want.” But he slipped an arm around her waist and led her out onto the shop floor.

It was a loud, busy place, and no matter how stringent Noah was, it was never sparkling clean. But Elise didn’t seem to be bothered by the noise and the grime. She looked out onto the floor with natural curiosity.

The floor was spacious. There were a few cars already inside, being worked on by the crew, and as they watched another drove up to speak with Gabe.

A 2011 Dodge Ram was getting an oil change. Noah pointed it out to Elise. It was being treated by Cam from beneath the floor.

“That’s how we get underneath cars. It’s a lot better than a jack and skateboard. Safer, too.”

“Makes sense,” said Elise, kneeling to see better.

She greeted Cam, who gave her a cautious wave of the hand in return before returning to her work. Cam would hate it if he said anything, but he wanted to tell Elise she was handling Cam pretty damn well, all things considered. Her reserve was off-putting to most people. Even getting her to acknowledge people beside her brother was occasionally a chore. He filed it away as something to mention to Elise later.

Head deep under the hood, Oliver was still examining a car that the owner had brought in complaining of a transmission problem.

“Still think it’s a leak?” asked Noah.

“It’s a leak. It’s definitely a leak,” grumbled Oliver. “I just… haven’t figured out where exactly the leak is.”

Oliver’s voice was raised because of the ambient clanks and hums in the shop, but even if it hadn’t been, his frustration would still have been obvious. He batted a spare hose hanging nearby irritably. Despite his mood, the gracefulness of his panther side was still evident.

Noah hid a smile. Oliver might seem pissed, but Noah knew the best way to engage him was to give him a problem that took some time to work out. Simple, repetitive, mindless work was death to someone so intelligent. Finding the transmission leak wouldn’t be as fun as figuring out the best ways to make Tyler’s car faster, but it would at least engage Oliver’s attention for a while.

“Let me know if you find it,” said Noah.

“When I find it,” Oliver corrected, but he wasn’t paying attention. His gaze was still on the transmission, and his long fingers traced its edges.

“Right, right, of course,” Noah teased. Oliver waved him off.

“Sorry, I know it’s dirty,” Noah apologized to Elise as they stepped around one of the big tool chests.

Running her finger over the top of the chest collecting grime, she grinned. Then she wiped it off on her shorts. “That’s okay! It’s kind of nice, actually. My mom was a neat freak, and I… am not.”

“Does she live around here?”

“Oh no, she passed away a few years back.”

Noah felt like a fool. She’d said “was”, after all. “I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.” She seemed disinclined to talk about it further.

They were standing at the big open door facing the street. As towns went, Sweetwater wasn’t exactly huge, but they did a decent business and were right in the middle of town. Her eyes ran over the cars parked outside nearby until she picked out her own.

“You said it was pretty easy to fix?” she asked anxiously.

“It’s just an alternator. We keep the standard ones around, it happens all the time,” he assured her. Then an appealing idea occurred to him. “Here, do you want to help me?”

She looked delighted, even clapping her hands together. “Can I really?”

“You can. We don’t even need to go inside.” In truth, Noah could probably do it himself while blindfolded. But he was sure he could find something for her to do besides stand there and look pretty. Not that he would mind if she did.

Radiating excitement, Elise helped him pop the hood and stood next to him with her hands on her hips. “Okay, teach me your car-fixing ways, Jedi Master.”

“All right, Padawan.”

Inevitably, engines got dirty with accumulated dust and dirt and oil. Even such a simple part replacement involving no fluids left their hands grimy.

Elise chose to solve this by wiping her hands on
his
shirt. First the palms, then the backs. It was black, so nothing showed, but he still raised an eyebrow at her.

“What?” she giggled. “Isn’t that what that tank top is for? You get it really dirty and then… you have to take it off.”

“What I’m hearing is, you want me to take my shirt off.”

“Hey, I didn’t make the rules, buddy. Besides, you can do me.” She held out the edges of her shirt to him.

As fun as mutual shirtlessness would be, Noah wanted to keep her all to himself. He very gently, almost chastely, put his hands on her waist and drew her in for a kiss, then rubbed her sides with his hands, making her laugh again.