Big Sexy Bear (5 page)

Her dark eyebrows went up. “Three times a day? No, that’s too much. I’m not trying to get fat.”

“I think you’re perfect,” he said. “And you’d be perfect even if there were more of you.”

“You’re odd, you know that?” she said, gesturing to his body. “It’s like you’ve been interested since you first saw me. But guys like you, they don’t pay attention to girls like me.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, pushing his meatloaf aside.

“I mean chubby, book-loving girls. Gym rats like you are supposed to go for Barbies, you know?”

He frowned. “That’s not fair. What if I like curves? A little cushion for the pushin’. Someone to snuggle—”

She cut him off with a hand over his mouth, a bright grin on her face. “All right, you’ve made your point. You’re a chubby chaser.”

“I’m a
you
chaser,” he said.

She went quiet and sat back in the booth. “I’m not looking to settle down, Ares. And as for ‘pushing,’ that hasn’t happened for me in a long time.”

“That’s too bad,” he said, forking more meatloaf into his mouth, wishing there was a sexier way to eat a loaf of meat. “Every girl needs a little pushin’ now and then.”

Even on her dark skin, he could sense her blush. Her embarrassment but something more. Her arousal. His bear was pinpoint focused on just how she was feeling at all times. And right now, she was feeling happy. Well rested. Well fed.

Ready to be loved.

But what was he thinking? She was on the run. Scared for her life. He needed to drop her back at home, get in touch with Hades, and start getting info on the man chasing them.

He didn’t have enough info yet though. When she pushed her pie away, sighing as if she wished there were more of it, he laughed and waved down Belle to order another. Who knew how long she’d been living on a fast food diet?

“Man, you must not have gotten much on the road,” he said.

She looked down, and he instantly regretted mentioning it. “No,” she said. “I admit I wanted to save what we had for Mac.”

“You mean there wasn’t enough for both of you?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Dammit,” he said. “Katrina, you’re breaking my heart.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, sitting back in the booth, blinking her big brown eyes at him. “How can my life break your heart? It doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

“You really think so?” he asked, reaching out and capturing her hand with his, cradling it inside his big palm, covering and keeping it safe like he wanted to do with her. “You really think your life doesn’t have anything to do with me?”

She gulped as she stared back at him, and he could feel the temperature rising in the room around them.

He squeezed her hand gently, running his thumb along the top of hers. “Can’t you feel it, Katrina?” he asked in a low voice as her eyes dipped to his lips. Bingo. “You can, can’t you?”

She pulled her hand back, flushing deeply. “I can feel that you’re an attractive man, and you’re being nice to me. And the sleep and the food are all going to my head… And the kiss and the compliments.”

He nodded, happy about that.

“But in a few days, I’m going to drive out of town, and you’ll be left with the pieces. If I give you much more of me, I’ll be broken when I leave.”

He caught both of her hands this time, leaning over the table. It was sunny outside, and the little trees lining the street leaned in the summer breeze. “What if I don’t want you to leave? What if I could tell you right now that you’re it for me and I knew it from the moment I met you?”

She frowned. “Then I’d say fairytales don’t come true and you were trying to get in my pants.”

He sat back with a huff, running this hand through his hair and thoroughly ruffling it. Apparently, humans weren’t so big on the love at first sight thing. But that’s all it was for bears. They knew their mate quickly and never wanted another woman after.

“Why can’t you stay?” he asked.

“I don’t want to look over my shoulder,” she said.

“It sounds like you would be no matter where you went.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Where we’re going, I hope not.”

“What if I made it safe for you to stay though?” he said. “Would you consider me then, Katrina?”

“I don’t know anything about you,” she said, blinking up at him. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to, in so little time.”

“It can’t hurt to try,” he said. “For the next couple days, let me woo you. Take you out. See if you can get to know me a little better.”

“What about Mac?” she asked.

“Don’t you think he’ll be happy with Maude? It’s been a while since she’s had kids in the house, and she’s happy. I can tell.”

“Plus, she’s been trying to match-make us ever since she met me,” Katrina grumbled.

Ares grinned. “She has?”

Katrina nodded.

“Good woman,” he said, standing to help Katrina out of the booth. “All right, let’s get that extra pie we ordered and head back. I have a job I have to go out to for a few hours today, and you can get some rest or spend time with Mac.”

“Do I need to talk with the guy at the shop? It’s my car after all,” she said.

“Nope,” he said, tucking her arm into his as they left the restaurant with a wave at Belle and stepped into the warm sunlight and cool summer breeze that blew down from the mountains surrounding them. “You can just let me take care of it.”

“Okay,” she said, walking along with him in the breeze, looking relaxed and calmer than he would have expected.

“You know, based on the spitfire I saw outside the car last night in the rain, I’d never guess you could be this amiable.”

“I didn’t used to be so prickly,” she said. “Life kind of forced me to. But when you’re around, it all kind of melts away. I don’t know why.”

“I do,” Ares said, turning toward her on the street and dipping to taste her lips.

She opened for him easily this time, and electricity shot through him as he kissed her lightly, entwining their tongues in a soft embrace as their lips danced against each other, setting off little sparks inside him.

Every touch with her was magical.

She sighed against his mouth just as a breeze blew by, reminding him they were out where anyone could see them.

He curled an arm around her waist and pulled back, looking into her eyes, which were glazed with pleasure. Damn, leaving her to go check things out with Zeus and Hades would be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but they both needed a few hours apart.

He needed to cool his head.

He tucked her arm in again and started walking, pausing only when he heard a little giggle coming from beside him. “What is it?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, nothing,” she said.

“What is it?”

“You taste good,” she said, grinning.

He put his arms behind his head and walked tall. “Well, I did say it’s the best meatloaf in the country.”

She laughed out loud and pulled his arm down so she could take it again.

Maybe the hard part was yet to come, but he was already really enjoying his mate.

T
he rest
of the day was uneventful for Katrina. When Ares dropped her off, saying he had work to take care of, he was a perfect gentleman. She tried not to be disappointed when he gave her a gentle hug and left her at the door, or at the loss of his presence.

She was already getting used to having him around, warm and reassuring, like sunshine.

Maude had welcomed her in and they’d spent the day together, talking about Maude’s childhood growing up in this small town that was supported by the tourist industry of a nearby ski resort in the winter.

Mac had been overjoyed by the small swing set in the backyard and by having a yard in general. Watching him laugh and play out there in the sun made her ache over how much he’d been missing. He should have been able to be a regular kid.

At this age, she still wasn’t sure exactly how much he understood or didn’t understand about their situation.

Maude got a phone call from a friend, and Kat excused herself to go outside and join Mac. He was trying to pump his skinny legs in an effort to go higher, and she laughed as she got behind him.

“Want me to push you?” she asked.

“Yes, please,” he said politely, wrapping his small hands around the chains.

She laughed and ran forward, pushing him up, up until she was all the way under him, and then running out in front as he squealed in laughter and swung back. When he swung forward, she caught his swing and snuggled him with her nose.

“Who loves you?” she asked.

He giggled. “You do.”

“That’s right,” she said, pushing him back and stepping out of the way so he could enjoy the swing.

He pushed his legs out with a look of concentration on his face as he swayed forward and pulled them in as he went back. Then he tipped his head back toward the sunlight, his light-blond hair waving in the wind, his little face lost in pure joy.

For a moment, she could picture staying there. A little family. But Ares was the one pushing the swing. Ares was the one watching out.

Dammit, she was already building a life around him. She’d never been like this before, she thought, moving around behind Mac so she could push him again. He laughed as she pushed each time he came back.

She’d never tried to latch onto a man. And she hadn’t even really missed sex. Being really into books and quiet around most people had meant she didn’t have much before Mac came into her life anyway.

Then again, she’d been younger then, in her early twenties. She’d been with Mac for nearly three years now, and the latter third of that had been spent on the road, staying with cousins for a few months here or a few months there. And then recently, only staying at motels as absolutely necessary, as Ben seemed to have stepped up his efforts to find her.

“I’m done swinging,” Mac said. “I’m dizzy.”

She slowed his swing and helped him out. He climbed down and walked around the small ladder that led to a slide that only came up to her waist. He sat in it, his small hands in his lap, and then looked out with a solemn kind of wisdom that only very small children seem to have.

“What’s up, bud?” she asked.

“I like it here,” he said. “But we’re going to have to leave, huh?”

“I’m afraid so,” she said.

“Why? Because of the bad men?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yes, because of the bad men.”

“Ares can beat all the bad men. He’s this huge!” Mac stretched his arms wide, and Kat fought back a smile.

“Yes, he is big.”

“He likes us,” Mac said. “I can tell.”

Kat had to agree with that. And they both liked him. What was there not to like? She wondered how far he lived from Maude and if he’d come back here tonight at all. It somehow felt safer with him around. That was all.

She folded her arms. No, that wasn’t all. She wanted to hold him. Wanted to see him. Longed to touch him.

She wanted to look into those deep, reassuring green eyes and believe everything Mac believed. But she wasn’t a kid anymore. Hadn’t been in a long time.

Not since her older sister had moved out and gotten in trouble.

“I think we should stay here,” Mac said, a pout on his pink lips. “I don’t want to go.”

She frowned and then straddled the slide to lean down and look into his big blue eyes. “Hey, it’s going to be okay,” she said, pulling him into her arms. He tightened his small, skinny arms around her, and she closed her eyes and sank into it.

“When I’m big, I’m going go scare all the bad men away,” he muttered against her. “I’m going to be bigger like Ares and get them all dead.”

She winced. Mac had always been verbal, always seemed a little older than he should be. Even when he’d been brought to her as a little, inquisitive two-year-old, he’d looked into her eyes with an expression that said he saw far too much.

Far more than she’d have liked him to.

Even now, she knew he saw more than the little swing set and Maude’s cute house.

He was seeing more road ahead of him, no other little kids to play with. Her heart ached in response.

“I’m glad the car broke,” Mac said. “I hate it.”

She nodded. “Me too. But we can stay at least a few more days,” she said.

“‘Til it’s fixed?” he asked.

“‘Til it’s fixed.”

He shook his head and pushed away. She pulled back, and he gestured for her to move so he could go down the slide. When he did, it was the most morose slide she’d ever seen performed. He sat rigid until he hit the grass and then slowly stood, brushing off his pants.

“I hate this,” he spat out. Then he looked embarrassed and ran toward the house, opening the sliding door, going in, and closing it behind him.

She sat on the swing, put her hand on her forehead, and wondered what on earth she should do.

T
hey were watching a movie together
, Mac fast asleep snuggled between Maude and Kat, when the doorbell rang.

Before either of them could get up to answer, Ares opened the door and came in, still wearing work clothes from what it looked like. Worn jeans and a jacket he took off and hung by the door.

His powerfully muscled body moved with all grace as he strode into the room, leaned on the doorframe, and grinned down at them.

“Well, isn’t this a sight for sore eyes?”

Maude yawned. “Too late for my old bones. I better get this young’un to bed.” She scooped Mac up in her arms and winked at Kat before turning to Ares. “You better show this lady how to really watch a movie.”

Ares laughed. “All right, you. But I was also thinking about taking her out tonight. That all right with you?”

Maude let out a laugh that was more like a cackle. “More than all right, you rascal. You two have fun.” Then she walked into the room Kat was sharing with Mac and closed the door behind her.

“It makes me feel guilty,” Kat said as Ares sat on the couch next to her. “Doing all these fun things while she tends. I should be with Mac.”

“No, even adults need breaks,” he said. “The better care you take of yourself, the more you’ll have to give him.”

That hit dead center. “I know. Lately, I don’t feel like I can give him enough.”

“That’s his dad’s fault, not yours,” he said, moving in closer, making her body warm in anticipation. He put an arm over the back of the couch and looked up at the TV. “What are you watching?”

“
Top Gun
,” she said, giggling as he gave her a weird look.

“That’s so Maude,” he said. “You know, her husband was in the military.”

Kat’s eyes widened. “Wow. I could never do that,” she said, waving a hand. “That kind of life, too scary.”

He froze, and she wondered if she’d said something wrong.

“How do you mean, scary?”

“I just mean I’d always be wondering if he’d come back. That’s all.”

“Oh.” He relaxed slightly. “Should I show you what Maude means about how to really watch a movie?”

She nodded, hoping it involved touching him, and then grinned when he pulled her against him, curling her body against his long, muscled one and wrapping an arm around her to keep her close. She could still see the movie, but she could also feel his muscles. And the soft touch of his hands as he stroked her hair lightly.

She sighed, and he looked down in mild surprise, then grinned to himself as they continued to watch to the end of the movie.

When it was over, she didn’t want to stop holding him. Her body was almost painfully aware of how much she liked his touch. The sheer feel of him. How safe she felt.

How life seemed full of possibilities again.

The thought of leaving him made her feel somewhat like Mac must have felt earlier. Pouty and sad that life had dealt them this hand and they couldn’t just stay forever.

Ares seemed to sense her unrest and looked down to make sure she was okay. She simply wrapped her arms more firmly around him, and he let out a low groan and looked up at the ceiling as if begging it for patience.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said, voice tight. She continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer, and he sighed. “You just feel so right, so amazing snuggled here next to me. My body is getting ideas.”

“My body is getting ideas too,” she said. Maybe it really had been too long since she’d been with someone. Maybe a little release would feel nice.

He groaned again as she shifted against him, pressing her breasts to his side, liking the effect she had on the powerful man. He took a deep breath and then sat forward, bringing her with him. “Want to come outside with me? I have somewhere I wanted to take you tonight.”

She gave him a mock glare. “Somewhere you want to take me, hmm?”

He grinned. “Yeah. Somewhere I want to take you.” She pinned him with narrowed eyes until he elaborated. “Something I want to show you. You okay with a drive?”

She nodded. “Let me say good night to Mac,” she said. “And get a jacket.”

He nodded. “Okay, I’ll wait down here.”

She felt her whole body flush at the thought of driving with him, going somewhere with him. Privacy with another adult. A super hot, super ripped adult that put a smile on her face and made her feel safe every time she saw him.

It really was too good to be true.

At least for a couple more days.

But as long as she was safe and the opportunity was presenting itself, why shouldn’t she have a taste of the life that had been stolen from her? Why shouldn’t she pack all the life she could live into the next few days while she had the chance?

She’d let Mac enjoy the swing set and the space, and she would let herself enjoy Ares and everything he had to offer.

Everything.

A
res tried
to control the buzz in his body as he watched Katrina make her way up the stairs, her curvy ass swaying in his field of vision.

Holding her during the movie had been even better than kissing her earlier in the day. He just couldn’t help taking bites.

It didn’t hurt that she seemed just as eager, willing to explore whatever this was happening between them.

When he’d walked in and seen her sitting with Mac and Maude, a warm look of contentment in her eyes and then the slow awareness of him dawning on her face, he’d felt like he was coming home.

When she came back down, dark hair tied into a low ponytail that fluffed out at the back, round, brown eyes sparkling with excitement and something else, and a black jacket on with her tight jeans, he felt his bear roar in excitement.

She was his.
His
.

He knew nothing in the world could take her away from him. He’d just have to hope he found the right time to tell her how he knew that before she insisted on trying to leave.

Already, he knew he’d never let her. He put out a hand for hers and she took it, entwining their fingers. They walked to the car, looking out over the quiet, sleepy neighborhood as they went. He hated having to let go of her hand to help her into his truck. But it’d be worth it after he took her where he wanted to go.

When she was buckled in and the tension was so thick you could scoop it with a spoon, he asked her about her day so he could focus on something other than her gorgeous body as they made the drive up the mountain.

She chatted to him about Mac as they took the road out of town and up through the trees at the base of the mountain and then farther up winding canyon roads dimly illuminated by moonlight. The atmosphere was hauntingly romantic, and Ares could feel his hands twitching, eager to touch her, to please her.

But it wasn’t time, and he didn’t even know if that would happen tonight. If it was right.

He did know one thing though. He wanted to show her his favorite spot.

They stopped when he pulled off a curving road onto a lookout spot covered in gravel. She looked at him questioningly as he helped her out of the truck, holding a large basket in his other hand.

When she got down, she put her hands up over her mouth as she looked at the view. “Oh, Ares…”

He put an arm around her waist and tugged her against him. “You like it?”

They could see the little city just below, the lights glowing softly, the little streets laid out just so. Beyond that, a beautiful forest and above it all, a dark, sparkling sky.

“Like it? I love it,” she said, taking a step forward toward the railing that fenced off the overlook. “You can see the stars so well out here. Nothing like where I’m from.”

“Where are you from?” he asked.

She pursed her lips as she looked at him, a troubled gleam in her eyes. He wanted to wash away all her trouble. Take the rocket launcher he kept in his weapon safe and aim it at her past and fire away.

But things weren’t easy like that.

He’d have to go slow and steady with this one. Which would be impossible if she continued to be this adorable.

She cuddled his side, and he suppressed a groan as he felt her breasts against him. So soft, so generous. Perfect. He longed to hold them, touch the nipples and give them kisses. Show her just how precious every inch of her was to him.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, probably misinterpreting how stiff he stood.