Her Bah Humbug Bear (A BBW Paranormal Holiday Romance) (4 page)

This couldn’t be happening to her, Mercy thought. Men that looked like Dirk didn’t pay any attention to awkward, chubby women like Mercy. And they certainly didn’t kiss her like there was no tomorrow.

He wasn’t supposed to have such warm lips, she thought, the primitive part of her brain kicked in and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Mmmm, kisses, good.

Touching the hair that brushed against his neck, she thought touching was damn good too.

His kiss wasn’t supposed to scorch her toes. Wasn’t suppose to make her blood sing. Wasn’t supposed to make her feel so feminine, so desirable… and so needy.

Mercy jumped as Dirk’s hands roamed over the soft flesh of her stomach. Despite the unbelievable sensations she was feeling her ingrained fears rose, causing her to try and pull away. She knew it was silly. He knew she was a curvy girl, but she didn’t know if she was ready for the intimacy of skin to skin touching. His hands stilled and their lips parted as he raised his head. “What’s wrong, baby?”

Oh, the sound of that sexy voice sent shivers racing up and down her spine, making her shake in his arms. He immediately pulled her closer, his hands falling to her hips, but still touching the bare flesh of her back. “Sssh, it’s alright.”

He kissed the corner of her mouth in what she assumed he thought was a comforting kiss. Then his mouth moved along her jaw line, his lips open and hungry. Her hand rose, grabbing a handful of his dark hair. He pulled her flush against his body, using his hands on her back to crush her against his muscled frame. She turned her head and he was kissing her again. This time she was the aggressor. Without any prompting, she lifted her leg, wrapping it around his hard thigh. Her skirt fell back, revealing her tight-clad leg. It was like being naked in his arms almost.

Every hormone in Mercy’s body jumped to attention. She absorbed every touch, lost in the magic of sensations that flowed between them. His hands glided up her back, slowly as if testing her reaction. When she didn’t flinch or pull away, his fingers traced the bottom of her bra. When he realized it fastened in the front he gave a growl, making her smile into his kiss.

His hands wrapped around her sides. Fire flamed in every part of her body, her pussy clenching at the emptiness inside her. Her sexual experience was almost none existence, but she knew she wanted this man. Inside her. Now.

“Dirk,” she whimpered into his mouth, begging him to ease the ache inside her. He responded by moving a hand to grip her leg before jamming his cock against her center. He pushed her back until she was trapped against the wall and him. He continued to roll his hips, the placket of his jeans, stretched to bursting open from the swollen flesh of his cock, mashed the lips of her core, stimulating her clit, but not giving her the relief she craved.

The air around them seemed to fill with the energy of their desire, making her lightheaded as if drawing away the very oxygen in the air. Dirk must have felt it to for he slowed his movements, his hold loosing as he drew away from her. As they pulled apart completely, she wondered if he could hear the wild beating of her heart.

Dirk gazed at her a moment longer, the desire faded from his eyes, leaving them cold and hard as flint. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not a good man.”

“That’s not true.”

The emotion in Mercy’s eyes almost—almost—made Dirk stay. Instead, he stepped away, his bear giving him hell. “I need to go.”

“Dirk.”

And as abruptly as he had appeared, he walked out the door, leaving another swirl of snowflakes and cold in his wake.

MERCY PARKED HER small compact car on the street next to the Christmas tree lot. It was only two weeks until Christmas and business was booming. She bit her lip in indecision. Dirk was probably too busy to talk to her. Heck, he might not even be here. He could be out delivering a tree to another customer.

A female customer.

It didn’t surprise her when she felt a sharp slice of anger at the thought. She liked Dirk. Really, really liked Dirk.

She decided this had not been a good idea. Not a good idea at all. The man had literally run away after kissing her senseless. It was obvious the kiss hadn’t meant as much to him as it had to her. After all, he hadn’t attempted to contact her since.

Turning, she stumbled on her higher than normal heels. She’d dressed this morning in anticipation of stopping by the tree lot on her way home from work. She wore a pair of dark brown knee high boots and black tights. She remembered the touch of Dirk’s calloused palm as he’d caressed her beneath the dark fabric. The red sweater dress hugged her curves like there was no tomorrow. She’d even left her hair long and loose,

“Whoa there, little lady.” A pair of strong hands wrapped around her arms and kept her from performing an embarrassing, not to mention painful, nosedive onto the graveled lot.

Even as the man stabilized her, the plastic cake holder in her hand threatened to smash to the ground. In a dazzling display of coordination, he not only kept her upright, he prevented the cake from falling.

Once the earth had stopped spinning, Mercy looked up at her rescuer… and up and up. Marcus Abrams, owner of the Christmas tree lot, held her in his arms, his dark eyes smiling down at her. “Oh, thank you, Marcus. That would have been very embarrassing.”

“No problem, sweetheart.” He stepped away from her once she had gotten her footing again. “Whatcha doing here?” he asked, innocence dripping from his voice.

“I, umm.” Had Dirk talked about her with the other bear?

He smiled at her again, as if amused by her confusion.

“I, umm.” Another stutter and her face flooded with heat. “I brought a cake. To thank Dirk for bringing the tree by the library yesterday.”

“Mmmm.” The man rubbed his chin as if contemplating her words. “That’s nice of you, but shouldn’t I be getting the cake, since I was the one that donated?”

Oh, crap
, Mercy thought, her mind working at warp speed to get out of this situation with her dignity intact.

“What kind of cake is it?” She saw the amusement dancing in Marcus’ eyes and cursed the other bear. Holding the cake holder next to his face, he took a long, deep sniff.

She snatched the cake away. “It’s chocolate.”

“Really? I prefer a honey cake, darling.”

Mercy, being a woman after all, felt her insides clench at his low, velvety drawl calling her darling. Damn, he was almost as good looking as Dirk.

“It’s for Dirk.”

“Well, isn’t Dirk a lucky man.”

Another devil-may-care smile and Mercy realized she needed to step away from this shifter.

She cleared her throat and did just that. “I’ll just go give it to him.”

“He’s not here.”

Mercy felt her spirits deflate.

“He’s at his cabin. Up the mountain.” Marcus stood there, his hands in the front pocket of his jeans, watching her.

“I guess I’ll see him later.”

“Don’t you want to see him now?”

“Yes, but I can’t just show up at his doorstep.”

“I’m pretty sure he won’t care especially if you’re still intent on taking him that cake. I know I wouldn’t mind it.”

Mercy narrowed her eyes and stared at the bear shifter. Sure, she’d been flirted with before, but something about this whole exchange seemed a little off.

“His house is just past mine. Follow the road for about a mile, and then you’ll see a turnoff to your right. The road’s a little rough, but you’ll be able to make it. Just go slow.”

“I, thank you.” Her spirits lifted and she gave the man a smile.

That earned her a wink and she wondered again why this man hadn’t been taken off the market.

It took Mercy almost an hour to reach the turn off to Dirk’s cabin. The bravado she’d displayed at the tree lot faded as she made her way up the mountain road. All around her were groves of evergreens. Pines, spruces, firs. The snow that had fallen this week hadn’t melted off yet so the green branches were decorated with a frosting of white. It was beautiful.

She was so engrossed with the scenery, she almost missed the turnoff to Dirk’s cabin. There were no distinguishing landmarks or obvious signs that a road even existed. Feeling a little foolish, she almost used the driveway to turn around and high tail it back to her empty house. Then she remembered the small smile she’d coaxed out of the grumpy bear. Followed by those panty-melting kisses.

Not to mention the draw she still felt. Even though Riverton was a shifter town who boosted many happily mated couples, she was pretty sure that would never happen for her. That did not mean however, the she couldn’t be heart clenching attracted to a male shifter. She sighed sadly. Or, just because one might not be attracted to her, that she couldn’t fall in love with one.

She’d always had the impossible wish that, once she was an adult, a shifter would suddenly sweep her off her feet and declare his undying love. That hadn’t happened and she was pretty sure it never would.

She gasped when the cabin, as Marcus had so inadequately described it, came into sight. It was more than a cabin. Before her stood a house the likes of which she had never seen before. It was a one story, sprawling… log cabin? Maybe Marcus hadn’t been so far off the mark in his description. It was a cabin. The walls were built with huge wood logs, the outside surrounded by porches and decks that seemed accessible from any entry. It was surrounded by mature pines that stood straight and tall under the weight of the snow.

It was beautiful.

Sighing softly, she debated again about turning around. Going home and being happy with the life she had. A warm house, well most of the time it was warm, food in her stomach and… absolutely no one to share it with.

Courage, my child, courage
. One of her aunt’s favorite sayings popped into her mind. She loved her aunt but knew the woman wouldn’t have encouraged Mercy to seek out a grumpy bear shifter. Or a man at all.

Her aunt had tried to raise her in her own image—an unhappy spinster.

Gathering her courage—and the cake—she turned off the car engine and climbed from the seat. The sidewalk from the graveled driveway had been shoveled so there was no ice or snow to slip on. The wide front porch steps had also been swept clear of snow.

A firm knock later and she was waiting with anxious breath for Dirk to open the door. When a few minutes passed, she knocked again. It was a large house after all, so maybe he hadn’t heard her. She looked for a doorbell, but discovered there wasn’t one. No doubt he didn’t need it with his shifter hearing.

After another five minutes had passed, the cold was seeping in underneath her coat. Just because Marcus had said he was home that didn’t mean he was inside the house. Or that he wanted to answer the door. Debating about whether she should leave the cake or not, she didn’t hear the rustling of the pine at the side of the house. The next thing she knew a large bear was standing at the end of the porch, its front legs braced against the railings.

“Oh, my God!” Mercy’s eyes widened and she took a step backwards, almost tripping over the wooden rocker that sat by the front door. “A bear,” she said. “There’s a bear.”

When the bear didn’t move, just stood looking at her, some of her fear disappeared. She laid the cake on the seat of the rocker and took a tentative step forward. “Please be Dirk, please be Dirk,” she chanted as she walked the length of the porch, getting closer and closer to the two-ton bear. She had only ever seen a couple of shifters in their bear form. A few of the boys on the football team in high school and a couple who liked to wander around the edges of town. She wasn’t afraid of shifters. But was this really a shifter?

A foot away she stopped, studying the bear. His fur was almost a medium brown, no doubt darker now in the winter months than he would be during the summer. She didn’t know what kind of bear he was. A brown bear or a grizzly. Were there bear species specific to shifters?

All she knew was he was big and his paws sported sharp black nails on the ends. Paws that could knock her flat with one swipe and nails that could gut her like a fish.

Her gaze traveled back to the bear’s face and the last of her fears fled. This bear’s eyes were the same dark gray as Dirk’s. And she couldn’t explain it, but somehow she saw the man within the animal.

She moved closer, a smile on her face. “You are beautiful.” Without hesitation, she reached out to touch him. He chuffed and moved his head closer, almost like a dog who wanted to be petted. She laughed and raised both hands, running them through the fur on top of his head and down his back. The action moved her closer, the animal’s hot breath hitting the front of her chest, warming her. Exciting her. Which was just a little weird if she thought about it. But then, this wasn’t just a bear, it was Dirk.

She jumped a little when one paw came out to bat her closer. She stilled when he pressed his nose against the curve of her neck and breathed in deeply.
Oh, my God
,
I’m letting a bear sniff me. I’m not only letting a bear with sharp, deadly teeth near my throat, I’m giving him complete and total access
, she thought, realizing she had bent her head to the side, basically offering this bear—Dirk—her throat.

Dirk thought he had died and gone to heaven when he’d caught Mercy’s scent the moment she’d stepped from her small sedan. Now, with the nose of his bear pressed against the delicate skin of her throat, he’d be willing to die and go to heaven. Or hell. As long as he could take the scent of her—his mate—with him.

The animal roared with the admission, even though it had been nudging the man to accept his fate for days. The man had hesitated, unsure. Well, unaccepting of the fact. Not that Mercy wouldn’t make a perfectly good mate for a bear shifter. It was just that he didn’t want one. Didn’t think he deserved one.

And he still thought that. No matter how damn delicious she smelled.

He pulled back slowly so he couldn’t hurt her with his sharp claws. Dropping to his feet, he still reached the top of the railing. A big man, he was even bigger in his bear form. With one last lingering look, he turned and walked back into the trees, needing to put as much distance between him and the woman who could make him forget everything.

Even his haunted past.

Mercy watched as Dirk lumbered away, turning once when he reached the edge of the tree line to look back at her. She gave a small smile and waved. He continued on.

Sighing she thrust her hands in her pockets against the cold, slowly walking across the porch and down the steps.

“Don’t go.”

She swung back around to see Dirk standing where he’d just stood as a bear. Her eyes widened when he put his hands on the rail and jumped onto the porch. He moved toward her dressed only in a pair of form fitting jeans. Bare, broad shoulders tampered down to a muscled chest and chiseled abdomen. His large feet were bare. And damn sexy she thought offhandedly.

“I brought you a cake.”

“Thank you.” No smile, just the simple words.

“I, that’s really all—” Before she could say anything else, he had taken her arm and was ushering her through his front door. Her footsteps halted as the beauty inside his house made her gasp. If she’d thought the outside was heavenly, the inside was as beautiful as she’d always imagined the Taj Mahal being. The front door opened into a giant—and she did mean giant—open room. To the side she caught a glimpse of a kitchen but the wall of windows captured her attention completely. She’d seen immediately upon entering his home that he did not have a Christmas tree. Not a single twinkling bulb to light the dark, winter night. But as she walked closer to the windows, she realized he didn’t need it. Nature had given him her own Christmas decorations. She walked forward as if drawn by an invisible thread until her nose was pressed against the window, looking at the scenery much like a kid in a candy store would do.

“It’s beautiful.” Outside were more pines and bare limbed oaks and maples. Interspersed throughout the scene were trees whose autumn leaves were still hanging on tightly. The beauty of those colors topped with the sparkling white of the freshly fallen snow made one ache with the sense of peace it invoked.

“Yeah, it is.” Her eyes refocused, seeing Dirk’s reflection in the window. He was standing directly behind her, watching. Waiting. Shivers ran down her spine, knowing he spoke of her and not the beauty outside.

She turned around, her back pressed against the cool glass. She felt the chill seep through her coat. The setting sun shadowed his eyes but she felt his need. How, she didn’t know, but it reached out to her, tendrils of want, lust twining around her body, into her heart. Before she could lose her nerve, she took a step forward and put a hand on his bare shoulder. Leaning up, she kissed the corner of his mouth. She wasn’t quiet brave enough to touch his firm lips with her own. Not yet anyway.