Ranger Bear (Rogue Bear Series 1) (3 page)

H
e stared across the kitchen
. His bear wanted to wrap his arms around her and take her upstairs. Take her to bed. Take her to his kind of heaven. She was everything he fought for. Everything his bear needed. All he could think about was claiming her. But he crossed his arms, forbidding that to happen.

God, she was his best friend’s sister. He couldn’t just tell her she was his mate. He had to fucking figure it out before he claimed her.

“Thanks again for dinner.” He tossed the towel by the sink. “I think I’ll call it a night so I can get an early start in the morning.”

“Oh right.” She jumped from the table. “I haven’t been in the apartment in ages. Let me get some things together for you.” She raced past him.

“I don’t need anything,” he protested, but she returned with an armful of blankets and towels.

“Here. I think this should be enough.”

He wasn’t about to tell her he could sleep just as comfortably with his head on a rock. “Thank you.”

He pulled the blankets against his chest, brushing her hand in the process. It felt soft and delicate. He almost groaned at the contact.

“Oh, wait.” She rushed after him before he reached the front door.

He turned, suppressing the growl that was rising in his chest. Her auburn hair fell over her shoulders in waves and her breasts bobbed just in front of him. He wanted to reach out and touch her. Run his hands over her skin. Run his tongue over her mouth and throat.

“What is it?”

“There’s no plumbing out there.” She grimaced. “Sorry. It’s the part that never got finished. Sam always thought he would get to it.” Her eyes filled with sadness and Kyle’s chest tightened.

“Looks like another project to add to the list.”

“You can use the guest bath down here.” She pointed into the darkness. “I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.”

“Thanks.” He opened the door. If he didn’t get out of here, he wouldn’t be able to reel his bear back in.

“Good night, Kyle.”

“Good night, Whitney.”

H
e climbed
the stairs to the second floor of the barn. There was a light switch at the top of the staircase. The room was finished off, but he could see where the bathroom had been plumbed, but no fixtures were installed.

He looked around the room. There was a single window at the end of the room. There was a bed pressed against the wall and a dresser on the opposite side. He dropped the sheets and towels on the mattress.

He looked out the window. From here he could see the back of the house. There was a single light on upstairs. Whitney’s room, he thought. He lowered the blinds and turned toward the bed.

Sleep. He needed to sleep. Hopefully it would quiet his bear, and all the feelings that had surfaced since he laid eyes on Whitney.

He peeled his T-shirt over his head, and shrugged the jeans off his legs. His dog tags dangled around his neck as he flung himself chest down on the bed. Within minutes he was asleep.

W
hitney crept downstairs
. She thought she heard sounds coming from the back of the house.

“Hello?” she called into the hallway.

“Good morning.” The bathroom door opened and Kyle stood in front of her. Toothbrush in hand. Towel wrapped around his waist.

Holy shit. She wanted to count every indentation on his stomach.

“G-good morning,” she stammered. Her eyes stopped where the towel was tucked at his hipbone.

The water rolled down his chest. The rest of his body was as gorgeous as his rugged face.

Part of her thought yesterday had been a dream. Too much wine. Too much time alone. But here he was. Kyle was standing in front of her half-naked and wet.

“Sleep ok?” he asked. He turned to spit in the sink.

“Mmmhmm. How about you? How was the apartment? Did you freeze? Do you need more blankets?” She should have checked on him.

“Great. Slept like a bear.” He winked at her. “Looks like there’s another storm coming today. What if I tackle some of the inside things? I can’t do as much in the rain.”

She nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll make breakfast.”

She left him to towel off and get dressed while she worked on breakfast. She would need to make a trip into town and buy groceries. But she had enough bacon and eggs to feed him. A man like that must eat a ton.

She threw a few pieces of bacon in a frying pan. In a few minutes they began to sizzle. She started a pot of coffee.

It was nice to cook. It felt natural and normal to make a meal for someone else again. She started to hum as she whipped the eggs in a bowl.

“Smells good.” Kyle appeared in the doorway.

She smiled. She couldn’t help it. It was raining and dreary and cold as hell outside, but she felt like there was something to be happy about with Kyle in the kitchen.

“Want some coffee?” she offered.

“I’ll take a cup.” He sat at the kitchen table.

She poured coffee into a large mug and handed it to him. “I have a realtor coming by later today.”

“Oh yeah?” He watched as she hovered over the stove. She added cream to the eggs and started whisking again.

“I need to get things started to list the house. I have no idea what price to put on it. The property is several acres, the waterfront, the barn, and the house.”

“Hmm. You’re sure you want to sell it? I’ve never seen anything like this place.”

She turned to face him. “It’s too much work. I can’t take care of it by myself. It might be different if…”

She wasn’t sure what would make it all change. If Sam had lived. If her parents were still here. If she had someone in her life to share all of this with.

“You don’t have to explain. I get it.” He sipped the coffee and looked out of the bay window. “The view from here is amazing. Sure beats looking at the desert.”

“It’s like we’re the only people in the world. It’s so isolated. I think that’s why my parents bought it. They wanted a refuge for Sam and me. Someplace we could go that would protect us from the rest of the world.” She poured the eggs into the pan. “I just wish he had been here more.”

“I’m sure he wished that too.” Kyle’s voice was quiet.

She pulled two plates from the cabinet and served bacon, eggs, and toast.

“I don’t know if I can believe that.” Every time she thought about Sam leaving it started the roller coaster of grief again. If only he had stayed.

She sat across from Kyle.

“I don’t know if this will make you feel any better, but your brother died doing something he loved.”

Her eyes shot to his. “It doesn’t.” She instantly regretted snapping at him.

She didn’t think she could explain how she teetered in her grief. One minute she was sad. The next furious, and then nostalgic with memories of Sam. It had been a month since she received the news her brother had died in Razastan.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t mention it.” Kyle finished his bacon and eggs and pushed back from the table. “I’m going to head to the store. I’ll be back in an hour or so. Need anything?”

He paused in front of the kitchen door.

Whitney shook her head. “No.”

“All right.”

He walked out. She heard his footsteps fade and then the front door close behind him.

H
e drove
down one dirt road and then another before the tires hit pavement. She was pissed. Livid. Frustrated with her brother. Angry at the world for taking him. Kyle could see it. He could smell it. And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

Her emotions were in her eyes. The same emotions he pushed down every day.

He hit the steering wheel with his fist. He was angry too. He watched his best friend die. He couldn’t get there in time. He should have been able to save him. He was a fucking bear. What was the point of having strength and power if he couldn’t save Sam from that explosion?

He pulled up to the hardware store and grabbed the list he had scribbled. He wasn’t going to let Whitney pay for any of it. He was going to make sure the house was perfect. Every nail. Every crack. Every seam would be perfect for her. Because when he had to leave again, he had to know she would be safe and protected.

K
yle looked
up from the bathtub. Whitney was holding a glass of ice water in his direction.

“Thought you might need a break.” She placed the glass on the counter.

“Thanks.” He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. “I should have the leak fixed for you once this caulking dries.” He stepped out of the tub.

“So my shower was the culprit?”

He nodded, chugging the water. “Yep. The water was seeping between the tiles. But I’ve re-grouted the entire wall and this will seal it.”

She twisted her lips against her teeth. Holy hell. She had no idea how that made his cock jerk to life. He would have taken a step back, but the bathroom was small and there wasn’t anywhere to turn.

“That’s a relief.” She smiled.

He was glad that when he returned from the hardware store she seemed less angry. He had found her wrapping up the meeting with the realtor. He wanted to ask what the verdict was on the listing, but he knew it wasn’t any of his damn business.

The realtor had left her with a folder and a stack of business cards. Kyle couldn’t imagine this place ending up in someone else’s hands. He would do whatever he could to help her keep it. He just didn’t know how he would convince her yet.

“Hey, I’m going to the grocery store. I might be gone awhile. Any requests?”

“Surprise me.” He winked. He knew he was flirting, but his damn bear was getting impatient. He wanted to lure her in. He wanted to touch her. He wanted her in his bed.

“Oh, all right.” She wiggled past the grout bucket. “Be back soon.”

Kyle turned back to the tub. “Work,” he growled. “Just fucking work.”

T
hat night he ate quickly
, praising Whitney’s cooking before running for the barn. She had brought out another bottle of wine, but he turned down the glass she offered. He would wait until she fell asleep before he headed back to the house for a shower.

Being around her was killing him. It was torture to know his mate was right in front of him, but he couldn’t take her. He couldn’t make her his.

He needed a side project. Something to keep his hands busy. Otherwise they were going to end up on her.

The workshop in the barn was well equipped with tools. He rummaged through the supplies, examining a stack of teak wood stashed under a cabinet. He held one of the pieces between his hands. It was good wood. The veins of the cut would make a nice piece of furniture.

He turned to the saw and came up with a plan. This would be perfect. He drew out a plan and got to work.

A few hours later he climbed the stairs to the apartment. The wind had picked up and Kyle looked out the window, waiting for Whitney’s bedroom light to go black. The branches around him swayed. Finally, the light went out. He picked up his shaving kit and made the trek across the yard.

This was the way it had to be for now. He let himself in the house, listening for any sounds that Whitney might be awake.

He walked to the bathroom, locked the door behind him, and started the shower. He tried to ignore the fact that one story up his mate was sleeping in her bed. The woman he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with was up there. Only she didn’t know it. And if she did, she might hate him for it.

K
yle had been
at the house for three weeks. Whitney kneeled on the porch, running a paintbrush over the new wooden beams he had used to replace the rotting pieces.

She couldn’t figure him out. She couldn’t figure any of it out. He had landed on her doorstep ready to do anything she asked. Some sort of gift from Sam.

The light switch in her room worked. The step had been replaced. The dryer didn’t make a rattling sound anymore. Her shower didn’t leak. The gate opened. The porch swing was hung. Right now he was on the roof, tacking down new shingles.

Every morning they had breakfast together. Every afternoon lunch. And at night she made dinner. Not just any dinner. She tried recipes she had never attempted. French sauces. Grilled combinations with special spices. She dusted off her old cookbooks. She did everything she could to impress him with her cooking. But after every meal he cleaned the kitchen and hit the door for the barn.

It didn’t make any sense. His eyes were always on her. She hadn’t been with many men, but she knew when eyes were undressing her. And Kyle Brake was always undressing her.

She shoved the paintbrush back in the can and stood back to examine her work. Once the paint dried it would blend in with the rest of the railing.

“Hey.”

She heard his voice over her shoulder. She spun around.

“You scared me.”

“Sorry.” He grinned. “Done on the roof.”

“How did you do that so fast?” The bridge of his forehead was sweaty. Damn he was the sexiest sweaty man she had ever seen.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought. But I did notice some flashing missing around the chimney. I’m going to head to the store and get some. Be back.”

“Want me to ride with you?” she offered.

“Nah. I got it.”

She watched him climb into his Jeep and speed off down the driveway. She put her hands on her hips. Maybe there wasn’t much to figure out. Kyle wasn’t interested. The sooner she accepted that, the easier it would be to spend time with him every day.

S
he had been dreading it
, but Sam’s room wasn’t going to pack itself. She pushed open the door, armed with cardboard boxes and a trash bag.

“I can’t believe you left me this mess,” she spoke to the empty room.

Once Sam joined the Army, he had made the house his legal residence and moved everything from his apartment into this bedroom. He said there was no reason to keep an apartment or to buy another house. He was a drifter as long as he was a Ranger.

He didn’t accumulate much, but the closet was full of high school football trophies. Whitney pulled a stack of yearbooks from the top shelf. She dusted them off and put them on the bed.

There was a box on the floor, under his winter coats. She opened the top flap. It was full of Ranger school manuals. She sat on the floor, looking through everything her brother had saved.

What if Sam hadn’t joined the Army? She looked at the pictures of him in his uniform. He was a handsome guy, but she never would have told him that. It would have gone straight to her older brother’s head.

She wiped away a tear.

“Whitney?” She heard Kyle’s voice outside the door. He stepped into the room. “There you are. I’m back from the store.”

He stopped. His eyes landed on the pictures in her lap, the tears streaming down her face.

“What happened? What’s wrong?” His chest puffed forward and his eyes immediately darted to the window. He scanned the room.

She shook her head. “I’m fine. I thought I’d pack up Sam’s things, but maybe I shouldn’t. It’s too soon, but I’ve got to clean this stuff out of here.”

“Oh.” He lowered his voice. He took a step toward her, crouching to the floor so they were eye level.

She caught her breath when he reached for her face and brushed the tears from her cheeks. “What did you find?” he asked.

It was tender and sweet. His skin was warm.

“Maybe you can help me.” She couldn’t take her eyes off him. The world had felt dark and sad, and then he walked into the room. His wide shoulders making her feel protected. His eyes full of concern. His touch gentle.

“Sure. What do you have?” He sat next to her.

She shoved the manuals in his lap. “Do I need to save these?”

He looked down at the manuals and chuckled. “He kept these?” He flipped open the first one.

“Are they important?” she asked.

“Not really. It’s just basic intro school stuff. It’s not like there are any classified secrets in here.” He seemed to enjoy looking through the manual. “Man, I forgot our instructor’s name.”

“Were you in this class with Sam?”

“Yeah. It was our first class together. Who knew we’d end up on the same team?”

“Was anyone else from that class on your team?”

“No. Half of them didn’t make it through the training. Then after that one, there was another Special Forces school. The graduation rate isn’t very high.” He eyed her and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

“Sam didn’t tell me much.”

“I’m sure he wanted to. We can’t share much about we do.” His voice was thick and husky and sitting this close to him, she was feeling her skin begin to tingle.

She picked up a stack of pictures from the box. “Do you know who any of these guys are?”

Kyle shuffled through them, pausing every once and awhile. “Yeah, I knew a few of these guys.” He handed them back to her.

“Do you want them?” she offered. “I don’t know who they are. You can keep them if you like.”

“No. It’s better if I don’t get attached to things. I travel lightly. Everything I have fits in my Jeep.”

Her forehead creased. “Well, that’s kind of a sad way to live. You don’t keep pictures? Or what about books? Family mementos? You must have at least one Christmas ornament.”

He shook his head. “Tools and clothes. That’s it. I can’t afford to put down more roots than that right now.”

Suddenly her chest felt heavy. If Kyle Brake wasn’t the definition of unavailable she didn’t know what man was.

“Oh. All right.” She threw everything back in the box and tossed the manuals on top. “I think I’ll do this another time.”

“You sure? I can take it to the burn pile for you.”

“I can’t burn my brother’s things.” She knew how angry she sounded and she didn’t care. How could he even suggest it? The fury had surfaced before she could even think about controlling it.

“Sorry. Sorry.” He put his hands in the air. “I think I’ll just get back to the roof. I’ve got to get the flashing up before it rains again.”

And before she could apologize he was gone.

“Damn it,” she whispered.