Shift Out of Luck (Bear Bites Book 1) (5 page)
Read Shift Out of Luck (Bear Bites Book 1) Online
Authors: Ruby Dixon
“
Y
ou sure
you want to come in?” I cut the engine. I ran and got the truck this morning because no way was I making Adelaide walk all the way back to the road.
“Yes. We’re a couple, right?” She flicks her index finger between us. Cautiously, I nod yes. “Then we go in together because we’re both involved. Besides, what if Eli goes off on you? I’ll be there to tell him that I forced it out of you.”
I run my eyes over her sexy frame. Even if Eli bought the improbable story that Adelaide forced me to do anything, I wouldn’t let her take an ounce of the blame.
I couldn’t have stayed away from her. I know that now, but I sure as shit could have kept my mouth shut. I didn’t because I wanted Adelaide to mate with me. I wanted her to have our cubs and bring her special scent into my house where I could have her night and day.
“If Eli gets mad, he’ll get mad at me. You aren’t in any danger,” I reassure Adelaide as I help her out of the truck.
“I should hope not. If he gets mouthy, I’ll just tell him that I won’t take clients from the Lodge anymore.” She tips her nose in the air and marches toward the Lodge as if she’s wearing a suit instead of tight Daisy Duke shorts and a half-buttoned plaid top.
Leo is lounging on the Lodge steps as we approach. He doesn’t have any qualms about eyeing up Adelaide as if she’s a fresh honeycomb just spun from fat, hothouse-fed bees. A low growl of dominance and challenge echoes from my chest. His eyes flick up to meet mine and then drop to his shoes to show me I’ve nothing to worry about. But in that brief moment, I catch a glimpse of unholy mischief.
“Have a good time in the woods?”
“Um, yes?” Adelaide says.
“Shut up, asshole,” I answer, and gently prod Adelaide up the stairs. I don’t think now is the time to tell her that while the pine trees might have provided plenty of visual cover, the sounds and smells of our mating wouldn’t have escaped any bear within a five-mile radius.
“Just wanting to make sure you had a good time,” Leo lies cheerfully. He knows we had a good time. He’s just needling me, but I can’t get real angry because after three years of waiting, I finally have Adelaide. And now I was going to make sure I could keep her.
“Better time than you’ve had with anyone but Rosy Palm,” I mutter as I pass him.
“The right hand is a regular and reliable date,” Leo grins. “Plus she knows exactly how I like it.”
“You need to get out more. Maybe go for a walk in the woods. Worked for me,” I offer magnanimously.
“Maybe I do.”
Inside the Lodge’s cool lobby, Adelaide raises her perfect eyebrows. “Rosy Palm? Did you just tell Leo that all he does is masturbate?”
I flush a little, like a schoolboy caught passing dirty notes by the teacher. “Depends on if it makes you mad.”
She laughs. “No. It reminds me of some friends back home. They are always joking with each other.”
“Okay, then, yeah. But it was all in fun.”
“I’m glad, because Leo seems like a nice guy.” Nice guy? I don’t like that. I frown at her and don’t even try to stop the unhappy growl that rumbles in the back of my throat.
Adelaide pats me on the arm. “Don’t worry, big guy. I’m only hot after you. Leo came and told me not to give up on you when you were being a poopy head the other day.”
Well, shit. Now I have to be nice to Leo. “That was decent of him,” I admit grudgingly.
“It was, wasn’t it?” She smiles as if it doesn’t bother her at all that she’s asking me to be nice to Leo.
I mumble something to myself about how being nice to Leo would ruin my day. She just pats my shoulder, and to tell the truth, as long as she’s handing out these little caresses, I’ll probably do whatever it is she wants.
Her happy demeanor disappears when we reach the Lodge office. At my knock, Eli’s booming voice tells us to come in.
“Don’t worry,” I whisper against her ear. “He doesn’t bite.”
“Eli, I wanted you to meet Adelaide. I told you about her the other day. Adelaide owns the spa in town. You probably know each other.”
Eli rounds his desk in about three giant strides. “Nice to see you again, Adelaide. We’re getting a lot more couples now that you’ve opened up your business.” He shakes his head at her outstretched hand. “I can’t touch you or this old man here will have my head.”
I give Adelaide an ‘I’m sorry’ look, but Eli’s right. My need to make sure that it’s my scent all over her body, undiluted by any other males, will abate over time, but right now it’s pretty danged high. No need for an unnecessary domination fight.
Eli waves his hand toward a chair, but I’m in a hurry to get home. Adelaide and I both have to open our stores in two hours, which barely gives us enough time to go home, have shower sex, and return to town.
I throw an arm around Adelaide’s shoulders. “Adelaide is my mate now. I told her I’m a bear and that most of Pine Falls are shifters.”
She squeaks at the rough embrace, but doesn’t move away. “I’m not going to tell anyone. I swear it!” She holds up her hand as if making an oath on a non-existent bible.
Eli leans his ass against the front of his desk and crosses his arms. “It took you long enough,” he says to me.
Adelaide coughs into her hand to disguise a laugh. His lips quirk up at her response. He likes her and will have no problem letting her in the clan. My heart swells with satisfaction.
“Adelaide is worth the wait,” I tell them both. She sighs.
Eli turns to her. “We aren't ashamed of our nature, Adelaide. But there are some out there who might not be as accepting as you. Which is why we’re careful about how and when and why we share this information.”
“I understand.” She slips an arm around me, and I’m deeply touched by her show of support. “And I would never do anything that would jeopardize Cole or his family. And you are his family.”
Eli nods. “We are. And we’re your family too. Violet made another batch of those honey cookies. You should get a few on your way out.”
That’s Eli’s way of telling us that the meeting is over and he wants us to leave.
Any other time I would've stopped and gotten a couple dozen of Violet’s cookies to shove in my mouth, but I am far more interested in getting Adelaide home. There isn’t anything in the kitchen, and nothing Violet could cook up, that would taste better than Adelaide.
“I’ll open the store for you,” Leo calls out as I drag Adelaide out of the Lodge and into the truck.
She looks at me with regret. “I should probably go and supervise the opening of my store. There’s someone there, but I still should be there…”
I press a kiss to her forehead. “No worries. We have the rest of our life together.”
And I mean it.
D
ear Readers
,
I’m a big fan of Alexa Riley’s smutty novels and she loves shifters. Me too! We agreed that we would write a few shifter novellas for each other.
This January, please enjoy the four Bear Bites novellas. After January, I'll be returning to the big blue aliens we all know and love. Stay tuned!
Lastly, if you enjoy the books, please, please leave a review. Tell me what you think and who you’re hoping to see in future books. Tell me if you want more books and what kind! I want to know your thoughts and leaving reviews helps me as an author in so many ways.
—
R
oo
I’m a loner for a reason. I don’t have much in the way of social skills. I’d rather sit on my deck and watch the sunset than hit a tavern with coworkers. My idea of grooming is to trim my beard with a straight blade when it hits my collarbone. I can’t put two words together in the company of a pretty woman…and they don’t come much prettier than wolf-shifter Madison Thorne.
She’s everything I’m not—outgoing, easy on the eyes, and sweet. There’s no way I’m convincing her to come home with me. Fortunately I don’t have to. Maddie seems to like my gruff, unpolished self. At least, she likes me enough for one night.
The problem is getting her to stay forever.
I’ve been looking for a mate in all the wrong places. When the right one shows up in Pine Falls with a man in tow, I almost miss her. Caroline Abbott is a sweetheart of a city girl who is making one last stab at keeping her (dead) relationship together. When her fool of an ex takes off and leaves her alone in the forest, I’m more than happy to step into his abandoned shoes.
While I can make her shout with pleasure, I worry those screams will turn to fear when she realizes that my hidden half is a bear.
I can’t keep the secret much longer, but telling her might scare her off for good.
There are few things that are off limits to the were-bears of Pine Falls, but humans are one of them. Which is a real pain, because I’ve had it bad for curvy Adelaide Laurent ever since she sashayed into town. The fact that she’s forbidden fruit just makes my fantasies all the sweeter.
But when she signs up to go on a weekend camping trip with the town’s biggest player, it’s time for a bear to step in and claim his mate.
I don’t care if it breaks the rules. She’s mine, and it’s time she knew it.
Life’s given me the short end of the stick on looks – I’m big, ugly and brutish. Normally I wouldn’t care about the packaging except for the fact that the woman of my dreams is Ryann Brown, a human half my age and so lovely she makes my body ache. What’s a were-bear to do in this situation?
Whatever he can to forget her, of course.
Except Ryann’s not taking no for an answer. And when she catches me watching her one night, she gives me a show I’ll never forget. Did I think I’d be able to walk away and not touch her? Not claim what’s mine?
Not a chance.