Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume VII: The Steadfast Hot SoldierWild Thing

by Rhonda Nelson; Tawny Weber

  Bear felt a bemused smile drift over his lips and shook his head. He rocked back on his heels. “Only in Hydrangea.”

  She studied him for a second, the kind of probing regard that made him feel curiously exposed, transparent even, and irritatingly, he couldn’t get a read on her expression. “It’s got its perks,” she said. And with that oddly enigmatic statement, she turned and left, leaving him alone for the first time in years in his former home.

  Not surprisingly, he hated it.

  4

  A SUDDEN PRICKLING on the back of her neck and a tightness in her stomach told Veda faster than her eyes could confirm that Bear was watching her. Though she’d heard the door open and close many times over the last few minutes—common enough this close to the end of a class, when parents arrived to pick up their children—she nevertheless knew the exact instant when he came in. Had the atmosphere not instantly changed—she’d always been able to feel him—the sudden hush, followed by a spate of giggles, would have clued her in.

  “Ms. Veda, there’s a big man in here,” Sophie Charles whispered loudly.

  She felt her lips twitch and darted a glance across the room to where Bear stood. To her irrational annoyance, a cluster of women had already formed around him.

  Tina Charles, Sophie’s mother and a divorcée with big hair and surgically altered breasts, was currently eying Bear like the last éclair in the pastry case. Mandy Shipley, the bane of Veda’s high school existence, who was also newly divorced and reputedly in search of her next victim, er, husband, had also joined the little group huddled around him. Mandy laughed loudly at something Bear said, then pressed her hand against his arm, as if he was just too funny for her to contain herself.

  To her delight, Bear looked a little taken aback by Mandy’s exaggerated laughter and smiled awkwardly down at her.

  Knowing nothing would break up the flirting session faster than the patter of little feet, Veda quickly dismissed the girls and walked over to where Bear stood. “Just let me change and I’ll be ready to go,” she said with more than a little satisfaction. They didn’t have to know that her dinner with Bear wasn’t a date—they just needed to know that he was there for her. Petty? Shallow? Yes…and she rather liked it.

  Both Mandy and Tina turned to look at her. “Showing Bear some of Hydrangea’s Southern hospitality, are you, Veda?” Mandy asked, her smile a little sick and strained around the edges.

  “Yes, but he’s actually—”

  Bear nodded and determinedly made his way to her side, then slung an arm around her shoulder and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “She is,” Bear said, effectively interrupting her, his voice low and disconcertingly intimate.

  Had he not put his arm around her, she would have undoubtedly keeled over in shock.

  He’d kissed her, Veda thought faintly. Sure it was just against the side of her head, but his lips had touched some part of her body and her body had reacted accordingly. A flash of heat boiled beneath her skin and concentrated in her breasts and areas farther south. Her pulse leaped in her veins, and a little thrill instantly arced through her.

  “Veda and I go way back,” Bear said, giving her another little squeeze. “We spent some time together in New York. I’m looking forward to catching up with her this week.”

  We spent some time together in New York? What the hell?

  Mandy’s gaze darted between the two of him—lingering over Bear’s arm around Veda’s shoulder specifically—then seemed to make herself smile. “Of course you are. We were certainly glad to hear that Veda was buying your mom’s place. New York’s loss was Hydrangea’s gain.”

  “That’s right,” Tina chimed in, tightening her daughter’s ponytail until the little girl winced. “It was really a shame that all those stress fractures ended your dance career, Veda, but at least you haven’t had to abandon the field altogether. I’m sure you’ll find teaching every bit as rewarding as performing.”

  She felt Bear’s arm tense around her and knew it was in reaction to her own sudden anxiety. Funny how women had a way of saying cruel things under the guise of being polite. It was a mean-girl skill she never learned. “I’m sure I will,” Veda told her, not certain of that at all.

  Tina took her daughter’s hand. “Come along, Sophie. Ms. Veda has plans—” she lingered over the word “—for this evening.”

  A chorus of goodbyes accompanied the rest of the group out the door. Veda locked up behind them, then collected herself and turned to face Bear. “What the—”

  “Are they still hanging out on the sidewalk?” he asked, his tone grim and suspicious.

  Veda casually peeked through the plate glass window as she flipped the sign to Closed. “Yes. Why did you—”

  He peered around her. “Do they normally dawdle around like that?”

  “It’s not uncommon for the parents to spend a few minutes catching up before going their separate ways.” She felt another blush burn her cheeks. “And you’ve certainly given them plenty to talk about. Why on earth did you lie to them?” She snorted. “‘We spent time together in New York,’” she mimicked. “I haven’t seen you in twelve years.”

  Honestly, she couldn’t imagine what the hell he’d been thinking to imply that this was a date or that they were even as familiar with one another as he’d indicated. Yes, they were shameless flirts and he was admittedly a handsome newcomer, however brief his stay might be. And it had been unbelievably gratifying to see the looks on their faces when he’d indicated that he preferred her company to theirs. Still…

  Bear leaned a hip against the edge of her desk and gave her another one of those thorough once-overs that made her want to squirm. And maybe preen just a little.

  “I lied to give us the history we’re going to need to pull off the level of familiarity between us.”

  Level of familiarity? Wh—

  He winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “I know I just threw you under the bus, but it was the quickest, most expedient way to put an end to a potential problem. I don’t have the time or the inclination to get involved on any level with either one of those women and—” he chuckled, darkly “—believe me, I know the stalker-gleam when I see it.”

  She felt her lips twitch. “The stalker-gleam?”

  “It’s real,” he insisted. “If I hadn’t done something to deter them, I am confident that one or both would have turned up at Mom’s apartment with some sort of casserole loaded with processed cheese, and a bottle of wine.” He gave a little shudder.

  She inclined her head knowingly. “Ah. And I’m the deterrent then?”

  He had enough grace to grin sheepishly. “You’re an old friend helping out another old friend,” he said. “And it could be to your benefit, too, you know,” he said, quickly warming to his topic. “If you play along, then you’ll have an entire week without having to worry about who your parents are going to bring to your door.”

  She opened her mouth, a retort at the ready, then paused. Dammit, he had a point. A really good one, as a matter of fact. If her parents thought she was seeing Bear, they’d back off with the matchmaking attempts. No more surprise dinner dates, no more pointless errands to arrange their own forced version of the meet-cute. “You sure know how to tempt a girl.” She tapped a finger against her chin, still thinking. “And since I’ll be moved out at the end of the week, it’ll be harder for them to set me up with someone else.”

  “If you know that this is your last week in their guest house, then it’s certainly occurred to them,” he said, pressing his advantage. “They probably have someone waiting on you right now.” He smiled, the wretch. “This is a win-win deal,” he told her. “What do you think? Can you play along?”

  Could she pretend to adore him? To hang on to his every word? Enjoy his company? Find him irresistible and fascinating? She released a small sigh.

  Is this what they called life imitating art?

  She’d always wanted to be Bear Midwinter’s girl. Even if she was just the pretend variety
, it was a whole helluva lot better than the nothing she would have ever been otherwise. So much for not doing something stupid. A mere kiss against her hair and she was putty in his hands.

  Veda shrugged fatalistically. “Why not?” she said, expelling a long breath. “After all, you can’t very well put my house in order if you’re constantly fending off unwanted advances, can you?”

  He smiled at her, those dimples she loved winking in his cheeks. “I knew you’d see it my way.” He cocked his head and looked past her again. “They’re still out there.”

  “They’re curious,” she said, shooting him a droll look. “Our so-called relationship is probably the most interesting thing to hit Hydrangea since the birth of Harold Meadow’s five-legged goat.”

  He chuckled and his gaze skimmed over her face, lingering on her lips. “I bet that was a real spectacle.”

  Sweet heaven, if he didn’t stop looking at her like that, she was going to be in serious danger of believing their make-believe relationship herself. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think… Nah. Wishful thinking. She swallowed. “It was.”

  He strolled purposely forward and took her hand. Pressing a kiss against her fingers, he tugged her forward, more closely up against him. Her entire body tingled and she exhaled a breathless little gasp as he bent his head toward hers. “Then we should probably make sure we give them a good show, huh?”

  His lips hovered just above hers, a mere hairsbreadth away, waiting for her consent.

  Veda gulped. Her heartbeat thundering in her ears to a mash-up of “Hallelujah” and Etta James’s “At Last”, she smiled, then cupped the side of his face with her hand, skimmed her thumb along his woefully familiar cheek and uttered a barely audible, “P-probably so.”

  Less than a second later, Bear’s beautifully sculpted lips met hers and the sensation that accompanied that initial touch was more explosive and thrilling than anything she’d ever experienced before. She felt him momentarily hesitate, as though he, too, was as startled by the connection, then he groaned low in his throat and deepened the kiss. It was deep and dark and sinful and he felt wonderful against her, so big and masculine, perfectly muscled, brilliantly proportioned.

  His lips slid over hers with dizzying skill and his clever tongue tangled with and stroked hers, igniting a fire in her blood that made her hands tremble as they slid over his body. Her insides quaked with a feeling more rooted in primal need than generic desire.

  His big hands framed her face, pushed into her hair, sending a prickling of gooseflesh over her scalp. He was gentle but sure, and the kiss was nothing short of bone-meltingly, thigh-tremblingly perfect. She breathed him in, inhaling the scent of his aftershave—something smooth and woodsy—and he tasted like Butter Rum Life Savers, sweet iced tea and something else, something uniquely, singularly Bear.

  In the dimmest recesses of her mind, Veda knew she was playing with fire. This was pretend, after all, and even if it wasn’t, he would be leaving at the end of the week. A pitiful flicker of self-preservation lit her consciousness at the thought, but was quickly burned away by the heat licking through her veins. Her breasts felt heavy against her chest, her nipples beaded tightly behind her bra and a low, achy throb settled hotly between her legs. She barely resisted the urge to squirm against him.

  Breathing heavily and with a reluctance that could only be described as flattering, Bear slowly ended the kiss. He rested his forehead against hers and smiled down at her. Humor and warmth and something else—surprise, maybe?—lit his twinkling, golden eyes. “Wow,” he breathed. “You sure know how to…act.”

  Veda chuckled. “I just followed your lead,” she said. A quick glance from the corner of her eye confirmed at least two people benefited from their performance. Tina Charles was green with envy and Mandy Shipley’s mouth appeared to have unhinged from her jaw.

  Sweet.

  “Have you swallowed it already?”

  She blinked. “What?”

  “The canary,” he said, chuckling. “That smile is more than a little self-satisfied.” His gaze followed hers and his grin widened. “Ah, now I see.”

  She’d just bet he did. Oh, well. He wanted to pretend they were together to keep Mandy and Tina from stalking him. Was it her fault that an added benefit to that was making them jealous as hell?

  “You’ve got your perks for our arrangement and I’ve got mine,” she said. “They’re petty, I’ll admit, but quite…gratifying.”

  He bent and kissed her again, just a brush of his lips against hers and another burst of sensation bolted through her. “Gratification is good.”

  Veda shuddered. It certainly was…and it came in so many different forms.

  5

  “EVENING, VEDA,” the skinny waitress said, casting a speculative glance between the two of them. She nodded in his direction. “Evening, Bear. It’s been a long time.”

  He frowned, trying to place the woman. He knew he should know her and yet…

  “Nancy Jenkins,” she said. “The last time I saw you, I was piling French fries on your plate at the high school. I always tried to give you a little extra. You might have been big, but you never quite looked like you had enough to eat.”

  Ah. He remembered her now. “Thanks, Nancy,” he said, shooting a look at Veda across the table. If she thought anything was odd about Nancy’s glib comment, she didn’t betray it. While his mother had certainly never tried to starve him, keeping food in the house was never high on her list of priorities. It was mildly disconcerting to realize that people had noticed. “You’re not at the high school anymore then?” he asked, for lack of anything better to say.

  Nancy laughed and shook her head. “Goodness, no. I’ve gotten older and less tolerant. And kids have definitely gotten ruder.” She nodded. “The diner suits me fine. If someone comes in that I don’t like and I don’t want to serve them, then me and Jenny—” she jerked her head in the direction of the other waitress on duty “—just switch out.”

  “What happens if neither one of you like the person who just came in?”

  Nancy grinned. “We flip for it.” She opened her order pad. “What can I get you to drink?”

  Bear quirked a brow at Veda.

  “I’ll have a sweet tea,” she said. He requested the same and, after a brief look at the menu, Nancy left with their order.

  “She’s quite a character,” Veda remarked with a tilt of her head in Nancy’s direction. “She’d left the high school by the time I’d come through.”

  Feeling a bit more relaxed, Bear leaned back against his seat and studied her thoughtfully. “Go ahead and make me feel old,” he teased.

  She snorted. “You’re not old. You’re what? Thirty-two?”

  He would be. This week, as a matter of fact. “Not until Friday,” he said, “so don’t rush me.”

  She brightened, and for whatever reason, her pleasure made something in his chest shift. “Your birthday’s Friday?”

  Bear chuckled at her delighted expression. “Don’t get so excited. It’s just another day.” One that his mother had never acknowledged, since that was the day he’d ruined her life. Hell, if it hadn’t been for the other kids’ mothers bringing cupcakes to school on their birthdays, he would have never known that it was supposed to be a big deal. Celeste had never made him a cake, much less given him a present.

  “No, it’s not,” she admonished, scolding him playfully. “It’s the only day of the year that’s completely about you. It’s your day.”

  He took a sip of the tea Nancy put in front of him and winced. “Whatever you say.”

  “I do say,” she insisted. She leaned forward, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. “What kind of fake girlfriend would I be if I didn’t make sure your birthday was special?”

  Fake girlfriend she may be, but she sure as hell kissed him like she meant it. His insides vibrated, just remembering. The first brush of her sweet lips against his had rocked him to the soles of his opportunistic feet, had made his ears ring, h
is skin prickle, his stomach flutter. It was hands down the very best kiss he’d ever had because he’d felt it…everywhere.

  Had he been worried about those keen-eyed, eager divorcées at the studio? To a degree, yes. Call him old-fashioned, but when he was interested in a woman, he liked to pursue her, not vice versa, and that Mandy what’s-her-name had all but posted a no-trespassing sign on his groin. And Tina hadn’t been too far behind. Furthermore, he hadn’t been lying when he said he didn’t have time to avoid them, that pretending that he and Veda were an item would be beneficial and expedient.

  That was all true.

  And it was convenient, because the truth of the matter was…he’d just wanted to kiss her.

  He’d taken one look at her this morning and felt as though he’d had the wind knocked out of him. It was more than mere attraction—attraction he understood and liked to think he could even control. But this… This was different. It was more potent, more thrilling, more substantial, for lack of a better description, than anything he’d ever experienced before. He looked at her and, the extreme sexual attraction aside, he felt something else…something new and elusive, almost haunting. It made him ache and, irrationally, he knew she was the only person who could make it stop.

  Nancy slid their meals in front of them, and Veda noticed the especially large servings on his plate with a wry arch of her brow.

  “Don’t get your feelings hurt, sweetie,” Nancy told her. “Given those delicate bones of yours, you need to be careful about how much weight you put on them.” She patted Veda on the shoulder and quickly moved on to check her other tables.

  Looking adorably mortified, Veda glanced heavenward and chewed the inside of her cheek. “Why did I move back here again?”

  Bear grinned and forked up a bite of meat loaf. “Don’t ask me. You’re the one who was telling me that it had perks.”

  “It does,” she said grimly. “I’m just having a hard time remembering what they are at the moment. Honestly…”