Joel (BBW Bear Shifter Wedding Romance) (Grizzly Groomsmen Book 5)

by Becca Fanning

  “Thanks.” She sniffed the bar, and the scent of creamy honey filled her nose. She wouldn’t mind smelling like that all day, so long as it didn’t dry out her skin.

  “Now, there’s one other thing I need to ask you.” He leaned forward, a playful glint in his gold eyes.

  She was wary, but said, “Yes?”

  “What are you doing Friday night?”

  Heat flooded her face. Was he asking her out, or was this some sort of sales tactic? “I’m not sure yet.”

  “Well, if you don’t have plans, I’d love to take you to dinner.”

  “Oh.” She swallowed hard. It had been so long since she’d been with Luke and almost as long since she’d had a date. But then her eyes fell to the messy desk, to the mud clinging to the sides of his boots, to the frayed edges of his jeans. Oh, but his tight jeans. Her toes curled inside her shoes. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” She stood. “There’s still the whole illegal moonshine thing. I just don’t date criminals.”

  She walked to the door and he followed her.

  “Would you like to talk to my business partner who’s responsible for the moonshine side of the business?” He leaned back to look down a hallway and called out, “Amir!”

  “How many of you live here?”

  “There are five of us. We live together and work together.”

  “And you’re all… in such good shape?” She thought of the other men she’d met and wondered if they kept a gym in their basement.

  He smiled and flexed his arms inconspicuously. She looked away and walked toward the door.

  “Blair.” He caught up with her in time to open the door for her. “My number is on the card you have in your office.” He walked with her to her car. “Will you call me and let me know how you like the soap at least?”

  “Sure.” She opened her car door and tossed in her purse and the soap. “Thank you for the tour.” She held out her hand.

  He raised an eyebrow at her, but shook her hand and waved as she drove off.

  “We have a problem.” Vanessa walked up to Blair as she stood looking over a display of shampoo.

  “Yeah, this shampoo isn’t selling,” Blair said.

  “Neither is the honey.”

  “Let’s have Dave try a new display, adding in some other scents and maybe conditioner, too.” Blair looked at the sales sheet Vanessa handed to her. Of the 20 bottles of honey she’d purchased weeks ago, five had sold.

  “And the worst part?” Vanessa handed her another slip of paper, this one hand written. “We got a complaint.”

  “About the honey?” Blair glanced over the note. Someone had returned a bottle, saying it had crystallized.

  “And.” Vanessa took a breath and exhaled. “Another local honey supplier stopped in before you got here. She’s asked for a similar display and is willing to supply bottles on a consignment bases for the first order.”

  Blair let out a frustrated growl. “What’s with all this honey lately? Sheesh. Fine. Whatever. If she’ll do it on consignment, fine. Small quantity, though. You can take care of it. Make sure the cashiers know how to track it properly.”

  When she sat in her office later that day, she snatched the card from her desk and picked up her phone, more than frustrated by her day.

  “Daxton,” she said curtly.

  “Hey Blair! Good to hear from you. How do you like the soap?”

  “It’s fine. The honey is the problem. I’ve only sold a few bottles, and I’ve already had one returned.”

  “Returned? Okay, tell you what. I’ll come down there personally and check it out, okay? Tomorrow?”

  “Fine.” She hung up on him.

  When Daxton came in the next morning, he was back to his suit and tie. Blair was relieved. First of all, it wouldn’t be too professional if he’d shown up in jeans and a t-shirt, but more importantly, she didn’t think she could take seeing all his muscles like that again. He looked so clean cut and professional in his suit. But as he walked toward her, she had to look away, and felt the heat rush up her neck. He looked a little too good in his suit and tie.

  “I think I found the problem.” He tossed her a bottle of the honey. The top inch of it had crystallized. “You can’t set honey in direct sunlight or it does that.” He pointed to the bottle. “The entire display was in front of those windows there.” He pointed to the wall of windows on one side of the store. They were tinted, but still let in a lot of light. “I moved the display, replaced the bottles of honey for fresh ones, and put up some new signage. That should make it better.”

  “Okay, thanks. I’ll let you know.”

  “I noticed you’ve started selling SheBear Honey.”

  “They’re also local. I thought I’d give my customers a choice of local honey. Since it’s in such high demand and all.” Her words were flat and sarcastic.

  “I wouldn’t sell that honey if I were you.”

  She laughed. “Is that your usual method for dealing with the competition?”

  “No. I know the group that runs that operation. If you’re concerned about safety and sanitation standards, you wouldn’t want their product in your store.”

  Her smirk faded. She hadn’t done half the research on this new company as she had with his. What if he was right? “Well, it’s on consignment, so I’m not as concerned.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He winked. “So…” he picked up her hand and sniffed her arm.

  She yanked it back from him and gave him a horrified look, to which he laughed.

  “I just wanted to see if you’re using the soap, and how it smelled on your skin. Everyone’s chemical makeup is a little different, you know. It smells really good on you.”

  “Thanks. It’s… umm… very moisturizing actually. And I do like the smell.”

  “I appreciate you testing it out for me. Would you be willing to try something else?”

  The wariness that was so present around him returned. “What?”

  He slid a small glass bottle from inside his jacket pocket. It contained a golden liquid, similar to his eye color, and a label that read, “Wild Honey Whiskey.”

  “Consider it a gift. A personal thank you from me.”

  She slipped the bottle into the pocket of her pants. “Thanks.”

  Blair turned to walk away, but he put a hand on her arm. When she turned back, his face was close to hers. He smelled of honey and musk, a combination that made her want to lick him all over.

  He leaned in and said, “I’m not who you think I am. I’m not nearly as bad, but I’m also much worse.”

  His stare was so intense, she could melt into the gold of his eyes. They were probably sweet like honey, too. She wanted to lean forward and kiss him. Feel his lips on hers and those strong arms holding her tight. Not nearly as bad, but also mush worse… She pulled from his grasp and walked away.

  That night, Blair sat alone in her bathtub of steamy water. She usually spent her soaking nights with a bottle of wine, but since she had the moonshine, she decided to change things up.

  The bubbles rose higher and she slipped lower. She reached over and picked up the bottle, then uncapped it. She tipped the bottle back and waited for the burn. She’d always known whiskey to be like fire, and moonshine also had a bad rep for being a bit hot. But this whiskey went down smooth and sweet. She took another sip, wondering if maybe it meant it wasn’t the strongest. She finished off the bottle too soon and smiled at the warmth that spread through her.

  After the water had cooled and the bubbles faded, she stood up to get out. The rush to her head was so fast, she reached out to the wall to steady herself. She giggled. She was far tipsier than she’d thought. Getting dressed was something of a challenge as she stumbled and dropped her robe repeatedly. She burst into a fit of laughing and fell to the floor, feeling buzzed like she hadn’t since she was a teen.

  When she finally got dressed and had sat down on the couch to relax and watch TV, she picked up her phone and dialed Da
xton.

  She wasn’t drunk and didn’t slur her words. She had a reasonable awareness of what she was doing as the phone rang. But right now, she felt so good, she didn’t care any longer about her hang ups.

  “Blair?” he answered. He must have her number saved.

  She grinned. “Hi Daxton. I just wanted to give you a call and tell you I really liked your whiskey.”

  “Did you? I’m glad. We get a lot of compliments.”

  “I bet. It’s so smooth. Like my skin after using your soap.” She felt the flush immediately. She hadn’t meant to say it so flirty like that.

  “That’s really good to know. You think your customers would enjoy it?”

  “I do, actually. I can’t sell the moonshine, but I can certainly sell the soap. Can you bring an order over to the store tomorrow?”

  “I’d love to.”

  “Daxton?”

  “Yes, Blair?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and gulped, then said the words quickly before she changed her mind. “I’m not busy Friday.”

  There was a long pause. “Are you saying you’d like to go out with me?”

  “I… think so?”

  He laughed. “Good enough for me.”

  Daxton had come in earlier that day to bring the soap and set up a display. Then, she couldn’t stop looking at him and had to walk away so she didn’t make a fool of herself. But now, she sat across from him at the table, and couldn’t keep the grin from her face. It didn’t help that he kept handing her his flask and they snuck sips of moonshine like they were teens drinking in secret.

  “How many times have you been stung?” she asked. He’d been telling her about the bees, which was far more fascinating than she’d imagined.

  “Lost count a long time ago. They don’t bother me much. And I’m not at home as much as the rest of my partners. I’m usually out making sales calls and taking care of the business end of things.”

  “The fun part,” she said sarcastically.

  “It can be. When I have a customer that turns out to be incredibly beautiful.”

  “Did you go to school to learn that charm?”

  “It comes naturally.” He pulled his mouth into half a smile. “I needed it when it came to you. I couldn’t believe it when you said you’d go out with me.”

  “Ah.” She looked down at the remains of her pasta dinner. “The whiskey may have had something to do with that.”

  “I knew it. You drunk dialed me, didn’t you?” He chuckled and took her hand across the table.

  “I wasn’t drunk. But it did make me think I was being silly saying no.”

  “Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad.” He kissed her hand.

  The waitress brought her a box, and Daxton paid the bill.

  He took her hand to help her out of her seat and picked up the box of her leftovers. They stopped just in front of her car. She took the box and set it on the roof so her hands would be free.

  He put his arms around her and squeezed her in a tight hug. She inhaled deeply, his scent and the sips of whiskey making her head buzz.

  “I had a great time with you,” he said. “Can we do it again?”

  She nodded and waited. Surely he would try to kiss her. She looked up at him, into his golden eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

  He smiled and let his arms fall. “Drive safe.”

  “Wait a second.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Is that it?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re not going to kiss me?”

  Daxton smiled and looked down. “As difficult as it was to get you to go out with me? Hell no. I wasn’t going to push my luck.”

  She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled herself toward him. He pressed his lips to hers and she felt an eruption of heat in her chest. It had been far too long since she’d been kissed. And she’d never been kissed like this.

  His mouth moved against her hungrily, passionately, like he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything. His hands ran along her back and she slid hers into his hair. Should she ask him back to her place?

  Someone whistled loudly. Their kiss broke apart and they looked over to see a man leering at them. The man and his three friends laughed.

  “I’m next,” one said, and grabbed himself.

  Daxton stiffened and moved to stand in front of her, glaring at them.

  “Oh, we’re sorry,” another one said, “weren’t you done with the little slut? Want us to hold her for you?”

  Daxton’s jaw tightened. “You need to go now.”

  “What’s that?” the one who had whistled, the one with the scraggly brown beard, stepped toward Daxton. “What did you say to me?”

  “Get in your car and leave. Now.” Daxton’s hands hung in fists by his side. Blair hid behind him, fear coursing through her.

  “Fine.” The man with the long blonde hair spoke now. “Give us the girl and we’ll go.”

  “Not a chance in hell,” Daxton said. He turned his head to tell her, “Get in your car and drive as fast as you can.”

  But taking his attention off them had been a mistake. When Daxton looked back, the man with the beard punched him square in the jaw.

  Blair let out a startled squeal. The man in the torn flannel shirt moved in front of her car door.

  Daxton punched the bearded man and quickly ducked a punch from the blonde. Blair reached for her phone in her purse, but realized she’d dropped it while she was kissing Daxton. It sat just in front of her car door in the dirt.

  One of the men tried to grab her, but Daxton stepped back and kicked him in the ribs. The man grunted and his face broke into a rage that made him surge forward, fists flying.

  Punches landed on the men, on Daxton. He moved fast and fought well, but it was still four on one. She had to do something. There was no way he could win this fight. She watched closely, looking for an opportunity. She thought she could kick one of them if they moved close enough.

  The man with the flannel shirt straightened up. “Enough,” he said. In his hand, he held a shining blade. “Get out of our way,” he said to Daxton.

  Daxton looked back at her one last time, kissed her briefly, then exploded before her eyes. She didn’t know what had happened. All of a sudden, shreds of his clothing were in the air, fluttering down. And then she saw him.

  Where he’d been standing a moment ago, now stood a huge black bear. He stood up and roared, and the four men took off running. He sat down and waited. The men got into their cars and drove off.

  Blair picked up her purse, her hands shaking so badly, she couldn’t get the door open. She hit the unlock button instead and pulled open the door, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She started the car on the fourth attempt of trying to put the key into the ignition.