by Lily Marie
Need to Bear
Heart of The Bear Book Four
Lily Marie
Copyright, 2016
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except for use in any review. This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locales, and events are either pure invention or used fictitiously, and all incidents come from the author’s imagination alone.
Cover Design by Vivian Monir Design.
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Need to Bear
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Who is Lily Marie?
One
Greyson Black knew what being “invited” for a cup of coffee at his mother’s house meant.
He was going to get The Lecture.
Lindy Black had her heart in the right place—but she was riding on the joy of watching three of her sons find their mates and marry.
Grey had already found his mate. She was gone now, and he was content to raise his cub, Corey, on his own, to live in peace.
If Mom had her way, that wasn’t going to happen.
He raised his hand when she opened her front door. “Before you start, I know why I’m here.”
Lindy raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Grey knew he should have backed off then, but he was determined to cut this off before it even got started. “I’m perfectly happy right now. I do not need you to be mate-matching.”
“You’ve been alone, Grey, ever since—ˮ
“By choice, Mom.” He let out a sigh, and followed her into the house, running one hand through his overlong hair. He had forgotten to make an appointment. Again. When Lindy sat at the kitchen table, he joined her. “Right now, all my focus is on Corey.” After the incident last summer, his son needed all his attention. Grey didn’t have time for some female who would just walk out on him again—
He shoved the memory away. Corey was better off without Shannon. Hell, he was better off without her. Not knowing if she would come home every night had worn him down, and he had been almost relieved when she finally announced that she was leaving for good.
Corey had only been ten, but he understood that his mom leaving had nothing to do with him. Grey made sure that he knew, every day, that he was loved and wanted. That smart, beautiful cub was the most important part of Grey’s life.
Right now, that cub was having trouble dealing with the scars left by the wolf shifter’s attack. Paul Benning—a part of Grey’s past he had almost forgotten, until the bastard had ambushed Roman last summer and taken a group of cubs and human kids. Corey had held them together, kept himself between them and the violent wolf. He had paid for his courage.
The scars on his left cheek were a constant reminder of that day. Because Corey hadn’t been able to shift, they healed badly, leaving scars that he wouldn’t have had otherwise. Grey clenched his fists when he thought of the pain Corey must have endured at the hands of that bastard. If not for his brothers, Grey would have torn the wolf to pieces, damn the consequences—
“Greyson.” Lindy’s voice jerked him out of the memory. “Let it go, son. Paul will never see the outside of a cell again.”
It didn’t surprise him that she knew what he was thinking. Unlike most of his brothers, he didn’t have a poker face. With an effort, he unclenched his fists, pressing his hands against his thighs.
“Sorry, Mom. I didn’t want to bring it up. I know it still upsets you.”
“It still makes me angry, Grey, but we need to move on. Corey needs to move on.” Lindy leaned forward and lifted his right hand, sandwiching it between hers. He almost smiled at how tiny her hands looked against his. “I know how much you worry about that boy. We all do. But it’s time, my stubborn son, to start thinking about your future. Have you ever thought that Corey might need a female influence?”
“I—ˮ She had him there. At fourteen, Corey was still young enough to want a mother. Grey let out a sigh. “I suppose I could meet one or two of the local shifters…ˮ
Lindy smiled. “Try saying that without glaring. It will guarantee that they run in the other direction.” She patted his hand before she let go. “I already have enough to deal with, between your size and your reputation.”
“What reputation?”
He thought his mother’s eyes would roll out of her head.
“Men can be so dense. Let me worry about that.” She stood and walked out of the kitchen. With a sigh, he followed her, knowing that the interrogation was over. For now. God only knew what ideas were already forming in her mind. She stopped at the front door, opening it before she turned to him. “Give Corey a kiss for me.”
She tugged at his arm, and he leaned down, giving in to his smile when she kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Mom. I’ll bring him around to see you this week. We’ll actually have dinner next time.”
She laughed, the sound soothing him. Lindy Black had always known how to calm her big, male cubs. “I’d like that. I’ll call you soon, Greyson.”
He managed to swallow the growl in his throat.
“I can’t say I’ll look forward to it.”
“Oh, my son. I never expected you to.” She patted his arm and left him on the porch, closing the front door after a last, sly smile.
Grey sighed, and shook his head as he headed to his truck. It was going to be a long month.
Two
Corey Black sat in his usual corner at the library, using the book he read to help cover his face.
Every kid at school knew the story about his scars, but they made him stand out. He just wanted to blend in, to feel safe when he walked down the street of his own town.
He hadn’t felt safe since Paul Benning shot his Uncle Roman.
“Corey?”
His head snapped up at the quiet voice. Miss Kennedy, the librarian, stood in front of him.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. He kept his head down as he closed the book and laid it on the table. “I was waiting for my dad.”
“You’re welcome to wait here. I’m just closing up.” She smiled at him, and his insides felt funny. Like they did when Grandma fussed over him, or Aunt Jenna tried to straighten his wild black hair. He liked Miss Kennedy, and he especially liked that she never said anything about his scars. She looked at him like he was normal. “Does your dad know you’re here?”
“Yeah. He’s at my Grandma’s, probably trying to escape right now.” He clapped his hand over his mouth. His eyes widened when Miss Kennedy laughed.
“Sorry,” she said, when she got herself under control. “I know your grandmother, so I understand. She hired me—well, stole me, actually, when she was visiting my old library in Los Angeles. She made Pine Heart sound so appealing, I couldn’t say no.”
Corey stilled when she cradled his cheek. His scarred cheek. She didn’t seem to notice, or even flinch when she touched the damaged skin.
“You have some of her charm, you know,” she said. “You charm me into staying open later than I should—ˮ
“Get your goddamned hand off my son.”
Corey almost fell out of his chair when he saw Dad storming across the library. Headed straight for Miss Kennedy.
Three
I will not let him intimidate me.
Reagan Kennedy turned to face Greyson Black. A huge, furious Greyson Black.
He towered over her, his eyes the deep, rich gold of whiskey. What made her thin
k of that? She should be thinking about whether or not she would survive the next few minutes.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” His low, growling voice raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
“I was talking to Corey. It’s past closing, and I wanted to make sure he—ˮ
“You were touching my son.”
“I didn’t—ˮ Oh, God. Touching the kids was habit, her way of connecting, or getting their attention when they started to lose control. “It wasn’t intentional. I’m sorry, Mr. Black. It won’t happen again.”
“Damn right.” He pulled Corey up. “He’s not coming here again.”
“Dad—ˮ
“Let’s go.”
“Dad—ˮ
Greyson started hauling him across the library. To Reagan’s shock, the boy dug in his heels.
“Corey.”
“I’m not leaving until you apologize to Miss Kennedy.”
“Until I—what?”
Corey crossed his arms, and Reagan covered her mouth to hide a smile. “She didn’t do anything wrong, and you practically jumped on her.”
“Corey. She was—ˮ
“Touching my scars. I know, Dad. I was there.” He smiled, and Greyson looked stunned. Reagan understood why; it was the first smile she had seen from Corey since he started hiding in the library after school every day. “I don’t think she notices them. I like her, Dad, and I’m going to keep coming here because I like it here, too. I feel safe here.”
The tremor in his voice threatened to break Reagan’s heart.
“Corey.” Greyson shocked her by crouching in front of his son, big hands engulfing his shoulders. “I’m the person who’s supposed to keep you safe, and I failed.”
Corey cradled his cheek, his dark brown eyes serious. “It wasn’t your fault, Dad. Something bad happened, and now I have to deal with it. I’m not doing all that great,” he whispered.
“We have to deal with it, son.” Greyson pulled Corey into his arms, cradling the back of his head when the boy started to cry.
Reagan blinked back tears, and fought the need to hug them both. She felt like she was intruding on an intensely private moment, and started to back away.
“Miss Kennedy.” Greyson’s voice halted her mid-escape. He glanced at her over his shoulder. “I owe you an apology. When I saw you, touching Corey, my temper took over.”
“No need to apologize, Mr. Black. I should have—ˮ
“The kids here trust you.” He kissed the top of Corey’s head before he let his son go and stood, facing her. “My mother trusts you, and that is an endorsement I can’t ignore. Please, accept my apology.”
He held out his hand.
Reagan moved to him, and took it. Her breath froze in her throat as heat roared up her arm.
Greyson stared at her—right before he jerked his hand free and grabbed Corey, stalking out of the library. By the time she could breathe again, they were gone.
“What was that?” she whispered, staring at her hand. “Traitor. I told you, no more men. Ever.”
A man was the reason she took the job offer from Lindy Black, sight unseen. She had already moved several times, and still couldn’t escape the specter of Mark Harris. Pine Heart was far enough from Los Angeles to help her move on. She’d never forget what Mark did to her; she saw the reminder whenever she looked in the mirror. But being away from everything that reminded her of him turned out to be a good start.
She felt safe in Pine Heart, and after almost a year, the memories of her life in California were finally starting to fade. The kidnapping had still been big news when she arrived last November, so she knew the reason behind the scars on Corey’s cheek. After the first couple of days, she simply stopped seeing them, too focused on the lonely, unhappy boy—and how she might be able to get through to him.
A shared passion had been her in. When she’d looked at the books he left behind every day, she formed a plan for approaching him. He seemed to love archery as much as she did, so she had casually mentioned it to him when he was getting ready to leave.
He had practically run that first day, but she kept nudging him, gently, until he had finally responded.
Reagan sighed, walking over to the door. She should have locked up before she approached Corey tonight, but he had looked especially sad today, and it tugged at her.
The door opened just as she reached for it.
Greyson Black stood in the doorway, larger than life, and so good looking she wanted to—
She cut herself off before she could finish that traitorous thought.
“What are you doing here?”
He ran one hand through his hair. The thick, black length brushed the collar of his shirt, framing his angular face. Why the hell was she noticing every detail about him, when she wanted nothing to do with men again?
“I—shit. Sorry.” He closed the door. “Corey’s waiting in the car. I just—I needed—ˮ
Reagan gasped as he whipped his arm out and caught her around the waist, hauling her off her feet and against his solid, muscled chest. She only got a glimpse of his intense, whiskey gold eyes before he kissed her.
She froze, and he paused, as if waiting for her to deny him. With a low moan, she opened her mouth under his, and he dove in.
Her hands dug into his shoulders as he made love to her mouth. No man had ever kissed her so thoroughly, with such need. He turned, pinning her against the wall, and took the kiss deeper. His tongue slid over hers, his body rocking into her with the same restless need.
Endless minutes later, he freed her lips, both of them fighting for breath. He laid his forehead against hers, his eyes closed.
“You touched my son’s cheek,” he whispered. “No one has, since he was injured, except me. He let you in, and I hated you, for one second, when I saw that.”
She swallowed. “Interesting way to show me how much you hate me.”
His smile lit up those beautiful eyes. “I touched your hand, Miss Kennedy, and I knew. Or I should say, my bear told me, in no uncertain terms.”
“Told you?”
“That he wanted you.” He leaned back, meeting her eyes. “Does that scare you?”
“I—ˮ She cleared her throat. God, she couldn’t think straight with him pressed against her like this, his need for her obvious. She could feel his hard erection, and it wouldn’t take more than a little shifting of clothes to feel all of him. “I came to Pine Heart because I needed time—to heal.”
“A man.” He sighed, and set her on her feet, backing away before she could stop him. Reagan felt cold without his big body touching her. “Forgive my presumption.”
“Big words for a mountain man.”
He paused, his hand on the doorknob, and looked at her over his shoulder. “A ranger. I like to read, and I do have a college education. No need to pigeonhole, Miss Kennedy.”
“Reagan,” she said, sounding a little breathless. Damn her traitorous heart. “If you’d like to presume some more, Mr. Black, I wouldn’t mind.”
What the hell? Did she just invite him to ask her out?
The smile that tugged at his full lips told her that, yes, she had just opened that door.
“Come out with me, Miss Reagan Kennedy. I promise to ask before I kiss you again.”
“How can I refuse such a romantic gesture?” She smiled when he laughed, feeling that deep, rich sound all the way to her core. “I close up at seven every night.”
“Tomorrow? Corey is with my brother Elijah, for their usual Saturday of video games and junk food.”
Reagan fought to calm her racing heart. “Yes. Tomorrow would be perfect.”
“I’d like to kiss you again.” Greyson stepped to her, both hands closing over her hips. “With your permission.”
“Please,” she whispered.
His hands slid up to circle her waist. This time, when he lifted her off her feet and pinned her against the wall, she wrapped her legs around his waist and arched into him. He growled, his kiss becomi
ng aggressive.
Reagan let herself fall into him, into the heat of the moment. The Black men were trustworthy, something she had learned after living here less than a month. Now the most reclusive of them held her in his arms, kissing her like a man who had been deprived of affection for too long.
When he started rocking into her, she gasped—and he eased back, his gold eyes dark with need.
“Tell me to stop, Reagan.” He brushed his lips over hers, and she wanted him, more than she had ever wanted any man. The intensity of it terrified her. Greyson hadn’t touched any bare skin aside from her lips, but every inch felt like it was on fire. “I didn’t expect—shit,” he whispered. “I want you, every soft hourglass curve of you.”
“Greyson—I need to tell you—before we—”
He cut her off with his lips, taking her under again, hot and fast. The kiss ended too soon.
“I have to go.” His voice sounded rough, and deeper than normal. She had a feeling that was his bear. Everything about him felt stronger, more primal; she thought she’d be afraid, facing a shifter. Instead, his touch, his presence, made her feel safe. She never thought a man would make her feel that way again. “I’ll meet you here tomorrow. Seven sharp.”
With one last kiss, he lowered her to the floor, and left her, the door closing behind him.
Reagan gathered herself enough to lock the door before she leaned against it and slid to the floor, trembling.
“Oh, God,” she whispered. “What did I just do?”
***
By the time Reagan walked home, she had recovered enough to think straight.
The first thing she planned to do was call Greyson in the morning and cancel their date.
Her heart ached at the thought.
“Stop it—you won’t hurt that man. He’s already lost enough.”
Getting involved with her would just end in pain for both of them.
With a sigh, she climbed the porch steps and unlocked the door to her neat cottage. It had been a find, one that Lindy Black had steered her to when she’d first arrived. Reagan had never said anything, but at the time, she’d had a feeling that Lindy had been holding it for her.
The cottage turned out to be the perfect haven; three bedrooms, a beautifully renovated kitchen, and two lovely bathrooms, obviously designed by a woman.
