by Ally Summers
It had been a sleepless night. The kind that made Sophia regret every decision from the past two days forward and backward. Had she led Liam on? Was she misleading herself? Was there even a chance she wanted him?
His words were hot. So hot she almost panted out loud.
She stared at the clock. After tossing for three hours, she gave up and walked down to the kitchen. The least she could do was get an early start on the baking. Sundays had an easiness to them she always liked.
She turned on the radio and sang as she rolled out the dough for a batch of fresh biscuits. It was the only day during the week she made ham and cheese biscuits. They were usually sold out before ten.
The problem was that she couldn’t sort through her feelings while Liam was near. She knew that was what he wanted. He wanted to seduce her with his charm—with his insanely good looks. Only a few more minutes with him last night, and he would have had her begging him to take her.
She rolled out the dough, making the center even, then focusing on the corners. She had been close. Close enough that she pictured what he would look like naked. What he would feel like filling her. What he would sound like growling her name. What it would feel like when he bit her, claiming her for his own.
She reached for her neck, remembering the spot Noah had bitten. There was only a faint scar now.
Then she thought about what Liam did. He had left. Every time she refused him, he listened. He never pushed her. He never forced her. She narrowed her eyes. He was getting in her head.
She placed the rolling pin on the counter and flipped the dough over to give a pass to the other side.
Would it be terrible if she went on one date? Just one date with a hot guy who promised her a good time. Could she do that?
She chewed on her lip, pressing the dough into the counter. It was almost too thin. She had to pound it back into a ball and start over.
If she let Liam into her life, she knew it wouldn’t be as simple as a date. He wouldn’t stop with that. He wasn’t going to stop until he claimed her. The clan was putting pressure on him. She sighed, reaching for the biscuit cutter. There was no easy answer.
She lined the biscuits into six rows and slid the baking sheet into the oven. In a few minutes, the entire kitchen would smell like warm bread. She smiled, knowing there were still some things she could count on.
She set the timer and began filling the top of the coffee pot.
She wasn’t surprised when Liam arrived before the first customer.
“Good morning.” He smiled.
She hadn’t figured out what to do about him, but when she saw him her body instantly betrayed her. She grinned wider than she thought possible. “Good morning.”
He noticed.
“Can I get a cup of coffee?” he asked.
“I guess so,” she joked. This time, she walked to the coffee pot and poured a cup for him.
“It smells amazing in here.” He looked around the kitchen.
The biscuits had been assembled and were in the front cabinet. She held up one she had saved for him. “Fresh biscuit?”
“Hell yeah.” He took it, biting into it with a hungry look. “Damn. You can bake.”
She giggled. She loved making people happy with her cakes or muffins, but there was something extra rewarding about making a man happy like that. The satisfaction on his lips made her heart swell. She almost toppled over with the feeling. She hadn’t felt it since…
“Soph, you okay?” Liam asked.
“Uh… yeah.” She supported herself with the counter.
One second, she was letting the emotions whirl through her like she deserved to feel happiness. As if it were okay to enjoy being in another man’s company. Then an instant later, she was reminded why she needed to be alone. If she felt the slightest resemblance to what she felt with Noah, the pain sliced through her. There was no way around the agony. She had to keep it locked away.
The happiness reminded her it had all been ripped away in an instant. Love only turned into pain.
“I could eat ten of these.” Liam finished the biscuit and looked around for another.
“Well you can’t.” She put her hands on her hips, finding her voice again. “They’re for my Sunday customers.”
“I was just complimenting them. That’s all.”
She threw her hands in the air. She needed space to breathe. She needed space to think. She walked into the shop, but Liam was behind her. He started turning the chairs on their legs.
“Stop. You don’t have to do that,” she protested.
He moved around the café until the last one was upright. “I like helping you.”
“It isn’t necessary.”
“I didn’t say it was necessary. I said I liked it.” He walked toward her and she tried to put space between them using the cash register as a shield.
“Sundays are really busy. I need to set up the till and…”
Liam took her face in his hands and leaned toward her, brushing a kiss over her lips.
“I’ll see you later.” He walked out of the kitchen, leaving her lips on fire and her heart hurting.
She crumpled to the floor, letting the tears spill onto her apron.
No, there was no way through the pain.
14
Liam
“You know you’re running out of time.” Snowden threw a rock across the end of the pier.
“Shut up,” Liam growled.
“You know that if I’m counting down the days, then the rest of the clan has to be going fucking nuts.”
Liam picked up a handful of rocks from the bucket and skipped one across the still water. “I know. But I don’t want to rush her. She’s not ready.”
“It’s been two years. She has to be ready.”
He whipped his head toward Snowden. “It’s not like that for her. She’s sworn off the clan. All bears. We shouldn’t have let her have so much space.”
He thought he had been respecting the clan laws and his best friend’s mate, but maybe it was too much time. The longer Sophia had been alone, the longer she had to create reasons why being someone else’s mate was a bad idea.
Every time he was with her, he could see the struggle in her eyes. She forbade herself to give in. There were glimpses of laughter and light, but as soon as they hit, she retracted behind a barricade of anger.
He didn’t know if he was going to be able to convince her in time.
“Why don’t you just tell her?” Snowden asked.
He glared at his friend. “You don’t just tell a woman that she holds the fate of an entire clan of bears in her hands. I don’t want her to be my mate because she has to. I want her to want to be the she-alpha.”
“Yeah, but if you don’t take her as your mate before the eclipse, then the entire clan line stops. No more cubs for anyone. We’re through. We’re finished.”
“I know that. I know more than anyone what’s at stake. It’s my fucking clan.”
“I just think if Sophia knew that, then she’d go through with the ceremony.”
Liam watched another rock sink to the bottom of the lake. “I don’t know that it would matter to her.”
“Does it matter to you?”
“Of course it does. I’m doing the best I can. I should have had longer than a month. I needed months to spend with her. I’m doing this at lightning speed. She’s been through a lot.”
Liam knew he had made little progress in the last few weeks with her. Ever since the night in her bedroom, she had kept her distance. He hadn’t been able to steal any more kisses or come close to taking her to bed.
He stopped by every morning for coffee. Sometimes he brought flowers. Sometimes he worked quietly, helping her in the kitchen. She seemed to accept he was there, but it didn’t mean she invited it. She made it clear there was a difference.
The eclipse was in two nights.
“So what are you going to do?” Snowden asked.
“Dinner and a movie.”
“
What? Our entire clan’s fate rests on the most cliché date in existence?”
Liam smiled. “And cookies,” he added.
“Shit. I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Me too.” He patted his friend on the back, turning from the lake. “I’ve got to go shower for my date.”
“What time are you picking her up?”
Liam grimaced. Sophia had no idea they even had a date tonight. He had to hope that when he showed up with a movie and take out, she’d let him in.
“Umm, I’m headed over in an hour.”
“Good luck.” Snowden walked toward his car. “You only have two days to secure our future.”
For once, Liam was glad he had been spared the jabs he was certain were coming his way. The entire clan knew what was riding on this night with Sophia. If she didn’t ask him, there would be an end to his legacy. He would be the last alpha in the clan. He would be the one that had failed them all.
“Hey, beautiful.” Liam grinned as he walked in through the kitchen door to The Sweet Tooth.
Sophia rolled her eyes. “I didn’t expect you.”
“Thought I could take you somewhere tonight.”
She was straightening the kitchen. The café was dark. The customers were gone for the day. Sophia’s kitchen was always immaculate.
“I don’t think so, Liam.”
“Oh come on. It’ll be fun.”
She eyed him cautiously. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Never.” He winked.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” She shook her head, turning for the sink. She began scrubbing the inside, taking her time with the faucet handles.
“Of course it’s a good idea. You need a night out. I promise I won’t keep you too late. I know you have an early morning.”
“I always have an early morning.” She turned the water off and dried her hands.
He walked toward her. “It’s going to be fun.” He put his hands up. “And I promise not to try anything. I swear.”
He could see her debating the offer. Her eyes darted back and forth.
“If you do, I swear I’ll claw your eyes out, Liam.” She wagged her finger in front of his nose.
“Noted. Now come on.” He pulled her hand into his and led her through the back door. “Surprise.”
He watched as she took in the scene.
“What is this?” She stared at the back of his truck.
“Well.” He helped her into the bed of the truck and grabbed a heavy blanket for her. “The first time I saw you was outside the theater, and I should have gone over and talked to you, but I didn’t.” He tucked a cushion behind her, and settled into a pile of pillows next to her. “So, I’ve recreated our own movie theater.”
He pulled a remote from his pocket and hit play. A projector he had secured to the top of the truck began to play a movie on the wall next to the bakery.
He heard the sigh from her lips, and pulled her into the crook of his arm.
“I swear, I’m not trying anything. Just keeping you warm.”
She relaxed into his chest. He felt the warmth of her soft skin against his solid chest. He wrapped an arm around her, for once feeling like he was protecting her the way he should be, even if it was only keeping her from being cold.
“I can’t believe you did this,” she whispered.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
She nodded against his chest. “I love it. And I love this movie.”
“I thought it was your favorite.”
He held her like that for two hours. They watched the movie, talking and laughing through some of the scenes. Liam broke out a bowl of popcorn and a couple of beers. It was surprisingly warm under the layers of blankets. It helped that he was a natural heater.
When the movie ended, Sophia turned to him.
“Thank you. It was fun. And I can still make my early morning. I just have to walk upstairs to bed.”
He had to remind his bear he had promised her he wouldn’t try anything, but she was so close. He could feel her breath on his cheek. He could smell her lotion. He could hear her heart beat.
“I’m glad you had a good time.”
He swallowed hard. He ached for her. He wanted to pull her under the blankets and kiss her. He wanted to rip the clothes from her body and love her until dawn. Fuck, he was losing it.
“Liam?” She searched his eyes.
“Yeah, sorry. I was thinking about something.”
“This was really sweet. I didn’t know you had such a romantic side.” She giggled but stopped, her eyes closing quickly.
“Why do you do that?” He turned her to face him.
“Let me just go upstairs.” She tried to shake him off. “I had a good time tonight. I don’t want to ruin it.”
“No, talk to me. Tell me why that beautiful smile of yours just suddenly vanished.”
“I can’t.”
“You can’t or won’t?”
“It’s the same thing, isn’t it?” Her eyes blazed.
Liam pulled the blanket tightly against her shoulders, keeping her warm. “Let’s just talk about him. Get it out of the way.”
Her eyes filled with panic. “You want to talk about Noah?”
“No. I mean yes. Hell, I don’t know. All I know is that you’re thinking about him when I least expect it. That’s the sadness, isn’t it? You’re happy with me, then you think about him, and it all disappears. You forget the laughter and linger in the sadness. So, let’s fucking talk about him.” His brows knitted together.
“Right now?”
“When else?” He clicked the remote to stop the credits rolling on the brick wall.
“This is ridiculous. We are not talking about Noah. There’s no reason.”
Liam exhaled. “There is a reason. You belong with me, Soph, and I’m trying every way to show you how fucking insane I am about you. I want this. I want you. And it’s not going to happen if you won’t let yourself be happy with me.”
“I can’t be happy. Don’t you see that?”
“No, baby, I don’t.” He brushed the side of her cheek. “You can.”
She clutched the sides of the blanket. “No, I can’t.” Her eyes darted frantically. “I can’t love you, Liam. You’ll leave. You’ll leave me too.”
The words hit him in the gut. It was as if Sophia had punched him with an anvil. He was a fucking idiot. He didn’t have anything figured out. All this time he thought she was mourning Noah. And while there was probably a part of her that still grieved for him, Liam had it all wrong. She was scared shitless.
15
Sophia
As soon as the words were out, she covered her mouth. She didn’t know where they came from. There was a flood of emotions sweeping through her.
Liam’s gaze softened. “Soph, I would never leave you.”
She felt the heaviness in her shoulders. She didn’t think she could hold herself up any longer. Releasing the words had released a truth she didn’t know she was carrying around. It was an enormous burden that she had unloaded on Liam.
“You don’t know that. You can’t promise me that,” she protested.
“This is why you keep pushing me away. You’re afraid I’ll leave you.” His chest rumbled. “I swear that won’t happen.”
“It can happen. It happened to Noah. He’s dead. The bear who swore he was my mate for life is dead. So don’t tell me to fall in love with you. Don’t tell me to give you my heart. Don’t make promises we both know you can’t keep.”
Liam’s eyes grew darker. They did that when he was upset. “What happened to Noah was tragic. But his accident was an extreme circumstance. That’s not going to happen to me.”
“It was a car accident, Liam. He wasn’t abducted by aliens. You could drive home tonight and get plowed over.”
“It shouldn’t have happened. And most bears could have recovered. He would have recovered if he hadn’t been hit a second time. The chances of that happening to me are n
ext to impossible.”
She balled her hands into fists and beat at his chest. “But it could happen. You could leave me just like him.” She pound harder against the solid mass of muscle with futile thumps.
“Shh. Shh.” He pulled her into his arms. “I won’t leave you. Let me love you, Sophia. Let me make you happy.”
She felt the warmth of his skin through his shirt. She closed her eyes, letting his strength fold around her. It felt safe. It felt as if nothing could penetrate Liam’s hold on her. All he wanted was to give her a life just like this. A life with a powerful bond, shielding her from the world. A life with a hot, sexy man completely devoted to her.
He rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair.
“I won’t leave you. I swear,” he whispered.
Sophia curled up into his lap and let him rock her into a deep sleep. She didn’t know Liam Grayson could fall asleep and not try to get her naked. He didn’t so much as pull the sweater off her shoulder. He could be a gentleman, and more.
She awakened before sunrise with a smile on her lips. She saw a side of Liam she didn’t know existed. It was the part she had searched for. Compassion and friendship. Tenderness and concern. He listened. He held her.
She pressed against his chest, trying to sit upright.
She felt the quiver in her chest. Her pulse rushed with adrenaline and something she hadn’t felt in two years.
He opened his eyes and grinned. “Good morning, beautiful.”
Holy hell. She had to stop herself from stammering.
Suddenly everything was different.
16
Liam
He woke up with her in his arms. She stared at him and scooted back, tossing the cocoon of blankets off her shoulders.
“I should get going.”
“Hey, wait.” He tried to pull her back on top of him. He liked her there. He groaned, thinking what it would be like to have her naked like that. “Don’t go.”
“I have to get the ovens on.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. She jumped off the tailgate.
