by Flora Dare
Bears Repeating
A Steamy Shifter Menage Romancel
by Flora Dare
www.floradare.com || Join Flora’s mailing list! || Facebook
Copyright 2015 by Flora Dare
First Amazon Edition: Jan 2015
DESCRIPTION
From USA TODAY and NEW YORK TIMES best-selling author Flora Dare comes double the sexy alpha werebear romance!
When her flight is cancelled and the only option is to accept a seat in coach, Jena's luck goes from bad to worse, and then back around to good again - she might have gotten a middle seat, but it's in between two BIG hunks of manliness.
Being snuggled between two big bears is pretty much the best outcome the trip could have. The worst? The plane going down in the wilderness. Guess which one Jena's gonna have to deal with?
With her and her two new bear friends lost in the wilderness, a relaxing flight turns into a desperate fight for survival. But at the end of the day, will just surviving be enough for the bears? With the way Matt and Jack look at her, touch her, hold her, Jena doesn't think so.
Jena thinks that when she lets her claws out, the gig is up - how could two bears like this want a wolverine shifter? But when she stumbles into trouble she never imagined, it seems her two hunks just might part of an industrial terror plot.
Forget the claws, forget the fur, can Jena survive THEM?
Table of Contents
Bears Repeating
About the Author
Other Books by Flora Dare
Legal Bits
Bears Repeating
Chapter One
Jena stepped on to the plane and made her way down the aisle. She knew she had to be grateful that she'd made standby for the flight but really wished her previous flight hadn't been canceled. She mourned the loss of her first class tickets as she stared wistfully at the spacious seats. Each one she passed stabbed at her, and she desperately wanted to snatch one of the cool, refreshing drinks out of the hands of the people in the cabin.
A man caught her eye as he gave her the once over. What a creep. Bad enough I'm not in first class. Oh well, at least I'm not sitting next to him. He probably was attractive. He had that lean, toned look, very much like Jason Statham. But the leer in his yellow eyes betrayed the beast inside him. Bet he's a jackal. He gave Jena massive bad vibes and she stopped lusting after the cozy luxury seats and hurried down the aisle to her narrow middle seat.
She stopped at her row and wanted to cry. Two massive hunks of masculinity flanked her seat. All she wanted was a wee toddler who would fall asleep against her. But nope, giant slabs of meat. Delicious hunks that made her want to tear pieces off both of them. Between their broad shoulders and her lush curves, she knew they were going to be pressed against each other for hours. As the man in the aisle seat met her eyes, Jena felt a jolt of pure lust course between her legs. Holy hell, he was smoking hot.
She didn't believe in the fated mate bullshit. But for one moment as Jena stared at the two men, she could almost feel strings wound between them. But she was pretty sure it was just an epic case of pants-feelings after a very long, very dry spell.
That was almost worse. She'd been traveling for what felt like years. Jena felt scruffy, like a stray dog living rough for years. She just had to hope the men didn't mind a little curve in their world.
The man unfolded from the aisle seat, rose in front of her and smiled. He put his hands out for her bag and said, "May I?" She handed him her bag, silently. The force of his smile and the glint in his eyes stunned her into acquiescence. She almost felt like she should just hand him her panties now. She rarely met men who made her feel petite, fragile even, but as she scooted past him to her seat she felt almost delicate like a little porcelain figurine. The other man, seated in the window seat, looked at her and she got that same shivery jolt of desire. Great, two men who make me want to melt off my seat. At least they weren't like the creepy man in first class.
Jena wasn't sure if she'd ever wanted anyone physically as much as she wanted these two men right now. She settled into her seat, very conscious of her hips filling it. The men both settled and Jena was hyperaware of both of them. Their breathing, the shifting of their arms, the subtle heat of their bodies next to hers. She held herself rigidly, trying to keep from touching the men. She didn't want to feel the subtle rejection if their bodies met. She couldn't stop a yawn from practically cracking her face and muttered an apology to the men.
"Long trip?" the man in the window seat said with a smile on his face.
Jena said, "I swear I've been traveling for about a hundred years. But mostly it's been about 12 hours. My day has been a clusterfuck of airline delays and canceled flights."
The other man said, "Oh, that's rough. Once one flight gets even a little bit delayed, it's practically curtains for whatever plans you might have had."
Jena said, "I was biting my nails that I'd make it on this flight. Waiting for the standby announcement just about killed me. I have one more connection, and this is the only one that will make it in time."
The dark haired man sitting by the window said, "Well, I'm glad you made your flight."
She said, "Sorry to take your hope of an empty middle seat."
The blond laughed and said, "Yes, traveling next to a beautiful woman is such a terrible hardship for us."
The other man said, "I have no idea how we will suffer through your glorious presence. But somehow we will work through it!"
Jena laughed at the men. At least they were being charming about their possible attraction to her, not like the sharp and unsettling man in the first class.
The blond said, "I'm Jack, the lump on the other end is Matt."
She said, "I'm Jena, nice to meet you."
The flight attendant interrupted, and they all listened attentively as he gave the standard safety spiel. Jena tried to relax as they taxied into position. If they had still been chatting, she might have been distracted, but she hated takeoffs and landings. Every jostle of the plane gave her nightmares. The force of the plane accelerating pushed them back into their seats. Jena knew her hands were drawn into tight buds and could feel her nails digging into the palm of her hands. She held her breath, until the plane shuddered as it lifted off. Even though she knew it was perfectly normal she couldn't help the sharp gasp escaping her lips.
The men moved in concert and each wrapped a massive paw around her clenched fists. Their joint touch calmed her faster than she could have imagined, like she'd gotten a fat shot of Valium. Jena didn't know what to say as the plane leveled off and settled down.
But the men handled any possible awkwardness directly. They released her hands and one of them muttered to her, sotto voce, "Take-offs totally suck. Thanks for comforting me." She smiled and leaned back into her seat. The men had confidence oozing out of their very beings, but they were also very kind. They saw her discomfort, soothed her, and then backed off, giving her an out. Not trying to get anything out of her or win any points seeing her in a moment of weakness. She liked that. She liked them.
She meant to stay alert, but the hum of the plane, the exhaustion of the day and her inexplicable trust in the men she was wedged between lulled her into drifting off. She was just going to rest her eyes for a brief moment, just a second.
~ * ~ * ~
Jena slowly work up, realizing with a shock that not only had she fallen asleep but that it had been so deeply that she'd managed to flail into a very awkward position. Her head was burrowed into the chest of one of the giants, his arm settled around her. And she'd twined her legs around the other. She was pretty sure she'd drooled on that vast expanse of chest. Jena squeezed her eyes shut
and tried to sink into the ground, wanting to just vanish in a puff of extreme embarrassment. Sadly, when she opened her eyes, she was still completely wrapped around her accidental travel companions.
She gasped and went to pull herself up, but Matt's arm was unmovable. Jena said, "Holy shit, guys. I'm really sorry."
She felt the rumble in the vast chest she was still pressed into and he said, "Only get up if you are uncomfortable. I am exceedingly content."
Jack said, "It's an honor that you felt comfortable enough to sleep so deeply with a bunch of meat heads hanging around."
Matt said, "It really wasn't much of a hardship."
The other man said, "Besides, it was a nice way to pass the flight. We're almost there."
Jena reluctantly sat up, releasing both of the men. She was surprised at how much she wanted to keep clinging to them. Her long dormant desires were flickering to life deep in her core. I wonder if they are bear shifters. They have that energy about them. Bears exuded power. They knew they were at the apex of everything. She wished they were, as humans they were strong, but as bears they would be more than strong enough to stand up to her inner beast.
Being a wolverine shifter wasn't easy to live with and her last boyfriend solidified her new rule: no sleeping with prey. She needed someone, or maybe even someones, whose nature was to stand their ground, to defend what was theirs. Not someone who would flee at the first sign of disagreement or who let her completely steamroll them, until they couldn't take it anymore, leaving in a flurry of bitter words.
She didn't need her mate to be a yummy beefcake, but she needed to know they would have her back. That they could handle a rough world. But every goddamn predator she met assumed she was human, then bee-lined for the wide-eyed does. It was a very rare shifter that could hide their nature and she used it to her advantage in life if not love.
~ * ~ * ~
She settled into the chair in the waiting area. She was on time for the small charter plane she'd weaseled her way onto. A moment where her nature was an advantage. She'd been utterly unstoppable when it came to booking this flight. A chance to photograph a powerful and growing company's executive team, their new factory, and for fun, the wilderness that surrounded it? Besides, who built a factory a several hour plane trip from civilization? It didn't make sense and she was determined to find out more. The company wanted to do a big PR push and she'd been at the right place at the right time. Not to mention the fantastic paycheck involved.
She played with her phone until she heard footsteps behind her. Jena looked up and turned her head to see that her companions of the last flight were approaching her. She frowned when she realized they were flanking the nasty man from the plane. She went a bit cold, she wanted to spend more time with the men, but would have happily forgone the pleasure if it meant avoiding those piercing yellow eyes.
The man looked startled to see her, but the pilot appeared at that moment and said, "If we're going, we gotta get in the air now. The weather is gonna turn real ugly, real soon."
They all sprang into action. Jena grabbed her carryon and followed the man out to the tarmac and into the very small plane.
The pilot turned to Jena and helped her board the small plane. He said, "I'm Don. Nice to meet you, you must be Jena."
"Nice to meet you, Don."
"Ever been on anything this small?"
"Can't say that I have."
"Well, she's small, but very well appointed. You won't even notice when we take off, I'm that smooth."
Jena heard muttering behind her as Don put her in a single chair in the middle. The creepy man from the plane sidled up to her and said, "Join me at the back."
Jena broke out a polite smile and said, "Thank you, but I have some work to catch up on." She leaned down and pulled out a notebook and a pen. The yellow-eyed man stood there for a long moment, until Matt and Jack were towering over him. Jena shot a shy smile at them as they hustled him to the back of the small plane.
Jack paused next to her and whispered, "You gonna be okay for takeoff?"
Jena was torn between embarrassment and delight that he remembered. She nodded at him, and he moved to sit in the back. Don was as good as his word, as they eased into the air.
Jena went over her notes. She'd only have two days before the executives' meeting was over, and they had a lot of requests. She was so caught up in the scheduling that she didn't notice they were in trouble until the cabin lights cut out.
She only had time to hear Don shout out, "Brace yourselves." She leaned over and grabbed her legs as the pilot struggled to control the plane. This is not how I imagined my life would end. I have so much more I want to do! Then it was darkness.
Chapter Two
Jena opened her eyes. I'm alive! Adrenaline flooded her body and the smell of jet fuel filled her nostrils. Get out. Have to get out. She undid her seatbelt and tumbled to the side. Oh, it's not me that's tilted, it's the plane. She started to laugh. She couldn't help it and she could feel herself edge into hysteria.
Jack clambered over the seats and pulled her into his arms. He ran his hands up and down her body, giving her a perfunctory check over. He passed her to Matt.
Jack said, "Head bump, but otherwise seems okay."
She felt Matt's arms tighten around her slightly and for once in her life didn't feel the need to fight or reject the help. They were alive.
Jack clambered over the seats to front and shouted back to them, "Don's alive! Bad shape though."
He came back and pushed open the emergency exit. Jack pulled himself up and out. Matt boosted Jena up to Jack's outstretched arms. He lifted her easily out of the wreckage. She stared around her, shocked that they'd even survived. Let alone mostly intact. Of course, they still had to survive the wilderness.
Jack pulled the yellow-eyed man up next, and he stood off to the side, not participating or trying to help at all.
Jena's already low opinion of him plummeted about a thousand points. Her training kicked in and she quickly surveyed the area. It smothered her initial hysteria. They could always relocate, but they needed shelter now - exposure was their biggest threat. She picked where the lean-to would go and said to the yellow-eyed man, "Start clearing."
He stared at her and said, "I'd like to see how you think you can make me do scut work."
Her wolverine was dangerously close to the surface as she said, "Help now or starve."
For a moment he looked like he was ready to fight. Her rattled nerves almost welcomed the action and distraction. Maybe he sensed how on edge she was or he realized it was survival time, but he started clearing the area she indicated. Luckily the crash had taken out a dead tree, so there was lots of easily gathered dry wood.
She needed to get to her luggage. She had some basic survival gear and wanted to feel the weight of her knife in her hand. Stupid TSA and their stupid rules. After making a woodpile, she wandered over to the plane. The men had been pulling gear out. She tried not to think about how they were going to get the pilot out. He'd borne the brunt of the injuries suffered. Battered, a broken leg, but appeared to have no internal injuries.
She was just relieved her bag was intact. She opened it and rooted around until she found her beloved fixed blade knife. She could have kissed it as she strapped it to her belt. She called up to Matt and Jack, "How goes Don's extraction?"
Jack said, "Letting the drugs really take effect before we try to haul him out. No reason to make it harder than it already will be."
Jena nodded. She appreciated how well the men worked together. They'd clearly worked together for a long time and she said, "Getting a fire and hopefully some shelter set up."
She walked over to the clearing and laid out wood for a fire. She wasn't sure if he was stupid or an asshole or both, but the man stared at her contemptuously and said, "You’re going to just magic up a lighter."
She felt her lip pull back exposing her teeth and was barely able to contain herself as she snapped, "Yup."
He looked
on as she struck a spark on her knife. He frowned at her, unable to reconcile her abilities with her gender. By the time Matt and Jack wrestled the well-drugged pilot out of the plane, she had a roaring fire going and a place to settle him. Matt clapped Jena on the shoulder and said, "Thank you. Glad to have your skills."
She nodded at him and said, "You didn't happen to stumble on anything like a saw, did you?"
"Even better." Matt grinned as he presented her with a large metal stockpot.
She lifted an eyebrow and said, "There better not be a sandwich making joke in here."
He laughed and shook his head as she opened it. She riffled through the contents and grinned back at him. A water filtration system and soup mix. Lots and lots of soup mix. He handed her a big black duffel bag, with even more gear, and most importantly in that moment a collapsible saw.
"I could kiss Don. A well-stocked plane. We're so lucky."
~ * ~ * ~
"Call me Jason." The yellow-eyed man said, with a sardonic smile. Jena knew it wasn't likely his real name. That he was playing off his similar looks to a far more famous Jason, one from the movies. But she didn't really care as long as he pulled his weight and left her alone.
The four of them made short work of building a shelter that would hold everyone. Jena enjoyed how easy it was to work with Matt and Jack. They moved smoothly, almost like the three of them had been working together for years, not just a few hours. They really only had to speak to tell Jason what to do. Jena'd never been so in sync with anyone before.
Jason finally said, "Do we really need to build a shelter? How long will we really be here? Isn't there a tent in that pile of kit?"
Matt said "Realistically, it will take a while for anyone to even realize we’re gone. You said it was a surprise visit to the site, they aren't expecting us. And Don was going to be put up until we left. So until someone has a check-in go overdue, they won't even know that they should be looking for us, let alone figuring out where we went down. We didn't file a flight plan."
