by Ruby Shae
***
Lily smiled as she waited for her turn in the hair salon. She usually didn’t mind who cut her hair, but after hearing Caroline rave on and on about her best friend’s abilities, and witnessing her sister-in-law’s always beautiful locks, she decided to book an appointment with Bree.
Tomorrow marked two weeks since her brother’s wedding, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. Since their first date, which started and ended in her apartment, she’d spent nearly every free moment with Drew. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he wanted to date and get to know her better. The only time they’d spent apart was when one of them had to work.
They’d gone out to eat, ordered in at both of their places, and spent a couple days roaming together in their bear forms. The nights were spent in the bedroom, on the sofa, on the kitchen counter, or wherever they lost control. They’d christened every room in both their homes, and Drew had suggested they start over to make sure they gave each room equal attention.
She saw no reason to argue with his logic, and couldn’t wait to visit him at his home tonight. Drew would be working the grill while she, according to him, stood around and looked pretty.
Everything about him was perfect, and she loved the way he made her feel. His pet names would sound silly coming from anyone else, but from his lips they were sexy, uninhibited and caused her pussy to contract, as if seeking him out. When he spanked her ass, she was putty in his hands.
They were more than compatible in both their human and their bear forms, and she couldn’t wait to received his mark, mark him in return, and make their mating official.
Bree called her name and after Lily explained what she wanted done, the woman worked her magic. It was only a trim, but Bree had a natural talent with hair the way Olive had with food.
Suddenly, all the normal sounds in the shop ceased for a full minute, before the noise returned at an octave higher than usual. The women seemed to be worked up into a tizzy, and Lily glanced out the window to see what was causing the commotion.
“God damn, I hope he’s coming to arrest me!”
“That man is going to be mine one day!”
“I doubt that, but lord, is he hot.”
“I might be married, but that is one fine specimen.”
Lily’s cheeks heated as she listened to the women gawk over her man. She was equal parts embarrassed, jealous and smug. Though they hadn’t marked each other yet, Drew belonged to her and no one else.
He walked into the shop and nodded once at the women.
“Ladies.”
He then made a beeline to her chair.
“I’ll just give you two a moment,” Bree said, excusing herself.
Lily was fully aware of all the women watching, trying to pull up their jaws, as Drew leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, and then whispered in her ear.
“I can’t wait to see your hot, little ass pink with my handprint again tonight.”
She blushed again, but the cause was pure lust. She pressed her thighs together and squirmed in her seat.
“Should I pick up more caramels?” he asked, his voice low.
“Yes, please,” she said, breathlessly.
Drew had used the rest of the last box to create a tantalizing line from her mouth to her pussy, and then he proceeded to lick and suck each one until he’d eaten them all until she was desperate, wriggling and out of control. She’d never had an orgasm so explosive, and she knew his skilled hands could create a repeat performance.
“I’ll stop on the way home,” he said, his voice still low.
“I can’t wait,” she said, shyly.
He leaned down to kiss her lips again, and then whispered in her ear.
“I love you, baby doll.”
He turned and walked away before she could reply, and she watched the women openly stare as he left the shop, got back into his patrol car and drive away.
Seconds later, all eyes were on her as the women tried to get a handle on what they’d just seen. They solemnly sat back down in their chairs, and aside from a few whispers, she didn’t hear another sound out of them.
A few hours later, she arrived at Drew’s house, excitement in her gut.
After her hair appointment, she’d called Caroline, and the two women embarked on the thirty minute drive to the mall in the city. Bear Canyon was a great place for shifters to live and raise a family, but it didn’t have a mall, and if she wanted something better than a t-shirt to wear, she needed to go to a plus-sized specialty shop.
With Caroline’s help, she’d found a flattering turquoise, layered tank that tied around her neck, and a pair of denim Bermuda shorts that accentuated the muscles in her legs instead of making them look like a pair of sausages escaping their casings. Underneath she wore a strapless, black satin push-up bra and matching panties.
She’d been thinking about Drew’s declaration, along with his promise to pick up caramels, all day, and she couldn’t wait to return the sentiment. Maybe this would be the night he finally marked her and claimed her as his own.
Drew opened the door and she lost her breath.
Every time she saw him, she felt the same as she had four years ago. He simply took her breath away. His light brown hair was damp from his recent shower, and he smelled crisp, clean and wild. His scent called to her bear, making her wet with desire. The t-shirt he wore clung to his muscular frame, and his khaki shorts exposed his powerful legs. Even his large, bony feet turned her on, and she felt like one of those women in the shop ogling him through the window.
“You look beautiful,” he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. “Come inside, I just started heating up the grill.”
“Thank you,” she said, for both the compliment, and the invitation.
“Your hair looks great. Bree really has some awesome skills doesn’t she?”
“She’s amazing,” Lily agreed.
“You’re amazing,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I like this top, is this new?”
“Yes, I went shopping with Caroline after my hair appointment.”
“In the city?” he frowned.
“Yes, why?”
“I don’t like you going there without me.”
“I like going there, and sometimes I’ll have to go without you,” she reasoned. She didn’t want to upset him, but she still needed some independence. “The mall is there, as are most of my friends, and I stay in populated areas at all times.”
“Okay,” he relented, “but will you tell me when you go? So I know where you are?”
“I can do that,” she agreed.
“Good,” he said, and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. “I have to get these burgers on, but I left the caramels and a bag of chips in my study. Can you get them for me, please?”
“Sure.”
He kissed her again, sliding his tongue deep into her mouth, and she rubbed against him like a cat in heat. When he let her go, her nipples poked through her top, and she wanted to skip dinner and let him mount her on the kitchen table.
“I know what you’re thinking, baby doll, but I have to feed you first,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “Get the food, and I promise to give you what you want after we eat.”
She squealed when he grabbed her ass, and hurried to the study as he went outside with the meat.
The grocery bag sat in a high-backed chair he kept in the corner of the study for reading, and she found it easily. She grabbed the bag and started to walk out of the room when a bunch of newspaper clippings on his desk caught her attention. She knew she shouldn’t snoop, but Drew had repeatedly told her to make herself at home, and she wondered if the articles were work related or for personal use.
Her hand hesitated as it hovered over the first article. Though crime was low in Bear Canyon, Drew had worked at the city police department for a couple of years in the beginning of his career. She wasn’t sure she wanted to read about any of his gruesome cases.
Curiosity got the best of her and she pic
ked up the first clipping.
Wanted: A Bride for a Bear!
The words were familiar, and she easily recognized the ad as the one Travis had placed to find Bree. The next clipping had exactly the same title, and the words, she realized, were the ones that had brought Olive to Trent.
The other clippings had similar ads, but they’d obviously been penned by full humans.
Wanted: Mail Order Bride!
Lonely Man Seeks Wife!
Wealthy Woman Seeking Companionship!
Under the clippings, she found a white sheet of notebook paper with an ad similar to the others written on the lines. She’d recognized Drew’s handwriting immediately.
Wanted: A Bride for a Bear!
Tall, thirty-one year old, single bear shifter, seeks mate to share his life in Bear Canyon. She must be younger than thirty, short, curvy, and sexy as hell with large breasts and a round, spankable ass. She must be friendly and kind, beautifully stunning, loyal and responsible. Seeing her smile must harden my cock instantly and brighten my darkest of days. Her positive, cheery, sometimes giggly personality must tolerate my sometimes possessive and obsessive impulses when it comes to her safety, but most of all, she must love me deeply, and wear my mark to show the world who she belongs to.
Lily started to hyperventilate and she put the note down.
A band tightened around her heart as she realized everything she’d shared with Drew had been a lie. He’d been using her until someone answered his crudely composed ad, and she recognized that even though he’d been in her life for the past four years, she didn’t really know him at all.
She hastily arranged the newspaper clippings to look as if she hadn’t touched anything, threw the grocery bag back into the chair, and ran out of the study. After all the tears she’d nearly shed two weeks ago, she was surprised nothing became blurry as she made her way toward his door. If she had to see him again, she might not be able to maintain any dignity, but luckily she’d set her purse on a table in the foyer, and she didn’t have to return to the kitchen.
Embarrassed and angry, the onslaught of emotions left her numb and she plastered a smile on her face as she hurried toward her car, jumped inside and started the engine. One of the ladies from the salon saw her and waved, but she didn’t stop to talk to the busybody.
The woman watched with rapt attention as Drew burst out of the front door, called her name, and ran toward her car. She looked in his direction and the tears started to fall. She pressed on the gas pedal and sped away from the curb, knowing if he was on duty he’d probably ticket her for speeding. Or reckless driving. She didn’t care.
She glanced in her rearview mirror and saw him running down the street in his bare feet and regret washed over her. She didn’t want to see him hurt, she just didn’t want to see him ever again.
She turned the nearest corner and he disappeared from her view.
She raced home, locked herself inside her tiny apartment, and let the tears fall.
Chapter Four
Drew pushed the button on his cell-phone to disconnect the call, and slammed his fist on the desk. It had been nearly two weeks since Lily ran out of his home, and he still didn’t know the reason why.
The first three days he’d called her several times, and left multiple messages, but she wouldn’t call him back. He’d visited her house, but she’d refused to answer the door, and the one time he went looking for her in the sandwich shop Luke had informed him she’d called in sick.
On the fourth day, he’d caught a glimpse of her while out on patrol, and he’d approached her in uniform. It had been a warm day, but the temperature had dropped after the sun went down, and when the wind blew, her nipples hardened, stirring his lust.
“Lily,” he’d said.
“Luke.”
“Please tell me what went wrong,” he’d nearly begged.
“Nothing went wrong,” she’d said, “I just came to my senses. I don’t want to hold you back from finding the perfect woman.”
“But…you’re my perfect woman. I told you that on our first date.”
He’d sounded so needy, his bear itched to emerge and show his strength and power.
“That wasn’t a date, it was a fuck-fest,” she’d said coldly, “and while it was fun, it’s nothing to start making wedding plans over. I get it. No hard feelings, okay? Nothing will change between you and Luke, except that I won’t be fawning all over you every time we’re in the same room together.”
She’d stepped around him, dismissing him, and he’d reached out and grabbed her wrist.
“Let go of me,” she’d seethed and he’d immediately released her.
“It’s too cold to be wearing a top so thin,” he’d growled in a last ditch effort to retain some dignity and control of the situation.
“Luckily, my wardrobe and I are no longer your concern. It was fun for a few days, but please don’t call me anymore. Ever.”
“Okay,” he’d nodded.
He’d stood on the street until he could no longer hear her footsteps behind him, then he got back into his patrol car and finished his shift.
He’d stayed true to his word, and hadn’t called her in a week and a half, but today he’d woken up cranky, edgy and desperate to hear her voice. He couldn’t help feeling as though she was in some kind of danger, and the idea nearly killed him.
He had nothing to go on, no clues or evidence, but his instincts told him she’d need his help before the end of the day.
It was nearly dinner time and he decided to visit her apartment one more time. If she refused to answer, then he’d visit Luke, and beg his friend for some insight. He slid his phone into his pocket, and grabbed his keys at the same time someone started banging on his door as though they were going to break it down.
Drew swung open the door, and came face to face with his angry best friend.
“What the hell did you do to my sister?” Luke roared.
Rage rolled off of the other man in waves, and for the first time in the history of their friendship, Drew realized the full power buried inside his friend. If he didn’t use caution, he and Luke would be throwing punches on his front lawn.
“I didn’t do anything to her—”
“Yeah, right,” Luke growled, his canines extended. “She called in sick every day last week, and she hasn’t smiled at once since she came back. We had dinner together a week ago and she wouldn’t eat anything, and now she’s going out on a date tonight with some full human from the city. That would be fine except that you said she was your mate. What the hell, man?”
“She’s going on a date?” Drew asked, dumbfounded.
“Yeah, Caroline told me she left about twenty minutes ago.”
Drew rubbed his chest, and walked back to his study, leaving Luke in the doorway. He sat down in the chair next to his desk and closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to pass.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Luke asked. “Do you need a doctor?”
“I don’t know what’s wrong, but I’ve had this pain in my chest all day, and I’m convinced something is going to happen to Lily. I was on my way to her house again when you showed up.”
“What happened between you two?” Luke asked, sitting in the high-backed chair in the corner.
“I was hoping you could tell me,” Drew said honestly, “because I haven’t got a clue. One minute we were happy and getting ready to eat dinner, and the next she ran out of here and refused to speak to me or see me again.”
“That doesn’t sound like Lily,” Luke said. “Something must have happened.”
“No shit!” Drew growled. “Thanks for the insight, genius.”
“I’m sorry,” his friend said. “Have you retraced your steps, replayed the day? Maybe it’s something you missed.”
“I’m a police officer, Luke,” Drew said sarcastically, “of course I’ve done those things. I’ve done them over and over. I have no idea what made her…”
He looked into the garbage and saw the balled
up newspaper ads, and then he revisited the day she ran out on him in his mind. After he’d chased after her car, he’d entered his study and grabbed the pile of ads, including his own, in one hand and balled them up in his fist. In anger and heartbreak, he’d squeezed the paper until it resembled nothing more than a small newspaper ball, and then tossed it into the trash.
He grabbed the trash can, pulled out the ball and studied it.
“What is it?” Luke asked.
“It’s my proposal, and the samples I’d saved to write it.” He tried to pull the paper open, but he’d compressed it too tight. “It was personal, and…graphic…for her eyes only. After she left I balled it up in anger, threw it away, and never thought about it again.”
“I don’t want to hold you back from finding the perfect woman.”
“Shit!”
“What?” Luke asked.
“She told me she didn’t want to hold me back from finding the perfect woman. At the time, I had no idea what she was talking about, but I think she read the ad, and thought it was real.”
“What the hell did it say?”
Drew looked at his friend. There was no way he could tell the man what was in the missive. He’d created it for Lily’s eyes only.
“You don’t want to know,” he said simply. “Trust me on this one.”
“Okay,” Luke said. “What’s next?”
“We need to figure out where her date is taking her, and then intervene.”
“Good plan, I’ll text—”
Luke’s voice was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing.
“It’s Caroline, I’ll put her on speaker,” he said, and then answered the call. “Caroline—”
“Luke, I just got a weird text from Lily,” Caroline said, her voice frantic, “and when I tried to call her, she didn’t answer. I think she’s in trouble.”
“What did the text say?” Luke asked.
“It said, track me.”
Drew raced out the front door with Luke on his heels.
