The Write Bear (Highland Brothers 1)

by Meredith Clarke

  “Do you come here often?” she asked.

  He rubbed the rough scruff on his cheek. If the man had shaved this morning, she couldn’t tell. He had a wicked five o’clock shadow. His face was almost covered in stubble again. It was rugged and sexy as hell.

  “We use it whenever we need a getaway.”

  “We?” she asked. Her heart dropped to her stomach. Nothing in her research mentioned a current girlfriend, but in the past there had been enough women on his arm to form his own personal cheerleading squad.

  “It’s a family home. We’ve been coming up here since I was a kid.” He moved to the side to let her step over a branch.

  “Oh, your family.” She may have been too enthusiastic with her response. Hudson gave her a funny look.

  “Yeah, I have two brothers. We share the place. Our father is gone, and our mother doesn’t like the outdoors much.”

  “Oh,” she answered quietly. “I didn’t know about your father. I’m sorry.”

  “Part of life.” He trudged ahead.

  It wasn’t what she expected him to say, but she was starting to realize she didn’t know much about Hudson Highland. It wasn’t as if his author bio or the public relations pieces mentioned all his family secrets.

  “And your brothers? Are you close with them?” She knew she was starting to breathe heavier. The hike wasn’t easy. Where was this damn fishing spot?

  “Yeah. You could say that. We have a bond.” He stopped suddenly. Riley almost smacked into his backpack.

  She looked at the crystal water in front of them. It rippled and sparkled as the current carried the water over rocks and along the bank.

  “Wow. How did you know this place was here?” It was as if the lake had sprung up from nowhere. There was a stream leading in from the far point.

  “Best salmon fishing in the state. But it’s a secret place my brothers and I don’t share with anyone.” He eyed her.

  “Got it. I won’t tell a soul.” She crossed her finger over her heart.

  He began baiting the end of the rod, then handed it to Riley. “Here you go.”

  She looked at it as if he had handed her a gun. “But, I don’t know how to fish.”

  “You’ve never fished?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Not for salmon. We don’t have salmon fishing.”

  “Where did you say you were from?”

  “I don’t think I did.” She watched as he set up the rig on his rod. “But I’m from Atlanta. That’s where the company is anyway.”

  “This company where you’re a book doctor?” He studied the lure at the end of line between his hands.

  Riley noticed the roughness of his hands. A quick flash of them palming her breasts rushed through her mind. Oh God, hands and lips are now off limits. She pressed her mouth together.

  “Yes, Authors Unlimited. We are mainly editors, but there are formatters and graphic artists as well. My specialty is helping authors. It’s my favorite part of the process.”

  “Is that so?” His eyebrows rose.

  “It is. Anyone can do line edits. Do you really need help with commas? Probably not. But helping someone break through the other side of a story—now that is doing something.”

  Hudson chuckled. “All right Southern girl. Don’t get carried away.”

  Riley stood with her hands on her hips. “Now you’re going to make fun of me for loving my job? You’re unbelievable.”

  He leaned one of the poles against a nearby tree. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t poke fun.”

  She felt the anger subside slightly. “It’s all right. I do get a little caught up in my job. But I love it. And I want to help you. That’s why I’m here. Want to tell me where you’re stuck? Maybe lead me through from the beginning.”

  Before she knew what was happening Hudson’s chest was pressed against her back, his legs straddled either side of hers, and he shoved the pole into her hands. His chest was like a solid wall of muscle. Through her flimsy shirt she could feel his breath move in and out of his body. She had to swallow hard to remember to focus.

  “Fishing lesson number one,” he instructed. “You want a good cast.”

  Riley’s chest tightened as Hudson’s hands clasped over hers. She felt the roughness of his palms heating her skin.

  “Like this.” He continued with his demonstration, tossing the end of the line into the center of the stream. “We’ll let it drift a while and then reel it in. Got it?”

  She couldn’t make the words form, she could only nod in response.

  “Good. I’ll let you try it out and I’ll cast mine down a little farther.” Suddenly he was no longer standing behind her. The wall of heat was gone. She shivered.

  4

  Hudson

  Damn, he had never seen a woman look so sexy holding a fishing pole. He walked along the bank, checking over his shoulder every now and then to make sure she had the hang of it.

  Her pretty lips were fixed in concentration as she tossed the line in the water. He chuckled to himself. He didn’t know why he gave in and let her stay, only that his bear had won. His bear wanted her here. He wanted her more than anything.

  He had dreamed about her last night. It almost felt real touching and toying with her luscious silky skin. He had made her moan and call his name until she begged for his bear to take her. When he awoke he had to begin stacking firewood to feel something rough under his hands.

  Hudson walked a few paces, his feet sinking into the mud and then he waded toward the middle of where the stream flowed through the lake. Eventually, she would get tired of this and want to leave. He would silently convince her she didn’t need to stay. She would drive away and this would be over. In the meantime, his bear was aching to take her. It didn’t help she was poured into those jeans. He would keep his bear at bay. He had to.

  The cabin had been his salvation for so long. The place he could let his bear be free. He realized his bear had dominated the man in him lately. The book had been pushed back. Not because he couldn’t write, but because he was preoccupied. How was he supposed to explain that to his editor or publisher? He was working through a shifter cycle. One of the most primal and basic cycles of the male bears journey—taking a mate.

  It was his time to find his fated mate. His bear wanted companionship—a woman he could share his bed with and fill with his cubs. But Hudson had hoped locking himself in the cabin would keep it from happening. He would leave the family legacy to his brothers. They could have mates and cubs. It wasn’t going to happen for him. He’d fight his bear every step of the way.

  “Am I doing this right?” Riley’s voice pulled him back to the lake.

  “Let me see.” He walked over to her, daring his bear to surface.

  Her line was wrapped around the handle, tangled in knots. “I don’t know how I did that,” she said.

  “Me either,” he grumbled. He sat on a rock next to the bank and began to work the filament free. “Want me to re-cast it for you?” he offered.

  She shook her head. “No, I’ll watch you why I take notes.”

  “Notes?”

  “Yes, about the book. You said we could talk about the book. I read the first two chapters and wanted to ask about the scene with the Russian.”

  “Right. The damn book.” He carefully placed the extra pole along the ground, making sure the hook was safely secured.

  Riley pulled her knees closer to her chest, pushing her breasts forward. Damn. He licked his lips before he realized it. His bear wanted them. Wanted them here and now. He could draw lazy circles with his tongue all over her body. Dipping and licking against her luscious flesh. Damn it. His bear was primed and ready to fill her with his cubs.

  Hudson took a step backward. “I’m going to cast down here. I’ll be right back.” He took giant paces toward the end of the lake. He needed distance from her.

  “But—” Riley’s voice trailed behind him.

  This was never going to work. He shook his head as he cast in the cente
r of the lake. His bear was getting stronger.

  5

  Riley

  A few hours later Hudson pulled in bait and packed up the gear. “Time to go.”

  Riley felt the shards of disappointment slice into her. She didn’t want to go and leave the peace they had found at the secret lake. It was calm here. The sounds of the bubbling stream, lulling her thoughts into waves of tranquility.

  Somehow the hike and the lake had softened Hudson. She tried to reconcile the gruff man she had met last night with the one who had fixed her car, lead her through the woods, and taught her how to fish. It was as if he was finally warming to her invasion of his private space.

  “Ok. I guess we need to get back and get to work on the book.” She realized that the entire time they had fished Hudson had managed to strategically dodge all her questions about his manuscript. He never answered a single question.

  He smiled a broad grin, showing his straight white teeth. “No, we get back and have lunch. Then we can talk about the book.”

  Riley pinched her lips together. “Lunch?”

  “You’re hungry aren’t you?”

  She nodded, trying to ignore the rumbling sounds coming from her stomach. “Starving, actually.”

  “Nothing beats fresh salmon. Come on.”

  She followed Hudson, as he led her through the trails that had taken them to the lake. She was glad he was such an expert guide. She would never be able to navigate her way back to the cabin. For such an impressively strong man, he moved with agility and grace through the forest, stopping every few paces to listen or survey the trail in front of them.

  By the time they made it to the house Riley felt the fatigue settle in her shoulders. Casting was easy, but she was using muscles she hadn’t touched in awhile.

  There was a bench in the garage near the brothers’ fishing supplies. She sat and bent to remove her boots, and was surprised when Hudson stooped to help her.

  “You look tired.” He held her foot between his hands before moving to unlace the second boot.

  “That bad?” She joked.

  She couldn’t imagine what Hudson thought of her. He was basically a chiseled model who had walked off the pages of Men’s Fitness. Riley knew she had pretty features, but not all men liked curves. Not the kind she had anyway. Her breasts struggled to stay hidden in her shirts and her hips stretched her jeans. She knew she wasn’t Hudson’s type. No, definitely not his type, not after the eye candy she saw in his press photos.

  “Actually, not bad at all.” He lingered in front of her, his eyes locked on her lips.

  It was involuntary the way she licked them, as if there was a remote possibility he was going to kiss her.

  He shook his head and stood abruptly. “I better get lunch started.”

  Riley felt the frustration sink into her chest. “Right. Lunch.” Just when she felt a connection with him, he would pull back, leaving her questioning herself and her instincts. She followed him into the kitchen.

  Hudson spent the next hour filleting the fish, sautéing vegetables, and grilling the most delicious fish Riley had ever tasted.

  “This is amazing.” She took another bite. “You are a surprisingly good cook, Hudson Highland.”

  “I’ve mastered a few dishes.” He smiled.

  It was the second time today she had seen the smile. If it was becoming one of his habits, she was going to be in trouble. Each time he did it, she felt a little flutter between her legs. Good lord, she cursed to herself.

  She jumped from the table. “I’ll do the dishes and then we can start on the book.” She rinsed her plate in the sink, and reached for the scrubber and a bottle of dish soap. “I’d like to call in to my office today with a progress report. Just something to let them know you’re on schedule.”

  The bubbles clung to her fingers as she started on the glass.

  “I was thinking you might want to see the library.” He handed his plate to her.

  It felt natural standing next to him in the kitchen. His arm brushed against her shoulder, and for a second she wanted him to wrap his strong limbs around her like he had done by the lake.

  “Library?”

  He nodded, his eyes lighting. “Highland House has a library. All my favorites.”

  “What about the books in my room?” She dried the plate and placed it in the cabinet.

  “Oh those are some of the duplicates. Come on.” He grabbed her hand, leading her down the hallway into a deeper part of the house. She felt the warmth in his touch, the roughness of his calluses rubbing her palms as if they were wearing down the friction that had started between them last night when she landed on his doorstep unannounced.

  He shoved open the door, and Riley’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit. This is your library?”

  Her eyes widened at the sight.

  “Yep. We’ve been collecting for a while. I think it’s a pretty good start for a private library.” He looked pleased with himself.

  Riley took a step forward, mesmerized by the floor to ceiling showcase. She had never seen so many books in one house before.

  “This is incredible.” She started reading the titles to herself, moving down the bookshelf. She stopped in front of the Spy Fire Series. “Books one, two, and three.” She turned toward him. “You and I have to get book four on this shelf.”

  He shook his head. “True, we do, but I thought you might want to rest for awhile before we get started. Why don’t you take a nap?”

  She peered at him. “A nap? No. You’re stalling. It’s nearly two o’clock and we’ve accomplished nothing today.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. We went for a hike. You learned how to catch a fish. We had an excellent meal. I say that’s something.”

  She inched closer to him, her finger poking at his chest. She didn’t expect the flare in his eyes, but she wasn’t going to back down. They had a deal.

  “Go get your manuscript.”

  “Excuse me?” His head tilted to the side and from this angle she could see amber flecks in his dark eyes. They sparked and glimmered.

  “I said go get your manuscript. We’ll work in here. This is a good spot. No distractions.”

  “No,” he growled.

  “What?” Her eyes flared. “We have to work through your writer’s block.”

  “I don’t have writer’s block,” he roared.

  “Then what in the hell do you call it? You don’t have a finished book. Your deadline is in two weeks. And you won’t let me help you.”

  He clenched his fists. She could see the muscles in his neck twitch. “I’m working through it. Leave it alone, Riley.”

  She shook her head. “No, I can’t. I won’t.” Her hand moved to his. She stared in his eyes, feeling the heat of his skin. “Let me help, Hudson.”

  “You should go.” His eyes were trailing over her throat. His voice was low and husky.

  “No. You haven’t even given me a chance.” She was going to stand firm. She had to. “You’ll be surprised at the things I can do for you. Really, it’s not scary. I know you must think that. All writers do. But, if you let me in I can change things for you.”

  “Leave,” he roared. “I can’t control myself much longer.”

  Her eyes darted back and forth in panic. His chest was heaving, and she could feel the air between them heating with his breath.

  “What do you mean can’t control yourself?” she whispered. Suddenly, she knew he wasn’t talking about the book.

  “This. This is what I mean.” His hands circled around her, drawing her against his solid frame.

  His hot mouth sought her lips with hunger and fire. Her lips parted as his tongue twisted against hers.

  “Oh God,” she moaned, diving into the kiss with all the passion she had stored.

  His hands fisted through her hair, tugging and pulling her head so he could thrust his tongue deeper in her mouth. It felt as if he was drinking her in, thirsting for her. She moved her mouth wildly against his. Her limbs began to me
lt into his embrace.

  He gasped a ragged breath and pulled himself away. “Go, you need to go.” His voice was pained.

  “Are you kidding?” Riley had a few lousy kisses in her life, and she wasn’t about to walk away from the hottest damn kisser that had graced her lips.

  “It’s not safe. You should go.” He settled on the leather couch. “The deal is off.”

  She could see him struggling to release the tension in his hands. His fingers were clinched in balls. His knuckles white from the strain.

  She couldn’t take it anymore. He had pushed her away only to draw her back in. He was hot and cold. Confusion and clarity. She needed to put an end to it. For once and all she would know if she had made up the attraction she thought they shared.

  “Kiss me again,” she ordered, standing over him.

  “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “Kiss me.” She dropped to the floor so she was eye level with him. “Please.”

  He groaned. “I came up here to avoid this. To avoid you.” He shoved off the couch and paced around the room, making laps while his shoulders brushed against some of Riley’s favorite titles.

  “Avoid me? We only met last night.” Riley felt confused, but all her lips felt were hot and bruised from his mouth.

  “I can’t explain it.” He threw his hands in the air.

  “Try me.”

  “No.” He walked to the door, pulling the knob in his hand. “Get your things together and get out.”

  Before Riley could catch her breath he slammed the door behind him, leaving her in the middle of the beautiful rows of books.

  6

  Hudson

  Hudson slammed the garage door behind him, grabbing the ax as he burst into the daylight. He stomped to the back of the house near the woodshed, heaved a log onto its end, and hurled the ax over his head, splitting the log in half.