Bad Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BRIDES fur BEARS Book 1)

by Natalie Kristen

  “I'll go see Mr Beck this afternoon,” Staci said immediately, taking the documents from Pamela.

  “Great! Beck's Builders is the company. Marcus is the big boss.”

  “M-Marcus?”

  Pamela nodded. “Marcus Beck owns Beck's Builders. They remodel homes and offices, but I think Marcus is thinking of expanding into the building and construction business as well. I'll let you talk to him and get the details from him directly.”

  Staci swallowed and managed a confident smile. “I'll do that.”

  Marcus was a common name, she told herself. Marcus Beck from Beck's Builders couldn't be the same Marcus from last night, could he?

  Shadow Point was a small town but it wasn't that small.

  Right?

  “Right,” she lied to herself.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Marcus tuned out the ribbing and banter from his brothers and work mates. Joshua and Jax were making too many wisecracks. When he got home last night, the twins were watching TV in the living room. They had hounded him about coming home without the girl, and when he admitted that he didn't know where she worked, they had given him a look that said, You might be our big brother but you can be dumb sometimes, and this is one of those times.

  They were working on a solid, double-story brick house that was recently completed by Gray's Domain, the construction company owned by the Gray brothers. They had worked with Gray's Domain for years now. Gray's Domain built the houses, but Beck's Builders did the tiling, painting, carpeting and landscaping. Beck's Builders was a renovation and remodeling company. Marcus had skilled painters, tilers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters on his staff. Some of them had been with him since he started the business fifteen years ago.

  Marcus rolled his eyes as Jax whistled loudly at a skirt.

  “Look where you're pointing the nail gun, if you don't want your thumb to be part of the house,” Marcus warned.

  Jax chuckled as the other guys began to whistle and call out to the approaching female. Not many females came to the work site, and facing a bunch of loud-mouthed guys the whole day could be...grating. The female was a welcome distraction.

  Marcus let his guys have their fun. The females usually laughed and flirted back as they walked past. Some stopped to chat for a bit and even called out their phone numbers as they left.

  Marcus heard high heels click-clacking their way determinedly towards the work site. The men grew more excited and exuberant at her approach.

  “Hey, beautiful!”

  “Lookin' for me, Hon?”

  “Shut up, Damien! She's obviously not looking for you! Which girl in her right mind would look for you?”

  Marcus took a deep breath and his entire body jerked. His bear rumbled to life and almost ripped out of his skin at her scent.

  He knew that scent. He would know her anywhere.

  “Staci.” He turned around with a low growl.

  Armed with a file and a mobile phone, Staci was striding resolutely into a seething, swirling pool of testosterone. The men winked at her as she came nearer, and openly ogled and propositioned her.

  “Excuse me, I'm looking for Mr Marcus Beck,” she said in a clear, no-nonsense voice.

  All eyes swiveled to him. “Mr Beck will see you now,” Joshua said, bowing low and opening an imaginary door for her.

  Once her eyes lighted on him, she sucked in a quick breath and swallowed. He heard her mutter an oath under her breath.

  “Mr Beck, I'm Staci Castillo,” she said. “I'm the new financial consultant from Bronze Bank.”

  There were audible oohs and aahs from his men. “I never knew financial consultants came in such pretty packages,” someone said.

  “I'm going to visit the bank more often.”

  “Get in line, Nick! Hey, Miss Castillo, I need to consult you about my finances. How about meeting tonight, at my place?”

  “Don't go to him. I'll come to you, Miss Staci. Give me your address. We can have a consultation all night long...”

  Marcus's eyes flashed as he walked past his men. His brothers saw the look on his face and began to shush their mates.

  “Shut up, dickheads!” Joshua snapped.

  But of course, no one did.

  “Come on, let's find a place to talk,” Marcus said, putting his hand possessively on the small of her back and steering her away from the hooting, leering males.

  “Miss Castillo!”

  They turned around to see Damien pointing at himself with a paintbrush. The dork had painted his phone number across his bare chest and was strutting around like a peacock.

  Staci chuckled and whispered to Marcus, “Friends of yours?”

  He gave a long-suffering sigh. “Unfortunately, yes.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Staci concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other without falling over. The background shouts of Marcus's work mates faded and she was only aware of Marcus's huge hand against her back.

  “Marcus Beck,” she said with a soft laugh. “It had to be you.”

  Marcus raised a brow at her. “You were expecting someone else? I don't think there's another Marcus Beck in this town.”

  Staci narrowed her eyes at him. “You know what I mean.”

  He smirked at her. “I thought Pamela was coming out to meet me,” he said when they reached a bench under a tree.

  “She had another client meeting, so I'm handling your file.”

  Marcus grinned. “Lucky me.”

  Staci smiled and opened the file. On the way here, she had mentally prepped herself and told herself to remain cool and professional at all times. Nothing would faze her. At the back of her mind, she already knew that Marcus Beck would turn out to be that hunk from the bar.

  She had managed to keep a pleasant, unaffected smile on her face when Marcus's work mates were wolf-whistling and propositioning her. But when Marcus turned around and she met his eyes, her smile cracked and she stopped breathing for a moment.

  She had thought that perhaps it was the beer that had made Marcus look hotter than he really was. But out here, in the bright sunlight, Marcus was even more gorgeous. He looked solid, broad and real. There was a light sheen of sweat on his arms and his paint-spattered shirt stretched nicely across his chest under his work vest. As he strolled towards her, thumping one of his men on the chest as he passed, she realized that he was even taller and bigger than he seemed last night. His skin was tanned and he had muscles all over. She felt positively tiny walking next to him, and Staci knew that she was a big girl.

  Staci cleared her throat and looked up. Marcus was smiling at her as he sat beside her on the bench.

  “I knew I would see you again,” he said smugly.

  “Really?” she teased. She was surprised but glad that she was feeling relaxed in his presence. She had been all nervous and worried for nothing the whole morning. Marcus was easy on the eyes, and he was a likeable, good-humored guy. Even with all the scowling and ribbing, she could see the camaraderie among the men. “Who told you that?”

  “My bear.”

  “Your...bear,” she said slowly.

  “Yep. I don't hear voices in my head, if that's what you're thinking. He talks to me, without words.”

  Staci nodded. “You can only do that with someone who's really close to you, like...she's a part of you,” Staci said wistfully.

  “You had that kind of connection with someone before?” Marcus asked carefully.

  Staci let out a long sigh and nodded. “I used to be really close to my elder sister when we were growing up. We could communicate just with our noses and eyebrows. Like she would wrinkle her nose like this, and I would know what she was saying.” She demonstrated by scrunching up her nose and screwing up her face. She laughed at the memory, but the knowledge that it was only a memory made her sad. She wished she was still so close to her big sister.

  “What happened?” Marcus prompted gently. “Did you two have a fight?
Siblings fight all the time.”

  Staci shook her head. “No. We didn't fight. I kind of wish we did. We just grew up and grew apart. We had different interests, different friends, different lives. We still talk, but not as much and not about everything.”

  Staci shrugged and sighed. “Ethel got married and moved overseas. We still keep in touch, but...it's just not the same.”

  “She's your sister. There's always this secret, special language between siblings,” Marcus said gently. “The next time you see her, talk to her using your nose and eyebrows. You'll see that nothing's really changed. She'll remember.”

  “She'll think I'm crazy.”

  “No she won't. Trust me.”

  For some inexplicable reason, she did.

  “Okay, enough about me.” Staci straightened up abruptly. She didn't know what made her open up and blab about her life to Marcus. He wasn't interested in such girly nonsense. Yet...there was so much understanding and caring in his eyes.

  Staci shook her head and said firmly, “Now. Let's talk about you and your business. Tell me about your business plans, and I'll let you know how the bank can help you.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Marcus cleared his throat a little too noisily. He was trying to distract himself and his bear. The big horny beast was inching closer and closer to Staci, wanting to rub up against her soft, luscious body.

  Thankfully Staci was busy checking something on her phone and didn't seem to notice his animal antics. Marcus planted his work boots firmly on the ground and dug his heels in. He was sitting close enough to her. He wasn't going to act like some perv and press himself against her.

  “So...” Staci put her phone away and picked up a notepad. “Your business. Beck's Builders.”

  Marcus flashed a proud smile. “I started Beck's Builders fifteen years ago when I was a young and idealistic lad. I was twenty then, and it was just me and Nick. Nick is my oldest friend, the very first friend I made in this town. That's him, the big, growly guy standing on top of a crate yelling at Jax and Joshua. Jax and Joshua are my brothers.” Marcus grinned and pointed out the twins to Staci.

  He saw Staci stare at the two dark-haired, dark-eyed brothers and back at him. With his light sandy hair and blue eyes, Marcus knew that there was no familial resemblance at all. “We're not related by blood,” he told her.

  “They're your brothers,” she said simply.

  “Yes.” He stared into the distance and went on, “Well, when we first started, Nick and I took on all kinds of jobs. The twins were only ten, but they liked to help so they would run errands or help us pack and clean up. We worked really hard. We were good with our hands, and we were strong and fast. Gradually, more of the guys came on board and we could take on bigger jobs. Gray's Domain, gave us our first big break and recommended us to their clients. Tristan Gray, the boss of Gray's Domain, is a good friend. He's helped us a lot over the years.”

  Staci lifted her head and chewed on her pen. A thought had just struck her. “Is Tristan Gray related to Gramma?”

  “Gramma?”

  “Yeah, I saw her at The Round Table. Melanie told me that Gramma and Ne-ma...”

  Marcus chuckled. “Yep, Gramma and Ne-ma sure know how to make an impression. Yes, Tristan Gray is their grandson.”

  “Gray's Domain is a construction company, right?” she said, taking notes.

  “Yes. They've built quite a number of the houses in Shadow Point.”

  “And that?” She jerked her chin at the house his men were currently working on.

  “Another successful project by Gray's Domain and Beck's Builders,” he answered proudly. “We have quite a number of projects with Gray's Domain, but we work with business owners and home owners as well. We remodel offices, homes, install new roofs with solar panels—we're your go-to contractors!”

  Staci smiled. “You're doing well.”

  “Well, we have grown. Beck's Builders is no longer a tiny, struggling odd-job company.”

  “And you're thinking of growing some more.”

  “That's the plan. Tristan had a chat with me and he said that he has more building projects than he can handle. He asked if I would like to take on some of the projects. I can work with his architect. But I need to be able to buy the raw materials to build the houses.”

  “So—a loan from the bank.”

  Marcus gave her his best puppy-dog eyes and said, “Will you approve my loan, Miss Castillo?”

  She laughed. “I'll write up my report and submit it to Pamela. But I'd say that you have a very good chance of getting that loan, Mr Beck!”

  Marcus watched her scribble one last note and close the file. The meeting was over and she was leaving.

  “Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?” he blurted out.

  “Oh.” A faint blush crept over her face. “I...”

  Marcus opened his mouth to say more but Jax and Joshua came bounding up to them and said breathlessly, “We're going out with the boys tomorrow night...”

  “So we won't be home...”

  “You have the house all to yourself, big brother!”

  Marcus glared at them. How long had they been eavesdropping on him?

  Marcus turned and saw his entire crew flashing him the thumbs-up and a-OK signs.

  When Staci glanced towards them, the men hurriedly dropped their hands and pretended to work.

  Marcus rolled his eyes. Having a team that was made up mainly of shifters meant they could get more done, faster. But it also meant that nothing was secret. Besides paranormal strength and speed, they had paranormal hearing too.

  From Staci's suppressed laughter, he knew that she had seen everything. But she calmly picked up her file and stood up.

  Holding out her hand, she said in a very professional, consultant-like tone, “Well, this has been a very fruitful and informative meeting, Mr Beck.”

  He took her hand and held it, not willing to let her go.

  “Dinner, tomorrow night,” he whispered, pulling her closer.

  Staci's blush deepened. “I finish at six,” she murmured.

  Marcus grinned. “I'll be at the bank at six!”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Staci stopped typing and dragged her eyes away from her laptop at the knock on her door. Unless she was in a discussion with a client, the door of her office was always open.

  “Marcus!” She jumped up and hurriedly smoothed a hand over her hair. “Oh goodness, what's the time now? Is it six already?” She had been meaning to freshen up her makeup before the date, but she had been so engrossed in her work.

  “It's five-thirty.” He grinned and handed her a big bouquet of flowers. “For you.”

  “Oh thank you!” She took the flowers and frowned. “How did you get in? We close the bank's doors at five, so we can have an hour to complete all the paperwork for the day.”

  “Claire let me in.”

  Staci saw Claire crane her neck and wink at her from the reception counter.

  “Oh, um, take a seat.” Staci indicated the chairs in front of her desk.

  But Marcus shook his head and backed out of her little office. “I'll wait outside. You have work to do. I'll just make myself invisible.”

  Staci laughed when she saw Marcus stuff himself into one of the small plastic chairs and hide his face behind a fashion magazine. There was no way he could be invisible. Not to her anyway.

  Staci found herself admiring his long, lean body. Marcus was wearing black jeans and a plaid shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing his powerful forearms. She could smell his aftershave when he leaned in to give her the flowers.

  She glanced out the door and saw Melanie rounding her eyes and mouth at her. Staci read the question on her lips. He asked you out?

  Yes! Staci raised the bouquet like a trophy.

  Oh my God! Melanie's eyebrows shot up and she did a crazy dance.

  Staci turned quickly to look at Marcus but
his face was still hidden behind that women's magazine.

  Staci hurried back to her desk and finished up what she was doing. At six sharp, she logged off and grabbed her lipstick from her bag. She applied a fresh coat of color on her lips and checked herself in her compact mirror. Not too bad. She didn't look as good as Marcus, who had obviously rushed home to clean up for the date. But good enough.

  Marcus stood up and offered her his arm once she came out of her office. She called out her goodbyes to her grinning colleagues, and walked out of the bank with Marcus.

  “I hope you like Italian food,” Marcus said.

  “I love Italian food! Yum!”

  “Great! Rossi Ristorante is just a few blocks away. My car is here but if you prefer to take a stroll...”

  “Let's!”

  Marcus grinned. “Okay.”

  Staci grinned back. “I'm starving!”

  “Me too.” There was a flash of hunger in his eyes, and Staci wasn't sure they were talking about food any more.

  They picked up their pace but Staci knew that Marcus moderated his speed to allow her to keep up with his long-legged strides. Before long, they were seated in a cozy Italian restaurant and enjoying the most mouth-watering pasta dishes.

  They chatted and laughed throughout dinner. The conversation flowed easily between them and they shared more about themselves and their background.

  When Marcus talked about the twins, Staci could feel the love he had for his brothers, but she also sensed a certain pain and darkness surrounding their circumstances.

  It was only when they were having dessert that Staci ventured to ask, “So, how did you, Jax and Joshua become...brothers?”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Staci wasn't sure if Marcus wanted to talk about it but she had to know. She sensed he was carrying a burden on his shoulders, and she wanted to share his burden somehow. “Did your parents adopt them? Or...”