Bound to the Bear (Denali Den Book 3)

by Rebecca Thomas

  Harry grunted, then flexed his jaw. “Are you okay, Tess?”

  “Sure.” Forcing a grin at the detective, she said, “I’ve got law enforcement to protect me.”

  “All right then. I’ll get back to work.” Harry departed.

  “Nice work laying a guilt trip on me. Or trying to, but it didn’t work. I said, I can take care of myself.” Tess stepped toward the staging area where Harry had just gone.

  “Maybe you can take care of yourself.” The detective sidestepped, effectively blocking her path. “I’ll give you that, but you can’t take care of everyone in this building.”

  Tess had been so sure of herself and the decisions she’d made. His penetrating gaze made her belly do weird things. “That werewolf is just a kid. He was in way over his head.”

  “And then his pack took a shot at you. Did you consider there were other innocent people around? Sure, they missed you, but they could have hit someone else.”

  She stumbled a step backward. Oh God. She’d been so set on proving she wouldn’t be cowed, she hadn’t considered she endangered other people.

  She swiped at her brow and paced across the small closet. “I-I can’t run away from a werewolf.” She shook her head. The scent of this bear agitated her. Which was so strange. She brushed at her forearms in a half-hearted effort to wipe away her confusion. “I can’t do it, but I never meant to put anyone else in danger. I would never do that.”

  “I’ve been given an assignment. I’m taking you with me.” The detective stood within easy arm’s reach from her. “You can leave peacefully or forcibly. You pick. And let’s be clear, you aren’t running. You’re hiding for a few days. There’s a difference. You’re removing the threat from this place. Then you will face your assailant in court.”

  He did make perfect sense and it infuriated her. “Are you always this logical?”

  “Yes. And we’ve no time to waste. I would prefer that we sneak out of here—not run, and not have me drag you kicking and screaming. And while I’d love nothing more than to carry you—which trust me, I can do—I prefer to walk together and work together. You pick.”

  Tess continued to size him up. He hadn’t shaved in a couple of days and looked incredibly sexy. She wanted to run her hands over the scratchiness of the beard stubble and dig her nails into his skin. She widened her eyes, shocked by her own thoughts. “If you say, ‘you pick’ one more time, I might have to hurt you.”

  She preferred to keep her bear in check—and not making decisions for her. But her inner core begged to be released and clawed at her logical decision-making processes.

  His dark brown gaze bore down on her, while his expression remained deadpan. For a second, she wanted to know exactly what he was thinking. Did he consider her attractive? Did his inner bear stir the way hers did when she looked at him?

  The hard reality was he was probably right about other people or bears being in the line of fire. She’d been so self-absorbed in her determination to take care of herself, that she wasn’t thinking of them and the dangers she could be exposing them to. No matter how badly she didn’t want to hide from the werewolves, she couldn’t put her quasi-family at Bared in Alaska in danger.

  Plus, this bear was having some kind of crazy effect on her. While she’d probably resist every other bear in the state, for whatever reason, she couldn’t say “no” to him. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

  If she was a mind reader, she would have sworn he’d resisted the urge to roll his eyes back. “Thank you. I didn’t want to be forced to tie and gag you.”

  “So.” She pursed her lips together. “Where are we going and what are we going to do for the next week?”

  “I’ll tell you in private. You never know who might be listening around here. Let’s go outside.”

  They stepped outside into the parking lot and into the summer’s bright sunlight. Her eyes were glued to the werebear. She worked around human men and werebears every night, but she’d never given any notice to the strip club’s patrons. She’d vowed to never date anyone she met there, and so far, she’d kept to her plan, but seeing this bear—his domineering presence, his confident stride, even his smell—made her realize how much she missed being with someone. In particular, another bear.

  “Do you see the white gold-colored truck in the back row?” he asked.

  “Sure. It’s gorgeous.” She shook her head. “Don’t tell me that is yours.”

  “It is, but I don’t want anyone seeing you leave with me.”

  “Yeah, that truck is real inconspicuous. I’m sure no one will remember it being here.”

  “Listen,” he said with a running out of patience tone. “I was about to go on vacation, therefore I’m driving my personal vehicle. I got a call about your case. Since my vacation is in a remote location, and I didn’t want to take a vacation anyway, this works out well for both of us.” He glanced around the parking lot. “I imagine you’re being watched, so the trick is getting you out of here, with me, without anyone knowing you’re with me.”

  Going away into the woods with this bear held some appeal. If she had to be holed up for a week, it may as well be with a bear who made her tummy do little flips. “How would you suggest we do that?”

  The detective looked at his cell phone. “I’ll run an errand or two, pick up some more road food, and clothes for you. Then I’ll pick you up at that side entrance in exactly one hour, okay?”

  “Why would you get clothes for me? And what do you mean by road food?” This was getting more complicated.

  “You can’t go back to your house or apartment or wherever you live, because I’m sure the wolves are watching it. Unless you have clothes here, I’ll get you whatever you need. We’ve got a four-hour drive ahead of us, so I’ll get food for us too. What do you like?”

  “I sure did not wake up this morning thinking I’d be whisked off into the wilderness by a bear.” In some scenarios this might sound romantic, but she ignored that thought.

  “I didn’t wake up this morning thinking I’d be taking a stubborn she-bear into witness protection either.”

  She crossed her arms in some lame kind of effort to keep her bear at bay. How was it that she wanted to simultaneously strangle and kiss him at the same time? “Touché.”

  “What kinds of clothes would you like me to buy for you? I’m guessing you’re a size twelve. Is that right?”

  Tess’s face heated. She liked the fact that he thought she was smaller than she actually was, but this didn’t explain her embarrassment. She worked with women who took off their clothes for a living, it shouldn’t bother her that he’d be buying her underwear. “No. Actually I’m a fourteen.”

  “All right.”

  She gazed into the blinding sunlight and across the mountains of the Alaska range. The land of the midnight sun was a special place in the summertime. She gathered her efforts for a different outcome one more time, and sighed. “Are you sure I can’t go to my house and get my own clothes?”

  “Miss Trevino, I’m absolutely certain.” He leaned in closer to her and she smelled his musky bear scent. Her mouth watered. “You need to understand the seriousness of this situation. We’ve no time for side trips with opportunities for the wolves to figure out where you’re going. My supervisor wants us to come up with a cover story while you’re with me at Denali Crossings. We don’t want to risk anyone knowing your true identity.”

  “I think you can call me Tess, instead of Miss Trevino. You’re going to buy me clothes, after all. I’m thinking we should probably be on a first name basis.”

  “I agree. Please call me Stefan. Do you have any special requests?”

  Her face heated again, but it wasn’t from the sunshine. Requests for what? “Oh, you mean, what kinds of clothes do I like?”

  “Yes.”

  “Maybe a dress, a tank top, a pair of shorts. I’m not sure. Whatever you think.” The idea of being whisked away with a virtual stranger suddenly became rather disconcerting. Or exciting? She couldn�
��t decide, and Tess Trevino was anything but indecisive. “Actually, I need cool colors. Warm colors don’t go well with my skin tone.”

  He gave her a quizzical glance. “You’re joking, right?”

  “I don’t joke about color.” She eyed him warily. She doubted he knew anything about color, but she threw it out there anyway. “A cover story, huh?”

  “Yes. We’re going to my family’s wilderness therapy camp and we’ll tell them you’re my girlfriend.”

  She’d never been the type to get embarrassed but this bear seemed to bring it out in her. “Oh, really? I’m meeting your family and we’re going to a therapy camp?”

  “It’s a camp for teens, yes. Unless you have a better suggestion. My supervisor said you could be a long-lost cousin, but my family wouldn’t buy that. They’ll already have a hard-enough time buying you as my girlfriend.”

  He probably came from a well-to-do family who looked down on people who did menial labor. She wasn’t sophisticated and never went to college, so why would anyone want to bring her home to meet their family? “And why is that?”

  “I’ve never brought a girlfriend to meet my family before.”

  “This is deceptive for you then, isn’t it? You’ll be lying to your family. That’s not really fair.” Now she felt apologetic for thinking negative thoughts about his family. Maybe this guy wasn’t so bad after all. He was nice, handsome, had a good job, not to mention a family who he didn’t like lying to—he was the complete package.

  “Miss Trevino—Tess, your life is on the line. I will do whatever it takes to protect you.”

  Tess felt that fluttering sensation low in her belly again. He wanted to protect her. She believed every word this detective said. He had a very direct and no-nonsense demeanor. He would protect her. She didn’t doubt it, but what she really needed protecting from was her insane desire to mate with him.

  3

  Stefan hit the tourist and women’s clothing section at Walmart. He picked up a shirt, a pair of shorts, and a dress as Tess had asked. He didn’t know what constituted as cool colors, but it was irrelevant, clothes were clothes. What about underwear? He didn’t ask her about that, but of course she’d need some. It’s not like there were any shopping malls between Wasilla and Denali Park.

  He knew her size because she’d told him, but he’d been trained to notice things like weight, height, and build in his line of work. He paid attention to details—just like he knew she was a size fourteen, but he’d said twelve because for whatever reason women wanted to be seen as smaller than they actually were. He blamed the media for putting skinny ideas into their heads. He loved a woman with curves.

  Tess had plenty of delectable curves. No wonder she was a stripper. He could only imagine the tips she raked in. It was easy to see why a place like Bared in Alaska had plenty of business if all the strippers looked like Tess.

  He walked through the lingerie section. What color would she want? He’d be damned if he’d ask a store clerk which were the “cool or warm colors.” Did she like bright colors like red or more subdued like beige?

  This entire situation did not fit in his job description. He lifted a pair of silky green panties from a bin. The color matched her eyes. His fingers slid over the satiny fabric and he imagined Tess’s skin being just as soft. An edge of the lace caught on his calloused thumb. He immediately threw the scrap of fabric back on the shelf.

  “I can’t buy her that,” he mumbled, and opted for a beige-colored cotton pair.

  Driving back to the strip club, he realized he never got an answer from her regarding road food. He’d been so distracted buying her clothes, he’d forgotten. Maybe they could stop at Denali Park and eat dinner at one of the hotels. They could blend in with the tourists and he could make sure no one followed them before taking the road into Denali Crossings.

  His biggest concern was his vehicle. People usually remembered a newer model diesel truck like his, but it couldn’t be helped. There was no time to switch into one of the department’s vehicles. Besides, no one at Denali Crossings would believe she was his girlfriend if he wasn’t driving his own truck. They wouldn’t believe he was even on vacation if he showed up in one of the state’s vehicles.

  He hadn’t given the girlfriend idea a whole lot of thought yet, but what better cover story could they have? She was a gorgeous sexy stripper. What man in his right mind wouldn’t want to date her? However, they’d need to come up with a different occupation for their cover story.

  He looked at the time. He was almost due to pick her up.

  The timing needed to be perfect. The parking lot was full of vehicles, but no people were walking around. They were inside watching the show, no doubt.

  When he pulled up to the side entrance, Tess slipped inside his truck. She cast a glance toward the door she just left. “Nobody followed me. Can I just say that this truck is flipping amazing?”

  He swung through the parking lot and headed north onto the Parks Highway. “Yeah, I like it.”

  “Makes me re-think my career choices,” she said.

  “Why’s that?” Stefan asked.

  “If I had a higher paying job, like you, maybe I could afford a truck like this. You should see what I drive.”

  “I’d think you’d make plenty of money as a stripper.”

  She stared at him blankly.

  He turned his head back and forth looking at the road and back to Tess again. “Am I not supposed to say that? Or is there a more politically correct way to say stripper? Exotic dancer? Is that better?”

  He could have sworn that her eye twitched.

  “No, it’s fine to say stripper.” She tightened her mouth in a hard line, then turned to look out the passenger window. “Is that what you’re going to tell your family? Here’s my girlfriend—the stripper.”

  “No. I was thinking we needed to come up with a different story.”

  “I’ve got an idea.” Her tone had turned a little bit snarky. “How about I’ll be a seamstress. I know quite a bit about sewing. I have to make alterations to costumes sometimes, so I can say—oh, I don’t know—that I own my own sewing shop in Wasilla. Does that work for you?”

  “Sure. That works. I can’t imagine that anyone would look up your name or the name of your shop. They’d have no reason to. We’re just having a little lovers’ excursion into the wilderness.”

  Stefan watched her lick her bottom lip. She also fidgeted with the edge of her blouse. Did his mention of them being lovers make her uncomfortable? Surely, a werebear with her vast experience with men—dancing naked in front of them, no less—made her a seasoned veteran when it came to dating. Then again, who was he to judge? “So maybe we should get our stories straight.”

  “Yeah, we probably should. Do I need an undercover name too?”

  “No. I think you can be Tess. Or is Tess your stage name?”

  Did she growl?

  She looked straight ahead, without giving him a glance. “Tess is my name.”

  “Okay.” He held up a hand. “Just asking. How long have we been dating?”

  “You pick.” She glared at him.

  “Tess, listen, I’m here to help you and protect you. It’s not my intent to make things difficult. In fact…” He searched his brain for ways to make any of this easier on her. “If you want, my family has one cabin that’s twenty miles away from Denali Crossings. It’s about as remote as you can get and still be able to drive to. If we go there, we’ll be completely alone, or we can stay at a cabin in Denali Crossings itself. Either way, we’ll need to share a cabin.”

  “I assumed as much.”

  She needed to know she could trust him. “I will be a complete gentleman. I will protect you until the trial and I will be a gentleman. Or a gentle bear—however you want to look at it.”

  “Thank you,” she said under her breath.

  “You’re welcome.” His heart squeezed. Yes, he was doing this because it was his job, but he admired Tess. She hadn’t shown the tiniest amou
nt of fear. Any normal person would have been happy to have protection after being shot at twice in one week. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re strong and capable. Under normal circumstances I’m confident you would never need my protection.”

  “Thank you for saying that.” Tess stared out the side window.

  Stefan wondered what she was thinking. The mood had become somber and he wanted to lift her spirits. “So how about we say we’ve been dating for two months—since the beginning of summer?”

  “That sounds fine.” Her response was less than enthusiastic.

  “And where should we say we met?” he asked. “You know people always ask that.”

  “I doubt we would meet because you had a sewing project. Or who knows, maybe you needed your jeans hemmed, so you stopped by my shop.” Her voice had a little more pep.

  “My supervisor has a cabin on Big Lake. Once in a while I go there to have a few beers with the guys and do a little water skiing. What if we say we met at a barbeque there?”

  “That works. Or maybe you were waterskiing and had a wreck and I had to save you from drowning.”

  “I’m a good swimmer.” He shook his head and gave a half laugh. “I wouldn’t drown.”

  “You would if a ski hit you in the head and knocked you out. I was a life guard in high school. It was my summer job. So essentially, we met because I saved you.”

  Stefan snorted. “No one is going to believe that.”

  “Why? Because you’re such a fantastic water skier that you’d never wreck?”

  “No, because I wouldn’t drown.”

  “Yes, you would, if you were knocked out.” She turned a laser-like glare at him.

  “I have a very hard head. A water ski wouldn’t knock me out.”

  “You just don’t like the idea of me rescuing you.” She crossed her arms and gave him a defiant look. “Admit it.”

  He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel giving himself a moment to think. “It might be true—I don’t like the idea of you rescuing me. But honestly, I’m so amazingly athletic that I couldn’t possibly have that bad of a wreck.” He shrugged. “My brothers would never believe it.”