Her UnBearable Protector (Paranormal Bearshifter Romance) Howls Romance

by Reina Torres

  And lost her breath.

  It was a trick of the shadows. Or just her sudden movement throwing her off her axis.

  Whatever it was, she knew she was lost in the midnight sky of his eyes. She felt like she was falling, or floating, there really wasn’t a name for it.

  There was a glimmer in the darkness that she grabbed a hold of and felt her legs go weak. She knew she’d lost her mind and didn’t seem to care. It felt like there was something as old as time staring back at her from the depths. It didn’t scare her. It didn’t make her run for the hills.

  Instead, she dove right in.

  Letting go of his shirt, she swept her hands up over his chest, feeling the heat of his skin and the crisp scratch of his hair beneath the fine cotton of his shirt. The ripples of sensation danced along her skin a moment before her fingers brushed along the skin of his neck and her fingers felt like they were on fire. She wanted to burn.

  Grasping the back of his neck she pulled him down and kissed him.

  She knew she was doing it wrong. The only experience she’d had was a fumbled kiss at a high school dance with a boy named Dale who had cold lips and clammy hands, and he’d done all the work.

  She felt a sudden shock when she bumped her nose against Salvatore’s and then the sharp sting as her teeth scored her own lip.

  Natale mumbled her frustration against his lips, but that only lasted for a moment until he tilted his head and took possession of her lips.

  She wanted to open her eyes and see him, to memorize the moment she lost her heart to a man she barely knew, but she just couldn’t seem to get her body to cooperate. Not when the sensation of his lips against hers sent electricity through every inch of her body, taking conscious thought and rolling it under physical need. She could have fought it and answered the warning bells going off in the back of her mind, but she was tired of fighting.

  Salvatore turned slightly, his lips lifting from hers for a moment, and she gasped in a breath.

  He cupped her face with his hands, holding her in place as his lips skimmed over hers. As she relaxed beneath the gentle friction of his kiss, she felt the soft scrape of his teeth against her bottom lip. She pressed closer, eager for more and felt a scratch against her skin.

  A mumbled apology was followed by the soft swipe of his tongue.

  It wasn’t fair, she decided, and she wanted to have a taste of her own. Grabbing a hold of his collar, she pulled him closer, and rising up on her tiptoes she opened her lips over his, touching the tip of her tongue against his lip. He stilled against her, but didn’t pull away and when she felt the heat of his breath against her cheek she leaned closer and tasted his lips in a hungry kiss.

  He dropped his hands to her shoulders as he leaned into her, and then wound them around her in an embrace. She felt safe and on the verge of danger, as if he held her at the edge of a cliff, with only his arms to keep her from falling, and she realized that she wanted to fall, but only if it was with him.

  And then she decided she didn’t want to wait. She wanted to jump in, right at that very minute.

  Natale turned, grazing the corner of his mouth with her lips, unwilling to completely let him go. “Come inside with me, Salvatore.” She felt his body shiver against her, an indrawn breath expanded his chest, nearly squeezing the breath from her body. “Don’t sleep on the couch tonight.”

  She staggered him. Knocked him off balance. Made him feel like he could rule the world. The sound of her voice giving him his name shook him down to the depths of his soul.

  All he wanted was to have her forever.

  It was so simple and within his grasp. He could easily sweep her off her feet and carry her inside. He could lay her down beneath him and worship her body the way no other man had ever dreamed of. He couldn’t wait to taste her from head to toe, drink in her breathless moans, and take her over the edge.

  His bear rose up in his thoughts, eager and ready to claim her, fangs bared and his heart pumping volumes of blood through his body giving him strength.

  And flooding his mind with worry.

  Natale wanted him, but she didn’t know him. Not really.

  She knew the man, but she had no idea about the beast beneath the surface. Could he take her, bury himself in her, and claim her without giving her the truth?

  “Natale, wait.”

  She’d tugged the ends of his shirt from his slacks and flattened her palms against his skin. The heat of her hands was incredible. She made him burn from the inside out, threatening to push reason from his head. Instead of wanting to pull away, he pressed closer and felt her hands move over his chest.

  A growl breached the wall of his lips, instinct to possess her rising like a flood, and he wanted to drown in her touch.

  She pulled back a little and reached for the bottom of her blouse, grasping the fabric in her hands and tugging it free from her skirt. She gave him a tantalizing view of her pale belly.

  He stepped closer, his hands reaching for her, but stopped just shy of her body. He wanted to feel her soft skin under his lips, to dip his tongue in her navel, to scent her skin and memorize her flavor.

  But he knew he had to wait. He had to stop this until he could explain.

  She didn’t let him. Her hands were at work, tugging his buttons free and pushing his shirt aside. “Salvatore,” she said his name again and he heard her sigh like a siren’s song, luring him into ruin. “I want this-”

  Heaven help him, he wanted her more than his next breath, but not like this. Not when he was hiding the truth from her.

  “Stop.”

  He saw her brow furrow in confusion. Saw the pain that blossomed in her eyes. “I thought,” she shook herself and her hands grabbed at her blouse, tangling in the fine silk, “I thought you wanted to-”

  “Natale,” he begged her with his tone to listen to him, but he could see the bare emotions on her face and knew he’d let things go too long. He’d gotten too close to giving in and he’d done more harm than good. “Please listen. I need to explain.”

  “No, please,” she backed away from him, putting a patio chair between them, “not now. I don’t want to hear your excuse.”

  He moved, using some of his preternatural speed to reach the door before her and he saw the shock on her face as clear as day in the darkness. The lights from inside her apartment only made her eyes shine with stark fear as she stared back at him.

  Salvatore felt his heart seize at that realization. He could take anger from her. She could yell and scream at him and he would let it roll over him like the tide.

  But fear and the pain of uncertainty in her eyes nearly killed him and robbed him of his desire. He knew he was a heartbeat away from ruining any chance he had with her. And if he destroyed what was left of her trust, he’d lose her in another way.

  He’d never be able to protect her if she wouldn’t listen to him, if she pulled away from him when he needed to keep her safe.

  Salvatore backed away from the door, retreating into the shadows of the unlit balcony. Natale only hesitated for a moment before she wrenched open the door and disappeared inside.

  He didn’t move or breathe again until he heard her slam her bedroom door.

  Chapter Seven

  Everyone knew there was something wrong. She could tell by the looks they sent her way. Even Mrs. Castillo, who had worked for Durante for half her life and didn't let anything fluster her, sent worried looks her way. Natale wasn't going to stop and indulge in any of the pitying looks from her people. She'd already banned Ericka from saying a word.

  It didn't help that Salvatore looked ready to pick her up, toss her over his shoulder and drag her off somewhere.

  Well, that would have worked the night before when she'd all but begged for it. It had only been her stubborn pride that had kept her from actually uttering the words. She wanted him, but if he didn't want her, then she would be a big girl with big girl panties and walk away. This show was more important than anything else and she'd let herself get
distracted. That was never going to happen again.

  Every ounce of her energy was going to be focused on her show. She would get over the humiliation, and she'd secure the business for her family. And when she had everything back on track, she'd lick her wounds and maybe open herself up to trying again.

  Maybe.

  With someone else… anyone else.

  “Natale?”

  Tensing just the littlest bit, she turned to her oldest friend. Smile in place, Natale looked at the garment in her hands. “What's up?”

  “Lavonne’s here for her fitting, you said you wanted to-”

  “Yes!” Natale reached out and touched Ericka’s arm, giving it a little squeeze. “Thanks for remembering.” Taking the garment and draping it over her arm, Natale met the model in the center of the room. Seeing the anticipation on the other woman’s face, Natale felt the tension on her shoulders drop away. “Lavonne, just the woman I’ve been wanting to see all morning.” It was true, this dress had given her fits. The design was simple but that was the catch. The simpler designs were always the trickiest. Simple meant that every seam, every inch of hem would be scrutinized. Simple meant it had to be perfect or be ripped apart in reviews.

  Together in the fitting room, they lifted the gown over Lavonne’s head, and with a few wiggles, the garment washed over her body, and settled around her generous curves.

  Looking up into the mirror, Lavonne’s face softened for a moment. “Oh, Natale!”

  Gently setting her arm around Lavonne’s shoulders, Natale took in the whole effect. “You look so lovely.”

  Both women took in the easy fit of the garment as Lavonne shifted slightly before the mirror. Natale pulled the tab on the invisible zipper and drew the garment together in the back. She could see Lavonne tense before her. Natale didn’t blame her. Finding clothing for a woman with curves was an exercise in frustration and many times futility. The model before her was called ‘plus-size’ but her ‘rack size’ was one that a large portion of American women called their own. Rather than being singled out in fashion as ‘large’ or ‘not-commercial,’ Lavonne was very much a ‘model American woman.’

  Natale knew what Lavonne had braced herself for. She was waiting for the pinch of the zipper. She was waiting for the zipper to become stuck because of her size. Neither issue happened and instead, the garment only accentuated her lush curves in a gentle embrace of fabric instead of stretching and pulling over her skin. “Just perfect.” Turning her head, she pressed a kiss on Lavonne’s cheek. “Let’s go and show the ladies.”

  As the women emerged from the fitting room, Natale saw the spontaneous reactions of the women in the workroom and her spirits soared. These women together had more than a hundred years of sewing and patterning skills and they were worth their weight in diamonds. So, when the ladies gasped and clapped their hands at the sight of Lavonne in her dress, it was truly a winning moment for Natale.

  A soft rush of sound turned her head and she regretted the decision. Salvatore had stood up from his chair, his eyes fixed on her. He didn’t have to say a word, she saw the entreaty in his eyes. He wanted to talk, something he made clear on the way to the workroom, and she thought she’d made her answer very clear at the workroom door.

  Catching Ericka’s pointed look, Natale struggled to keep her good mood firmly in place. “Go ahead and take some Polaroids and have Mrs. Costello fit her for shoes and check her hem.”

  Before she could walk away, Ericka grabbed her arm. “Want to go get some lunch?” She darted a glance toward the door. “We could go get a drink, take the edge off, and-”

  “I don’t want to talk about it, Ericka.”

  Ericka’s shoulders slumped. “Sweetie, I’m sorry if I messed things up for you last night. I probably made a complete ass of myself by bringing over the bag of-”

  Natale silenced Ericka with a bear hug, nearly squeezing the very breath from her friend’s lungs. “You didn’t do a thing. I’m just not cut out for the relationship thing. Okay? Look, I don’t think I can go anywhere. Salvatore wants me to keep a low profile while his brothers check on some leads. So,” a nervous chuckle peppered her answer, “I’m kind of a prisoner in the workroom today.”

  Ericka opened her mouth to say something, but Natale couldn’t listen to it.

  Stepping away, Natale called out to the room in general. “I’ll be in my office if anyone needs me.” She offered the workers a bright thankful smile. “You’re all amazing! I can’t wait until the world gets to see all of your hard work.”

  Before anyone could stop her, she walked into the hallway and headed for her office.

  Near the end of the day, Natale was ready to drop. She’d thrown herself into her work, and while she didn’t want to jinx things, her crew was ahead of schedule and well on their way to being ready for the show a full day ahead of schedule. The next day was going to be a long one with visits to the event space and conversations with the tech crew. Lighting, sound, and front of house were all etched into her schedule and frankly, she couldn’t wait. In the past, she’d played second to father, but this time, it was her vision and she ached to see it all come together.

  A quick knock at her door had her on her feet. Ericka poked her head in.

  “I hope you’ve got a bottle hiding in your desk. Caprice is headed this way.”

  Before Natale could comment or even wrap her head around the idea, Caprice pushed the door open and swept into the room past Ericka. Her cousin stopped before her desk, her hands planted on her hips. Every quick in-drawn breath lifted her shoulders. A few moments later, Caprice nailed Ericka with a look. “Don’t you have something to do?”

  Natale saw Ericka’s eyes narrow and knew if she gave her a nod, any kind of permission, Ericka was likely to grab Caprice by the hair and throw her out.

  As tempting as that was, Natale knew how hard this whole situation had been on her cousin. Caprice had been so sure she would get to present her line at Fashion Week. Natale knew that it was more avantgarde than Bellezza, but it had completely staggered her cousin. “Thanks, Ericka. You can go ahead and leave. I’ll lock up when I leave.”

  With one last uncomfortable look, Ericka nodded and disappeared into the hallway, closing the door after her.

  Struggling with her smile, Natale looked at her cousin. “Caprice, I have to say I’m kind of surprised that you’re here.”

  As she watched, Caprice’s normally haughty glare dissolved into tears. “Natty, I need your help.”

  To say that Natale was stunned was an understatement. Caprice had always seemed to be a force of nature. “What happened?”

  Dropping her Chanel handbag to the floor, Caprice closed the distance between them, taking Natale’s hands in her own. “I was so stupid yesterday. I was tired and jet-lagged and I was probably hungry and I can’t believe what I said to you,” she continued on, “to your face! I don’t know what came over me. You understand, don’t you?”

  The whole idea that Caprice was actually there, apologizing to her, knocked Natale for a loop.

  “Sure,” she gave her cousin an encouraging smile since she didn’t know how long this version was going to last, “I can understand, but-”

  “See? That’s why everyone loves you!” Caprice released Natale and covered her tangle of gemstone necklaces with a trembling hand. “I need you to help me. After all, this is all his fault!”

  Natale held up her hands, trying to get her to slow down. “Wait. What are you talking about?”

  “That goon of yours.” Caprice waved her hand at the door.

  “Salvatore?”

  Caprice rolled her eyes. “Who else?”

  Natale felt her hands go cold. “What happened?”

  “He must have called Uncle Gio after I came by yesterday. He’s so upset!”

  “Salvatore?”

  “No, Uncle Gio! He told me to stay away from Durante until the show is over and now, I need to get into the storeroom to send samples back to a vendor.”

&nb
sp; Natale pressed her fingers to her temple. “Then just do it. The storeroom is in a completely different building.” She ground her teeth together. Natale wasn’t a person who said ‘no’ easily. This was no exception. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to go to storage.”

  Caprice’s voice snapped from her lips. “I can’t go. Your father told me to stay away.”

  She wanted to snap right back, but that wasn’t going to help. As much as she struggled to understand her cousin’s attitude at times, it wasn’t about petty issues between them, if she needed to get something for a vendor then she needed to help.

  “I can call Papa. I’ll explain-”

  “Please don't make this a bigger mess than it already is.” Caprice handed her a written list of the items. “If you’ll leave them with your doorman I can pick them up and take them to the Mailbox store.” Caprice gave her an air-kiss and headed for the door.

  “Wait, Caprice!”

  The blonde stopped just inside the office door, her hair whipping around her face only to fall into gentle waves around her shoulders. “What?”

  “Why don’t you come with me?” Natale could feel the hopeful smile on her face. “The Mailbox store is just a few blocks down from the warehouse. We could go and get dinner together.”

  She saw the involuntary wince and looked away.

  “Look,” Caprice gave a little shrug, “it’s not that I don’t want to spend time with you, Natty.”

  Natale struggled to smile in the face of her childhood nickname.

  “I just don’t think I can be around your new friend. He’s the reason I’m having to ask you to do this in the first place.” A huff of laughter passed her perfectly painted lips. “The last thing I want to do is come face to face with the brute! I’d probably put my heel through his foot.”

  “Caprice-”

  “You’re either going to help me or not. Which one is it?”

  Natale opened her mouth to answer, but Caprice had already pulled the office door open and moved into the hall. Instead of hearing her heels down the hall, she heard the soft click of the door in the hall and remembered the fire door in the alcove.