by Lia Davis, Milly Taiden, Kerry Adrienne, Vella Day, Andie Devaux
That had all changed recently, thanks to her insensitive jerk of an ex-boyfriend.
Releasing a sigh, she shut off the tablet, picked up her hazelnut mocha latte and stared out the window. People bustled by the glass, enjoying the warm spring temperatures. Kids skipped beside their parents while holding their hands.
Nichole’s chest tightened. God, she longed to be a mother. At age thirty-two, she felt she was losing time. Sure, nowadays women had kids in their forties, but Nichole wanted them now, while she was still young. Not that forty was old.
Silly dreams. All of them shattered, bringing her right back to the reality of her life. The crazy, curvy cat lady. Yep, that was her.
She could always have in vitro fertilization, but that didn’t seem to be the right thing for her. No, she held out hope that Mr. Right would walk into her life at any moment.
The table of guys fell silent, still glancing at her. Then the one with his back to her stood. When he turned, his vivid blue eyes bored into her. Heat spread through her like a blast of hot air. He walked…no, he prowled toward her, his large shoulders rolling as he moved. A predator on the hunt.
Her heart hammered when he sat in the seat across from her and leaned over the table. When he spoke, his words came out as a husky, growl-like whisper. “Have dinner with me.”
Blinking, she tamped down the urge to touch him. What the hell was wrong with her? “I’m sorry, I don’t have dinner with strangers.”
The corners of his full mouth lifted. “Forgive me.” He offered her his hand. “I’m Trey Black.”
She flicked her gaze to the other two men at the front table. They stared at her and the handsome stranger as if eagerly waiting for Trey to score. Not today. All the fire inside her dissolved into a cool mist. She tucked her tablet into her tote and stood. “I’m not interested in middle school games. If you’d like, I can just give you my panties and save you the trouble. That way, you won’t look like a total loser in front of your friends.”
When she turned, he gripped her wrist. Electrified prickles raced up her arm, awakening the flame once again. “I don’t play games. I like you.”
She almost laughed. “You could have any woman you want. A perfect model-type. So forgive me if I don’t believe you.”
Snatching her wrist free from his grasp, she fled past his friends and out the door. Tears stung her eyes as she fumbled with her keys. Men were all the same. They said pretty words to get what they wanted, then tossed her aside like old shoes.
Never again. She’d die an old maid before giving her heart to another again.
***
Trey stood to follow the female out the door, but Tiffany, his sister and owner of Beary Sweets, stepped in his way. “Move, Tif.”
“No.” She pointed out the door. “She just got her heart ripped out a few months ago by an asshat.”
He focused on his sister. She’d gone into mama bear mode. “You know her?”
“I’m friends with her bestie, Connie. We’ve all gone out a few times.” Tiffany folded her arms and glared at Trey, watching his lips set in a thin line. “You need to be gentle with her. Show her you like all of her, including her curves.”
Anger brewed in his blood. “What happened?”
She shook her head. “All I’m saying is that those words you spoke, she’s heard them before. Then her heart got ripped out when the jerk who said them didn’t defend her after his friends were rude about her weight.”
Trey fisted his hands and growled low. “What’s her name?”
“Nichole.”
He smiled as he tossed the name around inside his head. “Where can I find her?”
Tiffany sighed. “Males. We’re going to The Claw tonight.”
His sister walked off, ending the conversation. Fine by him. He had all the info he needed for the moment. Nichole was his, and he’d never backed down from getting what he wanted before. He wasn’t about to start now.
Nichole was going to know what it was like to be loved and pampered by a bear.
Chapter Two
“You’re not ready.”
Lifting her gaze from the book she was pretending to read, Nichole considered her friend’s words for a few moments before shaking her head. “I’ve changed my mind. I have work to do.”
Connie scowled at her with her hands on her hips. “Liar.” Grabbing the book and placing it on the coffee table, the other woman tugged Nichole to a stand. “You’re going, and you’re going to have a blast.”
With a huff, Nichole followed her best friend down the hall. She wanted to hide for a little while longer, not wanting another repeat of that morning at the café. Besides, it didn’t take her long to connect the dots. Trey Black was Tiffany’s brother.
The chances he’d show up at The Claw were too high for Nichole to risk.
Once inside her bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed and watched Connie drag an armful of items from her closet. “Who’s all going to be there besides Tiffany?”
“Kaylee. She works with Tiffany at Beary Sweets.” Connie dropped the clothes onto the bed and grinned. “I think you should wear red. It goes great with your dark hair.”
Nichol frowned at the pile. She really didn’t want to get out of her comfy sweats and ratty t-shirt. It was fine by her if she never left the house again. However, Connie wouldn’t rest until she succeeded in dragging Nichole out.
Connie picked up a cranberry-colored top and handed it to her. “This looks amazing on you.”
“Look, Connie, I don’t think…”
“No, no. You are going. You are getting out of this house and living again. Don’t make me drag you out by your hair.” She propped her hands on her hips and glared.
“Nothing looks good on me.”
“That’s the scum-bastard ex talking right there.” Connie stepped in front of her and cupped her chin. “Hon, you are beautiful, every curvy inch of you.”
Smiling, Nichole sagged and rested her forehead against Connie’s middle. Being a size eighteen had never really bothered her much. Okay, it did, but hearing her ex’s friends laugh about her weight and having the jerk not defend her had hurt. They’d dated for a year, and not once had the asshole complained about her size.
She glanced down at the top Connie had given her. “This doesn’t fit.”
“Yes, it does. Put it on.”
Giving up on trying to talk her way out of going, Nichole removed her too-comfortable old tee and put the form-fitting knit top on. Connie pulled her to a stand and dragged her to the full-length closet mirror. “Oh, wait.” Connie darted inside the closet and came out with a black lacy scarf. After tying it around Nichole’s neck and making a few small tweaks, Connie stepped back and smiled. “Your black jeggings will look perfect with that.”
Nichole was about to tell her friend it was no use, but when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her breath hitched. She’d never worn the top before because she had a green one similar to it that Lee, the ex-bastard, said he didn’t like. The woman in the reflection was beautiful. The top hugged her curves to mid-thigh, and the scarf added that something extra that Nichole was sure there was a name for. But she was no fashion expert.
“It looks amazing!”
“I know!” Connie clapped once before she grabbed the black, slim-fit jeans from the bed and tossed them to her, then rushed to the closet. “I think your black heels will look great.”
“No. Get the flats.”
“Oh!” Connie came out holding a pair of dark red flats Nichole had bought on one of her depressed shopping trips. “You’ve been hiding shoes from me,” her friend teased.
“I bought those the day I told Lee to fuck off.”
“They’re perfect for that outfit. New shoes for new beginnings.”
Nichole wasn’t so sure she wanted a new beginning. Not yet. Why couldn’t she just veg on the couch for another decade or something?
Because she wasn’t the
type to give up. Especially because of something that shallow, sorry excuse of a man had done. Reaching out, she took the shoes from her best friend and slipped them on her feet. “New beginnings. Right after we tame my hair.”
Connie laughed and hugged her. “I knew you’d be back.” Releasing her, Connie stepped back and studied her hair. “Sit. I know the perfect style to try.”
Glancing at her reflection, Nichole smiled and smoothed the sweater down over her hips. Sure, she wasn’t a perfect size six, but she wasn’t ugly. Who needed shallow, ego-maniacal men who wanted a doll on their arm anyway?
Not this girl.
***
Trey settled into a corner booth and scanned the growing crowd at The Claw—a nightclub owned by Donovan, the bear Elder of his Pack, Blackrock. Only a handful of tables were empty. That wouldn’t last, not on a Friday night. A soft female laugh drifted over the low chatter, drawing his attention to his sister, Tiffany, as she and her friend from the café walked toward him.
Tiffany wore her straight, black hair loose to cascade over her shoulders. She had the signature blue eyes his family was known for and their mother’s five-foot-four height and curves. His lips twitched as she bounced to a stop in front of him.
“Hi, Trey. You know Kaylee.” Tiffany gestured to her friend.
With a short nod, Trey motioned for them to have a seat. “Yes, we’ve met at Beary Sweets.”
Kaylee dipped her head with a shy smile and slid into the seat next to Tiffany. “Hi.”
“Hi.” The blonde female was pretty with her large blue eyes and dimples. However, his bear didn’t react to her other than recognizing her as a friend of his sister. “What are you having to drink, or do you want to wait?”
Tiffany shook her head. “We’re a little early, but I’ll have a strawberry margarita.”
“I’ll have the same,” Kaylee chimed in.
Trey watched the females for a brief moment before he rose and made his way to the bar to fill their drink orders.
He returned to the table just as Nichole and her friend joined the females. Catching Nichole’s scent, his bear stood up, nudging him to move closer. His gaze locked with the raven-haired goddess’s green stare. Raking his gaze over her body and drinking in her curves, he smiled and sat the drinks on the table before extending his hand to her. “Nice to see you again.”
She hesitated for a moment and glanced away as if looking for an escape. He suppressed a growl, there was no need to scare the human, but he wasn’t sure how long he could hold off the bear within from reaching out and touching her.
Finally, she placed her soft, warm hand in his. His body hummed with an electric charge from the connection. When she spoke quietly, he almost groaned at the sound.
“Yes, it is.”
He stepped closer, still holding onto her hand. “Do you have a name?”
Even though Tiffany had told him earlier that day, he wanted his female to tell him herself.
Her brows dipped and a hint of uncertainty leaked into her cool, berry scent. Shaking his head to clear it, he released her hand and stuffed his own into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’m sorry. That was bold. Can I get you something to drink?” Or take you home with me?
Tiffany cleared her throat. “Nichole, this is one of my brothers. Pay him no mind.”
Nichole laughed nervously and slid into the booth across from his sister. Trey’s palms itched and his jeans suddenly felt way too tight.
“A rum and diet coke, please,” Nichole said while averting her gaze.
He glanced to her friend. “What would you like?”
She pointed to Tiffany’s drink and said, “Whatever she’s having.”
“Oh, get us a sampler platter, too,” Tiffany added before motioning for him to leave.
He chuckled as he left the table, sneaking a quick glance back at Nichole. Mine, the bear snarled, not at all happy to leave the female.
Standing at the bar waiting for Donovan to fill the drink orders, Trey couldn’t get the female out of his mind. Her smile lit up the room and her curves begged for his caress. Perfect in every way. And she was his mate. He was sure of it.
“Earth calling Trey.”
Snapping out of his lust-induced trance, he blinked at Donovan. “Sorry.”
The bear Elder nodded toward Nichole. “Be a hundred percent sure before you go spilling secrets.”
Stunned, Trey stood there staring at the other bear as he moved to the end of the bar. How the fuck did the old bear do it? He always knew things. It was like he was psychic or something. However, Trey had heard that the bear had no special gifts.
When Trey turned, he came face-to-face with a highly annoyed little sister. “You are not hanging out with us. This is a girls’ night. Girls. No males.”
He chuckled and leaned toward her. “She’s mine. You know better than to try and stop a male from pursuing his mate.”
“She doesn’t need a male around.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
She pursed her lips before releasing a sigh. “Damn it. Why does it have to be my friend?”
Straightening, he shrugged. “Think of it this way. You won’t have to stop being her friend in ten years when it becomes obvious you’re not aging.”
He advanced to the table, leaving his sister at the bar. Nichole was his, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she accepted him and his bear. Which meant gaining her trust and love.
Chapter Three
He was huge and intense. It was the only way Nichole could describe Trey. He was also sculpted to please women with his large arms, hands, thighs, and… other things hidden from view. However, his take-charge attitude told her he wasn’t used to being told no. With a body like his, she didn’t think he heard the word too often.
Sipping on her third rum and coke, she tried to ignore the strange electrifying heat running over her skin each time he bumped into her. The fact that he had dismissed her request for diet coke didn’t slip her notice either. Add stubborn to the short description.
“Where do you work?”
Shit. Glancing to the dance floor at her friends, she sighed. “I’m in-between jobs right now.”
“What did you do for work?”
“Bookkeeping for my ex’s company.”
Trey fell silent, and from the corner of her eyes, she saw the muscle in his jaw flex. But it disappeared in a flash as he turned in his seat to face her. “Donovan, the owner of this place is looking for a bookkeeper. I could set up an interview if you’d like.”
Glee at having her own money again filled her. She’d been looking for months with no luck. “You don’t have to do that.”
He grabbed her hand, stopping her from saying anything else. Her heart pounded in her throat. Gently, he laced his fingers with hers. “Let me, please.”
Well, well. He does know how to ask. Although the word please had come out like a seductive caress. His blue gaze mesmerized her and she knew she had been right. He didn’t hear no often, because who could say no to those eyes?
No, no. She couldn’t fall for anyone. Not yet. But she did need a job. “All right. Thank you.”
He smiled, and she was glad to be sitting. A wash of warmth rushed through her, increasing her pulse. Her gaze fell to his sensual, kissable lips. When he lifted his hand to brush his knuckle over her cheek, she drew away. His gaze darkened and his forehead creased as if he were hurt by her reaction. Guilt tightened her chest. She knew too well what rejection felt like.
“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
A single finger pressed to her lips as his smile returned. “I like you, Nichole, and I want to know everything about you.”
“Why?” she whispered against his finger, which was tracing her lips in a feather-like, erotic way.
He hesitated for a moment, his gaze locked with hers. “You’re beautiful.”
So, either he was desperate to get
laid or he suffered from vision impairment. “Thank you, but I believe you’re just being nice.”
Sadness threatened to grab her by the throat, but she took deep breaths in hopes of chasing the emotion away. Scanning the dance floor, she panicked when she didn’t see her friends. Okay, Nichole, you need to calm the fuck down.
Trey narrowed his gaze on her, then turned toward the dance floor. When he returned his attention to her, he brought her hand to his mouth. His soft, warm lips brushed her knuckles and send a hot wave of desire straight to her pussy. She fought to keep the moan from escaping.
What the hell was going on? She didn’t even know him, yet she wanted to fuck him.
And why was she hesitating? The whole point of going out was to forget her asshole ex. So what if she had a one-night stand. She was an adult and single. Morning-afters were meant for regrets. She’d rather have a wonderful, blissful memory to go with that regret as she nursed a hangover and felt sorry for herself.
Tonight. She was going to live.
Meeting Trey’s intense stare, she relaxed and offered him what she hoped was a sexy smile. “You want to get out of here?”
His lips twitched and one brow rose. “What do you have in mind?”
The fuck if she knew. Sex? Yes, sex with the hottie next to her. By the bulge in his jeans, it was on his mind, as well. “Let’s go somewhere quiet.”
With a short nod, he stood and offered her his hand. Chewing her bottom lip, she took it and scooted to the edge of the seat. Her stomach knotted while the rest of her body trembled. She was actually going through with it.
With a firm grip, he tugged her to a stand hard enough that she lost her footing and stumbled into him. He snaked one large arm around her and drew her closer to him. Their bodies pressed together. Desire consumed her, hot and needy.
Her heart pounded under his blue stare and she felt like she was a rabbit caught by a predator.
“I don’t normally do this,” she rushed out.
He caressed her cheek, his fingers slightly rough as if he worked with his hands. “Do what?”
