Bearing It (3 page)

Hektor was reclining on an exam bed, his arm in a sling with a splint on it. He smiled as she came in. “It isn’t that bad.”

“I broke you.” She blurted it out, and Lee chuckled but busied herself in a back room.

“You did, but I deserved it. We barely know each other and I touched your beast. That was beyond etiquette, and I know it. The head strike was far more gentle than what I would have done in a situation where a stranger got grabby. Don’t worry. I will be fine by morning. I have already gone through a shift and back to make the necessary repairs.”

That he was consoling her when his tanned skin showed a distinct pallor was touching. She reached out and put her hand to his cheek. “I guess this means that the dancing is done for tonight.”

He turned his head and pressed a kiss into her palm. “Maybe, maybe not, but this did remind me to mind my manners.”

She laughed and stroked his skin again. The five-o-clock shadow was a light scratch under her hand.

Lee coughed from the back room. “And on the matter of inappropriate touching…”

Fred jerked her hand back. “Sorry, Hektor.”

He grinned. “So, you feel it too. Good. Now, if you will help me out of the lioness’s clutches, we can return to the bed and breakfast for a well-deserved rest.”

Fred looked to Lee, and the medic nodded. With her hand extended to him, she helped him off the exam table, his long limbs easily reaching the floor and carrying him back to tower over her.

She frowned. “Are you sure you aren’t part stork?”

He laughed. “No stork in my bloodline. Any bulls in yours?”

She snickered. “No. Bears don’t need anything other than their own hard heads.”

His left arm was in a sling on his chest, and the splint was on to hold the newly bound bone with support, just in case. His shift to and from his other form had fixed it, but it was still vulnerable to sudden moves.

She offered her arm to him, but he draped his right arm around her shoulders. “For support, you understand.”

She snorted but put her left arm around his waist. They left the medical centre; with a quick wave to Lee, they set out for the Open Heart.

Teebie greeted them with a polite smile. “It seems you have had a few adventures this evening. Would you care for some refreshments in the dining room?”

Hektor spoke up. “It would be nice. Do you have hot chocolate? I have had a trying evening.”

Teebie grinned. “Of course. This way.”

They took seats at the long table, and with a few creative waves of her hands, Teebie produced a pitcher of hot chocolate and some cute porcelain cups.

Fred stared. “I have never seen direct magic before. Does it take much practice?”

Teebie winked, “I have been practicing all my life. This was a movement-in-time spell. After you go to bed, I will prepare the hot chocolate.”

“Is that how it normally works?”

“No, but djinn magic is different than human magic. I don’t even need to move my hands, but it is what folks expect.” She sat at the table with them, and the chocolate pot and cups began to flit around without her moving at all.

The scent from the cups held chocolate, berries and the faint touch of chili pepper. Fred tried hers and smiled happily at the taste. “This is lovely.”

Hektor had been watching her closely, and the moment she said it was good, he lifted his cup to his lips. “This is excellent. Is there a pain killer in here?”

“Only in your cup. Fred doesn’t need it. It is also good for healing, and the sugar carries it right into your bloodstream.” Teebie shrugged and refilled his cup.

He blinked. “You dosed me.”

“Yes, I did. You were in more pain than you would say, and being brave in front of Fred is all well and good, but you need your sleep. Your healing needs time to fully kick in. From Lee’s report, your forearm was snapped cleanly in two.”

Fred paused with her cup halfway to her lips. “Hektor, you said it was not that bad.”

He grimaced and his lids drooped. “I didn’t want you to feel guilty. I deserved it.”

Teebie grinned and got to her feet. “Come on, let’s get him into bed. You might want to stay with him for a while. He will need to be monitored.”

Fred nodded and rose as well. She put Hektor’s arm around her, and she bullied the groggy birdman up the stairs and into a room with an eagle’s head as the door icon.

Teebie paused in the doorway and inclined her head. “It is against policy for me to enter a room while you are in it, so I will see you both in the morning.”

She closed the door, and Fred was left with a dozing Hektor around her shoulders. She turned down the covers and tried to slide him into bed, but he fussed. “Can’t sleep with clothes on.”

Fred scowled. “This goes way beyond first-date stuff.”

Mumbling to herself, she removed his shoes first, peeling his socks off one by one. She unbuttoned his jeans, unzipping them slightly. His shirt had buttons, so she eased it off his right shoulder before gingerly removing his sling to cautiously work the fabric off his injured arm. Lee had split the sleeve so it was not as awkward as it could have been.

She tried not to look at his chest as she put the sling back on and refastened his arm in a safe position. Her voice was husky when she said, “Lie down.”

He was obedient; she would give him that. He lay back, and she was staring at the flat plane of his belly, trying not to think about what came next. “Lift your hips.”

He obliged with a grunt, and she eased his jeans off his hips, leaving the burgundy boxers in place. “You can put your butt down now.”

He thudded back to the mattress with another grunt.

She sighed and moved to cover him.

He squirmed. “I can’t sleep in clothes.”

The only thing he was wearing was the boxers. “Tough.”

He gave her puppy-dog eyes that were almost comical from his avian golden gaze. “Please.”

She sighed and slid two fingers on either side of his hips down until he was nude and she was scarlet.

He wasn’t circumcised, and while his penis wasn’t fully erect, it wasn’t asleep either. Thankfully, he wasn’t hung like a horse. She had slept with one once, and the experience had kept her out of the saddle for weeks. The outer skin of his shaft was the same even gold as his skin, but the head had deep crimson overtones.

She blinked rapidly when he started snoring, and shook her head at her own fascination. Recalling that he was injured, she folded the sheet over him and got to her feet to make her exit.

“Stay.”

He held out his good arm, and his eyes were heavy lidded but focused on her.

“You need rest.”

“I will rest if you are here. Stay.” He smiled, and the sweetly innocent expression caused her heart to thump.

She kicked off her shoes and climbed on top of the covers. Fred took the hand he held out to her, and she settled on the pillow next to his. The earrings and necklace that she had put in her bra made her itch, so she fished them out and dropped them on the duvet as she nestled in.

As a bear, cold was not an issue, so she tried to take her hand back, but it wasn’t any good. He had a snug grip on her fingers, and she wasn’t going anywhere.

He whispered, “Thank you.” And then the snoring recommenced.

She chuckled. “Why can’t my life just go smoothly?”

She closed her eyes and smiled. It was a rocky start, but she was almost positive that her relationship with Hektor was going to go far beyond breaking his arm and stripping him. It had to count as at least getting to second base.

Something was different. Hektor opened his eyes and blinked as he saw Fred’s face a foot from his own.

Her hand was on the blanket between them, and he remembered requesting that she stay. Apparently, she had stayed.

His arm felt complete now, and he eased out of the sling while trying to make sure that he didn’t wake her.

She was on top of the covers, but her skin was warm. He could feel the heat radiating from her. He sat up carefully, and he was treated to the sight of her legs exposed from her pink toes to the curve of her hip. Her skirt had flipped up and out of the way while she slept, and he had no complaints.

The curve of her leg was tempting; the smooth skin looked like it would be softer than silk, and he wanted to touch her. Knowing that waking a sleeping bear was not the wisest of moves, he eased out of bed and headed to the shower. Dawn was already marching through the window, and he wanted to spend every waking moment with this woman who had been living her life miles from his own in the human world. There would be little adjustment for him and none for her.

If she were willing, he would join her in her own lair.

* * * *

The sound of the shower brought her awake with a jolt. Fred sat up, rubbed her eyes and bolted out of bed. She grabbed her shoes and ran for the door, making it to her own room in a matter of moments.

Her heart pounded and her mouth was dry. Spending a night with Hektor was a little beyond what she had been expecting, and at the same time, it fell short.
How can I face him after what I
did
to him last night?

Mumbling to herself, she took a shower and viciously brushed her hair once she stood out in a towel and nothing else.

What to wear to get a grip on herself? Clothes made the woman, and she was pretty sure that she had made some hormonal choices the night before.

The bag from the General Store was set neatly on the luggage rack at the foot of her still-pristinely made bed. With a sense of trepidation, she opened the bag and breathed a sigh of relief when the first blouse that she lifted out was elegant and light but not slutty.

The rest of the clothing was more colourful than she would normally wear, but aside from being pleasantly feminine, it had nothing else to cause her unease.
Whew.

Fred got dressed in a nice blouse, and her favourite and most flattering pair of jeans. She picked up her shoes from last night and looked around for her earrings. They were nowhere to be found. “Damn it.”

She closed her eyes and pressed her hand to her bra. Last night she had put them in her other bra for safekeeping, and now, they were gone.

She sighed and slumped. They were on Hektor’s duvet.

Sneaking back into his room wasn’t possible, so she would just have to face him at breakfast.

With her hair brushed and held back by a band, she slipped on some low-heeled sandals and left her room. Time to see what kind of shape Hektor was in this morning.

“Good morning, Fred.”

She froze and stared at him, perched on the railing outside her room. It was so odd to see a human casually sitting with avian grace that it took her a moment to respond. “Good morning, Hektor. How is your arm?”

“Completely healed, thanks to Teebie’s hot chocolate.” He gracefully stepped forward and went from parked on the railing to standing on the hardwood without a harsh move in between. He extended his hand to her. “You left this in my room.”

She blushed and took her earrings quickly slipping them into her ears before she grabbed her necklace and hid it her cleavage.

“I couldn’t help but notice that your necklace is an eagle.”

She cleared her throat and nodded. “It is. My cousin Renee bought it for me. She said she had a feeling about it.”

“But your earrings are bear paws.”

“They are. They were a gift from my cousin Buzz.” She started toward the stairs as the scent of breakfast wafted up to the second floor.

“Why would he give you bear paws?”

“Because they are a reminder that wherever I go in life, I am always a bear before I am a human.”

They walked into the dining room, and Teebie had the places set and ready. “Good morning, dear guests. I hope you rested well.”

Fred took her seat and shifted as Hektor pushed it in for her. She reached out and Teebie waved her off.

“Speak what you wish, and it will come to you.”

Hektor sat down and said, “Coffee.”

The pot whizzed over to him and poured a measure into his cup.

“Cream.”

Fred watched as the cream jug sailed gracefully across the table, and she tried it herself. “Bacon, muffin, butter.”

Her plate was filled in seconds, and she summoned the coffee and water immediately afterward.

Teebie ate with them and asked questions that surprised Fred. “What is the newest means of listening to music?”

Fred blinked. “Digital download to devices smaller than this bacon. You plug in some ear buds and listen to hours’ or even days’ worth of music.”

Teebie nodded and made notes on a small pad next to her.

Fred asked, “Not to be rude, but how long has it been since you were in the human world?”

“Twenty years or so since I was out most of the time. I know that things have changed, but it is only around Halloween or sci-fi conventions that I can mingle with humans, and the ones out on those days are a little odd, even for humans.”

Hektor chuckled. “I would have to agree. There is a lot of technology around now that was only imagined back then. Ask away. We will answer what we can. Are you making a list?”

Teebie grinned and propped her chin on her fist. “I am. They have promised me whatever I like, and I intend to have them import everything plus a tutor to explain how to use it.”

“A modern woman at last.”

She shrugged. “Something like that. I have written a few books in my time, and I wish to try to get them into publication. Chuck has already agreed to have Ivy edit my work in exchange for catering on date night.”

Fred munched her way through breakfast, adding information as she could. When she was stuff and her inner beast couldn’t eat another strip of bacon or sausage, Fred sat and sipped coffee while Teebie and Hektor continued working on the list.

It was the kind of camaraderie that Fred loved to see. Despite whatever Teebie had run into on her voyage to get here, there would always be shifters who were willing to take her at face value and enjoy her uniqueness. After folks got used to the idea, they would flock to be guests at the Open Heart.

They spent a few hours trying to explain some of the modern niceties, but email had to be experienced to be believed, so did spam. Teebie would learn and woe to anyone cluttering up her inbox.

Their host finally looked at them and her cheeks darkened. “I am so sorry. Here you are trying to get acquainted and I am taking all your time.”

Fred smiled, “Teebie, a mate who won’t make time for a friend is not one that I want to have.”

Hektor gave her a slow smile and took her hand across the table. “I think I need to test my wing.”

Fred looked at Teebie who was now going over her list, making small notations. “If you will excuse us. He prefers to fly during daylight.”

Teebie looked up and waved them off. “Have a nice time. I will either see you when you return or tomorrow morning.”

Fred shook her head and got to her feet. “Enjoy your day, Teebie.”

Hektor got to his feet, and they headed out into the early afternoon of the Crossroads. It was going to be a good day.

Modesty was not universal among shifters, and when Hektor walked into the cabana to remove his clothing, Fred was a little disappointed. Her disappointment turned into amusement as he walked out and stood in full daylight, allowing her a good look at skin marked by a few scars and nothing else.

He was flexing and preening a little as he stood for her approval.

“Lovely, Hektor, but you know it.”

He waggled his eyebrows, and the motion turned into his shift. Stretching a two-hundred-pound man and squishing him into a ten-pound raptor. That had to hurt, but he launched into the air the moment that he completed his shift.

His hunting scream rent the air, and he pounded the air with his wings as he fought his way to the sky.

Smiling, Fred lay down in the grass and watched as he wheeled and twirled through the skies above. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon, but as soon as he began to approach, she realised that she was hungry again and she had sunburned her nose. Grimacing, she got to her feet as he came in for a landing.

He shrieked again, and out of reflex, she extended her arm. He slammed into it, and her inner beast roared forward to support her skin and bone. He got his balance and perched on her arm, blinking his amber eyes at her and tilting his head.

She smiled. “May I touch you?”

He lifted his head and clacked his beak. With her free hand, she ran her knuckles across his breast and ran her fingers along his wings. He was silky soft, and he made a strange chuckling noise when he lifted his head so she could stroke his neck.

“Yes, you are very pretty, Hektor.” She carefully scratched him between the eyes, rubbing her finger along his head.

He stretched his wings and jumped off her arm, leaving red welts and scratches behind. She was examining them, and suddenly, her arm was pulled gently away so that he could see the damage.

“Those look irritated. Lee should have a look.”

Fred sighed and jerked her arm out of his grip. With a swift move, she shifted her right arm from the elbow down and then shifted it back.

“See, no scratches.”

He ran his hand over her forearm and smiled. “I see. Well done. Do you often do partial shifts?”

“When necessary. Since I have had rather fluid control over my shifts throughout my life, I can change any part of me at any time.” She batted her lashes. “I think I need lunch and you need pants.”

He chuckled and put his fingers under her chin, lifting her face to him. “Need is a very fluid word. Right now, they are the last things I want.”

He kissed her, and she fought the urge to melt against him. Anywhere she touched would be naked, warm skin, and the thought was so tempting, she reached out to support herself with a relatively chaste grip on his shoulders.

Hektor tasted like the west wind. His kiss went from a firm exploration of her lips to a deeper investigation of her mouth. She shifted her grip from his shoulders to his neck and pressed herself against him—every naked inch of him.

The erection pressing against her belly made her jump, but she held onto him as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight with his fingers splayed wide and covering most of her back.

He raised his head with a smile. “I have been wanting to do that since I first saw you in the lobby of the Open Heart.”

She stroked his cheek. “Me too. Now, put some pants on and take me to lunch or brunch or dinner or whatever it is.”

He chuckled and backed away, pulling her with him into the change cabana. She was treated to the sight of his rock-hard butt and the rippling of his abs as he bent, flexed and hopped to get dressed.

Once he had tugged and shimmied into his clothing, he took her hand in his and they left the cabana for the streets of the Crossroads.