Bearllionaire: (BWWM) Paranormal BBW Bear Shifter Romance Standalone (10 page)

R
yder gulped in air
, trying to get adequate breath as Janna walked into the lodge with her friends.

The three women all looked very different. Kylie was the shortest, with straight blond hair and a shy, pretty face with round eyes and small features. Leslie had big wavy curls in her dark hair, and her skin was a lighter brown than Janna’s. Her eyes, however, were black.

And then there was his future mate. She’d gelled her curls so they made tight little ringlets all over her head. Her full lips were glossed in deep pink, and her warm-brown eyes sparkled at him with amusement. And that was just above the neck. Should he dare to look below…

She was wearing a little black dress tonight. Sleeveless, under a coat. It draped over her magnificent breasts and hugged her soft hourglass waist with a belted tie before falling softly over those hips that he just wanted to take hold of and grab as he sucked her off.

Her curvy brown legs showed some deep, rich skin before disappearing into stylish black booties that covered her delicate feet up to the heel.

Damn. He just wanted to run over, shield her from everyone else’s view, pick her up, and run to the cabin. See those dark curls spread over his pillow, those full lips parted in pleasure.

She turned to laugh at something one of her friends said and the sound was magical. His heart tightened. The warmth around her was familiar somehow. He thought maybe it reminded him somewhat of his mother. How he and his brothers had loved that sound.

It had been a long time since he’d dared to love a woman like that. Allowed himself to love one so much that even her laugh felt like something to chase after, if only to hear it again and again.

If his mother could see him now, would she be proud of his choice in Janna? How he was treating her? She’d had a whirlwind romance of her own, and he wished she were around to ask how to go about it.

But there was something warm and feminine in his life again. And this time, she would be his mate. He would take care of her. His to protect, and he would.

He felt the stares of other men in the lodge, their hungry eyes raking the women from head to toe. Settling especially on Janna, who seemed to be more and more full of life the more time they spent together.

Damn, she was a light attracting moths. He wanted to hide her in his bedroom, but that was no way to treat a lady.

At least Ryder Hart knew that. Ryder Hart’s bear was still voting for a trip to the cave.

He walked forward, confident in the nice suit he’d picked for dinner, standing tall and letting the other men know who was alpha here. He reached out an arm for Janna to take, and the other women tittered in response. Janna blushed but put her hand softly on his bicep, and he fought the tightening feeling that always happened when she touched him.

Something told him they’d be back at the cabin tonight, making another “mistake.”

Janna introduced her friends as they walked. Kylie was the town florist and occasionally substitute taught at the local school. Leslie owned a bar in town and also was the go-to person for events. She was vivacious and sparkly and he couldn’t help being reminded of Riley.

He wasn’t sure these two should be in the same room together.

They asked him questions about business, what he was doing in town, and how his brothers were doing as they walked to the restaurant together. He’d rented out the private conference room for their little group date.

His brothers had grumbled. Not because they didn’t want to meet the women, but because Ryder had threatened them with death if they did anything ungentlemanly and upset the friends of his mate. They had agreed to be docile, but he knew that still meant no promises. They were bears. Alphas at that. The top of the shifter food chain and world famous to boot—Riley for his acting, Ryan for his snowboarding.

Kylie asked the most questions about Ryan. Ryder couldn’t answer a lot of them, mainly because Ryan was a fairly aloof, distant person, preferring to spend his time with the mountains and the outdoors. He’d taken to hanging out with the ski and snowboard instructor crew and had been testing the new park and complaining about the height of the rollers.

Ryder had tried to point out that most tourists weren’t trying to pull off inverted rotations, but Ryan hadn’t been swayed.

Ryan probably would end up building more on the park for his own purpose. Hopefully, no one would end up getting killed on it.

Riley and Ryan were waiting for them inside the room. The table was a little odd. It was sunken into the ground, a large, square hole surrounding it, and everyone was expected to sit on cushions on the edge that surrounded the table, their legs in front of them between the bench edge and the table. But it made for an intimate feeling between guests.

Riley was wearing a purple button-up that set off his lightly tanned skin and blondish-brown hair perfectly. He flashed his movie-star smile at the women, and Kylie froze. Leslie, however, walked right in. Riley’s hazel eyes widened slightly when Leslie sat directly across from him, but his easy smile came right back and Ryder doubted anyone but he or Ryan would have caught Riley’s momentary lack of ease.

Kylie surprised him by walking over and sitting next to Ryan, who was sitting in a tee shirt with one of his sponsor’s logos on it. Ryan never seemed to feel cold. The restaurant was properly heated, but at the same time, this wasn’t California.

Ryan’s toned arms extended out of his shirt, and he leaned back with a look of consternation as the little blonde plopped herself down right next to him. His panicked eyes flew to Ryder, and Ryder just shrugged. He wasn’t any better with women than Ryan was.

Ryan let Kylie introduce herself but kept his distance, eyeing her like he thought he might break her.

They were all big boys, at 6’7” or so, but they didn’t usually notice it when they were all together. But throw women into the equation, even tall ones like Leslie and Janna, and suddenly they felt like giants trying not to trample everything in their paths.

Throw in a little thing like Kylie, and it was enough to make any bear nervous.

But Janna was smooth and quick to make introductions. She sat next to him, thigh pressing against his and making his groin tighten painfully. Damn, the softness of that skin. Nothing was like that in the world.

Riley was on his other side, grinning knowingly. But Ryder doubted he knew his thoughts. His brothers knew him as a stiff, unrelenting person who always got his own way. They’d never know he was holding himself back, trying to win this woman even if it meant letting her take the reins.

On the other side of the table, Leslie was across from Riley, Kylie was next to her, and Ryan was on the other side, across from Janna. And checking her out.

Ryder stifled a low growl and gave his brother a hearty, quiet kick under the table. Ryan grunted and shifted his gaze, giving Ryder a nod of apology. It wasn’t his fault Janna was so beautiful, but Ryder meant to see that no one disrespected her while he was around.

And okay, a lot of it was jealousy too. He already saw her as his. He didn’t like anyone else looking. He tilted his head sideways to look at her and caught a full view of cleavage as she looked over her menu. How he wanted to caress the dark velvet of her skin. Taste her where he hadn’t yet gotten a chance to. Run his fingers over the tops of her plump breasts.

Then he realized someone had asked him a question. Damn!

“I said, do you do much skiing?” Leslie asked, resting her chin on her hand smugly, probably for having caught him staring at Janna like a man out of control.

“Not really,” he said. “I mean, for conferences or meet-ups sometimes, yes. In my free time, I prefer more…” He glanced at Janna. “Relaxing endeavors.”

Leslie’s grin widened and Janna blushed and discussed the menu with Kylie.

He wanted to keep Janna on her toes. Remind her he was here, even if they were in a room full of people. For him, there was only her. And he was a little jealous she could pay so much attention to the others. He knew it was a little childish, but then he was used to getting his way. And bears were known for being selfish creatures.

Out in the wild, they were basically the assholes of the woods. Mating promiscuously and leaving after. But when a bear spirit was mixed with a human one, there could be a tempering. The strength and fortitude of the bear that made him and his brothers so successful. But the goodness and integrity of what a man can choose to be. Good to women. Faithful to one mate. Happy that way.

He believed it could be that way at least.

Leslie went back to badgering Riley about fame, about how he was discovered, even though that was common knowledge and she already had to know. Everyone did. He’d been scouted in college at a party, and the rest had been history.

He always played the action hero or romantic interest. Just his abs were enough to get women filling the seats. Which was good, because the writing for some of the Riley Hart movies was downright embarrassing.

He noted with amusement that Kylie kept trying to squeeze over toward Ryan, and Ryan was practically ready to pull his legs out and scoot away from the table.

He put his hand over Janna’s, warm and secure, letting her know he was there. She turned to him with a smile, and heat shot right down to his toes.

The need to claim her was strong. He swore he could literally hear the roar of his bear waiting to claim her. She squeezed his hand back, and he released hers and moved his hand to her thigh. So soft.

She bit her bottom lip and made a tiny gasp that had the others looking her way.

“Sorry,” she said apologetically. “Bit my lip while looking at the menu. It all looks so good.”

The men grinned at her. Whether it was because they knew what Ryder’s hand had been up to or because they liked that she liked the food, Ryder didn’t know. But he let out a low growl and shut the menus either way. He opened the sliding door, called for a waiter, and just ordered a ton of things that should probably suit everyone. He’d order the whole menu if he had to. Just to hurry this along and keep his brothers’ eyes off his mate.

And to be able to take her back home.

For dessert.

He caught Riley raking the other two women with an appreciative gaze. Even Ryan, when he wasn’t eyeing Kylie with a wary stare, was checking out the females. The women were all pleasantly curvy and soft. Exactly what bears tended to go for. All shifters really. Not that lean couldn’t be attractive, but the softer and larger, the better for bears. Kylie was even on the small side, despite being what others might consider overweight.

Leslie took most of the attention, and that seemed to suit Kylie.

Ryder kept his eyes primarily on Janna, both to make sure she knew he had eyes only for her and because he
liked
keeping his eyes on Janna.

By the end of the night, maybe he’d have more than just eyes on her.

A knock sounded on the door and the waiter entered. Followed by another waiter. All in all, it took three waiters to deliver the amount of food he’d ordered, and Janna raised an eyebrow at him when it was all covering the table.

He shrugged innocently but was secretly pleased there was plenty to go around. His brothers could eat a lot, not that they would before the women had their fill. Females were more important.

He poured a glass of wine for himself and Janna and offered it around the table. Riley took it and filled Leslie’s and Kylie’s glass, and Ryan waved it away. Bad for training, he said.

The Olympics aren’t for another three years, Riley had reminded him, but Ryan had declined all the same.

Once an athlete, always an athlete.

When the dinner finished, Janna was fidgeting in her seat. The other women were standing and saying good night, hugging her from behind as she reluctantly stood, and she merely smiled slightly in return. Was she sad to see them go? No, he couldn’t call it sad exactly. Was she worried without them he’d make a move? Nervous? He’d make sure to try and assuage that. He wanted his mate, but he’d never do anything to make her uncomfortable.

He and Janna linked arms and Ryan and Riley walked with them to escort the women back out to the Jeep. Kylie had said she was teaching the next day and would need to be up early, and Leslie seemed disappointed that Riley wasn’t making a move.

Ryder was sure Riley would have, if not for Ryder’s threatening glares throughout the night. He could make whatever moves he wanted after Ryder was assured Janna would be his mate. After that, it was Leslie and Riley’s business. But he didn’t need drama screwing things up now. Janna was already gun shy from being burned by Scott. She didn’t need an angry friend helping her make the decision.

And Leslie would probably be angry because Riley had a strictly love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of style. He’d make sure to tell Janna so she could warn her friend. At least then she’d know what she was getting into.

He didn’t want to see anyone hurt.

When the women had given hugs to all and left, he found himself standing with his brothers and Janna. It was awkward. He cleared his throat.

“I guess I’m going to get Janna settled in for the night.”

“Right,” Riley joked. “Settled in.”

Ryder let out a low growl and rose to full height to face his brother. Riley put up his hands in surrender. “All right, all right. We can take a hint. We know when we aren’t wanted. Come on, Ryan, let’s go drink our woes away at the lodge bar.”

Ryan nodded but paused to put a hand on Ryder’s shoulder as he passed.

Ryder looked to him, waiting for what he wanted to say. Janna was still looking out to where the Jeep was pulling away, and when Ryan seemed assured she wasn’t listening, he leaned in to whisper in Ryder’s ear.

“She’s a good one,” he said quietly. “I like her.”

Ryder blinked. That was high praise from Ryan, a quiet, sensitive type who tended not to give opinions very often. “Thanks, bro.”

Ryan nodded and jogged after Riley, who was already prowling toward the bar, probably looking for any single ladies on the way.