Bears' Babe: BBW Paranormal Menage Shape Shifter Romance (Confessions of a Mail Order Bride Book 2) (4 page)

The drive over to Kane’s Bar and Grill was a short one. Grant drove and I sat up front with him while Evan kept us entertained, singing from the backseat. The two men had an easy banter with one another and it was obvious they were very close—so close they finished each other’s sentences. Grant tended to be more serious, but Evan brought an easygoing tone to the relationship. It was easy to see why they needed a share-bear pact. They had that close of a bond.

As we walked into Kane’s Bar and Grill, I admired the beach themed decorations Sherry had chosen for her wedding reception. “Look how cute!” I pointed my finger at one of the metal sand buckets on the table. The flicker of a candle glinted off the metallic surface, illuminating it.

“Sherry did a great job!” Evan said. “I love the seashells in the glass bowls.” He pointed at a tall glass jar filled with tiny shells. There were several in the room and they lent a dramatic feel. The theme was beachy but elegant.

“Whoa, look at the spread,” Evan sniffed, his nostrils flaring as he pointed towards the buffet table. It was piled with fried chicken, ribs, country ham, corn, deviled eggs, creamy coleslaw, rolls and butter, chips, dip, and much more.

My stomach was growling. I couldn’t wait to dig in.

“Come look at this, Judith.” Grant took my hand in his and led me over to the cake table. “This is one of the desserts we made for Sherry.”

“Oh wow! It’s beautiful!” The wedding cake on the table was truly a piece of art.

“It’s several round layers of vanilla cake covered in a rich fondant icing,” Evan said.

I pointed to the strategically placed small shells and sea horses that decorated the cake, “and the shells and sea horses?”

“They’re all made from sugar and are edible,” Grant said proudly. “Here we have a small cake in the shape of a seashell for Sherry and Adrian to take home.” He lifted up a lovely, small cake near the big one so that I could see it clearly. “They can freeze it and eat it next year on their anniversary.”

“It’s so pretty, yum!”

“And we made cupcakes,” Grant pointed to a metal cart nearby. It held dozens of tasty looking cupcakes iced in shades of cream and peach. Each of the little cakes boasted a small shell or seahorse decoration.

“Oh my God, they look delicious!”

“Try one,” Grant said, holding out one of the cakes.

“The bride hasn’t cut the cake yet.” I moaned biting my lip. It was so tempting.

“It’s a cupcake, not the wedding cake, so it’s no big deal.”

I glanced over toward where Sherry and Adrian were standing. They looked over the moon with happiness. I licked my lips. “I can’t resist.” I took the cupcake from Grant and took a long lick of the icing, swirling my tongue around my lips to soak up every drop.

Evan moved closer to me and placed his thumb against my mouth. “You missed a spot,” he said throatily.

I swallowed. His touch felt so good it surprised me. The sensation I felt in my belly threw me off guard. But before I had time to react, a deep, male voice called out to me from behind.

“Judith…I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

It had to be…Brad!

As I turned around, Brad pulled my body towards his and pressed me against his chest. He looked just like his photograph—so handsome and he smelled just as I had imagined—spicy and warm. It felt so good to finally be in his arms. “Sorry I’m late Judith, I got caught up in some work.”

I smiled. “I know you have a high pressure job. I can handle it.” Of course I was disappointed that Brad had not made me a priority on our first meeting, but I knew how important work was. You didn’t become successful and rich like Brad without putting in a lot of time.

“Err…ah…” I could hear Grant clearing his throat and l looked over at him and Evan. They were both watching me with disappointment reflected in their eyes. I felt bad, but after all, I had told them I was here to meet my mate.

“Evan, Grant, this is Brad. Brad, this is Evan and Grant.” The men acknowledged one another. I could see that Evan and Grant were not too happy.

“We already know each other,” Grant said, curling his lip. It was obvious he was not a fan of Brad’s.

“Yeah, I know who the baker boys are,” Brad waved his hand dismissively. “Thanks for taking care of my girl, but I’m here now. Come on Judith, let’s go find a quiet spot to talk.”

Brad grabbed my hand and I mouthed goodbye to the two bear shifters. They were great guys and I hoped they would meet the right mate for them soon.

For the rest of the night, Brad and I talked about our jobs and lives. It was a little awkward, but I was sure with time it would become easy and relaxed. It didn’t help that Grant and Evan were practically stalking us. I could feel their eyes burning into me and I made a point not to look over at them. I guess Brad could feel it too. He grabbed my hand and asked me to leave the reception and go to the Dixie Diner, a little café around the corner.

I found Sherry and complimented her on the beautiful wedding and told her we were leaving. She wished me luck with Brad. Just seeing her so glowing and happy made me want what she had even more. As Brad and I walked to the café hand in hand, I decided to do whatever it took to make a success of the relationship.

The Dixie Diner was practically empty except for a short order cook and a waitress. I guess everyone in town was at the wedding. Brad and I slid into the same side of a red vinyl booth. He pulled me towards him and wrapped his arm around my waist. The smell of his aftershave was intoxicating and I leaned in closer, enjoying the feel of his muscular body.

“Do you want a cup of coffee or something to eat?” The waitress asked with a sour expression on her face.

“Judith, this is Marcie Shore. She is one of the few women in Shifter Villages.”

Marcie shot Brad the evil eye, but it didn’t seem to bother him. She looked at me, shaking her head.

It was obvious she and Brad had some bad blood between them, unless she was just having a really bad day. I decided to ignore her dirty looks. “Nice to meet you Marcie, are you a shifter too?”

“No, I’m not,” Marcie replied bluntly. Marcie was a big, curvy woman. She was very pretty, but her face was tired and drawn.

After we ordered coffees and Marcie left, Brad grabbed my hand. “You know, let’s just skip the coffee and go back to my place.”

“Well, I…”

Brad winked at me. He was so good looking it made my heart melt. He leaned into me, his lips brushing my skin.

“I want you, Judith.”

I swallowed. It had been so long since I’d been in bed with a man. And I knew Brad was intended for me…so why not?

Brad took my hand and we walked out of the coffee shop, passing the surly waitress on our way. I could feel her eyes boring into our backsides as we walked by. I wasn’t sure what her problem was, but she needed to get over it.

Brad leaned in and whispered in my ear, his hot breath making my loins tingle. “My apartment is just around the corner and I can’t wait to get you naked.”

A wave of anticipation washed over me. I couldn’t wait to get this hunky wolf man naked either!

Brad’s apartment was just like him…smooth and modern, yet masculine at the same time. I made a mental note to add a few feminine touches, but other than that, I could see myself fitting in quite well. I nestled onto the couch, flipping off my heels and tucking my legs underneath me.

“Drink, babe?” Brad asked.

“Sure, I’d love a glass of wine.”

“It’s coming right up.” Brad uncorked a bottle of red, poured a glass of wine and gulped it down. Then, he gulped down a second glass. Uh-oh, did he have a drinking problem?

But then, he pulled a clean wine glass from his cupboard, poured a single glass of wine, and handed it to me.

“You’re not having one with me?” I was surprised, but then again, I guess he had swilled down two already.

“Yeah I will, but if you don’t mind, I need to go for a run first.”

“You want to go for a run?” What the heck?

“Yeah, it just gets me cranked up,” Brad winked, “if you know what I mean.”

I knew exactly what Brad meant. It was common knowledge that going for a run increased a shifter’s sex drive. It just hurt a little that he needed to run before he made love to me. What was up with that?

“Oh…okay.”

Brad started pulling off his clothes. I’d never seen a shifter change before and it was fascinating to watch, not to mention I got the pleasure of Brad’s body. And what a body it was. Brad was chiseled, with a well-defined musculature. I made a point not to check out his package though. I would save that pleasure for later. As he stripped, his whole body bristled with an electric energy as his bones elongated, fur grew, and his body hunched over. In just moments he had transformed into his wolf, and it was shocking to see this hairy beast before me. He nudged the door open and was off.

I had no idea how long he’d be gone so I curled up on the couch. Despite my catnap earlier, I was still tired, and I decided to doze off for a while. It was hard to sleep though. I kept seeing Evan and Grant, and the look of hurt and disappointment in their eyes when I told them I had a different mate in mind.

It seemed like just minutes later that I felt soft kisses on my face. I looked up to see Brad standing over me with a towel wrapped around his waist.

“I just got out of the shower, babe. I think you’d better take one too.”

“Me? Do I look messy or something?”

Brad chuckled. “No, it will just refresh you. I left clean towels on the counter.

“Okaaay…” My guts thought it was a little weird that Brad wanted me totally washed before he made love to me. He seemed like a bit of a clean freak. But then again, how bad could that be?

I went into the bathroom, stripped down and took a hot shower. I made sure to clean everything thoroughly. I didn’t want any complaints from Brad.

I wrapped a towel around my body and went back into the bedroom. Brad was stretched out on the bed buck naked, a glass of wine in his hands. I did a double take as I took in his body. He was so perfect…like a Greek God. My eyes trailed down his muscular chest to his thighs. I gulped. He was generously endowed too. Brad was Mr. Perfect.

“Take off your towel,” Brad demanded. He set his wine down on the nightstand.

The first time I was naked in front of a man, I was always a little shy. I was comfortable with my curves and the scars on my belly, but I was never sure how a man would react. “I will,” I said. “Let me sit down for a minute first.” I sat down on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. I knew I should be in heaven. I was here with the man of my dreams, Brad Stanford. Yet, there was a queasy feeling in my stomach. It wasn’t how I imagine it would be.

Brad reached his arm around my shoulders. “You’re a beautiful woman, Judith. I want to see all of your curves.”

As I nestled into his arms, I could feel myself let go a bit. It was only natural I was uncomfortable. I could end up with this man forever. I really wanted him to like…I mean love—me.

I stood up in front of Brad and looked directly in his eyes. Inhaling deeply, I dropped the towel.

Brad grinned and his eyes slowly trailed down my body, taking in my shoulders and breasts. As his eyes moved to my stomach, he flinched and recoiled in surprise.

“These are my, ah…scars.” I looked down at them. I had seen them so many times. But it was like I was seeing them for the first time when I looked through his eyes; zig zags of white, pink, red and brown, with a flat, lumpy, pickled, uneven texture that splattered against my belly and stood out against my otherwise smooth skin.

“I can see that,” he raised his brows. “What’s that all about?” he asked.

“Burn marks…I was burned in a campfire when I was a kid. My family took me to a bonfire and my shirt caught on fire from an ember.”

“I see. Well, that sucks.” He caught my eye, shaking his head, then looked back at my belly, grimacing. “Do they hurt?”

“They can itch sometimes when they are dry, but nothing like they did when they were healing.” I could feel a flush running across my naked skin. Wow, I knew the skin tissue was damaged and it was not the prettiest thing in the world, but the way he was making me feel right now…

He paused for a moment then he shook his head. “That’s terrible, Judith.” With one firm hand, he pulled my body towards his and down on the bed next to him. Wrapping his arms around me, he held me tightly. “You went through a lot. And you’re fucking beautiful.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. So, ok, Brad had been a little stunned at first, but I guess it could be shocking. I was so used to them I didn’t really see them for what they looked like anymore.

“Yeah, babe, you’re fucking gorgeous. And you and me…we’re going to make Shifter Villages our bitch.”

I giggled a little. Brad didn’t mince words. The minute I saw Brad and read his bio I saw us as a power couple…he just said it in a different way.

Brad kissed the top of my head. “You don’t have to worry about those scars anymore.”

“Oh, I’m not worried about them. I mean, I am not thrilled, but I’m used to them now. I consider them a badge of courage for what I went through.”

Brad laughed. “That’s good. I like your spunky attitude. But if you want to be with me, you got to be the bomb, babe.”

“What?” My eyes widened. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that we’ll get it taken care of. I’ve got a friend who is a plastic surgeon. He has lasers. Lasers can do wonders on burn scars.”

I pulled away from Brad, my jaw dropping open. “But, I…”

“Did you hear what I said, Judith? I’m sorry you got burned and everything, but we need to fix it. If you want to be with me, we need to get that ugly shit off your body, pronto.”