ROMANCE: Bear Naked Seduction (Billionaire Bear Trio Book 1) (231 page)

Chapter 5

              Once Marcy had parked the limo in front of the mansion, Hank and Andrea—both naked—exited the vehicle and hurried into the residence. Based on Marcy’s expression, Andrea figured this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened to Hank; Andrea hoped more than anything that that was a good sign.

              Hank got her dressed in a nightgown he had bought her, and then the two of them laid in his bed. He promised her yet again to explain everything when he was sober, and then a moment later, he was snoring.

              Andrea gaped at the ceiling for most of the night. She felt like she was outside of her body—like none of this was real, just something that someone else was imagining. God, how could any of this be real? Occasionally, she would turn her head and watch Hank snore and drool. He looked so normal—so foolish, even—that she could almost pretend that she hadn’t seen him turn into a bear-thing.

              The moment sunlight peeked through the blinds and slashed over her face, she got out of the bed and went to the kitchen to make some coffee and take some aspirin. Her panic dulled, a wary kind of anxiety jittered through her; it gave her too much energy—too much fear—and she just wanted to get her answers so could finally leave this place and go to some place safe, familiar.

              Grabbing her cup of freshly brewed coffee, Andrea winced. The safest place she could think of going to was her parents, but they would ask too many questions about her—they would judge her and disapprove of her.

They had no idea that she was in a different country, let alone with some…person-thing. She took a small sip of her hot beverage, it tasting much more bitter than she had expected. She cringed and glanced down at the dark liquid.

Distant footsteps—moving at a fast pace, tripping—caught her attention. Tightening her grip on her cup, Andrea stood stock still as she listened to Hank run into the kitchen. The moment he saw her, he stopped.

“Thank God,” he said, not even breathless. Jabbing his finger at her, he hurried over to her in a few strides. “Don’t just leave like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Annoyed, she dared to glower at him. “I didn’t know bears could get heart attacks. I’m sorry that I did something so crazy as to pour myself a cup of coffee.”

Hank groaned, bringing his palms to his eyes before rubbing them. “You’re mad, okay. That’s fair. Last night was…intense.”

Anger seared through her, burning away her fear and giving her a heightened sense of righteousness. “It was insane! Don’t try to downplay it. Just tell me the truth for once. I’m sick and tired of playing all of your twisted little games just to get a few words out of you.”

He dropped his hands, a sour expression on his face. “Like you never had fun playing with me. Not even a little.”

Her cheeks warmed, her eyes narrowing. “It hurts, to be honest.”

“Yeah, I like it rough.”

Her anger morphed into frustration—at the billionaire, at herself, at just about everything. “Hank, for God’s sake, just tell me—”

“Okay, okay, calm down.” He scratched the back of his neck, his lips curling downward. “I know I screwed up big this time. But I think I’ve come up with a solution that will satisfy us both.”

“A solution? No, just—”

“Quit your job.”

“What?!” She was squeezing her cup so hard now that she was a little surprised it didn’t shatter. Barely keeping herself from snarling at this bastard, she said, “Are you out of your mind?”

He raised his hands in a motion of surrender, his eyes gleaming with a false sense of earnestness. “Just hear me out. I’ll pay for you to live here—to be my…companion, let’s call it. You’ll get all the food you want, all the clothes you want, jewelry—hell, I’ll buy you an elephant if you want. I’ll get you everything, and you can stay here with me. I think it’ll be a rather comfy situation, don’t you?”

Andrea twitched. She knew she was responsible for getting herself in this sick situation, but now he was going way too far, even for her. While she had come to learn how far she was truly willing to go to get a story, she was relieved to know that the mere idea of her being his paid little…. Rage consumed her; she couldn’t even think the words—couldn’t give herself the title this man wanted her to accept.

“No,” she said, shaking as her eyes blazed. “Hell no.”

Hanks expression darkened. “I think you should reconsider my offer.”

“No. Even if I was interested by your disgusting offer, you have yet to keep any of the promises you’ve made to me. Why should I believe you will keep this one?”

For a moment, Hank seemed sincerely baffled by her question. He opened and closed his mouth, his eyelids fluttering and his shoulders tensing. Then, in the next instance, he grabbed her and shoved her against the counter. She cried out, dropping her cup of coffee and listening to it shatter on the floor.

“You listen here,” Hank snarled, his eyes turning into black orbs again. “I’ve been real generous with you, haven’t I? A generous host? I think I have. And I think I deserve a little discretion from you. My business is my business, and I don’t need to tell you a damn thing.”

Andrea gaped back at him. Although she was more familiar now with this inhuman side of him, she could still fight back the fear and shock that overtook her. Once again, she couldn’t get herself to breathe or think.

Clearly frustrated, Hank let out a loud growl before he dragged her away. Instinctively, she fought back—tugging against his grip, digging her heels into the ground—but it was no use. Despite her large size, his strength was beyond measure. If she didn’t know any better, she would think she was dealing with a god or a devil.

“What are you doing?!” she screamed, his nails slicing into her arms. Her eyes welled up as the stinging sensation worsened into a burn. “You’re hurting me!”

“I need to figure this out!” He glared at her for a second before he turned and looked around his home. “You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be, so I need time to figure something out.”

Andrea continued to struggle—to scream—she even called out for Eric and Marcy, but it was no use. Hank eventually dragged her over to a door before he threw her through it. She tumbled on the carpet floor, her body slamming against the bed.

“Stay there,” Hank said, baring his teeth. “So help me God, if I find you missing again, I won’t take any more chances with you. Do you understand me?!”

Her body flaring with all kinds of aches and stings, she hesitantly sat up and held herself. Glancing over her arms, she saw blood seeping out of the deep scratches he had given her; the sight made her shake. Truly, she had no idea what Hank was talking about now, but she nodded in answer, anyway.

He slammed the door shut, and then she heard him lock it.

For a few moments, Andrea did nothing but hold herself and tremble. She was literally his prisoner now, and he had the upper hand; he always had. The thought was paralyzing, but it also renewed her earlier anger. Now wasn’t the time to obsess about her sacrifice of integrity and dignity, and knowing this, she eventually managed to break free from her stupor and observe her surroundings.

She was in one of the many guest bedrooms on the first floor. It was spacious, decorated sparingly and containing only a few pieces of furniture.

Andrea stood up and walked over to the window. Shakily, she pulled up the blinds, revealing the front property of the mansion. There were no fences, nor any guards, but Hank did have various kinds of help who lived and worked on the property. If they spot her, would they inform their boss? Their super-strong, bear-thing-boss?

Andrea opened the window. Icy hair swooped in to greet her, making her shiver and develop goosebumps. She hugged herself and glanced at her meek attire. Blushing, her torso constricted. If she didn’t reach a town quick enough, she could freeze to death out there, and that was only if Hank didn’t find her first.

She glanced behind her at the bedroom door. She couldn’t hear Hank, but could he hear her? How strong were a bear’s senses?

She gritted her teeth. It didn’t matter—none of her doubts or fears mattered. The alternative was to remain in the mansion and be obedient to that thing, and there was no way in hell she was accepting such a fate.

Andrea took off the screen before she climbed out of the window. Once her feet landed on top of a measly bush, she turned and stumbled away from the building. Ice seemed to envelope every one of her molecules, making it painful to inhale, much less move. She forced herself to move faster, anyway. The heat of desperation and panic managed to combat against the freezing cold, and she didn’t feel tired or slow as she ran; she felt invigorated—twisted as that was.

Once she was deep enough in the forest to be hidden amongst the tall yet narrow pine trees, she dared to turn in the direction toward town. Her adrenaline kept her running, though her legs burned and throbbed in agony. She hadn’t gone half a mile, and already, she began to cry in pain. The tears warmed her cheeks though, and she found the sensation more welcoming than humiliating.

She swore she heard a growl. Heaving out air by now, Andrea looked behind her.

There were nothing but trees—a couple of squirrels and birds amidst their branches.

Andrea looked forward again, nearly tripping over a tree root. She wobbled and scrambled onward, sweat seeping out of her skin.

Another growl—she knew she heard it that time. Rather than glance behind her again though, she tried to run faster. Pinprick-stings stabbed into her feet, especially when she stepped on a rock. A part of her feared she would break something in her haste, but she couldn’t let Hank catch up with her, no matter what the cost.

Her vision was blurred by the amount of tears pouring from her eyes. She wiped at them constantly, her pants turning into choked sobs. She would most likely suffocate herself at the rate she was going, and yet, she still did not slow.

Hank’s monstrous face appeared to her left, beside a tree, and she screamed while throwing herself against a different tree. It only took her a second to realize it wasn’t Hank, just some unfortunate placement of dying branches and twigs. She was torn between laughing with relief or sobbing harder; she ultimately did neither, instead propelling herself forward again despite her body’s many screams of protest.

She felt like she had ran for days through hell by the time she reached the street that led into town. She couldn’t even feel her feet as they pounded against icy asphalt and cement.

“Ma’am, you alright?” someone called by the first shop she ran by.

Andrea couldn’t answer. Regardless of her breathlessness, what could she say to this man? How could she explain this predicament?

Many more townsfolk approached her—questioned her—and she waved them all off. Occasionally, she managed to wheeze out that she was fine, but it was obvious that no one believed her. At least they didn’t try to stop her, though a few did follow her for a few blocks.

She got into the hotel she had checked into the day she arrived in Victoria. The host’s face blanched as she approached him.

“Dear Lord, ma’am!” the host cried out, hurrying toward her. “What happened? Are you all right?”

Andrea fell into his arms. He grunted under the impact, and she could feel him shake with the effort to hold her larger body up, but she didn’t care. She gasped and wheezed, breathing in his clean scents of soap and cologne. So relieved, so secured, she cried harder.

“Should I call the police?” the host asked breathlessly.

“No,” Andrea choked out. She tightened her grip on him and pulled herself up a little. “No, I just need to check out.”

The host gawked at her. “Are you sure? I think I should—”

“I’m sure,” she snapped. A bitter kind of dread bared down on her, making her helplessness feel all the worse. “Just get me a new key to my room.”

“Very well, if you insist.”

Opening her room door was like opening a portal to the past. For a moment, Andrea could do nothing but lean against the doorframe, her wide eyes scanning the unused room. How differently things would have gone if she hadn’t slept with Hank that first night.

Glancing around her and seeing no one, she trudged into the room and let the heavy door swing close. The soft
click
that followed comforted her—made her breathe a little easier.

Although she was tempted to collapse on the soft bed, her mind reminded her of the danger that was probably following her. She had just run through town in nothing but a nightgown. All Hank had to do was ask a bystander about her, and he would learn of her location in no time. That knowledge motivated her to get out of the nightgown and put on a warmer outfit that was also easier to run in.

Once she was fully dressed, the warmth that sunk into her flesh soothed away some of her panic. Taking deep breaths, she calmed further and thought more clearly.

This…this was huge. Obviously because her life was at stake, but the story itself…a whole different species of human? Was it witchcraft? Was it evolution? There was so much that Andrea didn’t know—that the world didn’t know. Was Hank the only one?

“Bears,” she said, remembering Hank’s words. “No one owns the bears.”

Hank, Reed, and Fernando…the Billionaire Trio…