The Bear With No Name (11 page)

Lauren knew that David loved to take his bear shape in the forest, but there was one reason after another for him to stay human, until they had finally made camp and set some water to boil for making dinner.
David shifted and curled up near the fire. Lauren leaned up against him, sinking into his thick fur, reveling in his warmth and strength and solidity.

The sunset painted colors across the sky, and the moon and the evening star peeked up from behind the trees. The wind blew colder, but between the fire and David, Lauren hardly felt the chill at all. She had never felt as safe, as truly at home, in the wilderness as she did with David at her side.

She was sad to break the spell when it was time to finish dinner, but hiking is hungry work and they both needed to refuel. David shifted back, but she could tell he was still sort of mesmerized by the wildness, too. They hardly spoke during dinner, but they sat side by side, staring into the fire.

Lauren’s dream came back to her, from that first night that they had made love. She had never told David about that dream, but without a doubt he was picking up on what she was feeling right now. They could hardly stay away from each other as they cleaned up from dinner, and as soon as everything was packed away, David pulled her into his arms.

Even as well as they knew each other now, every time together was still exciting. Each kiss brought memories of other kisses, doubling and redoubling their pleasure. David undressed her before the fire, and the combination of the fire’s warmth and the wind’s chill was electrifying. She shivered and pressed herself up against him with her back to the fire. His hands traced caresses across her back as they kissed again.

Soon she couldn’t resist undressing him too. He was a gorgeous man in any circumstance, but this was how she loved him best, strong and primal in the light of the fire.

After a few more frantic kisses, he whispered huskily, “Should we move the sleeping bags out here?”

She nodded. As he climbed into the tent, she felt the full force of the night wind and huddled near the fire to stay warm.

He made a pile of their mats and sleeping bags and then reclined upon it, reaching his hand up to her with a wicked grin.

She gladly straddled his hips, leaning down to give him a few more teasing kisses before sliding into just the right spot to join with him completely. Desire flooded her and swept all thought away. They were free and wild together, at one with the night and with each other, and Lauren knew that the strange magic of the wilderness that had brought them together would be with them the rest of their lives, making every night as magic as this one.

A note from Zoe Chant

Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please
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Please click on the title to write a review of
The Bear With No Name
. I love hearing what my readers think! It helps me decide what to write next.

Page down to read a special sneak preview of
Honey for the Billionbear
.

The cover of
The Bear with No Name
was designed by Layla Lawlor.

More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant

Defender Dragon
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A curvy backpacker who loses a shoe at a ball + a lonely dragon prince facing an arranged marriage to a princess he doesn’t love + magnificent castles and deadly assassins = one thrilling romance!

Sheriff Bear
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A small-town sheriff + a wrongly accused BBW on the run + deadly enemies and dangerous passions = a sizzling forbidden love!

The Billionaire Wolf Needs a Wife
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A shy BBW teacher + a sexy billionaire wolf shifter + a mail-order bride company = a white-hot wedding!

Country Star Bear.
BBW + country star bear shifter + a slippery night in New England = hot nights under the covers!

Honey for the Billionbear
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Bodyguard Bear
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A BBW witness to a murder + the sexy bear shifter bodyguard sworn to protect her with his life + firefights and fiery passion = one hot thrill ride!

Hollywood Bear
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Bearly There.
BBW + billionaire bear shifter + chocolate-drizzled desserts = one lick-your-fingers-good story!

Bear West.
BBW city girl + bear shifter cowboy + a mail-order bride company = one Wild West romance that’s truly WILD!

Kodiak Moment.
Workaholic wildlife photographer + loner bear shifter + Alaskan wilderness = one warming and sensual story.

A Pair of Bear
s
.
One lonely cat shifter + two sizzling hot bears who want to share + a whole lot of action (in and out of bed) = one wild and sexy adventure!

Bear Watching
. BBW park ranger + bear shifter smokejumper + a lonely fire-watcher’s post = one red-hot fire between the sheets!

Wild Flight
. A BBW burned by love + a hot eagle shifter who’s ready to dare + wild passion on a stormy night = a love that was meant to be!

The Hawk and her LumBEARjack
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BBW hawk shifter + lonely bear shifter lumberjack + ice storm = one red-hot weekend!

Bear Down
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BBW biologist + bear shifter pilot + huddling for warmth in the wilderness = one blazing-hot story!

Bought by the Billionbear
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BBW + billionaire bear shifter + bachelorette auction = one broiling-hot story!

And many more!

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Special Sneak Preview

Honey for the Billionbear

by Zoe Chant

Isabella pressed her nose against the window as her Aunt Sally drove them along the winding road that led to Mountainville. Majestic mountains rose up on one side of the street, while the other side offered a breathtaking view of the untamed wilderness surrounding them. Hardly anything had changed since the last time Isabella had been here, ten years ago, when she’d spent the summer on Sally’s bee farm as a 15-year-old girl.

One thing was different, though. "Oh, the old mansion’s been cleaned up! Is someone living there now?" Isabella asked. The last time she’d been here, the mansion had been uninhabited for a decade already. It had been so overgrown with weeds, you could easily imagine Sleeping Beauty inside the picturesque old stone building. But now, while ivy and roses still tangled around the high walls surrounding the grounds, the driveway had been cleared and the crooked old cast iron gate had been restored to its hinges. "Oh, yes. Ryan Steele moved in there two years ago."

Ryan Steele. The name rang a bell, but it took her a moment to remember where she’d heard it. "The billionaire?"

"Yes, that’s him," Sally said.

Ryan Steele had become one of the youngest self-made billionaires in the country when he’d invented a new solar panel that had revolutionized renewable energy. The gossip magazines loved him, even though Steele, who had a reputation for being unfailingly polite and modest despite his money, did his best to stay out of the press and never gave any interviews. It probably didn’t hurt that he was incredibly handsome. He used to show up on a lot of magazine covers with titles like "most eligible bachelor." Isabella vaguely remembered having read about his engagement a couple years ago. She hadn’t heard anything about him since then, though.

"Do you think I’m going to meet him?" Isabella asked excitedly.

Sally laughed. "I don’t think so, no. He’s very reclusive. He hardly ever leaves his mansion. I’ve been delivering a pound of honey a week to him for two years now and I’ve seen him maybe twice in that entire time. I don’t think we’ve ever exchanged so much as two words. He never has any guests, either." Sally sighed. "All that money and no one he loves to share it with. He must be very lonely."

"I don’t know, it sounds pretty nice to me," Isabella said wistfully. After what had happened with her ex-boyfriend, Greg, she didn’t feel like being around people right now, either. It must be nice to have a mansion to retreat to.  All she wanted right now was to hide and nurse her broken heart, like a hibernating bear in his den. If you didn’t love anyone, no one could play with your eelings and lie to you.

"Aww, kiddo. But I suppose it’s understandable, after what his wife did to him," Sally said.

"Why, what do you mean?"