Two Bears For Christmas

When a coworker attacks her at an office Christmas party, Tabitha thinks it’s the end, but it’s really just the beginning.

Tabitha’s convinced she should have stayed home. She’s doubly convinced of that when her boss attacks her in the restroom at the office Christmas party, but she also finds there really are gentlemen in the world when two handsome Scots come to her rescue.

When Roddy and Ewan enter the local pub for a drink, they don’t expect to see the woman of their dreams. Saving her from a self-proclaimed interoffice lothario is only the icing on the cake.

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Two Bears For Christmas

Copyright © 2013 Tianna Xander

ISBN: 978-1-77111-768-5

Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

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Two Bears For Christmas

Highland Bears 3

By

Tianna Xander

To everyone who still believes in magic.

Tabitha sat at the bar wishing she had stayed home. Something told her not to come. It was going to be impossible to get a cab tonight. The only reason she came, was because something inside her insisted she should be here.

She stared through the large plate-glass window and frowned when she saw a pair of small snow-white birds land on a large crew-cab pick-up in the parking lot. “What are
they
doing out there? The weather outside is frightful.”

“But your smile is so delightful.”

Tabitha turned to the owner of the deep voice with the sexy Scottish burr and shivered. The man was a god! Blond hair brushed his wide shoulders. Blue eyes twinkled down at her from somewhere around six and a half feet. His smile was what did her in, though. Nothing attracted her more than a man with a nice smile who knew how to use it.

“Cat got your tongue, lass?”

When he mentioned her tongue, all she could do was imagine how she could use it on his delectable body. Her imagination ran wild with the possibilities.

“No.” She shook her head. “I was just admiring the scenery.” Her face burned when she realized what she said. “I’m sorry. I’ve had too much to drink.” She started to leave, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“It sounds tae me as though you’ve had just enough tae loosen the truth from your lips.”

When he smiled again, she almost swooned. In fact, she probably would have fallen off her barstool had someone not steadied her from behind.

She turned to tell her rescuer,
thank you
. “Whoa! I don’t believe my luck. Two hot men in one night and they’re both talking to me,” said the abundance of alcohol in her bloodstream. Surely, it
must
have been the alcohol talking. Tabitha knew she would never say such things sober. She stood and wobbled in front of the bar. “Excuse me while I run to the bathroom and kill myself.”

At least she had the presence of mind to keep herself from staring at the man. His black hair barely brushed his collar. His too-tight t-shirt showed off his broad shoulders and washboard abs to perfection.

“Now, why would ye want tae go and do something like that?” the newcomer asked in his deep brogue. Like his friend, his voice was deep and had a Scottish accent to die for. They were both so sexy, Tabitha’s panties grew damp just listening to them talk. If either one of them touched her past the grasping of her arm, she was afraid she’d melt into a puddle at their feet.

“I—I—”

“Stop teasing the lass, Ewan. She’s obviously not interested in the likes of us,” the blond interrupted. “Go on about your business, if that’s what ye want, lass.” He crooked his thumb toward his companion. “Ye won’t be bothered by the likes of this daft bastard again.”

Tabitha moved away and headed for the bathroom. She had to check her make-up, at least. She’d been sitting here trying to avoid everyone from the office, which wasn’t an easy feat, considering the fact that almost everyone was here for the office party.

Thank goodness they decided to have it here, instead of where she worked. At least no one could try to grab her and drag her into an office, and force themselves on her this year. Where would they go?

She walked past the rowdy group and shook her head at two of her co-workers dancing on a table. Tabitha hoped she
never
got
that
drunk.

“Come on, baby. Let’s go find a private place,” Carl, her boss said as he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. He dragged her toward the unisex bathroom for disabled patrons.

“No thanks, Carl. I’m trying to quit.” She pulled away and made a mad dash for the ladies’ room, but didn’t quite make it.

Why hadn’t she listened to her inner voice and stayed home? She sighed. Because another inner voice insisted she needed to be here, that was why.

Carl grabbed her arm, dragged her into the disabled restroom, and shut the door. “Come on, Tabs. You know you want it,” he said as he held her against the wall. He pressed his hard-on against her. “Everyone knows how hard-up a woman of your size can be.”

“What does my size have to do with it? Do you think plus-sized women have no taste? We can spot a creep just as easily as the next girl.” He’d probably fire her Monday for that comment, but she didn’t give a damn. She was tired of fighting this asshole off every time he entered the office.

Hands against his chest, Tabitha gagged at the smell of stale cigarettes and alcohol on his breath as she attempted to push him away. “Let me go, Carl. I don’t want you any more now that I’m a little drunk than I did sober. Let me go!”

Nausea settled in her stomach as she got the sick feeling that Carl was going to rape her right here in the bathroom while everyone partied in the main part of the bar. With the music and laughter so loud, no one would even hear her scream.

Tabitha screamed for all she was worth when Carl grasped the front of her shirt and tore it down the front.

“Shut up, bitch.” He slapped her and then grabbed her breast. “I knew you wanted it. Why else would you wear this lacy bra in my favorite color?”

“Red is your favorite color, you bastard,” Tabitha cried out. Her face throbbed where he hit her. What could she do to stop this from happening? Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her right cheek must have been swollen. It hurt so much that she had a difficult time staying on her feet.

“My favorite color is cream, now, you slut.”

The room spun and her vision narrowed to what she could see of the top of Carl’s head as he buried his face in her cleavage.

Carl tugged on her slacks. The button gave way under his superior strength and all Tabitha could do was wish that she was back in the bar sitting between two handsome studs while she continued to embarrass herself. Anywhere was better than here.

“Don’t do this, Carl. Please don’t do this,” she begged as he continued to hold her against the wall. He had worked her pants down past her hips when the door burst open.

“Go away. This is a private party.”

“It’s become less private, then, hasn’t it, ye bastard?” Ewan said as he plowed into Carl and pushed him up against the wall. “Get the lass out of here, Roddy. I’ll take care of this son-of-a-bitch.”

“Leave some for me, Ewan. I want a piece of that when you’re done.” He glanced at Tabitha. “There’s nothing I like better than showing another man how tae respect a woman.”

“He’ll be lucky if there
is
anything left of him when I’m done.”

“I don’t give a damn what you do to the creep.” Tabitha reached up to touch her cheek. She was right. It
had
swollen. She turned her gaze down to her clothing and began to sob as she gathered her tattered blouse around her.

“There, there, lass. Don’t fash yourself,” Roddy said as he helped her straighten her clothes. “We’ll get ye right as rain before we take ye from this room.” He pulled off his jacket, draping it around her shoulders while Tabitha pulled up her pants and buttoned them with trembling fingers.

“Don’t you leave me here with this man, Tabitha. If you do, you’ll not have a job Monday morning,” Carl threatened.

“She doesn’t need your job,” Ewan said as he slammed him against the wall. “And you’re not tae talk tae her. Pieces of shit like ye have no business talking tae such beautiful women.”

“Her, beautiful? Ha! She’s a size twenty if she’s an inch.”

“Beauty knows no size. If ye respected women at all, ye would know that.”

Carl broke free of Ewan’s grip and lunged at Tabitha. She backed up against the wall with a squeak and hit her head on the paper towel holder. The last thing she remembered was strong arms gently closing about her as she slumped against the cold tile wall.

Roddy wanted to kill the bastard for mishandling the woman. She’d stood in the corner, her blonde hair falling about her shoulders when they burst into the room. It had been in what his sister called a loose French twist when she’d left the bar.

Tears streamed down her beautiful face as she looked up at him with those eyes as green as spring highland grass, filled with pain. She had started to slide down the wall when he caught the slip of girl in his arms and carried her from the room. His jacket fell open, exposing her lace-covered breast. He drew her close, attempting to hide the creamy skin from others as he carried her out to their truck.

Cold wind tugged at his jacket and her rosy nipples pebbled beneath the thin lace. Shifting her weight, he reached into his pocket and pressed the unlock button on the key to their truck.

Opening the door, he deposited her on the front seat and slid in next to her. Reaching over, he pressed the ignition and started the vehicle. He had the keys in his pocket, as did Ewan. It was times like these that he loved the new systems that didn’t require inserting a key to start the damned things.

Ewan opened the door, a grin on his face. “The ass is unconscious in the bathroom. He won’t be accosting any more young women this night.”

“Good. I wanted nothing better than tae kill the bastard for what he has done.”

“I know, old friend. I feel the same.” Ewan rested his hands on the steering wheel and stared out through the windshield for a moment. “What do we do? We don’t even know her name.”

“Didn’t she have a bag?” Roddy asked as he frowned down at the wee thing next to him. Something about her scent nearly drove him to his knees when he’d walked into the establishment. Could she be his mate—their mate?

“If she did, she didn’t take it tae the loo with her.”

“Do ye think she’s our mate?” Just asking Ewan the question out loud made his insides clench. Every breath he took drew more of her scent in. Every beat of his heart sent heated blood flowing through his veins, straight to his cock.

He rolled down the window and took a deep breath of the frigid night air. He had to do something to get her scent out of his system. It just wouldn’t do to have her awaken to two men who wanted her just as much as that bastard who’d tried to rape her next to a dirty toilet.

Opening the door, he slid out and leaned back in. “I’m going tae go and see if the lady had a purse. If she did, I’ll bring it out with me.” He didn’t add that they could go through it then and find out where the woman lived. Besides, it would be nice to know the name of the woman he intended to fuck as soon as possible.

“Hurry up, will ye?” Ewan fidgeted and readjusted himself. “I don’t know how long I can manage tae keep my hands off the poor lass. The last thing she needs is tae wake up with the likes of me pawing her. Ye know it could happen.”

Roddy knew that all too well. It was a well-known fact that their kind could and
did
tend to claim mates against their will if left alone too long. None of them wanted to turn into such monsters, but it had happened in the past.

Every shifter male worth a damn feared forcing his mate more than he feared anything else. None of their kind wanted to be named a rogue and be hunted. That it usually happened in pairs was even more frightening. They could hurt many before a group finally managed to put them down—especially when they were this far from home and their clan.