Some Bear to Love: BBW Bear Shifter (BWWM) Romance Standalone Read online

  She swallowed. That was a little weird, right? Feeling odd about it, she pushed out of his arms and looked him up and down. She didn’t think there was anything off about him, but that was a little stalkerish.

  But she had bigger problems to deal with. She could hear angry shouting from above deck and winced. The “captain” would be coming aboard soon, presumably taking the last cabin.

  That’s if he didn’t throw her overboard first.

  “What’s wrong?” Wilson asked, looking concerned. His eyes were a dull olive green. If he thought to protect her from the monster that was coming, he’d better think again. Wilson was well-muscled and a few inches over six feet, but the man coming after her was about 6’6”, well over Wilson’s height, and heavily muscled from head to toe. Not to mention intimidating as hell.

  “Um, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll finish changing. Looks like a good time for a swim, right? No, maybe I’ll take a nap. Yes, tell the captain that.”

  Wilson opened his mouth to ask a question, but she shoved him out the door and slammed it behind him, securing the flimsy lock she didn’t think would hold. It was just a little switch you turned that turned a tiny hook inside the door to hold it to the other side. More a way of keeping it closed than locking it.

  She heard a series of bumps and cursing upstairs and then the unmistakable voice of the captain. Well, he wasn’t the captain anymore. Just Sebastien. It’d be hard to get used to that since she’d been calling him the captain in her head since the first time she’d seen him docking his boat from the balcony of her suite.

  She heard Sebastien’s angry voice getting louder.

  “Where is she?” he boomed out. “Bring her out here. Wait, is she below deck? I’ll go get her.”

  It was more words than she’d heard from him probably since she’d met him. At least, more words about her. Hey, at least she was finally worthy of his notice. She winced at the attention-seeking part of her that was glad he noticed her at all.

  She put her back to the door, trying to hold it closed. She really didn’t want to have to face him while he was still angry. She liked riling people up, but she didn’t like dealing with them afterward.

  She heard his heavy footsteps clambering down into the cabin area and gulped.

  “Is this her room? No? This one?” his voice boomed. It was loud, more assertive than she would have guessed from their interaction before.

  “Kim?” he asked, knocking. “Get out here.”

  “No,” she called back. “I’m changing.” She heard a frustrated huff and murmurs from the others in the hallway.

  “I don’t have time to deal with you now. I need to make sure Bart is on schedule and deal with him for being insubordinate. But make no mistake; we will deal with this later.”

  And then his footsteps faded away in a huff. She sighed and relaxed against the door, then realized he’d said he was going to go take it out on Bart. She couldn’t allow that, not when it was all her fault completely.

  She quickly pulled off her pants, leaving her bikini bottoms and tying a black sarong around her waist for coverage. It was getting hot out there.

  She put on flip-flops, opened her door, peeked out, and saw no one was in the hall. They all must be in their rooms. She heard the captain’s—no, Sebastien’s—voice and walked upstairs cautiously, keeping an eye out for him.

  Sure enough, he was arguing angrily with Bart, who was trying lamely to defend himself.

  “It’s my fault,” she said, walking up to him with folded arms. She was a good deal taller than Bart but nowhere near as tall as Sebastien.

  Sweat dotted his brow and a few strands of his hair clung to the sides of his face. He’d clearly had to run to catch a boat to get to them, and he wasn’t happy about it. He was wearing a white shirt that was much too hot for this, and his captain’s hat was nowhere to be seen, leaving his ponytail to whip in the wind, the only cooling element around.

  He studied her, a muscle twitching in his taut jaw. He had an angular face, a long jaw leading to a sharp chin with a slight divot in the middle. A sharp, straight nose, high brows and cheekbones, and full lips with a slight pout to them. Though that could have been because he was angry. He was deeply tanned, and she found herself wondering if the tan went under his clothes.

  She grinned at the thought of finding out.

  “You’re thinking something dirty, aren’t you?” he asked, his anger turning to a smirk. “One-track mind. Well, you got Bart here in trouble.”

  “You’re not the captain,” she said. “He is.”

  “Right, but he’s not supposed to leave without a first mate.” He stared her down, folding his arms to mirror her pose. She could intimidate a lot of people, but not him.

  He looked down at her. “Nice view,” he said sardonically.

  She flushed, looking down at her bikini top, which flashed liberal cleavage. “Thanks,” she said. “Same to you.” His shirt was slightly open at the front, revealing cut, muscled pecs.

  His mouth twitched, but he turned away. “You put everyone in danger. If something had happened to the primary staff member, what would you have done?”

  “I can drive a boat,” she blurted, then wished she hadn’t. That was a total lie, and she didn’t know what had driven her to say it.

  “If you don’t mind, you can take the helm, and I’m going downstairs to check on the passengers,” Bart said, probably hoping to take advantage of Sebastien’s attention being elsewhere.

  “Stop right there,” Kim and Sebastien said at the same time. They looked at each other and a stream of electricity sparked between them. They were both incredibly strong-willed people, both used to getting their way. They were flint and stone, and so it seemed inevitable they’d spark together.

  “If you’re going to be captain, you stay at the helm,” Sebastien said to Bart, keeping his eyes on Kim.

  His eyes were the color of the ocean behind him. A vibrant mix of blue and green but lighter, sparkling with some unknown emotion. His hair whipped behind him in the air, and she longed to reach up, wind that ponytail around her fist, and pull him in.

  He took in a sharp breath, as if he could sense her intentions, and then wheeled away from her, heading to the back of the ship. “Come here. Now.”

  The authoritative tone in his voice made her knees weak, and she followed him away from Bart to where no one could hear them. The ship was long, probably about fifty feet or more, and with the breeze flying past them as the ship cruised forward, she knew their conversation wouldn’t carry on the air.

  But either way, she wouldn’t let him chide her like a child. She faced him with folded arms and a thrust-out chest. His eyes moved over her, catching at her hips where her sarong was whipping wildly, threatening to blow away.

  He reached for it, and she let out a little gasp, but all he did was tie it deftly, his rough fingers brushing against hers. The knot he tied looked intricate.

  He grinned at her and the effect was unexpected. He had beautiful, straight teeth, but his smile was crooked, wicked. Standing there on the deck with no jacket and his white shirt whipping in the wind, his khakis rolled up, he looked every bit the pirate of her dreams.

  He bit his lip as he tilted his head and looked her over again and then seemed to remember he should be angry.

  He took a step forward, backing her against the rail. “You shouldn’t have hijacked my boat, princess.” He put a hand on either side of her, caging her, making her feel small in the most delicious way, ready to yield to his superior strength and bend to his every whim. “You should be punished.”

  She raised her eyes sultrily and pushed her boobs a little closer together. “Yes, I probably should. I was a very bad girl.” She grinned up at him as his intense eyes focused in on her mouth. He got even closer, nearly pressing against her. He bent down so his lips were just a hair’s width away.

  “You’ll have to… swab the deck.”

  “I have to… what?” She pushed him and he wal
ked away, laughing, hands behind his head. “Excuse me?”

  He laughed again. It was a mean sound. At least it was to her, after he’d left her so completely disappointed. Just one kiss from those perfect lips and she felt like she probably could have been satisfied forever.

  Just one kiss from a hot pirate.

  The breeze came in a gust as they changed directions slightly, and she caught his scent. He smelled like ocean plus lilies plus sand after a storm. She wanted to breathe it forever.

  She leaned back against the railing, eyes closed.

  “Remember, princess,” he said. “My boat, my rules. I may not be captain, but I’m still first mate.”

  She nodded, still enjoying his scent. It was so alpha, so intoxicating. First mate? She wanted him to be her mate. She wanted to make him mad again just to feel him close, threatening. She knew he was a good person, the type who could never really hurt her.

  But there was a harshness to him she found sexy. An element of danger. He didn’t let anyone fuck with him, and she knew he’d probably make an awesome protector.

  She wished briefly she could have a chance at something like that.

  “Hey,” he said, and she opened her eyes to see him looking at her with a worried expression. “You’re leaning back too far. Don’t—”

  She startled and looked behind her, catching herself on the railing before she could lose her balance. “Phew, that was close.”

  He shook his head in a huff, making all that beautiful golden hair dance around him in the wind. “Don’t you even have the slightest bit of self-preservation?” He eyed the railing next to her and then put a hand out as he walked forward. “You better come forward.” He looked up ahead of the bow of the boat. “There are some waves coming from another boat’s wake. You shouldn’t be by the edge. One good bump and—”

  She rolled her eyes and stayed where she was. Her knees were so weak from his pheromones and him being so close that she didn’t think she could move if she wanted to. Besides, did he really think she was the kind of ninny that would—

  BUMP. The boat rolled, hard, and then made a thump as it went down. She held on tight, screamed only a little bit, and then righted herself.

  His eyes were wide and then angry but relieved as she settled back against the rail. “Don’t take your hands off the—”

  “I’m not as stupid as you seem to think I am,” she said, waving her hands at him. “Mister—”

  She didn’t get a chance to finish because a huge wave hit, and with a roll and a thump, the boat shuddered beneath her, she slipped off her feet and went tumbling back over the railing.

  The last thing she saw before falling was his angry blue gaze as he lunged to catch her.

  She had a brief second to anticipate the landing. This was gonna hurt.

  3

  The little—! He guessed he was the only person around who could probably call her little, but just once, he wished the frustrating woman would take his advice on something. He swiped the rescue ring and yelled for Bart to stop the boat. He didn’t even think about it, just jumped off the back of the boat into the water to find her.

  Luckily, Bart had slowed their speed when he saw the boat wake they were about to hit, so her impact wouldn’t hurt as much as it would have if they were going full speed and the water were harder.

  Still, he braced for impact, knowing it was going to sting and needing to get to her as soon as possible. He didn’t know how good she was at swimming.

  The water slapped him as he entered, tucked so as to not go too deep. He surfaced quickly and whipped his hair out of his face, looking for her.

  She was sputtering a ways away, since she’d flown off the boat before he’d gotten off. She seemed to be able to tread water, and his heart finally stopped trying to pound out of his chest when he realized she was going to be okay.

  They both were.

  As he swam to her, the rescue ring over one shoulder, it occurred to him he’d never been this tense, this worked up, this… scared, as he’d been when she’d looked at him with shock and regret in those wild, beautiful gray eyes before she’d gone overboard.

  Nothing in his life had ever affected him like this. Over the years he’d grown cold, methodical. But ever since she’d walked onto that dock, she’d been turning things upside down.

  He swam forward with sure, quick strokes, and when he reached her, she locked her arms around him, gasping. He had to admit he liked it. He liked the way she clung to him, liked the way her body felt in the cool water. Liked knowing she was safe.

  He had no right to feel that way, but he did. He handed her the safety ring and started pulling them toward the boat.

  “I had no idea,” she gasped. “What on earth were you thinking backing me up against that rail if it could be so dangerous?”

  “Well,” he said hoarsely, trying to swim and talk at the same time as he cut his way through the rising and falling swells left behind by the boat. “I’m not used to customers sailing off with my boat. So I don’t usually have to call them topside to yell at them. And then usually, if I tell them to hold on to the rail, I don’t expect them to do the opposite and wave their hands like a lunatic.”

  She grumbled something under her breath but hung on to the safety ring and let him tow her.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” she said. “Thanks for rescuing me.”

  A muscle in his jaw twitched. “All part of the job. Now don’t sue us.”

  “I could, you know. I’m a lawyer.”

  He groaned as they were nearly to the boat. “I should have known.”

  They had an audience as he pulled up to the ladder that would pull them onto the lower deck leading inside to the cabins. He helped her climb up first. “Nothing to see here, folks. Bart, if you could lower the anchor and help people get into their snorkel gear, this is a good place to stop for lunch and swim if people would like.”

  He climbed out behind her as she collapsed on the carpeted deck. Rough carpet was necessary or the sun burned the client’s feet. He heaved himself out behind her, feeling exhausted as the adrenaline wore off.

  But then he looked out at the ocean. Enjoyed the feel of being out here, isolated from land. Rocking gently. There was a lot to be grateful for. They were both okay. He had his ship back, and hopefully after that stunt, the frustrating, beautiful woman next to him wouldn’t be doing anything to provoke him again.

  “Look,” he said as she stretched her neck and checked her limbs to make sure she was okay. “You might be in charge back in whatever big city you’re from. You might be the top in your cycling gym, whatever.” Her body was curvaceous but also fit and muscled, so he knew she worked out. A lot. “But here on the island, dangerous things can happen. You need to learn to take commands.”

  She grinned, tossing her gorgeous black braids over her shoulder and winking at him mischievously. “I’ll take your commands any day, captain,” she said. And then before he could stop her, she leaned forward and planted one right on his mouth.

  Heat sizzled straight to his groin, and then the kiss was over too quickly and she was standing and swaying those delectable hips as she walked into the cabin to get dry.

  He just sat there for a moment, then raised a hand to touch his lips. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been kissed. No, he was the one who did the kissing, he thought indignantly.

  But all he could think of was those full lips on his. Those mischievous gray eyes coming closer. His cock hardened and he growled at the thoughts flooding his head. Her in his cabin, her hands tied above her head as she took his every command.

  Her screaming his name and calling him captain.

  His lips between her legs as she writhed beneath him.

  He shook his head. He had a job to do. He’d do it. And he wouldn’t succumb to his dad’s stupid matchmaking plans. The sea was his mistress, master, and wife all in one. He needed nothing more.

  Besides, things should be less co
mplicated now that she’d said she’d take any of his commands.

  He narrowed his eyes. Somehow, he didn’t believe her.

  * * *

  Kim rushed to her cabin and flopped on her bed. Her heart was still stammering, her limbs shaking. She was still coming down from the rush of falling off the boat, seeing him jump in after her like some freaking super hero. Seeing how he moved in the water.

  Seeing his chest, all wet and sexy like.

  Damn. And then she’d kissed him. Had she said something about obeying his every command? Only in the bedroom maybe. She’d just been trying to think of a way to get closer, to put her lips over his perfect, seemingly carved-out-of-granite ones.

  And oh, what a kiss it had been.

  And what a mistake.

  Because when she kissed him, she knew for certain. This was her mate. And she wasn’t allowed to have one. Her whole life, she’d been groomed to take over for her father as head of his law firm, hopefully after picking a suitable mate from the kids of one of his friends.

  She didn’t get to choose, and she didn’t think he’d care about fated mates, if he even believed in them. But when her lips touched Sebastien’s—no, even before that—when he’d rescued her, she’d felt something so right. Felt the animal in her respond and say, This is your mate.

  Damn. Now it would be ten times harder to go back.

  She’d just wanted a few more weeks of fun before settling down. Her father had picked a suitable candidate with bear blood, and though she hadn’t met him, he was everything her family expected. She’d been wild growing up, and she’d been allowed as long as in the end, she met their rules.

  So here, she’d just be wild, as she’d always been, a little longer. A hot fling with the ship’s captain would have been fun. Now it was doomed to just end in heartbreak.

  Now when she walked away, it wouldn’t be from a hot captain. It would be from her mate.

  At least she thought he was. Why else would she have felt a swirl of cold from his animal and known instantly he was pureblood polar bear? A large, fierce predator. A perfect mate and protector for her young.