Bear Cop: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance Read Online Free Page A

shelter?” she asked as she leaned against him.
    “The road is our best option for now,” he said, nodding where it curved towards a small hill. “And who knows, maybe we'll be lucky and run into someone coming from that direction.”
    Chris kept a firm grip on Eve as they made their way up the gentle rise. They were both still out of breath, but despite the danger they had just escaped, Chris couldn’t think of anything but the way Eve had felt in his arms. Her generous breasts had pressed against his chest, and he had wanted to run his hands down her curves—but that would have to wait. At least until they found shelter for the night.
    Again Chris cursed himself. Here fate had at last led him to his beautiful mate, just when he’d begun to fear that he was one of those for whom it would never happen, and what did he do? Nearly killed her by driving onto a derelict bridge.
    “It wasn’t your fault, you know,” she said.
    He gave a start, his heart clenching with pleased surprise in his chest at the way she had picked up on his thoughts.
    “The bridge,” she continued. “You have that worried look—there’s these grooves between your brows when you frown. You’re blaming yourself, aren’t you? You shouldn’t do that. You couldn’t know.”
    He tried to smile instead, but it was hard when they were lost and cold in the middle of a forest. Oh, he wasn’t afraid for himself. He could always shift, and he’d be comfortable enough sleeping in some hollow, bedding down on dry leaves. But Eve wouldn’t be. Most importantly, she still didn’t know, and he couldn’t abandon her.
    “I can’t help it,” he said. “I nearly lost you.”
    She stopped to face him. The look she gave him was earnest, and Chris was once again struck by how brave she was. She had nearly died—and yet, here she was, worrying about his own well-being instead!
    “And I nearly lost you,” she pointed out in return. “Because you saved me and risked your own life to do so. Let’s make a deal. I won’t feel guilty about that if you stop feeling guilty for the bridge?”
    Her cheeks were no longer pale, he realized, but red from the wind that continually blew strands of her hair into her eyes. He reached out to smooth them back behind her ear again, a thrill running through him at the warmth of her skin.
    Our mate , his bear grumbled proudly.
    Chris thought with helpless adoration, Our brave, beautiful mate .
    He’d nearly given himself away earlier and almost called her that. Such carelessness had never happened before either, but it was becoming more and more difficult to keep from revealing the truth. He couldn’t keep it a secret for much longer; he was already lucky that she had still been unconscious while he had shifted when he couldn’t open the door to get to her. But she had dealt well with the shock of the accident.
    Maybe she would be just as brave when he told her the truth. He’d wait for a good moment—maybe once they had made it back home. He’d take her for a walk with a few of her cupcakes, as he had promised. And then they’d talk, and he’d show her, and he would be very careful.
    We would never frighten our mate , the bear agreed, and Chris released a deep sigh.
    “You’re thinking again,” Eve said accusingly.
    “Not about the bridge, I promise!” he replied and hastily looked around.
    They’d followed the small road up the hill so far, but he wasn’t sure whether it was really the best idea to just keep walking along the road. Of course, if they were lucky, eventually another car would come along—but Jim had told him that this road didn’t get much use. It wasn’t tourist season yet, and so all the small homes scattered through the foothills stood empty, awaiting the return of summer and the hordes of hikers and families coming to spend a week in a picturesque house at one of the many small lakes.
    “I’m trying to figure out where we are,” he added after a moment. “From what I remember