BEARing The Frozen Night (Ice Bear Shifters Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

there made the dark Alaska winter seem a little less dark.
    It was on Ryker’s sixth visit to the pub that Kenzie finally showed up. She came in stomping snow off of her boots with gusto. Then she hung her oversized parka on the equally oversized coat rack near the front of the pub.
    “Hey, Doc,” the bartender greeted Kenzie, sliding a cardboard coaster in front of her. “The usual?”
    Kenzie nodded, and the bartender started filling a pint glass with White Moose Ale from the tap.
    Ryker tried to contain the heat rushing through his body at the sight of her. This was only the second time he had seen her without her parka on, and she was just as stunning as he remembered her. Perhaps stunning wasn’t even a strong enough word to describe her. There was just something about her that was absolutely breathtaking. Her skin somehow managed to stay looking soft and smooth, even though he knew she was constantly being exposed to the harsh winter air. She pulled her chestnut brown hair out of the bun it had been held in, and Ryker forced himself to look away. He could already feel the heat in his body centering itself between his legs. It had been so long since he had looked at a woman in this way. He had pushed away any feelings of passionate desire for so long. But his feelings for her were too strong to be pushed away. They came over him in waves, drowning him with an animal instinct that told him to bond to her, to make her his mate. But he couldn’t. His hands were tied. He could not betray his alpha, or his fellow Northern Lights bears. They had all been through enough already. He would not add his insubordinate behavior to their list of heartaches. It had been a mistake to come here. He needed to leave, now, before the throbbing stiffness between his legs got any worse. But just as Ryker reached to grab his wallet, he heard her say his name.
    “Ryker?”
    He looked up at her, telling himself to remain calm, and hoping that the telltale yellow glowing of desire was not showing up in his eyes yet.
    “It’s Ryker, right?” she asked. “Aren’t you the security guy at the superstore? I’ve run into you a few times when I was trying to scurry out of there without anyone seeing me buying yet another carton of ice-cream.” She laughed at her own little self-deprecating humor, and the music of her laughter filled his heart with such a longing he thought it might burst right out of his chest. He felt himself go rock hard between his legs, and he slowly put his wallet away. There was no way he was getting out of here at this moment without being completely obvious.
    “Yup, I’m Ryker,” he said, extending his hand to her, He thought he saw a hint of a blush pass across her cheeks when their hands touched, but he couldn’t be sure.
    “I’m Kenzie,” she said. “Although most people around here call me Doc. But I’m not a real doctor—just a veterinarian. But, please, call me Kenzie. Not Doc. I just thought maybe you’d heard of people referring to me as Doc.”
    Ryker smiled warmly at her. She was feeling a little flustered at his touch. He could tell by her nervous laugh and mile a minute sentences. Was it really possible that he was turning on Kenzie Atwell just as much as she was turning him on? He signaled the bartender for another beer. Since he was going to stay for a little while longer, he might as well enjoy himself. After all, Neal hadn’t put any prohibitions on harmless flirting, right?
     
    * * *
     
    Kenzie was a little embarrassed to admit how excited she had been to see Ryker sitting at the bar when she walked into the Northwinds Pub tonight. He was wearing a plaid flannel shirt in navy and hunter green tones, and relaxed fit blue jeans. She had thought he looked plenty sexy when she saw him at work in his boring old uniform. But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him now that he was sitting in front of her, basically looking like a male model for an outdoorsmen’s catalog. When he glanced