Stone Bear: Sentinel (A BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (Stone Bears Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

your absence, but you will spend your days working on the Sentinel project now.”
    “That’s not a good idea,” he warned.
    “Why not?” Caia only had the vaguest notion of exactly what went on in the mountains and what the miners were searching for. She hadn’t needed to know, so the Kedyns hadn’t told her. Perhaps she could pry some information out of Gabriel without him realizing it.
    He looked at her. “If you knew what we do, then you would know why.”
    It was her turn to frown. “They haven’t told me anything,” she admitted. Whatever it was that the bears mined for was a closely held secret, at least among non-shifters. Every shifter seemed to know it, at least from the few she had talked to, but none of them were going to share.
    Caia wasn’t sure where the conversation was going to go, but she steeled herself for a confrontation with Gabriel. Marcus had been very stern with her orders—that she was to ensure that he took this task seriously, and turned over the Stone Bears to Raphael for the time being. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but that didn’t mean the presence of a colossal human who became extremely irate with her sounded appealing either.
    “Is this going to be a problem?” she asked, using her best stern voice.
    “No.”
    Caia fought not to blink in surprise. She failed. His response had caught her utterly off guard.
    “I get to work hand-in-hand with you every day now. How could that be a problem?”
    She smiled demurely. “Oh, I could think of a few ways, but I’m sure we’ll be able to get over any issues.”
    Caia, you have got to rein yourself in! You shouldn’t flirt quite so unashamedly with him. A little bit is fine, but do not give him your sex eyes. Don’t do it. Don’t.
    She didn’t, but it was a close thing. He had that sort of effect on her. She would have to be very careful. Like Gabriel had just said, they were going to be working very closely with each other for the foreseeable future. It would be so tempting and easy to allow herself to succumb to his charms.
    But she wanted this job, and to keep it, she would have to keep her hands to herself. And also ensure that Gabriel kept his hands to himself. One thing that Marcus had been rather stern on during the hiring process was not allowing herself to be seduced by the shifters. At the time, a rather naïve Caia had told her boss that that wouldn’t be an issue. Now that she had spent several days working in close proximity to the tall, ripped, and uniformly gorgeous bears of Genesis Valley, she already felt her willpower slipping. She wasn’t a virgin, but she hadn’t slept around a lot either.
    Yet with all the delectable man meat practically being served up on a platter, she was having a hard time ignoring it. She was a woman, and she had needs too. Needs that she had denied for too long.
    “So who’s in charge?” he asked.
    “We are. Team effort.” She made sure to say it without hesitation and without any sarcasm, so that he understood she was serious.
    “Really?”
    “Absolutely. You’re too hard-charging, I’m too meticulous. They want us to even each other out.”
    “Hard-charging? What?” He looked almost hurt by the accusation.
    “Last week you fought half the Amber crew,” she told him, deadpan.
    “That wasn’t my fault!” he said, sitting up in his chair abruptly.
    “Because one of them made a sarcastic comment,” she finished, ignoring his protest.
    “He was undercutting my authority,” Gabriel said, all mock-hurt gone from his voice. “It may have been a bit of an overreaction. I’m not going to argue that. But it was the easiest way to ensure that they got the point that I’m not their friend. And although you might not believe it, that is a very important thing for them to remember.”
    She looked at him.
    “I’m not a miner, Caia. I am a Stone Bear, and have more responsibility than they can begin to understand. I don’t like blowing my own horn and making myself seem