The Bear Next Door (Forbidden Shifters Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

his watch. “I have to get home for a business call but for your
kindness at letting me invade your freezer, how about I come back around dinner
time? We can zap one of the meals in the microwave and I’ll bring dessert and a
bottle of wine too.”
    I
knew I should have said no but I didn’t.

 
     
    Chapter Five
    Andy
arrived at 8 p.m. with a bottle of wine and a tiramisu from the local Italian
deli. He looked more tempting than ever in his tight jeans, T-shirt, and had
that just out of the shower look. His face was slightly flushed, his hair still
damp and slicked back. I got a whiff of his bear scent combined with woodsy
aftershave as he walked by me.
    “My
freezer’s being fixed tomorrow so I should have my stuff out of your way by the
evening.”
    “Really
it’s no problem. Keep it here as long as you want.”
    He
opened the wine and poured me a glass. I was tempted to drink it down in one
gulp because I was nervous that I might give in to my libido, but didn’t touch
a drop.
    “What’s
your pick of the frozen dinners?” I said, opening up the freezer door.
    “It’s
still scorching hot outside so I think we need something spicy. How about the
Thai shrimp with noodles.”
    I
pulled the box out and set about opening it.
    “Tell
me more about bear shifters?” I asked. I wanted to keep the conversation
neutral. “The only thing I know about you is what I’ve been told by the
authorities and non-shifters.”
    “Where
shall I start?” he asked.
    He
held the wine glass in his hand and leaned against the doorjamb.
    “Are
you all bad cooks? Or is it just you who doesn’t like to make meals from
scratch?”
    “I
can cook, but I guess it’s not much fun when you’re on your own. It’s a lot of
work and not much reward.”
    He
sipped the wine and glanced over the rim of the glass at me. I followed the
instructions on the package and made two vent holes in the plastic covering.
    “Looks
like you’re an expert at that,” he said.
    “Yeah,
I’ve lived on my fair share of these meals when I was in college.  In fact, that’s
my next question. Did you go to college when they allowed you into the
university?”
    “Nope,
decided I wasn’t going to mix with people who didn’t want me there in the first
place.”
    I
turned around and looked at him, suddenly realizing just how awful non-shifters
had been to the bears.
    “You’re
a self-taught graphic designer?” I asked him while I put the food in the
microwave
    I picked
up the wine glass and drank while waiting for his response.
    “I
am. I even designed my bear tattoo.”
    I’d
already seen it the day before but he stepped forward and offered me his bicep.
I fingered it, knowing I’d made a stupid mistake. The muscle in his arm flexed,
almost like he was using it to egg me on.
    The
ping of the microwave, signaling the shrimp dinner was done, saved me however.
    “Smells
good,” I said, pulling it out.
    “You want
to take it into your living room and we can eat sitting on your couch?” asked
Andy.
    “You
take my glass and I’ll bring the plates,” I said.
    “Don’t
worry with those, just two forks and we’ll eat out of the dish. And no, not all
bears are lazy when it comes to washing dishes and plates.”
    We
sat side by side on the couch, half the dish on his lap, half on mine. Our
forks touching each other every few seconds. Even that was downright erotic.
    “This
is good,” I said, spearing a shrimp.
    “You
like things spicy?” he asked.
    “My
next question is, are all bears as naughty as you?”
    “You
think I’m bad?”
    “I
didn’t say you were bad. I said naughty, and there is a difference.”
    “You’ve
caught on to me driving you just a little crazy with my innuendos.”
    “And
I hope that’s all they are because I don’t want to see you banned. I already
like having you as a neighbor.”
    It
was his turn to spear a shrimp. “How long do you think this can go on?” he
asked. “I mean this heat,” he added. “That