Hunter Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Enforcer Bears Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

the forest, and we’d try to count fireflies…”
    “Sounds like a perfect childhood.” Steven had to swallow back sudden memories that had risen—his dad shouting, coming home drunk, running off without a word.
    That was the bear in him, he reminded himself. His bear made him run. Just as yours does. She doesn’t deserve that.
    Cleo took a deep breath. “It was,” she agreed after a moment. “I’ve had a bit of bad luck lately. I think that’s why I came back. To see if I could figure out where I went wrong. That’s what my Grandpa always said: if you get lost, return to where you lost sight of the others and wait.”
    “So you’re waiting now?” he said softly, studying her face with sudden new interest.
    What could have happened to a woman like Cleo to drive her to seek solace in the wilderness? Had someone hurt her?
    No one will ever hurt her again, his bear growled.
    As much as Steven tried, he couldn’t fight back the sudden surge of protectiveness.
    He couldn’t get close and hurt her. He’d promised himself he’d never make the mistakes his own father had made.
    But as long as he was in the area to hunt the jaguar, surely it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on her. That wasn’t love. That wasn’t even friendship. That was simply looking out for another human being. Anyone would do the same.
    In the back of his mind, his bear was laughing at him again. Keep lying to yourself!
    Steven clenched his jaw in response.
    “I’m waiting… and working,” Cleo said with a deep sigh. “I still need to sand the porch and give it a new paint job. Anyway, it’s just as peaceful here as I remember. Of course, we had no jaguar threats when I was a child…”
    “Sorry for that. I’m doing my best to keep your house jaguar-free,” he said.
    She gave him a little laugh, soft and delighted. “You better! I didn’t polish the floor for hours to have a big cat scratch it all up again.”
    He couldn’t look away from where a reddish curl was teasing against her lips.
    For a moment, they kept staring at each other. Steven felt strangely breathless. It was that same exhilaration he felt when he’d run for hours and finally made it to the top of a mountain, or when he’d managed to cross a roaring river.
    No, no, no. This isn’t happening, he thought again, helpless against the warmth that kept rising in him. I can’t do this. It’s too dangerous…
    “Anyway. I guess I should go and polish and paint some more,” she said quietly. “Good luck with the hunt.”
    Her eyes were gleaming, the green reminding him of newly unfurling leaves in spring.
    “Thanks,” he said. He still couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. “And I promise, no more meetings like that first time you saw me.”
    She gave him another little laugh at that, and her cheeks flushed a little. His own face felt hot as well. Why was it so unsettling to talk to her?
    It was too easy to talk to her, that was what was wrong. It had never been easy to talk to strangers for him. That’s why he avoided humans. That’s why he preferred to run wild.
    But something about her made him feel at ease. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to know what made her laugh. He wanted to hear more of those stories from her childhood.
    No, he told himself again, helplessly watching as she started the car and continued down the street. No matter how good it feels now, I know it wouldn’t end well.
    You can’t know until you try, his bear said, his voice gentle for once.
    Steven pretended he hadn’t heard.
     
    ***
     
    Water dripped from Steven’s head, and he shook himself like a dog, drops flying into all directions. After he’d last seen Cleo, a week had passed during which he hadn’t talked to a single human being.
    Just how I like it, he thought at his bear, who’d been sulking all this time.
    He’d found another fresh trail a few days ago. Paw prints had led into another small creek, but he’d lost the jaguar’s scent in the water again.
    It was