Page 35 of Cross To Bear

Her chest heaved, and I tried really fucking hard not to follow the movements of her breasts, I needed to know if they would fit in my hands, but not now. Her lips moved, a reply, a retort, a sharp ‘fuck you’ forming maybe, though she never said a thing. Because deep down she knew. She fucking knew I was right. And at some point, she’d work out I was the one right for her too.

Because while I didn’t know much about pleasing a woman, I was a quick study. She’d find me a very attentive student who only ever needed to be told something once and then I’d make sure to do it over and over until that small frown line faded and all there were were smiles. That mental vow made, I flicked on the indicator, then pulled out into traffic. My girl wanted to make sure she got to work on time, I was ready to make sure that happened.

Chapter 21

We didn’t talk much for the rest of the drive, though the silence wasn’t an uncomfortable one. Rather it was as if I’d struck an agreement with the big, mysterious, frustratingly confusing man. But I hadn’t agreed to shit. My mind stuttered on the information he gave me.

“I didn’t want other women to have been anywhere near anything that belonged only to her.”

Um… what? Like I shouldn’t have actually been surprised by his words. I knew the bear community and that many men raised their sons to have a similar attitude. It was accepted that some bear shifters couldn’t wait that long, casually dating or having sex with other women, though what Hawk had said… I’d just never expected anyone, ever, to say they’d been waiting for me. But as I stole looks at his massive frame, tracing the shapes of the geometric tattoos winding their way up his forearms, it just didn’t seem possible.

Women would have to have slid their hands over those bulky shoulders, the muscles flexing and shifting as he changed lanes, under his worn blue work shirt. They’d have to have slid their hands down the taut abdomen, unbuttoned the shirt to get to bare skin and… I made a strange little sound then. Was that a fucking growl? I shook my head, shoving my head back against the seat, training my eyes on the road, seeing the cars but not seeing them. Because Hawk might not know what to do with a woman, he knew exactly what to say to get under my skin. I was still pondering his words when we pulled up out front of my office building.

“Well, thanks for the ride,” I said brightly, grabbing my bag and grabbing the door, wanting to make a quick getaway so as to have some time to digest what the hell was said. There was also the matter of the women I worked with stopping to take a look at the rumbling car as they walked in the front door.

“Wait.”

I froze where I was, then turned around slowly.

“Your coffee—”

“Right, thanks. Thanks again.”

God, I was fucking babbling. I smiled nervously and then wrenched the car door open, scrambling out. Of course, that’s when I saw Mal standing there, hand on her hip, outside the front door.

“So have Ubers really upgraded?” she asked me as I got closer, taking faster and faster steps, as if I could escape his words, him. “Or…?”

Whatever smart arse comment she might have was cut off as her eyes widened and a grin spread across her face. I shut my eyes for a second as I heard a deep voice say my name, because when I turned around, there was Hawk with a Bento box in his hands.

“You forgot your lunch.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t…”

Whatever protests I had to make, they were ignored as he pressed the box, weighted heavily with no doubt heavenly food.

“Look after yourself.” He nodded then, regarding me seriously. “Crash will be by in the afternoon to pick you up.”

“Or I could—”

“Mal.”

She earned herself a sharp nod, right before he turned around and ambled back to that big, beautiful car.

“Mummy…” Mal sighed. “I want one.” But her gaze sharpened as she took me in. “Or four. So, what the fucking fuck, Mads?”

“I can explain,” I said, grabbing her arm with my free hand and dragging her with me inside the building.

People had stopped to stare at Hawk, me, the car, everything, because in the smart business wear clad jungle of the central business district, he was a wild animal amongst all of these domesticated beasts.

“Oh, you better,” she said, clicking after me, as our receptionist, Annie, looked up and smiled when we arrived on our floor.

“Your morning appointment is here, Mallory,” she informed my friend.

“After.” Mal put two fingers up and pointed at her eyes, then mine. “All of the deets. I want ’em.”

But not right now. I slid into my tiny office and looked at the inbox already teeming with emails and clicked on the first one gratefully. Clients wanting to claim dubious expenses. The Australian Tax Office sending people the wrong notifications. Someone who still hadn’t paid their business activity statement. These were all issues I knew how to deal with, so I did, falling into the much more secure headspace of work, staying there until lunch time.

“Time to eat. Time to dish.” I looked up sharply to see Mal walking in my office door.

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