Page 27 of Wild Card

I shake my head as I stare at his T-shirt. That way, I don’t have to see whatever look he’s giving me.

“The bed-and-breakfast is limited.” He moves a hand under my chin. His scratchy fingers brush my jaw as he tilts my face up until our eyes meet. “Not a single room comes equipped with a nest, but if you need a safe place to decompress, the house Bear and I live in has one.”

The little crinkly lines appear at the edges of his eyes as he smiles.

My stomach flutters, and my knees wobble as I breathe in his musky bergamot scent.

Holy crap.

I forgot what true attraction to another human being feels like.

Rush’s knuckle runs down my cheek, and those ridiculous butterflies in my stomach seem to migrate to my chest. Sharing their nest with me feels like kind of an intimate offer.

“You’ve got The Exchange coming up, but I just wanted you to know it wouldn’t bother us a bit if you needed it.” He shrugs a muscular shoulder. “That was a very no-pressure offer.”

I blink up at him under my lashes as I fight the urge to bury my nose in his chest to soak up his scent.

“To nest at your house,” I say to make sure I’m not misunderstanding something.

He smirks. “That is what I said.”

There’s something light about Rush’s energy that seems to soothe my anxious edges.

I smile while he grins back.

I’d say he’s been very dangerous to many women’s self-control.

My shoes clack against the sidewalk as I come to a stop in front of the entrance to Dry Dock. It doesn’t appear to be open yet, which makes sense. I’m sure they’re busiest in the evening and late at night.

Bear’s jacket lies tossed over my arm as I try to build up the courage to go inside.

There’s every possibility that he isn’t here yet. I’m pretty sure I could back track my way to his and Rush’s house, but I thought it more likely that I would find him here.

I’m dressed more appropriately than I was last night, and I’m still freezing.

The biting wind laps at my face, and it gives me the courage to tug open the door.

It’s unlocked, at least.

Some old-school rock plays through the speakers as I follow the hallway down.

It spills into a huge room with the bar straight ahead. Booths and high-top tables line the room, and it looks completely different with all the overhead lights on.

Once I step out of the hallway, the roof gets significantly higher, and it’s only now that I realize this place has a second floor. I’m not sure how I missed that last night. It was way darker when I was here, though. That’s probably why I didn’t see it then.

“You’re a menace to society.” Bear’s growly voice echoes around the spacious room. It takes a few more steps before I spot him. He’s up on a ladder with a string of Christmas lights dangling toward the ground.

Shera is a few feet away, tugging on the plug at the end of the string. Luckily, it’s not plugged in, or she might get zapped.

Bear curses under his breath, climbing down the ladder, but even when his feet are back on the ground, he’s still massive. He might be the tallest man I’ve ever seen in person.

“Drop it,” he grunts, bending down to try to steal the cord from the playful dog. “I swear, one of these days, I’m going to get tired of your shit and rehome you to Lenny down the street. You know, the guy who loves cabbage so much that it’s all he smells like. He also swears all dogs and cats are meant to be vegetarians.” He laughs, standing with the released string of lights. “That’s what I thought, you spoiled mutt.” He loops the light string over his forearm and bends down, scratching Shera’s head.

She spots me and lopes around him and toward me.

It’s hard because I’m not afraid of her. She’s good natured and not aggressive, but it still makes me anxious.

I take several large steps backward, and my head cracks against the brick wall.

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