Page 10 of Sunshine for the Grumpy Grizzly

“Like meat.”

“Yeah.”

I puff my chest out.ThisI can do. My animal can hunt like no other. “I’ll get meat. A lot of it.”

My excitement grows as I scan the rest of the list. But there’s nothing else. All the other amenities are either broken or don’t even exist.

My heart sinks.

“We’ve got to think outside the box,” Lucy murmurs dreamily.

“What box?” I struggle to keep the suspicion out of my voice.

She giggles. “That’s what Natasha is always telling me—think outside of the box, Lucy.”

She leans even closer. So close I pick up a waft of her scent. Floral with a musky undertone. She’s so ripe, so ready to be mated. It’s intoxicating, charging my veins with need, until I can hardly see straight.

“To be honest, I’ve never understoodexactlywhat she means. But I think the box is like the version of the world that most people see.” A light comes into her eyes. “Like you, you’re not in the box.”

“I’m not?”

She props her chin on her hand and gives me a long look. “No, you’re different.”

“What am I like?” I hate that I’m asking, but I can’t help myself.

“You’re all wild?—”

My beast purrs.

She didn’t say that was a good thing,I snap at it.

“And…” Her eyes are running all over me. As if she likes what she sees?

No, that’s ridiculous.

“Lucy!” goes a nasal voice, as the lobby door bursts open and one of the human men storms in. The one who was as green as a pile of frog puke when he first arrived. But now he’s swaggering around like he owns the place.

And he’s staring at my girl’s ass.

Not even trying to hide it. Just zoning in on it like she’s his property.

I’ll kill him. Right after I’ve gouged his eyes out.

My beast swells beneath my skin.

“Keep your eyes to yourself!” I roar.

The dickweed jumps a mile.

Lucy turns to him, then back to me again, eyes wild with confusion. “Huh?”

“Nothing,” I say.

Darn, and now she’s scared of me again. Like I’m some crazy asshole. Guess I don’t blame her. But when she’s mine, she’ll understand that I’d lay down my life to protect her.

Dickweed can’t look me in the eye. He knows.

“Lucy, what’s keeping you? We’re all waiting—” He slinks up beside her.

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