Page 31 of Sunshine for the Grumpy Grizzly

Preston’s voice sounds in my head. This happens all the time now. I look beyond my sleazy boss at the man I love. His own eyes are glowing with love and admiration for me.

And if you need any help, I’m right here.

The mating mark he gave me last night feels hot and tingly. It’s all so new—being a bear’s mate—but I love it already. I press my hand to the mark and smile at him.

Errol looks real shamefaced. I didn’t even know he was capable of it.

“Sit,” I say when he approaches. I keep a straight face, but inside I’m like a soda bottle that someone’s dropped on the sidewalk.

There are so many things he needs to apologize for that I’ve written them all down on a piece of notepaper. I lay them out in front of me. “Begin,” I say, clicking the end of my pen.

“I, uh… I’m sorry for staring at your ass all the time.”

I swallow hard, add that one to the end of my list.

Errol needs a little prompting from time to time, but by the time we’re done, he has apologized for fifteen separate offences. He’s bright red and there are gigantic sweat stains under his arms. A silence descends.

“We done here?” he says at last.

I fix him with my Lucy Cole Hard Stare. Sheesh, I’m really getting to like this authority thing. “You going to harass any more defenseless young women, Errol?”

Preston cracks his knuckles loudly. He’s been wrestling with his beast all through my interrogation, and I can see he’s barely keeping ahold of it.

Errol shoots a terrified glance at Preston and shakes his head vigorously. “N-no. N-never. I swear.”

He looks like he’s about to piss his pants. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.

“Well, I’m going to see to it that you never work in this industry again.” I puff my chest out. That’s a sentence that’s been said to me many times. Feels good to say it to someone who deserves it.

He goes white. “No… please. I said I’m sorry!” His gaze darts from me to Preston and back again. “I’ll never do anything like that again. I’ve got a family to take care of.”

I click my tongue. “You should’ve thought of that before you tried to coerce me into having sex with you.” I spit each word out. “Get out of here!” I jab my finger toward the door.

He goes, head hanging.

When I meet Preston’s gaze again, my heart lifts. “We done?”

“Sure are.” He shuts the door and dashes over to me. A second later he’s snatched me up in his big arms.

“You did so well, honey.” He peppers my face with kisses. “I was so proud of you.”

My tummy warms with happiness. “You were?”

“Big time. How do you feel now?”

I nibble my lower lip thoughtfully. “Like a gigantic weight has lifted off me. You know, I’ve been putting up with people’s crap for years, because I thought I had to. I’ve always been happy-go-lucky Lucy, who was born to make other people feel better about themselves.”

He frowns. “No, you come first, Lucy.”

I grin. “I think I’m starting to believe that. At least a little bit.” I stare deep into the glowing green eyes that are looking at me with such love. “Because of you, Preston.”

He raises my hand to his lips and kisses it. “I just gave you a little helping hand. But it’s all you, Lucy Cole.”

A smile keeps tugging at my lips, and I can’t help breaking into a grin. “I was pretty scary wasn’t I?”

“You were so fierce.” A growl escapes his lips. “Gave me a real boner, actually.”

I look down and giggle. “Oh, yeah. You’re right.”

---