Page 45 of Whiskey Run Heroes

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SAMANTHA

As I pull up to the gates of the Whiskey Run office, I have my badge out in my hand ready to show the guard. But he recognizes me, waves, and opens the gates for me to drive on in.

I pull into my parking spot and notice that everyone else is already here. Nash, Knox, Walker, Brooklyn—all their trucks and SUVs are here. Well, everyone except for Bear. I don’t see his truck, and I sort of kick myself for even looking for it. He was on a mission and probably got back late—heck, he may be taking the day off, for all I know.

I take a deep breath and start to think about my life in Whiskey Run. The whole team has been super nice, and this has really been a good change of pace for me. It's different than when I was stationed in Texas and was traveling nonstop and not knowing where or when I would be home again. When Walker approached me about this opportunity, I knew I had to take it. I'm 32 years old now, and more than anything, I want to settle down.

I look at myself in the rearview mirror and shake my head. Just thinking of settling down has my thoughts going to Bear, and that’s the last person that I should be thinking about. The last few days have been pretty relaxing with him out of town.He's the only one that I really can't make heads or tails of. He's a big guy. That would normally be intimidating to anyone. But just looking at him causes a flare in my belly, and it's not anything that I'm ready to examine yet. I mean, why am I attracted to the one man that hasn’t really been welcoming to me? It doesn’t make sense.

So these last few days without his grunts and growls I've been able to relax a little at my new home here, but I know that today he'll be back, and I have to prepare myself for it. I grab my purse and my tote bag out of the passenger seat, put them over my shoulder, and walk into the front door. Brooklyn, Walker’s assistant, is at her seat, and she waves me over. When I first met Brooklyn, things were weird between us but only because she thought Walker and I had a relationship or something, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. He's always just been a good guy that looked out for me, but that’s it. When he and Brooklyn got together, it thrilled me. It sort of sucked that she had to get kidnapped for Walker to come to his senses, but at least it all worked out in the end. Plus, seeing them together gives me hope for my future. I would give anything to have a man look at me the way Walker looks at her.

“What's up, girl?” Brooklyn asks with a smile on her face.

I just laugh. “I'm good. Is the meeting still on for this morning?”

Brooklyn nods her head. “And I believe they're all in there about to get started.”

“Okay, see you after,” I tell her before I pick up my stride and start to walk to my office at the back of the building. I set everything down and start digging in my tote for a notepad and pencil. With my head down, I don’t hear anyone come toward me until I hear a grunt, and damn, I squeeze my thighs together without even thinking about it. I’ve missed that grunt. I prepare myself before lifting my head.

I lift my head and come face to face with Bear. He's staring at me intensely, but there's still not a smile on his face. I try to hide my excitement of seeing him. I can't admit how much I had missed him and even worried about him while he'd been gone. Of course, I don't know why I would. If there's anyone that could handle a mission like the one he was on, it would be him. “Hey, Bear,” I say. He doesn't say anything back; his eyes just continue to search my face. For a second, I wonder if he’s missed me too, but that’s nonsense. I don’t even think he’s talked to me since I came to work here. Well, unless you count grunts. I get those all the time.

He just holds his hands out. And for the first time, I notice that he has a cup from Honeybee Coffee in one hand and then a brown bag from Sugar Glaze in his other hand. Without thinking about it, I reach for the cup and the bag and hold them up. “What is this?” I ask him.

He shrugs his shoulders. “I thought you would like those. I think they're your favorite.”

My eyes widen, and I open the bag and look down, and sure enough, there is an apple turnover that is still warm in the bottom of the bag. “How did you know?” I ask him as I reach into the bag, pull it out, and take a bite without even thinking. I moan as the flavors hit my tongue. My eyes close, and I savor the taste.Damn, that’s good.

Bear grunts again, and my eyes fly open. “This was so nice of you. Thank you for this.” He seems embarrassed, but I have to ask him, “Why did you bring these to me? Did you bring some for everyone?”

He shakes his head. “No. I only brought them for you.”

Before I can ask him why or how his time in Florida went, he stalks out of my office. I walk to my doorway and watch him go. My eyes are glued to his backside because how could I look at anything else? He really does a pair of denims justice.

I'm staring at him, not even thinking where I’m at, and before I know it, Brooklyn is elbowing me in the side. “Girl, I see what you're doing,” she says with a laugh.

I jerk my eyes from Bear back to Brooklyn, and she’s eyeing the pastry in my hand. She says, “You got a little something there,” and points to my lip.

I start to wipe it off. “Oh, it must be glaze,” I tell her, holding up the turnover.

She rolls her eyes. “No. It’s drool.”

I playfully swat at her. “Brooklyn! I’m not drooling!” But I don’t sound convincing.

Brooklyn chuckles. ”You obviously are, but I don't think it's one-sided. I've never seen that man act that way. If he has his sights on you, you are one lucky girl.”

Brooklyn is shaking her head as she walks back over to her desk. I could stand here all day and try to analyze what’s going on with Bear, but I know that I'm about to be late for the meeting. I grab my pad and pencil and put it under my arm. Then I grab the cup of coffee and eat the rest of my pastry on my way down the hall. There is no way I'm going to let it go to waste.

Bear

I walk downthe hallway away from Samantha. It takes everything I have not to turn around and look at her. I know we're going to the same place. She has the same meeting to go to as I do, and I'm already about to be late, but I can't go in there—not like this. Instead of turning into the conference room, I take a side door and step outside. As soon as I'm out in the clear air, I let the door shut behind me and take three deep breaths. TheWhiskey Run mountains are in front of me, and it's a beautiful view. But I can't enjoy them today because all I can think about is Samantha. She's all I've thought about since she came to work here.

I thought that since I had been gone on this mission that it would give me some perspective and some space. Enough time to get away from her or to at least get her out of my head. But it wasn't, because all I can think about is her. When I woke up this morning, I left my house early just so I could get her favorite coffee and her favorite pastry. She has me all coiled up in knots, and she doesn't even realize it. I'm standing outside with my hands on my hips, trying to will down my hard cock when Knox comes out the door.

“Hey, brother, you okay?” he asks.

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