Page 62 of Bear's Heart

Her chin lifted, her gaze locking with his.“We could be more.”

“No, we can’t.We’re going to keep this platonic.We’re going to put friendship and respect first—”

“Even if I’m dying to kiss you?”

He looked away, features tightening, cheekbones prominent.“You’re not playing fair.”

She leaned forward, one hand sliding across the table.“Don’t you ever think about kissing me?”

Bear looked at her hard—nothing remotely tender in his eyes.No, he looked livid.Outraged.The seconds ticked by, each more painful than the last, before he turned and left the kitchen leaving her alone at the table with her sketchbook and their empty breakfast plates.

Josie blinked, and again, eyes burning, watering, throat aching.She sucked in her bottom lip and pressed it to her teeth.That had not gone well.

*

Don’t you everthink about kissing me?

In his office, Bear covered his face with a hand, muscles tight, heart thudding.How could she do that to him?How could she test his resolve?It wasn’t fair.

He thought about kissing her every single day, a dozen times a day or more.

He thought about pulling her onto his lap and wrapping her in his arms and holding her against him, savoring her softness and sweetness, pressing her breasts to his chest, letting his hands clasp her waist, and her beautifully rounded hips and butt.She was all curves, all warmth, all fire.Good God, he wanted her, desired her.But once he went there… oncetheywent there… it was all over.He’d never be able to love her and let her go.

He’d never be able to look any other woman in the eyes or want to feel other lips against his.Perhaps there was another woman out there for him, perhaps there was someone who could settle for him, but he’d never ask it of Josie.

He’d never want less for her, only more.

Chapter Thirteen

Despite waiting forhours, Rye didn’t stop by the gallery, and between him failing to appear, and it being a excruciatingly slow day—just one person stopped in before leaving almost right away, muttering about the ridiculous prices on the painting—Josie couldn’t wait until she could just go home.

It was awful when there was no one to distract her and she didn’t know why the store was so empty and there seemed to be plenty of foot traffic, and all the parking spots on Main were full, but maybe it was just such a nice day that no one wanted to be inside looking at art.

The problem with being so alone was that she had far too much time on her hands to think, and today she couldn’t stop thinking, her thoughts continuously circling back to Bear, and their conversation in the kitchen.

She remembered the flare of heat in his eyes, but also the anger.

She remembered how he abruptly wheeled out saying under his breath, no one was that good.

She remembered his words—he was attracted to her but wouldn’t make a move.

Josie wanted to reach out to him and apologize for being so provocative earlier, but then stopped herself each time because she wasn’t truly sorry.She was glad she’d said what she said.She was glad she pressed the point.She’d wanted to know how things stood, and now she did.Even if it wasn’t the way she wanted things to be.

But what if she’d already pushed him too far?What if he was no longer comfortable having her around, in his house?What if he wanted her out?

Her heart fell at the thought, and stricken, she began cleaning in earnest, occupying her hands, if not her mind, by doing a deep clean, wiping down the baseboards, the impossible to reach corners of the floor, the edges of the gold frames, and then carefully dusting the rest.

Please don’t be upset with me, she said under her breath as she sorted through the receipts and business cards in the drawer beneath the computer.Don’t be mad at me, Bear.I need you.

Her eyes kept stinging and her hand shook ever so slightly as she sprayed a vinegar water mixture on the windows, polishing until they were streak free.

Josie wasn’t built for drama, or unrequited love.

She didn’t fall in love easily, and had only once been in love before, and that had been teenage love as a freshman in high school and he had been an upperclassman who didn’t even know she existed.Now here she was, nine years later, in love again.

Emotionally worn out, Josie carried the cleaning supplies behind the curtain and rinsed off her hands in the small sink.A delicate bell rang, alerting her that the front door had opened.Josie emerged from behind the curtain to find Bear entering the gallery.

The tears she’d been fighting all day filled her eyes and she fought to hold them back.“Hey.What’s going on?”she asked, smiling big, smiling hard, because she couldn’t possibly cry and smile at the same time and if he saw her crying everything might just get weirder.

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