Page 15 of Bear Creek Valentine
They lay entwined for a while, glowing with satisfaction and exchanging lazy kisses. Before long, Dash’s stomach gave a mighty rumble, loud enough to wake the dead, and they both started laughing. Dash stated the obvious.
“I guess we better eat. I made a pot roast with all the fixings and picked up an apple pie for dessert.”
As they rose to get dressed, Aiden made a request.
“As long as you’re naked, can I see your bear?”
Dash growled with delight.
“Okay. Put your pants on first ‘cause he’ll want to lickeverything.”
When Aiden was ready, Dash got down on all fours and initiated the shift. Black hair shot from every inch of skin, even as his body expanded outward. Limbs shortened, hands changed to paws, and Dash’s head and face morphed into its ursine shape. The last thing to appear was his short, sharp claws, and there he stood—purring and sniffing the air. The white chestblaze stood out starkly amid the glossy black coat, giving him a rakish appearance.
Aiden looked him over first and then fell to his knees to stroke the bear’s head, face, and short, round ears. Typical for his kind, the muzzle was covered with light brown fur, making his black leathery nose stand out even more. Dash immediately stuck that nose in Aiden’s bare belly, sniffing and licking with abandon until the laughing human reared back.
“Hey! No tickling! You are one beautiful bear. Let me pet you for a minute.”
Dash sat still with a reluctant growl, though he inwardly preened at Aiden’s attentive caresses. He and Harv were almost always in the same form at the same time, so this situation was new for Dash, and he liked it. Unafraid, Aiden made his way around the powerful creature, admiring, petting, and commenting as he went. Once he went full circle, Aiden wrapped the bear in a hug. Dash rose up on his hind legs, easily pulling the man up with him.
Aiden immediately sank both hands into the soft, dense fur of Dash’s white chest blaze. Here, he could really feel the deep vibration of the bear’s rumbling purr, and he lay an ear against Dash’s chest to listen. With his nose this close, he couldn’t help but notice the bear’s outdoor, earthy scent, neither unpleasant nor overpowering. When Aiden lifted his head, he was rewarded with a warm, wet tongue bath to the face and thumped Dash lightly on the snout.
His sudden shift to human form startled Aiden, causing strange sensations wherever their bodies touched. The first thing Dash did was cradle Aiden’s head in both hands, kissing him thoroughly.
“That was nice. My bear really likes you.”
Aiden smiled and pecked his lips.
“The feeling is mutual. You are amazing, Dash, in both forms.”
After a bit more smooching, the pair were soon dressed and headed to the kitchen for supper.
Chapter 6
Dash took a roundabout path to the kitchen, giving Aiden a quick tour of the main level of the house. It was apparent he’d remodeled extensively, as everything looked and smelled fresh. This part of the house included three bedrooms and a shared bathroom, including the primary suite—which Dash only pointed out in passing. Sensibly, the hallway and all the doors were extra-wide to accommodate a full-grown black bear.
The rest of the main floor contained a spacious kitchen, a separate dining area, and a living room with a stone fireplace. The open floor plan made it easy for Dash to move about in either form, though he’d removed several walls to accomplish the needed changes. At the far end of the house, Dash showed him a half-bath and laundry room next to a door leading downstairs. He promised to show Aiden the lower level after supper, and they worked together to put the meal on the table.
When shifters ate, theyate, and Aiden wasn’t put off by Dash’s table manners. He did most of the talking, describing his trial-and-error recipe changes between bites of pot roast in thick gravy, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and buttered biscuits. Once his belly was half full, Dash paid more attention to the one-sided conversation, contributing grunts, nods, and occasional one-word questions or answers.
With Aiden’s crazy work hours, he was fortunate to get a home-cooked meal once or twice a week but always ate alone. He assumed the same was true for Dash, as he spent most of his time at the resort or in various meetings. The amount of work involved in building such a place must be staggering, and though Dash could probably afford to sit back and allow others to do it all, it clearly wasn’t his style.
When the meal ended, Dash offered dessert, but Aiden was too full just then.
“If you want to eat it now, I’ll wait, or we can do our business and then have pie for a snack later.”
Dash agreed to wait, and the pair cleared the table, put the leftovers away, and got the dishwasher started. Instead of settling in the living room, Dash wanted to show Aiden what he’d done with the basement. When he opened the door, Aiden spied a carpeted ramp leading down instead of a staircase—perfect for Dash’s bear. At the bottom, a cozy family room greeted them, complete with comfortable furniture, a wide-screen TV, and a kitchenette for snacks.
They continued on past another fireplace and a bathroom before coming to a stunning office suite. The walls were made of smoked glass panels that rose floor to ceiling, connected with vertical metal bands to form a freestanding box. Inside was a sleek, modern, fully equipped workspace that was both functional and beautiful. Dash beamed with pride.
“I have another office at the resort, but I’ll mostly work from home once things are up and running. This one is rigged for teleconferences, so I don’t have to drive back and forth.”
Aiden noted homey touches that provided warmth and character: a clutch of family photos on the wood desk, live plants in the corners, and colorful nature prints on each of the walls. Directly above the computer, he spied a small, framed poster with a short quote by Chico Xavier;“Though nobody can go back and make a new beginning, anyone can start over and make a new ending.”Dash explained in a voice ripe with emotion
“A recent gift from Ryder. He’s not very subtle.”
Aiden sensed a story that Dash wasn’t ready to tell and let the moment pass.
“I’m not only impressed, Iloveit, Dash. With an office like this, I wouldn’t even mind doing my paperwork!”
