Page 5 of Bear Creek Valentine
The tall, dark one stepped forward and leaned over the counter to scent him. Evidently, Aiden’s arousal didn’t bother him, for he reached out to shake his hand.
“I’m Ryder Sinclair, and this is Mr. Hawthorn. We’ve just come from a meeting with Mayor Tillman and enjoyed some of your wonderful Nut Bombs. Mr. Hawthorn is quite fond of chocolate in any form and wanted to visit the shop.”
Hawthorn looked almost terrified as he slowly shuffled forward to scent Aiden. Because of the counter between them and the height difference, Aiden leaned forward to allow him a deeper sniff. A low, rumbling growl began immediately, sending another surge of heat to Aiden’s cock. The scenting continueduntil Sinclair noisily cleared his throat, causing Hawthorn to flinch and pull away.
Aiden stood up straight and saw confusion in the poor man’s stormy blue eyes. What could he be thinking? And why hadn’t he said anything? To get past the odd moment, he began pointing out what was in the display cases. Instead of waiting for them to ask, Aiden pulled out samples, cut them in two with a sharp knife, and placed them on a clean demo tray. Sinclair responded with comments and questions, while Hawthorn simply growled louder with each new taste. He was clearly enjoying the sweets but refused to look Aiden in the eye.
In time, they reached the Bear Brownie display case, and both men sniffed madly at the simple tan-colored rectangles. According to his taste testers, Aiden knew the unprocessed acorn meal was the principal attraction—though the added nuts, honey, and berries surely enhanced the flavor. He hadn’t actually tried them himself, due to the high concentration of bitter tannins in the acorns, and even shifters who tried them in human form reported upset stomachs.
“DeeDee asked me to prepare a couple of gift boxes for you, and one of them contains a dozen Bear Brownies. I don’t recommend eating them unless you’ve already shifted, but I know you’ll love the taste. Almost everything in the shop can be ordered online and delivered locally or shipped to you. I included a brochure with all the information you might need, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. Do you have any questions?”
Sinclair gave Aiden a tight smile.
“I don’t believe so, Mr. Romero. Your confections truly are delicious, and I know Mr. Hawthorn is impressed. Thank you so much for your time.”
Aiden handed the gift boxes to Sinclair and smiled warmly at Hawthorn, who finally looked up before turning to leave.When they reached the door, the handsome shifter did an abrupt about-face, rushed back to where Aiden was standing and pulled him close for another scenting. A long, wet tongue licked a stripe up the side of Aiden’s face before Hawthorn whispered in his ear.
“My name is Dash.”
The intriguing man hurried out before a startled Aiden could figure out what to say.
####
Ryder held his tongue until they were in the car, but Dash’s distressed huffing made him reconsider what he’d intended to say.
“Are you all right? What in the world happened in there?”
Dash shook his head and turned to look out the passenger-side window.
“I’m still trying to figure it out. Just take me home, okay?”
Ryder got underway without another word, and after one short mile, arrived at the new house. Last night’s snow had yet to be scooped, and he made a mental note to ask Dash about hiring it done. Inside, he took a seat on the couch while Dash fretted and paced across the new living room rug. Though he knew nothing about romance, Ryder was astute enough to understand at least some of what happened to his friend atDelicious. Maybe Dash would have an easier time if he got the ball rolling.
“You’re attracted to Aiden, and it scares you.”
Dash stopped his pacing and wrenched around to face Ryder.
“Of course I’m scared! I haven’t been with anyone since Harv died. It’s been so long, I always assumed there wouldn’tbeanybody else. I can’t do this. Besides, I’m already in the middle of an enormous project with too much on my plate.”
Based on Dash’s flimsy excuses, Ryder knew the man was already in deeper than he wanted to admit.
“What does your bear have to say?”
Crestfallen, Dash flopped into the nearest chair with a sad, gusty sigh. A pregnant pause followed before he spoke.
“My bear wants... he thinks Aiden is my mate, but he must be mistaken! I just can’t have a human mate. It would never work, and after what happened in the shop, Aiden probably thinks I’m nuts.”
Ryder growled, annoyed by Dash’s ridiculous conclusions.
“Hold on. Your bear isn’t stupid, and there are plenty of human/shifter couples, including my own parents. You know almost nothing about Aiden, so how can you say it wouldn’t work? We could both smell his interest from the moment he laid eyes on you, and I didn’t see him pushing you away after you grabbed him, either.”
Dash couldn’t deny anything Ryder said, but there were things his friend didn’t know. Things only Harv knew and accepted as part of their relationship. Pursuing Aiden might end up being the biggest mistake of his life, and Dash wasn’t sure he wanted to risk the pain.
On the other hand, his bear nearly caused him to lose control before leaving the shop—tempted by the delectable human’s alluring scent and the taste of his skin. Did he still have a chance with Aiden after his bizarre behavior? Was there a way to find out without risking humiliation and rejection? Dash appreciated Ryder’s support and advice, but he needed to figure this out on his own.
Chapter 3
Friday, March 3rd, Delicious
