Page 5 of The Bear's Forever Mat
He tapped her on the nose as if she were a puppy then glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, look who’s here.”
She blinked at the abrupt change. Mind still clouded with desire and mightily confused, she followed his lead and twisted to discover familiar company marching across the snow toward them. Her best friend Kaylee and her mate, James. And Cooper’s other brother, Alex, with his wolf partner, Lara.
Kaylee stared upward in amazement as James guided her forward. “Wow, Cooper, you were right. It is a spectacular evening. Thanks for messaging us to let us know.”
So that was what he’d been tapping on his watch for. Calling in his family. It was something she loved about him—how clearly important his family was to him.
Frustrating when they blocked her plans, though.
“Hey, guys.” Amber put as much enthusiasm into the words as she could fake. Another opportunity lost.
Kaylee wrapped an arm around Amber and cuddled her tight before slipping aside to plant a kiss on James that sent up howling from the rest of their group.
Amber’s friend smiled sweetly. “Sorry for the PDA, but there’s something about spectacular nights like this that makes me feel all tingly and alive.”
A snort of amusement escaped Alex. He and Lara had just finished a brief whispered conversation. They exchanged a grin before deliberately turning their backs toward the open field. With her hyper-sensitive wolf hearing, Lara probably knew exactly what was happening in the trees right now.
“Feelingtinglyseems to be a common theme amongst the visitors tonight. What’s going on, bro?” Alex asked Cooper. “Did you bring in a group of naturalists?”
Amber peeked toward the field, but Cooper stepped in her way, blocking whatever cavorting might be visible. “Just some high spirits. Come on, guys. It’s too cold out here for Amber. I’ve got a bottle of the good stuff waiting for us inside the hut.”
The cheers that prompted meant there was no use in Amber explaining she wasn’t really cold. Just like there was no use in explaining that if she were, the way she wanted to be warmed up was in the big bear’s arms.
But she smiled and followed along, joining her friends to enjoy the show even as she plotted her new plan of attack.
Before this year was out, she and Cooper were going to have A Very Important And Blunt Discussion. Maybe it was time to call in the reinforcements she’d been promised to make that happen.
One way or another, she needed to gather her courage and pin down her bear. She didn’t want to waste another moment.
OceanofPDF.com
3
Items To Be Accomplished Prior To Succumbing To The Mating Fever
•review next year’s second quarter projections
•purchase chain and appropriate Alex’s handcuffs
•year-end message for shareholders
•meet with R&D
•avoid being alone with Amber at all costs
“We’re going to find it really hard to win this thing if you’ve got your nose stuck in that notebook,” James grumbled.
“You’re going to find it hard to win since you’re competing against the best of the best,” came Alex’s instant response from a few feet away.
A chorus of cheers and jeers rose from the crowd behind him—a motley crew of wolves from the Orion pack house.
Lara rolled her eyes then tossed a glare over her shoulder. “Children, behave.”
“But wearegoing to win,” one of them quipped. The lanky young man, Dixon, adjusted his red and white Where’s Waldo? toque so the red ball of fluff on the tip stuck up jauntily, his white teeth flashing against tan skin.
“Of course we are, Dix,” Lara agreed. “But you don’t have to gloat about it.”
“Yet.” Alex ducked the snowball James tossed at him, only to step directly into the path of Kaylee’s missile. His expression of dismay vanished behind a smear of white. When he reopened his eyes, it was to grin evilly at his sister-in-law. “Game on, lady.”
