Page 3 of The Bear's Forever Mat
Games? You want to play games?his inner bear drawled.
Don’t get involved,Cooper warned.This is human stuff.
I wouldn’t dream of interfering. Human games are for humans. I’ll stick to what bears do best.
No way was he touching that one, because frankly? He didn’t want to know what mischief his beast planned to cause. There was only one response for here and now.
Cooper tipped back his full glass of whiskey and drained it in one go.
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Darkness lay over the land, tucked into the valleys and trees like a warm blanket. The winter night air was crisp and clear, and snow covered the ground in thick layers. Overhead, the brilliant northern lights danced, and their shining brightness offered a softness and a sort of magic to the evening.
Amber would accept all the magic she could get if it helped her reach her dreams.
“Sorry I was late.” The woman at her side, Kim, apologized for the umpteenth time.
Amber waved the comment off yet again, allowing her amusement to come through clearly in her tone as she steered the company’s massive four-wheel drive toward their destination. “It’s no trouble,” she insisted. “I love watching the aurora borealis, and giving you a ride makes it easier for me to justify being out of the office tomorrow morning since I worked late tonight.”
Kim laughed softly. “I’m just glad not to miss…”
Ahead of them, the entire night sky lit up.
The woman’s words faded into a soft sigh of wonder, palms braced on her knees as she leaned forward. Her gaze was fixed on the ever-changing rolling lights, and her jaw hung open in amazement.
Amber knew the sensation well. It took discipline to keep her gaze on the road, because the northern lights were one of the biggest miracles she’d ever witnessed.
She pulled into the parking lot and the space reserved for Borealis Gems owners and staff. “Let’s get you reunited with your husband. He’s going to be happy you made it after all.”
Winter chill surrounded them on the short walk to the cozy warming hut. Small lights set at ground level lit the snow without making the darkness overly bright. The back door to the beautiful building was welcoming, lit by two softly glowing lamps, but the specialized construction kept the inside of the building dark from floor to ceiling. The blackness created a wonderful viewing gallery for those who found being out in the elements too much.
“We go this way,” Amber instructed, because while the hut was an option, that wasn’t where the real tour began, and she didn’t expect Kim’s husband to be waiting under the roof for her.
A group of shifters who had come to view the northern lights? Outside all the way.
Amber turned the corner and spottedhim. Cooper, the source of so many fantasies and longings. Tall and solid with killer arms that had inspired her to reposition her desk to gain a better line of site. Now she spent her days covertly watching for the moment he’d get lost in his task and unthinkingly roll up his sleeves, baring said killer forearms.
A sigh escaped before she could stop it.
The entire man was amazing—from his silver-tipped black hair down to the muscular legs not at all hidden in his business suit. His expensive clothes were tailored to fit his long body, and hewasa beautiful man.
But thosearms—the oh-so-sexy forearms with a dusting of hair that reflected silver in the light. A trick of nature sneaking in from his animal side? Amber wasn’t certain.
She hadn’t had a lot of chances to spend one-on-one time with the wild side of many shifters, although she was good friends with Kaylee, who was a bobcat shifter.
Shewantedtime to get to know Cooper better. Both halves, man and bear.
If she could only get him to acknowledge her before she was forced to jot downAll Amber’s Positive Qualitiesin one of his damn notebooks herself.
Not that she’d ever peeked in his private journals. She’d been tempted, hugely, but some things were off-limits. Maybe once they’d been together for a few years, or years and years, and after he’d given her carte blanche, then she’d be willing to delve into his private thoughts.
Because, yes, she intended to reach that point. The only reason she knew about his “Important Thoughts Deserve Capitals” habit was because he did it all the time for work.He was not thetype to change methods in midstream, especially not when they were successful.
She deliberately gathered her courage and stepped forward, Kim pacing at her side. The other woman was still mesmerized by the natural light show overhead, but her gaze flickered from the sky to the area in front of them.
“Mrs. Wayne. So glad you could make it.” Cooper spoke politely with that dash of intensity that made the recipient feel as if they were the only person on the face of the earth.
