Page 15 of Bear to be Wild
“Like I said,” I assured her, as steady as I could. “It’s okay.”
She drew in a deep breath, rubbed her forehead, and exhaled with a low whoosh. “I could use some fresh air.” She huffed. “And a tall drink.”
The Starlight Terracebuzzed with late-night revelers as we coasted toward the next stop, an island in the Caribbean. The band had stopped playing earlier, so now the air was full of easy chatter. A crescent moon shone brightly overhead in the clear night sky. The scent of fruity cocktails from those who passed by mingled with the ever-present salty tang of the sea.
We ordered drinks from the poolside bar—a glass of red wine for her and a honey-infused beer for me—then stretched out on lounge chairs beside the pool. It was designed with colorful tiles to resemble a dragon.
She took a sip of wine, which left a sheen on her lower lip. “There has to be a way to unravel the spell.”
“You’ve already tried,” I reminded her gently. “If you push yourself too hard, you might make it worse.”
She tilted her head toward me. “What do you know about casting spells?” she asked with skepticism.
“Nothing,” I admitted. “But I know about overtraining.” I tapped my chest. “If you don’t rest, you’ll burn out.”
Her gaze lingered on me for a few seconds before she dragged it away. “You’re right, bear.” Her voice sounded softer.
We relaxed as we enjoyed our drinks, the tension between us softening.
“Tell me about yourself,” I encouraged.
“I grew up in Maine,” she said, swirling her glass. “In a house where magic was as normal as cooking dinner. My grandmother taught me about magic. My mom was more into gardening, especially herbs, so I learned about that from her. My big brother?” She smirked. “Annoying. I once bespelled his guitar to honk like a goose for teasing me.”
I chuckled. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”
Her smile faded a little. “We’ve never had luck in love, though. So maybe my family is cursed.” Before I could counter that, she added, “Anyhoo, bear, that’s my story. What’s yours?”
I took a slow sip of my beer while I figured out where to start. “I already told you I was a ranger and then a physical trainer. The forests and mountains were my escape. But something was missing. I was always searching for something.”
She leaned forward, her expression curious. “What?”
I chuckled. “Good question. But that’s what led me to venture out of Colorado and join this ship.”
She tilted her head, studying me. “You’re full of surprises, Roan.”
“Good ones, I hope?”
Her lips lifted into a sly smile. “Perhaps.” She took another sip.
And damn, if that didn’t make my chest warm.
She drank slowly, as if delaying the inevitable. I wasn’t dreading it the way she was. No, instead, I reminded myself multiple times to be a perfect gentleman, not to make any sort of move, not to take advantage of the situation.
But when her glass was empty, and a yawn forced a way out of my mouth, I covered it and said, “I should get to bed. Need to get up early for a class.”
“Right,” she agreed with a resigned sigh and stood. “Since I have the bigger cabin, we should go there.”
“Okay,” I agreed and stood.
We strolled across the deck, closer to the railing.
“Roan?” she said softly.
“Yes?” I turned to her. The sea breeze caught her curls, whipping them around her face. I picked one up before I thought to stop myself and tucked it behind her ear. “Soft as I imagined,” I uttered. Realizing I’d said that aloud, I added, “Shit.”
She laughed gently and tamed her wild curls with both hands until the breeze settled. Gazing up at me, her eyes searched mine. “Thank you.”
My throat tightened, and my tongue felt dry. I swallowed. “For what?”
