Page 8 of Bear to be Wild
Nope, my bear denied.It’s real.
I ignored him. He obviously wasn’t paying attention to what she’d just admitted about trying to shut us up with a spell.
She adjusted her weight from one foot to the other and chewed her bottom lip, drawing my gaze to it. That rich, full, pink pouty lip…
Focus.
“Care to explain to a dumb gym bro what exactly this spell means for us?” I asked.
She paled. “I didn’t call you dumb.”
I stared at her, calling out her bullshit.
She pursed her lips. “I know the type. The attractive, swaggering, over-suave shifters.”
She thinks I’m attractive.I lit up at that admittance until my brain continued to the next. “I don’t swagger. And suave? Where did you get that from during our brief introduction? Did I say or do something to make you think that?”
Her gaze turned to the side as she appeared to contemplate my question. “Okay.” She snorted. “Maybe I don’t know you well enough to make that assumption.”
My lips slipped into a smile. “Is Miss Spell-Gone-Wrong admitting she made a mistake?”
She grunted. “Watch it, bear.”
“Are you unable to answer a basic question?” I teased as I crossed my arms, mimicking her sassy attitude, which I enjoyed a great deal.
She tipped her head back and released a prolonged groan. “Fine, I messed up, all right? And it means that we’re stuck together until I can figure out how to undo it.”
“Stuck?”
She pinned me with a look, reminding me how I kept repeating her statements as questions in my bewilderment. “Yes, stuck.”
“Please, oh, gifted witch,” I drew out the words for added effect, enjoying getting a rise out of her. “Elaborate for the not-so-enlightened shifter in the room.”
Her upper lip curled up into a distasteful snarl. “Bear, it means we’re stuck together. Forced to be close.”
“How close?”
“I don’t know.” She threw her hands up. “Let’s figure it out.”
“How?”
“You walk in one direction, and I’ll walk in the other. When the spell takes hold, we’ll know.”
“Okay.” I pointed toward the gym, where I had been heading. “I’ll go that way.”
“And I’ll head toward the spa.” She locked her bright blue eyes on mine, and for a moment I forgot about everything else.
“Three, two, one, go,” she counted down, snapping me back to the mission.
I walked with slow, deliberate steps. After a couple dozen more feet, the heated sensation within yanked me back toward her, as if I’d been hooked by an anchor made of flames.
“Candle shit!” Maribelle swore.
I stifled a chuckle at her odd oath of frustration. Then I turned and gauged the distance between us. “Looks to be about here.”
She let out a cry. “This is horrible.” She slapped her forehead and slumped against the wall. After a few seconds, she lifted her gaze to meet mine. “If Tia finds out I did this, I’m done.” She sniffed. “I’ll lose my job. All because of some stupid spell.”
Compassion surged through me. Our boss Tia, the Wellness Director, came across as strict and no-nonsense—the type who would not let this go with a warning. Although Maribelle’s spell would be a big inconvenience since I’d just started this job and had to make a good impression, it also had a plus side—I’d spend time with my mate. Maybe get to know her better. Maybe show her I wasn’t just some big, loud, swaggering shifter.
