Page 33 of Bear In A Boutique
Once the fire died, he slipped into his Jeep and settled into the driver’s seat. Leaning his head against the seat, he rubbed a hand over his eyes and bolted upright as a scream ripped from the van.
Adrenaline dumped into his blood and his senses went on high alert. Heart pounding, he threw open the Jeep door just as Olive hurried toward him, blanket fluttering behind her like a cape. Yanking the passenger door open, she scurried in and pulled it closed like the devil was outside.
“Something crawled across my foot!” She pulled her feet up onto the seat and hugged her knees. “It ran over my foot, back and forth, back and forth.”
The alarm pulsing through him cooled. “Probably a mouse. We did find those nests.”
“It was a spider!” She shivered violently. “The size of my palm. With glowing eyes. On my foot. It was on my foot! Oh my God, it touched me.”
Even in the dark, he could see how pale her face was. A little amused but more concerned, he put a hand on her knee and squeezed. “Hey, it’s okay.”
“Burn the van down.”
“Not a fan of spiders, huh?”
She whipped him a frantic look. “You think?”
“Come here.”
Ryker slid an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his side. She pressed against his body, a trembling, warm mass of wool blanket and unruly hair. Ryker repositioned so he could fit her tighter against him and encircled her with both arms. She put her head on his shoulder and settled against him, melting into his embrace until she finally stopped shaking.
“Is this okay?” He asked quietly, hoping like hell that she wouldn’t move.
“Yes.”
He’d just shut down a relationship, yet she ran to him when she was scared. And his only thought after realizing there was no danger was to shelter her in his arms. It was a friend thing, that’s all. Or maybe they were drawn together with magnetic force, and no matter what he said or where he went, he’d always follow the undeniable pull back to her.
Because she’s our mate, idiot.
Ignoring his bear, Ryker kissed the top of her head, and he held her tighter.
“Get some sleep. I’ll go on a spider hunt in the morning.”
Chapter Eleven
“There’s no sign of your man-eating spider.”
Ryker stepped out of the van and turned off his flashlight. Olive didn’t look impressed, but he’d inspected every nook and cranny and come up empty-handed. He wasn’t going to mention that spiders typically stayed out of sight during the day, preferring to skitter around at night. She’d been traumatized enough.
“Thanks for looking. And, for letting me sleep on your shoulder last night.”
His arm had turned numb, and he had a hitch in his side from holding his position for hours, but the feeling of her next to him had been worth it.
“You’re welcome. Be sure to shake out your bags and blankets before you take them back in the apartment to make sure you don’t bring an unwanted visitor inside.”
“Ryker!”
He grinned and held up his hands in surrender. The sun was fresh and cast bright, new light through the trees. It was early enough that he had plenty of time to go home to wash up and change before going to work. Olive pulled the hoodie of her sweatshirt over his head against the morning chill.
“I’m taking Lulu up on her offer to stay on their sleeper sofa until the boutique is opened again.”
“That’s a good idea. Will you be okay driving out of here?”
“Yep.”
An awkward silence stretched between them. He pulled his keys from his pocket and gave them a little jingle to break it. “I have to get to work. Call me if you have any trouble. It only takes me a bit to get here.”
“Okay.”
