Page 15 of Hot For Her Bear

“Hey.” Saffron smiled, making her way to Dasha.

The bear’s intense gaze didn’t waiver from her. Saffron’s heart rate increased, and she could feel the signs of her body growing aroused. Whenever she was around Dasha, she was in a constant state of arousal. Something about Dasha triggered this reaction in her. She didn’t know what it was, but she liked it.

“Can I get you anything?” Saffron asked.

Dasha’s eyes glowed even brighter. Saffron was getting good at recognizing Dasha’s expressions. This one in particular was very familiar. It was the look she gave before she ravished Saffron’s body.

“Just you,” Dasha murmured.

She pushed back slightly from the table as Saffron came to stand by her. Dasha patted her thigh softly, giving Saffron the command to sit on her lap. Saffron didn’t hesitate and was immediately engulfed in Dasha’s warm embrace. Dasha gently tugged on Saffron’s chin to bring her face close.

The kiss they shared was soft and gentle. It always amazed her how Dasha could be gruff and ornery one moment, then the next minute sensual and caring. The gentleness of the kiss blew her mind. It almost brought tears to Saffron’s eyes. She could feel the emotions and feelings Dasha had for her. They broke away and stared into each other’s eyes. Saffron didn’t have to reach up and feel her mouth. She sensed her lips were swollen from the passionate kiss.

“Wow.” That was all Saffron’s mind could process. Dasha was constantly shocking her with something spontaneous. “What was that for?”

Dasha shrugged. She reached up and trailed a finger along her bottom lip. Her attention was locked on Saffron’s mouth.

“I just wanted to show you how much I care for you.”

Saffron’s heart skipped a beat. For Dasha to be the type of person who had a hard time expressing her feelings verbally, the kiss said it all.

“I care for you, too,” Saffron admitted. Things between them were progressing fast, but she didn’t care. Everything felt right between them. She pressed a kiss to Dasha’s lips. “How was your day?”

The shop was emptied out, and there wasn’t much left for her to do. Dasha’s work was so interesting. The fact that she was able to sell her artistic creations and make a living off it was mind-blowing.

“Actually great. I have a series of paintings I did a while ago sell for five times the asking price. There was a sort of bidding war going on.” Dasha smiled. She perked up, excitement lining her face.

“Wow, that’s amazing. How was there a bidding war?”

“A few galleries around the world apparently had their eyes on my work. I had a hard time deciding if I was going to sell them, but then I decided if I did, I wanted it to go somewhere where they could be on display and not just in a private collector’s home.”

“I have to see them,” Saffron gushed. She brushed Dasha’s thick locks away from her face. “Especially before they go.”

“Sure. I have them in my storage.” Dasha’s shyness revealed itself. Her blush deepened as it always did when she spoke about herself or her work.

“Why don’t you come over tonight and we can celebrate.” Saffron stood and turned to her. She motioned to the empty shop. “I’m supposed to close in twenty minutes. I can just go ahead and close up now, then we can head to my place. I have a nice bottle of wine, some steaks…”

“Sounds good to me. Need any help here?”

“Nope. It won’t take me long.” Saffron smiled. She quickly made her way behind the counter so she could finish. There were a few more ice creams that needed storing, and she just needed to close out the register.

Maybe today they could define what they had between them. They hadn’t really talked about their status, and Saffron knew something special was between them. Dasha was the only one who brought out certain reactions and feelings in her.

Could it be that they were fated mates?

She’d been around shifters enough to know about fate and the mating business. She actually respected it. Humans weren’t so lucky. It could take a person five tries before they found “the one” and even then could still get it wrong.

Fate took care of everything.

The sound of the door opening had her turning to it. Her smile faded when she saw who entered.

Bishop.

“Looks like I made it in time.” He confidently strolled into her shop with a cocky grin on his lips.

“I’m sorry, Bishop. I’m closing a few minutes early.” She glanced over at Dasha who was staring at the large bear with a narrowed gaze.

“That’s okay. I wasn’t here for the ice cream anyway.” He stopped at the counter, resting his hands on it. She was sure he thought he appeared sexy, but for her, he fell short.

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