Bear, page 12
The look he gave her would’ve melted her panties if her side wasn’t throbbing. Then he smiled so big and said, “You mean my fiancée is letting me stay in the house?”
She rolled her eyes as she continued down the hall. “I ain’t marrying you.”
He chuckled, and it was a balm to her soul.
Chapter Sixteen
The smell of sausage frying woke Bear up, and he eased up from the couch and stretched. He’d been sleeping in Roxie’s house ever since the night of the mugging. The incident had shaken her more than she’d admit, but he didn’t need her words to understand her. She’d also been hurt and had refused to go to the hospital. Xan had donned her nursing cap and inspected Roxie’s hip. Her friend had said nothing seemed to be seriously wrong and had preached about the need for an x-ray. Roxie had refused.
He hated that she’d gone through something like that, but getting to stay in her house was one silver lining he couldn’t deny. His camper was still outside, but when it was time for Roxie to go to bed at night, she’d stand at the screen door and wave him in. In the mornings, he’d get up and go back to his camper. It was their routine now.
It’d been almost two months since he’d felt her come apart in his arms, and every day he wondered if today would be the day she’d give into her desire for him. Because he knew she wanted him. Her hesitation had nothing to do with their attraction. There was no denying the sparks that flew whenever they were in the same room. Whatever held her back was something on an emotional level. The no-kissing rule was a dead giveaway, and if it was time she needed to open up, he was more than happy to give it to her. Maybe once they captured The Shadow, she’d be ready to explore a relationship with him without holding anything back.
He pulled on the shirt he’s worn last night and walked into the kitchen. Leaning down, he kissed her temple as she stood at the stove. She no longer stiffened when he did that. More progress. “Good morning, little momma.”
“Mornin’, Teddy.” She plated some sausages, her attention solely on preparing breakfast.
Damn, he loved her cooking, but he wasn’t going to impose. Not today. “If you need me, you know where I’ll be.” He started to walk away, but she grabbed a handful of the back of his shirt.
“It’s Christmas, Teddy. You’re not going anywhere.”
Turning to her, he said, “Then I’m stealing some sausage.” He reached for a piece, and she swatted his hand.
“If you don’t watch out, I’m gonna cream your corn.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “My corn loves your cream.”
She gasped. “That ain’t what I meant, and you know it.”
He chuckled. “Do you need any help?”
She looked appalled at the suggestion.
He lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay then. I’m going to shower and change before breakfast.”
“You can use Chad’s bathroom. He’s still in bed.” That was another thing she’d done. She’d let him shower in the house, rather than use the tiny one in the camper.
“Thanks, babe.”
Wasting no time, Bear grabbed some clean clothes from the camper and showered, ignoring his morning wood. That was the only drawback to staying in the house. He hadn’t been this horny since he was a teenager. Roxie’s scent and touch were on everything. There was no escaping her. Even when she wasn’t here, he was thinking about her or smelling her.
Ugh, maybe he shouldn’t ignore it.
After quickly taking care of business and getting dressed, he joined Roxie in the kitchen.
“Chad, breakfast!”
“I could’ve gotten him for you.”
“Bah.” She waved off that idea. “I’m surprised he hasn’t come stumbling in already. If not for the food, the gifts.”
“I remember being excited to see what Santa brought. Money was tight, but my dad always made it special.”
“What was your favorite gift—”
“I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse,” Chad said, rounding the corner. “Smells yummy, mom.”
She handed them both plates of eggs, sausage, biscuits, and gravy. “Coffee’s on the counter. Juice is in the fridge.”
“Damn, babe. This looks good.” He kissed her temple. Chad glanced up but otherwise didn’t respond to Bear’s term of endearment or display of affection. The boy was smart enough to understand Bear had feelings for his mom. On one of the nights when they’d been reviewing Chad’s football clips, he’d asked Bear why he wasn’t with his mom. That had been another one of those minefield conversations, but Bear had been honest. He’d told the boy that Roxie was special to him, and neither wanted to rush things. He’d kept the whole botched proposal business to himself, though.
They chatted while eating, and Bear stole as many glances at Roxie as he could without Chad catching him. Just because Bear was as honest as he comfortably felt he could be with the boy didn’t mean he wanted to flaunt his lust for Roxie in his face. Regardless of how Bear responded to the sexy woman, he wanted Chad to know his mother was respected.
After Bear finished his meal and Chad had a second helping, Bear ushered Roxie into the living room, so the guys could clean up
“Y’all about done?” she called out. “I’m ready for gifts.”
“Yep.” Chad shoved the last dish into the dishwasher and started it. Bear refilled his coffee and followed the boy into the living room.
Roxie had gathered Bear’s blanket and pillow and stowed them in the basket by the tree. “You mind taking some pictures?” she asked, waving her phone at him.
Bear reached for it, and his chest tightened at Roxie wanting him to participate in such an intimate moment. He took several photos of Chad going through his stocking, which was filled with candy, a shaving set from Roxie, and a lighter from Bear. Chad chuckled at the meaning, and then guffawed when Roxie told him he shouldn’t be playing with fire. Bear continued snapping shots as she handed Chad several of the gifts from in front of the tree. Chad moaned and groaned over the socks, but when he got to the new tennis shoes, he whooped and hollered. Apparently, he’d had his eye on those for months.
He’d gotten his mom a couple of gifts, too. Her favorite scented candle, which had a strawberry scent—because of course it did—and some fuzzy house shoes that she squealed over.
“Okay, there’s one more,” Roxie said, reaching under the tree.
Before she could grab the big box, Bear said, “Actually, you both have one under the tree from me.” He’d put them under there last night before going to sleep on the couch. He’d figured they’d find them this morning while unwrapping gifts and thought it’d be a nice surprise to find extras under there. Now that he’d been invited to stay, his own excitement rose at the idea of watching them open what he’d gotten them.
Roxie smiled softly. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“You already gave me the lighter, and I didn’t get you anything,” Chad said, frowning.
“I’ve been getting to run football drills and watch old game videos. It’s been like Christmas morning for me every day for months.”
Roxie blinked several times as if trying to keep her emotions in check, so Bear bent by the tree and fished out the package for Chad. “It’s not kick-ass shoes,” he warned.
Chad took it and opened it without hesitation. “No way,” he breathed and showed the football to Roxie. “There are lots of signatures on here.” Chad inspected it, and then his gaze flew to Bear. “Oh, my God, is this Peyton Manning?” he said, pointing at the ball.
Bear nodded. “My dad was a Colts fan. He took me to a game once when I was in high school. He knew I wanted to play professionally, but with his cancer, he figured he wouldn’t live to see the day if that ever happened. He wanted to make sure we both had a chance to experience the energy in a stadium.” Bear chuckled. “We left late and happened to run into some of the team. They signed the ball for us.”
Chad gaped at him. “I can’t accept this.”
When he tried to hand the ball back to Bear, he shook his head. “My dad’s real love was boxing, but to him, the Colts represented something we had in common. He had that thing displayed on the fireplace next to his boxing trophies until the day he died.”
“Teddy,” Roxie breathed, tears glistening in her eyes.
He reached over and squeezed her hand before looking at Chad again. “The thing is. That was one of the best days of his life. Mine, too, but for different reasons. That day showed me we might not end up where we planned in life—I never stepped foot on a professional football field—but we should never ignore the journey.” He shrugged. “Plus, it’s really fucking cool.”
Chad jumped up and hugged him. “Thank you.”
Bear patted him on the back. “You’re welcome.”
Roxie looked under the tree, slyly wiping her eyes. When Chad sat back down, she pulled out the big box she’d started to get earlier. “Okay, you have one more.” She pushed it toward her son.
His smile fell as if he hadn’t expected there to be another gift. “What’s this?”
“Open it.” Roxie smiled.
Chad’s hesitation vanished with his mom’s excitement. He tore into it with the same gusto as he had all of his other gifts.
His mouth dropped as he stared at her. “Mom? Is this for real?”
She laughed and nodded. He looked at the sealed box with “PlayStation” emblazoned on the side, and said in awe, “How’d you get this? It’s been sold out for months.”
“I have my ways.”
His shock morphed into excitement as he jumped up and hugged her tightly around the neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! Can I hook it up now?”
“Yes.”
He was out of the room before she finished saying the word. “Scott’s gonna freak!”
She laughed at his exclamation from the hall and looked at Teddy. “Thank you for giving him that ball. That’s the nicest thing anybody has ever given him.”
When Chad shouted about the awesome graphics, Bear said, “Clearly that’s the best present ever,” he said with a shake of his head.
Roxie smiled at him and shifted closer to the tree. “I got you something.”
Bear’s lip twitched. “I got you something, too.”
She grinned broadly, and sitting here with her hair mussed and face fresh, she was fucking breathtaking. “Wanna open them at the same time?”
He nodded, feeling like a damn kid as he scooted closer to her by the tree. Maybe he should’ve gotten her something as meaningful as Chad’s gift, but knowing his Roxie, he couldn’t risk her retreating into herself if he had.
She pulled out both gifts, handing a rectangular box to him before she started working on hers. He opened his slower, so he could watch her reaction. After she unwrapped it, she busted out laughing. “A Pretty Woman coffee mug?”
He nodded. “I almost got you a copy of the movie itself, but I figured with how much you love it, you probably already have several stashed around the house.”
“I’m gonna kill my friends all over again.” She shook her head and read the popular quote scripted on the side. “Thank you,” she said softly as she kept staring at it. After several seconds, she looked at him, her eyes dancing. “Finish opening yours.”
He took a page out of Chad’s book and ripped the wrapping open. “Damn.” He ran his fingers along the leather, feeling the embossed flames wrapping around the belt. It was bad ass. It even had his initials at the end. “Roxie,” he breathed.
“Look at the other side.” She bit her lip.
His brow twitched in confusion, but he turned it around. It was his turn to guffaw. “Not for punishment.”
“I mean, I know how much you like to spank.” Her eyes twinkled.
His blood raced at her innuendo. It was the first time she’d been outright playful about what’d happened between them. Not wanting to miss his chance, he leaned toward her, slipped his fingers in her hair, and pulled her ear close. “You,” he breathed. “Only you.”
He nibbled on her ear, and she moaned, grabbing his bicep. God, he wanted her again. And again. He didn’t know where things were headed with her. He was really trying to take this as slow as she needed, so he wouldn’t scare her away completely, but his body didn’t always get the message. His lips trailed down her neck, about to forge a path south to her exposed cleavage, when Chad’s footsteps ran down the hallway.
Bear and Roxie jumped apart.
“Mom, can Scott come over to play? He got Battle Warfare Three and Bloodbath Seven.”
“Sure, sweetie.”
Chad stood there, staring at his mom. Then he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “You okay? Your cheeks are all red.”
Bear froze, feeling like the teenager in this scenario, getting caught by his girlfriend’s father.
“Just laughing. Teddy got me a funny mug.”
“Oh, that’s cool.” He rushed to the foot door, opened it, and waved. He looked over his shoulder at them. “I thought maybe it was from making out on the floor.”
Roxie turned beet red, and Bear couldn’t help it. He laughed, feeling so relaxed and happy that he almost didn’t care that he’d gotten cockblocked by her son.
Almost.
Chapter Seventeen
Roxie stared at Teddy as he sat on the couch, munching on pretzels with one hand and gently rocking Xander’s bassinet with the other. She still couldn’t believe Xan had let her keep the baby tonight. Even though her bestie was ringing in the new year at home just across the street with her husband, it still counted as babysitting. The idea had come to Roxie after Chad and Scott had made plans to spend New Year’s Eve at a friend’s house. It gave the new parents some alone time.
That hadn’t been Roxie’s only motivation. It was also a distraction from the man who was slowly driving her crazy. Ever since the mugging a few weeks ago, Teddy had slept in the house, and with each passing day, he spent more and more time with her. He’d even bought a bunch of groceries and cooked dinner with her.
Well, he’d chopped stuff and then got relegated to a kitchen chair to watch. The man liked things extra crispy, which meant he tended to burn things, and one time he’d tried cooking stew. Lawd, it had smelled bad enough to gag a maggot. The man had his strengths. Being in the kitchen wasn’t in the top fifty.
But he was around more and more, and Roxie ate up every second of the time she spent with him. If she’d hoped pumping the brakes would’ve calmed her feelings, she’d been sorely mistaken. He was like a decadent piece of chocolate fudge, right there taunting her with all his yumminess, and she was on a keto diet.
Why was she denying herself all that sugar?
As the days turned into weeks, she seriously had a hard time remembering why. Like for real. He treated her like a princess. She felt like she’d hung the moon in his presence. He protected her from threats, real and perceived. He respected her boundaries, no matter how dang stupid they were. He was kind and attentive but didn’t take any shit from anybody. He knew when to push her and when to relent. And these were just the things relating to her.
He also adored her son and even looked forward to spending time with him. More importantly, he made time to spend with Chad. Not like his actual father, who’d barely noticed him, and that had been before the man had completely disappeared from his life.
Besides all the practical reasons, the man was gorgeous. Ever since the day she met him, she hadn’t seen a more beautiful man. He not only towered over just about everybody, but his muscles were huge and covered in ink. And that smile? Good gravy, it’d melt the panties off a nun. She hadn’t known she had a type until she’d seen him that day standing by his motorcycle like he was in the middle of a thirst-trap calendar photoshoot.
What was she waiting for? That little speech he’d given Chad that morning about enjoying the journey had been on repeat in her mind. For so long, she’d avoided relationships because she was a mom first. Then she’d met Teddy. She’d never been able to stick to any rules when it came to that man. If she had, she’d never have fallen in love with him in the first place.
There had been no denying her feelings over the last week, either. Since their gift exchange, all kinds of tension radiated from him, and she seriously wanted to lick his body just to find out if those waves of emotion came in different flavors.
Right then he looked over his shoulder. “They’re about to drop the midnight ball.”
She walked over and perched on the edge of the couch, looking over at the bassinet. “He still asleep?”
“Yeah. He fussed just a bit, but I got him settled back down.”
Damn, she needed to add good with kids and not just hers to the list of Teddy’s qualities.
He let go of the portable crib and eased back, putting his arm across the back of the couch. He looked relaxed sprawled out in her living room, but she was a bundle of nerves.
Without looking at him, she scooted over into the crook of his arm, getting close enough to touch without actually doing so.
As the ball dropped, she thought of the midnight tradition and remembered purposefully not hanging any mistletoe at Christmas for this very reason. She didn’t want to find herself surprised by his lips…or tempted to crush hers to his.
But would he try to kiss her now?
Would she let him if he did?
She’d been the one to throw down the rule. So, did that mean she should initiate it if she wanted it?
“Ten…nine…eight…”
Her face felt flushed as indecision warred within her.
“Seven…six…five…”
She glanced at him, but he didn’t take his gaze off the television. Did that mean he wasn’t even thinking about it? Did he not care one way or the other?
“Three…two…one…Happy New Year!”
