Bear Essentials Read online

  Bear Essentials

  Mary Wine

  Granger never lets his mother down, and when she wants a highly coveted toy, Granger knows he’ll move heaven and earth to get it.

  Roslyn is used to men thinking they can jump the line to get a Wish Bear, her special creation. She’s never granted the request before, but then again, she’s never dealt with Granger before.

  As Granger and Roslyn face off, neither can deny the attraction that thrums between them. Wild need draws them closer. A stuffed bear could be the ticket to their happy ending, if only they can find common ground.

  A Romantica® contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

  Bear Essentials

  Mary Wine

  Chapter One

  It couldn’t be that hard.

  Granger glared at the laughter sparkling in his sister’s eyes and snorted at her amusement.

  “Fine. You just go and show me how it’s done.” Corey fluttered her eyelashes at him before propping one hand onto her hip. “Get the bear, big brother, and I’ll be suitably impressed with your resourcefulness.”

  She laughed again as she picked up her purse and headed for the door. She stopped and turned her head to aim a hard look at him.

  “But I’m telling you that there is a waiting list for Wish Bear and that company doesn’t budge an inch. Not for anyone.”

  Granger watched his sister leave his office as he snapped up the brochure left behind on his desktop.

  Flipping through it, he stopped on the page that was titled “Wish Bear”. A fluffy creation of fake fur, set with glass eyes and a nose, stared back at him. It was a stuffed animal made by one Roslyn Gregory.

  Designer and production manager.

  Somehow, she managed to sell stuffed animals at ten times the amount any toy store in town could. He had to admit to admiring her business finesse, but that was as far as his good humor went. Wish Bear was the company’s latest release in their line of custom, hand-assembled bears. It was also the only thing his mother wanted for Valentine’s Day. Valerie Webb had smiled sadly and told her children that it would have to wait because Wish Bear had a waiting list and she really had everything she needed, after all. No, really, time with her children was gift enough.

  Well, Granger wasn’t going to see his mother empty-handed on Valentine’s Day. It was also her birthday, and since his father had passed away, he and his sister had taken to ensuring their mother always had a Valentine’s Day to remember. There had to be a way to get the toy. Sure, he understood waiting lists, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a way to the front of the line.

  He would just have to take a personal interest in it.

  * * * * *

  Roslyn stuck her tongue out at her assistant. Terry laughed before slapping a stack of paperwork on the bench in front of her.

  “Have fun, Boss.”

  Terry verbally rolled the word “Boss” as she turned and her heels clicked on the hallway floor. Roslyn rubbed at her forehead as she picked up the first sheet of paper. She wanted to make animals. Instead she was working through mountains of paperwork. She could hear the machines running and a little music drifting into her office as the morning began. Her workers were settling into another day of production while she was stuck making sure the local chapter of equality for workers was satisfied with the diversity of her work force.

  Blah.

  She hired people who could make bears. Race wasn’t part of the interview process, threading an industrial sewing machine was. She needed cutters who understood the value of precision and didn’t much care what ethnic group they hailed from so long as they knew that a quarter-inch too much fabric would cause the bear to be disproportioned. There just wasn’t much of a demand for Quasimodo bears.

  Turning away from her workbench, she began to type up an email that would keep her little plant open. Sure, the world needed its rules. But she needed to keep to her production timeline too.

  Her mood soured as the morning ticked past and all she got to place her fingers on was a keyboard. She loved working alongside her workers; molding little bears that would brighten someone’s life. She’d happily spend the entire day in the warehouse. It still stunned her to look around at what her little home business had become. Selling her creations at craft fairs and on eBay had launched her into a market that craved each new addition with a hunger she had to scurry to feed.

  Sitting in her warehouse at night, she still looked around in wonder at what her imagination had allowed her to build. Her people were busy today, filling orders for Wish Bear. The prototype was sitting across her office, winking at her as she hurried to finish. Hazel-brown fur with one eyelid closed, he was her newest baby.

  Like any mother, she only wanted to spend time with her child.

  * * * * *

  “I’m very sorry, but Wish Bear has a waiting list.”

  Granger resisted the urge to narrow his eyes at the woman. The tiny reception area lacked polish and style. The woman’s desk looked like a garage-sale bargain table, while she stood wearing a blouse that belonged in a donation bin. But it was the ten feet of carpet, laid out on the concrete, that really amused him. There wasn’t a wall between the reception area and the plant. Noise filled the air, as fifteen feet behind the shabby desk was the production line in full swing. Boxes with the coveted animal were piled up a mere thirty feet away, taunting him with the possibility of success.

  “Clearly you can assist me with this purchase.” Pulling out his checkbook, he clicked his pen. “I’d be happy to pay whatever you like for the bear.”

  “We don’t jump anyone to the front of the line. Integrity is an essential component to us here. When our customers are told they are next in line, they are.”

  Granger turned to face his newest adversary. He viewed her in that light because all five-feet three-inches of her was standing between him and his mother’s gift. Strawberry ponytails flipped back over her shoulders as she glared at him.

  “It’s company policy. No line cutting.”

  Whoever he was, Roslyn decided that fate had already been way too kind to him. The man was drool-worthy. As pathetic as it was, she wanted to pant over his towering height and well-sculpted shoulders. His lips moved into a smile meant to disarm her of any reasonable sense and it made her mad. Sure, he was magnificent, but she did have a spine. It was grossly unfair that fate had made him so distracting to the feminine population. He probably wanted the bear for some exotic, size-two blonde who would add it to her trophy collection of expensive and hard-to-get gifts. Men like him always had centerfold-type girlfriends; another strike against fate.

  “I’m sure an additional zero added to the total will change your mind.” He glanced around Terry’s desk with disdain. “This place could sure use it.” He placed his pen to the surface of his check and began filling it out.

  Her temper was a curse, but it flared up and she honestly wasn’t interested in fighting it. Not on behalf of this presumptuous clod.

  Roslyn felt her blood simmer. Maybe she didn’t rate a hunk like this for her own looks, but there was no way she was going to be bought off because he thought her business was lacking shine. The doors were open and it had taken every ounce of strength she possessed to do that in the past year. Maybe it was an ugly duckling, but she was going to watch it grow into a swan with a little time and patience.

  “Everything in this plant functions quite well.” Her voice dripped venom and she flatly didn’t care. “I don’t want your money. Leave.”

  It was not the brightest move she’d ever made, for certain. They could use the money. She should have taken the check and given him a bear, but her pride just wouldn’t let her.

  Six feet of solid packed muscle, neatly packaged in a smartly tailo
red suit, glared at her as her words sank in.

  “You’re kidding.” Surprise flickered across his eyes before his lips twitched up, making her temper rise once more. Now she was amusing him. She upgraded him from clod to ass.

  “I assure you, I’m not.”

  He rolled his shoulders and her attention moved to the fine wool covering his frame. All the little details were there to tell her that the business attire wasn’t off the rack. Nope, the jacket fit his ultra-wide shoulders to perfection and tapered delightfully over his abs to his lean waist and flowed over his hips.

  His hazel eyes caught her looking over his length, one dark eyebrow rose in response. The presumption renewed her opinion of him.

  Well, she wasn’t going to let him pay his way to the top of her list. She’d take penny-pinching over lying down like his doormat. Her pride was costing her a lot today, but everything in the plant had been bought with her sweat. No fancy tailored suit was going to spit on her accomplishments. She knew the shortcomings of the place, but manufacturing equipment came before reception area furnishings.

  “Sorry, no deal. You’ll have to wait your turn.”

  He growled. Roslyn had to think about the sound that came through his clenched teeth for a moment before she truly concluded it was in fact a male growl. She almost giggled. Didn’t a man have to have a helmet on in order to growl? Football, combat or maybe a motorcycle one, but it just seemed like headgear went with the primitive sound, not a personally tailored business suit. A little shiver crossed her skin as she looked at him again. The wool coat just might be the most effective camouflage she’d ever seen. If he’d shown up in worn jeans and a leather jacket, she just might have taken more care.

  Her lips twitched. No, she wouldn’t have. He’d insulted her plant and no one looked down their nose on her creation.

  He could keep his money. She was going to earn hers, her way.

  “With business sense like that, you’ll never survive very long, honey.”

  She tossed her strawberry pigtails and turned on a heel before moving back across her workshop. Employees were continuing their work as they watched their boss through amused eyes. It looked as if explosions of temper from Ms. Roslyn Gregory weren’t uncommon. Granger frowned at her departing back. Too damn bad. He didn’t even know how to spell the word defeat. He strode after her without a care for the edge of the carpet he crossed over. She turned around as her employees’ shocked expressions gave away the fact that he wasn’t taking her dismissal.

  “Apparently, you need your hearing checked, Mr. Webb. We have a waiting list for the Wish Bear. You are welcome to add your name to the order file or to choose one of our other bears in stock.”

  “I need the stupid toy, not a number in line.”

  The workshop went silent. Every pair of hands dropped their work as the employees turned disapproving looks at him. Roslyn Gregory froze too. Her face appeared chiseled from ice as even her blue eyes appeared to freeze over.

  “Wish Bear is the symbol of happiness for thousands of suffering children. I suggest you take some time to research this company before you do any labeling of our product. Bringing joy to people is not stupid, ever. Good day!”

  Approval radiated from her employees. Granger couldn’t help but admire the crossed arms and stiff nods of heads from the women who sat up to their noses in fake teddy bear fur. Huge rolls of the stuff were being pulled across a cutting table as teams worked to produce the one-of-a-kind Wish Bear.

  Every sewing machine was silent as the seamstresses glared at him and even the row of women stuffing wads of white fluff into little furry limbs were frowning over their workstations at him.

  Granger suddenly smiled. They all really cared. What an amazing, who-might-have-guessed attitude. He never would have believed it if his own eyes weren’t seeing it. An entire plant of workers who appeared to give a damn about the product they labored to produce.

  Absolutely amazing.

  Catching her blue eyes with his, Granger lifted one hand to his head and sent her a salute. “I’ll do that research and I will be back.”

  Oh Lord help her!

  Roslyn felt her knees turn to liquid as the door shut behind him. He would be back? No, she didn’t need that. Nope, not today, not ever.

  A round of giggles made her snap her attention back to her factory. Wish Bear was her baby. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined her little creation might gain the national popularity it was currently enjoying. Their waiting list was six weeks long. Two major toy companies had offered to buy her little stuffed creation, but Wish Bear was special because he was handmade. Mass production would destroy the animal’s meaning. You could walk into any toy store and buy a teddy bear, but Wish Bear was a piece of art; each one was made to order, not to double profit thanks to saturating the market with cheap clones.

  But the most important thing about buying a Wish Bear was that for each one that went to a customer, another one went to a child in need. When a customer got their Wish Bear, they had also made a wish for a child come true somewhere.

  “Ah, Ms. Webb, you shouldn’t look so worried. I think he was muy guapo.”

  “I think he was a big pain.” Roslyn stared at Marta as her shop manager smiled and wiggled her finger at her.

  “He is a man. They are always trouble for a woman. But that one is so handsome, you cannot help but put up with him!”

  The seamstresses all laughed in response and charged into a jumble of Spanish. “Guapo” bounced across the shop until her head rang with the praise for Mr. Granger Webb.

  Her face flooded with color as she went back to her pile of work. So what if the man was handsome? He still wasn’t jumping the line. Her word was her bond and money wasn’t everything. Besides, he’d insulted her and that wasn’t something she was going to forget.

  He might be worth forgiving…

  She scoffed at her inner female, refusing to let her sex drive change her opinion of the man. He was a…an…ignoramus. Grinning at her own creativeness, she returned to finishing bear paws. She didn’t need to sell out. All she had to do was continue to grow her business and keep her standards high. There were plenty of cheap alternatives on the market, she was the quality option.

  Chapter Two

  “Caroline, I need information on The Wish Bear.”

  “Yes, Mr. Webb.” His smooth and polished secretary went to work after closing the intercom connection.

  Granger looked around his office. His office staff worked flawlessly together. It was a synchronized team that he was proud of.

  Still, he had to wonder if there was any loyalty in them. Blue eyes and strawberry pigtails surfaced from his memory. Granger indulged himself in a good long moment of recollection. She had naturally curly hair. One pigtail on either side of her head, only a little more on top. They stuck up before falling back toward her head. The hairstyle should have looked ridiculous. Instead, he found himself grinning at the charming sight her little bouncing curls made as her full figure bounced along with the ringlets.

  Oh, she wasn’t big, just curvy. She had full cheeks and full breasts, and well, he was kind of happy that she’d turned her back on him. Her bottom was the kind a guy could enjoy patting.

  His phone buzzed and he jumped. His knee collided with the top of his desk, making him grunt. Grabbing the phone, he rubbed his smarting thigh and tried to keep his voice even.

  Girlfriends weren’t hard to get and they certainly didn’t capture enough of his attention to cause him to daydream during business hours. Little Ms. Roslyn wasn’t even the type he dated.

  Her face swam before his eyes as he tried to listen to his caller. Instead, all he wanted to know was how those eyes looked when she was happy. Considering her temper over his last visit, he probably should drop that idea, but it stuck to his mind as he tried to assemble another plan of attack. He wanted the bear and had been way too close to that stack of boxes to let it go. Caroline slid a report onto his desk before she left and he grin
ned as he studied the rise of Roslyn’s bears. It was admirable. In a time when handwork could be bought for pennies overseas, the woman was carving out a niche market for herself. Pitting her work against similar products and still turning a profit.

  It was a businessman’s dream.

  But there was more to it than that. Her charity work astounded him. It also unleashed a pang of guilt that he’d thought himself immune to. His corner office was plush and state of the art, but tonight he found it lacking a human element. Glancing back down at the report, he soaked up the details of how Roslyn gave away a third of her profits every year to sick or injured children. It should have given his business-minded heart palpitations. Instead, he felt a steady rise of admiration warming that muscle inside his chest. No perfect, Harvard-schooled female had touched his heart, but Roslyn, with her quick temper and hand-me-down shirt, had managed to poke him in a soft spot that he didn’t know he had.

  He was just going to have to see her again.

  Quit wasn’t in his vocabulary.

  * * * * *

  “You have to put that thing next to your ear if you want to use it.”

  Roslyn looked up from her cell phone and stuck her tongue out at her unexpected guest. A little shiver raced through her, making her bite her lower lip as she took in the sight that had kept her company most of the night.

  Fate was sure being difficult lately.

  Granger laughed at her. Roslyn tossed her head and glared at the sight of Granger Webb in her parking lot. In the bright morning sunlight, he was even taller than he’d been standing in her factory. Lord, the shoulders on the man made her mouth water. That wasn’t something that made her happy, but well, the man was built to fuel female fantasies. There was no way around it. He defined sexy. Unfortunately, her sex drive wasn’t as dead as she’d thought it was. That shiver turned into a blush that warmed her face.

  Just her luck.

  His shiny new sports car was pulled up in her parking lot. Sunbeams danced across the recent wax job, making it sparkle like a Christmas toy. Yup, she was wasting her time. This man had enough money to get any girl he wanted and that didn’t include mouthy redheads.