Bear Essentials Read online

  And she wasn’t changing either. Besides, her thighs weren’t model perfect and never likely to fit that image either.

  “What did the cell phone do to tick you off?” he asked.

  “Huh?” He was looking at her mouth. Roslyn watched the way his eyes lingered over her lips before snapping out of her trance. Just the idea that he was looking her over sent electricity zinging straight down to her toes.

  “Ah…just work troubles. An employee had to call off work. His wife is in the labor ward having their baby.”

  “So get someone else.” His voice was full of confidence, just like yesterday’s suit. Perfect and flawless, he came from a world where there was always a backup plan. That sort of thing was still a distant mirage to her.

  “I wish I could.” She did too, but wishing wouldn’t solve her dilemma. Neither would Granger Webb, but he wasn’t laughing at her today. There was a hint of some emotion that looked a lot like caring on his face. He stepped closer on his long legs as she forgot just what the topic was for a moment.

  “It can’t be that hard to get a replacement, what does the guy do?”

  Roslyn stuffed her phone in her pocket and tried to force her brain to work. That current of energy zipped through her body again. He sounded as if he was actually trying to help her. Considering their first meeting, she was amazed to find any form of compassion in him. It looked really good on him too. You could always see a person’s true nature in their eyes. Right then, Granger almost looked like somebody she could like.

  Oh brother. Her body latched on to that and hung on tight. Her blood raced through her veins at light speed. All those muscles on his shoulders began to whisper just how good they would feel under her fingertips; taut and firm and oh so male.

  Oh right, like that was ever going to happen.

  “Earth to Roslyn…”

  “Ah, yeah, he was Wish Bear.”

  The corner of his mouth twitched up. It wasn’t a friendly sort of smile. Instead his attention settled on her mouth, considering her lips. Her breath froze in her lungs as his eyes closed to mere slits before opening to peg hers with twin flames of knowledge.

  “I mean, he is the person who wears the life-size costume of Wish Bear when we do meet and greet at the hospital.” She shook her head as she tried to stop mooning at her company. The guy must think she was desperate.

  Just because she was didn’t mean she needed to share that with him. Men had turned into a foreign species since the opening of her factory. The last thing she needed right now was a stinging conscience tomorrow due to acting on impulse today.

  She turned around and showed off her backside once again. Granger shifted as his fly became too tight. She’d been looking him over. Not his clothes—him—and the damnedest thing about it was, he liked it. His body was tightening and itching for the chance to make her admit it in that husky voice of hers.

  She rustled around with a folder of papers laid out on the bed of a pickup truck. The bed was loaded with the costume of Wish Bear. Wrapped in clear plastic, it was a giant fur pile that he’d just bet would act like an oven if you got inside it. A little sigh hit his ears, making him frown.

  “Hey, there’s got to be a guy you can call to do the job.”

  She tipped her head around and just about broke his heart. It wasn’t that she looked at him expecting help. It was the fact that she just looked sad, yet completely resigned to dealing with her problem. She didn’t expect anyone to help her and she wasn’t going to ask.

  Hell. It had been a long time since a woman didn’t try to needle him into coming to her rescue.

  “There just isn’t time. Right now, I’ve barely got the time to drive over to Children’s Hospital. The kids are going to be so disappointed, but I’m too short for the costume.” She seemed to try to shake off her disappointment and plastered a calm smile across her face. Granger didn’t buy it. Right in the depths of her eyes there was the evidence that told him she really cared about those kids waiting for their fuzzy visitor. But she didn’t even consider asking him for help. That bothered him. Women always asked him to solve their dilemmas. Hell, a lot of his fellow male colleagues came to him when business went south. He was well practiced in the art of saving important people’s butts when push came to shove and major money was on the table. Roslyn didn’t even bat her eyelashes at him.

  Hell, he was losing his touch…

  “I’ll do it.”

  “Excuse me?” She sounded as if she was choking on the idea. Granger felt his temper straining to break free. Maybe his total community service hours were a little low, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t find some time for kids.

  “Am I too big for the bear suit?”

  Her eyes ran over him before she began twisting one of her ringlets around her finger. “Actually, it will fit you. But you just aren’t Wish Bear material.”

  “How hard can it be to be a bear?”

  Her eyes flashed with wounded pride. She propped her fists onto her curvy hips.

  “Wish Bear is more than just a stuffed animal. He’s a friend to these kids. Besides, why would you want to spend your Saturday doing this? The pay isn’t measured in dollars.”

  That hurt. Maybe it had been a really long time since he’d done something that didn’t have a gross profit measurement, but it was hard to find someone who could point it out so bluntly to him. His income didn’t impress her, and for the first time in a really long time, that seemed to hit him, hard.

  “Make you a deal.” But Granger wasn’t a man who let impressions hinder him. He exploited them to get what he wanted. “I’ll be the bear and you move me to the top of your order list.”

  Her face told him she expected that kind of offer from him. His temper boiled dangerously in response. Maybe he was ruthless in business, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a scrap of a heart. Hope danced across her eyes as she scanned his shoulders again with her tailor’s eye. Being reduced to a self-centered man in her opinion bothered him too much to ignore. He was going to get into that bear suit.

  “All right, maybe we could work that out.”

  “One more thing.” Granger clicked the button to set his car alarm before grabbing the truck keys off the tailgate. She gasped, but he’d pushed the lowered gate up into place before she got a single word past her lips.

  He leaned down over her ear before giving her his final demand.

  “I want one Wish Bear by the end of the week and one adult-style kiss from you when we get back.”

  “What?”

  He winked at her. “Doesn’t the hero always get a kiss?”

  “You aren’t my hero.” No way. It wasn’t going to happen.

  He glanced at his Rolex. “Give me a couple of hours.” He looked up at her with a promise glittering in his eyes. “And I’ll be happy to change your mind.”

  She gasped again. The sound just escaped her lips as he grinned so presumptuously at her. Her face exploded in flames and he yanked the driver’s side door to her truck open. It was the devil’s candy, watching him get into the truck. Her teeth were set against her lower lip as she bit back a retort. What horrified her was the surge of anticipation sweeping through her as he sat in the driver’s seat and dared her to toss his conditions aside.

  It was unethical of him to demand a kiss.

  But so damn sexy.

  Ohhhh! She stomped her foot and yelped as her little dress shoe let the impact with asphalt travel all the way up her leg. It was her truck, she could tell him to go to hell. Her cell phone was in one hand and the printed email from the hospital coordinator in the other. All she had to do was dial the phone number.

  The huge “thank you” printed across the bottom of the message stopped her. It was in bold type and enlarged. Granger was turning the ignition over and all she had to do was swallow her pride and get into the truck. Or at least keep her mouth shut for the next couple of hours.

  Her stomach flipped in her belly as she considered getting into that seat. She’d
be accepting the terms, and her word was her bond. Looking up, she caught his hard eyes watching her in the side mirror. It gave her a reflection of his hard jaw and firm lips.

  Her stomach flopped and knotted as she thought about those lips touching hers. Heat raced along her body as she looked at the email again.

  Oh hell! One kiss for a whole lot of happiness? She couldn’t live with herself if she let those kids down.

  The problem was, she wasn’t sure she could live with a lifetime of knowing what that man tasted like.

  Curiosity was a bitch. But she wasn’t, so she gathered up the file folder.

  Mr. Webb would be getting his kiss and since she was a woman of her word, it was going to be a good one.

  Granger listened to his own amusement. He wasn’t laughing at Roslyn. He was enjoying the pure rush of male enjoyment that her blush set off. Women blushed so rarely in his world. It was something he wanted to savor. In fact, he let his eyes slip down her body; there were a whole lot of things about her that a man should take the time to enjoy.

  His hands were tense on the steering wheel. Her tendency to say exactly what was on her mind was rubbing off on him. He’d never given a woman any advance notice of his intention to make a move on her. His grin just grew bigger as he watched her begin walking towards the passenger side door. Maybe he’d done it for the shock value.

  Then again, the idea that she just might think about his kiss made him almost giddy. He wanted to be in her thoughts; wanted the idea of his touch to be floating around under those fiery curls needling her until he got the chance to add reality to imagination. He wanted her to want it.

  “You’d better do a good job.” The door slammed as she jerked her seat belt into place.

  “Don’t worry, honey, I’m man enough to deliver a kiss worth your time.”

  “I meant about—”

  His mouth caught her words and shoved them back into her throat. His hand cupped the back of her neck as his lips pressed hers apart and the tip of his tongue firmly invaded her mouth. Sensation sprung up from the contact as heat seemed to sear them together. She craved the feeling of his lips on hers and he didn’t disappoint her. He sipped and lingered over her mouth as his hand angled her head to give him better access. His tongue boldly thrust into her mouth to explore the taste of her.

  Her own tongue answered his. It shocked her, but she couldn’t resist the need to mingle with him. Touch an intimate part of such a strong male. It went beyond his well-muscled shoulders, she seemed aware of him in the most primitive fashion. Her hand lifted to take that chance to touch the shoulders that she’d eyed so completely just moments before.

  He suddenly pulled his head away. The fingers on her neck gripped and held her in place while those sharp eyes lingered over her lips. Heat flickered in his eyes along with a hard promise. Deep in the center of her belly, a curl of excitement responded to that unspoken declaration. Her body urged her to reach for that promise right then and let the rest of the details of life drop away.

  “We’d better stop right here or this truck won’t be leaving.”

  Her face redden. Granger gently rubbed the back of her neck before forcing his fingers to release her. He wanted to snarl as he turned around to aim his attention at driving. All he wanted to do was follow the creamy column of her neck until it met with her shoulder. Her sweet feminine scent filled his senses as his jeans cut painfully across a swollen cock. The sexual tension was almost acute. He would have let his logic dismiss that need, but it was just too painful. His body wasn’t interested in what his head thought. He wanted her and her taste clung to his tongue, slowly burning him alive.

  “How long is this event?”

  * * * * *

  It was three hours long. Roslyn kept breathing a sigh of relief as she handed out little glitter wands. Granger took a few minutes to loosen up, but she was frankly amazed at the bounce his step developed as the event went on. She was almost sorry she couldn’t see his face. She didn’t know what a true smile looked like on the man. That was a shame. Watching him wade through the endless adoring children as a giant teddy bear made her curious to see if the mask hid a scowl or a silly smile of joy. Were his teeth gritted against the need to cuss or was he discovering the reward of self-satisfaction like she did every time she came out for the children?

  A little ping of regret twisted through her. She was asking for trouble, the big sort; the kind that would rip through her heart if she let herself start thinking too much about Granger. He only wanted a Wish Bear. His zany little dance steps were no more than the price agreed upon for the prize she’d denied him yesterday. That stolen kiss a reprimand from a man who wasn’t accustomed to asking twice for what he wanted.

  Still…she had drawn him back. Shaking her head, she scolded herself for taking her thoughts towards the positive once more. Granger wasn’t there for her. Better to face that now rather than after she’d made a bigger mistake, like kissing him some more.

  Except that she owed him a kiss.

  Excitement bled down her body, touching her nipples. The little sensitive tips drew tight as anticipation made her jumpy. A deep blush warmed her cheeks, making her grateful for the hospital lighting. Everything blended together under the bright, fluorescent bulbs.

  But she was still delighted with the view she had of his performance as Wish Bear.

  Watching him prance between wheelchairs and hospital beds only made her desire grow. He was sexy incarnate, but he also had a good heart buried in that massive chest. It was a combination that was going to sink her for certain.

  Hey, but who was she kidding? Men like Granger had women flinging themselves at him. It spoiled them for true relationships. Inside every man was a male who hungered for sex. When they could get it anywhere, they never understood the value of a relationship.

  Roslyn indulged herself in a good long look at her dancing Wish Bear. That man was going to collect his fee and waltz right out of her world.

  After she kissed him, that was.

  Her toes would still be curled when he left.

  Chapter Three

  “Hello? Can a guy get some help?”

  His voice bounced around inside the costume, making him grimace. There was a somewhat transparent screening material over the mouth of the helmet that let him see into the outside world. But it let in precious little air. The bear suit was a sauna.

  A firm grip caught his furry glove as Roslyn led him back into the dressing room. Once the head was over his, vision was very limited and he needed to be led through any tight doorways in his path.

  The Velcro on the back flap ripped open and cool air rushed onto his neck. Granger reached for the thing himself and lifted it off his head before Roslyn had her hands on it. Now that the kids were gone, he felt the heat ten times more than he had during the meet-and-greet event. Somehow, he’d lost track of how uncomfortable the costume was while he was catching glimpses of smiles through the mouth opening. A sense of accomplishment kept his mood light as he placed the bear head on a chair and began to pull the furry gloves off his hands. His fingers were beet red and slick with perspiration. The air felt super cool as he stacked the gloves next to the head.

  “Oh yeah.” His voice was deep and husky, setting off a storm of fantasies inside her. It had been practically forever since she’d heard a man sound like that, and coupled with the emerging perfection of Granger as he shed the costume, her mind was having a field day at her expense.

  It was going to drive her insane tonight when she was left with the bear suit and her lonely bed.

  He shook his head and flung it back as he dragged a deep breath into his lungs. Roslyn stared at the sight. His hair was soaking wet and perspiration dotted his forehead, but his lips were turned up into a grin of satisfaction.

  “I think Wish Bear needs more breaks. Do you have any idea how hot it is inside this costume?” he groused in a teasing tone.

  “Yes, I play Precious Cub sometimes.” The tone of his voice surprised h
er. It was lazy and smooth, not edged with frustration as she’d expected. He hadn’t asked to cut the program short, not even hinted that he was fed up with entertaining kids. Somewhere inside him was a kind heart. The idea floored her.

  He stood up to shrug out of the suspenders that attached the weight of the body to his shoulders. The costume slumped to the floor in a furry heap as he stepped out of it. He rolled his shoulders as another groan passed his lips, sending heat straight down her spine. It had to be wrong to enjoy the sight of the man so much, but it was a damn fine sight to behold. Her nipples were hard as feminine appreciation tingled all the way through her. There was just something about the way he moved that spoke of maleness in a way that made her want him.

  Badly.

  She was pathetic. Not that that stopped the heat as it hit her clit. The little button between her thighs tingled as Granger turned to consider her.

  “How many characters do you have?”

  “Forty-three, Wish Bear is our newest creation.” Handing him a bottle of water, Roslyn watched his lips wrap around the neck of the bottle as he tipped it back. Heat snaked up her spine in response. She turned away before those keen eyes of his caught her gaping at him yet again.

  She really needed to get her thing for him under control.

  “I’m impressed. Not bad for a little home-based idea.”

  He meant it too. Granger had seen far more financially sound businesses flounder and flop. Reading up on Roslyn’s company had kept him enthralled. She’d begun it in her tiny apartment and now had a company worth buying out.

  But she wasn’t selling. She had grit. Granger looked over her rainbow-striped overalls and the little shiny stars that she’d stuck in her hair. His last girlfriend would have died rather than wear that outfit.