Bearly Hers: A Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (6 page)

Taking her hand, he squeezed it. Oh yeah, he could get used to this.

CHAPTER SIX

Gia couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Worse, it was one that left little doubt, to anyone who saw her, why she was smiling. Like Trey’s brothers, who made “do tell” eyes at Trey over dinner that night. He’d just grinned and winked at her, the two of them sharing their intimate secret with a look that made her ready for a repeat.

Later, Xander made a bonfire for their guests, and Gia found herself chatting with people from all over the country who had come for this ranching weekend. Some of them stayed in one of the ranch’s four cabins. Everyone else brought tents or RVs. She’d overheard the Cross brothers talking about building a few more cabins to accommodate more tourists. Seeing how happy everyone was, roasting marshmallows around the fire and relaxing, she thought it sounded like a great idea. Taking an extended vacation out here would be perfection.

Maybe an extended vacation that included never going back home. Trey’s admission that he’d make her his mate wasn’t as farfetched as she’d thought a few hours ago. He’d sat next to her by the fire, in their own little corner away from the others, and they’d talked. About their families, his role as protector of the clan, his hopes for the ranch’s future. It was like talking to an old friend—one she never wanted to let go.

He’d sent her off to bed late, saying he and his brothers had a few things to take care of in the barn before they could come in. She called Hope and filled her in with giddy details, before slipping under the covers and drifting off to sleep to the memory of Trey’s arms around her. A little after midnight, he’d slipped into her room and made love to her until they both fell into an exhausted sleep.

She woke to a note on her pillow.

Going to be out for a few hours this morning. Make yourself at home.

After a shower and getting dressed, she made a lazy stroll to the kitchen for coffee. Pastries and fruit were set out on the counter, so she helped herself, found a paper to read while she sat at the table and enjoyed the early morning sun coming in the tall windows. Turning on her cell phone, she returned attention to the newspaper, until her phone beeped. And beeped again—three more times—the notification light going crazy.

Fourteen missed calls, all from a number she didn’t recognize. Her gut clenched at the thought that it might be Mack. His unwelcome zealousness was something she’d have to face when she went home, probably. Knowing that he had her home address, thanks to the form she’d filled out for the mixer, Gia resolved to stop by her local police station when she got home for advice. If Mack didn’t stop bothering her, they’d be able to help. Hopefully.

Clouds blocked out the sun as she finished eating. A peek outside showed dark clouds dotting the sky. Between patches of bright blue, grey streaks were taking over. She hadn’t had a proper tour of this massive house, and if it was going to rain, might as well have at it. Going to the upper level, Gia wandered around, appreciating the artwork hung on the walls, and the intricate craftsmanship of the house. She hadn’t gone far when she spied a room with the door open. Bookshelves caught her attention.

Peeking inside, she found an expansive room, an office-slash-library. A large desk sat near floor to ceiling windows, flanked by three walls covered in bookshelves. A large blue, red and white woven rug ran the middle of the room, soft brown leather chairs tastefully arranged for reading. Awed, Gia looked around the bookshelves. Some were filled with books, both old and new. Others displayed figurines and brass statues of bucking horses and cowboys or cattle and mustangs.

Tall floor lamps with floral shades and glass pull strings sat in the corners. The room was a mixture of feminine and masculine—the Cross brothers’ parents study, she figured. Trey had mentioned his mother had a penchant for Western artwork, which was clearly displayed here.

Moving to the desk, she noticed the bookshelf on the left held a variety of geodes. With an awed gasp, she lowered to her knees near the middle shelf, eyeing the selection of stunning rock. Some of the rocks offered concave middles with threads of pale pink and yellow crystals. Others were solid, like the one she’d seen downstairs, with iridescent colors reflecting back at her. She picked up a few, held them, and studied their colors.

They were all beautiful, but two in the back caught her attention. Smaller than the other geodes, these had flat centers colored in midnight blue, and a floating trail of celestial green, red and purple. Small white dots sparkled through the colors, like stars.

These must be the constellation geodes, Trey had mentioned. Picking up the smallest, Gia gingerly steadied it in her cupped hands. Inspecting the amazing colors, she then turned it around. The outer gray rock shell would have been nondescript except she noted a feathery imprint on the bottom. Like a fossil.

The sound of a truck door closing broke her attention. Peeking out the window that displayed the front of the house below, she spotted Trey’s truck. He got out, followed by Xander, and both of them headed off to the barn. Trey paused and turned and looked at the house. A soft patter of rain dropped onto his head, dotting his hair with glistening drops. He looked as if he might come to the house, but Xander called out to him, and Trey continued toward the barn.

Eager to see him, Gia slid the rock into her pocket and went downstairs for a sweater. By the time she’d slipped into her shoes and stepped out onto the porch, the rain had turned into a steady, light stream. She hurried to the barn, sidestepping small puddles on the dirt path. She was just about there when her cell chimed with a text. Pulling it from her pocket, she cupped her hand around the screen.

I’m getting very angry with you, Gia. You’d better be where you say you are.

Her heart fluttered, her face going cold. It was the same unknown number as before. Another text came through.

Cross had better watch his back. I don’t share. You don’t want something bad to happen, do you?

Shaking from a blend of the cool air and the ice in her veins from the nasty messages, Gia’s mind raced to think of some kind of reply. If she did, she’d be engaging him. There was no question in her mind that Mack was the culprit. But why? She’d done nothing to encourage his interest, or whatever it was he felt for her. She’d been purposefully rude and it hadn’t been enough to ward him off.

Concerned over the vitriol in the texts, Gia waited to see if another would pop up. Would he really do something to Trey? Seriously, Mack couldn’t be stupid enough to go after Trey. She didn’t figure he’d get far by tangling with a clan of bear shifters, but if he did, he deserved whatever happened next. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Despite Trey’s obvious ability to take care of himself, the unease wouldn’t leave her. Trey said a woman was targeting shifter men and stealing from them. If she could get past shifter barriers, why couldn’t Mack? Wiping her palms on her jeans, Gia put the cell back. Maybe she should head home and swing by the police station. She could show them the messages and make a report—something—to keep Trey out of this.

Annoyed that this problem was stepping all over her happiness with Trey, she crossed into the barn. Her cell beeped just as she crossed the threshold. With a growl, she checked it, absently walking down the aisle between the stalls.

I’ll be there soon. By the way, Hope is feeling better. If you’d like it to stay that way, you’ll be happy to see me.

“Oh my God!” She couldn’t hold back the raw disgust and anger in her voice. Nearly throwing the phone, but needing to call Hope, Gia glanced up with a sneer, catching sight of a man with his back to her at the end of the aisle. He was shirtless, and she did a double take, wondering if she was really seeing what was before her. It happened fast—her brain registering the broad shoulders and tapered torso covered in flesh scarred with misshapen shin, silvery lines, ridges and dips—him turning around and recognition hitting her before she saw his face.

She’d felt those ridges, on Trey’s shoulders, beneath his shirt.

His face fell when he glanced behind him and saw her, the shirt he had balled in one hand dropping to the ground. Tears welled in her eyes, a helpless sensation filling her chest. Something horrible had happened to Trey, something he’d hidden from her. His face paled as he spun to face her, grabbing the shirt from the floor and scrambling to get it on.

Their eyes caught. Gia took a step to rush to him, to soothe him somehow, but the sudden ice in his expression stopped her.

“Gia.” There was no welcome in the way he said her name. A slow tremor started in her middle and spread to her limbs. His eyes narrowed and she recalled what she’d said when she’d walked in. He probably thought she’d been commenting on his back… Oh God, the way she’d said it. No, no, no. From the corner of her eye, she saw his brothers come to stand by Trey. Her heart ached to go to him, but it seemed like an iceberg had dropped between them. Unwilling to let him see the tears that spilled over her eyes, she spun and walked to the entrance. He’d mistake her sympathy as pity, probably, and combined with Mack’s messages, she needed an emotional buffer—just a few minutes to get her shit together and call Hope to be sure her friend was okay.

Clutching her cellphone in one hand, Gia trotted up to the house, had just made it up the porch when the sound of boots stomping up the stairs behind her made her spin. Trey grabbed her forearms, his eyes hard, but his face soft.

“Didn’t like what you saw?” His voice was accusing, rubbing her raw. Desperate to call Hope, yet hating the pain in Trey’s eyes, Gia pulled away from him, unsure what to do to reassure him.

“No. I mean, no, that’s not—“

“I thought you were different. That I could share this part of myself with you, and you’d accept me for who I am.” His hands dropped to his sides, a crestfallen look washing over his features. The strong man, the resilient bear, seemed reduced to an uncertain little boy. She reached for him, but he skirted her touch, pain replacing everything else.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She whispered.

He smirked. “Admitting I was burned in a house fire hasn’t worked well in the past, so.”

After what they’d shared yesterday, the way their hearts had connected as well as their bodies, did he really doubt her ability to accept him? Knowing they needed to sit down and talk, Gia needed reassurance that Hope was fine before she could focus on anything else.

Putting a hand up, she took a step back. “I need to go.”

He snagged her wrist and yanked her into him. His damp tee shirt was warm with his body heat and contoured to every dip and rise of his perfect chest. The movement sent her cell phone clattering to the porch floor. Trey frowned and stepped back, both of them reaching for the phone at the same time. As she bent, the rock worked up from her front jeans pocket and plopped out. It made a lopsided roll, ending up at Trey’s feet.

He looked at it, then slowly up to her. Her heart fluttered at the accusation in his eyes.

Straightening, she had the sudden sense of just how tall Trey was, how broad and masculine. He was the ultimate protector, and a man who loved, who cared, on a deeply hidden and passionate level. She wanted to burrow beneath all his layers and get to know each one. Yet, she had the feeling she was about to lose it all.

“What's this in your pocket?” He retrieved the constellation geode and held it out for her to see.
Are you a thief?
His biting words came back to her, and the heat drained from her face with the realization of how bad this looked.

“Yes, it was. But I only wanted to ask you about it…”

“Damn it, Gia.”

Anger flared to life inside her. How dare he pull this hot and cold shit again? He either believed her or he didn’t, and if not, then she definitely knew where she stood with him. She had other things to worry about right now, and as much as it gutted her, if she had to go home to handle it, she would.

“What else is in your pocket? Your purse, your suitcase?”

Her nostrils flared, even as she picked up on how his voice lacked conviction. As if he couldn’t believe he was being such a dick.

“How about I leave it all here, and you can go through it while I’m gone? Okay?” With that, she grabbed her cell from his hand and stormed into the house.

“What do you mean, gone?”

Gia ignored him and went inside, dialed Hope’s number. Turning her back to Trey, she chewed her bottom lip until her friend finally answered. “Are you okay?” Gia kept her voice low. “I mean,
really
okay?”

The sound of crunching came through the line, and then swallowing. “I’m fine. Why do you sound weird?” More crunching. Doritos, if Gia had to guess, which meant Hope probably was just fine. She doubted her friend would be downing spicy nacho if she was being held against her will or something.

“Nothing.”

“How’s sexy bear shifter?”

Gia clenched her eyes. “Ooops, I have to go. I’ll call you later.” She could almost hear Hope roll her eyes before she clicked off. Satisfied, barely, that Hope wasn’t in immediate danger—as flimsy as the threat was to begin with—Gia turned back to Trey.

Hands on his hips, jeans slung low, shirt messy and untucked and his wet hair sticking up in blades, he was everything she’d ever wanted wrapped up in a layer of mistrust and bitterness.

“I can’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me.” She said, settling her gaze on his. “I don’t regret making love with you, or the time we’ve spent together, but I’m worth more than being analyzed and suspected at every turn.”