Authors: Zola Bird
Tags: #BWWM Paranormal BBW Bear Shifter Romance, #Romance
First Bear: BBW Shapeshifter BWWM Werebear Paranormal Romance (Wild Alpha Shifters Book 1)
FIRST BEAR
Zola Bird
He’s a bear and he’s a player, and he wants just one thing.
To claim his mate.
Jada Jackson is a smart, sassy, plus-sized woman. She’s at home with her curves and happy with her job at Wild Alpha Auto.
Brandon Heller is a grizzly shifter who hasn’t been back to Wild Summit since high school. But when his father calls him home to assist with the management of his luxury automobile dealership, Brandon finds himself face to face with Jada, the girl he stood up for prom thirteen years ago.
Sparks fly. They touch. They kiss. And then they do a whole lot more.
But even though they seem so right together, how can Jada trust the man who broke her heart so long ago? And how can Brandon reveal his true shifter nature without scaring her off forever?
Brandon and Jada must bare more than their bodies to each other. They must bare their souls. Only then will Jada know the meaning of true love. And only then will Brandon be able to claim his mate.
FIRST BEAR
Zola Bird
Contents
FIRST BEAR
BWWM Paranormal BBW Bear Shifter Romance
Zola Bird
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, brands, locations, media, corporations, institutions, organizations and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, or, if real, are used fictitiously without any intent to describe their actual conduct. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and/or use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Published By
Bear Shifter Romance Press
FIRST BEAR
Copyright © 2015 by Zola Bird
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Chapter One
Jada Jackson took a big, long lick of her chocolate fudge ice-cream cone. Double scoops and she wanted to enjoy every bit of it.
“He’s coming back, you know.”
“Why do I care?” Jada asked innocently.
“He’s coming back, and you care a whole lot,” Amanda said.
“And why would you say that?”
“Because I know you, girl.”
“Yeah, you know me. But Brandon Heller was a long time ago.”
The two women relaxed in the early afternoon sunshine. It was spring in Wild Summit, and it felt good to catch some rays after the long winter. Jada was a curvy, mocha woman who wasn’t afraid to show a little skin and a little sass, even at work, as she was now. Her best friend, Amanda, was just as curvy, though maybe a smidgen more conservative. Amanda and Jada were more than good friends, they were work-sisters. Amanda was the main receptionist and Jada covered the service counter at Wild Alpha Auto Boutique. Wild Alpha was the number one dealership for exotic automobiles in the state of Idaho. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, anything fast and furious and Wild Alpha carried it.
Wild Summit hadn’t always been the home to the high-end toys of the rich and famous. Before the ski resort went in, it was like any other small town. But as the resort transformed Wild Summit into a destination for the world’s wealthy, Wild Alpha Auto had grown from a tiny local car lot into a chain of luxury automobile dealerships.
“Jada, line one,” the scratchy intercom announced.
It looked like lunch was over. “See you in there, Amanda,” Jada said.
Amanda smiled. “Not unless I see you first.”
Jada walked through the service bays, where the mechanics did their work, and over to her counter at the front of the service department. Jada’s job was to deal with the customers who brought their vehicles in for repair. It was a job that had been easier back when they were a small local shop dealing with the townsfolk. Now that they served the vacation crowd, with their second homes and ski chalets, it was a whole other kettle of fish. Some of the wealthy customers thought they were above everyone and everything. But that was Jada’s specialty—dealing with everybody fairly so when they left the dealership they felt like they’d been served right. It was a good job, and Jada liked it. She just sometimes wished that she had somebody she could go home to. Somebody who would look after her needs for a while.
“He’s coming, Jada.”
“Not you, too, Greg.”
Greg was the general manager. He was a big guy with a broad chest and an easy disposition. Greg had worked his way up from wash boy and loved Jada like a sister. They’d both been working at the dealership for what qualified as a long time now. Thirteen years. Since high school. But Jada had no regrets. She did, however, have concerns.
“He’s coming, in fact, he was supposed to be here already, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Greg said.
“You’re as bad as Amanda. I don’t care, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Thank you. Will you drop it?”
“Not on your life,” Greg laughed.
All morning, all anyone she knew had been saying was, “He was coming.” It was like
he
was royalty or something. Well, Jada knew he wasn’t, but around here, she supposed, people thought he was close. The man in question was Brandon Heller. Brandon was the son of old Mathew Heller, the owner of Wild Alpha Auto. There were a lot of reasons for the excitement over Brandon’s return. People would wax poetic about his playboy good looks, his extravagant lifestyle, his money and his women, but mostly, Jada thought, he was a legend because he was a small town boy made good. Thirteen years ago, Brandon had left Wild Summit and never come back, at least not as far as Jada knew. She supposed he may have visited family a few times and the like, but he’d never made his presence known. The man had simply gone and never returned. Unfortunately, Jada thought, he had taken her heart with him.
Jada had attended Wild Summit High with Brandon, where she had loved him from afar. Brandon was the popular boy at school. Prom King material. Which got to the heart of the matter. All the girls had wanted Brandon. They had wanted his strong arms and his perfect chest, his chiseled face and slicked-back dark hair. They had wanted everything about him, and Brandon had known it, too. He had played the field while Jada, who was a whole lot less outgoing at the time, had stuck to schoolwork and a close group of friends.
Brandon had girlfriends, but besides the occasional conversation in the hall, Jada was pretty sure she was a long way from his radar, until one fateful day in the spring of her senior year. Brandon, also a senior, had approached her after fifth period and asked ever so sweetly if she would consider going to the prom with him. At first Jada wasn’t sure she had heard him right, but Brandon had repeated the words: “Would you like to go to the Wild Ball with me?” On hearing his proposal a second time, Jada had nearly dropped dead. Of course she’d like to go. There was nothing she’d rather do.
Initially, Jada was lost in disbelief. She couldn’t fathom why a boy like Brandon, a wealthy boy from the right side of the tracks, would want to ask her out. Sure, they’d been lab partners in Biology, and they’d done a Social Studies project together in eighth grade, but she’d never dared to hope that he liked her. Not like that. Still, there was no arguing with the facts, and the fact was, Brandon had asked her out. And not just out, he had asked her to the prom. As the day grew near, Jada sewed her dress, marked off her calendar, and primped and prepared. Sure there were naysayers. Girls and guys who said it was just a joke, but Jada refused to believe that. Brandon had asked her.
Her.
It was a real-life fairy tale and everybody else could go to hell. Because she was going to prom with the most charming, most popular boy at school.
When the big day came, Jada wasn’t sure she’d be able to contain herself. She had her hair done. Then her makeup. Her silky dress, which had been tailored to make the most of her ample curves, was ready. Everything was perfect. Everything but one thing that was—Brandon.
Jada waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Brandon never showed.
Jada stared down the road, looking for that long white limo, but he just never came. She called him. Her mom called him. Her dad called him. But there was no Brandon. At first she was worried. She called Brandon’s family but couldn’t get through to them. Then she called the hospital in case there had been an accident. After that she called the police. But there was no accident, no foul play. Brandon, for whatever reason, just didn’t show.
The next day at school there were all kinds of rumors. What did she think he would do? It was a prank. He had made a mistake. What was she thinking, anyhow? She was too fat. Ugly. Too big a booty. Not in his league. Jada didn’t know what the reason was, all she knew was that Brandon
never
set foot in their school again. There was talk of him transferring to another school in the city but never an official explanation. With the excitement of graduation, the other kids seemed to forget about Brandon Heller, but Jada’s world had been changed forever. She would never trust another man again. Never. Ever.
Sure she’d had boyfriends since. And she’d had fun. She’d had sex, good sex even. But Jada had never had what she would deem a “serious” relationship, because Jada never let the men in her life get too close. And if they did, if it looked like things were going that way, she’d end things. Jada was adamant about that. She wasn’t about to trust another man. Which is why she refused to even entertain the notion that she might get excited that sexy Brandon Heller was due to show up at his daddy’s dealership, nearly thirteen years to the day after he had stood her up.
“Lady. Can I get some help around here?”
Jada looked up from her computer screen. She hadn’t had any customers since she’d taken the call that had brought her back to her desk. Before she had a chance to stand, the new customer, a squat man of about fifty with a pockmarked face and gray stubble covering his jowls, piped up again.
“Big ass! I’m talking to you!”
Jada smiled. Some men loved her golden curves. She loved them. She had come a long way from being the shy little wallflower she was back in high school. But some men, like this ignorant little shortstop, seemed to think that a bountiful woman was someone to be disrespected. Jada laughed to herself. She could handle this baby Napoleon.
“What seems to be the problem, sir?”
“Well, I’d say you sitting on your behind while my Ferrari is gathering dust is a big part of it.”
Jada read from her metal binder of work orders. The paperwork for his car was right there on top. The jerk’s name was Croyston. Ray Croyston. She decided to have some fun with him.
“What kind of car did you say it was, sir?”
“The Ferrari. The red prancing pony right behind you.”
“The Ferrero? Are you sure you’re talking about a car? Sounds like you’re looking for those tasty little chocolates. You know, the ones in the gold wrapper?”
“Ferrari, you stupid—”
“Oh, I dare you,” Jada said. “Just say it.”
“You stupid bitch.”
“Thank you for that. Could you please sign the work order here, Mr. Croyston?”
Jada indicated a sheet of paper inside her binder. Croyston grabbed the pen from Jada. Good. Right where she wanted him. Croyston signed and dropped the pen.
“Thanks,” Jada said. But before he could pull his hand away…
Wham!
Jada slammed down the cover of the binder right on his pudgy little fingers. Croyston’s face turned beet red.
“Ow. I bet that smarted,” Jada said.
“You…” Croyston said, shaking out his hand.
“My advice to you? Learn some manners. You got lucky this time. The next time you disrespect a woman, I’ll take it out on your Ferrari, not you.”
Jada smiled and turned away. That would show him. As she turned, her eyes swept across the showroom floor and met with the tall, dark stranger standing in the middle of the showroom, briefcase in hand.
Brandon Heller.
Still gorgeous after all these years.