Read Online Bearing the Late Thaw (Ice Bear Shifters Book 5) by Sloane Meyers - Free Book Online

waking moment regretting the words I said. I should have found you and apologized much sooner, but I was a coward. I had gone through a big ordeal that day. I was confused and in pain, and I couldn’t think straight. I made a mistake. People make mistakes. But if you’re willing to take a chance on forgiving me and trying again, I’m willing to take a chance on being with a man who is a bear shifter.”
    Neal stood there in the growing darkness, looking long and hard into Christine’s eyes, as if trying to decide whether she was sincere. The wind had picked up, and Christine started shivering. The temperatures in Glacier Point were no longer below zero, but they still hadn’t climbed above freezing. She really shouldn’t have been standing out there without a jacket and gloves.
    “Okay,” Neal finally said.
    “Okay? That’s all you’re going to say?”
    Neal smiled. “Okay. Let’s try again. I think we both made some stupid mistakes the first time around, and we both should have done things a little differently. But I still care about you, and I’m still wildly attracted to you. Let’s start over,” he said, smiling and extending his hand to shake hers. “Hello, I’m Neal. Oh, by the way, I’m also a bear shifter.”
    Christine giggled as she took his hand to shake it. “Hi, Neal. I’m Christine. Nice to meet you.”
    “Your hands are freezing!” Neal exclaimed when their palms met.
    “I know,” Christine said. “I left my jacket and gloves inside because I wanted to make sure I caught you before you left.”
    “Come here, you,” Neal said. He unzipped his jacket and pulled her against his chest, wrapping the sides of the jacket around her as far as they would go. Christine’s heart beat faster as her body made contact with his. His broad chest gave off a substantial amount of heat, and he smelled like the forest. She snuggled closer against him and closed her eyes, wanting to hold on to this moment in her memory forever.
    They’d had quite a rocky start, but she had never felt more at peace than she did right then, wrapped up in his arms.
    “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go back inside and get your jacket. We can take your food to go, and then head back to your place. I’ll answer every last question you have about me. No secrets, no hiding anything anymore. Let’s do this right this time.”
    Christine grinned up at him. “Sounds like a plan to me,” she said. They went back inside and got a takeout box for her food. Then she promised the bartender she’d be back again soon before she went back outside with Neal.
    “Can I hitch a ride with you?” she asked. “I don’t have a snowmobile anymore. I never replaced it, since everything I do is about a five minute walk away from my apartment. And I’m too scared to go snowmobiling by myself anymore.”
    Neal’s face fell. “I’m sorry that got ruined for you. The Blizzards are ruthless.”
    Christine shrugged. “It’s okay. I don’t really have time for it anymore, anyways. My other coworker here just resigned, so I’m going to be the only one here working on the project. I don’t know how I’m going to get everything done on my own. It’s ludicrous that my boss thinks it’s even remotely possible for one person to do all of this.”
    “Well, on the plus side, I hope that means you’ll be staying in Glacier Point a little bit longer.”
    Christine grinned up at him. “We’ll see what happens. When I’m done with this project, I’m done with the firm. Then I could go anywhere.”
    Neal climbed onto his snowmobile and motioned for Christine to jump on behind him. She did, and gave him directions to her place. Christine wished that the short ride was a few minutes longer. She loved the feeling of having her arms wrapped around Neal, holding him close.
     
    * * *
     
    Neal was also wishing that he could have Christine’s arms wrapped around him a little longer. He had been visiting the pub almost every night after work, in