Read Online Bearlebrity: (BWWM) Paranormal BBW Bear Shifter Romance Standalone by Terry Bolryder - Free Book Online
Authors: Terry Bolryder
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said. “Have you had a proper breakfast yet?”
She flushed. “No.”
He pulled a cup with a lid and straw from under the counter in front of him. “I brought this for you. I made smoothies this morning and thought you’d like one.”
Leslie felt eyes on her and looked up to see Ryan staring at them open-mouthed, like the sun had just risen in the wrong part of the sky.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him.
He blinked and went back to mopping. “I don’t know. Nothing.”
“No, what is it?” She persisted. “You looked at me like I’d grown a third eye.
Ryan was tan, with very light blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He was a product of being outside. Tall and muscled. A less refined version of Riley and with differently coloring. “It just seems like there’s more between you two than a broken ankle.”
“Sprained,” she said, correcting him.
“Sprained,” he said, shrugging and going back to mopping. “But it seems to me that Riley wouldn’t make a girl breakfast just to make up for her getting injured.” He gave her a small smile that made her feel heat and embarrassment down to her toes.
He knew.
Riley, thankfully, didn’t seem to be so aware of his brother’s insinuations. “Smoothies aren’t breakfast,” he said. “Smoothies are life .”
Leslie bit her lip. Riley was only making his brother’s point even more. That there was something between them that no one was talking about.
But if she didn’t confirm it, maybe Ryan would give up on it. She didn’t think Riley was the kind of man who would understand even if it was right in front of him. Of all the non-committal men she’d ever met, he was the most openly against it. And she appreciated that honesty. It was what made things work well between them.
Even if a little part of her kept aching over the thought of losing him.
No, not aching. She felt like her bear would run grieving through the woods, unable to think, unable to breathe, once he was gone. But her mom had survived it, and so would she. And other men had left before.
She continued trying to build up the steel barrier inside her heart that would protect her when he decided to go back to his life in Hollywood and forget all about her.
Then Ryan spoke up again, ignoring her warning glare signaling him to shut up. He seemed unable to let his brother go unaware of how domestic he was behaving.
“I don’t know, bro. Smoothies, cleaning? Next thing you know you’ll be a housewife.”
Riley froze, his easy expression slowly fading. Ryan looked a little apologetic, but before he could move forward, Riley set the rag down on the counter and walked away from them to the back of the bar. She heard the office door swing open and shut. Then she looked over at Ryan.
“Sorry,” he said, shrugging again. “It’s just…I’ve never seen him like that. I’d hate to see him let a good thing get away. He’s more unaware and yet more hardheaded than any of us.”
“Riley and I are just…”
“Friends?” he asked sardonically, rolling up his sleeves over bulging forearms as he worked up a sweat mopping the floor.
“Having fun,” she said, sulking slightly because she knew she couldn’t fool the big man. He was the most quiet of the brothers, but maybe the most perceptive of all of them.
Quiet people often were. They took the time to listen, and when they did speak, they usually had a reason. Unlike most people.
Especially unlike loudmouths like Riley and her.
Ryan set the mop in the bucket and leaned over it, studying her with icy eyes. “Just having fun, huh?”
“Yes,” she replied, squirming slightly on her stool.
“Then I guess he shouldn’t mind if I come over and do this?” He released the mop and started toward her, and her heartbeat sped up in anticipation.
7
“ D o what ?” Leslie asked nervously as Ryan approached. Ryan was super-hot. All the brothers were. But at the same time, he wasn’t her type. He wasn’t loud-mouthed and obnoxious
She flushed. “No.”
He pulled a cup with a lid and straw from under the counter in front of him. “I brought this for you. I made smoothies this morning and thought you’d like one.”
Leslie felt eyes on her and looked up to see Ryan staring at them open-mouthed, like the sun had just risen in the wrong part of the sky.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him.
He blinked and went back to mopping. “I don’t know. Nothing.”
“No, what is it?” She persisted. “You looked at me like I’d grown a third eye.
Ryan was tan, with very light blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He was a product of being outside. Tall and muscled. A less refined version of Riley and with differently coloring. “It just seems like there’s more between you two than a broken ankle.”
“Sprained,” she said, correcting him.
“Sprained,” he said, shrugging and going back to mopping. “But it seems to me that Riley wouldn’t make a girl breakfast just to make up for her getting injured.” He gave her a small smile that made her feel heat and embarrassment down to her toes.
He knew.
Riley, thankfully, didn’t seem to be so aware of his brother’s insinuations. “Smoothies aren’t breakfast,” he said. “Smoothies are life .”
Leslie bit her lip. Riley was only making his brother’s point even more. That there was something between them that no one was talking about.
But if she didn’t confirm it, maybe Ryan would give up on it. She didn’t think Riley was the kind of man who would understand even if it was right in front of him. Of all the non-committal men she’d ever met, he was the most openly against it. And she appreciated that honesty. It was what made things work well between them.
Even if a little part of her kept aching over the thought of losing him.
No, not aching. She felt like her bear would run grieving through the woods, unable to think, unable to breathe, once he was gone. But her mom had survived it, and so would she. And other men had left before.
She continued trying to build up the steel barrier inside her heart that would protect her when he decided to go back to his life in Hollywood and forget all about her.
Then Ryan spoke up again, ignoring her warning glare signaling him to shut up. He seemed unable to let his brother go unaware of how domestic he was behaving.
“I don’t know, bro. Smoothies, cleaning? Next thing you know you’ll be a housewife.”
Riley froze, his easy expression slowly fading. Ryan looked a little apologetic, but before he could move forward, Riley set the rag down on the counter and walked away from them to the back of the bar. She heard the office door swing open and shut. Then she looked over at Ryan.
“Sorry,” he said, shrugging again. “It’s just…I’ve never seen him like that. I’d hate to see him let a good thing get away. He’s more unaware and yet more hardheaded than any of us.”
“Riley and I are just…”
“Friends?” he asked sardonically, rolling up his sleeves over bulging forearms as he worked up a sweat mopping the floor.
“Having fun,” she said, sulking slightly because she knew she couldn’t fool the big man. He was the most quiet of the brothers, but maybe the most perceptive of all of them.
Quiet people often were. They took the time to listen, and when they did speak, they usually had a reason. Unlike most people.
Especially unlike loudmouths like Riley and her.
Ryan set the mop in the bucket and leaned over it, studying her with icy eyes. “Just having fun, huh?”
“Yes,” she replied, squirming slightly on her stool.
“Then I guess he shouldn’t mind if I come over and do this?” He released the mop and started toward her, and her heartbeat sped up in anticipation.
7
“ D o what ?” Leslie asked nervously as Ryan approached. Ryan was super-hot. All the brothers were. But at the same time, he wasn’t her type. He wasn’t loud-mouthed and obnoxious
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