Read Online Bearly Hers: A Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance by Maria Amor - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maria Amor
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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
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
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