Read Online Boarlander Boss Bear (Boarlander Bears Book 1) by T. S. Joyce - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: T. S. Joyce
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going through such a hard time. Pisses me off thinking about you going through that alone because he wasn’t man enough to stick around.”
Harrison was much more dominant than her animal, but she forced her hand on top of his tense thigh. “What I mean to say is, he’s the only other man I’ve been with. So…you know…don’t break my heart.”
Harrison twitched his attention to her, then back to the road, then to her again. He smiled slow and intertwined his fingers with hers. “Same to you.”
“Mmm hmm, except I follow you on social media, and I see all the shifter groupies you bang. They tag you in their posts.”
“What? I set that up two years ago, and I never post on it. I don’t even check it.”
“Well, every girl you sleep with seems happy to brag about it and post pictures with you.”
He gave her a disbelieving look and shook his head. “Three.”
“Three what?”
“I’ve slept with three women, and two of those were relationships. Short-lived and years ago, but they still counted as girlfriends. The last one…well, she was a mistake. I went home with a groupie. I was lonely…” He made a single clicking sound behind his teeth. “It doesn’t matter. Do you know how many pictures I take with women? Ten on any given night at Sammy’s. That’s part of the gig. The Boarlanders are still single, and Jake, the owner of the bar, takes care of us if we flirt a little and play the game. Anyone posting pictures saying I slept with them is full of shit and looking for attention.”
“Oh.” Well that was different from what she’d thought.
“Listen to my voice. You’ll be able to tell if someone is being dishonest if you really hear them. They’ll sound off, false, if they are lying. Shifter lesson for the day,” he said with a wink.
Huh. She’d suspected she could kind of tell, but hadn’t been one hundred percent sure. She would have to practice lie detection. Audrey straightened the hem of her black cotton cover-up, which today, doubled as a dress that rested halfway up her thighs. “Four.” She gave him a half smile because that’s all she could muster when talking about women he’d been with. She wanted to claw every one of their faces off. “I’m number four.”
“Wrong, kitty. You aren’t a number, and I don’t ever want you sayin’ it like that again.” He squeezed her hand. “You’re different.”
The fast food Thai place was hopping, but considering the small size of the town, this very well might’ve been the event of the season. Audrey thought Harrison might be more withdrawn out in public because of his reputation with the town and his crew and all, but after parking, he stood in line with her and didn’t withhold an ounce of affection. He brushed her back and rubbed little circles between her shoulder blades. He held her hand, and twice he leaned over and kissed her on the temple.
“You’re a teddy bear,” she accused.
“Ha!” Harrison laughed as he held the glass door open and let her pass under his arm. “No one has ever accused me of that before. Distant, quiet, moody, sure.” The smile dipped from his lips as he stared thoughtfully at her. “I don’t know what it is, but you’re easy to be around. You make me…” Harrison lifted his shoulder in a shrug. “You know.”
Her cheeks were flushing with heat again, but not from embarrassment this time. “Say it,” she said, poking him in the ribs.
Harrison lifted her hand and bit her wrist gently, then shook his head and looked up at the giant menu behind the counter.
“Distant, quiet, moody,” she repeated.
“Stop. It’s just different with you. Easier. I don’t have to hide, or be gentle, and you’ve gone through something hard. So did I. It feels nice not to feel like the only one.” He cast her a quick glance and then muttered too low for any of the surrounding humans to hear, “You make me happy.”
“I knew it.” She clapped once and tried and failed to contain her
Harrison was much more dominant than her animal, but she forced her hand on top of his tense thigh. “What I mean to say is, he’s the only other man I’ve been with. So…you know…don’t break my heart.”
Harrison twitched his attention to her, then back to the road, then to her again. He smiled slow and intertwined his fingers with hers. “Same to you.”
“Mmm hmm, except I follow you on social media, and I see all the shifter groupies you bang. They tag you in their posts.”
“What? I set that up two years ago, and I never post on it. I don’t even check it.”
“Well, every girl you sleep with seems happy to brag about it and post pictures with you.”
He gave her a disbelieving look and shook his head. “Three.”
“Three what?”
“I’ve slept with three women, and two of those were relationships. Short-lived and years ago, but they still counted as girlfriends. The last one…well, she was a mistake. I went home with a groupie. I was lonely…” He made a single clicking sound behind his teeth. “It doesn’t matter. Do you know how many pictures I take with women? Ten on any given night at Sammy’s. That’s part of the gig. The Boarlanders are still single, and Jake, the owner of the bar, takes care of us if we flirt a little and play the game. Anyone posting pictures saying I slept with them is full of shit and looking for attention.”
“Oh.” Well that was different from what she’d thought.
“Listen to my voice. You’ll be able to tell if someone is being dishonest if you really hear them. They’ll sound off, false, if they are lying. Shifter lesson for the day,” he said with a wink.
Huh. She’d suspected she could kind of tell, but hadn’t been one hundred percent sure. She would have to practice lie detection. Audrey straightened the hem of her black cotton cover-up, which today, doubled as a dress that rested halfway up her thighs. “Four.” She gave him a half smile because that’s all she could muster when talking about women he’d been with. She wanted to claw every one of their faces off. “I’m number four.”
“Wrong, kitty. You aren’t a number, and I don’t ever want you sayin’ it like that again.” He squeezed her hand. “You’re different.”
The fast food Thai place was hopping, but considering the small size of the town, this very well might’ve been the event of the season. Audrey thought Harrison might be more withdrawn out in public because of his reputation with the town and his crew and all, but after parking, he stood in line with her and didn’t withhold an ounce of affection. He brushed her back and rubbed little circles between her shoulder blades. He held her hand, and twice he leaned over and kissed her on the temple.
“You’re a teddy bear,” she accused.
“Ha!” Harrison laughed as he held the glass door open and let her pass under his arm. “No one has ever accused me of that before. Distant, quiet, moody, sure.” The smile dipped from his lips as he stared thoughtfully at her. “I don’t know what it is, but you’re easy to be around. You make me…” Harrison lifted his shoulder in a shrug. “You know.”
Her cheeks were flushing with heat again, but not from embarrassment this time. “Say it,” she said, poking him in the ribs.
Harrison lifted her hand and bit her wrist gently, then shook his head and looked up at the giant menu behind the counter.
“Distant, quiet, moody,” she repeated.
“Stop. It’s just different with you. Easier. I don’t have to hide, or be gentle, and you’ve gone through something hard. So did I. It feels nice not to feel like the only one.” He cast her a quick glance and then muttered too low for any of the surrounding humans to hear, “You make me happy.”
“I knew it.” She clapped once and tried and failed to contain her
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