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Book: His Bear Hands (Bear Creek Grizzlies Book 1) by Layla Nash, Callista Ball
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Authors: Layla Nash, Callista Ball
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side, and she blinked up at him. "Do I still have to wake up early?"
He couldn't help it; he laughed again, and again she smiled. Simon bent to kiss her forehead and tucked the blanket more securely around her. "I'll make an exception. Two near-death experiences in a row before noon leads me to believe you're too dangerous in the morning."
"Good." Her eyes drifted shut and she yawned again. "I knew you'd see reason."
"Just sleep." Simon rested his chin on the top of her head and adjusted the pillow for them both. "I'll be right here if you need anything."
He barely slept a wink but it was the best night he'd had in months. Years, maybe.
10
Zoe
H unger woke her . Hunger like she'd never known, even in the days when her parents forgot to leave food on the table before they went on a binge. Zoe sat up in the hospital bed, her mind on one thing: food.
Something smelled delicious. Those shiny new super senses said fish. Fresh fish. Probably eggs. Her mouth watered as she eased out of the bed. She barely noticed Simon, snoring in a gentle purr next to her, and hardly cared that she was naked except for her underwear. Zoe tugged one of the blankets from under Simon's massive leg and wrapped herself in it after pulling all the tubes and needles and shit out. All she cared about was food.
She limped to the door in a daze, even though her leg and hip ached, and a little blood dribbled down her arm from one of the needles. She eased into the hall and the smell of cooking fish and eggs and meat made her so faint she had to brace herself on the wall for an eternity. Zoe staggered past the office and turned the corner into the kitchen, trying to inhale everything in the entire freaking lodge. She blinked at the four startled men in the kitchen, but all of her attention landed on the stovetop and the fish filets that crackled and popped in the skillet. She used the blanket to wipe some drool from her chin and edged closer to the food. "Can I have some?"
None of them moved, almost comical in their panic, and Zoe tried to care why they would be so afraid. It wasn't like she was naked. She shuffled closer to the fish and her stomach rumbled.
Ethan, poking the filets with a fork, took a deep breath. "Good morning, Zoe. Is Simon coming out soon?"
"I don't know." She chewed her lip and unconsciously reached for one of the filets. So hungry. So unbelievably hungry. "I'm hungry. Can I have some of that?"
Her brain stalled out as everything else in the world faded. Even Ethan giving quick orders to the other guys sailed right over her head; even when the other three retreated, she couldn't look away from the food. Ethan didn't move, though, and he didn't give her any of the fish. "It's not ready. Sit down."
She didn't want to. And that wild part of herself that she didn't know very well, since it only showed up a day ago, wanted to shove him out of the way and eat all the fish in the entire river. Something else grumbled and it wasn't her stomach.
Ethan cleared his throat but kept his voice even and calm and didn't look away from her. "Simon, she's growling."
"I am not," Zoe said, just as Simon said, "I know," behind her.
Zoe blinked but didn't budge as Simon moved close behind her and his arms slid around her waist. He pulled her back against his chest and nuzzled behind her ear. "I thought you wanted to sleep in."
Zoe frowned. Why the hell wouldn't they let her eat? But she didn't want to lose the warmth of Simon at her back, so she didn't leap forward to knock the skillet out of Ethan's hand. "I'm so hungry."
"I know," he said again, and moved to rub his cheek against the other side of her neck. "I'll feed you. But first you need to put clothes on."
"I want to eat now ," she whispered, reaching once more for the fish in the pan and almost burning her fingers before Ethan pulled the skillet away.
Simon caught her hands so she couldn't do it again, and hugged her tighter. "This is your bear telling you what to do, Zoe. You need
He couldn't help it; he laughed again, and again she smiled. Simon bent to kiss her forehead and tucked the blanket more securely around her. "I'll make an exception. Two near-death experiences in a row before noon leads me to believe you're too dangerous in the morning."
"Good." Her eyes drifted shut and she yawned again. "I knew you'd see reason."
"Just sleep." Simon rested his chin on the top of her head and adjusted the pillow for them both. "I'll be right here if you need anything."
He barely slept a wink but it was the best night he'd had in months. Years, maybe.
10
Zoe
H unger woke her . Hunger like she'd never known, even in the days when her parents forgot to leave food on the table before they went on a binge. Zoe sat up in the hospital bed, her mind on one thing: food.
Something smelled delicious. Those shiny new super senses said fish. Fresh fish. Probably eggs. Her mouth watered as she eased out of the bed. She barely noticed Simon, snoring in a gentle purr next to her, and hardly cared that she was naked except for her underwear. Zoe tugged one of the blankets from under Simon's massive leg and wrapped herself in it after pulling all the tubes and needles and shit out. All she cared about was food.
She limped to the door in a daze, even though her leg and hip ached, and a little blood dribbled down her arm from one of the needles. She eased into the hall and the smell of cooking fish and eggs and meat made her so faint she had to brace herself on the wall for an eternity. Zoe staggered past the office and turned the corner into the kitchen, trying to inhale everything in the entire freaking lodge. She blinked at the four startled men in the kitchen, but all of her attention landed on the stovetop and the fish filets that crackled and popped in the skillet. She used the blanket to wipe some drool from her chin and edged closer to the food. "Can I have some?"
None of them moved, almost comical in their panic, and Zoe tried to care why they would be so afraid. It wasn't like she was naked. She shuffled closer to the fish and her stomach rumbled.
Ethan, poking the filets with a fork, took a deep breath. "Good morning, Zoe. Is Simon coming out soon?"
"I don't know." She chewed her lip and unconsciously reached for one of the filets. So hungry. So unbelievably hungry. "I'm hungry. Can I have some of that?"
Her brain stalled out as everything else in the world faded. Even Ethan giving quick orders to the other guys sailed right over her head; even when the other three retreated, she couldn't look away from the food. Ethan didn't move, though, and he didn't give her any of the fish. "It's not ready. Sit down."
She didn't want to. And that wild part of herself that she didn't know very well, since it only showed up a day ago, wanted to shove him out of the way and eat all the fish in the entire river. Something else grumbled and it wasn't her stomach.
Ethan cleared his throat but kept his voice even and calm and didn't look away from her. "Simon, she's growling."
"I am not," Zoe said, just as Simon said, "I know," behind her.
Zoe blinked but didn't budge as Simon moved close behind her and his arms slid around her waist. He pulled her back against his chest and nuzzled behind her ear. "I thought you wanted to sleep in."
Zoe frowned. Why the hell wouldn't they let her eat? But she didn't want to lose the warmth of Simon at her back, so she didn't leap forward to knock the skillet out of Ethan's hand. "I'm so hungry."
"I know," he said again, and moved to rub his cheek against the other side of her neck. "I'll feed you. But first you need to put clothes on."
"I want to eat now ," she whispered, reaching once more for the fish in the pan and almost burning her fingers before Ethan pulled the skillet away.
Simon caught her hands so she couldn't do it again, and hugged her tighter. "This is your bear telling you what to do, Zoe. You need
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