A Pair of Bears: Bear Shifter Menage Paranormal Romance Read Free Page A

to lose money on a recall.”
    To her surprise, Eli and Jackson looked at her as if they understood. She’d always thought no one could possibly understand.
    “We know,” said Eli.
    Paisley froze. “What? How?”
    Eli indicated Jackson. “Genius hacker here did some research.” 
    Jackson’s smile was so bright that it lightened the atmosphere in the room. “I found a series of burglaries targeting the CEOs of companies that made dangerous, defective products, plus a handful of burglaries targeting con artists. Not to mention mysterious payments to the people they’d victimized. The earliest ones I could find targeted the company that had made the cars with the exploding airbags. I figured someone was playing Robin Hood.”
    Paisley warily glanced from one man to the next. “So what if I am?”
    “We have to expose SmartDefense,” Eli replied. “They’ve invested millions in developing that armor. And they were the low bidder for the Navy contract. Unless we can prove that the armor doesn’t work, it’ll be issued to the entire US Navy.”
    Paisley stared at him, horrified. “Seriously?”
    “Seriously,” said Jackson. “The only way to stop them is to get hold of their product testing reports— the real ones, not the fake ones they showed the Navy. And some samples. We need to get into SmartDefense headquarters. And that means we need someone who can break into a building without anyone noticing.  I can hack their computers, but I’m not Spiderman.”
    “I can kick in doors and knock out guards, but I’m not Spiderman either,” Eli said. “But you are.  We figured you were perfect for the job. But we wanted to see you in action, to see if you were really as good as we needed. So Jackson used his hacking skills to figure out who you’d picked as your next target, we planted the info that he was staying here, and you showed up, right on schedule.”
    Paisley eyed them suspiciously. “Exactly what do you want me to do?”
    “Break into SmartDefense, then let me and Jackson in,” Eli said. “He hacks the computers and gets the data, and I knock out the guards and steal some samples of the armor. You stick around in case we need you again, then we all get out.”
    “We’re offering you five hundred thousand dollars for one night’s work,” Jackson said. When Paisley blinked in surprise, he added, “I’m a very successful inventor.”
    Paisley thought it over. The money was good. If the men wanted to harm her or turn her into the police or blackmail her, they would have done so already. She normally worked alone, but she supposed she could manage to work with others, just this once. And it was a good cause.
    “Okay,” she said. “I’ll do it.”
    Jackson beamed. “Fantastic!”
    Eli smiled. “Welcome to the team. I know we can count on you.”
    Paisley tucked her towel firmly around her breasts, then started to stand. Each man offered her a hand up. As Paisley’s hands closed over theirs— Eli’s big and rough, Jackson’s long-fingered and smooth— a jolt went through her like an electric shock.
    All three of them jumped. Paisley had never felt anything like the shock of that contact. It was a shot of adrenaline to the heart. It was a surge of desire so intense and overwhelming that she nearly ripped off her towel and threw herself at both men. And it was the undeniable conviction that all three of them were made for each other, like the interlocking pieces of a puzzle.
    Jackson gasped.
    “Whoa,” Eli muttered, rocking back.
    “What was that?” Paisley asked.
    Jackson and Eli exchanged glances. Paisley watched, unnerved, as their very different faces displayed the same emotions in turn: astonishment, realization, wry “wouldn’t you know it” amusement, and finally delight.
    “You’re our mate,” Eli said.
    “What?” Paisley was baffled. “What do you mean, mate?”
    The men again looked at each other. Wariness crept into Eli’s blue eyes, and concern into Jackson’s