Big Strong Bear Read Free Page A

hell, but you’ve just come down to find me. And I’m not letting you go without a fight.”
    She swallowed, frozen by his gaze, his possessive words. She could almost buy into it. Almost think everything could go back to how it was. Then the image of the other woman crossed her mind, and she slapped his hand away and stepped back. “Don’t touch me.”
    He smirked and cocked his head to one side. “But you like it.”
    “Be that as it may,” she said shakily, “don’t do this to me. Not again. I’m not going to fall in love with you again.” She’d never fallen out of love with him. That was why it all still hurt so much. But that was a minor technicality.
    He raised a dark eyebrow, looking cool as ice. “I don’t know,” he said. “I guess we’ll see.” He leaned in, mocking her with a cold smile. “It can get awfully hot in hell sometimes.”
    Then he laughed, an icy, dark sound that echoed as he opened the door and walked out to her car, his tall shape evident even in the darkness.

2
    H ades settled Cassie in the master bedroom, enjoying her confused look before he left her there alone, telling her they would talk in the morning. He couldn’t go over the specifics of her problem yet. He needed time to cool off.
    He had no problem taking the couch. He’d slept on the ground enough times, in harsh climates or even in planes.
    No, the place he slept would have no effect on his ability to rest.
    The fact that there was a curvy little woman just a few rooms over that had an almost witch-like spell on him? That could definitely lead to a sleepless night.
    He’d told her they’d handle details the next day. For now, he just needed to adjust to the idea that she’d come back to him. She’d come to him for help. That had to mean something. She trusted him.
    Perhaps it was a sign from the universe that they could take another go.
    Despite knowing she deserved better than him, he couldn’t help the fighter in him sitting up and saying this was his chance. She couldn’t run from him this time.
    She couldn’t run from what they’d been, what they’d meant to each other. He’d felt it in their kiss. Nothing had truly changed—not anything that mattered anyway.
    And maybe at the end of this, when he’d gotten rid of whatever or whoever was threatening her, she’d walk out of his life again, still not wanting someone with his scars, inside or out.
    Maybe.
    But maybe in the time they’d be spending together, something could change.
    He didn’t know. He only knew seeing her rushing to leave, heading for the door, his heart made a desperate bid to keep her.
    Just being in the room with her. Looking in her eyes. It was just so clear she meant everything to him.
    Why hadn’t he just opened the door the first time she came to visit? Would that have made a difference? Maybe if she hadn’t already been angry that he was pushing her away, she could have handled the scars.
    She certainly liked to stare at them. Did she like to torture herself over how ruined he was? See what a mess he’d made of his once beautiful face? Well, she’d called it beautiful. Now she looked at him with terror. And something else. Yes, deep in her eyes, he could see she still wanted him. Despite herself, in spite of her reservations.
    Yes, she looked at him like he was a monster.
    But he was a monster who was on her side and always would be.
    Damn, he wanted to kiss her again. As he lay back on the couch, feet splayed over the side, he itched to stand up and go to her. To walk down the hall, open the bedroom door, and go home to her. To hold her in the ways he’d dreamed when he was deployed and on duty. Her lips, her hair, everything about her had haunted his dreams.
    It was a physical ache inside him to have her so close yet be unable to touch her.
    He longed to make her sigh his name, to have her soft hands curl in his hair and yank as he wrung every last drop of pleasure out of her.
    To make love to her just one more