River Bear (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Blue Bear Rescue) Read Free Page B

definite no or a question?” she asked, and Jake gave her a scathing look.
    “No,” Nash said more firmly now. “Why?”
    Jake was up and out of his chair before she could accuse Nash of anything. He hauled her up by her arm, and she had no choice but to follow where he dragged her across the deck or risk spilling her beer. “What are you doing?” he demanded.
    “Getting some answers about earlier today,” she said, feeling silly now that he’d yanked her away from everyone.
    “I gave you answers earlier,” he said, and she shifted her weight at the memory of how he’d looked when he’d told her she was his type.
    “I know, but you said Nash—”
    “Nash has nothing to do with this. And neither do you or I since you made it clear we’re keeping it professional,” he said.
    “Is that what you call today?” she shot back, angry at what felt like a rejection. Didn’t matter that she was the one who’d shut it down. He was being an ass.
    He shook his head. “What are you talking about?”
    “You were cold and distant and… rude all day,” she said, feeling sillier by the second for her complaints. Why should she care if he was any of those things? She hardly knew him, and she claimed not to want to.
    “I was… Gah, you’re making me crazy, woman.” He huffed and started to pace away but then doubled back, looming over her so close that it sent a delicious shiver down her arms. “I was doing what you wanted. Staying professional or whatever. Not easy when you insist on always walking in front and shaking your ass. Or filling the cab of my truck with that damned frou-frou perfume.”
    She could smell him. Mountain air and bar soap and Lord, she wanted to break her own rule right now. Jake River was the hottest and most tempting offer she’d had in a long time. Okay, ever. Maybe she’d been too rash. “Is that a compliment?” she asked, brows rising.
    “Of course it is. You’re gorgeous,” he said, exasperated, and the absurdity of their argument hit her. He was yelling at her to tell her she was pretty.
    She giggled. “I’m sorry. I’m making this difficult, aren’t I?”
    “You have no idea,” he muttered, and she felt a pang of remorse for how rude she’d been. She had only meant to protect herself from getting hurt when this inevitably ended. But now, she felt like an idiot saying that out loud.
    “Truce?” she asked instead.
    Jake’s hard expression softened, and he took her outstretched hand. Energy shot up her arm, a pleasurable zing that sent a shiver down her spine. Jake’s eyes never left hers, and she knew he noticed her reaction. She couldn’t hide her attraction, and she wondered how long it would be before they both gave in.
    “Truce,” he agreed quietly. He didn’t let her hand go as he led her back to the table with the others. Delilah wondered if all she’d managed to do was blur the line between them.
    The conversation came easier after that. Delilah marveled at how the rest of the group seemed to pick up on the eased tension between her and Jake. The way they fell into an easier banter, talking and joking more with each other—and with her. It should have bothered her more that they’d taken his side so obviously, but she was impressed. And touched. This was a family. They had each other’s back down to their very demeanor.
    Delilah watched them, ignoring the pang of longing that came with sitting inside—yet outside—such a tight-knit family. Jake sat next to her now, his arm brushing hers often as he spoke to Lucas and Nash about the upcoming rescue season. She didn’t take a single note as he listed off “trouble spots” up on the mountain or people that tended to take too many risks with their winter sports.
    “Wait, there’s a place called Cripple Creek?” She interrupted Xavier’s story about his rescue a couple of weeks ago when he had to carry a mountain biker out of a ravine. “Do I even want to know how it got its name?”
    Jake grinned.