Bear’s brows narrowed, his lips firm. The once lustful look became scowled. I pushed back into the pillow, worried why he was giving me such a look. I thought we were on the same page, thought what we shared was amazing.
“Don’t talk about dying,” he grumbled. “Never say you will die, even in a joking manner.”
I let out a breath, my hand reaching out and touching his sweaty chest.
“I-I’m sorry?”
His forehead touched mine. “I don’t like hearing about death, especially from you. You were on death’s door just last week, and here you are, beneath me. I don’t need the reminder of how I almost lost you.”
I cocked my head to the side. Why should he care? He didn’t know me last week. I’d heard them talking. It was just a favor to Delilah. I saved her, and she wanted me saved in return once she knew I was still alive.
Why would he care so much? Surely, they all weren’t so saintly?
“You don’t know me—not really. You wouldn’t miss me that much.” I let out a soft laugh, but Bear didn’t; his gaze hardened further.
“All life is precious, Nadia. If I had found your heart no longer beating in your chest on that dingy cot, it would have hurt me far more than you realize.”
I swallowed as I nodded, taking his words in carefully. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” I blinked and pushed my glasses back up my nose.
He smirked and kissed my forehead, his beard tickling my face. “I know. My brothers and I are just overly sensitive with the word.”
“Rogue, shifter, biker guys being sensitive? That sounds like an oxymoron.”
Bear hummed, his knuckles grazing my cheek.
Bear stood up and grabbed my shorts from the floor. He tenderly placed them around my ankles and slid them up my legs without looking at my naked form, a promise he kept by not looking at my privates.
“It’s time to feed you, little bee. I won’t have you getting sick. Then it’s off to bed with you.”
At that moment, I let out a tired yawn, and he chuckled softly as he scooped me up. Damn him, he knew me better than I knew myself.
I was still a pile of goo when he sat me in the chair. My legs trembled as I sat there waiting for a steaming pile of meaty, chunky tomato sauce covering the noodles that were overdone.
We ate in silence. Luckily, I could feed myself this time. I didn’t miss the glances, the twitches of his fingers that wanted to reach over and grab my fork when my hands trembled, but he let me do it on my own. I needed to do it on my own if I was ever going to get back to my old life.
Which was alone in my old apartment.
I wasn’t so sure I ever wanted to be alone again, though. Two years in solitary confinement made me crave people. It made me want to be around people once I got to know them, but most of all, made me want to be around Bear.
I knew I couldn’t stay around him forever, that much I knew. I could enjoy it a little while longer, though.
Once dinner was over, he cleaned up without letting me help and tended to me like a child. I tried to resist, but it was futile. Bear led me to the bathroom, showing me one side of the vanity where there was an open drawer space for tooth and hairbrushes.
My eyes were heavy as I took in the bathroom and he explained where everything was for me. Nothing was registering while I yawned, and finally, he stopped talking in his deep voice, picked up the hairbrush, and began brushing my hair. That put me into a deeper state of bliss as he brushed it, calming me further. I watched him as he concentrated in the mirror, braiding it down my back.
Bear was a serious bear, that was for certain. I’d seen how he was with his friends. He was frightening when we were around them, but with me, he was nothing but a giant teddy bear.
My lip curled into a smile as he finished, and he put toothpaste on my toothbrush and left the bathroom. When he returned, he had changed into grey sweatpants and left off his shirt. My mouth dropped as I took in his body and jerked it away before he caught me staring.
“You can stare all you want,” he said cockily, coming up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck. “But your orders are for you to get some sleep.”
My orders?
I swallowed and took the shirt he held up beside me. It was one of his to wear to bed.
Bear waited outside the bathroom door, not giving me any space, and led me to the bedroom. The only bedroom in the entire cabin.
Well, isn’t this a scene right out of a romance novel Mama used to read in her alone time?
