Hero Bear: BBW Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (11 page)

“Don’t kill him,” Anna whispered as Katie passed her carrying his food.

“Can I singe him a little?”

“Better not, he looks like the type who’s friends with the cops.”

Katie huffed a stray copper curl out of her eyes for about the tenth time that morning, and put on her best smile. She’d grown up dealing with men like him: loud, obnoxious, uncouth—smelly. At least she was willing to bet the teamster couldn’t turn into a nine-foot tall bear and maul her if she pissed him off. And her mother wondered why she never wanted to be the mate of an alpha bear. “Here you go.”

“Took you long enough,” he said as she got to his table. “Where’s my coffee, heifer?”

She kept smiling, and leaned over closer. “Listen, ‘sweetcheeks.’ I know you’re a big man who likes to talk big, and that’s fine. You can say whatever you want to say about me, but you leave my friend out of it.” She looked him in the eye. “Didn’t anybody ever tell you it’s a bad idea to piss off the people handling your food?” She walked away to get his coffee.

By the time she came back with the coffee pot, he’d thought up a witty response. “Hey girlie, you better—”

“I’m just saying.” Katie finished pouring the hot, hot coffee without spilling a drop. “This coffee is really hot, and accidents do happen.” She shook her head. “Floor gets slippery, especially over here. It’d be a shame if all this boiling hot coffee wound up in somebody’s lap.”

“You wouldn’t.”

Katie just smiled at him. “Slippery floor. You stay sweet to everybody, and I’ll be sure to be extra careful.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Now you’re getting it.” She blew him a kiss and went to take care of her other customers. Including and especially Jake and his friend.

“What did you say to him?” Jake asked. “He went white as a sheet.”

Katie poured coffee for the two men, this time with no threat of bodily harm. “We just had a little talk about food safety.”

Jake looked at her with wide, awed eyes. “Damn, woman. Marry me. Anybody who can shake up an old goat like that is somebody I want on my side.”

A tingle shot down her spine, as if she thought he really meant it.
Stop it. Doesn’t matter how much he stares at your boobs, he’s not the type to go for you
.

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The Right Bear’s Arms
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