ROMANCE: Mated to the Bear (Stepbrother Paranormal Shifter) (Threesome Taboo Romance) (2 page)

Adrian woke up the next morning to incredible and unbelievable smells wafting through the cracks of her bedroom door. She sat up and squinted her eyes at the light of the sun shining through the white snow outside. The night before almost seemed like a dream other than the fact that she woke up in the tiny bedroom in a log cabin where her stepbrother was avoiding her at all costs instead of in her penthouse apartment overlooking downtown.

Not feeling like putting much effort into herself just to see what the smell was and if there was bacon involved, she raked her fingers through her long, wavy, auburn hair and tugged on some jeans under her oversized tee-shirt.

Her feet seemed to stick to the floor as she wobbled her way into the living room. The smell was getting stronger, and she was almost certain now that she smelled bacon. She shuffled her way into the kitchen with the intention of making some coffee so that she could be a functioning human being, but her eyes went wide at the sight of Brady, saving over the stovetop, shirtless.

Adrian backed up as not to bump into him in that small space. His skin was glistening with sweat from the effort of having all four burners going at once. He was fully involved, almost noticing nothing else around him. Since when did he become a chef, and a hot one no less? His back muscles rippled with every movement, and from the side she could see the hints of his washboard abs. Who knew all of that was hiding underneath those flannel shirts?

She was almost reduced down to drooling over her poor stepbrother. That was just more proof how badly she needed coffee and maybe a trip to a real city.

Adrian peeled her eyes away almost unwillingly from his body and went about making her coffee. "So, I heard some interesting noises last night," Brady said suddenly, not even turning away from his pans to look at her. She didn’t even know he realized she was standing there. Hopefully, he hadn’t noticed how long her eyes had lingered on his bare upper half. "I could have told you that a walk around here late at night wasn't a good idea," he continued, making Adrian wince. He had noticed that she left the house.

"There was a bear," she answered innocently. "I ran back inside and locked the door."

Brady chuckled, showing the first emotional display she’d seen since her arrival. "Don’t go walking around out there without some kind of protection especially at night. It's just not safe." It sounded menacing the way he said it, but after her bear encounter, she knew he was probably right. He nodded over to a case holding a large rifle on the wall. "If you stay out here long term it might be a good idea to learn how to shoot that," he suggested, letting her know that it wasn't just some odd decoration.

Adrian gulped down her cup of coffee nervously. All the talk of guns and danger was giving her the chills. “You know, I might not have gone out there if I wasn’t so bored. There’s nothing to do around here; not even cable,” Adrian complained, trying to save face as she waited patiently at the dining room table. Brady was beginning to turn off the burners and out food into plates, and her stomach was responding with a hungry growl.

“There’s a DVD player,” Brady answered with a sly smile, making him out to be a smart ass. Some things never changed. It looked like they were getting back into the brother and sister groove.

“Then, I guess you are going to have to take me into town today to rent some movies and get some other things to do; maybe even some great food so I can cook dinner tonight.” Brady gave her a sideways glance as he silently slammed her plate down in front of her. Adrian knew that he would agree to it, though because she was going to sue her annoyance powers as a step sister to make sure he did.

Chapter 3

As the car traveled north up the rural highway that led them back towards the mountain where Adrian was now hiding out from her abusive ex-boyfriend, she could tell that Brady was frustrated with her. She had filled the back with things she felt were essentials; everything from stylish and warm clothes to food and movies. She had even got some puzzle books and novels. She didn’t know what else to do while she was in the middle of nowhere, so she thought she should try a little of everything homebody would do.

Brady had spent the whole time worried about how long they were spending in town and how hard it was going to be to get back after the sun went down. They had just passed through a tiny town, and everything seemed perfectly fine so far. It was just cold and snowy as always. She wasn't sure what he was so worked up about unless he really was that against being around other people.

Adrian glanced over at her stepbrother to see that his jaw was tight with worry, and he was focused on the road. Things were getting too silent for her, and she thought some music might do the both of them some good. So, she flipped on the radio in his car, which seemed to startle him before causing him to huff angrily. Mostly what she found were fuzzy stations of country music or talking or just ones with no signal. Finally, she came along one that came in clear that was playing an old song; but it was one she liked.

Adrian began to bob her head along to the music as she watched the scenery go dark with nightfall out of her window. Her stomach started to growl, and she began to think about the meal she would prepare when they got back to the place she was temporarily calling home. Everything seemed okay for a few moments like her new life was something she could bear, but then the car jerked and wobbled until it ceased to move. She looked outside and couldn’t tell much other than the fact that the tires were spinning but weren’t taking them anywhere.

Brady gave her a sideways glance as if the whole thing were her fault before climbing out and inspecting the vehicle. He got back in looking even angrier. "We're stuck," he informed her. That was pretty obvious, but she didn’t understand why. "We've hit a very thick blanket of snow with ice underneath. This is why I wanted to get home before dark. Please tell me you have that satellite phone with you."

Adrian patted her pockets and pulled the phone out with a smug look. She wasn't about to be caught without that modern convenience. She watched as Brady dialed a number and talked to whoever he had called to rescue them. It sounded like maybe her hermit stepbrother had a friend after all.

"C'mon, you'll have to help me get the cold groceries into the snow for now," Brady barked, throwing her phone back to her.

"Wait, why?" Adrian asked, getting out of the car and feeling an instant chill on her cheeks. "Isn't whoever you called coming to help us out?" she shouted over the wind which was howling yet again. Apparently, that was the only sound she was ever going to hear again.

"Yes, but it's going to be over an hour until he gets here. Now let's get these groceries out of here!" he ordered once again as her shoulders drooped. What were they going to do on the side of a rural highway stuck in the snow for over an hour? Adrian shook her head and began pulling the items that needed to stay cold and packing them in the snow next to the car like a natural freezer. The sky was getting even darker which made her feel nervous as she climbed back into the passenger seat.

"Now what do we do?" she asked her stepbrother, covering her cold hands with the sleeves of her jacket.

"We wait," he said nonchalantly without even looking at her. His eyes were closed, and he was leaning back in the seat. It infuriated her how comfortable he could be with the situation, but then again it was at least slightly her own fault for not listening to him.

"So, since we're stuck together for a while," Adrian said, clearing her throat loudly. She wasn't sure if she meant in the car or in general, but either way it applied. "I think we should start talking; catch up maybe."

"Great, how about you go first?" Brady said with seemingly no intention of listening. Adrian decided to speak anyways. It was better than the silence.

"Well, I went to community college and threw myself into school and school activities." At first Adrian was excited to talk about her life. But then she remembered that community college was not only where she met the woman that got her into recruiting and got her a job where she still worked, but it was also where she met Wolf, a.k.a. jerk. She cleared her throat, unsure if she wanted to talk about it.

"I had an apartment in Portland, at least until now, and I'm a top recruiter for a big company. The end." She put her hands in the air and gave an awkward chuckle. It didn’t sound so great anymore.

"I would assume that gap you left out there has to do with the reason you had to come stay with me." It didn’t really come out of Brady's mouth as a question. She had told her parents to only let him in on what he needed to know to let her stay there and nothing more. But the rest was probably easy to guess. She let her silence do that talking.

"I'll take that as a yes. I know that you didn’t want me knowing about any of that stuff, but Mom thought it would keep you safer if I knew exactly what was going on. I can't believe someone would treat anyone like that." Adrian looked at Brady, who was shaking his head. It wasn't something she thought he would find so upsetting. To be honest, she didn’t ever remember him caring much. "Don't worry, though. I won’t let him get to you even if he does find you; which I don't foresee." He shot her a bright smile that made her feel calm.

Once again, Adrian dared to let her eyes rake over him and notice the few curled hair peeking out of the top of his shirt and the muscles that were hard to hide in what he was wearing. It was so strange to be attracted to her stepbrother, even if it was something she would never act on.

"Thanks for that," she replied. He reached over and squeezed her hand, and it sent chills down her spine that had nothing to do with the temperature. As they looked at each other, it was clear there was a new relationship forming. Adrian just didn’t know what kind. “But now, it’s your turn,” she teased with a chuckle, wanting him to spill the beans as well. What had he been doing since they saw each other last other than becoming some lumberjack hermit?

“Well, I actually developed a building technique in my sophomore year of college that changed everything for me. I sold the idea to a construction company and used the money to buy this place once I graduated. My work now is pretty lucrative. I do a lot of consulting on individual building projects and have to travel for that. The trips can be long, but they don’t happen very often. I like it that way. I can enjoy my time in the mountains where I like it. I know you don’t care for it, but to me, it’s so peaceful and close to where humans should be. I’m connected to the trees and mountains and everything that lives in it instead of blocked in by a house on either side of me.”

When he described it that way, it actually made a little sense. “Very new age hippie,” she said approvingly. “You’re right that I’m not a fan, but I get the point. Besides, the isolation does come in handy for me right now.” Adrian shrugged as a pair of headlight came up behind them.

“Looks like we’ve been saved,” Brady announced with a sheepish smile, but Adrian didn’t know that she was ready to be saved.

Chapter 4

It was rounding out the end of Adrian' second week living with her stepbrother as she went about her nightly routine. She had become used to going to bed at an earlier hour and things being a little quiet and dark around ten at night. She had her routine down where she put on her pajamas and had tea while reading. Sometimes, she would do a crossword or some other puzzle instead of she hadn’t done it in the morning while Brady was cooking breakfast.

Things between the two of them had also become quite different, and Adrian felt a little strange. She had yet to broach the subject, though, and she doubted Brady would ever bring it up.

Adrian walked into the kitchen just as Brady scuffled in looking a little bit too tempting to be her lousy stepbrother. His hair was tied back into a messy ponytail that defined the angles of his jaw as they moved. His shirt was white and tight so that his muscles were visible. She had half a mind to say something so he wouldn’t dress so distractingly, but that would mean admitting that she liked the way he looked. She wasn't about to cross that line, especially now that his place as finally feeling a bit like a home for her.

Adrian tried not make eye contact and reached for the handle on the refrigerator door, getting a surprise when Brady's hand landed on top of hers. She followed the arm all the way up to his face, and he was just staring lazily at their hands together like he was unsure just how his hand got there. "Sorry," he said with a sheepish but polite smile. "I guess I get a little clumsy when I get tired. I was just about to reach for some..."

"Milk," Adrian finished his sentence and pulled out the milk; pouring it into her mug before setting it on the counter just within his reach. He had a bashful stance about him, and she could feel her cheeks getting hot. Things were getting more awkward each second, and they just kept looking at each other.

Finally, Adrian peeled her eyes away and went about heating up her tea bag so that she could enjoy a warm beverage before wrapping up in the covers in bed to avoid the chill. She leaned up against the counter and tried not to react to the fact that Brady was pouring his milk only an inch or two away from her. It was like there was some wave or energy passing between them. She didn’t know what to think of it or certainly what to do as she felt her skin seared by yet another accidental touch.

Adrian held her breath as the water began to boil and turn dark with the colors of the tea she had chosen to brew. She snatched up the tea just as soon as she could, carelessly leaving the burner on for Brady to turn off. He did it without complaint and soon joined her; sitting on the opposite couch as Brody.

She pulled out her crossword puzzle to pass the time and help make her brain ready to shut down. Brody pointed to it with inquisitive eyes. "Want some help?" he offered, and Adrian didn’t detect anything like a ritual or him mocking her in any way.

"Sure, I would love some help. Let’s do one of the harder ones," she told him, getting a little excited. Was she actually about to have some real adult interaction? If so, she wasn't going to turn the opportunity down.

"How about a ten letter word that means superfluous?" she called out as he took his now empty glass to the kitchen. She had to talk loudly over the sudden clanging of dishes which let her in on the fact that he was doing his nightly chores which included washing whatever they had used that day.

Brady began to grumble under his breath, and Adrian wondered if he was thinking out loud. Trying to figure out the answer. But the next few words that came out of his mouth shocked her beyond what she thought she was able to be shocked by something. Adrian had seen and experienced a lot of things, but this was somehow at the top of the list.

"Before we get all involved in finding the answers to these crazy clues, there's something I feel like I should share with you." His voice sounded shaky and nervous. And Adrian wondered what he would need to talk about before they filled out crossword together. "I know that you're itching to get out of here because you don’t think you belong here, but I feel it might be worth it to let you in on the fact that I like you a lot; I care about you a lot. I think I care for you more than just a brother should." His dimples could be seen from across the room as he turned around to look at Adrian as if he could decipher her precise response from the way she was sitting.

Adrian was sure it looked like her jaw was hanging to the floor in that moment and for good reason. It sounded like her stepbrother, the one that she’d hated growing up with, had just told her that he had romantic feelings for her.

He continued without any response from Adrian. “Actually, I had feelings for you a long time ago. I just didn’t know how to tell you, and I was pretty sure you didn’t like me. I moved on with my life thinking that we’d probably never see each other again beyond a couple of holidays here and there, but now here you are living with me.” He sounded more like he was talking to himself as he shook his head incredulously and let out a slow laugh. He looked at the floor. Adrian was at a loss as to what to do or say. A few times in her head she had thought of him as attractive or nice lately, but that was as far as it went.

Now that the possibility was out there that she could be with her stepbrother, it sounded all kinds of taboo. And she didn’t know if she was that type of girl. So, she sunk down in her seat and began the crossword, hoping he would understand that she needed time to process the bomb he had just dropped.