Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“What the hell are you doing out here by yourself?” My inner polar bear takes over and roars before my human side is able to stop him.
My mate’s eyes narrow adorably as she slams her hands down on her curvy hips. “What’s it to you?”
My human side recognizes how much trouble I’m in and automatically starts to backpedal. “What I meant to ask is are you okay?” I barely recognize my own fucking voice. Standing this close to her has a crazy effect on my heart.
“I’m… uh… fine.” Her gorgeous eyes wander everywhere but toward me as she fidgets. “Actually, I’m a little lost, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“How did you get out here by yourself?” I need to know what I’m working with. If some asshole dropped her out here and abandoned her, I’ll kill the motherfucker. In the space of a few seconds, this little human just became the most important thing in the world to me.
“I’m new to town,” she admits, looking over my shoulder, and I’m not surprised. I’ve lived in this town my entire life and have never run into my mate. “I decided to take a hike and explore, but I got turned around when I stopped to take a little break.”
Thank God she stumbled upon me before something bad happened. The thought of something harming my mate sends chills down my spine.
“And you’re unharmed?” It’s my main concern. Her eyes meet mine for a brief second, and she starts fidgeting and looking around again.
“Yes.” A blush moves across her delicate skin. “I’m just not used to being questioned by a naked penis,” my mate blurts out, causing my eyes to widen. “I mean…” She gives her head a shake and starts again. “A naked man. Can you please put on some clothes before we discuss my situation?”
“I didn’t expect to run into anyone out here, so I didn’t bring any clothes with me.” Shifters don’t have the same hang-ups about nudity that humans do.
“Oh. Makes sense.” She nibbles on her juicy bottom lip and looks up over my head. “Can you point me in the direction of the parking area at the park entrance? That’s where my rental car is, and I’ll get out of your way.”
“The parking lot is about a hundred yards over that ridge.” As I point in the direction of the parking lot, I realize my mistake. I should be finding a way to keep my mate close, not showing her how to get away.
“I can’t freaking believe I was that close,” my mate mutters under her breath before turning to rush off in the direction I pointed. “Well, thanks so much for your help,” she calls over her shoulder and hightails it down the trail like her ass is on fire.
As she disappears from view, my polar bear gives me an internal slap to the side of the head. I snap out of my frozen state, realizing I just let my soulmate walk away. And I didn’t even find out her fucking name.
Meeting my little goddess must’ve fried my brain circuits. It’s the only excuse I can come up with for my own stupidity in letting my mate escape while I stand here like a naked bump on a log. Fuck me. I follow her delicate, floral scent all the way to the parking lot until I find the spot where the smell completely disappears. Fuck.
After shifting back to my bear, I make my way home in a stupor. I spend the rest of the night kicking my own ass for letting my mate slip through my fingers. The next morning, I wake up exhausted but with a new purpose. Sometime during the night, I realized my human soulmate will stick out like a sore thumb in this tiny, mostly shifter town. How hard can it be to track down a gorgeous human visitor in Glacier Pass?
Turns out luck is on my side, and finding my girl isn’t difficult at all.
Chapter 4
EMILIA
You can do this chants through my mind on a continuous loop as I walk up the brick steps leading to the gorgeous plantation-style home that houses Bearly Frosty Snow Removal. When I pulled into the driveway, I realized this house is about a mile from the spot where the hot polar bear shifter saved me yesterday. There’s no stopping my thoughts from flashing automatically to my unexpected savior.
Darn. I can’t seem to forget about Mr. Tall Dark and Naked. I spent all evening yesterday replaying my crazy afternoon, wondering if I made a mistake by running away before I even found out his name.
After a long, sleepless night, I woke up tired and irritated, which is unfortunate since I have my interview this morning.
Luckily, a long hot shower seemed to revive me some. Plus, I stopped at Rise & Grind for an extra-large mocha before grabbing a honey bun from Honey Buns II. The extra sugar and healthy dose of caffeine helped improve my mood significantly. The out-of-sorts feeling I’ve been experiencing since I escaped my naked rescuer went away the second I pulled up this driveway, so I’m hopeful my interview will be successful. Taking a deep breath, I ring the doorbell and wait.