Page 14 of Coveted By The Bear

“Hey, don’t do that. Don’t retreat like nothing happened, Hope, because this is just the beginning.”

Our gazes locked, and I saw truth and something else burning in his. I knew better than to trust someone so easily.

And no, I was not lying when I said men usually didn’t bother wasting pickup lines on me. I didn’t know how to play games. Even if I did, I wouldn’t.

I knew little to nothing about Miles Orson. But if this was a line, I was dangerously close to buying it.

Shit.

“I really hope you mean that, Miles.”

“I do. Text me when you get to work?”

“Why?”

“So, I know you got there safely,” he replied.

My mouth made a circle of surprise, and he grinned, dropping a kiss right smack on my lips.

“Go on,” he said, and I nodded.

I guess I was going to text him when I got there.

Chapter Seven-Miles

My inner Grizzly preened the second I received a text alert on my phone. It was from Hope.

Got here. Texted like I said.

Um. The part for your bike should be in the last delivery of the day.

OMG. I texted you like three times now.

Last one. Promise.

Oh, I forgot to say goodbye. So this is the last one. Officially. For now. Okay, bye-bye.

Five texts. She sent me five texts. I was smiling so damn hard as I read them.

My inner monster was doing somersaults, and still, I stood there grinning like an idiot.

Then I remembered I should probably text her back.

Glad you got there safely. Don’t work too hard. I’ll see you later, Pretty Girl.

My chest felt tight, but it was a good feeling. Like I was happy. I wasn’t used to that feeling, but I was almost certain that’s what it was.

I walked to the backyard, to the stack of lumber, and removed the tarp. After Hope told me about her plans, I figured this would be a good way to pay her back for her kindness.

I was good with my hands. Had worked for a bit in construction, plus I’d helped with more than a handful of home projects like this when I was younger.

Once I downloaded a set of plans for the deck, I searched for tools and supplies in the garage. She was a neat little thing. Organized too.

It wasn’t long before I found everything I needed. But before I started working, my phone rang, and I grabbed it, frowning at the phone number.

It was one I didn’t recognize, but I clicked the green button, anyway.

“You think you can run away and hide after what you did?”

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