Page 39 of Bearnapped at the Altar

Her expression brightened. “Whatever it is, I’m probably in. I seriously hate owing anyone anything.”

“Hear me out before you agree.” It wasn’t a fully formed thought, but I was pretty sure we could make this work. “Why don’t you come work at Sawtooth Security? The reason we were able to solve this case was because of the work that you did—while you worked for Gideon and even when we went back to the office. Not only were you able to get us past Josephine and into the offices, but you stayed levelheaded enough to find those documents, and then deal the lethal blow to Gideon when it mattered most.”

She was quiet for a moment.

“It’s an incredible offer, but I’m afraid I might be a one-hit wonder,” she finally said.

I growled again. “What did I just say about minimalizing your accomplishments? And we’re overdue for an expansion. The reason Bellamy couldn’t be here today was he had to go back to the office. We’ve already got a backlog of work, and we haven’t had the bear power to take everything on?—”

“Because you took my case.”

“You case was personal.” I had no idea how personal it would be. “But now it’s done, and we can help more clients. You have a unique perspective, and you’ll be able to work your magic with clients who don’t connect with us. I need you, Tegan. I want you in my life, I crave you in my bed, and I need you working by my side.”

“When you say it like that, how could I refuse?” She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “It’s an amazing offer, and I’m in. It’s gonna be so much fun to get to work with you and solve cases.”

“They’re not all exciting,” I warned. “Some of them are just security detail. Others are mountains of paperwork. But sometimes, we get to right a wrong and it makes up for all the boring stuff.”

“I don’t think life with you could ever be boring, Barrett.”

“It’s super cute in here,” Tegan said as I led her into my cabin. It felt like a lifetime since I’d been in my home.

“I haven’t changed much since Renee passed.” I said, looking at everything through different eyes. “It always made me feel like I was coming home to her.”

“I love that.” Tegan let go of my hand, doing a sweep of the living room. There were throw blankets and half-finished science projects everywhere. A giant TV and a leather recliner were the only two clues I lived here too. “It’s super cozy, and I can feel her here. I love that you kept it the same.”

She wandered into the kitchen, considering everything. She looked up at me, eyes wide and full of an emotion that I wasn’t prepared for. “Something tells me Renee wasn’t the cook.”

“You’d be right. Maybe we can get some stuff delivered, and I’ll make dinner for you.”

Tegan closed her eyes, and a low moan that made my cock twitch escaped from her lips. “I would love that so much. I’ve had nothing but takeout and catering since I became a Beastlerette?—”

“A what?”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s what they called the contestants on the show. And we were competing for the Moonlight Beast.”

“Have you gotten the need to be on a reality show out of your system? I hear you have an offer from your favorite.”

“A week ago, if The Real Werewives called, I would have been all over it. But now.” She grabbed my shirt and pulled me in closer to her. “I’ve found a hot bear and I want to stick around for a while.”

“Yeah?” I liked the sound of that.

“But I still want to go to Red Heaven,” she added.

“We will.” I rumbled. My bear was ready to rip her clothes off at the thought. “So now we’ll be working together, and we’re together, and you probably need some place to live. I still have the lease on that cabin, but it’s a little far…” I was nervous at this next thought. It was a huge leap, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but I wanted this. “My daughter’s usually here, and I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s really amazing. Smartest person I ever met. Won’t eat my cooking unless I threaten to ground her though…she’d live off frozen waffles if I let her?—”

Tegan interrupted me with a kiss. “Barrett. Where are you going with this?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to stay here.”

“Oh.”

Fuck. “That’s not the answer I was expecting.”

“It came out all wrong. Let me try again.” She took a deep breath, steeling herself between me and the counter. “You’ve literally changed my life, and in a few short days, I can’t even imagine what it would be like without you in it. This room is totally yours…but the rest of the house is still all Renee. Your heart is still in pieces over losing her. Are you ready for this?”

“I don’t know, but opportunities like this don’t come when you’re ready. They come when they’re right. And this feels right, Tegan. I want you here. In my life.”

“What about Natalie?”

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