Page 10 of Honey for the Bear

“Try me,” I say, my heart pounding.

He looks at me then, really looks at me, and the raw vulnerability in his eyes takes my breath away.

“You don’t understand,” he says, his voice rough.“It’s not that simple.”

“Then tell me,” I say, reaching across the table to touch his hand.

The moment my fingers brush his, he jerks back like I’ve burned him, and the pain that flashes across his face is almost unbearable.

“Hannah,” he says, my name coming out like a plea.

“Cameron,” I whisper, my chest aching.

For a moment, we just stare at each other, the air between us thick with tension.And then, suddenly, he’s moving.

He grabs my wrist, his touch firm but gentle, and pulls me to my feet.The heat of his hand seeps into my skin, and I feel the rough calluses on his fingers.

“Hannah,” he says again, his voice low and strained.

“Yes?”I whisper, my heart pounding so loudly I barely hear him.

His eyes lock on to mine, dark and stormy, and for a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me.But then he lets go of my wrist and takes a step back, his expression conflicted.

“You should go,” he says, his voice tight.

I stare at him, my chest aching, but I nod.“Okay.”

I turn to leave, but before I reach the door, he grabs my hand again, his touch lingering this time.

“Hannah,” he says, his voice barely audible.

I turn back to him, and the look in his eyes steals the breath from my lungs.

“Thank you,” he says, his voice raw.

“For what?”I whisper.

“For being you,” he says, his grip on my hand tightening for just a moment before he lets go.

I leave the cabin, my heart heavy and my mind racing, the warmth of his touch still lingering on my skin.

Chapter 6

Cameron

ThesecondHannahwalksout my door, her scent lingering in the air like a ghost, my restraint snaps.I pace the cabin, each step feeling like a battle between my bear and me.My body is tense, my muscles coiled and my chest tight with the weight of everything I can’t say.

Her eyes—damn, her eyes—keep playing on a loop in my head.The way she looked at me, like she was trying to see past every wall I’ve spent years building.Like she wanted to fix me.

But she can’t fix me.

I rake a hand through my hair, the strands damp with sweat despite the cool night air seeping through the cracked window.My bear growls low in my chest, its frustration bleeding into mine.

Go after her.

The thought slams into me with the force of a freight train, but I shove it down.No.I can’t.She deserves better than this.Better than me.

But then why does it feel like I’m ripping myself in two?

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