Page 10 of A Beary Merry Christmas

As Stone walked away, an older male with peppered hair and a lean, athletic body approached. He thrust a hand towards me. “Hi. I’m Gary, one of the personal trainers on staff here.”

“Hi.” I allowed him to take my hand, but was quick to withdraw it. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but there was something off about the man, and not in a mysteriously sexy sort of way.

My muscles immediately tensed, intuitively recoiling. A ball of unease formed in my gut, prompting me to take a step back. The way he looked at me had warning bells screaming in my head. He was a predator, or a predator in the making.

“You’re not here to lose weight, are you?” He gave me a charming yet incredulous smirk.

“No, she’s here to see me.” He practically growled at the man.

I jumped as one strong arm came around my waist, possessively hauling my back to his hard front, surrounding me in his warmth. The way he curled around me comforted and soothed me. I didn’t know how, but I knew Stone would protect me; I felt protected already.

Gary held up his palms in surrender and slowly backed away.

It wasn’t until he was gone that Stone relaxed his body, inadvertently showcasing just how edgy he’d been. “Let’s get out of here.” He kissed the top of my head. The move seemed so natural. “Where do you want to go?” He tightened his grip on me, tugging me flush against him, causing heat to gather in my womb.

“Your house.” I blurted the answer before I could consider my phrasing. I knew it was an innocent request, but he didn’t. Most men assumed far more. I hoped he didn’t assume far more, because, with the way my apex was responding to the feel of him, the way my breasts were beginning to swell, the way desire was awakening within me, I knew I wouldn’t have the strength to deny him.

“You don’t have to tell me twice. We can order take-out and watch a marathon of whatever you want.” Breaking away, he snagged my hand, dragging me back towards the front of the gym.

I breathed a sigh of relief, if but temporarily, as he released me. I needed the time and space to regain control of myself. Of everything thus far, my body’s reaction to his touch was the most surprising.

Stepping into his office, he walked around his desk. He clicked the mouse for his computer a few times, opened the top drawer of his desk, grabbed his keys and wallet, and made a beeline for me again. Flipping the light switch off, he stuffed his wallet into the pocket of his sweats. Meeting my gaze, a smile lifted his lips. “Let’s go, beautiful.”

Closing the door behind us, we paused so he could lock it. Putting a hand on the small of my back, he guided me out, tossing a, “See you later,” at the front desk on our way past it.

“Uh huh.” Lana snickered, assuming the worst I was sure.

Gliding his arm fully around my waist, he pulled me into his side. “Ignore her. Please.” The fact that her words worried him, the fact that he believed her words would upset me and was quick to reassure me, in fact did reassure me of my decision today.

Placing my hand atop his on my midsection, I nodded, letting him lead me outside. Shifting to move behind me as we approached the exit, I felt his eyes on me. Before I could reach for it, he pushed the door open for me and angled back as I stepped outside. The cold air slapped my skin even through my layers, causing me to stop and shiver. It had to be a solid five degrees cooler than when I’d arrived.

He grunted. “You are so damn sexy.”

Biting back a smile, I glanced over my shoulder at him. I burst out laughing at the goofy grin on his face. If I doubted his attraction to me, that single expression made it undeniable. My heart seemed to bounce in my chest, elation and relief swarming me.

Closing the distance between us, he cocooned me in his heat once again, and the cold ceased to penetrate me. I could easily become addicted to the feel of him, the feeling of being impenetrable so long as I was in his arms.

Without thinking, I followed him to his truck, coming to an abrupt halt at the sight of the luxury Rover. There was no gym management position that paid that well, which meant he had to be telling me the truth. Either that or he was secretly a trust fund kid.

Pausing, he studied me, his features twisting minutely. “No one will touch your car, and I have the whole place wired with hidden cameras if they do.” He sniffed, rubbing his nose with one finger.

Rationally speaking, I shouldn’t get in the car with a man I just met. But therein lied the problem: I hadn’t just met him. I’d seen him for the first time, but I’d met him months ago. I knew a solid chunk of his life story and he knew a solid chunk of mine.

I knew he was supposed to be named Winston Alexander Pullen, but, due to a typo, he was legally named Winstone, hence the nickname Stone. I knew he was born and raised in Atlanta, but he liked the freedom that came with no neighbors, so he moved to Black Fall. He planted roots here because his parents were free spirits who abandoned stability the moment he turned eighteen. They lived off the grid now and only visited once a year with about the same amount of phone calls a year. He never knew if they were okay or not; it’s why he was the way he was with me.

He started Beast Mode because he wanted a place where he could workout without stares or judgment. He busted his ass as a delivery driver during the day and a bartender at night until he had enough capital to put a down payment on the property and to purchase the equipment he needed to get going. When he came up a little short, Nate invested the rest and had a twenty-percent ownership as a result, but remained a silent partner for the most part.

This man was smart, sexy, kind, and, based off of how he treated and protected me today, he genuinely cared about me, which gave me every reason in the world to get in the SUV.

Meeting his stare, I nodded my head in agreement. “Okay.”

Pursing his lips, on the verge of a smirk, he moved to the vehicle. “I promise not to bite…hard.” He winked, opening the passenger door for me. There was something endearing about his tease; it was probably the combination of his red nose and the childlike gleam of mischief in his depths.

Walking around him and the door, I climbed into the passenger seat. Sitting in his car, watching him as he closed the door, being in awe of him as he stalked around to the driver’s side, I couldn’t help but think this just might be the best impulse decision I’d ever made.

Chapter Eight

December 19th

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