Page 9 of Bear with Me
He grinned. "How about one of each, and you can take two chips?" With his fork, he pointed out the cheese curd and mushroom he wanted.
"My brothers take whatever they want off my plate." I gestured for him to spear them with the fork.
"That's rude," he said. "No wonder you didn't try to murder me on the plane. You're used to dealing with rude people."
I'd never thought about it that way before. My family wasn't rude, they were … "Yeah," I finally agreed. "I guess you're right."
After we ate the first bites of the three appetizers and decided they were the best we'd ever tasted, we ate in silence. Unlike with my family, the quiet didn't fill with tension or unspoken judgment. As much as I hated flying, I was glad to be here and not there.
"I'm really sorry," Blake said again. He closed his empty container and slipped it back inside the paper bag. "I was a complete asshole today. Things didn't go my way, but that's no excuse."
"Do you feel better now?" I asked.
He grinned. "Yes. Thanks for suggesting food. I would have skipped the meal, if you hadn't mentioned it." He angled his chintoward the fire. "Probably would have frozen to death out here, too. I don't know the first thing about lighting a fire."
"It will probably get cold tonight," I said. "Can I show you something?"
He laughed when I led him to the bedroom door. "Is this your way of getting me into bed with you, Ollie Beaman?"
My face burned beneath my beard, but I kept walking. He could laugh all he wanted. "There's a king-size bed."
"I know." He frowned like I'd insulted him. "Enjoy?—"
"There's plenty of room for you to sleep on one side, and I'll sleep on the other. I'll even sleep on top of the covers."
"Won't you get cold?" he asked. "Hell, I might get cold. That comforter doesn't look very thick."
"I'll be fine." I gave him my best smile. "Like you said, we might get lucky with a cot tomorrow, but for tonight …"
He looked pained, but then he nodded. "For tonight, we can share. Thank you. My back thanks you."
My bear thanked me, too. After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I lay on top of the comforter. I'd promised Blake I would, but my bear didn't understand. He wanted to cuddle, but the word he used for Blake turned my blood to ice in my veins.
"Mate."
CHAPTER 6
BLAKE
This dream was toogood to be true. I was warmer than I thought possible on a cold winter's night. Nuzzling my cheek against my warm body pillow, I snuggled closer.
I tried to throw my leg over it, but I was stuck. When I opened my eyes to see why, the memory of the night before came crashing back over me. I didn't bring my body pillow with me. I'd even forgotten my pajamas.
Instead, I had rolled up against Ollie's back and was trying to spoon him through the blankets wrapped around me. The thought startled me across the bed so fast I almost fell over the edge.
Ollie had offered me one side of the bed, not the whole thing. Here I was, taking advantage of his kindness by using him as a pillow.
"Breakfast," I whispered aloud. "I'm getting us breakfast. My treat. Please don't kill me when you wake up!"
I shook my head and walked into the kitchen. Already, I'd offered the impossible. Breakfast was my favorite meal to cook, but we'd already scoured our cupboards and found them bare. I must have expected Santa's elves or the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to stock the shelves overnight.
Still, I rummaged, reaching to the back of each tall cupboard until I found a box of pancake mix. It was a vegan ready-mix, but the tiny box wouldn't feed us both. In the cupboard beneath the open counter, I discovered a large griddle.
Somewhat anxious, I tiptoed back to the bedroom. I heard rustling behind the closed door. A moment later, Ollie stepped out, looking sleep-rumpled and gorgeous. The man did not have any right to look that amazing first thing in the morning. If he wasn't careful, I would climb him like a tree.
Bad Blake. I needed to focus on my mental health, not my libido. First, we needed groceries.
"I found pancake batter in the cupboard," I said, "but nothing else. I'm on my way to the store for the rest. Do you like pancakes?"
