Double Bear Chase: Werebear BBW Menage Romance (Hockey Bear Season Book 3) Page 10

  Foster rushed to open the car door for her before getting inside and starting the engine.

  “Where are we even going?” she asked, acutely aware of him next to her.

  “You’ll see,” he replied, a mysterious smile on his face.

  “Now I feel like I’m being kidnapped,” she joked, glancing out the window at the lush greenery around them.

  “I wouldn’t mind having you all to myself for a while.”

  “Now that’s true kidnapper talk,” Hanna pointed out.

  “You pretty much held me hostage in your office at first. I wanted to be anywhere else,” he replied, shooting her a heated look. “Now, it’s the exact opposite.”

  Hanna had no idea what to say to that. Her mouth had suddenly dried up anyway, so it didn’t really matter. This went beyond cheeky flirting and some inappropriate comments. There was a vulnerability in his words that made them much more real than she was ready to deal with.

  She had already dated a shifter once, and that didn’t end well for her. Vince had seemed like a decent, normal guy at first. Before he turned into a real psycho, that was. Hanna caught herself absentmindedly rubbing her wrist, almost like she was trying to feel the metal plate hidden under the skin and tissue there.

  It only took her a second to feel immensely bad for even thinking of Vince in the same breath as Foster. There had been red flags from the start with Vince, she had just chosen to ignore them. All she felt when she was around Foster was a pervading sense of safety and warmth.

  She hadn’t even really been that surprised to hear that he and Finn spent their off-season training kids. From what she’d come to learn about their character, that was exactly the thing they’d do.

  She had pegged them as arrogant and childish at first, but there was a lot more to them than that. Seeing them here, with their dad, only served to reinforce that.

  “Your dad is really nice,” she said, feeling like the silence was stretching on and it was her turn to speak.

  I pretty much have to say something after that comment he made, she thought, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

  “That’s what you came up with?” Foster chuckled, seeing right through her.

  Goddamnit. I’m the psychologist here.

  “I don’t know what to say,” she admitted. “I’m your therapist, Foster. I can’t be more than that.”

  “I didn’t say you have to be. But I had to say out loud what I’ve been thinking. Emotional honesty and all that,” he grinned.

  Hanna smiled at that. He was a quick study, this one.

  “We’re here,” he announced a moment later, pulling into a huge, new-looking parking lot.

  Craning her neck, Hanna looked out her window. A huge, dome-shaped building stood in front of her, with lettering across the front.

  “You brought me to the ice rink?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

  “It’s been a while since I’ve had skates on. You don’t want me to get rusty, do you? And you are here for support.”

  “Well played,” she replied, pursing her lips.

  “Come on,” he grinned at her, hopping out of the car.

  Hanna followed suit, feeling more carefree and spontaneous than she had in a while. She hadn’t had any more strange phone calls since getting to Shifter Grove, and this place was so tiny, she didn’t think any of Vince’s buddies would be hanging around here. They preferred to run their racket in bigger cities, after all.

  “Can we even get in there right now?” she asked.

  “I still have friends here,” Foster replied.

  As if on cue, the massive doors of the rink popped open, with an older man standing there, holding two pairs of skates.

  “I may have called ahead,” Foster remarked.

  “Wait. I’m going to be skating too? Won’t I just get in the way?”

  There was another reason than obviously being an inferior skater that made Hanna doubt this was a good idea. Gliding on the ice in an empty ice rink with only Foster around? She had seen enough romantic comedies to know that could only spell trouble for her already fraying self-control.

  “No hand-holding,” she warned, pointing a finger at Foster before she let him guide her inside.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, in that all too innocent way that told her he hadn’t meant a word he’d just said.

  Twenty

  Foster

  Foster couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Hanna flail around when she first got on the ice, trying to get her balance. He kept himself close by in case she started to fall, but otherwise stayed out of her way.

  There will be absolutely no hand-holding, after all, he grinned to himself, thinking of Hanna’s request.

  Holding her hand was the last thing on his mind as he watched those curves of hers perfectly outlined in tight jeans and a fitted t-shirt. He would much more prefer wrapping his arms around her waist, or cupping that luscious ass, or maybe taking her face in his hands and kissing her until she forgot all about ‘professional ethics’ and ‘boundaries within a working relationship’.

  “You need some help there?” he called out from behind her.

  “No, no. I’m totally fine,” she replied, leaning back and forth a couple of times before finding her center of gravity.

  Skating to her side, Foster kept a respectful distance. Really, just having her there with him, all to himself, was enough. He didn’t need to touch her, or hold her hand to appreciate what an amazing woman she was.

  Though it would be nice to find out if her skin is as soft as it looks…

  He had thought that coming here and seeing his dad would somehow help put the brakes on whatever feelings he had for Hanna. Seeing his dad, understandably broken-up, mourning his mate’s death, should have been proof of what he’d always thought – love wasn’t worth the pain inevitably waiting down the road.

  Yet here he was, skating alongside Hanna, with nothing but ice under their feet and empty seats around them, thinking of all the ways she could be his. It was reckless and stupid of him to encourage these feelings he had been trying to bury like this.

  But as soon as the idea of bringing her here had popped into his head while he was tossing and turning in his old bed this morning, he knew he had to do it.

  “I think I’m getting the hang of this,” Hanna smiled, looking up at him. “A little more practice, and I might just replace you on the Savages team,” she laughed.

  “You’d certainly be the most beautiful player.”

  “Now that was the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard,” she replied, rolling her eyes at him, but she was still smiling from ear to ear.

  “Sometimes the classics work,” he shrugged, skating a quick circle around her before she even had time to react to what was happening.

  “Show off,” she muttered.

  The rink started to curve up ahead, and Hanna was having some trouble adjusting to the new direction, her steps becoming somewhat frantic as she tried to change course.

  “You know, I was never much for rules,” Foster commented, grabbing her hand just as she was about to bump into the guard rail and lose her balance.

  Her fingers squeezed around his tightly as she righted herself. Pulling her along, Foster got them back on track as they glided along.

  “Ah, what the hell,” Hanna muttered, holding on to him as they moved, shoulder to shoulder, over the empty ice.

  She giggled when he picked up speed, the wind pushing back her hair and her eyes glimmering with excitement. Foster knew he could look at her like this all day, and he loved hearing her laugh.

  “See? You’re having a great time,” he said, spinning her around.

  “Don’t do that!” she protested through laughs.

  “I’ll catch you if you fall,” he replied.

  “I don’t doubt that. In fact, I think that’s what you were betting on when you brought me here,” she grinned, giving him a playful glare.

  “You got me,” he smiled, spinning her aro
und again, but grabbing on to her waist and dipping her backward this time.

  Having her in her arms, staring up at him with her lips slightly parted, Foster could feel his bear stir beneath his skin, urging him to taste her. Her breath caught as she grabbed onto his forearms, holding on tightly like she was afraid he’d drop her.

  “What are you doing?” she asked almost breathlessly.

  With his palms pressed against her lower back, he brought her closer, until her body slid up against his and their faces were only inches apart. He could feel her heart thudding against his chest, fueling his own excitement.

  It was torture, not kissing her then and there, but he had already pushed her out of her comfort zone today, and he didn’t want to scare her away.

  “Showing off,” he replied, searching her eyes for something, anything that would tell him that she was feeling as out of control as he was.

  “I can’t…” she said, but it seemed she was trying to convince herself more than she was him.

  “What do you want right now? I know what I want more than anything. What I’ve wanted since I walked into your office and saw you, Hanna Radley, the most beautiful, stubborn, challenging woman I’ve ever met.”

  He squeezed her even tighter against him, until their bodies were molded together, and she sighed softly in his arms, melting under his touch. It was clear on her face she was struggling with something inside her. Now that he’d started, Foster couldn’t stop talking. She needed to know, and he needed to tell her exactly how he felt.

  “Foster…” she all but whispered.

  “I thought you were stuck-up at first,” he chuckled. “Always so buttoned up, sitting up straight, not a hair ever out of place. And then you put me right in my place when I tried telling you I didn’t need to be there.

  “And I started thinking about what you’d look like without the dress-shirts and knee-length skirts. What you’d look like when I slowly peeled them off and ran my fingers down your skin, or trailed kisses down your neck… Would you be a different Hanna then?” he asked, surprised at how easily the words came tumbling out.

  It felt good to be this honest with her, aside from the usual harmless flirting. This was a lot more serious than that. He had put his feelings out there, and now all he could do was wait for what Hanna had to say. The stakes seemed impossibly high, totally different from what he’d usually be feeling when talking to a woman he found attractive.

  Then again, Hanna wasn’t just any woman now, was she?

  There was a slight flush on her cheeks, and he had a feeling it wasn’t from the cold. She had seemed to give up on her objections, her hands sliding up his arms to lock behind his neck.

  “Just kiss me already,” she said.

  Foster didn’t need to be told that twice.

  Twenty-One

  Hanna

  Foster’s mouth came crashing down on hers, with an intensity that told her he’d been waiting to do this for a while. If she was being completely honest, so had she. Being held so tight against his powerful body, she felt secure, and absolutely, head-spinningly carried away.

  Who had time to think about all the reasons she shouldn’t be kissing Foster after what he’d said to her? There had been such passion in his voice, she couldn’t help but give in. Being this wanted by someone was like a drug, blurring the lines between reason and impulse.

  Foster’s hands crept down to her ass and squeezed, making her clench her thighs together and gasp. The pure lust now running through her veins was something she hadn’t ever experienced before.

  When Foster’s tongue slipped into her mouth and rubbed against hers in a slow dance that made her moan with need, it was clear she had crossed over from inappropriate to downright insane. Somehow, hearing herself sound so alien to her own ears snapped Hanna out of whatever haze she had been in.

  Pulling her hands back from around his neck, she gently pushed against his chest, almost wavering in her resolve when he nibbled on her lower lip.

  “We can’t do this,” she said, the words coming out raspy and unconvincing.

  “I think we just did,” Foster grinned back.

  “It was a mistake.”

  “Didn’t feel like a mistake,” Foster countered, still wrapped around her, rubbing against her in a way that threatened to make her throw every bit of reason she had left out the window.

  Disentangling herself, she tried taking a step back, forgetting she was still on skates.

  “Whoa, there,” Foster chuckled, holding her upright as she stumbled backward. “Let’s get you out of these skates,” he said, grabbing her hand and leading her back to the edge of the rink.

  She let herself be pulled along, all the while berating herself for letting things get so out of hand. But kissing him had felt like the right thing to do. The only thing to do, really.

  The electricity between them had been all-consuming in that moment, and she had felt that if she didn’t kiss him, she just might explode.

  Now there was a dull ache between her legs and a hollow need in her gut, and she knew she could never look at Foster again without either thinking of that kiss, or wanting to kiss him again. For some odd reason, Finn popped into her head at that moment, but she pushed that thought aside. Things were confusing enough as it was.

  Foster guided her to sit down on a bench while he crouched down in front of her and started undoing her skates. She tried her hardest not to stare at him as he did, but was failing miserably.

  Why did he have to look like every woman’s dream come to life? How was she supposed to fight this temptation now that she’d had a taste of him?

  I’ve really done it now, she sighed to herself, her thoughts drifting back to what Foster had said about undressing her slowly…

  He chose that moment to look up at her, a smirk on his face, like he’d somehow known exactly what she was thinking about. She had a feeling that now that she’d pretty much confirmed she was as attracted to him as he was to her, the flirting was about to be ramped up a couple of notches.

  “I can keep going,” he said after pulling off her skates, his hands hovering over her legs.

  “I’m good, thanks,” she replied, hopping up from the bench and rushing over her words.

  “Alright. You want to go get some breakfast?”

  And stare at your handsome face over the table? How much can one woman possibly take?

  “Let’s just get back to the house. Garret and Finn are probably wondering where we are.”

  “I don’t care,” Foster shrugged.

  “Well, I do. So get your butt into gear and let’s go.”

  “Been thinking about my butt, have you?”

  Hanna just let out a frustrated groan as she turned around and started marching toward the exit.

  He does have a great ass, though.

  Finn and Garret were having coffee at the kitchen table when Hanna and Foster got back. Finn narrowed his eyes at his brother before giving Hanna a measuring look.

  “And where have you two been?” he asked.

  “Foster took me skating,” Hanna replied, trying to sound as casual and nonchalant as possible. “That new rink is pretty impressive.”

  “What a great idea, Foster,” Finn said, putting just a tad too much emphasis on his brother’s name. “You must not have wanted to wake me since I don’t remember you asking me along.”

  “You do like your sleep,” Foster shrugged, pretending to be oblivious to Finn’s tone.

  “I sure would love some coffee,” Hanna chirped, trying to get the discussion away from her and Foster’s little private outing.

  She couldn’t help but feel the kiss they shared was somehow broadcasted on her face, like everyone could tell what had happened. Garret was certainly looking at her curiously, before getting up to fetch more cups.

  “There’s some eggs and bacon still warm on the stove, help yourselves,” he said.

  Hanna and Foster sat down, and she could still feel Finn’s eyes on her. Suddenly, she
felt guilty. She didn’t even know why, exactly. Of course she had broken an ethical boundary by kissing Foster, but that wasn’t what was eating at her now. It was the sense that she’d come between Finn and Foster that was really bothering her.

  And the fact that she was still as attracted to Finn as ever. Shouldn’t have kissing Foster brought her some clarity? It was clear now that there was something brewing between her and Foster, she couldn’t deny that. Yet she still felt just as drawn to Finn as before, and just as strongly as she was to Foster.

  Being into one of my patients is bad enough, but this is just beyond confusing.

  How could she still be thinking about Finn after that amazing kiss she had with Foster? It didn’t make any sense, yet that was how she felt. Stuck between two men, who also happened to be brothers, and not to mention, they were also shifters. How had her life become such a mess?

  Luckily, Garret was about to say something that would divert her attention away from that particular issue, at least for the moment.

  “Oh, boys, if you want to take something of mom’s with you, there are boxes in my bedroom you can go through. I’ve already put some things aside for myself, so feel free to take anything you want. I’m going to be donating the rest tomorrow,” he said, putting a mug in front of Hanna and filling it with coffee.

  Hanna could already predict that statement was not going to go over well. So she was not that surprised when Finn shot up from his seat, an incredulous look on his face.

  “You’re giving away mom’s stuff?” he demanded.

  Uh-oh.

  Twenty-Two

  Finn

  “Finn, calm down,” Foster said, but Finn wasn’t really listening to him right now.

  “You can have your mementos, it’s not like I was about to throw everything in the trash and not tell you,” his dad sighed.

  “But… they’re her things,” Finn sputtered, not even really aware of why he was so upset.

  “I know that, son. But she’s not here anymore,” Garret replied, his voice sounding pained. “And I don’t need to be surrounded by her things to remember her.”