Double Bear Trouble: Werebear BBW Menage Romance (Hockey Bear Season Book 1) Read online

  “Nice to meet you, ladies,” Dante smiled, before shooting his brother an annoyed look.

  “Amber here is your biggest fan,” Dominic said, making the woman giggle and bite her lower lip.

  “The Kenner twins are every girl’s dream,” Amber sighed, batting her lashes at him. “But you have always been my favorite,” she added, winking at him.

  Amber was definitely attractive, in that over-the-top way that Dominic liked, dressed in a tight minidress and wearing bright pink lipstick. Her eyes looked abnormally large thanks to the fake lashes she was wearing. Some other time he would have gone along with what his brother seemed to be setting up, but tonight he just wanted to drink and wallow.

  Something which he was currently being distracted from doing.

  “I’ll try to not take offense to that,” Dominic smirked. “We’re about ready to get out of here, bro. How about you?”

  “I think I’ll have another drink or two. You go, have fun,” he said, sitting down with his back to the bar.

  “My brother has a real odd sense of humor sometimes,” Dominic laughed dryly, looking from Amber to Kelly. “I think he meant that we can go back to our hotel room and have some more drinks,” he said pointedly, narrowing his eyes at him.

  “I’m sure Dominic will keep you both entertained,” Dante smiled, swiveling around on his stool and flagging the bartender down for a scotch.

  The beer just wouldn’t cut it anymore.

  “Give me a minute, I’ll be right there,” he heard his brother say, before Dominic plopped down in the seat next to him. “Scoot,” he added, when Amber and Kelly didn’t take the hint.

  Probably not even their real names, Dante mused grimly, accepting his drink from the bartender.

  “What’s your problem? Amber is fine as hell. Lose the sucking-on-a-lemon look and let’s go.”

  “You might have trouble understanding this, but I have other things on my mind than sex. Like my career.”

  A jolt of pain flashed through his shoulder at the mere mention of that.

  “Like you can’t obsess over that tomorrow, after you’ve woken up next to Amber?” Dominic huffed, running a hand over his blond hair.

  For twins, Dante and his brother seemed to be from different planets sometimes. It’s not that Dante didn’t like to cut loose once in a while, but he had too much on his mind right now. Something which you’d think his oblivious brother would catch up on.

  “Our contracts are up, Dom. With my injury and you being a public relations nightmare, we have to consider our options carefully. And you’re not exactly doing us any favors by sleeping with anything that walks and has a smartphone for morning-after pics, you know.”

  “Relax. We make a hell of a team on the ice, and the fans love us. Things will work themselves out. We are the Kenner twins, after all,” Dominic grinned, sliding Dante’s glass over and taking a sip.

  “I hate it when they lump us together like that. We’re not even identical twins,” Dante grumbled.

  “Damn right, we’re not,” Dom huffed. “It’s obvious I go the looks and you got the… Pessimism? A little unfair, if you ask me, but I guess that’s why they call it the genetic lottery.”

  “Shut up.”

  “What’s wrong? The truth too harsh?” Dominic smirked, trying to take another gulp of Dante’s scotch before he snatched it out of his brother’s hands.

  “Get your own drinks,” Dante said, downing what was left in the glass.

  “I’m not really feeling the brotherly love here. What’s going on? You’re even grumpier than usual.”

  Dominic was surveying the bar as he spoke, only half-invested in the conversation so far.

  “It’s my shoulder. It’s getting worse.”

  “I thought you got the doc to look you over? You were cleared for the game,” Dom said, growing more serious now and propping both elbows on the counter, leaning in.

  “I might have downplayed the pain so I could play.”

  “Dante…”

  “I know, it was stupid. But I wasn’t going to sit out of the playoffs, Dom. Look, it’s not a big deal. I just need some rest and I’ll be good as new.”

  “I take it you’re going to stay here and plot our next career moves?”

  Dante shrugged. He regretted that decision a second later.

  “Someone has to.”

  “And what have you come up with so far?”

  “I’ve heard the winning team might be looking for new blood…”

  “The Shifter Grove Shovelers?” Dominic asked, eyes growing wide. “They live in the middle of nowhere, Idaho. I heard they only have one bar in the whole place! One bar! And they train on a goddamn lake! Isn’t 80 percent of the populace married there? You better be kidding.”

  Dom made all of it sound like a bad thing. To Dante, it sounded like an escape. Seclusion and being out of the prying eyes of the public? Hell, it sounded like exactly what the doctor ordered.

  “They’re a great team. And being away from distractions for once would do you some good. Now we have to see if they’ll even consider taking us on.”

  “Distractions?” Dominic rolled his eyes. “Whatever, I’m going to go find Amber and Kelly and distract myself. And stop stressing, things will work out. They always do. And it better not happen in fucking Idaho.”

  “Have fun,” Dante sighed, not sharing his brother’s optimism.

  “Shifter Grove,” Dominic huffed, standing up. “I bet they don’t have any Ambers or Kellys there.”

  Wouldn’t that be a pleasant change?

  Dominic had always been content to let things run their course, trusting that life would carry him forward without much trouble. That was probably why he did whatever he wanted, not caring about the consequences.

  Things don’t just ‘work out’, Dante thought, watching his brother wrap his arms around Amber’s and Kelly’s waists and head for the door.

  Three

  Dominic

  Checking the laces on his sneakers, Dominic could feel his bear growl inside him, ready to let off some steam. The trail in front of him was quickly swallowed up by the forest shooting up on either side, and the early morning rays shone golden in the treetops.

  Dante would join him on his runs more often than not, but when Dominic had called him this morning, his brother had been too busy sulking to come and race him to the top of the trail.

  Whatever, I would have beaten his ass anyway, Dominic grinned to himself, pushing his body into motion.

  It had been almost a week since the season had ended and while he got the feeling Dante had been aiming for more than third place, his brother should have been over it by now. It was probably the stress of finding a new team to play for combined with his shoulder injury that was making Dante even more withdrawn than usual.

  What it meant for Dominic was that he was left to his own devices. It didn’t bother him much.

  He worries too much, Dominic thought, enjoying the way his muscles worked as he climbed a steep hill.

  The air was warm as it breezed by him, the surroundings quiet as the trail was mostly empty this early in the morning. Which is why the woman emerging from another path within the forest caught him off guard.

  Sprinting down a hill at full speed, she came barreling at him, leaving Dominic no time to react. Or maybe he would have had some time if he hadn’t stalled in his tracks, gawking at the beauty coming right for him.

  Thank you, fate!

  He tried to backtrack, but it was too late. The woman let out a little yelp and suddenly he was on the ground, with her sprawled on top of him. It wasn’t an entirely unappealing series of events, from Dominic’s side of the equation. After all, he had a very hot, very curvy, and very flustered woman wriggling on top of him.

  The girl pushed herself up, blowing a dark brown strand of hair out of her face, and was now straddling him. To say he didn’t mind would be an understatement.

  With her heart-shaped face, a small, straight nose and almon
d-shaped green eyes, topped off by a cute little pouty mouth, she looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine. Her cheeks burned red as she stared down at him, seemingly too stunned to move.

  With her cleavage all but popping out of her sports bra, and her shapely legs holding him in place, Dominic was content to stay on the dirt and admire the view. So he folded his hands behind his head and lay back, grinning at the flustered beauty, who was still too shocked to do anything about it.

  “Take your time. I’m in no hurry,” he grinned.

  His bear perked up as he drew in her scent, sweet and crisp at the same time, entirely intoxicating. Dominic’s animal side was intrigued, and the man was already busy undressing her with his eyes.

  Something about her struck him as familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. Like he had briefly seen her in passing somewhere, but it obviously hadn’t been long enough, because he would have remembered meeting her. He definitely hadn’t talked to her before, that he would remember.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you,” she hurriedly said, scrambling to get back on her feet, pressing her hands down on his chest to right herself.

  She almost toppled over again when she realized what she was doing. Or maybe it was just because she was impressed by his superior pecs. Dominic could live with either option.

  “I’ll try not to take offense to that,” Dominic smiled, standing and brushing dirt off his clothes. “You can give me your number and all will be forgiven.”

  “Excuse me?” she huffed, her hands flying to her hips and her brows knitting in confusion.

  She looked sexy when she was grumpy. It made Dominic wonder what she’d look like in other situations.

  Making a show of stretching his muscles and rubbing his back, Dominic kept his eyes on the gorgeous woman in front of him, who he found even more delicious as she pursed her lips and arched a brow at him.

  “I could have been seriously injured. I think the least you can do is let me buy you dinner.”

  “You look fine,” she sighed breathily, looking him up and down. “I mean, you look alright to me,” she said, more forcefully this time.

  “I preferred fine to alright,” he winked, flexing his biceps and grinning when he caught her looking.

  “Whatever. I’m sorry and have a good run,” she said, fixing up her ponytail and turning away from him.

  Damn, she looks almost as good from the back, he thought, watching her amazing ass bounce along as she continued up the trail, probably forgetting that she’d just come from there in her haste to get away from him.

  There was no way he was going to let her get away without even knowing her name. He had never had to work this hard to get a girl’s number, and it wasn’t like he couldn’t whip out his phone and have his pick of booty calls. But something about this woman had piqued his interest, and the predator in him couldn’t let him give up on his pursuit.

  Easily falling in to step beside her, Dominic tried to be at least somewhat of a gentleman and not ogle at her curves bouncing as she hit her stride. It was stretching his willpower thin, if he was being honest.

  Throwing him a glance, she furrowed her brow.

  “I’m not giving you my number,” she said.

  “Oh, I’m just here to make sure you don’t stumble into someone else. Who knows who your next victim could be? Maybe an elderly woman out for her morning walk? A mother with a newborn child? I’m just looking out for public safety.”

  “That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard,” she scoffed, but there was definitely a hint of a smile on her lips.

  With her long, dark hair slipping out of her hair-tie and framing her face, the feeling that he had seen her somewhere before only grew.

  “Have we met before?” he asked.

  “Now that’s an even more tired line.”

  She almost laughed at that. He was making some headway.

  “No, I’m serious. What’s your name?”

  “What’s yours?” she shot back, puffing her cheeks as they climbed a hill. “It would be good to know if it turns out I need to file a restraining order or something.”

  Dominic was somewhat surprised she didn’t recognize him. Minnesota was a hockey state after all, and he and his brother both had relatively public profiles. They had been marked as players that everyone should keep an eye on even before joining any professional teams and their popularity had only skyrocketed since then.

  They were all over the daily newspapers, especially during the lead-up to the final games. Which rock did she live under that she didn’t know who Dominic Kenner was?

  “You wound me,” Dominic gasped theatrically. “Like I said, I’m here to keep you from mowing down little old ladies and innocent kiddies come to ride their bikes.”

  “What an amazing altruist you are,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Are you really going to run the whole trail with me?”

  “I’ve been told I’m great company.”

  “And so modest.”

  “Just telling it like it is,” he shrugged. “No need to sell yourself short. We can take a break if you’re getting tired, or if you want to stop so you can give me your number.”

  Dominic had never been shy around women, but even he was surprised at how persistent he was being with her. It wasn’t just about her not immediately swooning at his feet, there was something about her that kept pulling him to her. His bear was now all but thrashing inside him. This woman had an effect on him he’d never experienced before.

  Since he was a shifter, that struck him as somewhat alarming. There were things ingrained in his very essence that made him consider these feelings dangerous…

  But that didn’t mean he was going to give up. No way.

  I have a feeling this woman is worth the effort.

  Four

  Chloe

  Feeling sweat break out down her back, Chloe drove her body forward. She had hit the trail to relieve some stress and work off some tension, which had almost worked against her as she slipped and tumbled into her mystery charmer on a decline, but she was fighting with a whole other kind of tension now.

  It didn’t help that she had been close to finishing her jog when she ran into him, and now she’d turned around in her effort to relieve herself of the awkward moment, only to find herself running the long way back.

  “I’m Dominic, by the way,” the man at her side said, wearing a confident smile.

  Of course you are, she thought, thinking the name fit him perfectly.

  Tousled blond hair, clear blue eyes and a brilliant smile, Dominic looked like he’d stepped out of Grey’s Anatomy or some other show that had a cast of unrealistically hunky men. With a strong, stubbled jawline and regal-looking nose, he was every woman’s dream.

  Every woman’s except mine, she self-corrected, keeping her eyes up front. Yup, no fun for Chloe.

  Some would probably consider her worldview jaded, but she’d been on the planet long enough to know everyone was out for themselves. And Dominic was just another stereotypical womanizer looking to get her into bed and then sneak out in the middle of the night, never to be heard from again. A distraction she couldn’t afford to have, now that her career was on the line in a more palpable way than ever before.

  Okay, so maybe I’m projecting a little, she thought. But that’s just the reality. And I don’t have time for games, not when I have to prove myself to Janice.

  “Still not giving you my name, Dominic,” she replied, surprised at how exciting saying his name out loud was.

  Looking at his impeccable body contract and ripple just inches from her, her brain was already filling her mind with scenarios where she would scream the name, lost in ecstasy… Or whisper it, her lips brushing against his ear…

  The vibrator she had stashed away in the drawer of her nightstand was going to get some use that night.

  “I’ll just call you Peaches, then. For obvious reasons.”

  “What reasons?” she asked with a huff, before catc
hing the way the glanced knowingly at her ass.

  “I think you know. Round and juicy, ready for me to…”

  “Okay, you can stop now,” Chloe quickly interjected, feeling her blush only deepen. “Do you always try to pick up women while they’re trying to work out, or am I special?” she asked, forcing herself to focus on her annoyance instead of how good he looked.

  “You’re definitely special,” Dominic replied. “Can you really fault me for trying to talk to someone as sexy as you?”

  Sweating, with her face probably red and her hair a mess, dust and grime still clinging to her from her tumble, Chloe wouldn’t have exactly considered herself sexy at that moment. Still, to hear that Dominic thought so sent a small flash of heat down her spine.

  What do I care what he thinks? she huffed to herself, even as it was becoming more and more evident she did care.

  “And you’re the one who threw herself at me,” he smirked.

  “I did not throw myself at you!” Chloe demanded, her voice rising as she threw him a half-assed glare.

  It was hard to give him one of her good hard looks, because she kept feeling like a deer caught in headlights every time she looked at him too closely. Damn him and his stupid handsome face.

  Dominic only smiled, obviously pleased he had gotten a rise out of her.

  “You can’t negate the facts. I was minding my own business when you knocked me down and straddled me. You could have just asked, you know. I would have gladly gotten on my back for you.”

  Chloe was stuck somewhere between being incensed and turned on. It was an odd mix of emotions, one only fueling the other. It was clear Dominic had a high opinion of himself, and was confident she would share that opinion. And arrogant as he was, the lighthearted way he was making innuendos and that dazzling smile of his still made him more attractive than she would have liked to admit.

  The proud, cynical side of her was fighting hard to not give in and give him the goddamn number. Her body was already on board with whatever Dominic wanted to do to her, pulsating with sexual tension. Knowing that a man like him would be calling her was a tantalizing option.