Laid Bear 2: The Kodiak Clan (10 page)

Veronica nodded, impressed.
 

“And I’ll have a half-caff latte, whole milk, please.”

The waitress, whose grimy name tag read ‘Madge’, gave him a withering look. “Where do you think you are, Seattle? You get black coffee here, fella.”
 

He was surprised his eyebrows weren’t singed from the burning glare she was giving him.
 

“But I tell ya what I
can
do. I’ll bring the whole damn can of CoffeeMate over for you to make your own frickin’ frou-frou drink!”

With a huff and a swish of her apron, she turned and stalked back behind the counter, casting irritated glances at them, but they barely noticed over their muffled laughter.
 

“Can’t…breathe…” Veronica was trying to say through her tears. “So…funny…”

“Yeah, she got me good. Hope she doesn’t spit in it.”

The waitress was back in an instant, slopping their coffees down in front of them and slamming the can of powdered creamer in between them. This just set them off on another laughing fit.
 

“You know,” he said between guffaws, “I think she’s got a thing for me.”

Veronica waved her hand as the other clutched her stomach. “Stop…stop…” She finally caught her breath as the giggles subsided. “Oh, my abs are gonna be sore tomorrow.”

“Laughter is not only the best medicine but it’s also a great workout. Who knew?”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence while they stirred the creamer into their coffee. Jess couldn’t believe the effect she had on him. He’d thought her online profile photo was attractive, and when she’d given him that webcam show, he was floored by her luscious body. But this Veronica…this Veronica took his breath away.
 

“How are the boys?” he asked as a way to break the ice. Her devotion to her sons was one of her most endearing characteristics. He loved kids and couldn’t wait to get to know hers, when she said the time was right. Obviously it wouldn’t be right away, but it couldn’t come too quickly for him.
 

He always assumed he’d have a family some day, but as his feelings for Veronica grew over the months he wondered if he was prepared for a ready-made family. He still wasn’t entirely sure but he really wanted to find out.

She lit up at his question about Sam and Jason. “They’re great,” she said, beaming with pride. “They’re growing up so fast. Pretty soon I’m going to have two little men running around my house.”

“I can’t wait to meet them,” he said, sipping his cup of very old, very bitter coffee. It reminded him of their waitress.

Grimacing, he set it down but looked up in time to see a flash of worry cross her features. “Oh, I don’t want to rush it; we’ll do in on your timeline, of course. But they sound like such terrific kids…”

He trailed off as she focused on her coffee instead of him. What had he said?
 

When she glanced up at him from under her ridiculously long eyelashes, he held her gaze, not letting her look away, asking the question without words.

 
Sighing, she said, “I’m sorry, I just want to take things slowly. There’s so much you…
we
don’t know about each other. Can we just focus on that part right now? Then if you…um, if things seem to be working out, we’ll move forward, okay?”

She was so cautious, and with young children at home, he didn’t blame her one bit. He loved her even more for it, if that was even possible. Level-headed, prudent, realistic. She was the perfect contrast to his spontaneous nature. The yin to his yang. The perfect tempering influence. Still, disappointment wormed its way into his chest.
 

Nodding, he agreed. “Absolutely. We’ll take as much time as you need, though I’m not going to lie and say it’ll be easy. It seems like I’ve been waiting so long already…”
 

He reached across the table and took her hands in his. She had the softest skin he’d ever touched.
What would it be like to touch the rest of her body,
he wondered. He shook the arousing image from his head and tried to get their conversation rolling again.
 

“So tell me something about yourself I don’t know.”
 

This seemed like a safe way to go, figuring she’d pick something light and silly, like her favorite pop band or that her secret passion was skee-ball. But it was easy to see he’d stepped in it again when her eyes widened, her cheeks flushed red and her gaze darted away toward the window behind him.
 

What on earth was she hiding? It must be big or a stupid question like that wouldn’t have startled her so badly. Though it was beyond tempting, digging any further would only make things worse, so he tried yet another tack.

“Okay, I’ll start,” he said, plastering an almost painful grin on his face. The last thing he wanted was to have her feel uncomfortable, but his chest grew tight wondering what her secret was. “You know I’m a vegetarian, but one of my favorite smells in the world is frying bacon. I don’t eat it, but damn, it smells good.”

Her shoulders relaxed and he could tell her grin was genuine. “That’s great news because the boys and I absolutely
adore
bacon.”

“Sounds like a win-win. Now you.”

“Um, okay,” she looked thoughtful — but not stressed, thank goodness — for a moment. “Oh, I know! I took tap dancing when I was a kid. I even won a trophy in my third grade dance recital.”
 

Grinning, sat back and gave her a blatant once-over. “Really? I’ve always wanted to date a dancer.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “That was a looong time ago, Jess. All my energy now is spent chasing after my crazy-hyper cubs.” She gasped and her hand shot up to her mouth.
 

Seriously, what is up with her?
She was acting like she’d said a curse word in front of her grandmother or something.
 

“I can only imagine the stamina it takes to keep up with six-year-old twin boys, Ronnie. But I have to admit that I’m thrilled you took the time — and the chance — to finally meet. Honestly, I was a little surprised to get your email last night. I mean, I’ve been practically begging you to meet since I got here and you—”
 

He almost said ‘blew me off’ but tried to find a more diplomatic approach. “You’ve been busy. Then I hadn’t heard from you for so long that I thought…well, I thought you’d decided not to bother.”

Veronica got busy picking at her nails. “I’m sorry, Jess. I wasn’t sure about dating anyone, not just you.” Openness filled her features when she looked up at him. “I’m glad I came, too.”

His heart swelled at her gentle smile and her words. After his divorce, he never thought he’d feel the thrill of new love again. But he’d never met a woman as honest and unassuming as Veronica before.

“So how’s the job going?” she asked.

They’d been getting to know each other for a few months when the opportunity to take this job with the Fish and Game Department presented itself. As a marine biologist, he was overqualified but not too many people were eager to take a fish counting job in the wilds of Alaska where they’d have limited contact with the outside world for several months. As soon as he confirmed he’d have internet, he jumped at the chance.
 

Of course he’d taken the job so he could finally meet Veronica, but she’d put him off for the last two months. Now that there was only a short time left, he was determined to make good use of what he had to charm her into falling madly in love with him.
 

But he could sense she was a cautious person and he didn’t want to scare her off — not when he just got her here. So he’d play it cool…or as cool as he could.

“The job’s been fine, but all I can think about is you.”
Man, you really have a knack for this ‘playing it cool’ thing.

The blush of pleasure on her cheeks warmed him. Trying to reign himself in, he added, “But yeah, it’s been good.”

“How’s this year’s salmon run?” She was trying to pretend he hadn’t said what he said. But he wasn’t sorry for saying it.

“Really strong. It’s been in mild decline for a few years, but this year is back up to pre-decline numbers. That bodes well for the fishery…and the species.”

She nodded, thoughtful. “How do you like living out there in the woods alone?”

A smile quirked his lips. “It’d be a lot nicer if I had you for company, but Fred keeps me from getting too lonely.”

She brightened at the mention of the dog’s name. “Fred! I’m so glad you brought him with you! Does he love the wilderness or what?”

“Does he,” Jess laughed. “He’s nuts for it. You should see him chase after those dumb deer. He doesn’t have a shot in hell of catching one but he always goes after them like he’s an alpha wolf or something.”

“He sounds like such a sweet pooch.”

“He is, and he’d love to meet you.”
 

She ignored his hint. “Has he been feasting on fish this summer?”

“Mostly just the leftovers from the bears.”

“Bears? Have you seen a lot?”

“Usually just the evidence of them — fish carcasses, scat, trampled grass — but there’ve been a few nearby when I do my daily counts.”

“You’re careful right? I mean, bears generally ignore humans but they’ll protect themselves and their cubs if they have to.”

He was touched by the concern that caused the crinkle between her eyebrows. “I’m very careful, and I always have a thirty-ought-six when I leave the cabin, just in case.”

The crease grew deeper and she glanced away from him, lips pursed tight. “Well, just be careful and you won’t need to use the rifle.”

“I’m very safe, Veronica. I’ve only had one incident and it could barely be called that. Don’t worry.”

Eyes narrowed, she asked what he meant by ‘incident’.
 

“It was nothing. Last night we heard a rustle in the trees. I never saw a thing, but it really seemed to spook Fred. There was nothing out there this morning either, but he wouldn’t leave the cabin and whined like a puppy when I left.”
 

He shrugged and stirred another packet of sugar into the thick, acidic coffee. His heart nearly stopped when her hand wrapped around the one holding the mug. Electricity shot through his body like he’d been hit by lightning. Every nerve vibrated at her mere touch.
 

He wanted nothing more than to sweep this nasty sludge-in-a-mug off the table and pull Veronica into a deep kiss, but he was pretty sure Madge the waitress would pull her own rifle out from under the counter and put them out of
her
misery.

A quick glance at Veronica’s flushed cheeks confirmed she felt the connection as well. “Just be…careful…” she breathed with effort. The pink of her tongue edged between her lips, pulling her plump lower lip between her teeth, as if she was exerting some tremendous effort.

Without a word, Jess stood, threw some money on the table and tugged her along with him out the diner’s door and down the alley that ran between it and the next building. The alley wasn’t particularly romantic, but it had one perfect quality: It was dark. Pushing her up against the wall, Jess held Veronica’s hands on either side of her head, entwining her fingers in his. Her breathing was shallow and her gaze never left his.

“I’ve waited far too long for this,” he said, bending down to graze his lips against hers. Her luscious body pressed into his and her lips parted slightly, inviting him in for more. And he was going to accept that invitation.

He traced his tongue across that oh-so-tempting lower lip then dipped his face into her neck, breathing in her scent. It was sweet and spicy at the same time, reminding him of pumpkin pie and hot cider. His hunger for her was insatiable, but he had to control himself.

Shivers rippled through her body as his hands skated down her arms and up until his fingers were buried in her auburn waves. He had complete control of her head and he turned it slightly to expose her neck. Gently, his lips skimmed their way up to her ear, drawing a guttural groan from her when his hot breath struck home. He felt small fists clutching at his shoulders for support.

“Oh, Jess,” she whispered.

Before another sound could escape her lips, his mouth covered them. Their tongues darted and danced, tentatively tasting each other at first, but quickly their passion for each other grew to a point where they were absolutely devouring each other. His hands roamed her body, exploring each curve and plane, as if making sure she was really here in his arms. In fact, it hardly seemed real to him.

When Veronica wrapped a leg around him and pressed her heat into him, instinct took over. Grabbing her sweet ass in each hand, he hoisted her up and back against the wall, pressing his need against her. With both her legs now strapped around his hips, it took every ounce of self-control to not tear those tight jeans right off her and take her against the grimy diner.
 

But as much as he longed to be inside of her, he didn’t want their first time to be like this, all frantic and dirty. As appealing as spontaneous sex against a restaurant wall was, Veronica deserved better. Hell, he deserved better. He wanted to take his time with her the first time they made love. Exploring, learning, loving — that’s what he wanted.
 

With tremendous effort and a groan that came from the depths of his soul, Jess pulled away and eased her feet to the ground. Panting and eyes glazed, she leaned back against the wall. He could swear he heard a low growl coming from her as she leveled her hot gaze on him. Her lips were kiss-swollen and the tips of her breasts were screaming out for him to take them in his mouth. In a word, she was irresistible and he couldn’t wait any longer to make her his own. Filthy alley or not, the time was now.
 

Leaning in to claim her lips again, Jess heard her sharp intake of breath in anticipation of what they both knew was about to happen. But instead of meeting his mouth with her own, she froze in his arms. He searched her wide, fearful eyes for some clue but he was completely confused. One second she was ready to jump him, the next she was a statue.