Bearly Deniable Read online

  But that was the extent of our interactions. I never saw Sylvia outside the bar, and there were two excellent reasons why. Number one- the bar was open until 3 a.m., and I slept until prep time unless my bear woke me up demanding I shift. Number two- I didn’t want to come off as creepy even though I was very aware of the fact that an entire week had passed. Sylvia didn’t know me; I was just the man that worked the bar. Showing up at her house was some next level interest that I had to beat down.

  The soft tinkling of the door chime broke me from my thoughts, and my head whipped towards the sound. I expected to see one of the other girls that worked here, but instead my eyes landed on Sylvia’s curvaceous form. Her blue eyes were duller than I remembered, and there were big, dark circles under her eyes.

  A small, almost sad smile lifted her lips, and I let go of my burden as she wandered over to sit directly in front of me.

  “You okay? I got coffee if you want some.” Arching an eyebrow as Sylvia dropped her head into her arms, my lips twitched up. She hadn’t even bothered to tie up her long, curling waves, and her shirt completely disappeared under her locks.

  “No… No coffee… I already had coffee- lots and lots of coffee… I spent all night going through the stuff in the attic. My arms are going to fall off.” Part of me was glad Sylvia had something in her house; she probably went to a SAM’s Club when she was in Anchorage. Another part of me was kind of annoyed at how she was working herself. Leaning on my elbows, I scratched my jaw and ruffled my beard a little before dropping my chin into my palm.

  “You know, it’s not good to binge like that. You could just come to get me if you need help.” Hunched over herself, Sylvia stiffened, and for just a second I wondered if I was out of line. She peeked out from the crook of her arm, her vivid blue eye full and sparkling.

  “You’d do that for me?” Her murmur was muffled by her arm, and she blinked, her eyes as wide as saucers. Before I could stop myself, I chuckled, unable to hold it back any longer. It was impossible to think she was anything other than cute at that moment.

  “Yeah, sure. If you need the help, I’ll be happy to. I don’t usually do anything until I open the bar, anyway.” I shoved away the voice that scolded me for giving up precious hours of sleep. That didn’t matter though, and the rest of me was waiting on a knife’s edge as Sylvia lifted her head completely to stare at me. Her lips were thinly pressed together, but I kept my own shut to avoid messing up this window of opportunity.

  God- that sounds like I’m going to jump her. Pushing myself up, I snatched my rag and a glass as her eyes followed me. I could feel her gaze on my arms and shoulders before finally settling on my face. Glancing up, I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from smiling at her glowering expression.

  “Okay. But don’t wear yourself out. I don’t think I could bear the responsibility of five dozen angry locals on my porch because you didn’t open the bar.”

  Letting out a bark of laughter, I shook my head at the ribbing as I twisted the rag inside of a shot glass.

  “Sylvia, it takes a lot to wear me out.”

  Chapter Six: Sylvia

  “Your cousins sound like assholes, Sylvia. No offense.” Humming absently, a frown tugged down the corners of my mouth as I trudged up the stairs to the attic. I wasn’t sure how we ended up talking about my cousins, but it wasn’t a topic I wanted to linger on.

  “Yeah, I know. My aunt wasn’t the kind of woman to dislike anyone, though. Her ultimate display of disappointment was giving them her fortune. She must’ve realized they wouldn’t appreciate anything else she left them.” At the top of the stairs was a door with no landing, I grasped the brass knob with firm fingers. “I like this house, and so far, I like Alaska. Maybe she knew I’d take the time off work to come up here for myself instead of just forgetting about it.”

  The attic was dank and a little dusty, but someone had to have come up here and kept everything from falling apart. Four months wasn’t long enough to do any lasting damage, particularly as it wasn’t winter yet. Shuffling to the side, I stared out among the numerous cardboard boxes and furniture covered in thick sheets.

  A long, low whistle sounded from beside me, and I sighed heavily.

  “Your aunt had some excellent taste. Is this all you managed the other night?” Ryan strode over to the embarrassingly small pile I’d managed to go through, and another hum floated from my mouth.

  “Unfortunately. The furniture is too heavy- a lot of it is made from solid, dense wood. And most of the other boxes are pretty hefty too. There’s a lot of metal, but I’m not sure what’s in them. I didn’t want to rip the cardboard to find out.”

  Pulling himself to his full, impressive height, Ryan peered over the attic with curious eyes. To say I was nervous having him here wasn’t the right choice of words, but I was still far from being calm. He was the only person I knew here. There was no one else I could ask, and then I would be stuck hiring people that might damage things or charge more than I had. Besides, he had kind of asked me if he could help out. How could I refuse?

  Everything spent outside of this house was on my own dime.

  “So, what? You just want to organize it a little?” Wandering towards him, I nodded once again as Ryan cast his gaze on me. It hit me how much taller and broader he was compared to when he was behind the bar. Crossing my arms over my chest, I pursed my lips together as he lifted his arm in my peripheral vision.

  “Basically. I don’t plan on using anything up here, and I’ll probably put it in storage when there are renters, but I want to know what’s up here, at least.”

  “Sure. I get it. Why don’t we start with the furniture? That way we can have more room for the boxes.” Ryan’s plan was logical, but I winced at the idea of having to move such heavyweight objects. I couldn’t even get one of the lighter looking pieces to budge. He must’ve picked one up, his strides solid and loud even though the floor didn’t creak.

  The piece was a massive baker’s rack, taller and broader than any I’d ever seen in a department store. Boughs of thick, aged saplings made up the supports, the bark stripped away to reveal the dark, healthy wood underneath. Thick, heavy shelves were bolted in by nails that didn’t even look like they were from this century. The flat heads were sunk deep into the elegant wrap around where the supports and the shelves met.

  “Wow… this is really, really old, Sylvia.” Mumbling as he ran his palm up one of the boughs, Ryan had an almost mystified expression on his face.

  “Do you think she made this herself?”

  Ryan spent a second examining the structure, and I gulped down the lump in my throat.

  “I don’t know what kind of things she was into, but it’s possible. This is well made, but it’s not artisan quality.”

  For a long moment, we were silent, just appreciating what was in front of us. The stripped branches that had grown out from the thin trunks had been woven into a beautiful swirling pattern. It might’ve not been ‘artisan quality’, but it was still awe-inspiring.

  After that first piece was safe against the far wall where the boxes didn’t litter the floor, I clapped my hands together as Ryan dusted his on his jeans. Moving the baker’s rack hadn’t been nearly as hard as it was the day before, and I cast a sidelong glance at the man next to me. His muscles weren’t just for show, then.

  The thought if all Ryan’s underlying strength heated my cheeks, and I tore my gaze away to take a breath.

  “So, do you… work out? I mean- because… it was just so easy this time…” Stumbling over my words, my face burned hotter when Ryan’s eyes landed on me. That’s such an awkward thing to ask someone. Gee, good going, Sylvia. Way to not make it weird.

  “Yes, I do. Don’t be shy, Sylvia. I’m an open book. You can ask me anything.” Nudging my side, Ryan’s grin flashed in my mind’s eye when I blinked, and his tease rang in my ears. I shook my head, banishing the image before slinking back towards the rest of the furniture. It was all clustered in the corner to the right of the
door, so the journey wasn’t long.

  Still, it put some distance between us.

  “I bet your aunt spent her whole life collecting all the things in here. I guess a house isn’t the only thing you inherited, Sylvia. There’s history in here.” Sitting on a long, low couch whose fabric had been protected by a thick sheet, I leaned against the back with a deep sigh. It was uncomfortably hot up here, and I dared a glance at Ryan as he dropped down beside me. He’d taken off his shirt in the stifling heat, and for a second my eyes were glued to his tattoos. There was a tribal look to them, but I couldn’t place it. The dark marks were like jagged slashes along his chest, with sharp edges and a general feel of mild chaos.

  “Do you have any tattoos?” The question made me start, and my eyes flew to Ryan’s as his brows came together. My cheeks flushed bright red, but there was no hiding the fact that he’d caught me checking him out. Licking my lips nervously, I dipped my head in a nod as sweat beaded the nape of my neck.

  “Yeah, I have two. One on my hip and another on my foot.” I could feel Ryan’s questioning gaze on me, and I bent to unlace my shoe. “This one was my first. The artist was really cool about it because I had just turned 18.”

  The ink sprawling along the top of my left foot hadn’t really faded over time, and I smiled as I took off my sock. Sometimes I could still feel my skin tingling the same way it did after I had left the parlor. Leaning down, Ryan’s intense stare made my toes curl and flex as he laid eyes on the teddy bear holding three colorful balloons.

  “That’s cute. Did you get it for any particular reason?” Gently he took hold on my ankle, and a soft gasp flew from my mouth. My cheeks burned, and at that moment I was glad he wasn’t looking at my face.

  “Uh- no. Like I said- it was my first. I didn’t want to get anything too crazy, you know? And I like teddy bears. I have one that looks like this, with the balloons, back in Maine.” Glancing up at the same time Ryan did, I feared my face would melt from how hot it was. He was so close, his body bunched up and his taut muscles shifting under his skin in my peripheral vision. For a moment we just stared, and I didn’t realize I was leaning into him until his free hand came up to hold my chin. The contact made my heart jump in my chest as the cavity tightened, and I pursed my lips together.

  “...If I told you a secret, would you think differently of me?” Murmuring so softly, Ryan’s breath fanned down the bridge of my nose, and I instantly shook my head. My brows came together, curiosity leaking into my veins to help calm my blood as it pounded in my ears. His eyes flashed, so profound and dark they were almost black, and a shiver lodged between my shoulder blades.

  Only a second passed as Ryan hesitated, but then he smiled and once again took the breath from my lungs. Even with his beard covering it, his smile was incredibly handsome. Or maybe it was because of his beard…

  “I would like to spend more time with you, Sylvia.” My eyes widened at such brazen words. Ryan dragged his finger down the column of my throat and over the lump that had formed there. “You’re very beautiful, but beyond that, I want to know you. All of you.”

  All the heat in my body, even in the room, traveled to my center, and I clenched my thighs together. Ryan still held my foot, but that reminder was fleeting as images filled my mind of us, together. Licking my lips, they dried almost instantly when I sucked in some air into my lungs as his gaze flickered down to them.

  The only thing I could think to do was nod, my mind strangely absent of protest.

  Chapter Seven: Ryan

  Ambling through the forest, my claws displaced dirt, and soft grunts escaped my maw. The early morning sun could barely break the canopy, but I could still feel its soft rays on my fur.

  It felt good, but not as good as Sylvia’s fingers- or what I imagined it would feel like for her to touch me. I’d been walking for a while, zigzagging around my territory as my nose searched for anything out of the ordinary. My bear was antsy, his movements stiff with a deep twisting in his gut as he wandered.

  The day was only just starting, but my mind was already busy thinking of what would come. After that moment in Sylvia’s attic, I felt a new confidence. My inner beast was always alert, waiting, watching, hoping that Sylvia would show up in the bar or somewhere around town.

  And she never failed to disappoint. I saw her daily, and usually, it was within the safety of my bar before opening. She’d gotten into the habit of coming in for lunch, and even now that knowledge tightened my chest.

  Turning back to the present, I pushed my way up into my consciousness as satisfaction radiated from my animal side. I could smell Sylvia in the air, and I sucked it down deep into the recesses of my being. It was soft and fragrant, elegant, just like her with her sophisticated clothes. A fantasy flashed in my mind’s eye, tainting her scent with thick hormones and sweat as her clothes fell away to reveal the beautiful body beneath.

  My tongue unfurled from my mouth at the images, and saliva created a thick coating along my inner cheeks. It was driving me crazy to know what Sylvia looked like na ked; her hip tattoo and the color of her nipples kept me awake at night.

  “-om… why- why do you call me so early…” The woman that dominated my thoughts made my ears perk up, and for the first time, I realized I was at the tree line that edged her back yard. Sylvia’s tired, husky voice shot through my veins like pure, white heroine, and I pushed my way through the thinning trees. My fur stood up, the thick strands making my skin tingle.

  “No, I was just up late last night… I am sleeping, but I had a lot to think about.” Hiding beyond the dark shadows of the trees that lined the property, every cell in my brain was focused on the scene across a small lake. Sylvia stood outside in dark blue flannel pajamas, and her hair glowed gold even now as it stuck up every direction. Her eyelids were puffed, and half closed, her one hand holding her phone to her ear and her other burdened by a mug.

  She was so beautiful… Inching close to the edge of the trees, my nostrils twitched with the scent of coffee as the wind blew her into my lungs.

  “It’s not a big deal, Mom- it’s just this guy I met. I don’t know what to do since I’m not staying…” My body jerked as Sylvia’s words hit me, and I shoved my bear into the back of my mind. I only gave him enough room to keep me in this form, but my muscles were tense, and my human mind was scrambling.

  On her back porch, Sylvia took a deep gulp of her coffee before she started to pace lightly. There was a troubled frown on her face, and whatever her mother was saying didn’t ease that.

  “I’m not going to lead him on, Mom! That’s not right! Aren’t you supposed to tell me not to have sex, anyway? … I- No h-… Mom, what happens when I have to go home?” My claws dug into the soil as my heart raced in my chest. Sylvia’s mother was encouraging a relationship with a man her daughter didn’t know in a place she wasn’t staying? “But I can’t stay- I have my job an-… I know I can do it online but-”

  I couldn’t take this conversation anymore, and I shoved myself out from the trees. My paws hit the ground heavily, making enough noise to alert my potential mate of my arrival. Tossing my head, I felt like a swarm of bees were using it for a hive as my thoughts raced. Catching sight of Sylvia once again, I paused as my bear struggled to come up.

  It was a battle I gladly lost, but I didn’t let him have full reign. The last thing we needed was for Sylvia to be afraid of us. After all, we were absolutely monstrous in this form- easily twice the size of a typical brown bear.

  “Oh God- Mom… a bear! A bear! I’ll call you back!” Hanging up, Sylvia stumbled back on her porch before the sound of ceramics shattering crackled through the air. The sound hurt my ears, and a low ‘oohf’ burst from my throat at the shock. Skirting the pond, I swaggered towards the porch as worry shot through me; Sylvia wasn’t wearing shoes.

  The out of control emotions that swirled in my head made the world tilt, and my claws scraped against the stained wood steps. It was a harsh sound when compared to Sylvia’s voice, and hard breat
hs flowed from my lungs to dry my mouth.

  She’s videotaping me… From inside her house and behind thick shades that kept her from my gaze, I could see Sylvia’s phone camera glinting in the growing sunlight. Little of her cell phone was visible that I couldn’t even see her hand. That’s so adorable.

  I leaned back on my haunches, tossing my head from side to side before I caught sight of the empty coffee mug. Pieces of it were everywhere as if it had exploded, and I reached out a clawed paw to bat around the shards. The smell of the bitter brew was so pungent my lips curled up, and a rough snort ripped itself from my throat.

  My bear preened, shuffling his limbs and puffing himself out to seem bigger. He wanted to impress this female, and his attempt was laughably typical. For a few seconds, I sat there, letting my beast have his moment until it started to seem out of the ordinary.

  The steps creaked slightly under my half ton weight, and I shook myself out. My human rationale knew this wasn’t ideal, but my bear didn’t care. There was no room for consequences in my bear’s instinct-driven mind to have this female by any means necessary.

  Stepping carefully around the pond, I forced one paw in front of the other as I tried to come up with a way this couldn’t backfire.

  Chapter Eight: Sylvia

  Staring at my phone with furrowed brows, my lips pressed tightly together, and a blast of hot breath escaped my nose. The video wasn’t long, only 23 seconds, but I still couldn’t stop looking at it. There, sitting on my porch, was the biggest animal I’d ever seen. It was easily twice the size of any bear in any documentary and three times the size of the ones at the zoo. Long, brown fur hung down and dragged along the porch, and claws as long as my forearm played with the remnants of my mug.

  “This is why I never wake up before 9 a.m..” Grumbling down at the screen, I swiped my thumb to pull back to counter to the beginning for the third time. “Thanks for the heart attack.”