Big Bear

  She folded her clothes neatly into the suitcase then packed up her laptop that had all her files on it. Maybe she could find something to prove she wasn’t over reacting. Poppy walked back into the living room and picked her phone up off the table. She let out a groan and typed a message to the burly bear shifter named Angus.

  “How about tomorrow?” Poppy did a quick web search on her desktop computer for accommodations on Fate Mountain and booked a room. “I’ll be staying at Fate Mountain Lodge.”

  “I can’t wait. Are you as excited to meet me as I am to meet you?”

  “More,” she typed.

  “I don’t think that’s possible,” he replied.

  Poppy giggled and covered her mouth. He was eager. She liked that. Most of the men she was around ignored her or looked at her like she was a schoolmarm. Poppy was only twenty-eight years old. She had plenty of spunk left in her blood. It couldn’t possibly be over already. Angus was the first man in a long time to make her feel like maybe it really wasn’t.

  When she woke up early the next morning, she loaded her things into the car before coming back upstairs to grab Malcolm’s cage. He squawked through the parking lot, not at all happy about the cold.

  “Hold on, buddy, it will only be cold for a minute.”

  She put his cage in the front seat and skirted around the back of the car to slip into the driver’s seat. She looked over at her pet.

  “This is it,” she said, pulling out of her parking place.

  She made it onto the freeway before rush hour traffic.

  “Open email,” she said to her phone. “To Mr. Chekov. Write. ‘I won’t make it into work today. I’ve got a terrible stomach flu. Haven’t left the bathroom all night.’ Send.” She smiled at herself as she made her way past Tacoma. “That ought to do it.”

  Poppy couldn’t believe she was driving to Oregon to meet a strange bear she’d just started texting last night. But under the circumstances, it seemed like the best course of action. She couldn’t be sure what was going on at work. She’d spent two hours last night trying to figure out what oruzhiye meant. But she couldn’t find anything. She had no idea how to spell in Russian. If she was overreacting, then the worst that could happen was she’d get fired. If the Chekovs really were doing something shady? Well, she’d seen a lot of mob movies on Netflix and she knew exactly how this kind of thing ended.

  She nodded to herself, deciding that leaving town was the most logical, rational course of action. She wasn’t behaving impulsively at all. Not Poppy Robins, the matron of math, as her college classmates used to call her.

  It was hard to just assume Ivor was a sexist asshole who’d inappropriately grabbed her at work. She wanted to find evidence of wrongdoing, not just to protect herself, but to vindicate what her own instinct had been telling her all along. Maybe if she could finally start trusting her gut, she’d stop trusting the wrong people.

  She decided that was exactly what she intended to do and kept driving south toward Oregon. Once she crossed the Columbia River into Portland, she was feeling a lot more nervous than she had when she first started out. This Angus guy was supposed to be the love of her life. She’d been kind of playing around when she’d filled out her profile on Mate.com. She hadn’t expected to be matched with a shifter and then to immediately run down the coast to meet him.

  Maybe he was the love of her life. During the entire drive across Washington State, Poppy hadn’t taken thought of that once. What if he was? She took a deep breath. She’d read the articles. These shifter fated mate relationships were intense and deeply sexual. Poppy groaned and almost merged into a farm truck starting up the road toward Fate Mountain.

  The truck sped up along the freeway and Poppy gripped the wheel. She was way too excited for her own good. Of all the men in the world she could be going to meet, a shifter would be able to help her the most. Angus was huge. Tall and strong. He’d also been in the military. A guy like that could kick some serious ass. Maybe he could protect her if she needed protecting.

  Poppy had taken that into consideration more than once. Not that she wasn’t attracted to Angus for Angus himself. Just the thought of that smile made her melt. She just knew that shifters were bad asses and most of them had served in special forces units in the military. They were heroes.

  The drive up the mountain was uneventful, and she made it to Fate Mountain Village when the sun was dipping low over the western mountains. It was almost sunset, but the evening glow still illuminated the town. It was a cute mountain village with adorable shops and narrow streets lined with cafes and boutiques.

  Poppy noted how darn adorable the town was and told her GPS to find Fate Mountain Lodge. Following the instructions, she made it to the front parking lot. The long yellow rays of sunset stretched out of a huge silver lake below the lodge. She pulled her suitcase out of the trunk and grabbed Malcolm’s cage from the front.

  Rolling her suitcase across the paved path, Poppy hefted Malcolm’s cage in her other hand. It wasn’t a small cage. When she made it to the front door, she was a little sweaty. She pulled her bag up to the reception desk, where she was greeted by a middle-aged lady with a name tag that said “Kelly.”

  “I have a reservation for Poppy Robins,” she said, setting Malcolm on the reception desk.

  “Right. The woman with the bird.”

  “He won’t be a problem, right?” Poppy asked.

  “Of course not, dear. Here you are.”

  She handed Poppy her keys and gave her directions to her room. When Poppy got to her room, she sat on the soft bed and looked out her window at the view of the lake. The room was clean, classy, and already warm. Malcolm bobbed from one foot to the other, seeming mildly pleased to no longer be moving.

  “This is a nice place,” she said to Malcolm.

  He ignored her and started pruning under his wing. Poppy shrugged and opened her suitcase. She was supposed to meet Angus tonight. After spending all day driving, she was about to go out on a date for the first time in…well, a long time.

  She grabbed her bathroom case and made her way to the bathroom. It was big and spa-like, making Poppy feel more relaxed. She was going to try to pretend this really was just a vacation.

  Turning on the shower, she reached in and felt the warm water trickle down over her hand. A few moments later, she was rubbing the complimentary body wash over her dark skin. It smelled of almonds and cocoa butter. It left her skin feeling smooth and soft.

  Turning off the water, she stepped out and started to dry off. Squinting at the counter, she found her glasses. When she wiped the steam off the mirror, she looked closely at her face.

  Was she really ready to meet the bear? Her stomach ached and her core twitched. She had mixed feelings on the subject.

  5

  Angus put on a blue flannel shirt with a black tie. Pushing the tie up to his collar, he smiled in the mirror. Twice in a tie in one week—that had to be some kind of record for Angus.

  He felt nervous as hell to meet his fated mate. He’d been waiting for her for so long that he hadn’t really thought about what it would be like when he finally found her. She’d agreed to come meet him so fast, he hadn’t seen it coming.

  Of course, when he found out he had a mate, he wanted to see her right then and there. Now he’d have the chance to hold her hand and smell her scent. His heart started pounding in his big chest. He put his hand to it, feeling the flutters of excitement deep in his belly. Boy, he hadn’t felt this wound up since his first mission as a Navy SEAL.

  Angus had stopped for a bouquet of flowers on the way to the lodge. It sat on the bench of his pickup, full of fragrant tulips and white roses. He sniffed the sweet smell, hoping his mate would like them.

  He parked in front of the lodge and grabbed the bouquet, suddenly feeling like his tie was too tight. Walking up the front path, Angus hooked his finger into the nape of his neck and loosened the tie. He gulped as he opened the front door. He was supposed to meet her in the lobby. He gripped
the door.

  This was it.

  Inside, he looked around. There were some humans sitting in the seating area around the fireplace. Kelly was at the reception desk. The door to the dining room was open for dinner. But he didn’t see Poppy anywhere. His shoulders slumped and he let out a breath. Gripping the flowers in his hands, he did a quick circle of the lobby and went to sit down in the seating area that looked out on the back lawn.

  Maybe she wasn’t going to come. He frowned and looked at his phone, wondering if he should text her. When he looked up, he saw her standing there, wearing a form-fitting dress that accentuated her curves. The sapphire blue made her skin glow. The scent of her body swept over him, and he stood, towering over her.

  The little human took a step back and pushed her glasses up her nose. He was staring down at her plump bosom and gasped, looking into her eyes. His bear rumbled, panting and grunting. Angus could feel his cock twitch. This woman was his mate. There was no doubt about it.

  “Poppy,” he said, his voice somewhere between a roar and a croak.

  “Angus Grant?” Poppy asked, reaching out to shake his hand.

  She looked up at him as if she was trying to read his expression.

  “Yes. Poppy Robins. It’s so good to meet you,” he said, shaking her hand vigorously. Poppy clenched her teeth in a nervous smile. “I brought you these,” he said, thrusting the flowers toward her. She took them and brought the bouquet to her nose, taking a deep sniff.

  “These smell good. You smell good,” she said, smiling in her eyes now. She giggled nervously.

  “I thought we could have dinner at the restaurant in the lodge. Shane’s cooking tonight.”

  “I read that Master Chef Shane Keenan ran the kitchen here,” Poppy said excitedly.

  “Shane is a good man and a great chef,” Angus said, holding out his arm so that Poppy could thread her arm through it.

  They walked arm-in-arm across the lobby, and Angus had never felt more proud than he did now with Poppy beside him. His inner bear, who was usually quiet and sedate, was panting inside his mind, rumbling for his mate. Angus had to tell his bear to calm down and focus on dinner. His bear liked to eat, that was for sure. So the prospect of food distracted the beast momentarily from the prospect of claiming his lovely mate.

  They walked into the dining room, and a server brought them to a table covered in a starched white tablecloth. Poppy smiled as she sat across from him and the server placed their big menus in front of them.

  “There’s so much to choose from,” Poppy said.

  “Shane’s baked salmon is always good,” Angus suggested. His inner bear started to groan. Baked salmon. “I think that’s what I’ll have.”

  “Sounds delicious. I’ll have that too.”

  They placed their order, and the server brought them both glasses of chilled white wine. Angus was more of a beer guy, but he wanted to be fancy for Poppy’s sake. She looked so cute, lifting the wine class to her full, pink lips. He couldn’t help but notice every little nuance of her scent, the expressions on her face, and the color of her skin.

  He’d been waiting a long time for a mate, and now that he’d found her, he wanted to revel in the moment. As much as he could with a randy grizzly growling inside him, anyway. For a man who was known for being thoughtful and quiet, his bear was being anything but. Angus didn’t blame the beast. He felt the stir of his need from the moment he’d laid eyes on Poppy and smelled the sweet scent of her skin.

  “So, you’re an accountant?” Angus said, trying to make conversation over the sound of his inner bear.

  “I’m a bookkeeper for an imports/exports company in Seattle,” she said. Her tone was clipped like she didn’t want to talk about her job. “You’re a woodworker. That sounds fascinating. What do you build?”

  Angus loved talking about his work. He’d been obsessed with wood since he was a child. He loved the smell, the grain, the texture. He loved to find the luster of a wood and bring out the shine.

  “I make high-end furniture. But I also do custom cabinets and some carpentry work on the side.”

  “Do you have a workshop?” she asked, taking another sip of wine.

  “I sure do. Here in town. It’s the first shop I ever owned on my own. Bought it with my shifter veteran’s package. But I grew up in a family who’d been working wood for generations.”

  “Do you make those little bear carvings I see on the coast sometimes?” she asked.

  “Sure. I can do chainsaw carvings. But my best pieces are my dining room tables. My masterpiece is in a gazebo on an island out on the lake.”

  “Why would you put your masterpiece out where no one can see it?”

  “Because it’s special. It’s in a special place.”

  “I’d love to see it,” Poppy said.

  “Maybe we can take the boat out to the island tomorrow,” Angus said, the wheels inside his mind turning. The gazebo was secluded, and the only way to get to it was by boat. It was a perfect private place for a date. He and Poppy could be alone and completely focus on each other.

  “I’d love that,” Poppy said.

  She took a bite of the crusty bread from a basket on the table just as the server brought their dinner. Two plates of baked salmon with garlic risotto were placed in front of them. Angus took a long sniff of his dinner. His stomach grumbled and he dug in. His bear was so excitable from being around his mate that he ate up his dinner without stopping.

  When he realized he was being a beast, he set down his fork and wiped his face with the cloth napkin. He looked up at Poppy and she was staring at him. She must think he was completely uncivilized.

  “I’m hungry,” he said with a grin.

  “Me too,” Poppy said, shoving a pink bite of salmon into her lovely mouth.

  Angus let out a long breath. She was a nice girl. She didn’t let him feel too much like an overgrown bear in a fancy restaurant. He really appreciated that. He leaned back, looking at his empty plate. His stomach felt warm and full.

  “Desert?” Angus asked.

  “I’d love desert. What would you suggest.”

  “Shane’s wild raspberry cheesecake,” Angus said, thoughtfully.

  “Yum!”

  He motioned for the server to come over to their table and he ordered two wild raspberry cheesecakes. A moment later, Shane came out of the kitchen with their desert plates in his hands. His tattoos showed under the folded back sleeves of his black chef coat. Shane slid the plates in front of him and Poppy.

  “Shane, good to see you, bro,” Angus said.

  “I wanted to serve you in person,” Shane said, turning to Poppy.

  She looked star struck, her mouth hanging open slightly. Shane gave her his wild bear grin and crossed his tattooed arms over his chest.

  “Shane Keenan,” Poppy stuttered. “I don’t know if I should ask for an autograph or gush over your food.”

  “Shane, this is Poppy Robins. We met on Mate.com,” Angus said.

  “Nice to meet you, Poppy,” Shane said to Angus’s mate. “You met on Mate.com, huh?”

  “She’s one hundred percent,” Angus said, nodding toward Shane.

  “A hundred percent. I see. Enjoy the cheesecake, Poppy. And enjoy your stay on Fate Mountain,” Shane said, winking at Angus before he walked back to the kitchen.

  “Oh my god, I feel like such a dork,” Poppy gasped.

  “Don’t worry about it. To tell you the truth, I think Shane likes the attention.”

  “I totally embarrassed myself.”

  “You’re perfect. Shane’s just a man who happens to be a really good cook.”

  Poppy sliced into her cheesecake, moaning as she put a bite in her mouth. Angus loved the little sounds of pleasure she made when she ate. He couldn’t keep his body from responding to those noises, and Angus was beginning to feel a little tight in his pants.

  They finished their meals, and the server came back to tell Angus it was on the house. Levi and Shane must be rooting for him on h
is first date with his mate. He left the server a big tip and helped Poppy up from the table.

  They walked back into the lobby and Poppy looked up at him with desire in her eyes. The sight of it made a shock of excitement hit him in the gut. He wasn’t ready for the night to be over.

  “Want to see the atrium?” Angus asked. “It’s like a big greenhouse full of tropical plants.”

  “I’d love to,” Poppy said.

  He put his hand to the small of her back and guided her down the hall that went to the atrium. He gripped the door and pushed inside. The fragrant scent of the flowers wafted over him. The lights that lined the path were the only illumination in the tropical forest before them. It was much warmer and lush inside the glass dome.

  “This place is gorgeous,” Poppy said, walking down the path.

  “You should see it in the day time.”

  They walked to the waterfall at the end of the atrium. It gushed down the rock face and splattered in a pool below. The sound of falling water was soothing to his soul, and the scent of tropical flowers made his head dreamy.

  Poppy looked through the glass dome and up into the moonlight. The blue glow of the moon and the orange glow of the path lights illuminated her pretty face. She turned to him, smiling up at him with her big brown eyes.

  “This has been a wonderful first date, Angus,” she said.

  “Thank you for coming,” he said, moving closer.

  He could smell her arousal and see the gleam of desire spark in her eyes. Very gently, he leaned down and moved in closer, as if in slow motion. Poppy gasped and grasped his face in her hands, bringing his lips down on her mouth. Their lips crushed together, and Angus’s grizzly came alive with need.

  Angus grabbed her and pulled her against him, pressing his hardening body to her soft stomach. The feeling of her curves under his hands as he held her made him want to claim her right there in the greenhouse.