Free Bearllionaire: (BWWM) Paranormal BBW Bear Shifter Romance Standalone by Terry Bolryder Page A

grinning. “So what are you going to cook for me later?”
    He perked up at that and set down his fork. He didn’t seem very hungry. More nervous. “Whatever you like. What are your favorites?”
    “Whatever you want to cook,” she said.
    “Easy to please. I like that.”
    “Do you?” she asked, eyes flashing to his. “I sort of got the impression you liked hard to get.”
    He met her gaze with hard sapphire blue. “Are you hard to get?”
    She didn’t blink. “Maybe.”
    “Then, yes, I like it,” he said, leaning back in his chair and eyeing her with that strangely predatory yet flattering gaze.
    She finished her meal as they spoke about their families. Ryder wouldn’t say much other than he and his brothers left home for school and hadn’t been back, and rarely saw one another but kept in touch. Janna could tell him most of the truth about her family. Controlling mom, gorgeous, skinny sister whom she was relieved Ryder didn’t seem at all interested in meeting, and a father who worked too much and wasn’t really around.
    Perhaps she hadn’t dated around enough before Scott, and that’s why she fell the way she did. And perhaps her dad hadn’t been around enough to teach her anything about men.
    And perhaps, with how cruel life had been to her at times, she simply didn’t want to overthink things when life was actually good. It felt fair that life would be good for once. That’s why it was so awful when things with Scott went bad.
    But it did leave her here, away from her family, where she could grow as a person and meet people like Ryder. And Leslie and Kylie. She wondered if her friends were trying to figure out how to get into the parties at the lodge. Maybe she should mention something to get them an in next time she saw Ryder’s brothers.
    Not that she knew when that would be. He tended to be tense and a little cagey when it came to talking about other men, as if he were jealous but knew he had no right to be this early in the game. But to be honest, it made her feel safe. Protected. She knew that someone who was his would never worry about being treasured. And she was strong enough to stand up for herself if someone were acting controlling.
    After all, she hadn’t hesitated to laugh in his face when he’d tried it before. Caveman dominance was fun in the bedroom, but out of it, she was a grown woman and expected to be treated like one.
    “Where have you gone in your mind?” Ryder’s voice cut into her thoughts. “Don’t get me wrong. I kind of love that about you already. But I find myself wishing I could go with you.”
    She flushed with warmth. That was one of the nicest things anyone had said to her. Not telling her to come back or chiding her for not paying attention or telling her not to zone out. Just wishing he could go with her.
    She tried to keep her heart from melting on the spot. “Just thinking about family. And life. And you know, the things that get you where you are.”
    “Tell me about it,” he said. “I was dreading this trip and the memories it would bring. And then I laid eyes on you and knew everything happens for a reason.”
    “How can you be so sure? You barely know me.”
    “You keep saying that, and I keep trying to answer it. I can’t explain it other than to say I don’t do this with everyone. Anyone even. Just you. You’re special.”
    She poked the remains of her dinner around with her fork. “It’s not that I don’t want to believe you. It’s just hard to.”
    “I know. That’s why we’ve got a week,” he said, finishing his dinner. When she nodded at him, he took both plates and put them in the sink and started running water.
    “You wash dishes too?” she asked.
    “Yup,” he said with a grin. “Fully housebroken.”
    “Nice,” she said. “Definitely points in your favor.”
    He gave her a slightly predatory grin that was playful nonetheless. “I’ll make sure to redeem them later.”
    The mood changed, and he seemed aware he’d