Free Kodiak Moment: Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance by Zoe Chant Page B

obligatory fixings and started the kettle boiling, Dan stood up and came to lean on the kitchen doorframe.
    “Have you seen much of your new neighbor yet?” he asked with no preamble.
    “No, and I don’t intend to,” James said firmly. “She’ll stay over there, I’ll stay over here, and we’ll get along just fine.”
    The sound of the kettle coming to the boil almost covered Dan’s disbelieving snort. “You should give her a chance,”
    “Why?” James asked, halting while adding the coffee to the cups.
    “Aren’t you lonely out here on your own?”
    James shook his head, grabbing the milk from the fridge. “Dan, just because you’re happily mated, with cubs dancing around your feet, doesn’t mean that you have to set me up. Go and matchmake one of your deputies, and leave me out of it.”
    Dan shook his head, taking the coffee and retreating back to the armchair. He slouched down, making himself comfortable.
    James settled on the couch, straight backed and formal.
    “I’m not trying to set you up,” Dan continued. “I just hink you need more friends. She’d probably welcome the company.”
    Much to James’s chagrin, Dan was hitting a nerve. Though he loved the solitude, sometimes it did get overpowering, and a little lonely. And if he was being honest with himself, the human part of him was curious to get to know a woman who would seek out the same sort of solitude. Not to mention the hot desire of his bear self.
    “I’ll think about it,” he said, and Dan smiled.
    “Who knows, you might like her,” Dan said lightly.
    James was fairly certain he would. That was the problem.
    Dan stayed around for a while, to catch James up with the news and gossip from the town, and to share his latest baby photos. Dan was a coyote shifter, mated and married for seven years now, and his wife had just had their third child. Dan, while short on sleep, was still utterly besotted and prone to showing pictures to everyone.
    Although he grumbled, James found himself a little wistful of the cozy, homely scenes. A mate and cubs had never been in his cards. He had never needed those things to content him. He would never admit to wanting them. But it was nice to live vicariously through Dan.
    Finally though, duty called, and Dan headed back out to the cruiser, and away. James, about to move inside, stopped to look at the other cabin. It really would be the neighborly thing to do. And he could keep himself under control.
    Before he could think about it any longer, he crossed the gap between the cabins and rapped sharply on the door. He heard footsteps clattering down the stairs, the sound of the lock undoing, before the door was pulled open.
    His inner bear roared to attention at the sweet, intoxicating perfume that drifted from her hair. The autumnal strands were disheveled, falling free from their loose ponytail. Her eyes were blue, but the deep blue of long-forgotten deep forest pools, dark eyes to drown a man. Her skin was alabaster pale, with a scattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose.
    “Hi,” she said politely, and James blinked.
    “Hi,” he parroted back at her, searching for coherence, trying to gather his will back together. “Thought I should come over and introduce myself. Since we’re going to be neighbors and all.”
    She was smiling at him, her eyes laughing at his stumbling words. But he found that he didn’t mind, that he liked that look in her eyes. He felt warm.
    “Nice to meet you,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Nessa.”
    He accepted the hand and gave it a firm shake. “James.”
    “You want to come in for a minute?” she invited. “I’m sure I saw coffee in here somewhere.”
    “No need to put yourself out for me,” he said. “I know you’re only just arrived. And since you probably haven’t had much of a chance to get supplies, would you like to join me for dinner tonight?”
    Her face lit up, and while she had been beautiful before, now she was incandescent,