Free Bearlebrity: (BWWM) Paranormal BBW Bear Shifter Romance Standalone by Terry Bolryder

anything involving your foot. You should have told me.”
    “Well,” she said. “I managed fine.” She shook her head and waved him away. “Aside from a bump on my elbow, I’m good as new. Besides, I couldn’t exactly ask you to bathe with me, could I?”
    He took a step closer, closing the space and heating the air between them. Damn, he was so big. Big everywhere, she remembered, flushing at the thought of last night.
    “You couldn’t?” he asked.
    “No,” she said, putting a hand up on his chest as he reached her and leaned forward, crowding her on her stool. “I couldn’t.”
    “Why not?” he asked, nuzzling her ear gently and whispering against it. “It’d be my pleasure, Leslie.”
    She shivered but pulled away, leaning on the counter for balance. She pushed him away playfully with one hand as her heart beat a rapid dance in her chest. “Stop that, I’m not bathing with you.”
    “Fine,” he said, pulling back and shrugging. “But I had a thought. What if you stayed with me up at the lodge while you’re getting better? I would have taken you there before, but I wanted to be able to take you to the doctor.”
    “Why would I stay with you?” she asked, feeling honestly baffled at this turn of events.
    He rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncharacteristically nervous. “I just thought it’d be easier. I’d be there to help with whatever you need.”
    “Whatever I need, huh?” she asked. “Like what?”
    “Getting dressed, getting showered…” He grabbed a cherry and lightly grazed the top of it with his teeth. “Getting to bed.”
    “Hm,” she said. “I’m not your property, Riley. Not even for a temporary engagement.”
    He bit down into the cherry and then closed his mouth and chewed slowly. Thoughtfully. He threw the stem away. “So you’ll sleep with me, but you won’t be exclusive?”
    “No,” she replied instantly. Exclusivity led to romance and hopeful thoughts and other things that would break her heart when he left. She knew how to keep herself safe and that meant following certain rules. It’s not that she intended to sleep around, it’s just that she wouldn’t not sleep with someone just because of him.
    It was weird, but it was one of her rules. And she would stick to it.
    “You’re not my boyfriend,” she said. “You’re not making me promises.” He started to interrupt her but she held a hand up. “Not that I want you to. But you don’t have any right to demand exclusivity.”
    “What about safety?” he asked. “Will you at least tell me if you’re going to have other partners while you’re with me?”
    She pressed her lips together. She couldn’t actually imagine dating more than one man at a time, so she hadn’t thought about the logistics of it. But she got what he meant. Safety was important. She probably wouldn’t be with anyone else. At least, she wasn’t planning to. But he didn’t need to know that. “We’ll see how it goes.”
    He stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder. “I don’t want you sleeping with anyone else if you’re sleeping with me,” he said.
    She frowned up at him impishly. “Who said I’m going to sleep with you again?” She folded her arms with a little growl. “Maybe we’ll just go to sleep.”
    “Honey,” he said, leaning in so their lips were almost touching. “The last thing we’ll be doing together is sleeping. And I do mean last, because after we spend the night together, I’ll wear you out so much that all you can do is sleep. I’ll make you too tired to think of another man.”
    She shrugged. “I won’t complain about that. Just as long as you understand that we don’t have any kind of arrangement. I’m not beholden to you in any way. You don’t have any claim on me.” Although it wasn’t true. After only a few days together, it felt like he already was working his way into her heart.
    “Fine,” he said, pushing away and putting his hands up. “But not my brother,