Free Bearly Loving: Foxhollow Den #2 (Alaskan Den Men Book 10) by Kizzie Waller Page A

She’d been over his sexy ass for years. It’s not like she’d given him her heart or anything.
    She gritted her teeth and watched his face settle into a grin more wolf-like than bear-like.
    He ran his fingers through his dark, unkempt hair and tucked his hands behind his head. “Just the girl I’m looking for.”
    I’ve been in the same place for the past ten years . She clamped her lips together until a more reasonable response came to mind. “You’ve been sitting out here for an hour and a half. If you’re looking for me, why didn’t you just come inside?”
    He winked, and she felt one of her molars crack.
    “I knew you’d come out here eventually, and just because Grant got hooked into tasting the Taylor donuts doesn’t mean I will.”
    “Good, because you can’t have my donuts anyway.” Nice juvenile comeback, and totally off topic . “If you have no intention of buying donuts, why are you parked in front of my shop? What do you want, Carter?”
    “I’m here to pick you up.”
    “For what?”
    “You haven’t heard? Pops and your dad got into a brawl at mediation. Broke the poor mediator’s nose when he tried to pull the two apart, and now the mediator wants different reps from the family to come in for the rest of negotiations.”
    “They picked you?” She grasped the edge of the partially-opened window with both hands, dreading the question she had to ask next. “But what does that have to do with me?”
    “The mediator asked for two mellow family members.” With an index finger he pointed at himself and then at her. “Jump in, and let’s get it done. Two days of mediation meetings. A weekend to remember. Me and you, sweets.”
    “Ick. Don’t call me ‘sweets’. Or anything else. I’m not going to sit in mediation over this silly land dispute. Just sign the deed to us, and it’ll all be over.”
    “Not how it works. And since you started this whole mess with the wedding fiasco, seems only fitting that you help resolve it.”
    Samantha growled and smacked her palm against the window. Too hard. The glass shattered into the passenger seat.
    Carter pulled his feet down from the dashboard, his mouth draped open in a perfect O.
    She backed away from the truck, startled at the mess she’d made. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hit it that hard.”
    “What did you do to my truck?” With jerky movements, he exited the driver’s side and joined her on the sidewalk. “Your hand is bleeding.”
    He reached for it, but she pulled away, remembering all too well the happy tingles his touch once caused. The piece of glass stuck in her palm glittered in the sunlight. She removed it, and a stream of blood ran down to her elbow. “It’s just a small cut.”
    “Let’s get it cleaned up.” He passed by her and opened the door to the café.
    The cut didn’t hurt half as bad as the embarrassment of losing control. So much for avoiding conflict . “I can handle it.” She ducked through the door and didn’t give his trouble-causing face another glance. “Just move your truck. Please.”
    Samantha headed for the kitchen and stopped short when she caught her cousin, Bobbie, and Carter’s brother, Grant, lip-locked and bodies entangled against the counter near the sink. Bears weren’t known for their modesty. Newly mated bears were even worse.
    The tart scent of shifter wafted up from behind her. Her shoulders sank further. Carter had followed her in.
    He leaned in close, and his warm breath grazed her ear. “Do they always do that in here?” The low rumble of his voice produced those tingles she’d been trying to avoid.
    She cleared her throat and stepped away from him. “Usually they keep it out in the alley.”
    Bobbie and Grant pulled apart and turned happy, satisfied faces toward them. Samantha lifted her hand in the air, and Bobbie grabbed a dish towel and rushed forward, her expression quickly morphed to one of concern. “Samantha, what happened?”
    Carter moved around them