Brody picked her up at the agreed time in his Sheriff’s Department SUV. It wasn’t very subtle, and everyone on Main Street saw him open the passenger door for her and help her in. They also saw the kiss he stole as he was assisting her up into the off-road vehicle, which had massive tires that made it a climb for her to reach the seat.

He chuckled at her momentary struggle, then solved the problem by lifting her around the waist and tucking her into the car. She squeaked, not expecting the move, but in the end, was grateful for the assist.

“I’m going to have to install running boards for you,” he murmured. “But I like helping you in, too. Any excuse to touch you is a good thing as far as I’m concerned.”

His words, coupled with the audacious wink he gave her as he closed the door, made her blood warm in her veins. He walked around the front of the large vehicle, and she noted he had no problem climbing into his own seat. The car was made for someone his size.

Suddenly, she felt small and feminine, which wasn’t a sensation she often experienced. The oldest of the three Baker sisters, Nell hadn’t had much time for dating after they lost their parents. She’d been eighteen and just barely able to hold her little family together. With the help of their elderly grandparents in those first few years, she’d been able to provide for the small family. When their grandparents died, too, the girls had been old enough to make their way in the world on their own.

Moving here had been part of the new start all three of them needed. They’d sold the home their grandparents had left them and unanimously decided to strike out on their own. After working for a successful bakery chain for years, all three of them knew the business and were able to take their skills with them.

Finding a place in the country had been ideal because of the lower cost of living. Their rent on the building wasn’t much, and they had been able to squirrel away a bit of savings since opening the store, which they hadn’t really expected.

Oh, they’d wanted to show a profit, of course, but hadn’t projected any until next year at the earliest. But the people in Grizzly Cove had been amazingly receptive to the bakery, and business was booming. Well, as much as business could boom in a tiny town like this.

“How far is it?” she asked, to make conversation as they rolled past the last of the small businesses on Main Street.

“Not far. I live closer to town than most because of my job, but I managed to snag some property up on the hillside, with a lovely view of the cove. I think you’ll like it.”

---

Brody suddenly realized this was the first time he’d brought a woman to his new den. It was important to him that she liked the place. More important than it probably should be, but he found himself thinking in terms of forever where Nell was concerned.

If she liked the place, maybe she’d consider moving in with him? Maybe, if he could get even closer to her, he could discover if she was truly meant to be his mate. The bear inside him was still on the fence, but it was leaning more and more toward her each time they were near.

He’d deliberately held the bear back until yesterday because he couldn’t have contemplated getting involved with her until she knew about shifters. Now that she knew, he had released his tight hold on his inner bear, and the cranky animal was being stubborn, withholding from the human side just for spite. Otherwise, he’d know already whether or not Nell was meant to be his.

Or so he believed. His parents always said they knew at first sight that they were meant for each other. In fact, Brody had spent an hour on the phone last night with his dad, trying to figure it out, but his dad had seemed to think that it was different for each shifter. Many, like his folks, knew immediately. Others had to be hit over the head with it.

Brody hoped he wasn’t one of the latter. He wanted a mate. And a family. And a home that was more than just a house.

“I built into the side of the hill to take advantage of the views but did my best to leave the natural habitat intact,” he told her. “Though there’s plenty of room for a garden,” he said, thinking of her rooftop oasis.

He looked over to find her smiling in a shy way that he found adorable. Pretty much everything about Nell was adorable. If he could pick a mate, he’d want a woman exactly like her. But one thing his dad had impressed on him in their talk last night was that shifters really didn’t have much choice. True mates were granted by the Goddess and brought together by fate.

Brody pulled into the drive and drove up to the house, holding his breath to see her reaction.

“Oh, this is lovely,” she exclaimed, and he started to breathe again. “I love the way the house blends into the woods. It’s like it grew out of the hillside naturally.”

Brody felt his cheeks heat as he flushed with pleasure at her compliment.

“It’s my attempt at a human grizzly den. All the comforts and safety of being in the ground, and yet, the beautiful views and natural light my human side craves.” He had never really put it into words before, but he found himself wanting her to understand.

She turned in her seat to look at him. “You really are two in one, aren’t you? I mean, I’ve been thinking about it pretty much non-stop since yesterday, and I’m so curious about how it all works…being a bear, I mean.”

He liked that she was interested. It was a good sign, as far as he was concerned. If she could accept his dual nature, maybe she would be amenable to being his mate. If the Goddess blessed them, of course. For now, the bear was withholding the knowledge from him, the furry bastard.

“Well, the first thing you need to know…” he said, pulling to a stop in front of the house and shutting off the engine, “…is that the bear side of me will never hurt you. I’m still me when I’m in my fur. I still know all my friends, and my protective instincts are in full force. You never need to fear the bear in me, Nell.”

When she was silent, he turned to look at her and found her mouth open in shock again. Finally, she seemed to process his words. “I hadn’t even thought about that. I mean, you were so great in the bakery yesterday, I guess I just didn’t even consider it.”

“Great?” She thought he’d been great in the bakery? He thought he’d scared her half to death, but apparently, she remembered it differently.

“Yeah, I mean, you could’ve torn up the place, or roared, or something. You could’ve wiped out that little koala with one swipe of your claws, but you showed enormous restraint, I thought. You were great,” she repeated, nodding.

He was blushing again. He could feel the heat in his cheeks. He hadn’t been so emotional since he was a teen, but something about Nell brought out all sorts of strange reactions in him.

“I probably should have sat on him at least,” Brody joked, uncomfortable with the praise he didn’t quite know how to handle.

Nell chuckled. “Then I would have had squashed koala in the middle of my shop.” She giggled some more. “I shouldn’t laugh. It’s just a funny visual, you know? Like a cartoon or something.”

“It would’ve been a little ridiculous,” Brody admitted, smiling with her. “I just couldn’t bring myself to hurt the little guy. I mean, he was stupid and drunk. And did I mention stupid? But there’s something about a koala. They’re not a real bear, you know? But they’re kinda cute if you hold your breath.”

“Why hold your breath? Oh! You mean the eucalyptus smell?” She chuckled again. “He kind of smelled like a cough drop to me.”

“Well, I’ve heard that smell is intense for humans, but imagine how my nose reacted to that. We smell things, hear things, taste things…a lot more than you do. Our senses are way more acute. His scent is literally an assault on the nostrils.”

“I had no idea, but I guess it makes sense. Wow. You continue to amaze me the more I learn about you,” she said candidly.

He liked that she wasn’t holding things back from him. He’d seen her shock and her fear, though thankfully not too much fear. Her honesty was fresh and welcome.

“Then let me amaze you even more with my grilling skills. I’ve got everything set. All I have to do is light the fire and get things cooking.” He gestured toward the house. “Shall we?”

She smiled at him, and his heart stopped for a moment. “Sure. But I’m going to need some help getting out of your car, or I might fall on my nose.”

“Say no more. Your wish is my command.”

He got out of the vehicle and walked quickly around to her side, opening the door and lifting her out.

He took his time lowering her to the ground, allowing her body to slide against his all the way down. And even when both of her feet were on the ground, he didn’t let her go. He paused, letting her decide if she wanted to step away and break their connection.

When she didn’t, he lowered his head and stole the kiss he’d been wanting since the night before. A kiss with no holds barred. Nobody watching. Nobody gossiping. Just the two of them, in the forest evening.

His arms swept around her when her knees crumpled, and he felt the sharp stab of pride knowing he’d nearly made her swoon with pleasure. Just from a kiss. He wondered what would happen when they finally made love. And then, he almost growled out loud, thinking about how much he wanted that to happen tonight.

He tightened his hold, wanting to feel every one of her luscious curves against his starving body. But then, he made himself release her, one agonizing inch at a time. He couldn’t rush this. He had to remember she was human. She probably didn’t feel the same raw urgency as shifters did. He had to do this right and give her all the space she needed.

Of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to do his best to seduce her, but he’d lured her to his den with the promise of dinner. He could at least feed her before he tried to convince her to go farther. Besides, he liked spending time with her. Sex would be great—no, it would be awesome—but he also wanted to just have her in his space for a little while, all to himself, to enjoy talking with her and basking in the sparkle of her eyes.