Jay looked into the sad, deep blue eyes of the gorgeous woman staring blankly back at him from the photograph. Her dark blond hair fell in soft waves to brush her shoulders, and she was wearing some kind of summery dress that had little lavender paisleys scattered like stars across the front. In the picture, she was standing next to a smiling man with his arm around her, but her posture screamed at him that something was off.

As a werebear he could tap into the natural instincts of his animal half to allow him greater insights into the things he didn’t always pick up with his human senses. It was a skill that was immensely helpful when he had launched his private investigation firm just over a year ago.

With his military background, and his supernatural abilities, it was a natural transition to the private sector after he’d finished his last tour of duty. Even though he was a born fighter, the violence of war had finally started to wear on him, and he had decided that a change would be good. Too many nights waking up in a cold sweat with images of falling bodies and the sound of bombs ringing in his ears.

His dark eyes were drawn back to hers. Adeline. Her husband, Blake Newcomb, had hired him to find his missing wife. He was the smiling man from the photo. He had come into the office begging Jay to help find her, saying the police weren’t doing anything. The man had been earnest, Jay would give him that.

There was still something off, his bear instincts told him. He just had to figure out what. First thing first, he had to find the girl. He scanned the chart that was paper-clipped under the picture.

Five feet seven inches, blue eyes, blond hair, Jay flipped back to the photograph, and a knockout figure with lush curves in all the right the places. He curbed his wayward thoughts, bringing them back to her description. Probably going by her maiden name of Hensley. Adeline Hensley. It has a nice ring to it, he thought. Mentally saying her name, committing it to memory.

He knew he would have no problem remembering this woman. Despite himself, his gaze was drawn back to the photo. Her hourglass figure filled out the dress she was wearing in all the right ways, unable to deny the instant attraction he felt at not just her body, which was his version of perfection, but also the expression on her face. Intelligent, kind-hearted.

When he reached her eyes again, he felt the kick of his instincts. The same instincts that had saved him more times than he could count on the battlefield. He re-read the numbers he had scrawled hastily on the bottom, probably illegible to anyone else, but he didn’t really need to.

The address he had been given had lead him to the seedy motel in a bad part of the city that he was now parked out front of. He had sat there, he checked the clock glowing red in the dash, for almost 2 hours. Just waiting. Luckily, patience was a virtue that came naturally to him.

He had watched older men with scantily clad girls on their arms easily half their age. Rough looking men eyeing everyone and everything with shifty, sideways glances as they disappeared inside, presumably to push whatever illegal substance they happened to pedal.

It all made the back of his neck prickle in unease, helpless to do anything but watch as he continued to sit there, hoping to catch sight of the woman he had been hired to find.

It had been surprisingly easy to track her down, either she wasn’t very good at hiding or she just hadn’t cared that much, but he was betting on the former. There was an innocent naiveté that came across loud and clear in the photo of her.

Jay sighed as he looked down at his empty coffee cup. He was wasting time just sitting there, he knew that. He had to make a decision soon. Either go in, try and find whatever room she was staying in, and potentially spook her into running again, or leave and come back tomorrow.

But she might just as easily be gone by the next day. He growled in aggravation. It could go either way, and he just wouldn’t know the answer until he rolled the dice. Pocketing his keys and his brown leather wallet, he casually opened the SUV door, got out, and threw it shut behind him.

He would just take a look around the building, case any exits, then walk up to the front desk and hope he got lucky. Slowly, he moved to the sidewalk, surreptitiously keeping an eye on the people he passed. She really couldn’t have picked a better neighborhood to hide in? He just shook his head.

Anyone trying to mess with him would be in for a rough surprise. He had specialized in hand-to-hand combat. Not to mention his size alone was enough to intimidate most people. At six and half feet of pure, lean muscle his physique closely mirrored that of his animal half.

As Jay neared the alleyway running behind the dilapidated motel, he paused, his instincts going on high alert. His unusually sharp ears had picked up something, he just couldn’t make sense of it. There it was again. A soft, almost imperceptible shriek, full of terror and completely feminine. What the hell?

Jay turned in that direction, and the sudden sound of a scuffle followed by a metal trash can being knocked over had him rushing around the corner to investigate.

What he saw turned his blood to ice. A group of disreputable looking men were slowly advancing on a lone woman. He couldn’t see her clearly in the dim shadows of the dirty alley, but he instantly recognized the severity of the dire situation. This girl was in serious trouble.

His reaction was instantaneous. Years of training on top of his animal instinct had his body reacting almost before his thoughts had time to register. Something about the woman, now pressed up against the jagged brick, caught his attention and tried to distract him, but his iron will kept his focus on the five men still walking toward her tauntingly.

No one had seen him yet, his movement’s fluid as he advanced in the shadows, making sure he kept to the deepest parts. It wasn't fully night out yet, so there were still patches of dusty like flickering down the alley. He moved slowly, silently, and as he neared the last of the men, his muscles tensed in preparation.

He quickly read them. The one directly in front of him now seemed the weakest, he would go down first. The three men just to his right were obvious lackeys, but they each held a makeshift weapon. A piece of two by four, a short length of pipe that could be deadly for either himself or the woman.

The real problem was going to be the front man, the gang leader. He was the one the others followed, and he carried a wicked looking knife that glinted dully in the dim light. He tried to ignore the woman’s soft, terrified pleading as the men advanced on her even further but it hit him, causing his chest to tighten painfully as every animal instinct in him bellowed at him to save her, protect her. At all cost.

He shook off the intense reaction, knowing if he lost focus it could end really badly for both of them. Just as the lead thug opened he mouth, he struck. Still moving silently, he reached for the smallest man directly in front of him, placing hands on either side of his head, and with a quiet snap was lowering him bonelessly to the pavement.

The woman still hadn’t noticed him, but he wasted no time advancing on the three next men. The second went down as quickly as the first, and he moved with supernatural speed to cut the others off before they could surround him. He could see it in their eyes that they didn’t realize the extent of the danger they were in, confident they could take down one, lone man. But what they didn’t know was that he wasn’t just a man.

He used his supernatural strength to land a blow that had the third man falling with a wet squish as his body hit a dirty puddle. Uncertainty started to fill the last man’s eyes, and he cast a questioning look at his leader, who was just now turning away from his prey to take in what was happening behind him.

The guy’s beady eyes looked black in the darkness of the shadows as his eyes widened on Jay and the devastation he had wrought in his crew. Five had become two in a matter of seconds. The head honcho froze for a minute before a drug-induced rage and confidence had attacking when he really should have been running for his life.

Jay steeled himself, smelling the drugs on his skin as he neared. He knew this guy wasn't going to give up, unwilling or unable to process the reality around him. Jay assessed the situation. The woman, still huddled with her face covered, cowered against the wall safely out of his path. The two men, one holding a piece of pipe like a bludgeon, the leader still wielding that deadly blade as they both advanced on him, one in front and one in back.

He made the tactical decision to go after the weaker looking one, the man holding the pipe, trying to take him down before the other could reach him. Two against one were more than fair odds for him, but it would make it harder to protect the now silent female.

He turned to look at her, noticing how silent she had gone, and found the biggest, deepest blue eyes staring back at him, opened as wide as they could go. The impact of her gaze hit him like a semi-truck. He knew this woman. This gorgeous, terrified creature. The hair was different, dyed some store bought shade of dark brown, but the features, the mouth, the curve of the cheek, and those eyes.

It was her. Adeline. Of all the women, it had to be her staring at him like a startled bird about to take flight. He let out an ummgph as his momentary distraction cost him a sharp sting across his left shoulder as the pipe made contact. He shifted forward, his body moving like water despite his size, so the blow just glanced off his back, but he shook his head trying to dispel the image of big azure eyes boring into him. He had to focus.

He turned quickly, avoiding the slashing blade glinting evilly now at his back, and leapt toward the guy holding the pipe like a baseball bat. They had him at a disadvantage now. Shit. He cursed at himself, at his mental lapse as he couldn’t help but steal another quick glance at her.

Jay might be able to hold them off in his human form, but not bring them down and protect her at the same time, and his animal half was refusing to let him do anything but. He could practically hear the beast growling impatiently inside him. Bears could shift at will, and usually he felt in perfect harmony with his other half.

For the first time in his life, he could feel control slipping away as his instincts clamored like mad, screaming that he had to protect this woman, keep her safe. Never had Jay had a reaction this strong, and while mentally he tried to hold onto the image of his normal, human shape the pull to shift was overwhelming.

He felt the moment that he lost the battle. Bone re-knit and skin disappeared under fur almost instantly, the change happening seamlessly as he was mid-air, leaping towards the would be attacker.

He moved with a deadly grace despite the giant size of his bear form. The man holding the pipe fell within seconds, fear filling his face just before a sharp swipe from Jay’s massive claw had left him lying unconscious next to the others.

With a fierce growl, he turned on the leader of the gang, watching his face turn ghost white before releasing a high pitched shriek and dashing towards the other end of the alley, the strong smell of urine making Jay wrinkle his nose and wish that his animal sense wasn’t quite so sharp.

With a shake of his massive brown head, he seemed to elongate and then almost deflate back to his normal size. The fur disappeared and his regularly tan skin appeared. Within seconds Jay was back to his human self, his stomach dropping as he turned to the woman expecting the same ‘shriek in terror and run away’ treatment.

What he definitely wasn’t expecting was the way she ran at him, threw her arms around him, and whispered thank you over and over huskily into his chest. Jay stood frozen for a moment, absorbing the shockwaves of her embrace as they swept over his adrenaline charged body.

Finally, and way too soon, she took a step back, re-adjusting her button down shirt that was now covered in filth and her new dark brown hair. Her eyes had drained of the fear that had swamped them, and he now looked down into clear blue oceans reflecting gratitude, embarrassment, shock, and he thought, a spark of desire. Maybe he was just projecting.

“Come on,” his voice was a gruff rumble echoing in the now silent alley, “let’s get you cleaned up.”

Adeline stared at the bathroom mirror. Looking, but not really seeing. She replayed the awful scene from the alley over and over in her head. Remembering the crippling fear, the fear that she hated in herself, the fear that Adeline had thought she’d overcome when she had finally left her abusive boyfriend.

It had taken her almost a year to leave Blake, but she knew if she hadn’t she would have ended up trapped, hurt, or worse. She lifted up the corner of her now clean t-shirt to examine the faded yellow and purple splotched bruises along her right ribs, fainter now that they had started to heal.

Blake had been so sweet, so loving in the beginning. She had thought she was in love him. Had even moved in with him. But after a few months he’d changed. He had become incredibly possessive, and flew into a jealous rage over the slightest thing.

He had isolated her from her friends, and the only family she had was back in Virginia. She had felt so alone, so dependent on him. She looked at the bruises again. That had been the last straw. Blake had screamed at her that she had been flirting with the checkout boy at the grocery store.

It was a ridiculous excuse, but she had been petrified at the look of absolute rage in his eyes. She had packed her suitcase and fled that very night, spending the last two weeks constantly looking over her shoulder, expecting him to be there.

She took in the pale wash of her skin, ghost white under the fluorescent lights of the bathroom overhead lamp. Her deep blue eyes dominated her face, still widened, making her look startled. She took a deep breath, thinking of the big man still waiting out in the main space of the hotel room. It was really just a big bedroom but it had a couch and TV stand set up on one side, and a small kitchenette toward the back.

Adeline could easily picture him, he’d said his name was Jay, pacing back and forth on the worn beige carpet. He had saved her, in more ways than one. Standing in that alley, watching the gang of thugs walk closer to her, she had given into her fear.

She hadn’t been able to move, to run, or even scream and she loathed that fact. Blake had turned her into this shivering creature she barely recognized, and she ached for the chance to prove herself. But she knew it would take time to build back her confidence, which was why she was so taken aback with how comfortable she was with the hulking stranger.

Adeline felt like she had known him forever, felt so safe and protected in his presence she had acted more like her old self, her real self, than she had in a long time. Not since before Blake had come into her life, and turned into someone she didn’t recognize.

She tugged discontentedly at the drab brown she had dyed her hair in the hopes it would help her remain hidden. She missed having blond hair, thought it complimented her pale complexion while the mousy brown just washed her out. Oh well. It was a small price to pay, she thought. Just a little longer, and she would be on her way to another state to disappear for good.

Stealing herself with one last look in the mirror, making sure she at least looked more respectable than when she had entered in her grime covered cloths and mussed hair about twenty minutes earlier. Smoothing the skirt down over the flair of her hips, she nodded at herself in approval.

She had grown up uncomfortable in her own skin, developing curves at an early age, it had taken her a long time to love her lush body. Looking at the hourglass shape, the dip of her waist, and the womanly flair of her hips, she just felt a brief moment of pride at her figure. Blake had always told her she needed to lose weight, take better care of herself, but she was healthier than he was. In fact, she consistently outpaced whenever he made her go on those awful runs.

It had nothing to do with looking good for the devastatingly handsome man still waiting for her on the other side of the room. Nope, not at all. She had forced down the surge of desire as she had taken in his wave of light brown hair, and dreamy chocolate brown eyes.

She thought again of the last few hectic moments in the alley. Adeline was sure she had seen…something. She had been hunched against the rough brick, trying desperately to disappear. But she remembered the charge of electric current suddenly thick in the air, and where Jay had been standing, she could see a big, brown bear the same exact shade of light brown that matched Jay’s perfectly.

She shook her head, maybe she was in shock, or seeing things because of the massive surge of fear that had flooded her body. Adeline thought again of the way he had brought down those five tough looking men, barely breaking a sweat, and then had been so incredibly gentle with her.

Maybe she had been imagining things, but maybe…just maybe there was something else to this man, something that went beyond the sheltered world that she knew.

Jay paced restlessly, waiting for Adeline to come out of the bathroom but willing to give her as much time as she needed. She had just been through something awful, and from the looks of the faint bruises wrapping around her upper arms in the shape of fingers, she had been going through something awful for a long time.

There was no way in hell he was going to bring Adeline back to that Blake Newcombe asshole until he had the whole story, and then, well, then they would see. But he had a feeling that if those bruises turned out to mean what he thought they would, he would be paying Blake a visit very soon. And it wouldn’t be pleasant for either of them.

His bear half paced just as restlessly inside him, wanting to growl, and claw, and smash at the thought of anyone hurting Adeline, anyone touching her.

The thought whispered through his mind before he could push it away. Mine. He tried to contain the surge of warmth as the word repeated relentlessly. He knew that’s not what she needed right now.

Jay turned quickly as he heard the door creak open, his breath catching as he drank in the sight of her haloed by the cool white light emanating from the bathroom. She looked like an angel to him, every perfect dip and curve pulling at him so that he ended up with his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his dark blue jeans in the hopes of controlling his body. It seemed an impossible task when he was standing barely five feet away from her.

He couldn’t take his dark eyes off of her as she walked barefoot into the small motel room, looking so out of place to him against the backdrop of the dingy space. Like a pearl shining bright and clean on a pile of rocks.

Jay shifted his feet, searching for the right words to say to comfort her, to explain that he would make sure she was safe. He had a few ideas, a rough plan forming in the back of his mind while he had been waiting. But he needed to hear the whole story, and he wasn’t sure Adeline was ready to tell it. Maybe he would give her a few days, and then come back. Like hell. As if he could stay away from her at all. The thought caused an ache right below his chest as his whole being protested the idea.

Jay took a half step towards her, then hesitated, not really sure what he was still doing there in the first place. His deep, rumbly voice was hushed in the quiet room.

“I guess I should be going.” Adeline took a quick step forward, her hand raised instinctively to try and stop him. She didn’t know what it was, but there was a feeling that fell over her like a blanket whenever she was near him. Like the safest place in the whole world for her was by her side.

He made her fear melt away, although what replaced was pure desire, shocking in its intensity. In the beginning, she had fancied herself in love with Blake, but that paltry flicker was nothing beside the inferno that flashed through her now.

It was the strangest thing, and Adeline couldn’t wrap her mind around it, but she wasn’t willing to let it just walk out the door. She was so tired of sacrificing what she wanted, or just maybe, needed.

“Wait…Jay.” Her words were as softly spoken as his. “Please, would you, will you stay?”

“I ahh…well, I don’t know…”

“I mean, on the couch. Maybe you could just sleep here, on the couch.” Her entire face flashed pink, not even sure herself why she was asking him to stay, but desperately wanting him too. “I just…I don’t want to be alone.”

“Oh, yeah. Of course, I can stay.” Adeline peered up at him, trying to read his expression but it was hard in the softly cast glow coming from the bathroom and the faint light of the lamp on the night stand. She sighed in relief. He was going to be there with her, that’s all that mattered to her.

Jay lay on his back on the hard, slightly musty smelling couch, wondering what the hell he was doing there. He checked his watch, again. Almost three in the morning, and he hadn’t slept a wink. He didn’t expect to either. Not with the soft whisper of Adeline’s rhythmic breathing filling his ears, her scent, a mix of lavender and chamomile wrapping so tightly around his senses he was afraid he would never shake her loose.

Did he even want to? He cursed at himself. She was just getting out of a terrible relationship, she didn’t need him. He had to reign in his anger anew as he thought back to their conversation a few hours ago, sitting at the small table crammed into the corner as she told him about running from her ex-boyfriend. Not husband. He had mentally sighed in relief at that, even though he knew it was of no consequence.

Guilt lay heavy on his conscience as she had told him everything about why she was hiding, what she had experienced. He had been in awe at her ability to still trust anyone after what she had gone through, but could only be grateful that for some strange reason, she trusted him.

Jay, however, had been much less forthcoming. He knew he should tell her that he had been hired by Blake, but he didn’t know how to without crushing the bond that had grown between them, something he was loathe to do. He had to tell her the truth, there was no way around it. Jay sighed again to himself. It was decided, first thing in the morning, he would tell her everything.

A sudden cry from the direction of the bed had him shooting up, crouched in defensive stance, adrenaline surging. It took his mind a few seconds to realize that Adeline wasn’t being attacked, but still deep asleep and thrashing on the big bed that was pushed up against the opposite wall.

She was caught in the throes of a nightmare, and Jay rushed to the side of the bed, his only thought that of comforting her. It tore him up to see the agonized expression on her slumbering face, and the nearly invisible trail of wet tears as they rolled across her cheeks to puddle on the pillow she was laying on.

“Adeline,” he whispered, standing over her, afraid of what her reaction might be if he reached out and nudged her shoulder. “Adeline, wake up, sweetheart.” This time her name was louder as it fell off his tongue into the darkness of the room

“Adeline.” She could hear someone say her name, and even in sleep she turned towards the voice. In her dreams, she was back in the alley, too afraid to move, too afraid to make a sound.

“Adeline, wake up.” With a start and a gasp, she opened her eyes, and found Jay’s meltingly dark gaze inches from her own. A wave of some sweet, dark emotion rolled over her. Something she’d never felt before, and it had Adeline reaching out to him before she had the chance to second guess herself.

“Jay.” Her voice carried a hint of the ache that that had started pulsing across her skin. A thrill coursed through her at the rough groan he couldn’t quite contain.

“You were having a nightmare. I just wanted to…” Jay paused, unwilling to finish the sentence. He knew what he wanted, and the desire panting in her soft whisper had him so hard he had to shift his feet, trying to get comfortable in the confines of the tight denim he was still wearing, only allowing himself to strip off his shirt before laying on the couch.

“Jay. Come here.” Adeline’s hushed words pulled at him excruciatingly.

“You don’t need this, you don’t need me. Not now, not after…everything.”

“You’re wrong.” Her voice was soft, but strong in the darkness of the motel room. “I do need you. I don’t know why, it doesn’t really make sense. I should be terrified, but…I’m not.” Jay could just make out the brief shake of her against the pillow, the blond waves rustling at her movement.

“You make me feel whole. Like I’ve been living with a part of me missing. I know that sounds crazy…” Adeline trailed off as she turned her head away from him on the pillow. Cautiously, he reached out a hand, cupping it around her incredibly soft cheek, and gently tilted her back until her blue eyes glittered inches from his own.

“No, that doesn’t sound crazy at all. I…” Jay cleared his throat, about to say that he felt the same, “I think you should try and go back to sleep.” That was definitely not what he wanted to say, but he didn’t want her to get hurt any more than she already had. Rushing into a new relationship after dealing with that asshole Blake might just be more than she was ready for.

Adeline felt a prick of irritation at the tone of his voice. She could see he was trying to take things slow for her benefit, but slow was the last thing she had on her mind. For the first time in a long time, she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted Jay.

She reached for him, simultaneously pressing her mouth flush to his, not giving him a chance to pull back. Angling her head for better access, she slowly traced the seam of his lips with her tongue. He fought back a moan under her patient attach, but refused to open his mouth and give her what she wanted.

Adeline pulled back just enough to speak, her words whispering against his lips.

“I don’t need to go back to sleep. I need you.” She stared up at him solemnly. “Please.” Like a dam bursting, Jay was on top of her. His hands framed her face, fingers diving into her long waves. He held her head still as his mouth came down on hers. His kiss was deep, patient, and devastating.

Adeline could feel her arousal grow even sharper as moisture pooled at her center, the empty feeling driving her crazy as she pushed her hips up against his, desperate for closer contact.

The slide of his tongue against hers had her writhing anew, tangling the sheets between her legs. His hands were everywhere, creating and stoking flames of sensation wherever he touched. She felt like a live wire.

She pushed against his shoulders, and he instantly stopped, pushing himself away with his arms braced on either side like he was doing a pushup.

“Is everything…”

“Turn over.” She demanded breathlessly, her intent clear in her deep blue eyes alight with lust and something warmer, softer. Jay hesitantly flipped onto his back, obviously used to being the one in charge, but willing to let her do whatever she wanted to him.

She wasted no time, reaching for the fly of his dark denim jeans. She needed to see all of him. The chiseled muscles of his stomach jumped as she brushed her knuckles back and forth once, twice, finally getting the zipper down.

As he lifted his hips to help remove the offending material, she tugged hard on the belt loops, and soon it was slide off his legs to be discarded on the beige carpet next to the mattress. Jay was left wearing a tight pair of dark blue boxer briefs, and she caught her breath as she drank him.

He looked like a Greek god, all sculpted muscle and perfect skin. She had never been totally comfortable with her curvier figure, but next to him, she felt like she was the perfect size. Her soft against of his delicious hard. Adeline had to stop herself from licking her lips.

Quickly shedding the light green tank top, she had worn to bed, she reached for the little matching shorts but was stopped by the sound of his ragged gasp. His eyes were like burning coals as he took in her body. His look made her burn even brighter, and before he could make another sound she was naked, and moving to straddle his thighs.

She hooked the tips of her fingers around the elastic of his boxers and pulled them down, releasing an impressive erection. Her pussy throbbed in anticipation, out of control lust raging through her like a wild fire. She had never felt like this in her entire life.

Jay braced his hands on either hip, about to tell her to slow down, but before he could open his mouth her soaking heat was enveloping him and his brain completely shut down. Heaven.

The thought repeated over and over again at the torturous pleasure of her sinking oh so slowly onto his length. Setting a steady pace that had him panting in seconds, he felt like a horny teenager worried he wouldn’t last long enough to please her. He held back his orgasm with sheer will, the friction of her snug heat the most incredible sensation he had ever felt. Paradise.

The animal inside him howled in a wave of ecstatic possession. This woman was touching every single part of him, leaving nothing unturned as she rode him wildly, unabashedly.

He thrust his hips up, rewarded by her husky moan as he hit that spot deep inside. Again, he moved his hips up as she moved down, and this time when they met, they both released a groan at the amazing feeling. Before long, she was losing her rhythm, slamming her lush body down on his, and he bit his lip to keep from coming, searing the look on her face into his memory as she finally broke apart, crying out as she came around him.

He couldn’t hold back any longer, the sight of her climax sending him over his own peak, body tensing as waves of pleasure so intense they took his breath exploded over him. Jay released a deep sigh as Adeline collapsed bonelessly on top of him. Heaven.

They lay back on the bed, her head pillowed on the substantial muscle of his chest. Adeline smoothed her hand over the line of hair that curled from the center of his chest all the way down, pointing like an arrow directly at the part of him that had just wrung the most excruciating pleasure from her body.

She gazed down, trying to see as much as she could, but the edge of the white cotton sheet denied her. She sighed, at least she’d always have her memories. And what memories they were. Adeline burrowed closer as her mind replayed the amazing scenes, remembering the feel of her entire body going up in flames.

What was truly seared into her brain was the look in his eyes. He had stared into hers, and she had seen…everything. Every desire, every fear, the attraction, affection, and something even deeper that had seeped into his dark chocolate gaze. It had made her breath catch, her chest tighten painfully as some of the walls she had built up around her heart had crumbled.

Damn. She was in trouble. She’d gone and fallen for him, and she still hadn’t had the courage to bring up the whole weird animal thing she thought she had seen in the alley when he had saved her. How do you bring up something like that? Hi, yes, do you happen to be a bear?

She chuckled to herself, nearly convinced she had just made it up in the trauma of the moment, but she could remember it happening, if a little hazy. Jay cleared his throat, drawing her attention back up his body. His mouth was turned down in a frown that had her sitting up, before he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and guided her back to his shoulder.

“I need to tell you something.” The seriousness of his voice had her pulse kicking in her chest. “I just ask that you listen to everything I have to say before you respond.” He quirked a questioning brow at her and she hastily nodded, wondering what was could have put that fierce scowl on his normally calm face.

“You know what I do. I’m a private investigator.” Adeline nodded again, he had told her about himself when she had talked to him about her trouble with her ex. He inhaled deeply before releasing an anxious sigh.

“A few weeks ago, a new client came to see me. He was real upset about his wife who had went missing. Said the cops weren’t doing anything, and he was desperate. So he hired me to find the woman.” Her stomach dropped, a denial ready on her lips, but he laid a gentle finger over them, stopping her words.

“Let me finish. The client’s name was Blake Newcombe.” Her body tensed, and she couldn’t help the involuntary move to put distance between them, his eyes filling with regret as she pulled away to sit up on the bed.

“As soon as I met you, saw you, I knew something was wrong, that he hadn’t told me the whole truth. Or maybe not any of it.”

“What about the alley?” Sudden horror filled her eyes. “Was the attack some sort of…of…set up or something? To get me to trust you?” Adeline choked on the words, and relief crashed over her as he grabbed her shoulders, rushing to set her mind at ease.

“No! No, that was pure coincidence. And pure luck. If it had been anyone else walking past that alley instead of me, I don’t know what would have happened.” He shook his head at the image filling his mind of all the what ifs.

He had to do something about Blake. He knew his type. Obsessive, Jealous. Dangerous. He would never give up, never leave her alone.

The plan that had been slowly forming in the back of his mind ever since Adeline had told him the whole story started to coalesce. Jay shot her a quick, assessing glance. The plan would depend on her. He took in the straight line of her back, her shoulders thrown back, neck straight. The gentle strength and fire in her blue eyes were undeniable.

Jay took one of her hands in his, lacing their fingers together. This woman was so incredible, and she was his. There was no way around that fact, or the masculine surge of pride the flooded his veins at the thought. She was more perfect than he could ever have imagined.

“I’ve been thinking.” Her eyes widened on his in mock severity.

“Uh oh.” He chuckled, his heart squeezing at her brave show of humor in the face of so many tragedies.

“Listen, Blake isn’t going to just go away.” Her expression closed, and he hated the fact that he was causing her any more pain, even inadvertently. “I’m supposed to check in with him in a few hours. I think I have a way we can deal with him for good, but you’re going to have to trust me.” Adeline nodded without hesitation. She knew in her bones that she could trust this man with her life, and her heart.

“Okay, so here’s the plan.”

The motel room was still dark, despite the afternoon sun shining cheerfully outside in direct opposition to the nervous tension filling the small room. The heavy drapes were pulled closed across the window, and silence was the only sound. Adeline sat on the bed, now made, her pulse beating a too fast rhythm that she couldn’t do anything about.

Jay had called Blake a few hours earlier to check in, letting him know he had found her, and accidentally letting slip the motel she was staying at. It wouldn’t take Blake longer than a trip to the front desk to find out which room was hers.

Adeline shivered despite the afternoon warmth, taking a deep breath to try and calm her rattling nerves. She didn’t know if she could do this. Suddenly standing, pacing back and forth in front of the foot of the mattress. She glanced at it, picturing her and Jay, their bodies tangled there just hours before.

The thought of him calmed her, gave her the strength she needed to go through with this. A scrape at the door had her jumping, spinning around, and adrenaline surging through her. No, she had been right before. She really couldn’t do this. Only, it was too late to back out now.

The brass doorknob rattled angrily, then a pressure against the door. Adeline tried to take a deep breath, but couldn’t. Panic closed her throat, and left her mind completely blank as the rusted lock finally gave in and the door swung open to bang back against the wall.

She tried to scream, but couldn't make a sound as Blake stepped into the room, and casually shut the door behind him. Fear had her paralyzed, frozen to the spot. All she could do was watch as Blake arrogantly sidled closer, the look on his face all conceited pride and self-impressed cockiness as if he knew she wouldn’t put up a fight. As if he’d already won.

“So, I found you, you bitch.” His sneer twisted his face as the rage and hatred that boiled just under the surface were exposed for a second, before hidden again over his pleasant facade.

“I’m going to take you home, and teach you a lesson you won’t ever forget.” His words jolted her out of her stupor.

“I’m not going with you.” Adeline hated the weakness in her voice, but at least she’d said the words. She had been worried she wouldn’t be able to do even that.

Blake’s eyes widened in outrage at her refusal.

“I don’t think you heard me.” His voice was hard, an edge of something unstable made her skin crawl. “We. Are. Going. Home.” Adeline couldn’t believe she had once thought herself in love with this man. How could she have been so blind to his true, twisted nature?

“And I said no! I’m not going anywhere with you. Not now. Not ever!” She was proud of the new found strength adding weight to her words. She was even a bit surprised, the old Adeline would have never dared to talk to Blake like this.

A thrill of confidence had her standing straighter, facing him head on. A challenging glint entered her dark blue eyes.

“We are over. I never want to see you again, I’m going to file a restraining order. I’m through with letting you hurt me.” Blake’s nostrils flared as anger turned his features ugly, unable to stand her challenging him. He walked towards her threateningly.

“Hurt? Oh, you think I hurt you before, just wait…Agghhh.” His temper-laced threats were cut off as Jay locked him in a choke hold, Detective Jones slapping cuffs around his wrists as he read him his rights.

Jay and his friend, the detective, had been hiding in the bathroom, lights off, door cracked just enough to hear every incriminating word, not mention witnessing his breaking and entering. While Blake was being detained, Jay rushed to Adeline’s side, throwing his arms around her and squeezing so tight she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t complain either, there was no other place she wanted to be except in his embrace.

“I’m so proud of you.” His gruff compliment sent warmth shooting through her, helping to settle her still jangling nerves. She looked up into his eyes, her own shining with gratitude.

“Thank you.” She turned to watch Detective Jones walk Blake out of the motel room, out of her life, and into the unmarked squad car parked outside. She leaned into Jay, soaking in the feeling of his body, his strength, surrounding her. Adeline whispered again, so quietly Jay could barely hear it, but he felt it echo throughout his entire being.

“Thank you.”

Jay sat back in the old desk chair, it creaked as it gave alarmingly under his weight, but soon stabilized. Rubbing his eyes against the headache that had been steadily growing all day, he glanced at the clock on his desk. Damn it. Almost seven already.

Another long day, and longer night stuck in the office had him feeling restless. As his reputation as a top Private Investigator had grown, so had the seriousness of his cases, and the file he had flipped open in front of him was one of the biggest jobs he’d had yet.

He was still waiting for a break, but his animal instincts told him to keep persevering. And his animal instincts were hardly ever wrong. They tingled now, the hair on the back of his neck rising just before the frosted glass door opened.

Jay could hear the soft click of high heels against the checkered linoleum floor as they drew closer to the back office, and where he was sitting. Her distinctive scent found him first, wrapping around him in clouds of Lavender and sweetness.

The door of his office opened, and Adeline’s shining blond curls peeked around the big slab of aged hardwood. It was closely followed by her wide forehead with furrowed brows slashing over the most beautiful blue eyes had ever seen. The sight of them still had him catching his breath, even after six months.

Her curved nose, full mouth, and pixie chin all followed in quick succession, but his eyes stayed fixated on her mouth. Oh, the things she could do with that mouth. Jay shifted, trying to ease some of the sudden pressure caused by his wayward thoughts, when the chair gave another ominous creak. He felt it give with a slight drop, level out, and then the back loosened completely, leaving him in an ungracious heap on the cold floor.

Peals of feminine laughter had him looking up, Adeline’s sweet face staring down at him with mirth and love shining clear and bright as she tried to control her giggles. She put a hand over her mouth, covering the inadvertent cause of his predicament.

“Are you okay?” She managed between chuckles, reaching her hands down to help him up to his feet. He took hold, but turned the tables on her by giving a quick tug, pulling her down on top of him instead, and inciting another burst of laughter.

“Hey, you better watch that bear strength of yours.” Adeline teased. It warmed his heart whenever she joked about his true nature. It had been a hard conversation a few months ago when he had brought it up, but it had turned out that she had known about him, and his other half, since the beginning.

She had seen him shift when he had defended her against those thugs in the alley, not quite believing her eyes at first. As she had come to know him, witnessed more of the incredible feats his bear half allowed him to accomplish, she was convinced.

Jay was still amazed that she had accepted him so easily, more open-hearted and generous than he had a right to ask for. And also sweeter. He stared up at her, awed at how lucky he was to have found this incredible woman, the twists and turns of fate that had led him into her path.

“Hey.” The mirth in her eyes slowly transformed into something more serious as she stared down into his dark brown eyes, still laying on his chest.

“Hey back.” He whispered back, his body hardening, impossible to ignore the press of her luscious curves, or the spark of desire firing behind the blue in her eyes.

“I was thinking we should go get some food, but maybe we should just find someplace more comfortable first.” Jay chuckled, the sound distinctly masculine as he drew her up his already straining body.

“How about you just stay on top,” He grinned at her, “It’s your favorite anyways.” It had quickly become his as well. Adeline grinned saucily back at him.

“You’ll be my bed?”

“Baby, I’ll be your bed, your house, your whole world if you just promise me one thing.”

She shifted on top of him, tilting her head to one side.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” His eyes stared up at hers holding all the love he had in his heart for her.

“Don’t let go”