Blair Mason sat at the desk of her cramped office, flipping through sales numbers. Boxes of cereal and potato chips towered into the sky on either side of her desk. Stacks of invoices that needed to be paid stuck out at every angle from her plastic inbox. A collection of marketing paraphernalia rested against the far wall—signs reading “30% off Today Only!” and “Don’t Forget to Use Your Mason’s Super Saver Card!”
She let her head fall into her hands and reviewed the numbers again. Something had to be missing. This couldn’t be all the sales they’d had this month. If things continued like this, she’d be out of business by the end of the quarter. She knew that when the new ShopRite came to town, it would affect her. Big chain stores always hurt small business owners. But this was happening much faster than she anticipated. Worst of all, all the money she’d recently put into marketing seemed to be doing no good.
If she wanted to save the store, she’d have to make some difficult decisions. And that meant cutting the biggest expense any grocery store had—labor. She’d have to lay off people that had worked for her for years. This was no high turnover place of employment. Her employees were loyal. They worked hard and stuck around. And now, in order to keep some of them, she’d have to let some go.
Blair pulled out the employee books and started reviewing things. As she evaluated each person, the emotions of the situation overwhelmed her. She couldn’t picture telling Louis or Megan or Kelly that they no longer had a job to take care of their families. Tears sprang in her eyes and, before she could reach for a tissue, they spilled over and ran down her face.
A knock at the door startled her. “Yes?”
“It’s Vanessa.”
“Come in.” She didn’t have to worry about hiding her feelings from her assistant manager. Vanessa was well aware of the falling sales numbers and what it would mean for all of them.
“Hey,” she said softly when she saw Blair’s face. She looked down at the desk and nodded. “Sales numbers. Not good.”
“Afraid not.” Blair looked around for tissues, but the box on her desk seemed to have vanished.
“This may not be the best time, but there’s a sales guy here to see you.”
“What?” Blair flipped to her planner. She had no meeting scheduled.
“He didn’t have anything scheduled with you. He said he was in the area and wanted to talk to you.”
“Well, he can make an appointment like everyone else.” Blair retrieved her purse from under her desk and looked for the packet of tissues she had stashed in there.
“Normally, I’d fully agree, but you may want to make an exception.”
“Nope. Don’t think so,” she said without looking up from her purse.
“Well, Blair, this guy is very good looking.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “And I mean H-O-T HOT. And there’s no ring on his finger.”
Blair stopped her search to look Vanessa in the eye. “Do I seem that desperate for a date to you?”
“No, but it has been a while since you and Luke broke up. I just thought maybe it was time to get out there and have some fun. You gotta see this guy’s eyes.”
Blair sighed. “Fine.”
Vanessa turned and walked out of the office.
“Give me a minute, though!” Blair called. She resumed her search and finally saw the blue plastic of the tissue packet, shoved under her lotion and collection of discount cards. She yanked the packet until it came free and looked up to see a man staring back at her.
He certainly was good looking. Vanessa had not exaggerated. And Blair was vividly aware of the mascara trails now stiffening on her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, she told me to come up…” He gestured toward the door.
“No, it’s fine.” Blair spun in her chair to turn her back to the man while she wiped at her face. Balancing the small compact mirror on her knee, she licked the tissue, wiped at the trails until they were faint red lines, and dabbed fresh powder over them. The whole process had taken less than a minute, but felt like eternity as his eyes bore into her back. And Vanessa wondered why she’d hadn’t gone on a date in months.
With a deep breath, Blair turned back and stuck out her hand to the man, acting like nothing had happened. Her performance didn’t stop her from feeling like a complete idiot, however. Or from noticing the solid grasp of his handshake. “Blair Mason, owner. My assistant tells me you’ve got a new product for us to consider?”
“I do.” He handed her his card and took a seat at the small chair across from her desk. “Daxton Holt. Marketing Director for Bear Natural Honey.”
She glanced at the business card, then looked him in the eye. “We have a supplier of honey already. Why should I carry your brand?”
She laced her fingers and hoped her business-owner confidence came across, though she felt rather incompetent and fearful at the moment. She focused her attention on him to keep her mind off what she’d have to do later, when she sent some of her people home for good.
He was a big man. Broad shoulders that threatened to burst the seams of his suit jacket if he moved wrong, a chiseled jaw with a close-shaved beard. His eyes were like cold metal, a strange gold hardened into the shape of his irises. It was hard to see any muscles since he was wearing a suit, but she could tell they were there. His voice was deep and steady and his black hair fell casually into loose spikes. She gulped and had to remind herself to listen to what he was saying.
“Wait a minute.” She held up a hand to stop him. “Are you saying that your honey is bottled in your own local facility and not a larger bottling company?”
“Right. That way we can keep costs down for our distributors.”
“But I have no way of assuring the quality of your product or its safety. I don’t know what your contamination standards are or your safety processes. I just can’t afford to take a risk like that. Not when—”
She stopped herself, but he raised an eyebrow at her hesitation.
“Look,” she said. “I’m sure you know that ShopRite moved in just across town. Maybe try there. I can’t afford to have product recalls or something that sits on the shelf and doesn’t move because it’s unknown.”
Daxton gazed at her for a minute, pulled his mouth into half a smile, and said, “ShopRite won’t buy my product. But you know, that’s to your advantage.”
“Oh?”
“Why do people prefer the local grocer over the big chains?”
She flicked her stack of sales numbers. “They don’t, apparently.”
“Then maybe you’re not taking advantage of the biggest asset you have.”
Blair crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes slightly at him. “And what’s that?”
“Local. Organic. People these days will pay double if they know they’re not getting chemicals, and if they’re helping out the little guy from the next town over. You fill your store with nothing but organic products from the Ozark and watch your business increase.”
She considered this for a moment. She’d always thought people wanted their big brands, the products they were used to using. The same products they could get at ShopRite on double coupon day for much cheaper than they could in her store. But if they got hooked on products they couldn’t get at ShopRite, then he might be onto something. It would mean a huge shift in inventory, though, and some big risks. This was a decision that would need time, careful thought, and lots of number crunching.
Daxton leaned across the desk. She got a whiff of his cologne—a subtly musky, almost woodsy scent that was also sweet somehow. She took a deeper whiff without making it obvious.
“And,” he said with a smirk, “If you like that idea, I’ve got some product that will really sell well. And it won’t even require shelf space.”
Before she could ask, he pulled out another business card and handed it to her.
Same name, same title. But this company was listed as Wild Honey Whiskey and boasted the tag line, “locally distilled and bottled.” She tried to hand the card back. “Moonshine?”
“The best in the Ozarks.”
“You’re serious.”
“Would you like to try a sample?”
He reached inside his suit jacket, but she stood up and held up her palm to stop him.
“No, no, no. Please leave. I don’t want your illegal product anywhere near me or my store. Thank you.”
She marched to the office door and held it open, gesturing for him to leave. He stood feet from her, towering over her, his teeth glinting bright white in the office fluorescents.
“It’s not that illegal, really. So long as the maker pays his taxes, it’s not illegal at all, in fact.”
She laughed once. “And I’m supposed to believe that you pay all your taxes?”
“Believe whatever you want. Point is, you wouldn’t get in trouble for selling it, it’s only the maker that can get slammed with tax evasion.”
“Unbelievable. Please. Leave now. Don’t make me call security.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I doubt you have security in a store this size.” But he moved through the door before pausing and turning to her. “Think about what I said. Local. Organic. Even if you only want my honey, you should call me.”
Blair’s face flushed. She didn’t want to think about his honey or about calling him. “Right.”
She pulled the door closed and put her back to it, breathing deep until her heart slowed. Why did such an attractive man have to have such a huge flaw? Everyone knew that moonshiners were all throughout the mountains. And they got busted regularly. He was nothing more than a lying, cheating, criminal. She couldn’t trust him or his products. But those eyes…
She shook her head and sat back down at her desk. She had more important things to worry about. But even as she assessed her list of employees once again, she couldn’t help peaking at the business card sitting innocently on her desk. Daxton Holt. His name shone in black letters and it seemed to call out to her, demanding attention. She finally flipped the card over and returned to her task.
* * *
Blair paced in her office, her stomach in knots. Yesterday, she’d laid off two of her employees. She hadn’t slept all night and her insides felt as gray and dreary as the day outside. She listened to her voice mails, ignoring the second message from Daxton. He just wouldn’t give up.
Vanessa stuck her head in as she knocked on the door. “You have a call.”
“Who is it?”
“One of our suppliers. Says there’s some sort of problem?”
“Okay, thanks.” With a deep breath, she picked up the phone. “Blair Mason.”
“Blair, so glad I could get ahold of you.”
The voice sounded a little too familiar, but she wasn’t sure her suspicions were correct. She had to play it safe in case the call was legitimate. “My assistant mentioned some sort of problem?”
“Yes. The problem is, I can’t seem to find your order.”
“What do you supply?” She grabbed her stack of recent orders, ready to flip through them.
“Bear Natural Honey. I know you wanted to try some, but I wasn’t sure how many to send for your first order.”
She let out a heavy sigh of frustration. “Is this Daxton Holt?”
“Who else?”
“I told you I wasn’t interested.”
“Actually, I believe what you said was that you couldn’t take a chance on my product because you weren’t assured of our safety protocols. And I’m calling to invite you to tour the facility so you can order with confidence.”
She considered this for a moment.
He continued. “Look, I know we didn’t get off to the greatest start, but I’d really like the chance to sweeten up your day a little. And I truly believe that making a shift to local and organic can help your store. Won’t you give me a chance?”
Give him a chance? Didn’t he mean his product? She thought about his golden eyes, his thick arms, his magnetic smile. She did want to give him a chance. More of a chance than she should.
“I suppose I could tour the facility and make a decision then.”
“Excellent. You have my card. Give me a time and I will make myself available for you.”
In the early evening, Blair turned down a long dirt driveway that lead to a large house. There seemed to be woods surrounding the house that stretched on as far as she could see. A gorgeous view of the Ozark Mountains reached out above the tree line. Off to one side, she saw a line of white boxes. Bee hives. Another large building sat off to the left. “Bear Natural Honey” was painted on the side.
Daxton stepped off the porch and came to greet her. He did not wear his suit. Instead, it was close-fitting jeans that strained over his thighs and a t-shirt that looked two sizes too small for his arms and chest. He was even more muscular than she’d pictured, and a sudden flash of heat rushed through her body. This was business, she reminded herself. Even if looking at him was all pleasure.
She followed him to the large white building, trying not to step in mud with her new heels. She was already starting to question the cleanliness of the place based on the grounds alone. Old vehicles sat back behind the building, rusted and in pieces. Wooden pallets rested against a tree, rotting away. The whole grounds seemed to be functioning under a level of disrepair.
Daxton held open the door for her, and she stepped inside. The large warehouse contained many machines, running quickly and loudly along the edge of the building. Several people in white uniforms watched over the operation. Along the other walls sat box upon box of honey.
Daxton leaned close so she could hear him. “This is where the honey is processed, filtered, and jarred to be sold.”
He walked her through the machinery, and she looked on in fascination. He stopped at one machine and lifted a wooden frame. He broke off a small piece of a waxy-looking substance and handed it to her.
“Honeycomb.” He winked. He broke off another piece and popped it in his mouth.
She took a small bite and found it to be very sweet, despite the waxy texture. They continued walking until he led her out a back door. There they faced rows of white boxes, bees zooming around and going in and out. She had no desire to go near the bees, but at least it was quieter out here.
“So, what do you think?” he asked.
“It’s much more… professional than I expected.” And the inside was thankfully much cleaner than the outside appeared to be.
He chuckled and stuck out his finger, wiping just under her lip. “Sorry. You had a little honey there.”
She blushed, but not so much from embarrassment as from his touch. “I think I could try selling some. Just a small order to start with.”
“Great. Want to step into my office to finalize the details?”
She nodded and followed him inside the house. In the living room were two men watching TV, also as big as Daxton. He pointed to them and said, “That’s Knox and Beck.”
They waved and she waved back. At the dining room table, another man sat, reading over a stack of papers with his hand in his hair. It reminded her of how she looked, pouring over sales numbers and orders at the store.
The man looked up when they entered. “Hey Dax.”
“Slade. Blair.” Daxton gestured and Blair waved. “Blair just became one of our newest honey resellers.”
Slade got to his feet and shook her hand. “Thank you. Glad to meet you.”
“You too.”
She followed Daxton to a small room in the back of the house. The walls were lined with bookshelves crammed with books and other small objects: a baseball, a shot glass with some logo printed on the front, a small plastic figure. Two desks sat side by side, covered in papers and office supplies. The room was so messy and cluttered, she had to take a deep breath before sitting in the chair he indicated.
Daxton wrote up an order slip and she looked at the books. Marketing, sales, business. Apparently, he was well-educated when it came to his chosen field.
He slid the order slip over to her and showed her where to sign.
“I have something for you.” He opened a drawer in his desk and took out a small wrapped block. “This is a new product. I’d love for you to test it out yourself and let me know what you think. It’s a honey soap.”
“Thanks.” She sniffed the bar, and the scent of creamy honey filled her nose. She wouldn’t mind smelling like that all day, so long as it didn’t dry out her skin.
“Now, there’s one other thing I need to ask you.” He leaned forward, a playful glint in his gold eyes.
She was wary, but said, “Yes?”
“What are you doing Friday night?”
Heat flooded her face. Was he asking her out, or was this some sort of sales tactic? “I’m not sure yet.”
“Well, if you don’t have plans, I’d love to take you to dinner.”
“Oh.” She swallowed hard. It had been so long since she’d been with Luke and almost as long since she’d had a date. But then her eyes fell to the messy desk, to the mud clinging to the sides of his boots, to the frayed edges of his jeans. Oh, but his tight jeans. Her toes curled inside her shoes. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” She stood. “There’s still the whole illegal moonshine thing. I just don’t date criminals.”
She walked to the door and he followed her.
“Would you like to talk to my business partner who’s responsible for the moonshine side of the business?” He leaned back to look down a hallway and called out, “Amir!”
“How many of you live here?”
“There are five of us. We live together and work together.”
“And you’re all… in such good shape?” She thought of the other men she’d met and wondered if they kept a gym in their basement.
He smiled and flexed his arms inconspicuously. She looked away and walked toward the door.
“Blair.” He caught up with her in time to open the door for her. “My number is on the card you have in your office.” He walked with her to her car. “Will you call me and let me know how you like the soap at least?”
“Sure.” She opened her car door and tossed in her purse and the soap. “Thank you for the tour.” She held out her hand.
He raised an eyebrow at her, but shook her hand and waved as she drove off.
* * *
“We have a problem.” Vanessa walked up to Blair as she stood looking over a display of shampoo.
“Yeah, this shampoo isn’t selling,” Blair said.
“Neither is the honey.”
“Let’s have Dave try a new display, adding in some other scents and maybe conditioner, too.” Blair looked at the sales sheet Vanessa handed to her. Of the 20 bottles of honey she’d purchased weeks ago, five had sold.
“And the worst part?” Vanessa handed her another slip of paper, this one hand written. “We got a complaint.”
“About the honey?” Blair glanced over the note. Someone had returned a bottle, saying it had crystallized.
“And.” Vanessa took a breath and exhaled. “Another local honey supplier stopped in before you got here. She’s asked for a similar display and is willing to supply bottles on a consignment bases for the first order.”
Blair let out a frustrated growl. “What’s with all this honey lately? Sheesh. Fine. Whatever. If she’ll do it on consignment, fine. Small quantity, though. You can take care of it. Make sure the cashiers know how to track it properly.”
When she sat in her office later that day, she snatched the card from her desk and picked up her phone, more than frustrated by her day.
“Daxton,” she said curtly.
“Hey Blair! Good to hear from you. How do you like the soap?”
“It’s fine. The honey is the problem. I’ve only sold a few bottles, and I’ve already had one returned.”
“Returned? Okay, tell you what. I’ll come down there personally and check it out, okay? Tomorrow?”
“Fine.” She hung up on him.
* * *
When Daxton came in the next morning, he was back to his suit and tie. Blair was relieved. First of all, it wouldn’t be too professional if he’d shown up in jeans and a t-shirt, but more importantly, she didn’t think she could take seeing all his muscles like that again. He looked so clean cut and professional in his suit. But as he walked toward her, she had to look away, and felt the heat rush up her neck. He looked a little too good in his suit and tie.
“I think I found the problem.” He tossed her a bottle of the honey. The top inch of it had crystallized. “You can’t set honey in direct sunlight or it does that.” He pointed to the bottle. “The entire display was in front of those windows there.” He pointed to the wall of windows on one side of the store. They were tinted, but still let in a lot of light. “I moved the display, replaced the bottles of honey for fresh ones, and put up some new signage. That should make it better.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll let you know.”
“I noticed you’ve started selling SheBear Honey.”
“They’re also local. I thought I’d give my customers a choice of local honey. Since it’s in such high demand and all.” Her words were flat and sarcastic.
“I wouldn’t sell that honey if I were you.”
She laughed. “Is that your usual method for dealing with the competition?”
“No. I know the group that runs that operation. If you’re concerned about safety and sanitation standards, you wouldn’t want their product in your store.”
Her smirk faded. She hadn’t done half the research on this new company as she had with his. What if he was right? “Well, it’s on consignment, so I’m not as concerned.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He winked. “So…” he picked up her hand and sniffed her arm.
She yanked it back from him and gave him a horrified look, to which he laughed.
“I just wanted to see if you’re using the soap, and how it smelled on your skin. Everyone’s chemical makeup is a little different, you know. It smells really good on you.”
“Thanks. It’s… umm… very moisturizing actually. And I do like the smell.”
“I appreciate you testing it out for me. Would you be willing to try something else?”
The wariness that was so present around him returned. “What?”
He slid a small glass bottle from inside his jacket pocket. It contained a golden liquid, similar to his eye color, and a label that read, “Wild Honey Whiskey.”
“Consider it a gift. A personal thank you from me.”
She slipped the bottle into the pocket of her pants. “Thanks.”
Blair turned to walk away, but he put a hand on her arm. When she turned back, his face was close to hers. He smelled of honey and musk, a combination that made her want to lick him all over.
He leaned in and said, “I’m not who you think I am. I’m not nearly as bad, but I’m also much worse.”
His stare was so intense, she could melt into the gold of his eyes. They were probably sweet like honey, too. She wanted to lean forward and kiss him. Feel his lips on hers and those strong arms holding her tight. Not nearly as bad, but also mush worse… She pulled from his grasp and walked away.
* * *
That night, Blair sat alone in her bathtub of steamy water. She usually spent her soaking nights with a bottle of wine, but since she had the moonshine, she decided to change things up.
The bubbles rose higher and she slipped lower. She reached over and picked up the bottle, then uncapped it. She tipped the bottle back and waited for the burn. She’d always known whiskey to be like fire, and moonshine also had a bad rep for being a bit hot. But this whiskey went down smooth and sweet. She took another sip, wondering if maybe it meant it wasn’t the strongest. She finished off the bottle too soon and smiled at the warmth that spread through her.
After the water had cooled and the bubbles faded, she stood up to get out. The rush to her head was so fast, she reached out to the wall to steady herself. She giggled. She was far tipsier than she’d thought. Getting dressed was something of a challenge as she stumbled and dropped her robe repeatedly. She burst into a fit of laughing and fell to the floor, feeling buzzed like she hadn’t since she was a teen.
When she finally got dressed and had sat down on the couch to relax and watch TV, she picked up her phone and dialed Daxton.
She wasn’t drunk and didn’t slur her words. She had a reasonable awareness of what she was doing as the phone rang. But right now, she felt so good, she didn’t care any longer about her hang ups.
“Blair?” he answered. He must have her number saved.
She grinned. “Hi Daxton. I just wanted to give you a call and tell you I really liked your whiskey.”
“Did you? I’m glad. We get a lot of compliments.”
“I bet. It’s so smooth. Like my skin after using your soap.” She felt the flush immediately. She hadn’t meant to say it so flirty like that.
“That’s really good to know. You think your customers would enjoy it?”
“I do, actually. I can’t sell the moonshine, but I can certainly sell the soap. Can you bring an order over to the store tomorrow?”
“I’d love to.”
“Daxton?”
“Yes, Blair?”
She squeezed her eyes shut and gulped, then said the words quickly before she changed her mind. “I’m not busy Friday.”
There was a long pause. “Are you saying you’d like to go out with me?”
“I… think so?”
He laughed. “Good enough for me.”
Daxton had come in earlier that day to bring the soap and set up a display. Then, she couldn’t stop looking at him and had to walk away so she didn’t make a fool of herself. But now, she sat across from him at the table, and couldn’t keep the grin from her face. It didn’t help that he kept handing her his flask and they snuck sips of moonshine like they were teens drinking in secret.
“How many times have you been stung?” she asked. He’d been telling her about the bees, which was far more fascinating than she’d imagined.
“Lost count a long time ago. They don’t bother me much. And I’m not at home as much as the rest of my partners. I’m usually out making sales calls and taking care of the business end of things.”
“The fun part,” she said sarcastically.
“It can be. When I have a customer that turns out to be incredibly beautiful.”
“Did you go to school to learn that charm?”
“It comes naturally.” He pulled his mouth into half a smile. “I needed it when it came to you. I couldn’t believe it when you said you’d go out with me.”
“Ah.” She looked down at the remains of her pasta dinner. “The whiskey may have had something to do with that.”
“I knew it. You drunk dialed me, didn’t you?” He chuckled and took her hand across the table.
“I wasn’t drunk. But it did make me think I was being silly saying no.”
“Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad.” He kissed her hand.
The waitress brought her a box, and Daxton paid the bill.
He took her hand to help her out of her seat and picked up the box of her leftovers. They stopped just in front of her car. She took the box and set it on the roof so her hands would be free.
He put his arms around her and squeezed her in a tight hug. She inhaled deeply, his scent and the sips of whiskey making her head buzz.
“I had a great time with you,” he said. “Can we do it again?”
She nodded and waited. Surely he would try to kiss her. She looked up at him, into his golden eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
He smiled and let his arms fall. “Drive safe.”
“Wait a second.”
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Is that it?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not going to kiss me?”
Daxton smiled and looked down. “As difficult as it was to get you to go out with me? Hell no. I wasn’t going to push my luck.”
She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled herself toward him. He pressed his lips to hers and she felt an eruption of heat in her chest. It had been far too long since she’d been kissed. And she’d never been kissed like this.
His mouth moved against her hungrily, passionately, like he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything. His hands ran along her back and she slid hers into his hair. Should she ask him back to her place?
Someone whistled loudly. Their kiss broke apart and they looked over to see a man leering at them. The man and his three friends laughed.
“I’m next,” one said, and grabbed himself.
Daxton stiffened and moved to stand in front of her, glaring at them.
“Oh, we’re sorry,” another one said, “weren’t you done with the little slut? Want us to hold her for you?”
Daxton’s jaw tightened. “You need to go now.”
“What’s that?” the one who had whistled, the one with the scraggly brown beard, stepped toward Daxton. “What did you say to me?”
“Get in your car and leave. Now.” Daxton’s hands hung in fists by his side. Blair hid behind him, fear coursing through her.
“Fine.” The man with the long blonde hair spoke now. “Give us the girl and we’ll go.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Daxton said. He turned his head to tell her, “Get in your car and drive as fast as you can.”
But taking his attention off them had been a mistake. When Daxton looked back, the man with the beard punched him square in the jaw.
Blair let out a startled squeal. The man in the torn flannel shirt moved in front of her car door.
Daxton punched the bearded man and quickly ducked a punch from the blonde. Blair reached for her phone in her purse, but realized she’d dropped it while she was kissing Daxton. It sat just in front of her car door in the dirt.
One of the men tried to grab her, but Daxton stepped back and kicked him in the ribs. The man grunted and his face broke into a rage that made him surge forward, fists flying.
Punches landed on the men, on Daxton. He moved fast and fought well, but it was still four on one. She had to do something. There was no way he could win this fight. She watched closely, looking for an opportunity. She thought she could kick one of them if they moved close enough.
The man with the flannel shirt straightened up. “Enough,” he said. In his hand, he held a shining blade. “Get out of our way,” he said to Daxton.
Daxton looked back at her one last time, kissed her briefly, then exploded before her eyes. She didn’t know what had happened. All of a sudden, shreds of his clothing were in the air, fluttering down. And then she saw him.
Where he’d been standing a moment ago, now stood a huge black bear. He stood up and roared, and the four men took off running. He sat down and waited. The men got into their cars and drove off.
Blair picked up her purse, her hands shaking so badly, she couldn’t get the door open. She hit the unlock button instead and pulled open the door, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She started the car on the fourth attempt of trying to put the key into the ignition.
She looked at him, met his golden eyes, and let her gaze fall over his thick fur and bear paws, then sped off, her box of leftovers crashing to the ground behind her.
* * *
Blair paced her kitchen the next morning, her head spinning. When she got home last night, the mix of adrenaline from fear and lust had overtaken her and she fell into an exhausted sleep. But now she was wide awake, had drunk far too much coffee, and her mind was whirling.
He’d already called twice and texted her three times. That’s not counting the calls and texts from last night. He wanted to make sure she got home okay. He wanted to see if she slept okay. He wanted to know if she was ever going to talk to him again.
She’d heard of shifters, of course. It was one of those urban legends that everyone knew about. But they weren’t real. They couldn’t be real. And Daxton? Had he really turned into a bear to save her from those men? To protect her?
Well, whatever had happened and whatever he was, she could never see him again. She wasn’t ready to handle something like this.
All weekend, she ignored his continuing texts and calls. By Sunday afternoon, they’d stopped. He seemed to have gotten the hint, finally.
“Soooooo, how was it?!” Vanessa grinned and clapped her hands together when she saw Blair on Monday morning.
“Dinner was nice,” Blair said, putting her things down in her office.
“And?”
“And we did kiss and it was nice.” She forced a smile. The kiss had been nice. So nice. And she’d never get to experience it again.
“Okay. So, why don’t you seem happy about all this?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think he’s really my type.”
“Oh no, come on! You have to give him a chance.” Vanessa tugged on her sleeve and whined. “Please don’t let the super hot honey guy get away because he’s too… what? How is he not your type?”
“I think we just have different ways of going about life.” That was true enough, right? He was a bear, after all. And she wasn’t.
Vanessa pouted, but moved onto discussing the new display for cookies that would be set up later.
That afternoon, Blair went to inspect the new display. She stood with Vanessa, looking at it from every angle. It was too close to the honey display, but it was a good set up. Then she looked again. Only two bottles of Daxton’s honey remained. She raised an eyebrow at Vanessa.
“Yeah. And that’s the second shipment.”
“What? I didn’t order more.”
Vanessa shrugged. “Well, Daxton brought more the other day.”
She crossed her arms, irritated for a moment. But, if it was selling, that’s what really mattered. “Fine. We’ll work it into our regular ordering. How’s the other stuff selling?”
“The soap is flying off the shelves.”
“Oh. Is it? I meant the other local honey.”
Vanessa spun around to look at the other display. “Not so much.”
Blair nodded. I guess if you were going to be a bear, you better be good at honey, right? Apparently, Daxton was good at honey. She shook her head at the thought. “This all looks fine. Just move it over a little.”
She headed toward her office and stopped when she saw Daxton leaning against her door.
“We need to talk,” he said. “I think you owe me that.”
She closed the door behind them and sat in the chair behind her desk.
“I had a nice time,” she said, lacing her fingers on top of the desk, “I just think we maybe go about life in different ways.” What she’d said to Vanessa had seemed true enough. Why not use the line again?
“Still in denial, huh?” He sat down and leaned on the desk. “It can take a while for some people.”
“There’s nothing to deny.”
“Blair. I turned into a bear in front of you.”
“I recall. And I appreciate you protecting me. I hope they didn’t hurt you… before… when you were fighting.” As she looked more closely, though, she saw faint bruises around his eye.
“I’m sorry it happened like that. I never would have just changed without talking to you first, but it was our first date. I would have told you when you were ready. Those men didn’t leave me with much of a choice. I had to protect you. Even if it meant scaring you.”
“And like I said, I appreciate that. Very much.” She thought of the way the men had looked at her. If he hadn’t been strong enough and changed to scare them away, the night could have ended very differently for her.
“So, is that it, then? Have I scared you?”
“No. I don’t know.” Her throat burned and then her eyes filled with tears. “How can it ever work, Dax? You’re a bear.” She choked on the words.
“Not all the time.” He pulled his mouth into a humorless smile. “I know it’s weird. Believe me. People have called me a freak all my life. That’s why we live out in the woods alone and keep to ourselves. The world hates us. They’d hunt us if they knew. Anything that’s strange or different must be bad, right? I’ve been different my whole life and there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s not like I chose this. Shifters are just born and we have to deal with what life gives us, just like anyone else.”
Blair looked at her hands for a long time. She was trying hard not to let the tears spill. She blinked and blinked, but finally, they tripped down her cheeks. All she could think of was her own childhood.
When the store had been hurting and her parents couldn’t buy her nice clothes. She’d had to wear thrift store clothing or things that were so old they were frayed and falling apart. It had been horrible having people make fun of her for it, and she got so mad because there was nothing she could do about it. Until, of course, she finished high school, got a business degree, and went into debt to make sure her wardrobe was the top of the line. She knew what it felt like to be the butt of the jokes. Not only that, but she’d also judged Daxton for having clothing and a house that didn’t live up to the same standard she’d been trying to reach her whole life.
“I’m sorry you’ve been treated badly,” she said. “I know something of how you feel.”
He handed her a tissue and, as she gave him the shortened version of her childhood, he reached out and took her hand.
“You know what it’s like, then,” he said softly. “I wish you didn’t know.”
“I’m sorry that you have to deal with this, but I don’t know how to handle it. I don’t know what it means or if you’re dangerous or not, and I don’t know if I can trust you not to hurt me. All the stories—and I know they’re just stories—but they always involve someone getting mauled.”
“Did I hurt you Friday night?”
She shook her head. He’d sat there, perfectly calm and still after the men had run off.
“Then give me a chance. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. You can talk to the rest of the clan and ask them anything, too. And you can talk to Beck’s girlfriend if you want, to see what she says. Whatever womanly questions you might have about how… things work.”
She raised an eyebrow and he shrugged.
“I don’t think it’s any different for us, but how would I know?” he said.
“You’re all bears? The five of you who live in that house?”
He nodded.
“That’s why you’re so… big?”
“Well, we do workout, but I’m sure it has something to do with it. Shifters tend to resemble their animals, even in human form.” He stood up and came around to her side of the desk, then perched on the edge. “Blair, I know it’s going to take some getting used to. Please don’t give up on me just yet.”
She looked into his eyes, saw the glimmer of tears making the gold sparkle. Her heart surged with compassion and longing. This was still the man who’d kissed her so well. Nothing had changed about him when he was in human form. And she liked who he was when he was a human.
“Come to my place tonight. We can talk and you can really meet the guys.”
“I’ll think about it. I might just… need some time, okay?” She stood up and walked toward the door.
He stood in front of her and placed his palm against her cheek. “Take your time. Just don’t ignore me completely, okay?”
She nodded and when he leaned in, she leaned back and let him kiss her. It was a much shorter kiss, but still ignited something deep inside her. She couldn’t deny that she wanted him. Bear or not.
He stepped out of her office, and she stood in the doorway to watch him go. He looked over his shoulder to smile at her. And behind him, a man walked into the aisle. At first, he paid them no attention. He pushed his cart and tossed items in. But Blair recognized him and Daxton froze. It was the man in the flannel shirt who’d pulled a knife on Daxton.
The man looked up and saw them. His eyes hardened and he turned down the aisle.
Daxton came back to her, watching the aisle where the man turned. “I’m going to keep an eye on him.”
“Should I call the cops?”
He shook his head. “He hasn’t done anything yet. I’ll be right back.”
Blair closed the door to her office and paced. Maybe, despite her unavailable payroll funds, she should consider hiring someone for security. Would the man attack her in the middle of the store?
Daxton knocked. “He left. He abandoned his cart in an aisle and got into his car and drove off.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Let me drive you home tonight, or at least follow you. I don’t like this.”
“Okay.” She looked at her watch. “I was planning to leave in an hour. I just have a few things to finish up.”
“I’ll be back.”
* * *
Daxton followed her home and everything seemed to be fine. They hadn’t seen the man again or any of his friends.
“Thanks for following me,” Blair said, standing in her entryway. “Do you want to maybe... stay for a little while? We could get food or something?”
“You sure?”
She chuckled. “Not really. But I wouldn’t mind just talking.”
She got them both glasses of water and they sat on her couch, waiting for the pizza to come. Things felt a bit awkward, though. She kept changing her position, and the conversation felt stilted.
“What’s wrong?” he finally said. “You’re not acting like yourself.”
“Maybe we just need to talk more about the elephant in the room. Or bear, as it were.” Her cheeks flushed, but he laughed.
“Right. You have questions?”
“You said you don’t choose to be a shifter.”
“It’s hereditary. But it’s not 100%. They say if one member of a couple is a shifter, there’s about an 80% chance the kids would be, too.”
She nodded. Did it skip generations? Like blue eyes and blonde hair could?
“Does that bother you?” he asked.
“Why would it?”
He shrugged and looked at the carpet. Then she realized what he was implying.
“Oh,” she said. “I hadn’t really thought about it. I guess if we…” If she did keep seeing him, and ended up sleeping with him, any kids they might have would very likely be bear shifters, too.
“It bothers a lot of women,” he said. “That’s why none of us are married.”
That idea settled over her as there was a knock at the door. “Pizza,” she said.
He stood to get the door and took out his wallet. But when she heard the door open a second later, something didn’t sound right. She got up and peaked around the corner.
“So, we found the shifter after all.”
It was one of the men from Friday night. And from what she could see past him, he had friends with him.
The door banged open. Daxton called out, “Blair, run!”
She backed away in shock and locked herself in her bedroom. The instant fear made her tremble. She realized then that she’d left her phone on the living room table after ordering the pizza. She really needed to keep it closer.
A loud crash made her jump. She opened the door a crack. She had a decent view of the living room from here, and she saw the large black bear pick up one of the men in his mouth and toss him to the side of the room. The man landed with a thud and didn’t move.
She counted seven men, all coming at Daxton with fists and knives. A man dove at him, knife extended, and Daxton swiped him to the side with his large paw. Another man tried to stab his leg, and it looked like he only managed to scrape him by the time Dax shoved him down and stepped on him. The man cried out, and she could hear the sound of his bones breaking.
The fight ended much faster than she would have thought possible. Daxton sat in the middle of her living room, her coffee table in pieces in front of him. The seven men lay scattered around the room, most of them unmoving. The ones who did move, did so slowly, and sounds of pain filled the air.
One of the men staggered to his feet. Daxton roared at him, and the man ran out of the house, followed by another man shortly after. Two others, Daxton picked up in his mouth and carried to the door. Of the three that remained, two were moving and trying to stay away from Dax. They each took the arm of their friend, who didn’t seem to be moving at all, and drug him out the front door.
Daxton sat for a long time alone in the living room. Blair opened the door slowly and crept out. She went to the front door and locked it, then secured her deadbolt. She’d have to clean up the smears of blood later.
She came back to where Daxton sat and stared at him. He stayed seated, watching her. One step at a time, she made her way to him. She reached out and stroked his fur, petting him like a dog. He closed his eyes and made a murmuring sound that she thought meant he liked it.
“Can you change back? Or does it take a while?” She stepped back to give him room.
After a few minutes, he curled onto his side and his fur faded into skin. She hadn’t seen him change, and had forgotten about the explosion of clothing from Friday night, but now, as she looked at him naked, she remembered.
But she couldn’t stop looking at him naked. He sat with his knees bent and feet out in front of him, covering himself with his hands.
“Sorry about your coffee table,” he said. “And your floor. And your walls.” He gave her a sheepish look.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt at all?”
“Maybe a scratch or two. Nothing serious.”
“You just took out seven men and barely got a scratch on you?” She was impressed, despite the destruction and her lingering fear. He was practically invincible. And he was there to protect her.
He pulled his mouth into a half smile. “There are some benefits to being a bear.”
* * *
“I think our pizza man got scared away,” Blair said, looking toward the door.
“We can order another if you’re hungry.”
She shook her head. She could not take her eyes off the way the muscles bulged out of his chest and arms. Maybe it was the bear in him, but his chest was covered in black curls that begged for her touch. She wanted to eat him and nothing else.
He got to his feet, still covering himself. “Usually, I keep a change of clothing with me. I have some things, but they’re in my car, and I probably shouldn’t walk outside like this.”
She bit her lip and let her gaze fall to the thick muscles of his thighs and calves. Every inch of him was round with hard muscles.
“Blair?” he said after a minute.
She realized she’d been staring at him, and he’d been talking to her. “Oh, sorry. What?”
He smirked. “Is my nakedness distracting you?”
Her face flushed, but she smiled. “Maybe.”
He came toward her slowly. “Are you afraid of me?”
“A little. But I’m more turned on than afraid.” She wanted to take back the words the second they slipped past her lips. How could she say something like that?
He stopped in front of her and slid one hand into her hair while the other still covered his groin. He pulled her into a kiss.
Immediately, the heat overtook her. She leaned closer, the fieriness of his body making her hotter still. She pressed her lips against his, slipping her tongue in his mouth in exchange for his. Her breathing grew heavier, and she wished she didn’t have so many clothes on.
He let go of his crotch and put his other hand at her back, pulling her still closer. She could feel his hardness pressing against her, making her wet with desire. He pushed against her and growled in her ear.
“Want to see how much of an animal I really am?” he whispered in her ear.
She moaned in response and he reached down, sliding his hand under her panties. He slipped one finger inside her, and she dug her nails into his back, growling back at him. He kissed along her neck, stopping to tug on her earlobe with his teeth before biting at her neck and shoulders.
He grasped the edge of her shirt and pulled up slowly, letting the soft fabric brush against her skin as he lifted it. She raised her arms overhead and when her shirt was at her elbows, he pulled down, trapping her arms behind her back, tangled in her shirt.
She let out another moan as he popped her breasts free from her bra and sucked at her nipples. She struggled against her restraints, wanting to grab him and caress him as he touched her.
He unzipped her pants slowly. He pulled them down inch by inch. She tried to step out of them sooner, or to push them down, but he stopped her. He rubbed his dick against her panties, her wetness soaking through. She pushed her hips forward, trying to make him press against her harder.
She struggled again to pull her arms free, but he held her wrists tight. “What do you think you’re trying to do?”
“I want to touch you,” she said.
“Do you?”
She nodded.
“Then get on your knees.”
She did as he said and eagerly took all of him into her mouth. She licked and sucked at the tip of his cock, every one of his moans of pleasure making her suck him faster and harder. He pulled back from her and turned her around, getting onto his knees behind her.
Her hands were still tangled in her shirt, but they hung behind her, and she could just reach him to stroke him while he ran his hands over her body. He pinched her nipples, then he slipped under her panties and pressed a finger inside her. She was ready to burst in bliss. As if he knew this, he pulled his hand away and kissed her neck, leaving her wet with longing.
He leaned her forward, bending her over. With his teeth, he slid her panties down to her knees, then used his tongue on her. He pushed it in deep until she moaned, then flicked around her lips.
When he pulled back, she cried out in yearning. “Please,” she whimpered.
“Say it again.” He rubbed against her, but refused to enter her yet.
“Please,” she begged.
He thrust hard inside her. She almost screamed in ecstasy. He growled loudly and pinched her nipples, slamming hard and fast into her.
The room around her spun. Each time he shoved deeper inside her, a wave of bliss flooded over her, threatening to take her down. He purred in her ear.
“Are you close?” he asked.
“Yes,” she moaned.
“Not yet.”
He slid out of her, then rubbed her in circles. She whimpered in response. He teased her, pressing in, then pulling out, pushing in only halfway. He squeezed her breasts and flicked his fingertips over her clit. She reached back for him, but he kept out of her grasp.
When she couldn’t take it anymore, he grabbed her hips and pounded her deep and hard. She cried out as the pleasure ran through every nerve in her body, crashing over her in one long wave. She quivered under him as he thrust in several more times, cried out in a roar, and fell to the ground beside her.
She panted and her ears rang. If she opened her eyes, the room would spin. She kept them closed and curled up beside him, running her fingers through the small curls of hair on his chest. He put an arm around her, dragging his fingertips up and down her arm as he breathed.
They were both so sticky with sweat, him from the fight before, then from their passionate love making.
“Want to join me in the shower?” she asked.
He smiled. “That’d be great.”
She led him upstairs and started the water. She washed him, taking care in the places he had cuts from the fight. He dug his fingers into her hair, rubbing the shampoo in and massaging her scalp. When they’d finished washing, they dried in the bathroom. She put ointment on his cuts and he slathered lotion onto her back.
They slid under the smooth, cool sheets of her bed and fell asleep curled into each other.
Blair rolled over and found her bed empty. She sat up and looked around. Had he left?
She slid out of bed and wrapped her robe around her. She was halfway downstairs when she smelled the coffee and eggs. In the kitchen, he stood naked in front of the stove. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, covering his groin with her hand.
“That’s kinda dangerous, don’t you think? One grease splatter…”
“Then, I guess you’ll have to keep your hand there.”
She chuckled and kissed his shoulder and neck as he flipped the eggs in the pan. Before they sat down to eat, she ran out to his car to get his clothes.
“You don’t have to put them on yet, though,” she said, winking at him.
He let them fall to the floor as they sat to eat. “Guess I owe you a new coffee table.”
She looked over at the two pieces lying on their side. “It looks like a wild animal was set lose in here.” She pulled her lips into a grin.
“I’ll clean up.”
After breakfast, he kept his word. He helped her scrub the blood from the floor, replaced the broken lightbulb in the lamp, and swept the pieces of broken glass from a fallen picture frame. By the time he left, the place looked somewhat livable again.
* * *
Months later, Blair popped open a bottle of champagne and poured two glasses.
“I have you to thank for this,” she said to Dax.
“Just a little creative marketing.”
She looked again at the sales book, at the huge numbers that proved the store had the best quarter of its history. A true accomplishment for her and her career. The local organic spin had taken off. With Daxton’s help, she’d found suppliers for many products and now, fully half of the products on the shelves were made locally. Of the other half, only a small percentage were not organic or whole foods. She’d cornered a specific audience and they loved her store for it.
They hadn’t seen or heard from any of the men who’d come after Daxton. Though, one time he thought he saw one in a building supply store. He didn’t know for sure because the man had run off quickly.
Blair had hired back the employees she’d laid off and even hired a few new ones, including a security guard. Daxton’s honey and soap sold well. She gave both products large displays and prominent places. The other local honey hadn’t done well at all, and she’d asked the woman who brought it in to come pick up her product. There was only one honey that Mason’s would sell from now on.
Dax winked at her as he poured some of his moonshine into their glasses. She giggled and took a sip, the sweet honey whiskey giving a kick to the fizzy champagne.
“There’s one other thing we’re celebrating tonight,” he said.
“There is?”
“Yup. It’s the first time I said I love you.”
She set her glass down to kiss him. “Do you really?”
“I do. I love you,” he said, kissing her again. “And I love your hot body,” he whispered.
“Hmm,” she said, looking around her office. “We’ve never done it in here.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
They began kissing heavily until he turned her around and bent her over the desk. Lucky she was wearing a skirt today. He slid up her skirt and pulled down her panties and shoved deep inside her. In only minutes, they both cried out in pleasure and she fell into his arms.
“I like when you take your time,” she said. “But sometimes, there’s nothing like a quickie to end the day right.”
“We’ll have to remember that next we have a ‘business meeting.’”
“Maybe we’ll just need to schedule ‘business meetings’ a lot more regularly.”
“I like the way you think.” He rubbed his nose against hers, purring softly.
“I love you, too,” she said, realizing she hadn’t told him earlier. “And your wild animal ways.”
He growled at her and she growled back, then wrapped herself around him and refused to let go.