Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,10

alcohol, relishing its initial chill and the burn it left as it poured down her throat. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“It’s not pretty,” he mumbled, then laughed in a way that made his whole body move. He threw his head back and his amusement came from his gut, the sound of it deep and warm. It made Alanna smile.

He stuck out his hand to shake hers. “I’m Nathan.”

Save me, Alanna thought again. But she only shook his hand. Yet when she raised her eyes, her heartbeat picked up just a bit. Nathan had a stubbled lantern jaw and kind blue eyes. He was big and broad and there was the subtle scent of Old Spice under the musk of his bear. It was heady and arousing and Alanna just smiled and nodded.

“I’m Alanna,” he said simply.

She didn’t let the handshake linger and reminded herself not to flirt too much. That could get dangerous. Mostly for him. The very last thing she needed was Rawley returning and deciding he needed to kick the Black Bear Lodge’s handyman’s ass.

“You clean up nice,” Nathan said, tossing her a wink.

Alanna blushed under the attention, but she couldn’t help enjoying it. There was something warm and welcoming in the way he talked even when he was obviously hitting on her just a bit. Rawley, when she had first met him, had come across too slick and forceful. He thought it was sexy.

“I want what I want and I want you,” he said. “I always get what I want. Just ask my other five wives.”

That night at his party, she’d hardly known what was happening before she was being swept along to one of his houses, also full of people. He’d shown her all his stupid luxuries and promised her the world and when she’d laughed and said “no thank you,” he’d slapped her across the face and had her locked in a cell. She’d escaped a few days later out of pure luck when one of his security men had come to bring her food while he was drunk and left the cell door unlocked. She’d escaped the house and run without looking back. But eventually, John had caught up with her.

“You alright, Alanna?” Nathan said.

Alanna took another sip of her Grey Goose and soaked up the sound of his voice, the scent of him, the way his hair was just a little too long and messy, and the way his arms filled out the sleeves of his sweater.

“Rough couple of weeks,” Alanna said. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

“You want to talk about it?” Nathan said. He looked right at her, his attention focussed entirely on whatever she might have to say.

She wondered what would happen if she asked him for help, but the thought of an innocent man being hurt on her behalf would make her feel worse about everything and she shoved that thought away.

“No,” Alanna whispered. She leaned on her hand and sipped her Grey Goose, refusing to look away from him. “But tell me about yourself. Distract me. How long have you worked here? Is it a good job for a bear?”

“It’s a good job for this bear,” Nathan said. He motioned to the bartender and a locally brewed IPA was brought to him without him having to ask. “I run the place with my brothers actually. We each own an equal stake. My little bro Eric is the concierge, Cody runs the kitchen, and Connor’s in charge. I’m the handyman, obviously. To be honest with you, we really don’t need to be working. But we like to keep busy and we enjoy the place.”

“Wait…” Alanna grinned, disbelieving. “You own a quarter of this place and you’re already rich to begin with, but you’re the handyman?”

“I like being the handyman,” Nathan said. “I wear a cool tool belt, I don’t have too much work to do. The rest of the time I can go run and fish in the woods or read or ski or, ya know, bother Connor. It’s just enough work.”

“Just enough work for what?” Alanna said.

“To keep me out of trouble,” Nathan said. “I’ve been in trouble. Didn’t much like it. Don’t plan on getting into it again. It was when I was younger.” He shrugged and sipped his beer. “I fell in with the wrong kind of shifter. He thought I was like him. But I wasn’t. Anyway…I like to keep busy enough to keep trouble like that far away.”

“Right,” Alanna murmured, but all that warmth and