Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,58

been insanely rich like all the Strausses. But he’d never seemed like it.

He was sophisticated now.

It made her feel even more out of place talking to him, even with her hair done and her fancy cocktail dress bought on his dime.

But she could fake it. For now. For Eric.

She summed up a carefree grin and said, “Do you remember when we had that tree house for a while? Before we destroyed it?”

“We probably shouldn’t have shifted inside it,” Eric said, sighing. “It really couldn’t hold two bears. Even young ones.”

“We also shouldn’t have built it over a giant mud puddle,” Lydia said.

“What are you talking about?” He smacked her shoulder, taking a long drink of his bourbon to hide what looked like a giddy smile, she thought. “Falling into that puddle was the best part of the whole thing.”

“We had a lot of fun together.” Lydia felt wistful and that was a dangerous way to be.

She couldn’t pretend everything would go back just the way it had been. They were both so much older now.

“I had a bet with myself that you were married by now,” Lydia said. “But I don’t see a ring. I don’t mean to be nosy.”

“Not being nosy,” Eric said, grinning as he rolled his eyes. “No, yeah, I’m not… Never found the right girl, I guess.”

“Thought for sure,” Lydia said softly. “Thought you’d have the mate and the cub and… just have it all. What about your brothers?”

“Well, Nathan just found his mate,” Eric said. He was only halfway through his filet and he tapped his fork on his plate thoughtfully. “Alanna. That was messy as hell but it worked out alright. She’s pregnant. Just a couple months along now, I think. Connor and Cody, not yet. I think Connor has to beat em’ off with a stick.”

Lydia smiled at that. “I’m guessing you do too.”

It was impossible for her to imagine that women didn’t throw themselves at Eric. He was rich and handsome, kind as well as strong. And best of all, once you got to know him, he could be a riot. He was blind to how intimidating all that could be and how much influence his brothers and his sleuth had exerted over him. But she forgave him. Not that it hadn’t taken a few years to get that far.

“Only when I’m my bear,” Eric said, sticking his tongue between his teeth.

“I can’t believe you still read those books!” Eric was laughing so hard, he looked like he was about to snort whiskey up his nose.

Lydia sat down on Eric’s couch and leaned down to unbuckle her strappy heels. They had gone on a run after dinner and even as bears with their thick winter coats, the cold had been bracing. But Lydia couldn’t remember having felt so good in ages.

“I’ve been living in Sparrow Creek for a while,” Lydia said, taking the highball glass he offered her.

He had invited her up to his room and it was probably stupid, but she’d had no will to refuse. Whether it meant anything was going to happen, she had no idea. She was simply unwilling for the night to end, especially after that run.

Her bear was awake in her head and her heart now, in a way it hadn’t been in far too long. It was riled up and it wanted. She had to work hard to pretend otherwise.

“And ya know,” she went on, “I don’t know a lot of people there. There’s a small bear population, a few sleuths. But it’s not huge and nobody’s very friendly. So when I’m feeling a little down, I go to the library and read a Sherman sisters mystery or look at art books.”

Eric’s mother had read Sherman sisters mysteries. She’d had a whole shelf of them in the parlor of the mansion where Eric had grown up with his brothers, outside the small town of Elkswood in Oregon. They were silly books with simple mysteries that were easy for the reader to solve. The Sherman sisters were very old and stumbled into trouble at every turn. For some reason, as kids Eric and Lydia had found the Sherman sisters mysteries absolutely hilarious.

“Anyway,” Lydia said, sighing. “It’s a comfort thing. They make me feel all homey and cozy.”

She looked down into the amber liquid of her drink and took a small sip. She was pleasantly buzzed and just a little turned on from being in Eric’s presence. But inside, the bear raged. If she let it, it