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  Bear leans back, taking his warmth with him, and sits down beside me. He’s got a plate four times the size of mine, and as he begins to eat, I wonder what would have happened if there wasn’t someone here to stop us.

  Chapter Four

  Bear

  “Was it worth it?” Rico says as I run on the treadmill, my body soaked in sweat.

  “Every fucking bite,” I say.

  Yesterday when Rico left, Pepper jumped up and said she had work to do. I wish she could have stayed longer, but she seemed excited to get started on designs for my place. I kept trying to think of ways to get her to stay over, but decided not to push her too hard too fast.

  The worst part was when she knocked on my door later that night with a pretty pink cupcake on the plate, Rico just so happened to have forgotten his headphones at my place and busted in on us right in that moment. Before he could tell me not to eat it, I grabbed the cupcake and swallowed it whole. Looking back, I was thankful there wasn’t a wrapper on it.

  “You’re going to fuck up all my hard work,” he says, shaking his head.

  “Help me out, Coach.” I plead, but Coach looks down at his newspaper and flips the page. On cardio days all he does is read while I complain. “You’re cockblocking me.” I glare at Rico, who crosses his arms.

  “I’m cockblocking your body from impurities. But yeah, sorry about that, man. That was terrible timing.”

  I’d believe him if he wasn’t laughing so hard right now.

  “Why don’t you ask her on a date like a gentleman?” Coach says, not looking up. “You kids these days with your texting and email. Nobody does romance anymore.”

  Email? Rico mouths to me and I just throw my hands up.

  Coach is old school, but maybe he’s right. Pepper is the kind of lady that needs to be taken care of. And I wasn’t lying when I said that’s what I was going to do. She’s also the kind of lady that deserves romance. Maybe the trick all along hasn’t been trying to keep her in my apartment but to take her out and get to know her. Make it so she wants to come into my apartment.

  “Coach, what’s your perfect date? Give a young man some tips,” I say, and Rico laughs.

  “Back in my day, we’d go to the drive-in and I’d try to get at that pussy the whole movie,” Coach says, and I nearly fall off the treadmill from laughing so hard. He folds his paper and looks at me. “Don’t be an idiot, Teddy. Ask her to dinner and maybe take her dancing.”

  I think about all the dance lessons he’s made me take over the years to improve my footwork. That’s not a bad idea.

  “Just don’t take Tweedledum with you.” He throws a thumb at Rico, who pretends to be offended.

  “Let’s get back to the drive-in stories, Coach. I have a feeling you’ve seen some shit,” Rico says, but Coach goes back to reading his paper.

  The rest of my training session goes by with deep discussion on the best restaurants to go to and then which club. Coach names off some old-school places, half of which closed down in the fifties. Rico suggests clubs where all they do is bump and grind, and I want to be able to talk to Pepper.

  By the time it’s over and I’m leaving the gym I get a bro-swear from Rico that he won’t come over at any point. I also send a text to the security company I hired to see if they’ve finished installing the alarms I asked them about. Rico wasn’t lying when he said that people sometimes try to sneak in and get to me. It’s happened on several occasions at the hotels we’ve stayed at. It even happened on a boat one time. People are crazy. But a large part of it is because I do want to protect Pepper, and in order to do that I need to know she’s safe. She’s tiny and anyone half my size could overpower her. I don’t like those thoughts in the back of my mind, so I had to do something about it.

  When I get to the building I greet the new doorman and introduce myself. Then I speak with the new security team and get my codes and keys. They said someone already spoke with Pepper today and gave her all the keys and codes she needs. Hopefully she wasn’t too pissed about the changes, but maybe if she is I can offer dinner as a way to explain why. Either way, I’ve got to ask her before I lose my nerve or I just blurt out that I’m falling in love with her like an idiot.

  I get on the elevator and insert the new key, then punch in the code. It takes me straight to the top floor, and when I get off I walk down the hall with purpose. I stand in front of Pepper’s door and knock a little too hard, but I’m nervous.

  I see the shadow over the peephole before she pulls the door wide open and gives me a big smile. Instantly my nerves are gone, and everything in the world is perfect. How can it be that just seeing her makes my day brighter and better?

  “Have dinner with me,” I say. I don’t even ask her. It’s a demand. Luckily for me she giggles and bites her lip before she nods.

  “Sure, yeah, that sounds nice.”

  A weight lifts from my shoulders that I didn’t even know was there, and for the first time in my life I think I could go back and do cardio all over again.

  “Want to go…” I glance down at my watching and see it’s only noon. Damn, I don’t want to wait all night. “In an hour?”

  She laughs again and then looks down at her clothes. “I’m a bit of a mess. Can you give me a little longer?”

  It’s then I notice she’s covered in paint, but she still looks like the most beautiful woman in the world. I nod, thinking that I need to shower, too.

  “Take all the time you need. If you want, you can knock when you’re ready,” I say, pointing to my door like she doesn’t know where it is. God, it’s like I’m in high school and going to the prom.

  “Perfect,” she says as she turns to close her door. She stops quickly and spins around, nearly falling over while doing so. I catch her by the arms and help her steady herself. “Gravy biscuits I’m such a klutz. Sorry, I was going to ask where we’re going. What should I wear?”

  “A dress,” I blurt out, not really sure what to tell her. I just want her with me. I don’t care if she wears a paper bag. “Or whatever you want.”

  “Okay,” she says, and her cheeks pinken. She’s reluctant to pull her hands from mine, and I don’t want to let her go either.

  We stand there for another second before I force myself to release her and then take a step back. The sooner she can get ready, the sooner I can have her all to myself.

  Chapter Five

  Pepper

  I swing my front door open and grab Tasha by the arm. I pull her into my apartment and slam the door closed behind her. I had to buzz her up here on the top floor, and I’m relieved I didn’t screw it up. I sent her a text to get up here ASAP because I’m in desperate need of her help. I’m at a loss for what to wear tonight, and I’m kind of freaking out.

  “You got them?” I ask her. She lets out a throaty laugh, holding up a pair of heels in each hand.

  “I got them.” She lets them hang by the straps and wiggles her eyebrows.

  “I’m going to hurt myself.”

  I look at the heels, certain I’ll never make it two steps in them. I want to wear them so badly because she always looks sexy in heels and I want tonight to be perfect. I need to look like a woman, not a young girl. I want to blow Bear’s socks off.

  “They should work.” She drops a pair on my sofa along with a bag. “They have a chunky heel, so it won’t be so bad.” I take them from her and inspect them. They are simple black heels, functional but super cute. The strap over the top makes them look like grown-up shoes. “I know you want me to do you up, but I don’t think we should go crazy. I think he likes you just as you are. I’m going to give you a little splash, though.” She says it with a wicked grin, and we head back into my bedroom where she gets to work on me.

  It doesn’t take long for her to work her magic, and when she's done, I walk over to the long mirror I have hung on the back of my closet. I stand there for a moment before I turn around, taking it all in. I have on a cream-colored dress that falls to mid-thigh. It’s shorter than I’m
used to, but I absolutely love it. It has a cute pink belt and the cut makes me look like I have curves. The short sleeves give it a classy and conservative look, which makes me feel like a woman. The heels add some nice height, so maybe I won’t look so small now next to Bear. I doubt it, but I can dream. Tasha left my hair in a braid, saying she knows Bear likes it that way. She did what she said and kept my makeup soft, and though it doesn’t look like I’m wearing a lot, my skin is dewy and fresh. She even managed to make my eyes and lips appear bigger.

  “I feel so pretty,” I admit as I do another small spin.

  “I know you might think it’s cute, it is, but Bear is going to find it sexy as fuck.” She winks at me.

  “I’m going on a date.” Saying it out loud makes it seem real. “But I don’t date fighters.”

  “Looks like you do now.” She smiles at me and cocks her head to the side. “Out of curiosity, though, who did you date before?”

  I turn to look at Tasha. “Well, I’ve never dated anyone,” I admit. I was leery of fighters because of the way my aunt talked about my father and his anger, but Bear doesn't seem angry. Not once has he made me feel anything less than comfortable and safe. I understood his and Rico’s banter. He’s sweet and caring and almost as frazzled as I am about our flirting. “I’m going to be terrible at this. I know what kind of women these guys date, and I’m not it.”

  I walk over and plop down onto my small bed—a bed I know Bear would never fit in. I can’t believe I just had that thought, but it’s indicative of where my mind’s been lately.

  Tasha rolls her eyes and comes over to sit down next to me. “Don’t think like that. I’m telling you that man wants to hit it seven days a week and twice on Sunday.

  “Yeah, but I don’t look anything like those ring girls.”

  She sighs. “I told you to stay off the internet.”

  “I have no self-control.”

  I fall back onto the bed and stare up at the ceiling. I’ve never seen him with anyone, not even in my searches online. I’m pretty sure my aunt said my mom was one of those ring bunnies or whatever you call them, but there’s no way I’m going to ask her.

  Tasha laughs, falling back with me. “You got this, Pep. You could stand there and not speak all night and he’s still going to want you. It’s kind of adorable. And that’s a word I never thought I’d use about the Cannon.”

  I turn my head to look at her. “He’s really sweet. Nothing like I thought he’d be. He makes my heart flutter.”

  “You’ve got it bad.” She smiles.

  “Is that a good thing?”

  “Yes,” she says and lets out a dreamy sigh.

  “What if it’s terrible and then I have to live across the hall from him?”

  “Stop making up excuses.” She turns to her side to face me. “Let's say you cancel and now you’re not going on a date with him. How does that make you feel?”

  “Sad.” I feel an ache form in my chest.

  “All right then, get your cute ass up. There’s hot man meat across the hallway waiting to have his way with you.”

  She stands up and holds out her hands to pull me up from the bed. I smooth my dress before finding the new purse I made last week. I loved it so much I didn’t have the heart to sell it. I did, however, get a ton of hits on my blog asking me how I made it after I posted pictures. I need to make a video showing people how to do it.

  Tasha opens my front door and we step out into the hall. I lock the door behind me and Bear’s door opens immediately.

  “Someone’s eager,” Tasha says, and I smack her arm.

  My eyes run over Bear, who's in a black button-up dress shirt and black slacks. The shirt is tight just like everything I’ve seen on him. I can’t imagine there are a lot of people who make clothes for his size. He looks intimidating until his face softens as he takes me in. He closes the distance between us and takes my hands, his eyes never leaving mine.

  “Can you blame me?”

  “That’s sweet,” Tasha says, stepping in between us. “You hurt that sweet, innocent creature and we’ll have problems.”

  I look at Tasha in shock. I’ve never heard that tone of voice from her before. She has her hands on her hips as she gives Bear a final warning glare.

  “Never,” he says instantly and then squeezes my hand. Tasha steps aside, and he reaches out, giving my braid a little tug.

  “Okay, you kids have fun,” Tasha calls out as she departs down the hallway.

  “I’m so nervous,” I blurt out. God, I’m terrible at this.

  “Me too,” Bear admits, and his admission puts me at ease.

  “That makes me feel better,” I say, suddenly shy.

  “Let me see if I can make you feel less nervous.” He leans down. “There will be a lot more dates after this one, and if you’re worried about the kiss at the end of the night, then let’s go ahead and do that now.”

  Before I can think or speak, he’s got my face in both his hands and his mouth is on mine. At first it takes me by surprise, but then I close my eyes and melt into him.

  His lips are softer than I thought they’d be, and his hands are so gentle yet strong. I hum as he licks the seam of my lips, and then I open for him. He tastes like fresh mint, and I moan as one hand wraps around my waist and pulls me closer. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my first kiss would be with someone like Bear. But as his protective hold tightens, I know that this is better than anything I could have concocted in my dreams.

  I crave more as my fingers dig into his shirt and I try to pull him closer. He makes a sound that vibrates through my body, and suddenly my back hits the door. I move against him as our kiss intensifies and I try to get rid of the space between us. I’m so close to him, but so far from easing the tingle that’s throbbing between my thighs.

  “Doll face.” His voice is low and gravelly and he’s breathing heavily as he leans away from me.

  I stay pressed up against the door, unable to move, and it takes me a moment to get myself together. What just happened?

  Bears steps back and turns around, and it looks like he’s getting his breathing under control.

  “Sorry,” I whisper as I reach up and touch my lips. They feel swollen but wonderful at the same time.

  “Don’t be sorry. I just…” His arms move and I know he’s running his hand down his face. It’s a tic I’ve noticed when he is trying to get his thoughts right. “I just didn't want to go too far. We have a date.” When he finally turns to look at me, I can see the hunger there. It makes me feel womanly and sexy.

  “I’m not the least bit sorry about that kiss, Bear. I’m only sorry it had to end.” I push myself off the door but stumble a bit on my heels. He pulls me to his side and I feel safe and secure.

  “Love the shoes, doll face, but not if they’re going to get you hurt.” He gives me a small smile.

  “I think I’ll be all right. I’ve got you.”

  He chuckles as he gives me a little squeeze. “Guess I’ll just keep you close.”

  For the first time since I’ve moved to the city, I actually feel like I’m home.

  Chapter Six

  Bear

  I made good on my promise to keep her close as we walk to the restaurant two blocks away. A few times I just held her off the ground to keep her from tripping, and I thought it might have just been easier to carry her the whole way. I hope she wears heels around me again just so I can have the excuse to hold her.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” she says when we get to the restaurant and she plants her feet. Her cheeks are flushed and she’s still a bit unsteady.

  “Did I tell you that you look beautiful?” I say, reaching up and playing with the end of her braid. I can’t seem to keep from touching her.

  “A couple of times on the way here, but you can say it again.”

  “You look incredible.” My hand trails down her arm until my fingers find hers and I twine them together.

  “You look big,” she says as her eyes run up
and down my body. “And handsome.”

  For a second I think about flexing and maybe even spinning around so she can get the full view. I don’t know why, but I like showing off for her. I feel like one of those birds on the Discovery Channel where they preen and do a dance and make a kickass nest so the girl bird will choose them.

  “Right this way,” the hostess says as once again I wrap my arm around Pepper to keep her from tumbling over.

  I see her give a side-eye to the hostess as we walk, and I lean down and keep my voice quiet. “Is everything okay?”

  “It’s nothing,” she says with a wave of her hand, but I can tell something bothered her.

  “Do you want to go?” I ask, stopping in my tracks. I don’t want her to be here if she isn’t happy.

  She smiles up at me. “You’d really do that, wouldn’t you? If I didn’t like the place you picked we’d turn around and leave?”

  “Of course,” I answer honestly.

  “Gosh, you really are so much different than I first thought you’d be. No, this is perfect. I’m starving.”

  Yeah, I’d build the best goddamn nest in the world if it made her keep looking at me like that.

  We sit down and the hostess gives us our menus, but I have a hard time concentrating on anything other than her. She’s right across from me and I want to ask her a thousand questions, but I don’t want to bombard her.

  “What are you going to get? They have, like, twenty types of pasta—this place must be heaven.” She beams at me, and I can feel my face mirror hers.

  “I’m not supposed to eat pasta right now,” I say, realizing I’m going to have to order something boring. Even I can hear the sulk in my voice.

  “You murdered that cupcake,” she giggles, just as the waiter brings us water and tells us about the specials.

  “That cupcake was the second-best thing I’ve ever tasted.” My mind goes back to that kiss and how it consumed me. As soon as my lips touched hers, all of my control was done for and I had to have her. Thank god there was a small shred of decency left in me, because I had the strength to keep from mauling her like a literal bear.