Bad Blood Bear (Bad Blood Shifters Book 1) Read online

  “This is a date,” he said. “And call me old-fashioned, but on a date, the woman isn’t supposed to have to worry about how much it costs. It’s my pleasure to take you out, and you can trust me not to spend more than I can afford. Okay?”

  She tried to slow her breathing down, but with Tank holding her hand and looking across the table at her, looking all hot in his new clothes and with all that sweetness in his eyes, she just kept breathing faster.

  “Okay,” she said.

  He squeezed her hand and smiled, the dimples flashing under the sexy scruff on his face. “Good,” he said. “So pretend there are no prices on the menu, and tell me exactly what you want.”

  You, she thought. I want you.

  But she couldn’t say it, so she went back to looking at the menu, a warm sensation growing in the middle of her chest.

  They ordered huge rare steaks and cheesy potatoes, and Caesar salads that were made right at the table, just like on TV. Lissa loved it all.

  Tank watched her eat, looking happy every time she exclaimed over how good it was. She didn’t know why he was so happy about spending way too much money on her, but he seemed to enjoy it.

  They’d spent a lot of time talking over the last few days, but there was still so much she wanted to know about him.

  “So,” she began, between bites of steak. “Since this is a date, then it should be something special. So, tell me something new about you, that I don’t already know.”

  He thought for a minute, then said mischievously, “I’ve never wanted to be a rock star.”

  She laughed. “That doesn’t count. There are probably a thousand things you’ve never wanted to be. What do you want to be? If you could do anything you want? Astronaut? Pro football player? Gigolo?”

  He grinned at her. “Sorry,” he said. “My dreams aren’t that exciting.”

  She smiled back. “I still want to hear them,” she said softly. “I want to know what would make you happy.”

  He gazed into her eyes for a moment, then said shyly, “What I’d really like to do is build tiny houses. As a business, I mean.”

  “Big Man Tiny Houses. I like it. I could draw you a logo.”

  Tank picked up her hands and kissed it. “Don’t make fun, Smartass Bear.”

  He ducked his head. “I like tiny houses because they’re like building little jewel boxes. Each one can be different, and pretty. I like tiny, delicate things.”

  He looked up at her, and she felt her face grow warm. “What about tiny, delicate-looking but actually badass street bears?”

  He smiled. “I like those too.”

  Lissa rubbed her hand up against his sexy scruff. “I think a tiny house business would be so cool. You could create a few standard models you could customize, and build them ahead of time and have them on your construction lot. And then you could also build completely custom homes for people, based on their preferences.”

  Tank’s face lit up. “That’s what I was thinking,” he said. “It would take a while to establish myself, but I have a little money. I could build it up slowly.”

  “I could build you a web site,” Lissa offered. “I know all about SEO and how to get it noticed. And I could design brochures for you, and you could maybe put the plans of the standard models online so people could look at them. I think it would be amazing.”

  They talked about it through dessert, Tank explaining that he had a whole portfolio of sketches and floor plans. When the check arrived, Tank got out his credit card and slotted it into the pocket of the leather folder. Lissa reached for it as he put it down, and Tank pulled it away. “Date, remember?” he said. “You’re not supposed to worry about the cost.”

  “It’s not that,” she said. “I just want to see the card.”

  “Why?”

  “Condition two,” she said. “I want to know what your real name is. Assuming your parents didn’t actually name you Tank. Besides, I can’t date a guy without knowing his last name. It makes me seem flighty and irresponsible.”

  He smiled a little at that, but he still hesitated, holding the folder.

  “Oh, no, it’s a secret, right?” she said. “If you tell me you’ll have to kill me.”

  He pulled the card out and handed it over.

  “Gilbert Morrison,” she read. She tilted her head, studying him. “Gilbert. I don’t think it suits you. Not badass enough.”

  “It used to,” he said. “But I left the name behind with everything else when I lost Angie and left my house in Georgia. After that I was just Tank.”

  When he’d joined the hunters. He hadn’t just lost Angie, he’d lost himself, all the way down to his name.

  “Do you think you’ll ever call yourself that again?” She meant, Do you think you’ll ever get yourself back?

  He took the card back. “I don’t know.” He put it back in the little pocket and laid the folder down on the table. He was quiet for a moment.

  “I still have the house in Georgia, did you know that?”

  She shook her head. He hadn’t told her that. Was he planning on going back there? Somehow that made the pit of her stomach feel like it was dropping through the earth.

  “The one you lived in with Angie?”

  He nodded.

  “After I left, I guess I just figured the house was gone. Foreclosed on, or destroyed by the shifter hunters.”

  He bit his lips. “But then after we escaped from Grant, I checked on my bank accounts and I realized the money to pay for it had been taken out of my savings this whole time. And I called up my neighbor, whose property adjoined mine, and I found out he’d been looking after the place for me.”

  “So you could go back,” Lissa whispered.

  Tank nodded. “Or I could sell it,” he said. “With the house and the land, I could make enough set up my tiny house business.”

  “That would be amazing,” Lissa said. “I think you should consider it.”

  He squeezed her hand, looking into her eyes. “Yeah,” he said. “Maybe I should.”

  Chapter 24

  They drove back to the compound, listening to soft country music and holding hands, not talking much. Lissa seemed tired, and Tank was lost in thought.

  He’d been happy tonight. He’d almost forgotten what that felt like.

  He pulled into the clearing and parked, but he didn’t move to get out of the truck. He didn’t want this day to end, but he wasn’t sure how to prolong it. At least, not the way he wanted.

  Lissa smiled at him, her eyes shining in the dark. “I had a wonderful time today. Thank you for taking me shopping. And on a date.”

  She was wearing the new pink jacket, and she looked fucking adorable in it. He wondered when the last time was she’d been allowed to have something frivolous and girly.

  He wanted to fill her life with frivolous, girly things.

  But he couldn’t do that. She deserved a real mate, not a broken bear still bonded to someone else.

  “I wish I could give you more,” he said impulsively. “You deserve this all the time. You deserve a real mate. Not someone like me.”

  She was quiet for a moment, still holding his hand. Hers was warm and soft and felt so good in his.

  “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you,” she said.

  He huffed out a mirthless laugh. “You don’t know yet what a mating bond is like,” he said. “Losing that tore up my bear so bad, and I don’t know if we could ever mate again.”

  Lissa caressed his fingers softly. “I know you had that special bond with Angie,” she said. “But not every relationship has to be forever. I always knew, with my boyfriends, that one of us would move on sooner or later.” She stroked his arm slowly. “But it’s nice to have someone to be with. Someone to care about, to hold at night and make you feel like you’re not alone. Couldn’t we be that?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe we could try.”

  He leaned in slowly and kissed her. Like the first time their lips had touched, i
t was magic, warming his heart, filling him with sweetness and desire at the same time.

  Her mouth opened to his, and he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and deepened the kiss. Why had he been depriving them both of this for so long? It felt right; it felt like what they should be doing.

  Maybe Lissa was right. Just because they couldn’t have a true bond, that didn’t mean it couldn’t be good.

  He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. “Can I tell you a secret?” he murmured.

  “Yes.”

  “All evening I’ve been thinking about that blue lace underwear. And imagining what it looks like on you. And every time I do, it gives me a boner.”

  She giggled, and nipped his lower lip the way she’d done the very first time she kissed him, in the diner. With the same results. Instant desire.

  “Want to see it?” she asked.

  “Hell yeah,” he said. “I really, really do.”

  “Then you better ask me inside, Big Bear.”

  “Okay,” he said. “Would you like to come inside?”

  “Why yes,” she said primly, and then promptly nibbled on his bottom lip again.

  Damn.

  He opened his truck door. “This is still a date, so stay there.”

  He walked around to her side of the truck to get her door for her. The shopping would be safe in the cargo compartment of his truck, for the moment.

  “Be careful with your heels,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. “The ground is pretty uneven here.”

  Xander’s voice came out of the tree above them. “What is this? Prom night? I thought you’d never stop making out in the truck. Should I take a picture for Grandma?”

  “Fuck off, Xander,” Lissa said. “We’re on a date.”

  “Sheeyit,” Xander muttered. “A date? It’s like a teenage romance novel all up in here.”

  “Not even,” Lissa said. “Give us five minutes, and we’re going to be rocking the ‘R’ rating.”

  “I did not need to know that!” Xander called after them.

  Tank gave him the finger as they walked away.

  They made it safely to the steps and onto the porch, despite Lissa’s heels. There were lights on, and they could see Flynn on the couch, bare feet propped up on the coffee table, and Jasmin curled up in the leather armchair, watching something on TV.

  Tank knocked on the window and called, “We’re back!” Flynn lifted a hand in acknowledgement.

  Tank led Lissa along the wrap-around porch to the back entrance and they went down the short hall to his room. It was neater than usual—now that Lissa was in and out, there seemed to be a reason to keep it nice for visitors. Before, he hadn’t cared.

  He flicked on the lights, using the dimmer to bring them down. Then he faced Lissa and slid the zipper down on her jacket, helping her off with it and slinging it over the chair. They faced each other, both feeling suddenly shy.

  She looked so beautiful with the dress floating around her, clinging to some of her curves and disguising others. Her legs looked long and slim in the stockings they’d bought, and the high-heeled shoes made them look sexy as fuck.

  He could feel his dick hardening, but he had to be sure this was the right thing. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

  She looked up at him, her eyes darkening. “Are you having second thoughts?”

  He shook his head. “I’m just afraid of hurting you.”

  She frowned. “You mean your bear?”

  He shook his head. “It’s just—you deserve someone who has a whole heart to give you, and who could pledge that heart to you forever and devote himself to making you happy. I just don’t want to disappoint you.”

  She turned and faced him, her face soft. “Oh, Tank,” she said.

  She reached up and traced a heart on his chest. “You have a huge heart. A good heart. Any woman would be lucky to be with you, even if you can’t be a mate to her like you were with Angie.”

  He couldn’t resist her any more. He wanted her so badly—wanted to wrap himself around her and make everything that had ever hurt her stop hurting. He wanted to peel her dress off and see how sexy she looked underneath, and then he wanted to worship every inch of skin until she was gasping and screaming his name.

  He wanted her to be his. He knew it was selfish, because he couldn’t give his whole self to her. Because he was broken, and one day his bear would break out and do something terrible, and he’d have to be put down.

  But he wanted Lissa’s sweetness and caring and happiness. It made his broken places hurt less.

  Tank cupped her face and kissed her so, so softly, brushing his lips against hers. She gave a low, sexy moan, and he deepened the kiss just a little, sipping at her lips as if savoring fine whiskey.

  He pulled back and smiled at her, and she smiled back. Then he turned her around and pulled her back until he was sitting on the side of the bed with her between his knees, facing away from him.

  Slowly, slowly, he pulled down the zipper on her dress, exposing her creamy skin. He dropped a kiss on the back of one shoulder, and then the other, trailing soft kisses down her back as he followed the zipper’s trail.

  When it was all the way down, he rose to his feet and lifted the dress over her head. He laid it carefully out on the chair, so it wouldn’t get messed up. Then he turned around and looked at Lissa.

  His breath caught in his chest. She still had on her high heels, and thigh-high cream-colored stockings with lace at the top. Then came the lacy blue thong underpants, barely covering her pussy, and leaving her creamy rounded bottom exposed.

  There was a matching bra, also covered in lace, offering tantalizing peeks at her pink nipples.

  Tank thought his dick was going to burst out of his fancy new pants.

  Lissa’s eyes dropped to his crotch, and she smiled mischievously. “So, I guess you like it.” she asked.

  Her voice was husky and sexy. All Tank could do was nod.

  She walked over to him and put one hand on his waist. The other she trailed up the front of his pants, from the base of his cock to the tip. Tank sucked in a breath and stifled a moan.

  The scent of her filled the room—fruity shampoo and body lotion mixed with her own distinctive scent, and the scent of intense arousal.

  She wanted him. Broken, confused, unsure of what he had to offer—she wanted him.

  “You are absolutely beautiful,” he said honestly. “And hot damn, you are sexy as fuck.”

  Chapter 25

  Lissa smiled. She reached up and pulled his head down, brushing her lips across his, then kissing him more deeply. With a groan, Tank crushed her to his chest, one arm around her waist, one hand cupping the back of her head.

  Lissa made a soft sexy noise and slid her arms around his neck, parting her lips so he could slip his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her more deeply, tangling it with hers. She pressed herself against him.

  She was soft and warm, and she settled his bear like no one else. He wanted to make her feel warm and safe and beautiful, make her bear feel safe so she wouldn’t be a demon any more.

  He ran his hands up and down the smooth muscles of her back, down to her rounded ass cheeks, exposed by the sexy underwear. He could smell her arousal, and the scent drove him wild.

  He wanted to feel her against him. He pulled back, still keeping his lips on hers, and fumbled for the buttons on his shirt. Lissa helped, her hands eager. She pushed the shirt off his shoulders, and the feel of her skin against him made him want to devour her with kisses, slide between her legs and touch her wet pussy, make her whimper and moan and make more of those amazing sexy noises.

  Lissa’s hands were sliding up and down his back, molding the muscles, slipping down under the waistband of his pants to the curve of his ass.

  Tank picked her up and tossed her on the bed. She squealed with surprise, and made another surprised sound when he pinned her gently to the bed, face-down. He kissed his way down the curve of her lo
wer back and gently bit her ass cheek.

  She gave a helpless moan and the scent of arousal deepened, so he did it again, licking her skin slowly between bites, getting closer and closer to her slick wet sex. He spread her thighs and gave her pussy one long, slow, lick, and then stood up and started undoing his pants.

  Lissa turned, her eyes smoky with desire. “Oh, no,” she said. “I get to do that.”

  She sat up on the edge of the bed and unzipped him, pushing his new pants down to reveal his briefs.

  “Very nice,” she said, running her hand up and down the silky fabric, stroking the length of his shaft. It flexed, straining toward her. She leaned forward and closed her teeth lightly around it, through the fabric, and a low moan ripped out of Tank.

  She was going to make him insane.

  Lissa slowly pushed the silky briefs down, freeing his cock. She licked her lips, slowly, and his knees almost buckled just watching her. She shoved his jeans down further and cupped his balls, then leaned forward and tasted the tiny drop of moisture on the tip of his cock.

  “Oh, Lissa,” Tank muttered, tangling his hands in her hair.

  She licked the head of his cock, slowly, making him grit his teeth, sucking in air at the pleasure of it. No one had touched him like this in so long.

  She slid off the bed and shoved his pants down his legs. He stepped out of them, leaving them puddled on the floor, and then picked Lissa up and moved her back on the bed, stretching out next to her.

  He wanted to take this slow. He wanted to worship every inch of her body, treat her right. He settled himself next to her and kissed those sweet luscious lips again, sipping and tasting, stroking and teasing.

  Then he moved down the side of her neck to her shoulder, adding an extra kiss for the bite scar. She stilled when he touched it, and he kissed it again. She relaxed.

  He moved his hand delicately up over the curve of her hip, up her ribcage, up to graze her breast. He reached behind her to undo the lacy bra, exposing those beautiful tits.