Amir (BBW Bear Shifter Moonshiner Romance) (120 Proof Honey Book 3) by Becca Fanning
Authors: Becca Fanning
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with hers.
“Well, now you do,” he crooned.
She leaned forward and planted a very gentle kiss on his lips. When they broke from the moment, she watched the very tip of Kurt’s tongue sneak out and lick his lips. It was a sight that filled her with a tingly feeling, and she kept hold of one of his hands as they began to walk further around the rim of the dirt bowl.
“That’s deep,” she observed, gazing down into the scrub again. “You must be wicked strong to get up that slope.”
“In bear form,” Kurt agreed with a nod. “Humans have no chance, it’s just too high. We do a lot of rescues out here when the hikers come along.”
“You like your work?” Stacey asked. It was a genuine question, and it felt good not to be interrogating for a change.
“I guess,” Kurt replied, looking out to the path ahead. “It’s better than any other job. But, I… No, it’s stupid.”
“Tell me,” she pressed, gently holding his strong, thick arm. “Is there something else you’d rather be doing?”
“Not really,” he said, “I just feel empty sometimes. Like, I have a job and nothing else. I want some excitement, I suppose.”
“You ought to be careful,” she began thoughtfully, “that kind of thinking leads to trouble.”
She’d hit a nerve. It seemed that she couldn’t help her skills from coming through even when she wasn’t trying to draw intel out of a mark. She saw a range of emotions pass Kurt’s face, each threatening to strip him of what was left of his grin. Eventually he let out a sigh, and stopped walking. He stood facing her, as he had on Friday night, and at once she wanted to kiss him again, as deep as before. But there was no thought of kissing on Kurt’s face. He looked pained, and she already knew why.
“Stacey, you’re a nice girl,” he began. “You wouldn’t ever want to go out with a gambler, would you?”
She had to play this one carefully. She took a moment to plan my sentence before she spoke.
“Well it wouldn’t be my first choice,” she began, “but-”
He never let her finish. Kurt nodded and made a little scoffing sound, and he finally let go of her hand.
“That’s what I thought,” he said, even as she tried to speak again. “You know what? We ought to call this off now. I’m… I’m just not good enough for you.”
He was turning and leaving, and Stacey couldn’t bear it. To her own surprise, a huge rush of emotion hit her chest, like he had her heart on a tow-rope and was ripping it out of her ribs with every step. She knew that she had never felt something so powerful before. He was it. He was the thing she’d been looking for all her life.
“I met your grandmother, Anina,” Stacey called after him. “She told me everything yesterday.”
Kurt didn’t stop walking, and Stacey was determined not to let the conversation slide. She raced up after him, just within earshot of his reply.
“She has no business telling people about my problems,” Kurt grumbled, his voice almost a growl.
“But I’m still here,” Stacey urged. “She told me yesterday and I still wanted to see you. It doesn’t matter.”
Kurt stopped, and he spun on the spot. Stacey knew at once that she’d made another mistake.
“Oh, it matters,” he said, the pain evident in every level of his voice. “I’m in too deep to get out, Stacey. I owe a lot of money, and every time I go to try and win it back, I get even deeper in the hole. They’ve got me. It’s only a matter of time before Big Al sends the nasties to come and collect.”
“The nasties,” Stacey repeated. Kurt mistook it for a question.
“Low-life goons who’ve got nothing better to do than ruin other people’s lives,” he explained.
Was that really how he saw her? Stacey tried not to feel the hurt that sank into her heart at his words. He didn’t understand that collectors were people too. We all had a job to do in this world, and as much as she felt sorry for his
“Well, now you do,” he crooned.
She leaned forward and planted a very gentle kiss on his lips. When they broke from the moment, she watched the very tip of Kurt’s tongue sneak out and lick his lips. It was a sight that filled her with a tingly feeling, and she kept hold of one of his hands as they began to walk further around the rim of the dirt bowl.
“That’s deep,” she observed, gazing down into the scrub again. “You must be wicked strong to get up that slope.”
“In bear form,” Kurt agreed with a nod. “Humans have no chance, it’s just too high. We do a lot of rescues out here when the hikers come along.”
“You like your work?” Stacey asked. It was a genuine question, and it felt good not to be interrogating for a change.
“I guess,” Kurt replied, looking out to the path ahead. “It’s better than any other job. But, I… No, it’s stupid.”
“Tell me,” she pressed, gently holding his strong, thick arm. “Is there something else you’d rather be doing?”
“Not really,” he said, “I just feel empty sometimes. Like, I have a job and nothing else. I want some excitement, I suppose.”
“You ought to be careful,” she began thoughtfully, “that kind of thinking leads to trouble.”
She’d hit a nerve. It seemed that she couldn’t help her skills from coming through even when she wasn’t trying to draw intel out of a mark. She saw a range of emotions pass Kurt’s face, each threatening to strip him of what was left of his grin. Eventually he let out a sigh, and stopped walking. He stood facing her, as he had on Friday night, and at once she wanted to kiss him again, as deep as before. But there was no thought of kissing on Kurt’s face. He looked pained, and she already knew why.
“Stacey, you’re a nice girl,” he began. “You wouldn’t ever want to go out with a gambler, would you?”
She had to play this one carefully. She took a moment to plan my sentence before she spoke.
“Well it wouldn’t be my first choice,” she began, “but-”
He never let her finish. Kurt nodded and made a little scoffing sound, and he finally let go of her hand.
“That’s what I thought,” he said, even as she tried to speak again. “You know what? We ought to call this off now. I’m… I’m just not good enough for you.”
He was turning and leaving, and Stacey couldn’t bear it. To her own surprise, a huge rush of emotion hit her chest, like he had her heart on a tow-rope and was ripping it out of her ribs with every step. She knew that she had never felt something so powerful before. He was it. He was the thing she’d been looking for all her life.
“I met your grandmother, Anina,” Stacey called after him. “She told me everything yesterday.”
Kurt didn’t stop walking, and Stacey was determined not to let the conversation slide. She raced up after him, just within earshot of his reply.
“She has no business telling people about my problems,” Kurt grumbled, his voice almost a growl.
“But I’m still here,” Stacey urged. “She told me yesterday and I still wanted to see you. It doesn’t matter.”
Kurt stopped, and he spun on the spot. Stacey knew at once that she’d made another mistake.
“Oh, it matters,” he said, the pain evident in every level of his voice. “I’m in too deep to get out, Stacey. I owe a lot of money, and every time I go to try and win it back, I get even deeper in the hole. They’ve got me. It’s only a matter of time before Big Al sends the nasties to come and collect.”
“The nasties,” Stacey repeated. Kurt mistook it for a question.
“Low-life goons who’ve got nothing better to do than ruin other people’s lives,” he explained.
Was that really how he saw her? Stacey tried not to feel the hurt that sank into her heart at his words. He didn’t understand that collectors were people too. We all had a job to do in this world, and as much as she felt sorry for his
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