Beary Overdue (Polar Bliss 1) by Ruby Shae Page B

yelled.
    “Good,” Reid said, dropping his arm. “Now get the fuck out of here, and don’t come back. If I see you around here again, or anywhere near my woman, next time I won’t be so nice.”
    My woman!
    The words shouldn’t have sent her heart racing, she’d already said goodbye, but his appearance had changed. Had he made other changes? Was he going to try and win her back? Did she want him to?
    Duh!
    Of course she did. But had he changed enough? Could she forgive him—or his past—if he had?
    They both watched as her date hurried back to the parking lot, and then Reid turned to face her.
    “Hi,” he said.
    “Hi,” she returned. “Thank you for saving me. I was frightened.”
    He raised his arm, as if to embrace her, and then dropped it quickly.
    “What were you doing with him anyway?”
    “Trying to get over you.”
    The words slipped out, and her cheeks felt like they were on fire.
    Reid’s eyes flashed, and a blast of heat raced to her core. Seven years ago, it had always been like that with them. If she hadn’t been sure before, now there was no denying he’d connected with his animal again.
    “How’s that going?” he teased.
    “Not so good,” she laughed.
    “We need to talk,” he said, his voice void of all humor, “and your wrist is going to bruise if we don’t get some ice on it. Can I come in?”
    She nodded, and he extended his hand for her keys.
    Without a thought, she dropped them into his palm, and then he opened the door and allowed her to precede him into the apartment.
    Reid looked around appreciatively, and she smiled. The place wasn’t much, but it was roomy and comfortable, and the part of her that still cared what he thought was glad he liked it.
    He followed her into the kitchen and grabbed the towel out of her hands.
    “Sit,” he said, opening the freezer.
    She took a seat at the tiny bistro table and waited while he prepared her ice pack. After he gently wrapped her wrist in the cold protection, he sat across from her and cleared his throat.
    “You were right about me,” he started. “I was convinced you left me because you wanted to leave, and I latched onto my anger and didn’t let go. At the time, I honestly believed I was somehow winning. I was combating my loss with my own twisted version of success in order to prove I hadn’t cracked, but instead, I became something disgraceful.”
    “After I left your motel room,” he continued, “I shifted and ran. I stayed in my bear form for over a month, and at one point, I thought I might never come back. But then I remembered you, and Riley, and my brothers and Hayden and Hayley, and I realized I still had a chance to make things right. I know I’ve made some mistakes, but if you can give me another chance, I promise you won’t regret it.”
    She believed him immediately, but she knew she shouldn’t. Words were easy to say, but actions sometimes told a different story. She needed time.
    “I—”
    “Before you answer, hear me out. I’m not suggesting we rush into anything. I’m proposing we start dating again. I’m staying in town indefinitely, and we can go as slow or fast as you’d like.”
    “You’re staying here indefinitely?” she doubted. “You can’t do that.”
    “Yes, I can, honeypie,” he smiled. “I know you have to finish out the school year, and if you decide to stay on for next year, I’ll still be here.”
    “How can you do that? What about the bar?”
    “The bar is no more. I gave half of the business to Hayden, and I’m now a very silent partner in a new sports bar and grill called, The Bear’s Den . It’s being renovated right now, but they should open in about a month. Hayley will stay on staff, and they’re going to hire two more employees to help out.”
    “Wow,” she said, stunned.
    “Yeah,” he said. “I wanted to get rid of anything toxic, but also make sure we were secure, and this seemed like the best way. Hayden has a really good business sense, and a lot of