Beret Bear (Rogue Bear Series 3) by Meredith Clarke, Ally Summers

in places that had been asleep for so long. His hand floated over her hip.
    “I haven’t awakened to something this beautiful in a long time.” She heard that sound from his chest that sent shivers all over her body.
    “Gage, I…” It wasn’t as if she had something to tell him. She hadn’t had enough time to figure any of this out.
    He brushed her hair away from her face. “I know. I meant what I said. All of it.”
    “Thank you.”
    “For what?”
    She loved how his hand felt against her face. “For telling me about Razastan.”
    He lowered his eyes. “I didn’t mean to dump all of that on you. I just want to forget about it. I shouldn’t have—”
    “No. No.” Don’t undo it,” she pleaded, sitting up quickly.
    “Undo?”
    She pressed her finger to his lips. She’d never felt so intimately connected to anyone. “I’m honored you shared your pain with me. I wouldn’t change last night for anything. Not any of it. What happened in my room or yours.”
    His eyes looked bluer in the morning. “Then I won’t undo it.” He grinned, jumping off the side of the bed. Avery felt the bed shift from his weight.
    “I’m going to take a shower. Unless you’re planning on joining me, I’ll see you at breakfast.”
    “Breakfast?” She stood to tuck the comforter under the pillows. “Shit. I haven’t set up the breakfast.”
    Not only did she have to walk through the inn in a thin, silk gown, the housekeepers would know she hadn’t gotten things ready for the only guest.
    “I can get breakfast at the Skillet. Don’t worry about me.”
    “I have to go.” She raced out of the room, frantically tapping the elevator button. Sara and Jenny would be starting on the first floor. She could probably sneak past them and make it to her room without them seeing her.
    The doors closed behind her. She nervously watched the numbers light up, counting the floors. “Shit. Shit,” she murmured.
    As soon as they retracted she bolted for the reception desk. On the other side was the office, and the housekeepers never entered without checking with her first. She scanned the lobby. Thank goodness there were no other guests. And thank God her father was out of town. She’d never be able to explain this to him.
    She tipped her ear forward. There were no sounds of the maid carts. She made a dash for the desk. Her bare feet skipped over the hardwood floor and she closed the office door behind her.
    She exhaled, triumphant she had made it through without seeing anyone.
    She looked up when she heard her bedroom door open.
    “Avery, what in the hell are you doing?”
    Her mouth fell open. “Paul?”
    “You want to tell me where you’ve been?” Her fiancé leaned into the doorframe, his arms crossed, and his forehead creased with a deep scowl. The tips of his dark red hair were sticking up.
    His delicate features looked odd after having spent so much with Gage who was solid and sturdy.
    She walked toward Paul. “I think we need to talk.”

18

Gage
    G age pulled a T-shirt on over his wet chest. The fabric dried as he brushed his teeth. He ran his fingers through his dark hair. It wasn’t long enough for a comb. The stubble on his jawline was a deep shadow now. He thought he’d let it grow.
    If there was a question before last night about whether he’d get on his bike and ride out of St. Claire, it had been put to rest when Avery spent the night in his arms.
    He didn’t know if the nightmares would stop instantly. He didn’t know if he would stop waking up in a cold sweat, but he felt a lightness he had forgotten was possible. Sharing the horror of Razastan with her had opened his heart in a way he didn’t know was possible.
    He flipped off the bathroom light, grabbed his room key, and walked into the hall.
    “Good morning.” He smiled at one of the housekeepers.
    She blushed and smiled. “Good morning, sir.”
    Gage walked toward the staircase. He felt as if he could slide down four flights on the edge of the