The Bear King's Captive: Curvy Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance by Milly Taiden Page B

to the other side of the room. Another loud laugh followed. The boy looked at the lady with confusion on his face. She rolled her eyes. “I’ll explain later.” She turned to him, no hostility, or anger. “My name is Leah Tomson, and you are . . .”
    He paused, wondering if he should give his real name. Honestly, the lady was no threat to him or his men. “Hannes Otila, but my men call me Otso.” Oh, paska . He realized what he said after it rolled off his tongue. Maybe she wouldn’t catch it.             
    Leah frowned. “Your men?”
    He needed to be very careful. He turned his eyes to the floor and rubbed his nose. “I mean the men I work with…here on the vessel.”
    “Got it.” By her smell, he knew her mind churned with suspicion. Leah tucked a leg under her and picked up a fork. “I’ve never heard of ‘Otso’ before. Does it mean something in your language?”
    Hannes lifted his chin. “Otso means great bear—King of the Forest. In my snow-cold country, only the bear can survive the harsh winters and kill any prey it desires.”
    Leah coughed, dislodging a piece of egg. She tried to cover her smile. “Nice…name. Fits your personality well. Snow, you say? They should call you a polar otso .” His head snapped up, eyes drilled on her. “You know, polar bear. Why are you looking at me like that?”
    Ivan jerked away from the wall. Leah dropped her fork onto the plate. “What’s wrong?”
    With big eyes, he said, “Your name’s Leah, and he’s Hannes.”
    “So.”
    He thumped his head with a finger. “Don’t you get it? Princess Leia and Han Solo.”
    “Princess?” Hannes’ grin grew wide. “That fits your personality quite well. I’ll call you Princess.”
    “My name is Leeeah, not Laaaia. And I prefer Leeeah, thank you very much.”
    “Absolutely. So, Ivan, Princess, tell me how you’re related.”
    Ivan handed a half-empty plate and fork to Leah and said, “We’re not related. My mom and grandparents live in Cincy. I met Leah at the train station.”
    A smirk raised the corner of Hannes’ lips. “Why were you at the port together?”
    Food filled Leah’s mouth; Ivan continued. “It’s a long story, but basically I was stuck in a snake pit and she saved everything with a rockslide. Then I followed her to the parking lot, and then some guy who wanted to be rich chased us over the fence.”
    At a total loss, Hannes glanced at Leah who nodded and chewed. She covered her mouth. “Yup, that’s exactly right.” Leah set down her fork. “Are you Swedish?”
    “No, I’m Finnish.”
    The boy looked at the bowl filled with raisins in Hannes’ hands. “If you’re finished, I’ll eat the rest of what you’ve got.”
    Leah rolled her eyes, ignoring the young teen. “How did you get employed on a Spanish ship?”
    He shrugged. “You find work wherever it is.” Enough about him. “How about you? Ever worked in Spain, or maybe Colombia?”
    “Colombia? In South America?” Her brows scrunched. “I’ve never been out of the states. Why?”
    His years as an interrogator taught him to be straight up with questioning. This “beating around the bush” and small talk were annoying. His responses had to be true or she might catch him in a lie, and this whole charade will be for naught. Again, he shrugged, nonchalant. “You recognized Spanish words. Just wondering.”
    “Oh.” She sounded like she believed it. “I lived in California for a while. If you don’t speak some Spanish, you can’t communicate with half the people. I read and hear much better. The only words I speak well are una mas magarita, por favor .”
    One more margarita, please . Hannes erupted into laughter. Her face flushed and she glanced at the food tray. In the dim light, he noticed the soft curve of her neck. Her hair draped forward, hiding her face. “California to Ohio is a big change. How long have you lived in Cleveland?”
    She hesitated. “I--I’ve lived in a lot of places. I