Wild Mate: BBW Bear Shifter Romance by Natalie Kristen

had done that all by herself. She had
been angry and humiliated, and just wanted to lash out.
    The truth was, he was a
comforting presence. He was like a beacon, a magnet, a safe harbor
in a sea of strangers.
    Rebecca turned and continued
walking home slowly. Somehow, knowing that Levi was behind her,
watching her back, walking with her made her feel—safe. And
oddly warm and happy inside.
    He was a nice guy. No doubt
about it. He was professional and polite, and he respectfully kept a
safe distance from her.
    He wasn't trying to get in her
pants or anything. Not like all those men at the club.
    Levi was big, much bigger and
broader than Phin. Yet she wasn't the least bit intimidated by him.
    Trust me .
    Rebecca blew out a breath.
The funny thing was, she did. After what happened with Phin, she
thought she would never trust another man again. But she trusted
Levi Madden, the Enforcer sent to protect her.
    She stole another glance at
him as she walked on. He was really very handsome. The jolt of heat
and desire she had felt when he held her arms had shocked her. Was
she lusting after her bodyguard?
    Was she out of her mind?
    Rebecca scowled. Her body's
reaction to Levi was utterly inappropriate. She put it down to the
excitement of the evening, and her own exhaustion.
    Still, she would be careful.
She trusted Levi instinctively, but she had learned a very hard
lesson. And she wasn't about to forget it anytime soon. She would
still protect herself. Make sure all her doors were locked, and make
sure that no one, not even that hot PAC Enforcer could get into her
house while she was sleeping.
    But where was he going to
sleep?
    Not my business, Rebecca
told herself sternly. After all, he did tell her to pretend that he
wasn't here.
    I should do what he says.
    He's invisible to me.
    But no matter how many times
she repeated the words to herself, she couldn't stop glancing back at
him, and feeling increasingly guilty at having to lock him out of her
house.
    The poor man is going to
sleep out in the open , her
conscience nagged at her.
    Rebecca stormed up the front
steps of her house. Her conscience could take a hike.
    She
wasn't letting any man into her house. Her
life, her safety was her responsibility.
    Rebecca unlocked her front
door with trembling hands and rushed into her house. She slammed the
door and bolted it, then leaned against the wall, gulping and
panting.
    After a few minutes, she
peeked out of the window and saw Levi standing across the street,
watching her house. She watched him walk to a nearby tree and lean
against it. He looked relaxed, but she knew that his senses were
fully alert.
    Easing back from the window,
Rebecca went to her room and peeled off her costume. She didn't look
at her reflection as she stepped into the shower. She would scrub
all that makeup, the raven tattoo and the smell of the club off her,
and Raven Rose would be gone.
    She felt much better after her
shower. Wearing a comfortable old t-shirt and shorts, she padded to
the kitchen. She was famished. She had done some grocery shopping
in the afternoon, and she could whip up a simple bowl of pasta in a
few minutes.
    On a whim, she added more
pasta into the pot. Why she did that she had no idea. After all,
she was just cooking for one, right?
    Just as she sat down at her
kitchen table with a steaming bowl of pasta, there was a loud rumble
of thunder. She heard the pitter-patter of raindrops against her
windowpane, and in a few minutes, what started as a drizzle became a
flat out thunderstorm.
    The rain poured down in sheets
and as Rebecca rushed to close her windows, she glimpsed Levi
crouching under the rusty slide in the abandoned playground opposite
her house.
    He could barely fit his
massive frame under the flimsy slide, but it was clear he wasn't
leaving. He persisted in sitting out in the downpour and keeping
watch on her house.
    Strange, stubborn man.
    Rebecca grabbed an umbrella
and went out. She couldn't leave him there. That just