Chapter 4

4

I moved back into the hallway of the house to make room for Farley to come inside. His head barely cleared the eight-foot-tall doorway. The bear had to be over seven feet tall.

"The two main guest rooms are upstairs. It's a small inn and more like a house than a hotel."

"I read it was built as a house in the late 1800s but turned into an inn during the 1940s. That was during the human age of gangsters and making moonshine. Magicals got caught in the cross-fires back then. They started moving to places humans didn't want to be."

"Like twenty miles in the middle of nowhere near the quaint, backwoods town of Assjacket?" I grinned when he glared at me. "Sorry, but I'm a city girl. I prefer an urban landscape and not having to date men who might be my cousins."

Farley growled low. "Since I'm trying to like you, I'm going to pretend you never said something so mean."

"That's probably for the best," I said.

He looked around again as we climbed. "Some of what I read seemed to think the inn was built to be an exclusive hideaway for those with nowhere else to hide. It still had a cloaking ward on it when the Baba Yaga found it. After she removed the ward keeping it hidden, she still had to get it declared an abandoned property before the city would admit it existed. Then it took them another year to agree to sell it to her because it had been off real estate records for so long."

Grunting, I filled in the blanks for him. "The people the Baba Yaga draws to her tend to frighten normal citizens."

"Because normal citizens are wussies," Farley said.

"I try not to judge." I agreed with him but didn't want Carol to know I discussed her behind her back.

I climbed the stairs with the bear shifter climbing a few steps behind me. The heat from his body penetrated my huff and made me aware of his even, unhurried breathing.

I turned at the top of the stairs and caught his eyes making a reluctant climb from my backside to my face. Had he been staring at my ass for the whole climb?

Farley needed someone to teach him some manners. "Look, Junior..." I began.

"How can I? All I can see is you. You're blocking my way."

My throat made an unnatural sound as my irritation climbed. Nothing I promised the Baba Yaga covered what to do if I got mauled by a bear shifter or felt the urge to maul him back. What would happen if I turned the bear shifter into a toad?

It might be worth an extra thirty days here to learn the answer.

Acting smart for once, Farley completely ignored me as he made his way down the hallway to scope out the two bedrooms. I'd already done my tour and discovered they were indeed full-out suites. Getting just one of them ready for a guest would be more work than simply installing furniture.

The walls of the rooms were gray. They needed repair work and painting to look less dinghy. New curtains on freshly washed windows were an absolute must-have on the cleaning list.

The floors could also use refinishing but would have to get by with being covered with throw rugs for now.

Carol was delivering furniture before Friday. If I got a few more people to help, I might make the deadline.

"Which suite are we redoing?" Farley asked.

I blew out a tired breath. This place would exhaust me because we hadn't even begun the work yet. "I've heard fairies prefer morning sun. I guess her room needs to be the one that overlooks the backyard."

The rooms had eight-foot doors. Farley's head had only a few inches of clearance to let him walk into the room without ducking. If he pushed against them and stretched, the vintage doorjambs would be history.

"Is your father as tall as you?" I asked.

"Yes. Dad Charlie, my biological father, is very tall. Harrison and Garrison are the shorties. They're only six-foot-two. I'm seven-foot."

"And I'm five-foot-ten." I tossed that in because I was feeling excluded from the conversation about height comparisons.

Farley's mouth tilted at one corner.

"Seriously," I said. "I'm five-foot-ten."

"I believe you. You're taller than the Baby Yaga," Farley said with a grin.

"I am, but you can never tell her that."

"Because she'll zap you?"

"Not me," I said with a laugh. "The Baba Yaga isn't going to blame me for being taller. She's going to make sure whoever is spreading that information never says another word about it —like ever ."

Farley leaned against a windowsill. He was taller than the windows in the room, and his shoulders nearly blocked the view outside. This place was nearly too small for him.

Finally, Farley broke the staring contest I hadn't realized we were having. "There's a lot to be done in a short time," he said.

"I know. Four days will barely be enough to get this one suite presentable. Did your Dad Charlie do the kitchen?"

Farley blinked as he looked at me. "Maybe. Is it nice? Can I see it?"

I shrugged. "Sure. The kitchen is beautiful. Let's do a quick tour of the ground floor since you're here."

I let Farley go down first. It was impossible not to stare at him. I don't know if it was his body, his smile, or that easy way he had of leaning against things. Something about him made me want to climb the man like a tree.

I slapped my forehead in reality just before I ran into the back of him and bounced off.

"Sorry." Embarrassed, I swerved and walked around him. "Dilapidated living room on this side," I said with an extended hand and a smile. "Dilapidated dining room on the other. I'm not worried about them right now. She can eat in the kitchen with me."

"Dilapidated, huh?"

"Yes. Do you want me to conjure you a dictionary so you can look up my big words?" I asked.

His grin was wide, and his pointy fang teeth made me itch to run my tongue over them.

I slapped my forehead again, lowered my eyes to the floor, and marched to the kitchen. A still-grinning Farley chuckled as he followed me.

Once he crossed the threshold, though, his smile faded. He looked around the kitchen, an expression of great pain completely taking over his handsome face.

"Dad Charlie didn't do this room. Dad Chuck did it. My brothers and I helped him sometimes, but I didn't know about this place. After she bought it, Auntie Carol put the wards back and made it invisible again. How did he even get in?"

I walked over and put a hand on his giant arm. "I'm sorry, Farley. She never told me who did the work."

"They were close friends—all three of them. It may not have occurred to her to say."

I rubbed his arm harder. "My siblings and I are close too."

Farley grunted. "No, I meant Mom, Dad Chuck, and the Baba Yaga. They grew up together. It never occurred to me that she might have asked Dad Chuck to fix this place for her. But really, it makes perfect sense. I just wasn't prepared."

I searched for something more to say. "Your Dad Chuck sounds like an amazing person."

Farley nodded. "He was. He took us in even when he knew he wasn't our father. Dad Chuck always said he had no choice because we smelled like family."

"Maybe he thought he might be your father. Unplanned relationships happen in life. Babies are often the result."

Farley shook his head. "No, he knew we weren't his because my mother was the only woman he was ever with. He saved himself for her."

I eased away to look at him. "Are you saying your Dad Chuck was a virgin when he met his mate? That's not possible, Farley. Shifters are sexually wild during puberty. No one questions that. It's a matter of biology."

Farley shrugged. "It sounds unbelievable, doesn't it? Mom swore it was the truth. She said they were meant for each other and that he waited for her all his life. I hope they're happy on their Next Great Adventure. They were great parents."

At that point, I would have said anything to erase that haunted look in Farley's eyes. "I'm certain they're happy because Morgana wouldn't allow anything else for them. Your mother was one of hers, right? We've all heard the stories. Everyone knows that Hildy and Carol were both worthy of being the Baba Yaga. I'm sure the only thing your parents ever miss are you and your brothers."

"Thanks for saying that," Farley said, rubbing his red eyes. "I'm sorry for my reaction. This room caught me off-guard. If you don't mind, I'd like to bring my brothers by to see it."

"Sure. Any time you want," I said as if I would be here to soothe them too.

Grief for his dead parents had slumped Farley's broad shoulders, which upset me further. I think I would have cried with him if he had cut loose. My eyes burned. Good Goddess, it was true... I would have cried. And I never cried.

When I got upset, I typically got mean like I did with Ethan.

What was wrong with me? The bear shifter affected me in ways I couldn't explain. I even felt ashamed of the lust he inspired in me. Ethan and I were over. Plus, there was no harm in looking. What did I have to be ashamed of?

"Carol said she and the renovator did this room together. It provokes the feeling and has the style she was going for in the entire inn. Can your Dad Charlie do this level of work?"

Farley's small grunt was quiet, and his smile was soft. "Dad Charlie tried his best to fill Dad Chuck's shoes after he was killed, but they were too big to fill. Mac ended up recruiting some of his adopted Australian son's friends. They're kangaroo exotic dancers and they do construction work. They pretty much stay shirtless in human form. Women seem to love them."

My brain conjured up a kangaroo in a tear-off tuxedo doing hip swirls, and I laughed. "Did you make that up to diffuse the emotions you were feeling?"

Farley's startled gaze met mine. "Why would I make up kangaroo shifters? If I was going to tell a lie, I would do way better than that."

I bit my lip and fought not to smile. "Are you suggesting we hire kangaroo strippers?"

Farley shrugged. "Like for a bachelorette party, you mean?"

"No," I said, chuckling at his confusion, which was confusing me. "I need a bunch of talented construction workers. The inn is my top priority. I'll catch their strip show some other time."

Farley's expression eased back into a happier bear one. Nearly unbearable happiness at seeing his fanged smile again made me dizzy with relief. This was a classic case of action-reward and one I would be willing to repeat until I keeled over. I'd never felt so compelled to soothe a male in my entire life.

It was disconcerting... and alarming.

Was my Viking Bear affliction going to last for another twenty-nine days as well?

"Are you oozing pheromones, Farley? Has your Dad Charlie been experimenting on you?"

Farley wrinkled his forehead as he looked at me. "I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

While I was coming up with an answer that didn't make me look desperately horny, Farley moved across the floor until he stood looking down at me. "Do I make you uncomfortable? Are you having the same reaction to me that I'm having to you?"

It was my turn to shrug. "I don't know. What kind of reaction are you having?"

"My brother Garrison is the charmer. Harrison is good-looking. I don't have words, but I can show you because I'm a bear of action."

I laughed at his silly brag. "A bear of action, huh?"

"Bear of action. Man of action. I'm both. You see, most bears are notoriously slow to make up their minds, but I've always been different. I have always known what I wanted. Right now, I want you."

"I'm flattered, Junior, but I'm just coming out of a terrible relationship. This is not a good time for me to start something new, especially with someone younger."

"There is never a good time to fall in love, Selene. It just happens when it happens."

"Who said anything about love? This is not love. This is something way less than that," I said as I laughed nervously and stared up at him.

Farley stared down at me. "No, I think it's love at first sight, which is ironic given I've been such a big old doubt bear about that kind of stuff. Dad Chuck warned me that might happen."

Then he bent that handsome bear head of his until his hair brushed against each side of my face. Seconds later, his lips covered mine. He uttered a masculine groan that made me throb in places where no male had ever made me throb.

His lips teased mine for a while, and then he picked me up so he could stand straight.

I moaned into his mouth and wrapped my legs around his waist to help him keep me where I was. Now I could officially check my Farley-climbing fantasy off my list. His cooperation was greatly appreciated.

"Kissing is a terrible idea," I said when he let me come up for a breath.

"Is it?" Farley asked, his mouth slanting across my mine again.

I tried to answer, but Farley slid his thick tongue into my mouth to taste me. My tongue wrapped around his with no further prompting. He walked to the English worktable and bent me backward until I felt wood under my back and between my thighs.

I pulled my tongue from his and pushed on his shoulders to put some air between us. "Wait... we don't even know each other."

"We can change that. Yes, let's change that right now ," Farley whispered.

Then he nipped my neck with those pointy incisors of his and almost gave me an orgasm.

The sound I made was an undignified squeak, which reminded me of Ethan's pixie tramp. Begging Farley to get inside me was only a few seconds away from happening.

I raised a hand and traced his mouth. When he opened his lips, I touched those damn pointy teeth. If I tossed my dignity aside, those incisors could be mine, not to mention the rest of him, which my inner tramp now wanted more than air.

When I tried to talk to the bear kissing me about what I was feeling, I found I couldn't get out the words. After I cleared my throat to make it easier, I started to tell him that my bedroom was only a few steps away, but that never made it out of my mouth, either.

Eventually, Farley stood back up with me still wrapped around him. My back left the table, but my lust-driven body sagged against his hardness.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but let me go for now, Selene. This isn't the proper time. And it's probably too soon. I didn't mean to get so carried away. Wanting you is too hard for me to be wise about it."

"Farley," I whispered with a giggle. "It can never be too hard. Remember that."

He cupped my hips from beneath and rested my heat over the point he was trying to make. If the bear thought rubbing our bodies together would make me admit he was right, he had a lot to learn. I liked to have fun, in bed and out.

He put his face against my throat and sighed. "I like your teasing. It's a little mean, but also turns me on. However, I still think we need to stop while we can."

I didn't want to let my Viking Bear go, but it wasn't good for a girl to stay where she wasn't wanted.

Sighing in disappointment, I loosened my thighs. Farley let me slide down the front of him but made sure I felt every tense muscle in his body.

And I flatly refused to think about the giant speed bump he dragged me over along the way. Was the bear into torture? If so, Farley was a master of it because I ached all over after stepping away from him.

The agitated bear ran both hands through his hair. It made me feel better to know he was struggling too. "I wasn't prepared for you."

I stumbled a few steps away from him on legs that didn't want to hold me up. I gripped the worktable to stay upright. "I'm a witch, Farley. I can conjure protection. But I applaud your sense of responsibility."

His eyes went from brown to gold to amber. "That sounds like a dream come true for me, but what would you think of me in the morning? That's more important. There is only one first time for destined lovers."

I pressed my lips together and refused to toss myself at him again. "I have no idea what tomorrow will bring."

"Right," Farley said. "I still have to make tomorrow work out."

"Look, Junior. If you don't want..."

The words died in my throat when he picked me up and slid my weak ass onto the worktable. Farley's mouth moved against my throat again and made me whimper.

"I want you more than I have words to describe," he said. "But I want you to know me, Selene. I want you to be sure it's right before we take this step. It's... necessary."

"I'm pretty sure it would be great between us, Farley."

I lost my breath when those damn teeth of his gently clamped down on my shoulder and sucked. I was going to have a love bite there and couldn't have cared less.

The bear growled against my skin and held perfectly still as I silently panted in anticipation of him not stopping. His next growl was against my throat, and it made my fingers ball into fists.

This was more than I could stand. "Either take me to bed or turn me loose, Junior. I can't take much more of this without taking matters into my own hands. I'm not a virgin, and I don't play games."

He sighed loudly and eased away. "I definitely can't do this with you calling me that name."

"Even if I said it with affection while bouncing in your lap until we both see glimpses of the Next Great Adventure?" My bravado couldn't begin to cover how vulnerable I felt in his arms, but I gave it an excellent shot.

"Yes. Even then," he said with a ragged sigh.

"How unfortunate for both of us. Let me go and back away from me, please."

"It's very hard," Farley said in a whisper.

I giggled. "I know. How about if I call you ‘Captain Obvious'? I'm still willing to do the lap bouncing."

The bear growled at my teasing. "Try calling me Farley ."

I looked him up and down. A bear attack seemed imminent. "And if I don't?"

Farley turned and stormed out of the kitchen, growling the entire way.

"Wait!" I called to him. "I'm sorry, Farley. I didn't mean to literally poke the bear… or stop you from poking me. I promise."

But his long legs had already carried him away.

I had no one to blame except myself.

Telling myself it was for the best, I went back to the kitchen to search for food. Unfortunately, everywhere I looked, all I saw was the sexy bear and missed opportunities.

I guess I would go to bed hungry tonight.