9. Sam

9

SAM

“You’re staying here.”

I turn and look at him, knowing I didn’t hear what I thought I heard. My body is still vibrating from earlier, and obviously it’s messed with my hearing. “What did you just say?”

He walks toward me, and I know that look on his face. The bad thing about it is that I know it’s going to be hard to say no to Bear. Already, I can feel myself wanting to give him everything he wants. But I’ve worked too hard for where I am in life; I can’t just give up my job and my dreams because he thinks he needs to protect me. And then it hits me. I put my hand on his chest to stop him from coming any closer. “You don’t think I can take care of myself?”

He puts his hand over mine as if he’s holding it over his heart. “Yes, I do. That’s not even a question. I told you that you’ve proven yourself to me and everyone else. You’re a badass, Sam. There’s no doubt about it. But what I’m saying is—” He stops and shakes his head. “Fuck, I don’t even know what I’m saying. I know I can’t keep you here or in a bubble. I...” He exhales deeply and searches my face. “I just can’t lose you, that’s all.”

And just like that, I go from being pissed off and ready to tell him what he can do with that bossy attitude to now I want to just stay in this room and kiss him and let him hold me. “This is my job, Bear. I have to do it.”

He’s nodding before I even get it all out. “I know that. But I need you to stay by my side. No leaving it for any reason, not even to go to the ladies’ room.”

I smirk, like he’s joking, and he just shrugs. “You think I’m joking? Try it and I’ll just follow you in there.”

I pat his chest and lean up to kiss him. “Got it. Pee before I get there.”

I start to pull away, and he stops me, gathering me in his arms. “We going to talk about what happened?”

I look over at the bed with the tousled sheets, and my body starts to heat all over. “What’s there to talk about?”

He’s searching my face as if trying to figure out what I’m thinking. I shrug my shoulders as if the last few hours, he hadn’t completely and unequivocally made me a lust-filled woman that just wants more. More kisses, more love, more touches. Heck, I want more of anything that includes Bear. But I also know I don’t want to scare him off. “I’m a big girl, Bear. You don’t have to worry that I’m going to try and tie you down or anything...”

I try to say it lightly, and I’m looking everywhere but at him. His silence has me pulling away from him and walking over to my high-heeled shoes by the chair. I sit down and start to pull them on. When I finally get them on, I try to keep myself guarded and look up at him. “You ready?”

“Yeah, I’m ready,” he says, hands in his front pockets.

I try not to let on that I’m disappointed. It’s not like I expected him to confess his undying love to me, but I guess I expected something because the discontent settles in my belly.

I nod and am about to walk past him when he stops me. “So we’re going to talk about this after, but there’s something you need to know...”

I shake my head, really not wanting to get into it now. I can already feel tears threatening to break free. He moves and blocks my path, gripping my chin to look up at him. “Honey, you may not want to tie me down, but you’ve already got me tied in knots. I’m claiming you, Sam. You’re mine now.”

My eyes flick up to his. “But...” There’s so many things I could say— We work together, We haven’t known each other that long —but I don’t get any of it out.

He leans down and kisses me until my toes start to curl. Only then does he pull back, and I look up at him, no longer trying to hide my feelings. He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “There’s no buts. You’re mine, Sam. The quicker you figure that out, the easier this is going to be.”

He lets me go then and walks over to the dresser, opening up a drawer. He turns to me with a small little box in his hand, and I start to freak out. Surely not… He’s not going to… But before I start to hyperventilate, he pulls an earpiece out. “Nash and the guys dropped these off while you were in the shower.”

I take it from him and tuck it in my ear as he holds a necklace up in front of me. “Necklace?” I ask.

“Microphone and video,” he answers.

I nod as he puts it around my neck and clasps it. I turn when he’s done, and he’s putting a pin on his shirt that must be his camera and mic.

He pushes a button. “Test. Can you hear me?”

Dylan comes over the line. “Yes. Test 2?”

I nod. “Test 2, can you hear me?” I say.

Dylan comes over the earpiece again. “I can hear you. Now let’s go get the bad guy. I have a wife and a new daughter I need to get home to.”

I grab my purse, and Bear ushers me out the door. I walk in front of him down the hall, and Logan’s voice is loud in my ear. “Damn, Samantha, you are smokin’ hot.”

I start to stumble on my high heels, and Bear catches me. It’s then I realize Logan was able to see me through Bear’s camera.

Bear growls and punches the button for the elevator. “Cut that shit out, Logan, or you’ll be going home in a body bag.”

There’s nothing, not a sound, and I turn to look at Bear. I know the guys can see him too, and I’m sure they see the smoldering look he’s giving me. I know what’s coming next before it even happens.

I hear Logan, Knox, Dylan all on the line, and they start busting Bear’s balls. I guess they figure they’re safe since it’s all over microphone. It’s not until Logan starts chanting about Bear and me sitting in a tree and kissing that I start to laugh.

Bear is holding his hand over his camera. “What’s that for?”

He grunts. “I don’t want them looking at you. Fuck, I don’t want anyone looking at you.”

I start to laugh. “I like this whole alpha caveman she’s mine attitude, but if you try peeing on me...”

He laughs then and pulls me against him. “I wouldn’t.”

I smile up at him. “Are you sure?”

He shakes his head. “I promise, I won’t.”

“Wait, did Bear just laugh? Was that Liam James I heard laughing?”

We’re approaching the first floor now, and I know Bear is over it. “All right, guys, that’s enough. Let’s get to work so Dylan can get home to Jenna and Jamie.”

Everyone quiets just as Bear and I step out of the elevator. We walk through the lobby and are stopped by the man we saw last night. He looks at us. “Follow me.”

He leads us through a big open ballroom and then out the back door. Bear’s hand tightens on mine, and I smile up at him. I know he’s worried, and probably the two of us working this case together causes a little problem, but I refuse to let it hold either of us back. We’re going to take care of this, and we’ll work the rest out.

The man opens the door of what looks like another big building. It’s a nice building, albeit nondescript. He lets us walk in and closes the door behind us. There are people everywhere; if I were guessing, I’d say there’s around thirty to forty people easy.

A waitress comes up to Bear and puts a hand on his shoulder. She’s young, way too young to probably even be drinking the alcohol she’s holding on the tray. “What can I get you?”

Bear is about to pull away from the woman when I reach for a drink. “Thanks. We’ll just take these off your hands.” I shove a drink in Bear’s hand. “Here you go, honey.”

With my eyes, I tell him to relax, and he obviously gets the drift because he smiles at the woman. “Thanks, honey. That will be it.... for now.”

I can see him cringe as he says it.

“Fuck, she had to be what, fifteen, sixteen?” Logan says.

“Yep,” I answer him as I act like I’m talking to Bear. “If that.”

“You made it.” I recognize the man’s voice from last night, and I turn to face him.

I just smile like the ditz he thinks I am, and Bear answers him. “We wouldn’t have missed it.”

“So the first hour is just mingling. You’ll see girls come and go. They all have numbers on their pockets. Just keep in mind what you’re wanting. They go fast, and it’s highest bidder.”

Bear tenses beside me, and I rub my hand up and down his chest. Bear grunts. “Got it.”

The man looks at me. “So you’re okay with this, honey? You don’t mind sharing?”

I do my very best to keep my face relaxed, and without missing a beat, I nod. “Of course not. He’s way more man than I can handle. He’ll keep us all happy, won’t you, sugar?” I ask, looking up at Bear with my eyes wide.

The guy leans toward me, and Bear doesn’t even hesitate. He has me pulled into him so quickly I gasp.

The guy looks at Bear before he starts to laugh. “Well, I guess that answers my question. You don’t share her?”

Bear shakes his head. “Never. And I’ll kill any man that tries.”

I laugh as if Bear’s joking, but there’s no way the other man doesn’t see the tick in his jaw. I wave at the man. “We’ll see you later.”

When we get far enough away, I hiss up at Bear, “Are you kidding? You’re going to blow this.”

He’s pulling me now. We’re walking out of the room and down a hallway. “I don’t care, no one is going to—” We get around a corner, and he pushes me against a wall, flattening his body to mine. “No one is going to touch you, Sam. I wasn’t lying. I’ll kill them. I don’t care who they are.”

I shake my head. How is this going to work, us working together? “Oh, Bear.”

As if he can’t control himself, he lifts me up and kisses me deep and thoroughly. I let him, too; there’s no way I can turn him away. My body comes alive as my nipples slide across his chest. I moan loudly, and then there’s Logan. “Uh, guys, we can hear you.”

I try to pull away, but Bear holds me to him. “Fuck off, Logan.”

He turns the mic off, and I do the same.

“You’re done, Sam. I need you to go to the room. Let me handle this.”

My whole body deflates. This is never going to work between us if we can’t even handle this case together. “No.”

“Sam, listen, I can’t put you in this situation, knowing what we know.”

I try to shove him away, but he doesn’t even budge. “You mean that there’s a roomful of sex traffickers in there.”

He nods, but I continue. “And a room full of girls that need our help. This is what we’re trained to do, Bear. I can do this.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not doubting you. I know you can do it. It’s not that... Fuck, I’ll go to the room too, and we’ll let Logan and the guys come in.”

I grab on to the front of his shirt and pull him down until we’re eye level. “If you were here with Logan or Knox or Aiden, would you go up to your room and hide?”

“I’m not hiding.”

I pull him in close enough until I can feel his breath on my cheek. “No. You’re not. You’re trying to protect me. I can protect myself. If you want there to be a possibility with us when we get home, you have to trust me, you have to believe in me.”

“I do, but I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you.”

My heart does a funny pitter-patter, but I can’t even think about it now. I nod and cock my head. “Fine, then let’s go kick some ass and save some women. Then afterwards we can finish this conversation.”