An Alpha's Thunder (Water Bear Shifters 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

pang of worry that passed through his mind as Ben spoke. Caroline’s face flashed across his vision, and his heart sank. He knew that if he went through with moving to Alaska, his chances with her were done for sure. She had a huge following here, and she wasn’t likely to leave that for a guy she’d just met. Lance sighed, and told himself to get over it. He was being ridiculous, obsessing over a girl he barely knew, and who probably had no interest in him. What had gotten into him? He should be angry at her for using his face on the paintings. Instead, he found himself trying his hardest to keep from thinking about her constantly.
    Who could blame him, though? She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. An image of her in that strapless black cocktail dress flashed across his mind. He let himself remember for just a moment the way her curves had filled out the dress. Then he forced himself back to the present. He had to concentrate on this meeting, or the guys were going to start suspecting that something was up with him.
    “Sounds like it’s settled, then,” Lance said. “Ace, can you get the ball rolling on a transfer request? Talk to your inside connection and see if you can pull some strings to make it happen. “
    “Will do,” Ace said. “And I’ll let you guys know if I hear anything else from Alaska. Lance, you do the same.”
    “Yup, sure thing,” Lance said. “Anyone else have any items of concern right now?”
    “My only item of concern is I’m stressed out from this long week of work,” Brett said. “Anyone up for hitting the bar and grabbing a beer with me?”
    “Now you’re talking,” Ben said. “Let’s go chill out for a bit. I could use a breather after all the storms and rescues we’ve had.”
    Lance sighed inwardly, but agreed to go grab a drink with the guys. He was feeling moody, and part of him wanted to just stay home and continue his search for any kind of contact information for Caroline. But he told himself to stop being ridiculous. He had already searched high and low for a phone number, and had come up short. Another few hours of searching were unlikely to reveal anything new. Besides, it was looking like he was leaving San Diego, anyway. No sense in continuing to chase a farfetched chance at a romance when he might be moving away soon.
    His bear growled within him, disagreeing strongly with his determination to forget about Caroline. Lance pushed down the beast’s insistent rumbling and grabbed his keys and wallet.
    “First round’s on me,” he said, heading for the front door. No matter how much his bear tried to steer him back to Caroline, he would focus on his crew tonight. Their safety and well-being was much more important than some silly crush.
    Even if that silly crush was on the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.

Chapter Four
     
    “Here’s your mail,” Samantha said, tossing a pile of white envelopes onto the kitchen counter. “I’m going to Jake’s for the weekend, so I won’t see you until Monday night. Have a good weekend.”
    “Thanks, you too,” Caroline answered, giving Samantha a small wave. Inwardly, she was doing a happy dance. She loved it when she had the apartment to herself for the weekend. And after the stress of the last week, she could use some solitude.
    Her publicist told her that the calls had been nonstop about Lance, the man who had shown up at the art show looking like the identical twin of the man in her paintings. Her publicist begged her to make some sort of public statement, but Caroline refused. She didn’t see the need for it. She had already told everyone the truth—that the man in her paintings was a figment of her imagination. She had no further comment to make beyond that. No matter what she said, she knew everyone was going to draw their own conclusions about how she knew Lance.
    Caroline had Googled Lance several times over the course of the week. He hadn’t given her his last name, but the snoopy