Bear Mechanic: BBW Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

snappishly.
    Cecil heaved a deep sigh and flopped back on the sofa, blowing his lanky bangs up. “It's just that—” He groaned. “Never mind. You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”
    “Fine, then don't tell me.” Elise fished a pepper out of her burger and popped it into her mouth, biting down on it with a satisfying crunch. He was being so weird about the biker gang. Maybe they had roughed him up or scared him somehow. If they had, they'd done a good job. But they were nothing law enforcement couldn't take care of, she was sure.
    Then Noah returned, bearing a pillow and a quilt.
    Cecil never did explain what he meant.
     
    * * *
     
    She expected exhaustion to set in any minute, but the opposite happened. She felt jumped-up, like when she drank one too many cups of coffee.
    “Is that normal?” she asked as Noah led her upstairs.
    He flashed a grin over his shoulder that nearly sent her into a tizzy as he unlocked the door at the top of the stairs. “I try to keep my life as boring as possible. So I wouldn't know.”
    “You? Boring?” He was anything but.
    “I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. I came back from Afghanistan and just wanted to settle down.”
    Ex-military. That explained his perfect posture and short hair.
    When they stepped through the door, there was an immediate transformation of the space from “business” to “personal.” There was carpet on the floor she could sink her toes into if she were barefoot, and all the furniture was made with elegant dark wood, a far cry from the plastic and linoleum suffusing the waiting room downstairs. Inside were a tidy office space and an open door that looked like it led to a bedroom.
    He shrugged off his jacket, revealing a well-muscled figure beneath. His white T-shirt hugged his skin, showing off the defined muscles not of a gym rat but of someone who worked with his hands and body for a living. Her eyes were glued to the way the muscles in his back rippled as he hung his jacket on a hook.
    “You're welcome to the bed.” He nodded toward the bedroom.
    Elise bit her lip at the first thought that came to mind; that probably wasn't what he meant. “You don't need to do that.”
    “There's a couch in the office area. I'll be fine. The bathroom is right here if you want to change.”
    Elise sighed with relief. She'd gotten soaked before Noah had shown up with his umbrella, and she’d been stuck in damp jeans for hours.
    She left the door cracked open. As she peeled off layers of moist fabric, she asked, “Do you live up here?”
    “Yeah, I do.” Was it her imagination, or did he sound embarrassed? “For a few years now.”
    “Isn't it really loud?” She didn't know what kind of machinery was used in a garage, but every time she got her oil changed, there was plenty of noise.
    “I had it soundproofed. But it's quiet at night, when no one’s here.”
    Cool air passed over her still-damp skin, making her shiver. She pulled on the nightshirt she’d brought in her getaway bag. It fell past her hips to brush the tops of her thighs. She didn’t have any shorts with her, so she’d have to go out there and talk to him in her underwear. Elise felt a little thrill at the prospect.
    She stuck her head out the door. “All my clothes are still wet. Where should I put them?”
    He glanced down at the bundle in her hands; her non-lacy, non-sexy workaday bra was on top. Oops.
    After a moment he cleared his throat. “Anywhere’s fine.”
    Elise laid them over the backs of a few chairs scattered around, then went to explore the bedroom.
    It was simple. Beyond simple, actually. She’d go so far as to call it sparse . The only major piece of furniture was the bed, which was large and looked handmade. The warm wood frame with wrought-iron detail was stylishly rustic, and it stood out against the plain cotton sheets and colorless walls.
    In fact, the room looked like he had just moved in. There were still boxes in one corner, some open and some