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

Could she really understand him?
    “I’ve always done what others expected of me, too. I just didn’t know what I really wanted, so for a while I was a secretary. Then my ex left me, and I couldn’t do that job anymore, not when I’d be running into him at the office every day, so I quit and found the job at the restaurant.” Esme frowned. “But I wanted to cook, you know? Not file or answer anyone else’s phone calls or e-mails. I just wanted people to see who I was inside, that’s all. So I quit and found the job at the restaurant.”
    Inside. The word echoed in Zachary’s brain, and he felt his mouth get pinched.
    His bear growled again for Zachary to tell Esme what he was.
    Still watching his face, Esme moved her hand to his crotch and rubbed the impossible-to-miss protrusion there. “So yes,” she said, “I see you. I see you need some attention. Someone to relieve some tension. I might know the person for the job.”
    Zachary froze. Every nerve ending in his body had woken up. Her hand on him even through the various layers of fabric felt like heaven. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until she took her hand away. “Esme . . . Esme, you don’t have to do this, you know.”
    Shut up , screamed his bear, but Zachary meant it. He did not want to push Esme into anything she didn’t want to do, no matter how much he might want it.
    “I know,” she said simply, and ran her fingers along his shaft. “I assume you have a bed or two in that huge house of yours?”
    Zachary wanted nothing more than to grab her and throw her onto his bed. His mate, his mate, his mate. “Y-yes,” he managed to stammer out. “Come with me.”
    He helped her to her feet, somehow keeping from ripping her clothes off, and guided her to the front door. They climbed a spiral staircase, Zachary’s hand on Esme’s back to keep her steady in her heels, and entered Zachary’s bedroom. It was the master bedroom of the house, extremely long and containing a four-poster bed with rustic wood. Zachary had made it himself, one of his coming-of-age rituals at age thirteen once his bear had emerged. Even though everything else in his house was sleek and new, he’d held onto the bed.
    And now for the first time ever, he would allow a woman into it.
     
    * * *
     
    Esme trembled, both with the arousal coursing through her and simple fear. Zachary might say she was beautiful, but she hadn’t yet taken off her clothes. Though she desperately wanted to do that, to feel his skin against hers, to feel his cock, to feel his hands on her breasts, to kiss him all over, part of her was terrified that he would take one look at her in the buff and gag.
    Who wanted a chubby woman? Didn’t the media let her know every day how much no one did? How she was a terrible person for being so curvy?
    Then she saw the box of truffles on Zachary’s bedside table. It was an expensive box of truffles, gold foil wrapping. She leaned in to get a better look. Sure enough, it was Harry and David. She loved Harry and David chocolates.
    Zachary must have been watching, because he picked up the box and held it out. “Would you like one? They’re really good.”
    Esme hesitated. She was hungry in so many ways—for the chocolates, for Zachary—but the thought of him becoming disgusted with her made her want to cry.
    “I like a woman who likes to eat,” Zachary said. “Like you know, I love food. I really, really love food.” He selected two truffles and offered her one, then popped the other into his mouth. “So please, enjoy. It would be my pleasure to see you happy.”
    Daring to believe he might actually mean it, Esme took the truffle and set it on her tongue. The sight of her mouth open for a second made Zachary groan.
    “God, you’re gorgeous,” he told her. “Like a queen.”
    Esme’s knees went weak, and she deliberately savored the lush chocolate melting in her mouth. She swallowed, letting Zachary watch every single movement, and