Some Bear to Love: BBW Bear Shifter (BWWM) Romance Standalone Read Online Free PDF

rejection.
    She looked over at him in the water as he pulled his hand back, but he didn’t seem overly bothered.
    After another minute, she felt him catch her hand again. This time she shook him off more intentionally and swam a bit faster ahead. This wasn’t a love cruise, even if she did want it to be that way with the captain. She shouldn’t have agreed to go with Wilson.
    Then something grabbed her leg, and she got pissed. She kicked hard, felt a connection with something, and surfaced, pulling off her mask and sputtering in rage. The nerve of some people—
    She stopped with a gasp when she shook water out of her eyes and saw Sebastien, red-faced, with a hand over his perfect nose, eyes angry as all hell and burning like blue flames under the Caribbean sun.
    “I assume you have a reason for assaulting someone who was just trying to warn you not to go too far from the boat.”
    She whipped her head around to survey her surroundings. He was right. She was a little too far from the boat and definitely should have turned back to stay with the group. Wilson’s snorkel was a little ways away. Clearly, he’d taken her rebuff well and had given her some space.
    Too much space.
    There were currents out here and she could feel herself being pulled away from the boat. She started swimming back, feeling grim embarrassment for having assaulted the captain, thinking it was Wilson and thinking he was making a move.
    Of course the captain would only touch her for completely honorable reasons.
    She gritted her teeth and swam past him, too humiliated to respond, but he caught her by the arm.
    “Hold on. Swim back with me. The currents here are bad.”
    She looked into his blue eyes, that gorgeous blond hair streaming around his face. His touch on her arm was too much. Her embarrassment melted into something else entirely. Something warm, hot, and pleasant in an anticipatory sort of way.
    They’d done nothing but fight since they met, yet she couldn’t help feeling she’d rather spend time with him than anyone else in the word.
    Given the appraising look he was giving her, despite all his protesting, it was possible he felt the same way.
    He tried to link an arm though a strap of her lifejacket, but she pushed him off.
    “I can swim on my own,” she said, setting out ahead of him.
    “Fine, stubborn female,” he said, striking out after her.
    They battled for first position, and soon, they were passing their group, reaching the ship, and panting and looking at each other as the others dove and splashed.
    He pulled off his mask and put it on the swim platform. His face was tensed, lips pursed, but there was something glinting in his blue eyes. Something she hadn’t seen before.
    Pleasure.
    “That was fun,” he said, hefting himself up to sit on the low platform and reaching a hand down for her to do the same. “You know, I’ve never really gotten in with the customers before. It’s nice.”
    “Shouldn’t you try what you’re selling?”
    He shook his head, sending sparkling water droplets spraying around him. Damn, he was beautiful. All that muscle, tanned and dripping wet. “What I’m selling is a safe voyage where everyone can enjoy themselves. Nothing more, nothing less.”
    “How do you know it’s enjoyable if you never try it?” she asked.
    He looked out at the ocean, and she noticed a familiar gleam in his eyes as he did. He loved it. He surveyed the water the way she surveyed anything that looked fun or adventurous.
    He was a man of singular passion. It was almost good he was destined not to be with her. She wouldn’t want to have to compete with the ocean. Especially for her mate. That would hurt.
    Not as much as having to walk away from him and go back to New York to keep family promises that were made before her birth, but yeah, it would hurt.
    “I’m glad you got me out here. I’m even glad my dad made me first mate instead of captain, though I was pissed at first. Maybe I did need to relax.” He