The Billionbear's Bride: BBW Bear Shifter BWWM Paranormal Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

…"
    "Whenever." His voice was firm. "Whether it's next week or ten years from now. It's yours. I mean hers," he added hastily.
    Violet blinked several times in rapid succession, and when she looked up he was startled to find that her eyes had filled with bright, unshed tears. "I don't know what to say," she confessed. "This all seems like so much."
    He leaned forward, covering her hand with his. The pen stopped moving. He longed to brush away her tears and tell her she never had to worry about money, or anything, again, because he was going to take care of her. She deserved to be taken care of. But they weren't there yet, so he kept his silence.
    "It's nothing," he told her. "Please, don't worry about me. I know what it means to take care of family."
    Nodding, she took several deep breaths and looked back down at her work. "Okay, I think that's it for me. What about you?"
    "You'll have to meet my family."
    They had to believe that Bruce and Violet were real mates—that he'd magically found his mate right before the deadline. And he had—he wouldn't have to fake the star-struck, lovesick expression that crossed his face every time he so much as thought of her.
    But at some point she would have to know the truth about them, about his nature. Bruce didn't know how to tell her about his other side, his inner animal. It was one thing to tell a business partner, like he'd promised Wanda. It was another thing to risk it with a real mate and stand the chance of her running scared or leaving him—or exposing his secret, and his family's secret, to the world.
    He had to do it right.
    His family would understand why he hadn't told her about his bear yet, at least. It would be a double deception. He had felt bad about the prospect of lying to his family, though of course on his side it wasn't a lie now , but the thought of keeping something from Violet tore savagely at his heart.
    The sooner the better, he vowed to himself. Once she had met his family and things were a little more settled. Then he could reveal the truth.
    Bruce covered her hand with his and squeezed. Violet looked up at him, her eyes bright.
    They would have to be in public as a couple if they wanted this to work—which meant public displays of affection. Violet nervous at that.
    "I'll be a perfect gentleman," he promised with a smile.
    Instantly the mood lightened; Violet laughed. "It's part of our cover. I don't mind." A twinkle returned to her eye.
    "Maybe we should practice," he suggested, half-joking and half-serious.
    Playfully, she hid her face behind the stack of papers. "Maybe later," she said—and he thought he heard a thread of anticipation and promise winding through her voice.
    "Why don't we get something to eat?" he suggested and gestured at the window. "There's a whole city to explore at our feet."
    She went to the window, which spanned the entire wall from floor to ceiling, and pulled back the curtain. It was late afternoon, so the orange sunlight filtered over the city and set dust motes in the air sparkling.
    "It's so beautiful," she breathed. "I never thought I'd get to see a place like this …"
    Bruce joined her. "Are you a city woman?"
    She laughed a little nervously. "Oh no, not really. Cities are really busy—I like to relax. I like being outside—have you ever gone hiking in the mountains outside town? They're beautiful during the spring. But still … it's nice to be somewhere luxurious and comfortable for a change."
    Comfortable . He thought his den could claim that much. He'd built it, out deep in the woods at the foot of those very mountains. But his home wasn't steel and glass and chrome; it was warm woods and natural browns and greens. Bruce had even built the bed with his own two hands, and it was both sturdy and luxurious.
    And it was outfitted with silk sheets. If Violet wanted comfort, she could find it there. She could slip between the sheets and feel their smooth shine against her skin, and sink into the mattress that was as