Read Bear In The Rough: Book 1: Treasure Hunt (BBW Bear Shifter Romance) for Free Online Page B

Liv.”
     
                  I smiled. “I think I’m the ultimate judge of that. Not you.”
     
                  Carrie’s voice rose; even if no one could hear her down here, she was likely attracting the attention of upstairs guests. “I know you can’t see it, God knows I’ve been there too, but the man is a hobo. He lives in the jungle.”
     
                  “Because you won’t give him a room!”
     
                  “Because he’s a tramp! We’re not talking about a man with a job here, a professional. This is—Liv, this is not a serious person you’re dealing with here. He’s a man-child, a pathetic loser stuck in permanent adolescence. Just because he has the money to travel halfway across the world in search of King Solomon’s gold doesn’t mean he has the financial stability or maturity to take care of you over the long haul.”
     
                  “Do you really want to go there, Carrie?” I asked, practically spitting with anger. “Last time I checked, you weren’t my mother.”
     
                  “No, but I care about you, and I know a bad man when I see one. He’s not good for you. He’s dangerous, probably more dangerous than either one of us realizes. I guarantee you he’s bedded many women. Some women like that kind of man, but I expected better of you. I just don’t want to see you throwing your life and your career away over a romantic summer fling with someone who is not even worth your time.”
     
                  “Your concerns have been noted,” I said in an icy voice.
     
                  “Like I said, it’s none of my business,” said Carrie. “But I hope you’ll at least listen and keep your head. Love can be awfully deceptive. It can blind us. And we don’t realize our mistake until it’s too late.”
     
                  “Good day, Carrie,” I said. With a low bow she graciously stepped out of the way and I proceeded outside, shielding my face from the intense sunlight.
     
                  I marched to the pier, fury in every step. I hated being lectured by another adult about my life choices, but what made it worse was a quiet fear that perhaps she was right after all. I had only known this man for a couple of days, and men who slept in caves weren’t known for being decent people. But there had been a tenderness in his eye last night when he spoke of his grandfather, and surely anyone who could love their own family that deeply could be trusted.
     
                  I scoffed at the notion that we were falling for each other, but I had never been in a relationship before, had been too busy building my career, and so it was hard for me to read the signs of interest in a man’s eyes. Carrie had more experience in this area, and I was inclined to trust her judgment over mine. But if she was right about that, then maybe she was right that he couldn’t be trusted. A man with a job would almost certainly be preferable to one who lived in a cave. If I couldn’t see that, then maybe I really was blinded by love, or lust.
     
                  I paused. Ahead of me the trail split into four paths. I couldn’t remember which of them was the correct one.
     
                  For a moment I stood there debating the risks of just striking out on a path and letting the road take me. After all, this was supposed to be a day of exploration, and perhaps Henry wouldn’t be upset if I was late because I had been scoping out the island. But then I pictured myself later in the day, stumbling through the woods without food or water. With a sigh I sat down on a large rock near the very center of the intersection and hoped that Henry would realize I was lost, and would come looking for me.
     
                  “Things would be so much easier if he had a phone,” I said to a blue jay that was hopping along on