Read Bear The Burn (Firebear Brides 1) for Free Online Page B

it’s time to take a break,” Royce said, hammering the last nail in on the panel he’d been fixing in the second story floor, one that Tiana had almost fallen through twice in her hazy state of daydreaming.
    “Okay,” she said, not objecting.
    When they both sat down in the old hay, they let out long groans. Tiana laughed and Royce grinned, reaching for a basket he’d put together.
    “Tired?”
    “Just getting started,” Tiana promised.
    Breaking off a piece of bread, Royce handed it to Tiana and she bit into it eagerly. It was after one bite that her eagerness sort of dulled.
    “Is this what passes for bread around here?” she asked, letting the processed white bread swish back and forth in her mouth.
    She hadn’t eaten any baked goods other than her own or by other artisan shops for so long that she’d forgotten how bad they could taste when they were made without love or reverence for the grains.
    “Yup. We have to fly it in and there’s no point in getting something that only lasts a day or two, you know? There’s a girl in town who makes great pies, but I don’t think she’s ever been very interested in baking bread. It’s a shame, really,” Royce said, taking a big swig of water and then handing the bottle to Tiana.
    “You can say that again,” she noted, her mind already racing.
    She knew a business opportunity when she saw one.
    So lost was she in her thoughts that when she realized she was sitting right next to Royce, so close their thighs touched and the curve of his shoulder smushed hers, she almost dropped her tasteless bread. She looked up at him, startled, and was met by Royce’s knowing smirk. She bet he could read her like a book, and for once she didn’t mind.
    “I’m going to kiss you now,” he said simply.
    “Why?” her big mouth managed to ask, before she could tell herself to shut up.
    “Because I want to. And you want me to,” he said, grinning.
    He wasn’t wrong. Royce dipped closer, putting his hand on the back of her neck and pulling her closer. She groaned softly as his calloused fingertips brushed over the nape of her neck so gently it was like being kissed by the wind. His deliciously curved lips sought out hers, and when they touched, she was gone.
    First gently, but then with growing desire, she kissed him back, learning the shape of his lips, the taste of his mouth. Everything about him screamed masculinity, right down to the way he controlled the kiss, keeping her steadily in his beat, not letting her run with it like she was used to. In her world, everything was used to working on her clock, like she wanted it, and now being subjected to someone else’s schedule and rule was freeing in a way.
    She gave in eagerly, her tongue dancing against his. A moment later, his hands were on her and she was pulled into Royce’s lap, her hands tying behind his neck and her hips pressing against his. There was no coyness there now. All the shock and awkwardness she’d felt the day before, walking in on him out of the blue, was wiped away easily and replaced by an all-encompassing knowledge that she wanted him. No, needed him.
    Her nails raked down his chest, making his breath catch in his throat. She loved that sound, loved knowing that she could make him react like that. It was all her. Kissing him more aggressively now, she felt Royce’s hands slide down the curve of her back and then grab her big, voluptuous ass. He squeezed it hard and she giggled into his mouth, catching the tip of his tongue between her teeth gently.
    “Is this how you treat all your brides, Mr. Hamilton?” she teased.
    “I’ll only have one. You,” he growled, the bear inching into his voice easily.
    She gasped, looking into his eyes and seeing the flash of chestnut brown there before it fizzled out. He tore off her shirt and she let him, helping to pull it over her head. Instead of wasting time on the clasp, Royce pulled down the straps of her bra and then the cups, revealing her heavy,