Read Brash Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BRIDES fur BEARS Book 3) for Free Online Page B

older too,”
he said reasonably.
    “You're a really nice
guy, Joshua,” she mumbled, turning away. “Why do you
have to be so young?”
    “Bella.” He went
to her and held her shoulders.
    “Age doesn't bother me.
At all. Why should it bother you? I am not a boy, Bella,” he
growled. “I am a man. And you are a woman. A woman who is
perfect for me.”

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

    Bella pushed at the wall of
his solid chest but he just kept coming closer. His arms snaked
around her waist and held her to him.
    “Tell me you don't want
this,” Joshua growled. “Look into my eyes, and tell me
you don't want me.”
    Bella's eyelids fluttered but
she held his burning gaze. Her lips parted as she tried to choke the
words out. But she couldn't lie to him, to herself.
    Slowly, she shook her head.
“Josh...” she whispered. “I c-can't...”
    His eyes narrowed as he
leaned in. “What can't you do, Bella?”
    Bella swallowed painfully and
whispered, “I can't fall in love with you.”
    Joshua crooked a finger under
her chin and turned her face to him. “Why are you fighting
this?” he murmured. “I know we've only just met, but I
can't stop thinking about you, Bella. I know there are a lot of
eligible males in town—they're better groomed, better looking,
richer, hotter...”
    “I think you're hot!
I...” She clamped her mouth shut suddenly and stepped back,
looking completely mortified. “I didn't just say that, did I?”
she muttered under her breath. “Of course I did.”
    Joshua's lips curved. “You
totally did say that. And you can't take it back.” He leaned
in and whispered, “I think you're hot too, Bella. In fact, I
think you're perfect.”
    “You...” she
stuttered. “You're making fun of me.”
    “I'm not. I'm
serious...”
    She shook her head at him.
“Don't tell me you don't care about the huge difference in our
ages,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
    “I don't,” he
replied honestly. “And the difference is not that huge.”
    “You say that now...”
she muttered, but she couldn't hide the hurt and resignation in her
voice.
    “And I'll say the same
thing a hundred, a thousand, a million years from now,” Joshua
said fervently. “Give me a chance, Bella. Please, give us a chance.”
    “No.” Squeezing
her eyes shut for a moment, she took a steadying breath and said, “I
know how this will end. I've been there, done that. It won't end
well, for either of us. I...I don't want to have my heart broken
again. And I don't want to hurt you, Josh. You'll meet someone,
someone your own age...”
    Joshua's brows shot up. “My
own age? What are you talking about? You talk like you're the same
age as my grandmother or something! Why are you so hung up about my
age? What has it got to do with us? I know I'm younger than you,
but...”
    “I won't be with a
younger man. Ever again.” She made a frustrated sound and
tried to shove him aside.
    “Your ex-husband was
younger than you, wasn't he?” Joshua said, tightening his grip
on her.
    She closed her eyes and
nodded.
    “So you think I'm like
your ex,” he ground out.
    “You're nothing like my
ex. You couldn't be more different from him!”
    “So why...”
    “It won't work. I
know...”
    “You don't know shit,”
Joshua snapped, smashing his fist into the wall above her head.

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN

    When Bella gasped and
flinched, Joshua grimaced as though he were in physical pain and
said, “I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Bella. I...I just don't know why
you're putting up all these barriers and walls between us. This age
issue...isn't even an issue at all! You're...making unfair and wild
assumptions and I will not go along with these—these goddamn
ridiculous, stupid notions that you seem to have about younger men!
You think just because I'm young, and I'm not that young by the
way—I'm not a fucking teenager!”
    Joshua ground his teeth and
sucked in a breath to compose himself. “You think that just
because I haven't hit my thirties, I'm foolish,