Read Romance: Stranded With The Alpha Bear: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Werebear, BBW, Bear Shifter Romance) (Sweet Shifters Book 1) for Free Online Page B

nice,” I said, melting into his touch and the towel.
    I placed my hand on his to bring the cold closer to my skin. We stood there for a moment, his hand on my breast with the towel, and I holding that hand there. It didn’t register how intimate it felt to be so close to him as I felt the pain cool down; yet, when our eyes met, our bodies so close to each other, I felt heat rise again from the muted passion between us rather than the burn.
    My hand ached to pull him closer and touch his lips with mine, but he spoke before I could. “Does it feel better?”
    I nodded. He unwrapped his hand from under mine and stood back.
    “As I was saying, I’m sorry I reacted in such a way.”
    “I think you did a fine job jumping into action right there.”
    “I mean with the girl.”
    “Right.” I tried to give a fake smile to soothe my blazing hormones. “It’s okay. I didn’t think anything of it.”
    “Well, I feel I should explain myself. Um…:” he thought for a moment, his eyes searching for the words and avoiding me, “that girl is… someone very special to me.”
    My heart dropped. “An ex?”
    He shook his head, his eyes still searching. “You know how there’s a room upstairs with the butterfly on the door?” I nodded. “It was the missing girl’s room. My parents couldn’t touch it when she left, and then my mom left. So, it’s kind of this… moratorium to her.”
    “So, she’s your…”
    “Sister. She’s my sister, Marilyn.” He paused, still seeming deep in thought and not meeting my eyes. “My mom used to say they’d cursed her from the start by naming her Marilyn. She was bound to be beautiful, but die young.”
    I picked up the tablet to examine the girl again. She has his eyes. “I didn’t see her all that long ago. If she’s been alive this long, she’s probably alive now.”
    “How long ago since your dad died?”
    I sighed, “He passed last winter.”
    “How would she have known about that?”
    “Maybe she saw him passed out in the snow. The whole town knew about it.”
    “Your dad was the one found out in the snow? I heard about that.”
    “See, even a recluse like you knows.”
    He gave his slight smile but continued undaunted. “I thought I read he was a widower.”
    Oh crap. “Maybe that was someone else you’re thinking of.”
    “Was his name Ed, and he spent most of his time at the bar?”
    I shrugged. He’s caught me.
    “Did you even call your mom that first day?”
                  “I did call home, but no one was there.” He stared at me, showing he didn’t believe my lie. I sighed. “We kept my mom’s voice on the answer machine. I call it when I need comfort. I guess we should’ve changed it long ago, but none of us could. And now it’s just me.”
                  “Your brother…?”
                  “He overdosed some time ago. I try not to think about how long.”
                  “Why didn’t you tell me?”
                  “I didn’t think I should tell you I don’t have a family. You know, just in case.”
                  He nodded, looking down at the ground.
                  I don’t know how to save this. “What are you going to do about Marilyn?”
                  He took a deep sigh and sat down on the couch. “I talked with the tribe, and we discussed trying to find where she could be hidden. Do you remember any kind of pattern from the times you saw her?”
                  I thought back. “Now that you think about it, I always saw her right before the full moon. I remember because my brother used to say that time was the calm before the storm. He believed in moon cycles and astronomy. She was always in front of the post office.”
                  “Sit next to me. You don’t have to stand,” he patted the spot next to him. I took a deep breath, butterflies bursting within me, and sat next to him. “I