Bear's Baby (Bear Heat Book 4) Read online

  “I'm sorry,” he said. “I'm really sorry. I'm sorry if I offended you. I just...”

  She snatched up her bag. “I'm getting out of here.”

  Baxter surged to his feet. “No, don't...leave. I'll go. I'll leave. I'll leave you in peace. I promise. You stay and finish your food, and your work. I can see that you're working.” He jerked his head at the legal pad in her hand. “I apologize for being an ass. I didn't mean to cause you any offense or distress. Please...stay.”

  She stared at him in silence for a beat.

  “Stay, please,” he said, almost begging. “I...I'm sorry. I'll pick up the tab. I...” He shuffled his big feet, embarrassed, exasperated and furious at himself.

  The irritation and indignation in her blue eyes subsided as he repeated his apology and exhaled roughly. Raking a hand through his hair, he blew out another frustrated breath and said, “I'm sorry for being a jerk. I just didn't feel like eating alone tonight.”

  “Why?”

  “Huh?” He looked up at her unexpected question.

  “Why didn't you want to eat alone tonight?”

  “I...” He swallowed and stuttered, “Ah, what the hell. This is going to sound stupid, but it's the truth. I just came from a wedding, a double wedding actually. The party was great...the food, the people, the dancing...everything was great. I had fun, lots of fun.” He gestured animatedly with his hands. “But—as I drove him, I felt, well, kinda empty. Hungry...” He shrugged. “So I stopped by to grab a burger. I wasn't ready to go home I suppose. It's just an empty apartment anyway.”

  He turned and pointed. “That's my usual spot. I usually sit at the counter and just gobble down my meal in a matter of minutes and I'm off. But tonight...” He could feel his face growing hotter and redder but he swallowed his embarrassment and his pride. He owed the woman an explanation for his unforgivable behavior. “I guess I felt...alone, and I didn't want to be alone. I looked around and I saw you. And I, um, well, I made an ass and a nuisance of myself and hijacked your booth. I was out of line. I'm sorry.”

  The woman kept her eyes steady on him, studying him intently as he spoke. Finally, she gave him a nod and said, “Lindy Meyers.”

  Baxter blinked once. “Pleased to meet you, Lindy,” he said immediately, his lips curving shyly.

  “Frankly, I'm not that pleased to meet you,” Lindy said. “But I believe you.”

  Baxter bit his tongue. He deserved the rebuke. He waited in silence. He didn't want to say anything that might be construed as arrogant or rude. He had been stupid and rude enough. He didn't want Lindy to hate him. Somehow that was important to him. He didn't know why.

  “I believe that you didn't set out to offend me. But you thought that you could charm me with that dashing smile and handsome face. A single lady eating alone at a small diner late at night.” Lindy smirked. “Yeah, she probably doesn't have a life or a man.” She put up a hand when he started to protest. “Don't deny it. I know that's what you were thinking. Just pour on the charm, chat her up and get into her pants. That's the plan.”

  Baxter gasped. “No!”

  She gave a derisive snort and raised her cup coolly to her lips.

  “No! No, no and no!” Baxter looked insulted and horrified. “Is that what you think I thought? I never thought such thoughts! And if you think that I thought you're easy, you thought wrong. What I thought was that you're thinking some deep thoughts about deep thinking which I thought...”

  Lindy choked on her coffee. “Okay, okay,” she said, coughing and laughing. “I get what you're saying. I think.”

  Baxter handed her a paper napkin but remained standing at the side of the booth. He wasn't going to sit down if she didn't want him to. He wasn't going to make the same mistake. Hell, he didn't want to make any mistake with this woman. They had started off on the wrong foot. His fault. He would behave himself and show her that he wasn't a boor and a brute.

  Lindy studied him as she dabbed her mouth with the napkin. With a slight smile, she sat back and picked up her fork.

  “Are you going to finish your burger, Baxter?”

  His eyes darted to the half-eaten burger on his plate. “I should go,” he mumbled even though he didn't want to go. But he didn't want to annoy and anger her any more than he already had.

  “No, don't go,” Lindy said, taking a bite of her waffle.

  His brows shot up and she laughed at his shocked, befuddled expression. She had a lovely laugh, clear, bright and childlike in its purity and honesty.

  “Have a seat. You're welcome to share my booth, Baxter. Finish your burger, and I'll finish my waffle. They serve damn good waffles and burgers here. It's a sin not to finish them,” she stated.

  Baxter found his tongue at last. “Yes, M'am!” He grinned and darted back into the booth.

  He took a humongous bite of his burger and stared at the buxom beauty in front of him, almost unable to believe his luck.

  Lindy was beautiful, with sharp, intelligent blue eyes and a quick, rapier wit. She remained calm and collected and deflected him easily when he was being as asshat.

  Lindy Meyers was cool as a cucumber, hot as hell. Baxter was hooked. He wanted to know this woman better.

  She was a dream.

  Baxter's grin broadened as he chomped heartily on his burger.

  Maybe his luck was changing.

  Maybe he was a lucky bear after all.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Lindy Meyers watched Baxter fold his broad, towering frame into the booth. With an impish grin, he proceeded to polish off the rest of his burger.

  “So, what do you do, Baxter?” she asked, sliding her legal pad into her briefcase. Her notes were confidential, and she didn't want him to see them. She had worked till about eight o'clock in her office. When she looked up, the sky was dark and her stomach was growling. She had missed dinner again. She had been driving home when she saw that this little diner was still open. Unable to ignore the grumbling and nagging of her stomach, she'd parked her car and hurried into Dino Diner for a very late dinner.

  She had lugged her briefcase with her, so that she could work while she ate. She'd had a burger, the same burger that Baxter was eating right now and a milk shake. The satisfying meal had fired something in her brain, and she had pulled out a legal pad to jot down her theories. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, muttering and scribbling, but when that nice waitress came and asked if she would like some fresh waffles and coffee, she had said yes. She worked better, thought clearer with food. And she was just working through another of her theories when this brash, bold, handsome dude inserted himself into her booth and hit on her.

  He was very good-looking, with short black hair, gray eyes, and a smile that could melt the panties off any hot-blooded woman. Lindy kept her eyes on him, studying his angular, chiseled features. Her heart was thudding in her chest, but she kept her expression cool and calm.

  She had seen him before. She remembered him.

  She already knew the answer to her question, but she wanted to hear it from him. The reason she hadn't screamed and yelled for help but had invited him to take a seat at her table was because she knew that he wasn't a bad guy. In fact, she knew that he was one of the good guys. She knew that he was a Black Bear. After that initial flare of annoyance at his intrusion, she had recognized him.

  “I'm with the Black Bears Group, a security firm,” Baxter answered, taking a sip of his coffee.

  Lindy nodded and stuffed a big piece of waffle into her mouth so she didn't have to speak. She was right. Her photographic memory served her well. It was him.

  She had seen him ten years ago when she went with her boss to the office of the Black Bears Group. They were there for a meeting with the Black Bears alpha and beta, Ethan Flint and Caleb Nash. She had been with the department for just a few months, a twenty-five-year-old newbie. As she was leaving the building with her boss, she had heard a roaring laugh and caught sight of Baxter walking i
nto the office. He was wearing his Black Bears security vest and his face was covered with grime and bruises but he looked indescribably happy. His gray eyes shone with relief and delight as he punched his fists in the air and shouted to his alpha, “We found them! Every single one of those kids! The search and rescue mission was a success! Yes!”

  She had developed a crush on him right there and then. She heard the Black Bears alpha call out, “Great work, Baxter!” And she had watched Baxter do a happy dance around the office. His joy was infectious, and the other Black Bears had crowded round to congratulate the team and toast the success of their mission. His energy and enthusiasm seemed to infect everyone, including her. She remembered him, but it was clear he didn't remember her. There was no reason for him to remember her. She had been about to leave the Black Bears office just as he barreled through the front doors. He didn't notice her. And who could blame him? She was just a plain, chubby, nerdy girl.

  But that was ten years ago. She was no longer an insecure twenty-something woman. She was thirty-five, and she had forged a successful career. She was meticulous, thorough and one of the best criminal profilers in the department. She had switched to wearing contacts instead of spectacles, but her inner nerd was alive and well, thriving in fact.

  She no longer bemoaned the fact that she didn't have a date on Friday nights. She had her work, and her work was important. She was still chubby, but now she embraced her curves. She no longer wore loose-fitting clothes that hid her curves. Instead she knew how to dress to flatter her full figure and highlight her best assets.

  In ten years, she had done a lot.

  So had Baxter. She was aware of the work the Black Bears did, and she admired their courage, commitment and tenacity. They had helped the law enforcement agencies hunt down dangerous criminals and helped plan and execute daring search and rescue missions.

  Baxter had rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and she saw the scars down his powerful arms. Who would have thought that she would be having supper with a tough, macho Black Bear on a quiet Friday night?

  Taking a deep breath, she swallowed and smiled pleasantly at Baxter. He downed the rest of his coffee and leaned back. “You're not going to ask to see my badge?” he asked.

  “Should I?”

  Baxter stared at her for a beat. “You should.” Without waiting for her to ask, he pulled his Black Bears badge out and laid it on the table. She glanced at it and nodded.

  “You didn't have to do that,” Lindy said when he put his badge away. “I believe you.”

  “You shouldn't,” Baxter said solemnly, and she detected a note of disapproval in his voice. “I could have been lying. No, don't be mistaken. I'm not thinking of lying to you,” he said quickly. “In fact, I will never lie to you, Lindy.” He frowned suddenly as if surprised by his own fervent words. Giving his head a subtle shake, he continued, “But there are people who will lie to get what they want. And people end up getting hurt. I don't want you to get hurt.”

  Lindy stared at him for a long while. “That's...sweet of you, Baxter.”

  “I'm not sweet,” he said gruffly. But she saw that he was blushing.

  His eyes flicked to her briefcase. “You work late. What do you do?”

  “I...” Lindy hesitated. “I can't really...”

  “You can't talk about your work,” he said simply.

  When she bit her lip and didn't reply, he leaned forward and said quietly, “You could have lied. Just fibbed about your job.” He batted his eyelashes as he recited in an exaggerated falsetto, “Oh, I work in finance, retail, advertising, management, marketing, whatever.”

  He took a breath and looked her straight in the eye. “But you didn't throw any of those lines at me. For some people, it's easy to lie. But not for you. You're an honest person, Lindy. You would rather not answer my question than to answer it with a lie.”

  The corner of her mouth curved up. “You make a good shrink.”

  Baxter laughed. “Nah. I don't have the patience to take a stroll through someone's headspace. I'd rather just beat the truth out of them. Did I mention that I'm one of the best interrogators in the Group?” He folded his arms and gave her a cocky grin. But she could see that he was just pretending to be a know-it-all and a show-off. He wasn't bragging so much as poking fun at himself. And he wanted to warn her that there were bad people around, people who had no qualms lying, cheating, kidnapping and inflicting terrible hurt on others.

  There were monsters around. She knew that. It was her job to study them, understand them and try to identify a method to their madness. She had been trying to burrow deeper into the mind of a killer just tonight. Those fevered scribblings on her legal pad were the outline of a map. She was mapping out the mind of a serial killer and this map might just lead them to his hidey-hole.

  Lindy made her smile broader and brighter, but that didn't seem to fool Baxter. The guy was sharp, astute and observant, and she had no doubt that he was indeed a top-notch interrogator. He was able to read his subject well, understand the subtle body language and zero in on the person's true, hidden thoughts and emotions.

  “Your work sounds really interesting. But...I'm afraid there's nothing interesting about my work. My work's boring. So, there's nothing much to say about it. Just paperwork and admin stuff, you know,” she said with a light shrug.

  Baxter nodded slowly. “Yeah. I know.” I know it's not just paperwork and admin stuff.

  He hadn't said that last sentence aloud, but she could hear it clearly in her head as he held her gaze searchingly, steadily.

  “This is a wonderful little diner. The staff are friendly and this is a safe neighborhood.” He kept his tone casual and nonchalant but she read the genuine concern in his eyes. “Do you live around here? Do you need a ride...”

  “Oh, that's my car right there. I parked right in front of the diner,” she said breezily, inclining her head towards the window. “It's just a ten-minute drive home from here.”

  He nodded. “Okay. I'm going to be upfront about this. You see that car at the side of the road?” He pointed to a black BMW roadster. “I'm going to tell you my license number, and I'm going to tell you right now that I'll be following you home. You'll see me in your rear view mirror, and I don't want you to freak out. I just want to make sure you get home safe. I'll wait until you've walked through your front door and locked up behind you. Then I'll drive away. I can assure you I'm not a stalker, or some pervert. I promise you I won't...”

  “That's fine.” She stopped him with a smile. “I was going to say you don't have to do this, but I know you'll do it anyway. Thanks, Baxter.”

  He looked surprised and pleased that she wasn't going to argue and fight him on this.

  “Let's get you home then. It's getting pretty late.” He slid out of the booth and went to the counter. She picked up her things and rushed after him. She had her wallet out but he had already picked up the tab.

  “How much...” she began but he waved her down.

  “I come by this diner very often. Maybe we can meet up for breakfast one weekend. You can buy me a coffee then.” Baxter held the door open for her. He smiled uncertainly and mumbled, “That's if you'd like to see me again...”

  “Breakfast...sounds lovely,” she stammered.

  He beamed and said, “I'll walk you to your car. Then I'll hop into mine and start tailing you.”

  “I drive real fast,” she smirked.

  “You'll try to lose me? You can try but I never lose a mark. That's a fact.”

  When she got in her car, he leaned down and said through her open window, “Drive safely, Lindy. I want you to be safe. I...really do.” He scrubbed his hand across his face to hide his embarrassment. “Ah, I've become a ninny,” he muttered under his breath as he straightened up.

  Not a ninny, she thought as she started her engine. “You're a sweetheart, Baxter Sadowski,” she said to her reflection as she watched him jog to his car. “I knew it the moment I
saw you.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Baxter drove two car lengths behind her. Lindy was a good, confident driver. She wasn't a speed demon. Neither was she a road hog. Baxter had no doubt that she was trying to make it easy for him to follow her, but he would have no trouble at all keeping on her tail even if she led him on a high-speed chase through gritty alleys or down rocky dirt tracks. He had never lost a mark, ever.

  As he cruised along the highway, he found himself snarling, swearing and sweating for no good reason at all. He was acting and feeling all weird and uptight. He had been with many women but he had never felt so nervous and anxious before. He had always been a smooth, suave operator. He could flirt, have fun, have a great time. He always made sure the women had a great time too. He wasn't a selfish lover.

  But he had never felt this way when he was with any of those women. Lindy made him feel...like a damn Papa bear! He wanted to protect her, pamper her, keep her safe. She was pretty, so sweet and sexy, but he wasn't thinking of getting in her pants. Well, she did turn him on and get him all hot and bothered, but he wasn't thinking about his dick for once.

  He just wanted to get her home safe and sound. He had been so arrogant and smarmy when he slid into her booth uninvited, but once he started talking to her, he realized that she wasn't just a pretty face. The girl was cool, calm, smart and she had sized him up with just one glance and a few pointed questions.

  He liked her, a lot. He had never liked a woman so much before. He usually just liked their bodies, and he knew that the women only wanted him for the same thing. He had a strong, powerful physique; he was good in bed, and well, who didn't like sex? Those women were adventurous, raunchy and fun, but he didn't feel anything for them. They were just sex partners, and they were just helping each other scratch an itch.

  But Lindy...she was different.

  Hell, he hadn't even had sex with her, and he was thinking and feeling so much more than he had ever done with any other female.