Taming the Beast

Logan frowned as he stared at the water, being unnaturally quiet, even for him.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he whispered, his shoulders tight and rigid. “It’s not safe.”

She licked the metal-tasting water off of her lips as she watched him. “He’s never hurt me before.”

He shook his head, still not meeting her eyes. “I should never have brought him around you in the first place. That was…reckless.”

“Why?” she asked, holding her elbow. There was still so much mystery to him. He was like an onion with a thousand layers and she desperately wanted to peel off each one to see what was at the center, but he kept clinging onto each layer, fighting to not let it go.

Logan ran a hand through his hair and slowly looked up at her. His brown eyes were sad and lonely, making her chest hurt for him. “He’s too dangerous.”

She shook her head as she held his eyes. “He’s not. I know he’s not.”

“You don’t know what I know,” he said with a heavy sigh. “You don’t know what he’s done.”

“What has he done?” she asked with a shaky voice. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer.

But that was okay, because he didn’t give her one.

She walked toward him, stopping a heartbeat away from his muscular body. “I know your bear too,” she said in a low soothing voice. “He’s not dangerous. You’re not dangerous. Not if you don’t want to be.”

He stared at the water for a long minute, contemplating her words. “You really believe that?” he asked, finally looking up at her.

She nodded. She did. There was good in him, Bella could tell.

“Okay,” he said, raising out of the water. Bella stepped back with her breath quickening as she looked up at his shredded body. He really was gorgeous.

“I’ll bring him out,” he said, stepping out of the pool. “He misses you too. I can tell.”

She watched with her heart pounding as he slid down his boxer briefs, giving her a nice view of his hard ass. His body shook softly at first but then erupted in violent shakes and convulsions. She gasped as his hand curled up and long brown hairs began sprouting out of his skin. His muscles swelled and grew and then in an instant, an enormous grizzly bear exploded out of his skin.

Bella held her breath as she stared at the bear with wide eyes. He swung his massive head toward her and sniffed the air as he watched her with the same sad brown eyes that Logan watched her with.

“Hi, Cliff,” she said, giving him a nervous wave. “Want to come in for a swim?”

He lowered his head and stepped forward on massive paws. Bella gulped as the bear stepped into the water. The last time she had been this close to it, she woke up with a concussion. But that had been an accident. Cliff had saved her life right before and for some odd reason that she didn’t understand, she trusted the bear.

“Hey,” she said, laughing as buckets of water drained out of the pool as the large bear stepped inside. “Keep some water for me.”

Cliff sunk down in the water up to his neck and turned to her with a smug satisfied look on his face.

“You like that?” she asked with a laugh. “Has Logan ever let you go in a hot tub with a half naked girl before?”

He lumbered forward and sat down beside her, swinging his humongous head over to look at her.

“This is so incredible,” Bella whispered to herself as she looked up at the grizzly bear’s calm face. What made it even more incredible, was that Logan was somewhere inside him. Her skin was tingling in excitement as his soft fur brushed against her arm.

“Can I get that hug now?” she asked, smiling at the bear.

He didn’t answer but he did lean his shoulder into her, pressing his body against hers. That was enough of an answer for Bella.

She stood on the rock and hugged the bear, digging her hands deep into his thick fur. She pressed her cheek against his body and grinned.

“I knew we were friends, Cliff,” she said as the bear grumbled contently. “No matter what Logan says.”

Chapter 7

“Having no electricity has its perks,” Bella said, looking around in wonder at the dozen or so candles lit up on the front porch. It was beautiful lighting and very romantic. They had just finished another great dinner after a fun day together and were relaxing on the porch watching the sunset and the stars come out.