paperwork.
Amanda shook herself back to reality.
“Thanks, Tom.”
She turned on her heel and walked away.
**********************
Greg ran his fingers through his dirty-blond hair, sighing inwardly as he watched Amanda cross the lot. Damn! He hated it when she wore that dress. The way it clung to her curves made him hard from a mile away. And now that he could see that her dress was damp, he got even harder. The wet fabric clung to her skin, not soaking wet, but just moist enough to reveal a glimmer of the treasures that lay beneath. Greg wanted to slap himself. Inappropriate, he said inwardly. She’s a friend. Just a friend. You shouldn’t have those thoughts about her. Greg smiled as Amanda walked past.
“Hey, Greg.”
“Hey, Mands.”
He felt her heat as she brushed by him. So curvy. So soft. So perfect. Greg had wanted Amanda for a long time. Since she had first set foot in Wild Alpha Auto six years ago, résumé in hand. But the time to act on his feelings had long since passed. Greg was now firmly in the friend zone. They could never be lovers at this point, even if Greg’s bear knew, somewhere deep inside, that she was the one.
Greg was a thirty-three-year-old grizzly shifter, and he tended to take what his bear said seriously. The truth was, though, he spent the majority of his time in human form, which meant it was often difficult to balance what his bear wanted with his human side. In many ways, Greg reflected, grizzly shifters were like everybody else. They were all about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But there were differences. Almost all grizzly shifters were Alphas, for instance. They also tended to be immune to most disease and lived a very long time.
There were other differences, too. Shifters weren’t widely known outside their own kind, which tended to complicate the world of dating and mating. Things could get squirrelly when the women you were interested in had no idea you might transform into an eighteen-hundred-pound grizzly bear when the need arose. However, all those things aside, the biggest complication Greg experienced with Amanda was the fact that they were such good friends. He’d heard it said more than once that when a guy crosses over into the friends zone, there was no going back. And so far, in his experience, that had been entirely true.
Chin up, Greg. At least the sun is shining.
Greg’s thoughts turned to Tom Cooper. He hadn’t wanted to hire him in the first place but had done so as a favor to Amanda and her brother. It occurred to him, however, that it was about time that Tom and he had a word.
“Hi, Tom.”
Tom finished spraying off the soapy Ferrari before turning to him.
“Yeah, I know. Amanda told me about the shirt,” Tom said.
“Rules are rules,” Greg replied.
Tom smirked and looked away.
“Is there something funny?” Greg asked.
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“I just think it’s rich listening to you go on,” Tom said.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, playing by the rules hasn’t always been your thing, has it, Greg?”
Greg felt his hackles rise. He was an Alpha bear, after all, and he was beginning to resent this rogue bear shifter he had allowed to remain in his territory. Tom knew perfectly well that Greg was a grizzly shifter because the two of them had once been acquainted. But that had been a long time ago. When Tom arrived in Wild Summit a few days ago, Greg had been suspicious. But Amanda had asked him for a favor and he had laid his doubts to rest. Now he was wondering if he had been right to be skeptical about Tom’s sudden presence.
“What are you doing here, Tom?”
“Washing cars.”
Greg walked forward.
“No. What are you doing here , in Wild Summit?”
Tom dropped the hose and stared Greg down, unflinching. Tom was several inches shorter than him, but Greg was no fool. He knew from past experience that Tom could be a dangerous opponent. Tom smiled.
“I think you know what I’m
Amanda shook herself back to reality.
“Thanks, Tom.”
She turned on her heel and walked away.
**********************
Greg ran his fingers through his dirty-blond hair, sighing inwardly as he watched Amanda cross the lot. Damn! He hated it when she wore that dress. The way it clung to her curves made him hard from a mile away. And now that he could see that her dress was damp, he got even harder. The wet fabric clung to her skin, not soaking wet, but just moist enough to reveal a glimmer of the treasures that lay beneath. Greg wanted to slap himself. Inappropriate, he said inwardly. She’s a friend. Just a friend. You shouldn’t have those thoughts about her. Greg smiled as Amanda walked past.
“Hey, Greg.”
“Hey, Mands.”
He felt her heat as she brushed by him. So curvy. So soft. So perfect. Greg had wanted Amanda for a long time. Since she had first set foot in Wild Alpha Auto six years ago, résumé in hand. But the time to act on his feelings had long since passed. Greg was now firmly in the friend zone. They could never be lovers at this point, even if Greg’s bear knew, somewhere deep inside, that she was the one.
Greg was a thirty-three-year-old grizzly shifter, and he tended to take what his bear said seriously. The truth was, though, he spent the majority of his time in human form, which meant it was often difficult to balance what his bear wanted with his human side. In many ways, Greg reflected, grizzly shifters were like everybody else. They were all about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But there were differences. Almost all grizzly shifters were Alphas, for instance. They also tended to be immune to most disease and lived a very long time.
There were other differences, too. Shifters weren’t widely known outside their own kind, which tended to complicate the world of dating and mating. Things could get squirrelly when the women you were interested in had no idea you might transform into an eighteen-hundred-pound grizzly bear when the need arose. However, all those things aside, the biggest complication Greg experienced with Amanda was the fact that they were such good friends. He’d heard it said more than once that when a guy crosses over into the friends zone, there was no going back. And so far, in his experience, that had been entirely true.
Chin up, Greg. At least the sun is shining.
Greg’s thoughts turned to Tom Cooper. He hadn’t wanted to hire him in the first place but had done so as a favor to Amanda and her brother. It occurred to him, however, that it was about time that Tom and he had a word.
“Hi, Tom.”
Tom finished spraying off the soapy Ferrari before turning to him.
“Yeah, I know. Amanda told me about the shirt,” Tom said.
“Rules are rules,” Greg replied.
Tom smirked and looked away.
“Is there something funny?” Greg asked.
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“I just think it’s rich listening to you go on,” Tom said.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, playing by the rules hasn’t always been your thing, has it, Greg?”
Greg felt his hackles rise. He was an Alpha bear, after all, and he was beginning to resent this rogue bear shifter he had allowed to remain in his territory. Tom knew perfectly well that Greg was a grizzly shifter because the two of them had once been acquainted. But that had been a long time ago. When Tom arrived in Wild Summit a few days ago, Greg had been suspicious. But Amanda had asked him for a favor and he had laid his doubts to rest. Now he was wondering if he had been right to be skeptical about Tom’s sudden presence.
“What are you doing here, Tom?”
“Washing cars.”
Greg walked forward.
“No. What are you doing here , in Wild Summit?”
Tom dropped the hose and stared Greg down, unflinching. Tom was several inches shorter than him, but Greg was no fool. He knew from past experience that Tom could be a dangerous opponent. Tom smiled.
“I think you know what I’m
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