Jane: Big Easy Bears III Read online

  “Yeah. You put banana peppers on mine I’ll toss you from the scaffolding.”

  “You’d have to get up there first,” Karl said with cheeky grin. He disappeared around the corner.

  When Karl returned with the food, they washed up and sprawled on the back deck to eat.

  “What do you think?” Karl said to Jane.

  “My shoulders are going to be sore,” Jane laughed. “But this is kind of fun.”

  “You’re welcome to come by again tomorrow. We’ll be finishing the primer in the morning and then starting on the actual paint in the evening. With a little luck, we should be done by the weekend.”

  “Sure, I could come by again tomorrow.”

  “I can give you a ride again,” Bryce offered.

  “Thanks.”

  They worked past sunset until full dark and then dragged everything except the scaffolding inside. As they were washing up the brushes and rollers, Karl’s phone rang.

  “Sorry, gotta take this.” He wandered down the hallway.

  “What color are you painting the siding?” Jane asked.

  “Just a light grey,” Jason said. “Neutral works best and it’ll suit both the house and the neighborhood. Have you seen the rest of the house?”

  “No, too busy painting.”

  Bryce was suddenly at her elbow. “I’ll give you a quick tour and then we can head back to my place for dinner.”

  “You’re eating again?” Jeff said.

  “Grilled salmon,” Jane said. “I owe him.”

  “Come on, I’ll show you upstairs.” He wanted her away from the guys, surprised by his sudden possessiveness.

  From the foot of the stairs they could hear Karl in the front room. “Come on, you were just here. That’s great for you but we’re painting. I have to work around the weather. The guys won’t like it. I know that’s not your problem. Fine. But be out of here by eleven, that’s the best I can do.”

  Bryce ushered Jane up the stairs.

  “What was that about?” Jane asked softly so her voice wouldn’t carry down to the other guys.

  “I’m not sure, but I don’t like it.”

  * * *

  They stopped off at Jane’s so she could grab the food from the fridge so it was late by the time they reached Bryce’s apartment. “Don’t worry,” she said. “It’ll grill up quick.”

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  “Do you know how to make rice?”

  “Uh, equal parts rice and water and microwave?”

  “That’s one way but it won’t work for this rice. It’s easy. There’s directions on the package. Just add an extra half cup of water and a half cup of the frozen vegetables.”

  “Sure. No problem.”

  He tried to focus on the job he’d been given but watching her prepare the fish was far more interesting. She hadn’t taken the time to change and she looked like she was completely at home, mixing seasoning and humming in her painting clothes in his kitchen. He managed not to burn the rice but the pot was going to require some scrubbing to get the layer of stuck on white gunk off the bottom. She glanced in the pot and laughed. “Nearly perfect,” she said.

  He smiled.

  The rice was dished out onto plates and the salmon set on top. “And there you go. Grilled salmon as promised.”

  They ate at the table since the rice was too messy to eat at the couch and filled the space between bites with idle conversation. She tidied up while he scrubbed the pot and gathered up her leftover cooking supplies.

  “I think that’s everything,” she said.

  “Well, let me get you home then. We have work in the morning.”

  “Oh joy.”

  “You’ll come again tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. This was fun.”

  When he pulled up in front of her building, she unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks, Bryce. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He smiled the whole way home.

  Chapter 6

  So what are we doing this evening?” Jane asked. She was tossing her pay stubs in her lunch kit while Bryce was rinsing out a container in the sink. They had about two minutes before their lunch break ended. They were working at different ends of the care center for the next few hours and Jane wasn’t sure they’d have the chance to talk again before heading for home.

  “I got us some tickets,” Bryce said.

  Jane waited but when it was obvious there was no more information forthcoming she said, “Tickets to what exactly?”

  “You don’t want to wait and see?”

  “I don’t really like surprises.”

  “That’s too bad.” He tossed everything in his lunch kit. “I got us tickets to the game tonight. Do you like baseball?”

  “Wait, are you serious?” Her eyes had gone wide.

  “Yeah. I mean it’s just one of those Old-Time All-Stars versus the local Police and Paramedic team and not...”

  “I haven’t been to a baseball game in years! You’re not making this up, are you?”

  “No.”

  “I have time to get changed after work, right?”

  “Uh, yeah, definitely. You want me to pick you up?”

  “Yeah.” She shoved her lunch kit in the fridge. “Thank you!” She kissed him on the cheek and practically skipped out of the room.

  Bryce just stared after her. He pulled his phone out and shot Karl a text thanking him again for the tickets and then muttered, “If I’d known she was nuts for baseball I’ve have gotten tickets a lot sooner.”

  * * *

  When she stepped out of her apartment building, she was wearing a jersey with a large golden “Q” on the front over black leggings and she had a baseball cap with the same logo. She slid into the car and smiled broadly. “I’m ready.”

  “Which team?” he said as he pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Quebec Capitales,” she replied.

  “So you are from Quebec.”

  She nodded.

  “You know, I’m surprised. I haven’t seen you this excited about anything, ever.”

  “My foster father never, ever took me to a ball game. Actually my parents didn’t either. My grandfather did. He lives on the East Coast and I rarely saw him, but I loved the baseball games. I guess because it’s him and not my parents the memory isn’t as painful.”

  “When was the last time you saw him?”

  She shrugged. “I told him where I was going and we’ve kept in touch but it’s hard now to actually see him. When I get home, I’ll have to call him and tell him all about the game.”

  * * *

  The ball park wasn’t crowded since this was just a local specialty game and not a Major League game, or even a local minor league game. The police mascot was out taking pictures with the kids and leading the seventh inning stretch. The celebrity all-stars signed autographs between innings five and six, but there was no one playing that Jane or Bryce were interested in seeing.

  They had hotdogs and popcorn and peanuts and sat cuddled together over their shared arm rest. For fun Bryce cheered for the police while Jane cheered for the all-stars.

  Afterwards they made their way through the slow crowd, arm in arm. “That was great,” Jane said.

  “You know, it’s only like eight thirty. I mean, by the time we get out of the parking lot and to anywhere interesting it’ll probably be closer to nine, but it’s not that late. Want to do something?”

  “Like what?”

  “Hit a pub or a lounge somewhere?”

  “Nah. Not really interested in getting drunk and wings aren’t cheap.”

  “Most sit-in places stop seating people around nine so unless you want fast food...”

  “No thanks.”

  “Yeah, me either. Ice cream and a walk?”

  “Sure, that sounds nice.”

  “Ice cream it is then.”

  Jane was too busy recounting all the neat plays and big saves and home runs to notice the snail’s pace
getting out of the parking lot, or where Bryce was taking her. She did notice when he put the car in park though.

  “This looks a lot like your apartment building.”

  “It is my apartment building. There’s an ice-cream place up the street and over a block. You said ice-cream and a walk, right?”

  “Yeah. I need to move. I’m still too excited.”

  “I like seeing you like this.”

  She felt her cheeks warming up and she was glad it was dusk and the interior of the car was dimly lit. She turned away from him and got out of the car.

  They strolled down the sidewalk together chatting about the game and about the major league season.

  “Tell me more about your grandfather,” Bryce said once they had their ice-cream.

  Jane shrugged. “Not much to tell. He was older, round-faced, and very French. My grandmother died young. He came out to visit us sometimes. He liked baseball and playing catch and helping me climb trees.”

  “Sounds nice. My grandparents live in a condo in Florida. I see them once or twice a year. When I was younger, before they moved, they lived in a condo here in the city. We saw them three or four times a year. I think my mom didn’t get along with them very well. My dad’s parents live on the west coast where my dad grew up. He moved out here with some friends for university and stayed.”

  “Did he stay for her?”

  “I think so.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  They were back at his apartment building. “Did you want to come up? I don’t have any kabobs but I have popcorn and beer.”

  She laughed. “No more popcorn!”

  “Then I have beer, some crackers and cheese I think.”

  “Just a beer is fine, Bryce. You don’t always have to feed me.”

  “You always seem to be hungry.” He let them into the building and they took the elevator up.

  In close quarters like this, whether an elevator or working together in a small closed in room at work, she couldn’t help but notice the way he smelled. His shampoo was basic and barely scented, his cologne was one of those modern scents, and his laundry soap just smelled like laundry soap. All together he smelled like Bryce and she found that comforting. The bear inside her relaxed in these situations until it almost felt like her other half was sleeping. Since the bear was the part of her instinct responsible for keeping her safe, for ensuring her survival, if it was sleeping then she had to be safe and secure. The bear didn’t even relax this far around her own clan.

  Perhaps it was her bear’s reaction, more than her own physical attraction to Bryce or the pleasure she felt in his company, that was the driving reason for her allowing him to pursue her, allowing him to nudge the relationship towards romance.

  Bryce grabbed the beers and joined Jane on the couch. She’d already put the television on and was flipping channels. “Anything you want to watch?” she asked.

  “Is there a movie on somewhere?”

  “Uh, seems to be something here with car chases and explosions.”

  “That’ll do for background noise at least. You’ll have to bring one of your old movies next time.”

  “Oh, I don’t think you’ll be interested.”

  “Try me. You can bore me with a black and white drama and then I’ll make you sit through a documentary on ancient catapults.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine. But I did warn you.”

  They settled in with their beers and conversation wound down for a time, except to comment on the movie. Bryce got up during the commercials and grabbed more beers, and a plate of crackers and cheese which drew a laugh from Jane.

  The beers made them both feel a little lazy and soon Jane was leaning against Bryce’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and she snuggled in closer.

  Without thinking, he kissed her forehead. She glanced up.

  He smiled. “Sorry.”

  “Why?” She tilted her chin up and kissed his jaw.

  It took a little shuffling on the couch but the next kiss was full on the lips, warm and sweet and lingering. She rested her forehead against his chin. Her heart was beating with a quick, persistent rhythm and her breath felt too hot in her throat.

  This is the second time you’ve wound up on his couch kissing him. You have to decide, Jane. Where is this going?

  If she hesitated too long he’d be asking the same question, or at least asking if she was okay.

  Are you okay?

  Yeah, she was. And while she couldn’t be sure where they’d end up in the long run, she knew where she wanted this evening to go.

  Bryce just held her as she sat leaning against him. He wanted her so badly. He was afraid she’d bolt if he pushed but it was getting so hard to go slow. He felt connected to her and he wanted to extend that in all directions, as far as he could, but he had promised to let her set the pace and he was going to keep that promise even if the desire killed him.

  Is she trying to find a polite way to tell you to stop? Don’t just sit here waiting for some sign, ask her how she feels!

  Before he could open his mouth to ask, before he could even get out a “hey”, she’d looked up again – and kissed him.

  The kiss was answer enough for now. It was hungry and hot and filled with mutual desire that set their hands wandering slowly but intimately over each other’s bodies. They only stopped kissing long enough to remove each other’s shirts.

  She’d seen him shirtless before at work when he’d gotten something spilled on him and she’d walked in on him changing in the laundry room. She’d noted the lean physique, so unlike most of the werebears she’d grown up with and very unlike the werebears of her current clan. But she liked lean, lightly muscled men.

  For him this was a whole new experience. Her shoulders and stomach were solid, evidence that she worked out. She was curvy but athletic, her breasts fitting nicely in his cupped hands. He finally broke off the kiss only to trail light kisses down her neck and over her shoulder. She dug her fingers into his back, her chin tilting up.

  They feasted on each other’s skin, kissing and nipping and licking every sensitive part they could find and all the while their hands explored or fingers dug in hard, expressing pleasure at a kiss or touch.

  The first ring of the phone was almost lost in the haze of their desire. The second ring brought them both to a halt and they sat too close together, leaning on each other, breathing hard. “Whose phone?” Jane managed to say.

  Third ring. Bryce’s shoulders slumped. “Mine. Land line. Hold on.” He picked it up on the fourth ring. “Hello? Oh, hi. No, I’m still up.” He gave Jane a thin smile and wandered with the cordless to his bedroom.

  Jane took a deep breath and reached for her beer, draining what was left in one gulp. Then she fished around on the floor until she found her shirt and pulled it on.

  That was nice but I think that’s far enough for one day. Thank god for that phone call.

  Bryce was not so impressed. “Mom, I’m sure it’s very impressive but...no I’m not, it’s just that I have a friend over right now and I’m being rude, talking on the phone with you when I should be talking to them. I’m not answering that. Mom! Look, I’ll call you tomorrow. I have to go. Yes. No. Mom. Thank you. Yes, I won’t forget. Goodnight.” He hung up and scrubbed his hands over his face.

  When he got back to the main part of the apartment, Jane was dressed again and was dropping empty beer bottles in the blue bin.

  “Sorry about that. My mother. She’s got some incredible timing.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Do I need to apologize for anything else?”

  Jane shook her head. She came over and ran her hands over his chest, then stretched up and kissed him. “I should get home though. Tell you what, I’m free all day tomorrow. Swing by my place if you’ve got time. I’ll plan something for us to do this time.”

  “Deal. Let me grab my shirt and I’ll give you a lift home.”

  * * *

  “Is that a little spri
ng in your step?”

  Jane whirled around. Jules was grinning at her from across the parking lot. “Oh, can it,” she said but it lacked her usual bite. It was Monday evening and even though Carter had been a complete ass at work today, she was still grinning from ear to ear.

  “What’s got you in such a good mood?”

  “I made a friend and learned something new. Anything else you need to know, Mom?” She wasn’t about to tell Jules about making out with Bryce, twice, over the weekend, or the ball game, or the hours they’d spent playing cards in her apartment.

  Jules laughed.

  Philippe jogged up. “Why are we all standing around on the side walk? It’s almost dark.”

  “Where’d you come from?”

  “Car trouble. Had a buddy give me a lift. He dropped me at the gas station up the street.”

  “Would that buddy have been Patrick?” Jules asked.

  “No. Patrick knows where the warehouse is. I wouldn’t have to keep it a secret from him, dumbass.”

  Jules went on taunting him. “Sorry, I just thought, since you and Patrick seem to spend a lot of time together that you might be getting awfully close.”

  “Jules, I will break your nose,” Philippe growled.

  “He’s in a mood today,” Jane said. “You think Kaylee was being extra nice to him this weekend? Or is she giving him a cold shoulder?”

  “Not to change the subject,” Jules said. “But if we’re all out here then who’s inside getting things ready?”

  “Didn’t I just say that?” Philippe muttered but they all booked it for the door.

  The barrels and chairs were already set up as they came in. Remy and Brock occupied two of those chairs and were deep in conversation, their heads leaned in close together.

  “Anything serious?” Philippe asked.

  Remy looked up. “No. Just politics. Official stuff between the New Orleans Clan Chief and the Mayor.”

  “Your wife lets you bring your work home with you?” Jules asked.

  “No. Gina refuses to talk business or politics at home unless she needs something,” Brock said. “But we’re not at home.”

  “What about the three of you?” Remy asked. “You’re all cutting it a little close today. Anything serious?”