Husband Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire #1)(23)

Elyse laughed and shoved his shoulder. Before she could retreat, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, then slapped her ass as she peeled into a fit of giggles.

“Brute. You put me down, or I’ll—”

“You’ll what?”

“I’ll never kiss you again.”

Ian loved that challenge, so he settled her upright and gripped her shoulders, staring intently into her eyes until her breath went all shallow and ragged. Then he leaned forward and angled his face, but at the last moment, froze mere millimeters away from her lips. He brushed her hair from her face and cupped her cheek. “Never?”

She let off a sexy, helpless noise, then blinked hard and shoved away from him. “Tease.”

“I heard you singing,” he said low as he followed her in the house.

There was a smile in her voice when she said, “I used to sing all the time.”

“What stopped you?”

“Life.”

“And now?”

She tossed him a coy look over her shoulder and headed straight for the kitchen. “Now I’m going to make lunch.”

Hmm, who was the tease now?

Lunch was sandwiches—one for her and four for Ian. And when they were done, he told her to, “Go get dressed for town.”

“Why?” she asked, her eyes sparking with curiosity and something more. Excitement. Town must be a rare treat for her.

“We need to get you a hunter and trapper’s license.”

“Oh.” Her face fell in disappointment, and she took their plates to the sink.

“What was that look for?”

“I don’t trap.”

Ian narrowed his eyes and stood behind her as she scrubbed their dishes. Her honey-colored hair was soft against his fingertips as he moved it out of the way to expose the length of her pretty neck. Showing the neck was a sign of submission, and even if she didn’t know what he was, he liked when she let him see it. She’d called him a brute once. Elyse had been right.

“You’ll learn to trap so if you get in a bind this winter, you can go out there with confidence and bring something home. And if you need money or supplies from town, you’ll be able to barter with the fur. Now what were you really going to say?”

Her neck flushed, white as porcelain to a soft pink. “Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“I thought you were going to take me into town to…you know…spend time with me.”

“We are spending time.”

Elyse let off a human growl that was about as intimidating as a kitten hissing. “I thought you were asking me to go to town for a date.”

Ian dropped his hand from her hair and took a step back, shocked. “A date?”

Elyse sighed and put the dishes away. “You asked, and from your tone, dating isn’t for you. I really do get it.” Cole was the same.

He could almost hear that last part, though she didn’t say it out loud. He felt bear-slapped, so instead of saying something intelligent like, “Sure I’ll take you on a date. We’re engaged anyway, so what’s the big deal?” he stood there like a lump on a log and watched her disappear into her room. The sound of rustling fabric sounded a minute later, as though she was getting dressed, so Ian headed into his own room and cleaned up. He could seduce a woman, and he could make one happy in bed, but outside of the bedroom, he felt like an off-balance bull driven through quicksand. Words had never been his gig, and he messed up a lot with Elyse. She seemed frustrated, but if she knew the animal she’d managed to tame in no time flat, she would probably be easier on him.

Cole had laid out a long path of disappointment for this woman. But unlike Cole, Ian would keep trying, because Elyse—his Elyse—deserved the effort.





Chapter Ten


Elyse slathered on a layer of lip gloss and shoved the make-up she’d used into the tackle box she stored it in. Ian might not be taking her out on an actual date, but she had dolled herself up anyway, because dangit, she didn’t get to go to town very often, and especially not with a man. Cole’s idea of date night had been coming home drunk, boozing it up even bigger in the living room, and trying to convince her to play strip poker for his pleasure, not hers.

Her chin was tender and chapped, so she put a small dollop of lotion on to hurry the healing process, then grabbed her purse and checked herself once more in the floor-length mirror. She wore her nicest dark jeans, her cleanest hiking boots, and her most flattering red shirt clung to her curves. At least it would cling if she didn’t look like a friggin’ skeleton. She was going to do better. She was going to be better. The way Ian was around this place said he knew a lot about living off the land, and he would make a great asset as a teacher around here. She was bound and determined to be a good student so that she could be strong again. So she could be the good Alaskan wife Ian deserved.

She stepped into the living room, but Ian had his back to her and said, “Close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“Because, woman, I have a surprise for you. Just do it. No peeking.”

Elyse stifled a smile and squeezed her eyes closed. “Okay, they’re closed.”

The sound of his boot prints echoed over the old floors, louder and louder as he came closer. A zing of anticipation sent a tremble up her spine as he came so close she could feel his warmth. He radiated heat like her own personal sun encased in a man’s body.