Bearly Breathing (Werebears of New Hampshire #1)(22)

“I’m an excellent swimmer,” he said, between deep breaths. “I wasn’t calling for help. I was asking you if you needed help.”

Angie rolled her eyes. Even in an emergency situation like this he still couldn’t keep his ego in check.

They floated down the river, passing around bends and barely missing jutting rocks. Sidney was holding onto the broken kayak with white knuckles. Eventually, the rain began to let up and the current began to slow down. “I think we can swim to the shore now,” she said.

“Okay,” he replied with wide eyes.

She let go and headed for the shore using her perfect front crawl. When she sat down on the river bank she was breathing heavily and wiping the water out of her eyes. Sidney was still half way out swimming a doggy paddle towards her.

He finally arrived on the shore, panting for breath. “I was holding back, making sure that you got out safely.”

Angie rolled her eyes. “How noble of you.”

Angie glanced up at the sun. It was already starting to dim. They would have to spend the night in the forest. There was no way that they could hike back before the sun set.

“Tomorrow we’ll follow the river back up to the cabins.” She looked around the dense trees. “I don’t know where we are.”

Sidney stood up with his chest sticking out like a dominant gorilla. His wet shirt was plastered to his muscular chest, displaying the round shape of his pecs right in front of her nose. She tried not to look.


He glanced up at the sun. “Mmmhmmm,” he said nodding his head. He ripped a leaf off of a nearby tree and placed it in his mouth, nibbling on it. “I see…” he said thinking, well, pretending to think. “I know the coordinates of where we are. Roughly eighty three degrees east by one hundred and forty two degrees south.”

“That would be in Antartica,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Let’s just go find somewhere to sleep Walker, Texas Ranger.”

She thought she had seen a tree chopped down a little ways up the river as they were drifting by. If they were cut down maybe there was a logger in the area, maybe a cottage. It was their best hope for having a dry night.

“I think we should head that way,” he said, pointing in the opposite direction.

“Great,” she said waving her hand up and walking back up the river. “Bring a snowsuit. And send me a postcard with a penguin on it.”

She walked up the river cursing. She had to be stuck with him? Connor was a gentleman and even the naked guy would at least have kept his mouth shut. She had to be stuck with this know-it-all-except-the-correct-answer.

She could hear his footsteps on the rocks following her. She made an effort not too turn around. But that didn’t stop her imagination. His massive chest thrust itself back into her mind.

She continued the walk, repeating a new mantra in her head.

I like my guys nerdy.

I like my guys nerdy.

I like my guys nerdy.

There was no way that she would be attracted to a dumb jock. She heard a slapping sound behind her which could only be him taking off his shirt, and gulped.

I like my guys nerdy.

I like my guys nerdy.





Sidney had been enjoying the view of Angie walking ahead of him. Those little shoulders held up and out in a defiant way, her wet, red hair bouncing around, slapping her back, and that ass. God that ass was perfect.

Every time that he increased his pace to walk beside her she increased hers. Fine, I’ll just enjoy the view from back here.

The sky was starting to get dark and his stomach was rumbling. He wanted to change into his bear form and go hunt but he didn’t want to scare this beauty in front of him. It wasn’t every day that he got such eye candy around him.

Back when he was a famous football player it was different. He went to all of the parties with the biggest celebrities. The girls were hot and plentiful and willing.

Well, it was only two games, and there was only one party, with the only celebrity being the local weather girl, and she slapped him when he hit on her. But still. It was the glory days. And it was awesome.

“Good idea,” he said, when he approached her. Angie was leaning over a tree trunk staring at it. “Let’s take a break.”

“No this tree has been cut by humans,” she said.

Sidney held his chin and shook his head. “No. That was done by beavers.”

She rolled her eyes. “That one too?” she asked pointing at another stump in the forest. “And that one?”

“Yup.”

She bent over and picked up an empty beer can. “Do beavers drink beer too?”

“You’ve never been partying with beavers?” he asked with a sly smile. “They’re wild.”

She tossed the beer can at him and headed into the woods.

“Where are you going?” He rushed to catch up with her.

“If these trees were cut then there might be shelter around here.”

He snorted. “This is the middle of the wilderness. There’s nobody living around here.” He held his belly and laughed as he caught a glimpse of a cabin through the trees.

Crap.

“We should head back to the river,” he said. He’d rather sleep on the cold dirt than be proved wrong. “We can get lost out here and-”

“Right there,” she said, pointing to the cabin. She squealed in delight. “I knew it!”