Poke His Bear Read online

  Thorne is my best friend so, I’m the first to hear about every embarrassing run-in he’s had with my ‘hot cop neighbor.’ Fighting not to laugh, I ask, “What happened?”

  “You know how I’d been hooking up with the same guy for the last two weeks? Well, he seemed to think that constituted a relationship.”

  “Let me guess, someone from an app messaged you and he went apeshit?”

  Thorne laughs. “Apeshit is an understatement. Full on psycho is more like it. He threw me out of my own house without letting me get dressed so, I was locked out buck ass naked. Then he went to town destroying everything he could. Your hot cop neighbor walked up on me using potted plants to cover my bits.”

  Laughing out loud, I say, “Oh, my god, Thorne, you sure know how to pick em.”

  Thorne groans. “What is it about me that attracts the crazy ones?”

  “Maybe your powers have something to do with it?”

  “I keep a tight lid on my powers.”

  “Yeah but, in the heat of the moment it’s easy to lose control a little.”

  Thorne sighs. “You’re right. Maybe it’s time I stop hooking up.”

  “Just because your power brings out obsessive tendencies in other people doesn’t mean you should stop living your life. Stick to your no repeat rule, at least until you find your mate.”

  “I’m not sure I want a mate.”

  Gasping, I practically shout, “Why not? Mates are supposed to be perfect for each other.”

  “What if the only reason my mate likes me is because of my power and the bond?”

  “Mating doesn’t work like that, Thorne. The bond doesn’t force us to like one another, it just lowers our inhibitions a little so we’ll go after the person we want when we normally wouldn’t. As for your powers, I’m sure the person Fate pairs you with will be immune to your abilities.”

  “And how would you know?”

  Grinning, I say, “Because, as it turns out, my hot cop neighbor is my mate.”

  Thorne bursts into laughter. “Oh my god! Seriously?”

  “Yep.”

  “You’ve lived next door to that man for what, ten years? And never scented him until now?”

  Laughing I say, “Crazy isn’t it?”

  “It’s something alright.”

  “So, where’s your mate now? Why aren’t the two of you getting your bond on?”

  “He’s working. I’m thinking of surprising him with breakfast when he gets off.”

  Thorne snorts. “You do that, and he’ll definitely be getting off.”

  Sighing dreamily, I say, “I hope so.”

  Thorne laughs, “And that’s my cue to end this conversation. You’re like a brother to me and I don’t need that image in my head.”

  “What? Is the thought of my hot bod in the throes of passion too much for your delicate sensibilities?”

  “Absolutely. I don’t need the image of your hairy ass invading my brain.”

  “Hey! I do not have a hairy ass! It’s as smooth as a baby’s bottom, thank you very much. I…”

  “Nope. Don’t wanna know. Bye.”

  Smiling I try not to laugh when I say, “But… I was going to tell you how I…”

  “Bye.”

  Chuckling, I google search another cop meme and send it to Con. This one is of a cop taking a man’s statement and has a conversation on it that goes, ‘seen anything unusual?’ ‘I saw a dolphin with a hat once’ ‘I mean around here.’ ‘Nah, they live in water.’

  Con: I just had coffee spew from my nose because I laughed while drinking it. My nose is on fire now. Thanks for that.

  Me: I’m so sorry. Are you okay?

  Con: I’ll be fine. You can make it up to me later.

  Me: Whatever you want.

  Con: I’ll hold you to that.

  Seeing the time, I send him another message.

  Me: I’m going to head to bed now. See you tomorrow.

  Con: Sweet dreams, little sprite. See you tomorrow.

  Slipping my phone into my pocket, I turn off the TV, grab my empty wineglass and bottle along with the pizza box and head into the kitchen. Sticking the leftover pizza in the fridge, I leave my glass by the sink and toss the empty bottle in the trash before locking up, setting my alarm, brushing my teeth, and heading to bed. I could’ve stayed up a little longer but, I want to get up early so, I can surprise Con with breakfast before I have to go to work. I might go ahead and take some time off. My employees can handle the salon for a few days. Yeah, I like this plan.

  Grabbing my iPad, I open my scheduling app that sends an alert to all of my employees whenever it’s updated. I adjust everyone’s schedule, so someone is there to open the salon while I’m gone then send a group text once it’s updated letting my employees know I won’t be in for the next few days. I know I probably won’t get Con to take any time off with me because the department is shorthanded but, if he keeps an afternoon shift, at least we’ll have the morning and late nights together.

  Deep down, I know one of the reasons I’d rather be with him than on my own is because if I’m alone, I’ll be worrying about my stalker and what he has planned next and scaring the crap out of myself. Having my mate by my side knowing he’ll protect me should something happen will go a long way towards easing my fears. And getting me laid. Let’s not forget about that. I haven’t had sex in so long. I look forward to finally ending the dry spell.

  Putting my iPad and phone on the nightstand, I turn my bedside lamp off and slide under the covers. Setting an alarm for a few hours from now when I know Con will be home and likely sleeping, I close my eyes and let sleep take me.

  I was able to avoid working a triple shift thanks to one of the warlock officers who was out with the flu showing up illness free. I was about an hour and a half late getting home because of all the paperwork I had to do. Briefly, I entertained the idea of going over to Cosmo’s but when I got home and saw that all his lights were out, I decided not to disturb him. After fixing myself a quick bite to eat, I locked up, took a shower to wash off the day and went to bed.

  Waking to the smell of bacon, I crack an eye and peek at my alarm clock, seeing it’s nine thirty in the morning. Damn… I can’t believe I slept for eleven hours. Guess I needed it. Stretching, I sit up on the side of the bed and rub my eyes. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand where it was charging, I wake it and see a text message from the captain giving me the next few days off now that he’s got all the warlock officers and a couple human officers back to work.

  My stomach growling reminds me of the smell that I woke up to. Did I lock the doors last night? I thought I did. Standing, I walk over to my dresser and grab a pair of athletic shorts. Pulling them on, I follow the smell into the kitchen and smile when I see Cosmo at the stove dancing to whatever music is coming through his earbuds, wearing a blue tank-top and another pair of daisy duke shorts while cooking. His light brown and black hair is sticking up in multiple directions like he just rolled out of bed and I find the sight absolutely stunning. If this is what I get to wake up to every morning for the rest of our lives, then I’ll worship fate to my dying day.

  Walking up behind him, I put my hands on his hips and lean in to kiss the back of his neck only for him to whirl around and accidentally slap me in the face with the spatula he’s holding. Cosmo pulls the earbuds out of his ears and says, “You scared the shit out of me!”

  Rubbing my cheek, I chuckle. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you’d scented me when I entered the room.”

  Cosmo shakes his head. “All I smelled was bacon. My sense of smell isn’t as good as other bigger cat shifters,” then he touches my cheek and asks, “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. You didn’t hit me that hard.”

  Cosmo bites his beautifully shiny light blue colored lip and says, “I’m sorry.”

  Kissing his forehead, I say, “Don’t be. It was my fault for sneaking up on you.”

  The oven starts beeping and Cosmo pushes me ba
ck, so he can turn around and open the oven door. Using a potholder, he pulls out a pan of delicious smelling biscuits and places them on the counter. The hint of honey and salmon wafting from them has my mouth watering. As I reach for one, Cosmo smacks my fingers and says, “Paws off until we sit down to eat.”

  Feisty mate. Kissing his neck, I move past him to the coffee maker where I pour myself a cup. “Want coffee?”

  “Yes, please. Add four scoops of sugar and a little bit of milk.”

  Nodding, I pull down another cup from the cabinet and pour coffee in, fixing it to his liking. Once I have both our cups ready, I carry them over to the island because I don’t have a regular kitchen table. Cosmo has already placed plates full of food on the island along with every condiment we might need. Sitting on the stool across from Cosmo, I pass his coffee over to him. Grabbing the ketchup, I pour some over my eggs and hash browns and say, “This is a wonderful spread, little sprite, thank you.”

  Cosmo smiles. “You’re welcome. I had to bring it over from my house. You didn’t have anything to cook that wasn’t frozen.”

  “I forgot to go grocery shopping again. I meant to do it after my shift, but by the time I finished my paperwork for the night I was too tired to drive to the next town because our market closes at ten. I’d hoped to spend some time with you but you went to bed unusually early last night. Normally, you’re still up when I get home unless I worked a double shift.”

  Cosmo says, “I went to bed early so, I could surprise you with breakfast.”

  “It was definitely a surprise. How’d you get in? I could’ve sworn I locked up last night.”

  “You did. I found your hide-a-key.”

  The smug grin on his face as he holds up the key is adorable. “How’d you find it?”

  Cosmo blushes and says, “I saw you hide it when you moved in.”

  Raising an eyebrow, I tease, “Should I be worried that you remembered where I hid it? It has been ten years, after all.”

  “Maybe Fate had something to do with it. Not letting me forget.”

  “I can believe that. I remember things about you too. Like what you were wearing when I first moved in.”

  Cosmo raises an eyebrow and his grin widens. “Oh really? What was I wearing?”

  “A silver sequin top with black skinny jeans and silver glitter sneakers.”

  “How is it we went ten years without ever scenting each other?”

  Finishing off my food, I push the plate aside and lean forward resting my arms on the counter. “I’m not sure, but I have a feeling it’s all part of Fate’s plan. We meet our mates when we’re supposed to. If we’re supposed to. I know some paranormals go their whole lives without ever meeting the person meant to be theirs.”

  Cosmo says, “I think if we’re meant to meet our mates, we will. I know there’s a lot of people on the planet but, with the way Fate works, if it was meant to happen Fate would make sure it did somehow. Like us. We’ve lived next door to each other for years but didn’t scent each other until now.”

  I have a feeling I know why it didn’t happen until now but, I won’t be voicing those thoughts. The last thing I want is for a mention of his stalker to ruin our morning. Seeing the time on the oven, I ask Cosmo, “Shouldn’t you be heading to work soon?”

  “I took a few days off. I thought maybe we could spend time together until you needed to go to work.”

  Unable to stop the grin that crosses my face, I say, “Luckily, I don’t need to go to work. Since I worked double shifts more than once this week and some of the officers that were out with the flu are back, I’ve been given a few days off.”

  Cosmo dances in his seat and claps his hands. “Yes! We have all day together instead of a few hours. What do you want to do?”

  Biting my lip, I let my gaze sweep over the sexy little sprite in front of me and say, “I can think of a few things.”

  Cosmo wags his finger at me and says, “Absolutely not. No hanky panky until we get to know each other a little better.”

  Standing, I say, “Then we’d better go somewhere with a crowd because I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep myself under control if we’re here alone.”

  Cosmo smiles and says, “Whatever you want, mac-daddy.”

  Shaking my head furiously, I say, “Nope. Pick something else, little sprite. I’m no one’s daddy. Mac or otherwise.”

  Cosmo laughs and says, “I was kidding, Grizz.”

  Smiling down at him because his cheerfulness is infectious, I say, “You’re going to keep me on my toes, aren’t you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Circling the island, I press a kiss to his lips and say, “I’m going to get dressed. Pack us some food for lunch and some drinks. There’s a cooler in the laundry room you can use.”

  Leaving him to it, I head into my bedroom. Once I’ve pulled on a pair of jeans, socks, and a t-shirt, I return to the kitchen where Cosmo is dumping the ice from the icemaker drawer in my freezer into the cooler over drinks and a bunch of Tupperware containers. Either I took the longest time getting dressed or he’s that quick. Walking over to where I left my boots last night, I kick something and stumble. Looking down, I see the mound of duffle bags and trash bags stacked there. There’s a couple more bags on the couch and a large storage tote full of shoes in front of it.

  Looking over my shoulder to the kitchen, I ask, “Cosmo, what’s all this?”

  Cosmo turns and glances at the bags then bites his lip. “It’s my stuff.” Obviously, I knew that but, felt the need to ask anyways.

  Seeing the expression on his face, I cross into the kitchen and pull him into my arms. Cosmo fists my shirt and says, “I woke up around three in the morning after having a nightmare about my stalker. I couldn’t go back to sleep, and I didn’t want to be alone in my house anymore so, I packed up everything and hauled it over here while it was still dark. I used the hide-a-key on the front door then unlocked the back and brought everything in that way, so I wouldn’t be seen.”

  Cosmo looks up at me and continues, “When I saw the sparseness of your fridge after I’d carried all the bags in, I went back over, emptied my fridge of its contents and brought them over too.”

  “Sweet little sprite, why didn’t you wake me? I would’ve helped you.”

  “I was going to but, then I saw how soundly you were sleeping, and I couldn’t do it.”

  “I’m surprised I slept through you hauling all of this in here.”

  Cosmo laughs. “I’m not. You were dead to the world. Which isn’t surprising considering how hard you’ve been working. I’m sure you were exhausted.”

  “I was. I slept for eleven hours.”

  Cosmo nods. “Then I made the right decision.”

  Glancing at the bags again, I wink at him and say, “So you’ve basically moved in?”

  “Yep. The only thing left at my house is furniture. I packed up anything I didn’t want to risk leaving behind and having my stalker destroy it. I’m afraid if he can bypass my alarm at the salon then he can bypass the one on my house since the same company installed both.”

  If that’s true it might be a good idea to sweep his house for hidden cameras and mics. I’ll do it later. Right now, I want him to forget about the person that’s after him for a while and have some fun. Kissing the top of Cosmo’s head, I say, “Grab the cooler, little sprite. We’re going to a place where we can forget our troubles for a while.”

  Cosmo smiles at me and grabs the cooler along with a small bag containing what looks like bread, crackers, and some other snacks. I parked my truck in the garage last night even though I normally leave it in the driveway. For some reason, I felt the need to park it in the garage. I suppose it’s Fate at work again. With Cosmo here and my truck parked in the garage, if his stalker happens to be watching he won’t see Cosmo leave my house. My windows are so tinted the stalker won’t be able to see through them either when we’re on the road.

  Cosmo slides his feet into a pair of flipflops that were by the is
land and I admire the sparkly light blue polish on his toenails for a second before taking Cosmo’s hand and leading him out the door that leads into the garage. Circling around to the passenger side, I open the door for Cosmo and take the cooler from him when he climbs inside. Leaving Cosmo to get buckled in, I circle around to the driver’s side and open the door to the backseat. After I put the cooler in the floorboard, I close the door then climb in behind the wheel.

  Buckling in, I start the engine, hit the garage door opener and back out of the driveway. Not seeing his car, I ask, “Where’s your car?”

  Cosmo says, “After I finished bringing everything over from my house, I decided it needed to look like I’d be gone for a while, so, I drove it over to my parents’ place outside of town and parked it in the detached garage behind their house. I shifted and ran back and slept on the foot of your bed in my cat form because I was too tired to shift and put on clothes.”

  “That was smart. You suddenly disappearing might push the guy to make a mistake and then we can catch him. Hopefully, if it does, it’ll happen while you’re off over the next few days because once you start going back to work and leave from my house he’s going to know where you are.”

  Cosmo says, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. There’s something else too that cinched my decision to leave my house.” Cosmo leans to the right so he can get to his back pocket and pulls out a note. “This was on my pillow when I turned on the lights after my nightmare.”

  Holy shit… he was in Cosmo’s house. “Did you scent anything unusual?”

  Cosmo shakes his head.

  Pulling over, I hold out my hand to him and say, “Hand me that so, I can read it, please.”

  Cosmo hands the note to me and I open it.

  I saw what you did.

  You thought no one was watching.

  But I was.

  You’re supposed to be mine.

  Not his.

  Not anyone’s.

  Mine.

  We’ll be together soon.

  Until then, I’ll be watching.

  Fuck, that’s creepy. No wonder Cosmo is so terrified.