Pacific Northwest Werebears(11)

Sophie was looking at the broad muscled chest straining against the white cotton T-shirt. She didn’t even realize when her hand came up and ran over one hard pec. A low grumble shuddered through Cage’s frame. She jerked her hand back, ashamed at letting herself do that. Maybe it was the head injury. Yeah, that’s it, she could blame a head injury for fondling her boss.

“Don’t stop, do it again,” Cage said quietly, his eyes half closed but still watching her.

His tone had her wanting to do anything he asked. She moved her trembling hand back to his chest, splaying her fingers wide and rubbing back and forth. The funny vibration went through Cage again and Sophie found she liked affecting him that way. Plus she got to touch an amazing chest. She wanted to see it bare, but that might breach some kind of employer/employee etiquette she figured. Not like the rubbing was in any way wrong or inappropriate, she thought.

Looking back to his eyes from his chest, Sophie saw that he was watching her. His eyes never leaving her face. “We have a lot to talk about my Sophie. When you get better, okay?” He sounded so clear and sure that Sophie immediately agreed and tried to nod her head. The movement caused a shock of pain to rip through her head. She whimpered and closed her eyes against the agony.

Soft warm lips grazed her temple and she heard, “Shhh…my Sophie, I’ve got you. Just close your eyes and breathe shallowly. We’ll get you feeling better in no time.” A soft kiss against her cheek felt like heaven. It made her feel better somehow. Some of her fear faded and the pain rushed away from where his lips touched her. She moaned a little at the relief and another kiss was placed on her forehead, then down to her other cheek. A scratchy bearded cheek rubbed against hers.

She sighed, it felt good. It felt right somehow. She was thinking she was a terrible employee and deserved to get sacked for laying around on the job and snuggling the boss. But she heard a matching sigh for her sigh. He could hardly fire her for inappropriate behavior when he was acting just as poorly as she was.

He smelled so good too. Like trees and earth and for some reason, honey. It was the perfect combination and Sophie felt herself getting sleepy.

Cage noticed she was relaxing a bit too much and didn’t want her unconscious again. “Honey, you can’t fall asleep. You need to stay awake and talk to me. Tell me about breakfast, what were you going to cook today? More pancakes? I had yours yesterday and they were the best I had ever eaten. I swear, hands down best pancakes in Washington. Just don’t tell my mom,” he teased.

Sophie opened her eyes again and watched Cage smile down at her. If it was possible he was more handsome smiling.

“Porridge and eggs,” she whispered to him.

“Porridge, huh? You know around here we call that oatmeal. You say porridge and people think of Goldilocks and the three little bears,” he said with a laugh.

“I like porridge. I like bears. I like blonds,” she said fighting the warm grey fog trying to steal her consciousness.

“You like bears huh? Ever met one,” he asked, brushing her hair back from her face.

“No…” she muttered, “I dream about them.”

“You dreamt about a bear? When Sophie?” His voiced held a hint of urgency.

“Last night, naked bears…” she said before she let the grey fog take her away. She faintly heard far away a panicked “Sophie!” but the darkness was where it didn’t hurt.





Chapter 10




Pacing the hallway at the hospital, Cage was more than a grumpy bear, he was an angry bear. The doctors wouldn’t let him follow her into the emergency triage area. They told him once she was in a room he could visit her. Since he wasn’t family they couldn’t give him any medical information.

Luckily his cousin worked as one of the nurses and had been slipping info that she was able to grab as they worked on Sophie. She had a pretty severe concussion from hitting the ground. She had two cracked ribs close to her sternum which was why it hurt to breathe. They said the bruising and cracks would just have to heal on their own.

The concussion seemed straight forward, but they wanted to keep her overnight for observation.

“Sweetheart! We came as soon as we heard,” a trilling voice called down the hallway. Cage turned and saw his mother, scurrying down the hallway towards him wearing a summer dress and matching white shoes and purse, like she was on her way to a tea party instead of the county hospital. Behind her was his father, looking harassed and indulgent towards his clearly in charge wife.

Connie and Edward Rochon had been married for over sixty years. The humans they knew thought they were closer to their fortieth year together. They were lucky to have found each other young and the fates matched them for eternity. They were still as in love and crazy for each other as the day they met.