Commander Bear (Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance) (Bear Patrol Book 1) by Scarlett Grove

to remind her that she needed to pay him back. Every day she continued to owe him, racked up more debt. Then six months ago, he had given her the assignment to come to Fate Mountain and take Caitlin Somerset’s jewels.
    She had seen it as a chance to be free, but she had never expected to fall in love with the town, and the people, or Rollo. But she had, and now that Rollo had arrested her, she knew she could never have any of it. If all she got out of this was her life, then that would have to be enough. Rollo had the jewels in his pocket. She had to find a way to get them back and get away from him.
    She knew she would spend the rest of her life yearning for his touch, but she would have to travel to the other side of the world and never see him again. That’s what she had decided on by the time they pulled up in front of an extremely rustic cabin several hours later. They had spent the entire drive climbing up steep gravel roads, gaining elevation to where the summer air was cooler. She felt a chill on her face as Rollo pulled her out of the SUV.
    “Where the hell are we?” she insisted.
    “Somewhere no one can find you,” he said in a gravelly voice.
    He pulled her toward the cabin door and unlocked it with an old key. Once inside, the musty smell told her the cabin was quite old. Rollo directed her to sit on an ancient loveseat from the nineteen eighties while he went to the fireplace mantel and lit a kerosene lantern. The light illuminating the cabin allowed Zoe to see the details of her prison.
    It was a one-room cabin with a fireplace, a hand-hewn log table, and a rustic queen-size bed. The couch was under the front window, right next to the fireplace and across from the table. The bed was shoved against the wall and the other corner.
    “I hope the accommodations are up to your standards,” he said, lighting a second kerosene lantern.
    “I’ve seen worse,” she said.
    One year, she had lived in a surf shack on the beach in Mexico. But being kidnapped by her cop mate and taken to a crappy cabin was actually far worse than not having indoor plumbing on the beach.
    “I’m glad you approve,” he said, kneeling in front of the fireplace to arrange the logs and hearth.
    Zoe fidgeted in her seat, her hands still bound behind her back. If she could just angle her hand the right way, she could use her claw to pick the lock. Rollo had a fire going several moments later, stood up, and walked toward her. He gazed down at her, his blue eyes radiant in the firelight. She could smell his desire, and she could see his arousal bulge in front of her as he looked down at her.
    “You can’t hold me like this,” she said, her throat dry.
    “Why not?” he taunted.
    “You and I both know this is all kinds of illegal,” she said.
    “By whose standards?” he asked, kneeling in front of her so that they were looking right into each other’s eyes.
    “By the standards of the government you work for, jackass,” she taunted back.
    “Oh, little kitty, how wrong you are. For one thing, you are obviously guilty of the crime I arrested you for. You yourself told me that you were in danger. I’m protecting you from whatever dangers are out there. Let’s call it a witness protection program.”
    “That’s bullshit and you know it. You haven’t even booked me. I’m not even in the system,” she growled.
    “That’s exactly the way I wanted it. One more thing, kitty cat, I’ll do with you what I please. You are mine.”
    “What makes you think I would want to mate with someone who would treat me like that?” she said, his words sending a hot thrill through her core.
    The argument had ceased to be about the law and was now about the power dynamic between them. Hot lust rolled off both of them, and the scent of their pheromones filled the room. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. But she refused to give in to his demands.
    No matter how much she wanted Rollo, and how much she was enjoying their little game, she knew