The Bear Next Door (Forbidden Shifters Book 1) by Vanessa Devereaux Page B

nothing else. A bear tattoo adorned the bicep of his right arm. A necklace
with a grizzly bear charm hug around his neck and rested on his chest which I
wanted to lick and kiss.
    “Hello.”
    I
stepped back from the fence while feeling like someone had caught me doing
something bad. I couldn’t respond because my mouth seemed frozen. The bear next
door was now looking over the fence at me.
    He
extended his hand to me. “I’m Andy Chamberlin. I’m glad I’ve finally run into
you.”
    “You
are?” I asked. Foolish me reading more into it and knowing full well he was
just being friendly.
    “Yeah,
I’ve lived in this house for over a month and I kept thinking I haven’t met my
neighbor yet. I always seem to miss you when you’re outside.”
    “I’ve
been working late.”
    “Me
too. What do you do?” he asked, resting his elbows on top of the fence.
    “I’m
a…”
    I’m a
person lost for words because you’re even more gorgeous up close.
    I
looked at him, he had both eyebrows raised and I guessed he thought he’d moved
next door to an idiot.
    “I’m
a personal assistant at a PR firm.”
    Phew,
I’d managed to get that all out without stuttering.
    “Sounds
like fun.”
    “It
is and how about you?”
    “I’m
a graphic designer. I work from home most of the time and especially late at
night so if you hear noise coming from here, don’t worry. I sometimes design to
music. In fact, if I disturb you or keep you awake, just knock on my door and
tell me.”
    Knocking
on his door and late at night. Me in
just a towel wrapped around my body and Andy in tight jeans…
    “So
how long has it been?”
    Shit,
my fantasies were getting out of control and I hadn’t heard what he’d asked me.
    “Since
you had sex?” he asked.
    “What…I…”
    “I’m
just messing with you. The more you get to know the more you’ll be able to
figure out when I’m joking with you.”
    Would
we getting to know one another that well?
    “You
know I’m a bear shifter right?”
    I
nodded, feeling dumber by the minute.
    “You’re
the first one in the neighborhood,” I said.
    “You
don’t have a problem with us, do you? I know some people don’t mind working
with us but some don’t like us as neighbors. I think they feel we’ll scare
their kids or maybe corrupt their females or something. I guess that’s how the
ban initially came about.”
    “I
have no problem at all,” I said.
    “Great.
I was going to make a drink if you want to come over and join me. That is if
you’ve finished digging that hole. What exactly are you going to plant there?
That’s one big fucking cavity.”
    I
looked down into it. He was right. I could see a bunch of roots and actual clay
instead of dirt. I guess digging took the edge off my sexual frustration.
    “I’m
not quite sure yet. I mean what I’m going to plant there, not about coming to
have a drink with you which I’d love to do.”
    “Great,
and feel free to just climb over the fence. Saves you going all the way around
to the front of the house.”
    I
pushed one of the patio chairs close to the fence and stood on it. Before I
knew it he had both his hands over the fence pulling me up and over. He placed
me on the ground but the excitement of being this close to him made my legs
buckle. My left ankle gave way and I fell into him.
    “You
okay? You’re not drunk are you?” he asked.
    My
face was close to his chest. I took in his scent. I’d never been this close to
a shifter before and realized they smelled different to regular men. Their odor
was sort of musky with a touch of spice. I took a deep breath so I could
appreciate it more.
    “You
like that?” Andy asked.
    I
looked up at him. He had some stubble growing on his chin and eyes that were
chestnut brown.
    “You
smell divine,” I said.
    Had I
just used the word divine? I don’t think I’ve used that word ever before.
    “I’m
supposed to. It’s a sex pheromone we shifters secrete when we haven’t had sex
for a while