The Billionbear's Bride: BBW Bear Shifter BWWM Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant Page B

behind-the-scenes brain, and Jim with the business sense and practical expertise to make it happen. Together we built a multi-billion-dollar enterprise.”
    “He was your partner,” Violet said.
    Bruce nodded. “Two years ago I started some designs for a better car seat—safer, more reliable. Jim saw it through the pipeline. At this point I was hanging back from the business part of the job completely. Almost too late I found out he had gone in and made some alterations to my design. The changes would have made production cheaper, but at a cost—a cost too high for me. The whole point of the new design was to make it safer, and he’d undone all of that.
    “At that time I still thought there could be some explanation. That it was all just a misunderstanding and we could figure it out. The safety studies had already been done, so I went down to talk to them.”
    Violet was watching him with rapt attention. “What did they say?”
    He shrugged grimly. “It turned out some of the data had maybe been fudged. Hard to say, and only one worker was willing to talk about it—and swore they wouldn’t testify about it. I didn’t have enough hard evidence to get him convicted in a court of law, but there was enough to get him thrown out of the company. Messily.
    “He has a grudge,” he finished with a sigh. Telling someone the whole story like that—not just the facts, but the hurt and betrayal of it all, their lost friendship—had taken something out of him.
    With a worried look Violet glanced behind them at the photos. “But we can go to the police, right?”
    “I don’t think I could prove it’s him. I don’t have any evidence, the way the message was worded—I just know .”
    “Do you think he’s dangerous?”
    “It’s hard to imagine he would do anything serious—he’s a friendly guy. Was friendly,” he corrected. Even though Jim’s actions had made him question their friendship, it was still hard to shake old habits. Bruce had a bear’s loyalty, and that was hard to lose. “Maybe this is all. Maybe he just wants to scare me a little. Maybe he feels betrayed by me, like I let him down. I can’t help but feel sometimes like it was me who ruined our friendship.”
    But what stalker ever stopped at a few photos?
    Violet still looked worried—but for him, not herself. “You did the right thing,” she said confidently, brushing her fingers soothingly through the hair at his temple. “He was in the wrong. You called him on it, and he faced the consequences. It sounds like he’s bitter and wants to bring you down with him.”
    “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he swore, his protective instincts flaring. “He never should have brought you into this. He won’t lay a finger on you.”
    “I believe you,” she whispered, and something shone in her eyes.
    Caught up in the moment, he kissed her. It felt like forever since he’d tasted her lips—he had kissed her a few hours before, but it already felt like forever ago.
    He drank in her returning kiss like she was an oasis in a desert, like a parched traveler seeking water.
    She kissed him back eagerly, her mouth soft and pliant under his. Even in her kiss he could feel the blood thrumming under her skin, a hummingbird’s beat of anxiety and dread, and he vowed to make it disappear . . . even if it took all night.
    Hungrily he probed her mouth with his tongue, and felt her moan in response. She shifted, the pleasant weight of her body pressing against him as she opened her mouth and returned his kiss passionately.
    He cupped her face in one hand gently. He was acutely aware of how fragile she seemed, how much she needed protection. Jim wanted to hurt her, or at least frighten her badly—and through her, he wanted to get to Bruce.
    Brushing his thumb over her cheekbone, Bruce resolved that he would never let that happen. Her hands rose to brush through his hair, making his skin tingle. He breathed in her scent, fresh and lemony and uniquely