A Bear Out of Water 🌶️

HELEN

“What are you doing here?”

The second I saw Sam outside in the parking lot, I’d pulled on some clothes and run down to meet him.

I’d been away from him long enough that I wasn’t sure how I felt about him anymore. With everything I’d been through, I wasn’t even sure Sam was a viable option.

Still, leaning out of my dorm window and seeing him smile at me, some small pocket of joy erupted. Little tingles ran up my legs and down my spine and gathered around the mark on my neck.

The sun was just starting to burn through the clouds as I came outside and found Sam leaning against his Jeep.

I approached him, and he stood up to meet me but seemed hesitant. As if he wasn’t sure about stepping into my world.

But as soon as I was face to face with him, all of my doubts came flooding back.

“I wanted to see you. My dad kept telling me it was a bad idea, but I kept thinking about you and about this…”

Sam brushed his hand down my neck, grazing the scar from his bite.

I wrapped my unzipped hoodie tighter around me.

“So I decided to hell with them! I’m gonna come visit.”

“I just wish you’d called ahead.”

“Oh…” Disappointment spread across his face. “Are you busy?”

“No, it’s just…” My voice faded away. Sam’s gray eyes looked concerned.

“Is there…did you…is it a guy?”

“What?!” I didn’t know how I felt about Sam, but I definitely didn’t want him to know anything about what had gone on with Chris. Plus, with the way he was looking at me, I knew he’d be devastated if he knew the truth. “No, of course not.”

Sam seemed relieved. His shoulders relaxed and his face turned cheery again.

“Okay, good.”

His smile made me melt. Those lips, those gray eyes, his lightly stubbled, perfect jaw.

Memories of our time at Bear Creek came flooding back.

“Penny for them?” he said and that was it. I wrapped Sam up in a tight hug.

I inhaled his smoky honey scent—I’d missed it.

“Sam…” He’d returned my bear hug and was squeezing so tight it was tricky to breathe. “Need…a little…air…”

“Oh!”

His arms loosened, and I let my head fall against his chest.

Just five minutes ago I was thinking about moving on, and now that he was here…

Now that I could see him, smell him…

Feel his strong arms holding me…

I didn’t want him to leave.

“You ~must~ be Sam.”

I turned to see Emma standing with one hand on her hip. I slipped out of Sam’s arms, took his hand, and led him over to her.

“Sam, this is my best friend Emma.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Sam said.

“Helen was right about one thing…” Emma was arching an eyebrow and talking like a badass chick from ~Fast and Furious 6~. “You are pretty sexy…for a stepbrother.”

I think even Sam blushed at this.

“I need to get dressed, but we might go get some food,” I said, and started leading Sam inside the dorms.

“Oh great,” Emma replied, stopping me in my tracks. “I’ll come too.”

She started walking back inside as well.

“I want to get to know you, Sam. Before I let you run off with my best friend.”

Emma marched through the doors to our dorm. All I could do was look at Sam and shrug.

~Is Emma giving Sam a chance?~

I was excited for them to get to know each other. I only hoped they liked each other.

Either way, this would be interesting…

***

“That’s hilarious!!!”

Emma almost spat her chocolate milkshake all over us as she laughed at Sam’s story.

We’d taken Sam to this retro burger joint and had ordered way too much food. I was happily surprised to find that Sam and Emma were actually getting along.

“Nah, it’s just something we do in Bear Creek.” Sam grabbed a handful of fries and shoved them into his perfect mouth.

He’d been telling Emma about this festival the residents of Bear Creek took part in during the summer. The festival was to celebrate the longest day of the year, and everyone drank mead until they were stupid drunk.

At the peak of the festival, people danced around this pole and the older ones often did it in the nude.

“Sounds like my kind of festival.” Emma planted her milkshake down among the burger wrappers and empty sauce packets strewn across the table.

“Do you want a sundae?” Sam asked, already getting up to go order.

I looked at the mess in front of us. Even though a sundae sounded pretty good, I thought maybe I’d had enough. I didn’t want Sam to think I was a pig.

“Maybe not,” I said.

“Yeah you do! My treat.” Sam winked at me and went to the counter.

“Um, he’s adorable,” Emma whispered conspiratorially when Sam was out of earshot.

“So does this mean you like him?”

She turned in her seat and gave Sam, who was talking to the cashier, a quick up and down.

“I like the way he looks in those jeans,” she said, and laughed. I tossed a fry at her. “And he’s nothing like the hick I imagined.”

I rolled my eyes at this statement.

“Seriously. Tell me what you think.”

“I think…” Emma took a second. “I think he treats you like the goddess you are, and if he makes you happy, well…it’s not as if you’re related by blood!”

“You’re a bonehead,” I said.

And even though she ~was~ a bonehead, I still smiled at her affectionately.

It meant more than I wanted to admit to have her approval. I felt like if Emma approved of Sam, then I could forget about what the rest of the world might think.

“Seriously, he’s great. You have my blessing.” She dipped her fingers into a glass of tap water and flicked droplets at me.

“Three hot fudge sundaes coming through!”

Sam plonked the sundaes down and slid into the booth next to me as I wiped my face with a napkin.

“You got one for me too? Thanks!” Emma smiled.

As the three of us started in on our ice cream, a vibration rippled across the table. Emma grabbed her cell and opened the message.

“Who is it? I asked.

“Sally, she says some folks are going to this club downtown later.” Emma was talking with her mouth full. “Wanna come with?”

I peeked at Sam, who seemed more than a little apprehensive.

“How much will I stick out?” he asked, looking down at his worn flannel.

“You’ll be fine,” Emma said before typing her reply.

Sam said looked at me. “I’ll go if you want to.”

I wasn’t sure why Sam was acting so hesitant. He would’ve driven the girls in any club crazy with one look.

“It might be fun,” I said, and gave his leg a squeeze.

I knew Emma was coming around to him, but I didn’t want to let them miss an opportunity to bond.

***

The dull thud of house music could be heard from down the block.

We were standing in line waiting to be let in. Emma had found her friends and was just ahead of Sam and I.

Sam was holding my hand and looking around.

It dawned on me that he’d probably never spent much time outside of Bear Creek. He looked just as out of place here as I had in the woods.

Most people were dressed in black. The girls all had glittery makeup, tight dresses, and slicked-back hair. The guys were all in baggy hoodies with fanny packs draped over their shoulders.

Emma and I had gotten changed at home, but Sam only had the clothes he’d arrived in. I’d wanted to look nice but hadn’t wanted Sam to feel like he stuck out too badly. So I’d slipped into my favorite blue blouse because I knew it would look nice without being too dressed up.

I tied it into a knot around my waist just to make it a little sluttier.

Sam stood a head above everyone else in line. He was looking around with a worried expression.

“Don’t worry!” Emma shouted back at us, her voice barely audible above the crowd and the thud of the music. “You’ll get in for sure!”

Emma and her friends reached the front of the line and had their IDs checked. Emma turned back and tried to tell me to meet them inside through a combination of mime and interpretive movement. Then they disappeared through two large silver doors.

“Not tonight, pal.” The bouncer stopped Sam.

“What’s the problem?” I tried to help.

“He can’t come in dressed like that. It’s not cowboy night. It’s never cowboy night.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sam said, a little too aggressively.

The guy’s face was an emotionless pit. You could tell he’d seen enough in his job not to care about ruining a single person’s night.

“Are you serious?!” I snapped back at him.

“Miss, look at him.”

Sam was wearing a pretty battered flannel, with one of the pockets half torn off. His jeans were fine, but covered in mud stains, and his boots looked like he’d literally just finished climbing Mount Everest or something.

“Come on, man, all of her friends are in there.” Sam tried to reason with the bouncer.

“She can go in.” He unclipped the rope and gestured for me to go through.

“No, it’s fine. Come on.” I pulled Sam out of the line.

We wandered a little way down the street.

“You can go in if you want. I’ll just go back to your room.”

I stopped walking and turned to Sam.

“Sam, I want to spend the night with you. I wouldn’t be caught dead at a party where I can’t dance with a sexy werebear.”

Sam grinned and a stream of naughty thoughts started to fill my head.

“I have an idea.” I moved in closer. “Why don’t we grab the car and find someplace quiet?”

My mouth was hovering just a breath away from his. Our eyes were locked and our hands entwined. I pushed my hips against his hoping to get him excited.

I started to feel myself getting hot. Even just standing there looking at him I was getting wet.

I wanted him.

I wanted him now.

I wanted to take him somewhere and let him fill me up like a grain silo at harvest time.

My body was calling out for it.

One of Sam’s arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me in even closer. I could feel his bulge, firm and invigorated through his jeans.

With his other hand, he held the back of my head as he kissed my cheek and nestled his head into my shoulder. He breathed me in.

I was ready to take him there on the street when he pulled back.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. Sam just looked at me with angry concern furrowing his brow.

“What…what’s that smell?”

I had no idea what he was talking about.

I watched as his jaw clenched and his eyes turned steely.

“You smell like another guy!”