Bear West: BBW Bear Shifter Mail Order Bride Romance Read Online Free

now to identify it as a field of alfalfa. Further away, on the steeper slopes, were thorny bushes, low to the ground and a pale grayish-green, almost silver: sagebrush.
    “Should we go inside, or do you want to stay out here until it gets dark?” Diego asked. His voice was flat, but when she turned to him, suddenly shy, she caught a gleam of amusement in his eyes that made her grin. She had an impulse to jump, to spin, to shout out loud – after all, there was no one to see. Well, except for Diego. But she had the feeling that he wouldn’t judge her. He might even join in.
    Instead of doing anything so childish, she ran up to him and kissed him. She’d intended only to kiss his cheek, but at the last moment she changed her mind and aimed for his mouth. He was so much taller than her that she had to stand on her toes to reach him, but after a startled gasp Diego’s arms came around her waist, supporting her and pulling her closer.
    What had started as a friendly peck quickly became deeper and hotter. Carla felt Diego’s tongue slide against her lips, and after a quick decision, she opened her mouth to let him in. He was so gentle, but she could feel the size of his muscles under her hands, and it was intoxicating, to feel all that power and strength restrained for her sake.
    Carla slowly sank back down onto her feet, breaking the kiss. She was breathing hard, and all she could do was stare up at Diego.
    He has the most wonderful eyes , she thought. Brown and amber, like buckwheat honey, or antique wood, or an expensive fur coat. I could stare into his eyes for hours .
    When had she gotten so romantic? And about a man she’d only just met! But she couldn’t deny the attraction she felt. She’d never been this head-over-heels for any of her old boyfriends.
    Diego took his hands off her waist and cleared his throat. “Well, uh, I guess we should go inside.”
    Carla nodded, too dazed to do anything more, and followed him to the front door. He opened it without needing to unlock it, and she raised an eyebrow. He caught her look and spread his arms. “Who’s going to break in out here?”
    She had to admit that he had a point. She studied the house while he went back to the truck to bring in her luggage. She wasn’t used to being treated so well. How had she found a man who was both handsome and chivalrous? Ranch Romeos must be magic.
    The house was clearly new, and had probably been built within the last year. It was small, though it had more than enough room for two people. Once she’d stepped inside, it quickly became very obvious that Diego really hadn’t lived here for long. There was no furniture except for what was absolutely necessary: a refrigerator, a table with only two chairs, and (she peeked through an open door) a bed. There was no art on the walls, no curtains on the windows, and a few of the rooms hadn’t even been painted yet.
    It was a nice house, but it wasn’t a home. Not yet. Carla let herself imagine what she would do with the place, after she and Diego agreed that she’d definitely be staying. She’d paint the kitchen walls pale blue – a cool color to help with the heat of cooking – and put in tiles on the counter and behind the sink. The living room would be a dark green, the color of the tall trees she’d seen on the drive here; pinyon pines, Diego had called them.
    And the bedroom... what would she do with that? Heat rose in her cheeks as she thought about it, and she couldn’t keep herself from glancing over her shoulder at Diego. He was watching her without a word, but from his expression, he felt the same urgent passion that she did.
    Carla pressed her legs together to quiet the throbbing between her thighs. “It’s a nice place.”
    “I’m glad you like it.”
    “It looks new. Did you build it?”
    “Not personally, though I lent a hand with the construction. The previous owners didn’t actually live on their land. They were from a city on the coast – I can’t