Shift, Inc

Shift, Inc
Crymsyn Hart
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2023 Crymsyn Hart
Excerpt from Bear Embrace

Samuel tugged on his shirt and checked his watch. He was early, but he hated being late. He examined his reflection in the glass. The circles under his eyes were deeper. Sleep had come easily the night before. This time his nightmare had changed. The nightly vision became one inhabited with large bears challenging him, a man in the woods observing this, and some other male presence in the shadows. All their faces remained obscured.

Samuel had chosen a newer pair of jeans and a button down shirt to make him look somewhat respectable. He wasn't sure he could pull it off. Booker was counting on him, and he would never let his friend or pack leader down. He tugged at the collar, butterflies bombarding his stomach. Meeting clients was always the worst. He checked his watch one more time. They hadn't shown up yet, which meant they either weren't coming or they were already inside.

Taking a deep breath, he entered Giuseppe's. No one manned the podium. Forks scraped over china, making him wince at the shrill sound. Delicious aromas assailed his nose. His stomach grumbled at the thought of food.

Samuel perused the patrons and heard Walter before he saw him. The boisterous laugh resonated within the room. He turned toward the chuckle and saw a shock of brown hair shot through with white. Walter had on jeans and a blue flannel shirt. Booker sat across the table from him. A white jacket hung on the back of one of the chairs. A virtual buffet was spread on the table. Samuel didn't see Nia. Booker gestured for him to come join them. He started to walk toward them when the world went black. Smooth hands covered his eyes. His nostrils flared at the aroma of vanilla masking the heady scent of the bear. He growled low in his throat. The sultry laughter behind him made his pulse race. It stirred the wolf in him. Samuel spun around and seized the arms of the person who had blinded him.

Her chiseled cheekbones signaled her Native American heritage. Her skin was lightly golden, a mixture of different browns and tans he didn't have a word for. Her bright blue eyes reminded him of a cloudless sky. Dark brown hair cascaded down her back in lush ringlets. Her full lips had him so mesmerized while she spoke he didn't catch what she was saying.

"... letting me go please?"

The words registered. Samuel released her, still dumbfounded at her beauty. His cock stiffened at the thought of climbing between her thighs, experiencing her soft curves, and discovering what she tasted like. "Sorry."

She snapped her fingers before his face. He blinked again and withdrew from his daze. "Samuel."

"What?" he barked. It seemed as if he was awaking from a sleep. Then again, the fitful nights were grating on him.

"It's me. Nia."

He forced his lips into a smile. "Hi. Sorry. I didn't recognize you."

"Uh-huh. It has been forever. God, you must remember the pain in the ass following you guys around all the time."

"Sounds about right."

"There you two are. Nia, did you find your phone in the car?" Booker asked her, tugging on Samuel's shirt to get his attention. "Where were you?"

"Sorry, boss." He threw the pack alpha a smile.

"Hey, Booker. I did find it." Nia held up her phone showing she had retrieved it. "Slipped between the seats. Happens a lot. God, I'm starving. I hope Walter hasn't been a bear. I know my father can get rather loud."

"Not at all. Come on and sit down. We ordered a few appetizers while we were waiting for everyone to get here."

Samuel followed the two of them. The sway of Nia's hips made his wolf howl within his mind. He winced at the sound but enjoyed the way the black fabric of her skirt spread over the round mounds of her ass. She had curves in all the right places. He always preferred a woman with some meat on her bones. This certainly wasn't the girl he remembered. She had come into her own.

Nia slid into her seat across from him. The vee neckline of her purple sweater rested just on the dip of her breasts. She laughed at something Booker said. Her lips spread into a dazzling grin, and her eyes twinkled under the overhead lights.

A sharp pain in his thigh made him tear his gaze from Nia. Booker shot him a murderous look. He bit his lip and tried to hide the chuckle bubbling up inside of him. Booker lifted an eyebrow, and Samuel knew he wanted him to pay attention to their potential clients rather than check out Nia. His wolf wasn't listening to him. His gaze moved back over to Nia. Her lips moved again and all he could think about was tasting them.