Going Polar: A Stand Alone Holiday Howls Polar Bear Shifter Romance Page 3

  Lainey thanked him. After she closed the door behind him, she went back to the French doors and looked out, but the bear was gone.

  Chapter Five

  Lainey

  Lainey awoke bright and early the next morning, convinced that her overtired mind was to blame for turning an unusual event into a surrealist one.

  Was it conceivable that a polar bear had been wandering around the lodge last night? Absolutely. In fact, that was why she’d chosen Aurora Falls in the first place.

  Had the bear been gawking at her in the hot tub with a possessive, almost human look in his eyes? Of course not.

  She dressed comfortably and went to the in-lodge restaurant, pleased to find a sumptuous breakfast buffet being set up. The dining room was fairly empty. Only a few tables were occupied, and other than looks of mild interest and friendly nods, the other early morning diners didn’t pay her any attention. That was fine with her.

  A woman came out of the kitchen area and saw her standing there by the unoccupied hostess podium. “Sit anywhere you’d like, hon. Coffee or tea?”

  “Coffee, please.”

  “Just made a fresh pot. I’ll bring it right out.”

  “Thanks.”

  The woman inclined her head toward the buffet. “Grab a plate and help yourself. If you want something we don’t have, you can tell me when I bring your coffee, and we’ll get you taken care of. I’m Alice, by the way.”

  “Thanks, Alice. I’m Lainey.”

  Thus far, everyone she’d met was so welcoming and accommodating. She wondered if all the people in Aurora Falls were that nice or if it was just those who worked for the lodge.

  Lainey checked out the buffet. Some dishes she knew, and some she didn’t, but everything smelled fantastic. She filled her plate with a variety of tiny bites, anxious to sample it all without regard to calories or fat content. She was on vacation after all, and vacations were designed for indulgence and occasional bad choices.

  She was on her way toward a small table in the corner when a voice called out, “Hey, Doc! Over here.”

  Beau, the pilot who’d brought her to Aurora Falls, smiled and beckoned with a wave of his hand. He seemed like a nice guy, and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she wasn’t particularly social in the morning.

  It wasn’t usually an issue. Everyone at the animal hospital knew not to try to engage her in conversation until she had at least two cups of coffee. And the animals, well, they were more concerned with scratches, pets, and cuddles than morning chitchat.

  Standing as she was in the middle of the restaurant, there was nowhere to go, not without being exceptionally rude, so she summoned a smile of her own and changed direction. In a gentlemanly gesture, Beau stood and pulled out a chair for her.

  “Feeling better this morning?” he asked.

  “Much, thanks.”

  “Glad to hear it. You looked pretty beat last night.”

  “I was. It was a long day.”

  The woman she’d spoken with earlier came by with a carafe, poured out a mug for Lainey, and nodded approvingly at Lainey’s full plate before pinning Beau with a motherly look of reproach. “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”

  He grinned jovially and lifted his mug for a refill. “Nope. Not until twelve.”

  The server sighed and addressed Lainey, “Sorry, hon. Don’t be afraid to tell him if he’s being a pest.”

  Beau pretended to pout, but the server swatted his arm lightly and walked away.

  “You know her well, I take it?” Lainey asked.

  “He should,” said a deep voice from behind her. “She’s his mother. Mind if I join you?”

  Lainey looked away from Beau and caught her breath. The deep voice belonged to a Viking god—or at least, what she imagined a Viking god would look like if one actually existed and took human form. Mesmerizing sea-green eyes, blond hair, broad shoulders, and tall. She guessed he topped her respectable five-ten height by six inches at least.

  And he smelled fantastic. Like snow and sea.

  “The more, the merrier,” Beau answered good-naturedly. “Doc, this is Finn. Finn, Doc Lainey.”

  The Viking god—Finn—took the seat across from her and grinned.

  She realized she was staring. “Nice to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is mine, Lainey.”

  She liked the way he’d said her name with just the barest hint of an accent she couldn’t place. Scandinavian perhaps?

  “Is this your first visit to Aurora Falls?”

  “Yes. You too?”

  He smiled, showcasing a set of perfect white teeth and sending her heart into mild arrythmia. “Not quite.”

  “Finn’s a local, like me,” Beau explained.

  “Ah, I see. Do you give tours then?”

  “No, he—” Beau’s words cut off suddenly with a grunt.

  “Yes,” Finn said. “Yes, I do.”

  Finn

  FINN LIFTED HIS BOOT from Beau’s foot and ignored his narrow-eyed stare. So what if he didn’t officially do tours? No one knew Aurora Falls better than he did, and most certainly, no one knew more about polar bears—assuming, of course, that was one of the reasons she’d chosen to come to Aurora Falls as opposed to literally anywhere else.

  The woman—Lainey—was even more beautiful up close than she’d been while lounging in the hot tub the night before. And her scent? Without the chlorinated water and fragrance oils of the hot tub, it was twice as potent, wrapping around him like a warm blanket. Finn had to hold back the sudden and powerful urge to pull her into his arms, nuzzle her, and coat himself with it.

  Beau had called her Doc though, which could be a problem. “You’re a doctor?”

  “A veterinarian,” she clarified, adding cream and sugar to her coffee.

  Finn exchanged a quick glance with Beau. The surprise in Beau’s eyes suggested he hadn’t known.

  “Do you specialize in anything particular?”

  “Not really. I work for an animal hospital that partners with the regional wildlife rescue organization, so I see it all, goldfish to big game.”

  Big game. He definitely fit into that category. “Polar bears?”

  “No, we don’t have a lot of those in Vermont,” she replied. Her smile was enchanting. “But black bears? Definitely.”

  Beau exchanged a look with Finn. “Aurora Falls is a popular destination among biologists and scientists. There’s a research center farther north. Are you interested in checking it out?”

  She shook her head. “I read about that, but I don’t think so.”

  Finn was encouraged by her answer. If she was the dissect first and ask questions later type, it didn’t matter how attractive she was or how much his bear wanted to nuzzle her, he would need to keep his distance and make sure everyone else did too.

  He lifted his chin toward the trifold tourist pamphlet beside her plate. “Is there anything you are interested in?”

  “Polar bears.”

  Deep within, his bear stirred. “Like polar bears, do you?”

  Her lips quirked. “Is there a better reason to come to Aurora Falls?”

  He felt his grin widen. “Not really.”

  “The brochure lists several different tours. Walking, tundra buggy, helicopter. Which do you recommend?”

  “All of them,” he answered honestly. And he wanted to accompany her on each and every one. “The walking tour is good for familiarizing yourself with the town and includes local history, if you’re into that sort of thing. The buggy tour goes a bit farther out and hits some of the local bear hot spots. The chopper tour gives you a unique bird’s-eye view and allows you to see places you couldn’t get to any other way.”

  “Except Finn doesn’t do helicopter tours.” Beau smirked.

  Finn shrugged. “I prefer to keep my feet on the ground, but I could be persuaded, with the right incentive.”

  He looked right into Lainey’s eyes, delighted by the rosy blush that painted her cheeks. He couldn’t
remember the last time he’d flirted with a woman—or more importantly, when he’d wanted to—but there was something about her that called to him and his bear. He’d just have to tread carefully until he got it all sorted out.

  “So, what do you say, Doc?” Beau asked Lainey. “Are you feeling courageous today?”

  “You should give it a try, hon,” said Alice, returning with more coffee. “There’s no better pilot than my Beau, and with the storm brewing, it might be your best chance to venture beyond Aurora Falls for a while.”

  Lainey looked uncertain but appeared to be considering it.

  “I promise, you’ll be in good hands. I haven’t lost anyone yet,” Beau assured her with a wink.

  Finn was about to step on his friend’s foot again when Lainey’s eyes focused on something over his shoulder. His only warning was the whiff of strong perfume that heralded Cougar Mae’s arrival. He struggled not to sneeze when she sat down beside him.

  “Where did you get to last night, Finn?” she asked, her lips forming a practiced pout. “You didn’t even say good night.”

  Beau’s cough sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Lainey sipped her coffee and shifted her gaze to her plate. That simply would not do.

  “Mae, meet Lainey. She’s here for the holidays as well.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Mae,” Lainey said politely.

  “Same.” Mae turned her attention back to Finn. “So, what are we doing today?”

  Beau’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Finn here was just saying how wonderful the polar bear sighting tours are.”

  “Does this mean you’ve changed your mind about giving personal tours?” Mae asked hopefully. “I do tip very well.”

  Finn was watching Lainey, so he knew when her eyes flicked back to him and then to Mae’s hand on his arm. He saw them widen as Lainey put two and two together and came up with five. That, too, would have to be rectified.

  Lainey turned back to Beau. “You know what? I think I would like to take a private tour. Noon, you said?”

  “That’s right.”

  Lainey rose from the table. “Perfect. That’ll give me a chance to look around first. Nice meeting everyone.”

  Finn’s eyes followed her across the restaurant, his urge to pursue her strong. He was vaguely aware of Mae saying something, but he didn’t care about that.

  He rose from his seat. “If you’ll excuse me.”

  Lainey

  LAINEY WASN’T SURE what had come over her in the dining room. She’d just known she didn’t want to sit there and watch Mae paw at Finn any longer.

  The woman was clearly into him even if she was obviously several years his senior. And why wouldn’t she be? The guy was extremely attractive, and those eyes ... when they’d locked on hers, she’d felt as if she’d fallen headlong into a rabbit hole.

  Unwilling to analyze that strange response, Lainey opted to familiarize herself with the lodge instead. She’d already glimpsed the restaurant, bar, and lobby, but she hadn’t seen the gift shop, spa, indoor pool, or observation deck-slash-lounge.

  She perused the gift shop, laughing when she saw the shirts sporting an image of a polar bear and the caption Polar AF. She picked up an oversize fleece hoodie for herself and wondered if she should get one as a souvenir for Henry. Vicki would probably hate it, which was enough incentive to seriously consider it.

  Torn between the white one and the blue one, she was holding up both when her skin began to tingle.

  “I’d go with the blue. It complements your eyes.”

  Finn.

  Against her will, her heart beat a little faster. She steeled herself against those artic-green peepers and looked pointedly around him, expecting to see Mae clinging to his side. He was so broad that she had to take a step to the side to do so.

  He chuckled, a low and deep rumble, as if he knew what she was doing. “I made a break for it, if you’re wondering.”

  “I wasn’t,” she lied, lifting her chin to look up into those gorgeous eyes. As tall as she was, there weren’t many men she looked up to, literally or figuratively. “And who you spend your time with is certainly no business of mine.”

  His face clouded briefly. He reached one of those massive hands behind his neck and shifted his weight. “I know, but I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression.”

  Why would he care if she got the wrong impression? Unless maybe he’d felt that same initial attraction as she had. His earlier comment about incentive came to mind.

  “No worries. She was coming on pretty strong.”

  “For the record, I did nothing to encourage her.”

  “You didn’t openly discourage her either,” she pointed out before she could stop herself.

  “You’re right; I didn’t.” He sighed, as if he wasn’t happy about Mae’s advances. “She’s a guest.”

  And probably not one to take subtle hints, like getting up and walking away.

  “It would be bad for business,” she guessed.

  He nodded.

  “Let me ask you something. Are you a tour guide?”

  “No, not really,” he admitted. “I’m filling in for my brother-in-law, so he can take my sister to the mainland. They’re expecting their first and ...” He paused and shook his head. “Sorry, TMI.”

  It was sweet, the way he obviously cared for his sister. That was something she could relate to. She worried about Henry too. “No worries. I’ve got a twin brother, so I get it.”

  “So ... I’m forgiven?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing to forgive.”

  “Then, you wouldn’t mind if I joined you on the chopper tour this afternoon?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I thought you were a local. And you didn’t like flying.”

  “I am, and I don’t. But ... I’ve never been on one of Beau’s tours before.” He shifted his weight and rubbed the back of his neck again.

  It was kind of cute to see a huge Viking god seem unsure of himself. Unless, of course, it was an act.

  Lainey didn’t think it was an act.

  “And you’re going today because ...” she prompted.

  “Because I sense a kindred spirit in you,” he told her with a shy grin. “And because Beau won’t do anything reckless with you along. Bonus: Mae thinks I’m doing the land tour.”

  Lainey laughed. He really was cute. “In that case, no, I wouldn’t mind. But I have to warn you, I didn’t do so well on the flight in.”

  “Then, maybe you’d prefer the tundra buggy?”

  “Are you kidding? Mae’s going on that one.”

  Chapter Six

  Finn

  Bears were not meant to fly. It was a simple fact. However, there was very little his bear was not willing to do to remain close to Lainey—something he had yet to adequately explain. If that meant gritting his teeth and sucking up his dislike of flying, then that was what he would do—at least until he figured out why she intrigued him so much.

  It could be a simple case of animal attraction. Beasts were naturally drawn to some humans more than others, specifically those with a compassionate spirit and selfless respect for others. As a veterinarian, it made sense that Lainey possessed both of those qualities.

  Alternately, his interest could lie in the fact that she was one of the few females who checked enough of his boxes to warrant more study. She seemed intelligent and soft-spoken. She laughed easily and had a soothing voice that didn’t grate on his nerves as well as a healthy physical build that a larger man, such as himself, could appreciate. Also, she smelled fantastic.

  Regardless of the reason, however, she was a visitor to Aurora Falls, which meant he had to keep his paws to himself and enjoy her company in ways that wouldn’t get him in trouble with the alliance.

  The helicopter tour wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d thought. Lainey’s scent filled the enclosed space and had a calming effect on his bear. He was so focused on her—who apparently didn’t like being in the air any more than he did—that he barely thought about his own
discomfort. And when she gripped his hand and her initial fear abated somewhat, they were both able to breathe easier and enjoy the view.

  Her excitement and joy were contagious as Beau flew low over a celebration of polar bears below, even more so when those bears looked skyward and put on a show. Finn knew each and every one of them and would make a point to thank them personally later.

  “That was wonderful,” she exclaimed over the headset when Beau expertly landed the craft at the conclusion of the tour. “Thank you for that.”

  “My pleasure, Doc. If you want to go up again, you just say the word.”

  She chuckled. “Thanks, but I think I’ve used up my courage quota for a while.”

  “It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

  “Honestly, no. I’m glad I did it.”

  They waited until the rotors stopped completely, and then Finn unfolded his big body from the chopper, happy to feel solid, packed snow beneath his feet again. He held out his hand for Lainey, pleased when she accepted without hesitation. He’d grown quite fond of the feel of her hand in his.

  Over Lainey’s head, Beau flashed a knowing grin and offered an encouraging thumbs-up before turning his attention to something inside the helicopter. Finn decided to forge ahead.

  “Do you have dinner plans?”

  Her eyes lit up briefly before her smile faded. “The welcome dinner is tonight. I should probably go since I missed the meet and greet.”

  Disappointment speared through him. He’d completely forgotten about that. Bill liked to have a big, fancy get-together at the beginning and end of each tour and, unlike the meet and greet, the dinners were for VIPs and guests only.

  “Right.”

  “Maybe we could do something tomorrow?” she asked.

  Her eyes sparkled, giving him hope.

  “Yeah. I’d like that.”