Rumpled Bear Skin: A BBW Bear Shifter Billionaire Paranormal Romance Novella (Seattle's Billionaire Bears Book 1) Read online

  Rumpled Bear Skin: A BBW Bear Shifter Billionaire Paranormal Romance Novella

  Seattle's Billionaire Bears, Volume 1

  Sable Sylvan

  Published by Sable Sylvan, 2015.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  RUMPLED BEAR SKIN: A BBW BEAR SHIFTER BILLIONAIRE PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVELLA

  First edition. August 22, 2015.

  Copyright © 2015 Sable Sylvan.

  Written by Sable Sylvan.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek: Blue Bear

  About The Author

  Chapter One

  Artemis Miller was called into Cedar Asher’s office. Of course, the PR intern was nervous: she had only got the job at Asher Lumber Co. because her father had bragged that she could spin anything into gold, “anything” being everything from corporate scandals to low sales numbers. In truth, as an English major, Artemis did have a way with words...but was that good enough for the biggest lumber company in the Pacific Northwest? She was about to find out.

  She was ushered into the office on the top floor of the Asher Lumber building in Seattle. From the wide pane glass windows surrounding the top floor, the various buildings below looked like children’s blocks, but the only people playing with them were the billionaires who ran the city...one of whom was also waiting for Cedar Asher.

  Jasper Dixon: he worked for another one of Cedar’s departments, but Artemis had only seen him around, and hadn’t talked to him because the various women in her department let her know he had a thing for girls like her: a bit short, but with more than enough curves.

  Artemis had never been this close to Jasper: she looked him over. A bear shifter, like his cousins, the Asher Lumber C-level executives Cedar, Thorne, and Aspen, he was a bit older than his cousins, but he still had a muscular physique. The marks on his hands were brown, denoting he was a grizzly shifter. Artemis wondered what his shift looked like: with big muscles like that, he must be pretty strong, but he wasn’t that tall for a shifter, although he still towered over her human form.

  Jasper was wearing a designer suit, his hair tamed into place, and he had a pair of designer leather shoes on that went well with the suit. He was a snappy, slick dresser, Artemis had to give him that much, but he had the muscles to make any outfit look good, with a strong, firm core, and bulging biceps just begging to be felt up.

  Artemis saw Jasper look at her. She turned away, blushing...but she could feel his eyes on her. Artemis looked back after half a minute: Jasper was still looking her over from head to tail.

  “Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” said Jasper curtly.

  Artemis frowned. “Because you weren’t checking me out?”

  “Who said I didn’t take a picture?” said Jasper, waggling his smart phone.

  “What? You took a picture of me?” asked Artemis.

  “You should be more aware of your surroundings,” said Jasper, turning the phone on to show Artemis the picture he’d taken of her. She had a dreamy look in the picture, her face framed by her soft shoulder-length hair. “You got a name and phone number, sweet cheeks?”

  “Oh heck no,” said Artemis. “I know all about you, Jasper Dixon...or should I say, Rumpled Bear Skin?” Artemis thought back to the gossip she’d heard about Jasper in the break room, about how he had never had a date with the same woman twice, and how every date was guaranteed to get spicy and end up with his wooden cabin’s bear skin getting more than a little rumpled from some hanky-panky by the fireplace.

  “Do you, now?” asked Jasper. “Because I don’t know anything about you...and I’d love to change that.”

  Before Jasper could make another move, the secretary told them Cedar was ready to see them now. Artemis was surprised: them? She didn’t know what on earth Cedar would want Jasper and Artemis together in the same room for.

  “I’m so sorry about the delay,” said Cedar, extending a hand to Artemis. “I see you’ve met my cousin, Jasper...my name is Cedar Asher, I’m the Chief Operations Officer here at Asher Lumber.”

  “Artemis Miller,” said Artemis, shaking Cedar’s strong hand. She noticed Jasper bristled visually when she said her name. She could practically see the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.

  Jasper followed his cousin and the young employee to the desk. There was no frikkin’ way that girl had just said her name was Artemis. He must have misheard.

  “You’re probably wondering why I called you both up here,” said Cedar. “Well...I’ll get straight to the point. Asher Lumber’s sales have been doing better than ever, except in one key region: the Midwest. Artemis, your father is one of my most trusted employees at the Montana branch and he’s told me you can turn just about anything you touch into gold.”

  “I’d say that’s an exaggeration...but my marketing campaigns have performed far above average,” said Artemis.

  “That’s what I like to hear,” said Cedar. “I like a strong woman who knows her worth...a given, if you know my wife. You two would get along.” Cedar motioned to the picture on his desk of him and his wife on her wedding day. It was a gorgeous wedding and the blushing bride had pink, excited cheeks, with ample curves like Artemis. Artemis smiled: it was a happy picture, but now she knew the Asher Clan apparently had a thing for curvy women.

  “So what do you need me for?” asked Jasper.

  “Jasper, you’ve been with this company for decades, and Artemis has only worked here for a few months,” said Cedar. “I want you to show her the ropes because you’re the only employee of mine that’s been to the Asher Gala.”

  “The Asher Gala?” said Artemis.

  “You’ve heard of it?” asked Cedar.

  “It’s only the most exclusive shifter event in the Pacific Northwest,” said Artemis. “It’s the charity equivalent of the Asher Ball.”

  “And what’s your opinion of it?” asked Cedar.

  “Permission to speak freely?” asked Artemis.

  “Of course,” said Cedar with a smile.

  “If you’re trying to get higher sales in the Midwest, I’m not sure that a fancy ball is the way to go about it,” said Artemis. “They’re not hicks or country bumpkins: they’re hard working people who want substance, not style. And they stay close to their own. They aren’t going to buy Asher Lumber just because a celebrity used it in their summer home.”

  “Exactly my thoughts,” said Cedar. “And that’s why I need you and Jasper to come up with an alternative plan this next week.”

  “Cedar...this next week, I’m supposed to be working from Port Jameson,” said Jasper. “I’m working out of the cabin.”

  “The cabin has more than enough guest bedrooms for the two of you, and the office has room for you both,” said Cedar. “Just take Artemis with you...that is, if she wants to go.”

  “I’ve got no plans for the next week,” said Artemis. “I’d just need to pack a bag.”

  “Fine,” said Jasper, rubbing his temples. “Artemis, email me your address...can you be ready by seven in the morning tomorrow?”

  “Of course,” said Artemis.

  �
�Great, well, I’ll email you two the dossiers, and you can get to work when you get to the cabin,” said Cedar.

  “Of course,” said Artemis, getting up and shaking Cedar’s hand again. “It was truly a pleasure to meet you.” She didn’t look at Jasper. Cedar had just given her a golden ticket: how many twenty-somethings got to put something as big and important as organizing a charity gala for a Fortune 500 company on their resume?

  Artemis walked out the door. Jasper stayed, to talk to his cousin...but he couldn’t resist taking a sneak peek at Artemis’s curves as she walked away.

  Once the door was shut, Jasper turned back to Cedar. “What the Hell was that?” asked Jasper.

  “What was what?” asked Cedar.

  “You found...her, and you didn’t tell me sooner?” asked Jasper

  “You’ve told me not to meddle, after how the last few dates I arranged with,” said Cedar, putting his hands in the air. “I’m doing that whole hands-off thing you told me to do.”

  “If you could have done that before, that would’ve been great,” said Jasper. “But now I’ve got that awful nickname, and the one woman in the office I’ve lusted after for weeks is...”

  “Don’t say it,” said Cedar. “You don’t know for sure. And I do need the charity gala replanned. You two are going to have to figure that out by the end of the next week, because after that, she’s gone.”

  “Gone?” asked Jasper.

  “She’s an intern, she goes to college in Montana, at Bozeman, and lives in one of the company apartments,” said Cedar. “She’s really a wonder kid though, and she’s got a lot of spunk in her. She reminds me a lot of Talia.” Cedar looked at the photo on his desk and smiled. He couldn’t believe they were already expecting triplets.

  “So what am I supposed to do?” asked Jasper.

  “Hey, you’ll figure it out,” said Cedar. “After all, Port Jameson’s a pretty magical place...I’m sure you two will do what comes naturally.”

  ***

  The next morning at seven, Artemis was ready with a duffle bag outside the company apartment. The whole apartment complex was alive with activity, full of other college students bustling to get to Asher Lumber by nine. Artemis looked at her phone: it was already seven ten, where was Jasper?

  She looked around for a limo, a helicopter, anything that had that Asher Lumber executive flair, but nada, zilch, zero. There were just cabs and a few cars.

  A car pulled up in front of her. It was a large SUV, which looked like it belonged back in Bozeman and not in the middle of Seattle. “Get in,” said the driver, a man who was wearing sunglasses. He had shaggy brown hair that was separated naturally into separate locks.

  “Uh, no way,” said Artemis. She had no idea who this guy was.

  The man took off his sunglasses, revealing his eyes, which were almost the shade of his namesake stone, a brown so red it was like mahogany. “Don’t tell me you didn’t recognize me,” said Jasper.

  “I’m not the one going incognito,” said Artemis. She opened up the door to the back seat and she tossed her duffle in, and took a seat.

  “No way,” said Jasper. “I’m not your chauffer. Plus, I need a copilot. Passenger seat.”

  “Fine,” said Artemis, getting out of the car. She got back in on the passenger side, next to Jasper. The car was big, so Jasper didn’t have to crouch like many shifters who owned sedans had to. “How long is the trip anyway?”

  “Three or four hours,” said Jasper, starting the car. There wasn’t much traffic that day. Artemis looked Jasper over: there weren’t any designer shoes and his suit was replaced with a pair of worn jeans and a plaid shirt, with the cuffs rolled up. “The cup with the fresh lid is yours.”

  Artemis took the paper cup and sipped. The tea was still hot: Earl Grey, with steamed milk, making it a latte, but it had vanilla syrup, making it something special, her favorite drink in the world. “You got me a London Fog?” asked Artemis. “How did you know?” She looked over the car: it definitely wasn’t a rental. It was scuffed and the dashboard was full of crumpled receipts. It wasn’t the kind of car she’d expected Jasper to have: no sports car? Not even a hired driver?

  “I saw you drinking one once,” said Jasper. “It said it on the cup. Whatever. It’s a weird girly drink...you live in Seattle and don’t drink coffee?”

  “London Fogs are cheaper and I like the sugar kick,” said Artemis. “Would you prefer I drink those coffee milkshake things?”

  “Fair point,” said Jasper. “But speaking of sugar...can you pass me one of the pastries in the bag behind you?”

  Artemis reached back. There was a paper bag. The bag said ‘Bear Claw Bakery’. “Which pastry do you want?” asked Artemis.

  “Doesn’t matter,” said Jasper.

  Artemis picked out a bear claw and passed it to Jasper. “Thanks,” said Jasper. “I got us each a bear claw and a honey bun. I didn’t know what you liked.”

  “Anything with vanilla, almonds, and honey,” said Artemis. “How much were they?”

  “Why?” asked Jasper.

  “Because I’ve got to pay you back,” said Artemis, opening her purse.

  Jasper was shocked. Women had never offered to pay for things once they knew who he was...and how did Artemis not realize that he could buy the whole chain of bakeries? He really didn’t need her money. “Don’t,” said Jasper. “Really.”

  Artemis bit into the bear claw. It was fluffy and buttery. The glaze tasted like honey, but the inside was flavored with almond extract. There were slices of almonds on the bear claw, which added to the nuttiness. She ate the claw from fingers to pads.

  “Another,” ordered Jasper.

  Artemis passed him a honey bun. He wolfed it down in seconds and chugged the rest of his hot coffee. “You’re not that bad of a copilot,” said Jasper.

  “Is that supposed to be a compliment?” asked Artemis.

  “It was one,” said Jasper.

  “Didn’t sound like one,” said Artemis, before finishing up her bear claw. “See, a compliment would sound like, ‘Hey Artemis, you’re a great road trip buddy’.”

  “We’re buddies now?” asked Jasper. “Kill me already.”

  “Not without a big game license,” joked Artemis.

  Jasper snorted. “Wow. I guess you do have a way with words, English major.

  “And what was your major, doing girls in your cabin, Rumpled Bear Skin?” asked Artemis.

  A pang went through Jasper’s heart. “You humans really don’t get it,” said Jasper.

  “Get what?” asked Artemis.

  “You didn’t spend much time around shifters back in Montana, did you?” asked Jasper.

  “One of my best friends was a shifter,” said Artemis.

  “So tell me why a shifter might be promiscuous,” said Jasper.

  “Because...oh,” said Artemis, understanding why what she said wasn’t okay. “Because...that’s how a shifter finds their mate.”

  “Not just their mate, their fated mate,” said Jasper. “So if the path laid out for us has some, uh, detours, and isn’t exactly straightforward, don’t blame the shifter. Blame fate. I won’t bullshit you, Artemis. I’ve taken lots of women back to my cabin, and yes, it has a bearskin rug, and the rug has been rumpled more than a handful of times. But I’ve never found my fated mate, which is why I don’t waste anyone’s time and take the women back to the cabin a second time. And for the record? I haven’t taken a woman back to my cabin for months.”

  “Why not?” asked Artemis.

  “Because I hadn’t found the woman my mate mark is meant to lead me to,” said Jasper.

  “And you have since then?” asked Artemis.

  “Well, kind of,” said Jasper. “But the real question is, has she found me yet? The real me?”

  “What is your mate mark?” asked Artemis.

  “What’s your bra size?” asked Jasper.

  “Excuse me?” asked Artemis.

  “You asked a personal question, I thought I mi
ght as well do the same,” said Jasper. “Tell you what. I’ll give you three guesses as to what my mate mark is. If you guess correctly, I’ll give you something...special. And if you don’t guess correctly, you have to get dinner with me every day for the rest of your internship.”

  “It’s a deal,” said Artemis. How hard could it be to guess Jasper’s mate mark? She was about to find out.

  Chapter Two

  The rest of the ride down to Port Jameson was relatively peaceful. To avoid traffic, Jasper took side roads, and Artemis acted as navigator, but they didn’t talk any more than they had to. Artemis had never been to Oregon, as she’d spent all her time since arriving in Seattle exploring the sprawling city, but Oregon reminded her a lot of home, like Montana but on the West Coast.

  They drove into the city limits, although Port Jameson could hardly be called a city: the sleepy town of barely seven-thousand people was a hidden gem in the Willamette Valley, along the Willamette River that used to be used by Asher Lumber for their logging activities. Of course, now, Asher Lumber had more diverse interests, invested in everything from selling carbon credits created by planting trees in reforestation efforts to a big recycling push in office parks around the country. Only a few slow moving lumber barges floated along the river now, which was crystal clear and sparkled in the afternoon light.

  Past the main town there was farmland, leading up into the hills and mountains that separated Port Jameson from the Pacific Ocean on the west. Jasper drove through the small town to those hills, where he drove up an unassuming path which led up to a driveway, which led to an unassuming house.

  “This is your cabin?” asked Artemis.

  “No, this is the company cabin,” said Jasper. “My cabin’s up in the woods.” Jasper got out of the car and opened the middle section of the SUV, pulling out Artemis’s duffel.

  “I can carry my own bag,” said Artemis, putting her hands on her ample hips.

  Jasper looked over Artemis: she was dressed perfectly for the Port Jameson weather. Most women he’d taken down to Port Jameson wore attire that’d be suited for an office or for a cocktail party, and broke off their heels on the hike to his cabin...but Artemis was wearing sensible walking shoes, a pair of jeans that were built for working in, and a long-sleeved tee. The outfit was sensible and warm, but it hugged Artemis’s every curve and looked better on her than a gown looked on a model. The curve her hand was sitting in, the curve of her waist, made his bear want to pounce and take her, mate her, but Jasper held back.