ROMANCE: PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Mated, Bearfoot and Pregnant (Bear Shifter BBW Pregnancy Romance) (Werebear Hero Fantasy Romance) Page 4

  "Your server, Jessica, will be right with you. Enjoy your evening with us."

  Peter sat himself in the nearest chair and picked up the wine menu right away as Victoria squeezed past him and tucked herself into her seat. It was a tight fit; the woman who sat behind her had her chair pushed out, leaving little space for Victoria to maneuver. Already aware of how curvy she was, Victoria felt especially vulnerable as she tucked herself in as close as she could to the table.

  "See, if you had a body like that hostess," Peter told her amongst the thrum of conversation, "you'd be the hottest one in this place. Guys wouldn't be able to keep their eyes off of you. Imagine how proud I'd be to be with you then."

  "Right," she mumbled, picking up one of the menus to leaf through it. The distraction was welcome; Peter was being particularly mean tonight. Victoria had done her best to dress up for him, and still it wasn't enough.

  The waitress arrived.

  "Welcome to the Ambrogio. Can I start you two off with drinks and appetizers?"

  There was beautiful depth to her voice, and Victoria looked up in surprise. The waitress, Jessica, was just as stunning as she sounded. Lush black tresses were tied up and away from her face to reveal bone structure a model would be jealous of. Warm brown eyes looked between them, then settled on Peter. She was slender, but the curve of her hips added interest to her figure. All of it was wrapped up in a tiny contouring black dress that almost exposed her ass. Black heels just tall enough to get the job done leant her just a bit more height. As stunning as Victoria found her, Peter was even more struck. He could not stop devouring her with his eyes.

  "I'll have a glass of the Ghillo pinot noir. She'll have water."

  Peter's eyes traced Jessica's hips and then rose to her breasts. Now that Victoria had set the menu down she could see him ogle the waitress clearly. Disgust and betrayal turned her stomach — Peter was supposed to be here with her to celebrate their anniversary, not so that he could ogle other women. And to Victoria's horror, Jessica was making eyes right back.

  "Of course. Is there anything else I can get you?"

  "A plate of oysters as an appetizer, then she's going to have the house salad, no dressing, as an entree, and I'll take the chicken parmesan."

  It was a special night out, and probably the only chance Victoria had to try out the Ambrogio; eating a salad wasn't what she'd had in mind. But even as she opened her mouth to protest, the waitress spoke over her.

  "Excellent choices. I'll be right back with your drinks, oysters, and complementary bread basket with oil dip. If there's anything you need, please let me or one of my coworkers know."

  "Thank you," Peter said. Jessica winked at him, then left. Until she was out of eyeshot, Peter watched her go.

  "What... What are you doing?" Victoria asked. She wasn't the type of girl to get angry or loud, but since the night had begun Peter had been mistreating her. Ogling another girl right in front of her was a low blow.

  "Making sure you don't overeat," Peter said simply. When she spoke he turned back around to look at her, dark brown eyes on her blues. "You said you'd diet for me, so you should be on board with a salad."

  That much was true — Victoria had said she'd diet. But what gave Peter the right to order for her like he had? The betrayal stung, and as the night went on things only got worse. By the time the candles had burned into little more than puddles of wax, it was clear to her that Peter had more than a friendly interest in Jessica. Every time she stopped by he flirted with her and treated Victoria as if she were invisible. This wasn't how the evening was supposed to go.

  The meal done, three glasses of wine drained by Peter alone, Jessica brought them the bill and slid it across the table to Peter.

  "If you need to use debit or credit, let me know and I'll bring the machine," she told him with a wink. Peter shook his head, picked up the bill, and passed it across the table to Victoria.

  "She's paying tonight."

  A look of discomfort flashed across Jessica's face. Victoria took the bill from Peter and looked it over. Across the top in large print was a phone number with Jessica's name written beneath it. Victoria looked up from the receipt at their waitress, bit down on her bottom lip, and then stood abruptly. There was no doubt in her mind that if Peter had seen the phone number, he would have called her. He would have cheated on her with this beautiful, sultry woman. How could she compete? Pain welled inside and drowned her confidence. Victoria dropped the receipt upon the table.

  "The only thing I'm paying for tonight is a cab across town. I can't do this anymore. I can't."

  Through the tears that had begun to obscure her vision, Victoria thought she was Jessica smirk. Peter had been nothing but cruel to her since they'd started dating, and time had only made him worse. If he wanted to date a skinny girl, then Jessica could have him.

  "Are you seriously going to pull this shit?" Peter asked with a sigh. The response was all Victoria needed to validate her decision — Peter didn't care that she was upset at all. All that he cared about was himself and the trouble she brought into his life.

  Without another word, Victoria pushed her way through the restaurant and out the front door. The night air she'd once found so refreshing now bit at her, and the unfallen tears in her eyes chilled. Peter hadn't followed her; he hadn't even called after her. For two years she'd been doing her best to make him happy, doing her best to become the person he wanted her to be, and after all of the effot he didn't care about her at all.

  The railings containing the patio were woven with the same bright white lights that stretched across the latticework inside the restaurant. Through the tears the lights softened and bled, and she thought they looked somewhat like illuminated dandelions ready to release their seeds. Victoria wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and sniffled. The patio was still busy, but the fresh air that filled her lungs was soothing. She looked left, then right, before exiting the patio to stand near the street. A large group occupied one side of the patio, the tables all pushed together to accommodate them. On the other were happy couples, laughing and smiling. She should have been amongst their ranks.

  Victoria reached for the small clutch she kept tucked under her arm to withdraw her phone when a soft palm met her back. Peter had come to his senses and come to comfort her and apologize for his behavior. The layers of pain he'd caused her lifted one by one as she turned her head to look at him, but standing behind her was not Peter. Another man stood where Peter should have been.

  At just a peg over six feet tall and broad with muscle, the man who stood behind her was a far cry from scrawny, average man that Peter was. And yet, despite his strength, the hand on Victoria's back was gentle. Beautiful blue eyes looked down upon her, and for a moment all Victoria could do was stare into them. There was gruffness to his face that didn't match how tenderly he treated her, hard lines and grit that suggested he'd lived a hard life. The blonde hair atop his head was kept short and neat, but a shadow of blonde stubble followed his strong jawline. He was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen.

  "Are you alright, Miss?" he asked. The low register of his voice was smooth like stones eroded by the waves of the ocean, and deep enough that Victoria felt she could get lost within it. Words did not come easily, and after an easy silence she nodded.

  "I'm okay."

  "I thought I saw you crying," he admitted. The hand remained pressed to her back. "I wanted to make sure that everything is fine; I hate to see a pretty girl in tears."

  Pretty girl? Victoria swallowed again, suddenly very conscious of how her nose was starting to run and how her eyes were probably pink from the close call with sorrow. How could he think she was beautiful when she was so torn apart? They were in different leagues. A man like him belonged with someone just as stunning, and she belonged with. Well. She belonged with whoever wanted to take pity on the ugly leftovers.

  "Thanks," Victoria murmured. "I'm okay, really. I was just going to go..." Where was she going to go? All of her t
hings were in the apartment she shared with Peter. All of the friends she had made moved away after college. At this time at night, her parents were starting to unwind for bed. Who was she going to stay with? "I was just leaving."

  The blonde stranger was bigger and certainly stronger than she was, and there was hardship in his face, but Victoria did not feel frightened. Sometimes her first impressions turned out to be wrong, but she felt certain she could trust him.

  "If you don't have anywhere to be," the stranger said, "why don't you come sit with me and my friends? I'm willing to bet you've had a tough night, and if you'll let me I'd like to make it better."

  Victoria couldn't help but frown. Sitting around with strangers wouldn't help her feel any better, and the emotional pain Peter had inflicted on her still stung. What she needed right now was to figure out where she was going to go and what she was going to do. After that, maybe she'd find a corner store and indulge in some ice cream. Peter's stupid diet pact was done. She was through with only eating carrot sticks and celery.

  "No, I'm sorry. I need to go. It was um, it was really nice of you to come check on me. Thank you."

  The handsome face was marred by a frown. The stranger withdrew a business card from his pocket and extended it towards her.

  "Give me a call sometime, and I'll take you out for a drink just you and me."

  Was this really happening? Victoria took the business card without looking at it, staring up at him with mild amazement. Was he giving her his number? Was he asking her out?

  "Thanks," she mumbled as she turned to go. Before she could get far, he'd put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

  "Before you go, tell me your name."

  "Victoria Wilde," she said, turning her head to look back at him.

  "Gabriel Liston," he replied in kind. The hand dropped from her shoulder, but he did not return to his friends. Victoria pursed her lips, mumbled a half-hearted goodbye, and took off down the street a bit more quickly than she'd intended to. Her heart was racing in her chest, her pulse thrumming in her ears. Two years with Peter had just eroded, and yet all she could think about was Gabriel's blue eyes and the way she felt when the smile had faded from his face after she'd rejected him.

  Rejected him? Had she really rejected a man? A good looking man?

  Victoria glanced over her shoulder to find Gabriel still standing at the entrance to the patio. The white lights hit him from different angles and lent him a radiant aura. Like the sun, Victoria thought to herself. Or maybe more like an angel.

  When she slipped around the corner and called for a cab, Gabriel's image was still on her mind. With time to spare before her ride arrived, Victoria inspected the card he'd given her. The front advertised the legal expertise of one Finneus Harbright, but on the back, written in rushed, scratchy script, was a phone number and Gabriel's name.

  The cab appeared, and on their way to her decided destination they passed the Ambrogio. Victoria glanced out the window to scour the patio for him, and she found Gabriel sitting amongst his large group of friends. While they talked and laughed, animated, he sat back in his chair and stared up at the night sky.

  Victoria turned the business card restlessly in her hand, then tucked it away into her purse. Her mother had always told her that all things happened for a reason, but never would Victoria have predicted that Peter's cruelty would lead to an encounter the likes of the one she'd just had.

  Gabriel Liston. When she closed her eyes, Victoria could almost see his face. For so long she'd feared being lonely and undesirable, but now that she'd taken the first steps towards being single, things weren't shaping up badly at all.

  The cab sped into the night, but Victoria's thoughts remained at the Ambrogio, lost in the blue eyes of a certain stranger.

  Chapter Two

  "Do you see her?"

  Beneath the light of the moon and the twinkling patio lights she glowed. People had been coming and going on the patio all night, but no one had caught his eye as she did. Gabriel nudged Finn's arm with his elbow and gestured with a nod towards the girl who'd just stepped into the night air. Finneus turned his head to look.

  "Girl in green?" Finn asked. He crossed his arms upon the table and leaned forward just a little bit to get a better look at her. "What about her?"

  "I don't know," Gabriel murmured. She was just a human girl, after all; there was no chance that their souls were meant to be. Across the table Tabitha was telling a story that had everyone laughing, and Gabriel knew he should have been listening, but he couldn't focus. "There's just something about her."

  Finn paused, looked her over critically, then shrugged.

  "If you say so."

  "Give me something to write with," Gabriel said. He turned to look at Finn now, imploring him with a soulful stare. Finn shook his head, eyes lifting skyward as he drew a business card and pen from the jacket of his pocket. In moments Gabriel had scribbled his name and number across the back, and as he rose from his seat he tucked the card into his pocket.

  "I don't believe you," Finn called after him, exasperated. Whatever Finn thought didn't matter; if Gabriel didn't talk to her he knew he'd regret it later. There were already too many regrets in his life to warrant adding another to the list.

  The girl stood near the sidewalk, and he watched as she ran her hand across her eyes and heard as she sniffled. She was crying. A switch flipped inside of him, and Gabriel went from interested to concerned. He could taste her sorrow on the air as he approached, and he knew she was hurt over something.

  When he drew close enough, he put a hand on her back. She turned her head slowly, smile radiant and warm, as though she'd expected someone else. Somehow had hurt her, he realized, and she was expecting an apology. When she saw it was a stranger, her expression became startled. The pretty makeup she'd put on was smudged around the eyes, but he found it adorable. Even had she not been wearing makeup she would have been stunning.

  "Are you alright, Miss?"

  When she replied, her voice was rich and sweet like honey. Gabriel's heart fluttered in his chest and rose into his throat as though weightless. He'd toured the world and seen women of all shapes and colors, but no one had made him feel like she did.

  "I'm okay."

  She was lying, but the tone came out sincere. Seeing her hurt had him hurting. Maybe if he just pushed a little more...

  "I thought I saw you crying. I wanted to make sure that everything is fine; I hate to see a pretty girl in tears." Whoever she was, whatever had happened, it looked like she was in need of some genuine kindness. Gabriel did not lie. He'd thought she was pretty from across the patio, and glowing as she was beneath the white lights he thought she was pretty now.

  The compliment made her uncomfortable. She mumbled something about leaving. Had he already shot himself in the foot? There was something different about this girl that he had to discover. Something that drew him to her. If he let her go without a fight he'd never forgive himself.

  "If you don't have anywhere to be, why don't you come sit with me and my friends? I'm willing to bet you've had a tough night, and if you'll let me I'd like to make it better."

  There was hardly a moment spared before she rejected him.

  "No, I'm sorry. I need to go." Beautiful lips, just a shade beyond her natural color, continued to move as the sentence went on, but Gabriel did not hear any more words. It had been a long time since a woman had told him no, and he was taken aback. Was it that she was shy? Was he too forward? Did she already have a boyfriend? Worse, was she not interested in him at all? It was a few moments before he remembered the card in his pocket, which he gave her.

  "Give me a call sometime, and I'll take you out for a drink just you and me." Shy. He was placing his bets on shy. Maybe she didn't want to mingle with a large group of new people. He could respect that.

  Her blue eyes looked him up and down and she mumbled her thanks and turned to scurry away. Before she could escape he caught her by the shoulder.

  "Before y
ou go, tell me your name." Going back to the table alone was a desolate reality, but if he had her name to keep him company the separation seemed a little less bleak.

  "Victoria Wilde." It was as beautiful as she was.

  "Gabriel Liston," he replied, unsure if she heard or not. As soon as his hand had fallen away she near sprinted down the sidewalk. The urge to chase rose up in him like a diver rising up and breaking the surface of the water after a deep plunge, but Gabriel withheld. Soon she'd disappeared around the corner, and he was left alone.

  "The almighty King shot down," Finneus remarked with dry humor from just behind Gabriel. He clapped a hand on the man's shoulders and shook his head slowly. "You've lost your touch since they sent you out to the desert."

  "It's not like that, Finn," Gabriel mumbled. For a moment longer he gazed at the darkened street she'd run down, then shook his own head to clear his thoughts and turned to look at his friend. Human or not, that girl had drawn at his soul. Gabriel had always been told that The Bond only happened between two shifters, but the pull he'd felt towards her was intense enough to be It.