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BEAR AND SQUARE
PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY
MILLY TAIDEN
 CONTENTS

Bear and Square

About the Book

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue

About the Author

Also by Milly Taiden
BEAR AND SQUARE
 PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY

NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

MILLY TAIDEN
 This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are
fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any
way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or
organizations is entirely coincidental.

Published By
Latin Goddess Press
Winter Springs, FL 32708
http://millytaiden.com
Bear and Square
Copyright © 2022 by Milly Taiden
Cover: Willsin Rowe
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Property of Milly Taiden
January 2022

Created with Vellum

 ABOUT THE BOOK

Famous Hollywood actress, Paige Kirby, is sick of the limelight. Can’t

a woman eat a donut without the tabloids snapping her picture? No
matter how hard she tries, Paige can’t outrun the paparazzi. They
always find her. After a narrow escape, Paige meets Gerri Wilder,
who recommends Bear Paw Protection. A vacation with a well-
paid bodyguard might be just the ticket to happiness. And
she won’t focus on the gorgeous hunk guarding her no
matter how hard it is.

Bear shifter Dev Weaver’s latest assignment didn’t go so well. All he

wants to do is lick his wounds and play his guitar. He doesn’t want to
babysit another high-strung starlet – even if it would mean a free
trip to Hawaii. He has no choice. Gerri Wilder, an old friend of his
sleuth, specifically recommended him to Paige Kirby. The
bodyguard has no option but to guard a body he’d rather not
notice. A beautiful, curvy body he really doesn’t want to
notice.

Because Paige isn’t just some spoiled actress – she’s his fated mate,
and someone is tracking her every move. Dev is on the case. But
could an old enemy of his be the real threat? Time will tell. He just
needs to keep Paige alive to see where their romance goes.
Hopefully not before their luck runs out.
—Romance lovers rejoice. It’s time to make this stubborn bear fall in
love.
CHAPTER ONE
 GERRI

G erri Wilder loved a good shopping day, but when she got a
chance to walk along Rodeo Drive with the sun shining? That
was a real treat.
Los Angeles wasn’t her favorite place in the world, but it was
always an interesting spot to be.
There was always something happening in this town, and usually,
it meant meeting all kinds of people. There just wasn’t a dull
moment here.
That much was made obvious when a young woman barged into
the shop where Gerri was admiring an expensive gown. The
newcomer tucked her chin low and did her best to disappear behind
her sunglasses. She looked over her shoulder nervously before
ducking behind a rack of cashmere sweaters.
Seconds later, a whole crowd of photographers ran by. Their loud
shouts made it through the thick windows as they looked around,
presumably searching for the woman on the lam.
Interesting.
Gerri slowly made her way to the cashmere sweaters.
“Oh, hello.” Gerri gave her a comforting smile.
The young woman looked so familiar — but also on the brink of
panic.
Gerri never forgot a face, but this one was lost to her for some
reason. “Have we met?” she asked.
 The black-haired beauty snorted and pushed her huge sunglasses
up her nose. “I get that a lot, but I promise you, we haven’t. I’m
nobody.”
It was Gerri’s time to laugh. “I doubt that.” She nudged her chin
toward the three paparazzi still sniffing around. “They sure seem to
know you.”
Her mouth dropped down in a surprised and shocked O. “Please
don’t attract attention here. I beg you.”
“I won’t,” Gerri promised. “Are you in distress, darling?”
“Sorta, yeah. I’m just trying to have a moment to myself. I don’t
want to have my picture taken for one day. Apparently, that’s too
much to ask those assholes.”
Gerri finally placed the woman’s face. “You’re Paige Kirby.”
“Shh!” she hissed, her cheeks going red with fright as she
scanned the store for would-be attackers. “Don’t say that name. I’m
on the run.”
“I can see that,” Gerri chuckled. “From the media?”
“Something like that. I need a second to compose myself. I was
trying to buy a muffin and a coffee. I can’t even do that in peace. I
miss anonymity.” Her lower lip trembled. “I should’ve stayed in my
pj’s and bed. I don’t even know why I leave the house anymore.”
Gerri flipped through the sweaters, making a show for one of the
photographers looking through the huge window. “Just stay right
where you are.”
“They’ll find me. The second I go somewhere, they all show up.
It’s not normal. It really isn’t. I just wanna be Paige for a second,
you know? But I can’t do that. Not anymore. I miss me.”
“Darling, you’re a wonderful actress. Isn’t it worth it?”
“Not even a little bit. I’ve never been lonelier in my life.”
“Don’t you have any friends who can help you?”
Paige threw her head back with a laugh. “That’s hilarious. I don’t
have friends. People cozy up to me to get something out of me. To
bask in the limelight that always seems to follow me around.” She
pointed toward the photographers foaming at the mouth, looking for
her. “I get used all the time, so I don’t have friends. It’s not like I
trust people because of it. Although, apparently, I will spill all of my
secrets to a kind stranger.”
Gerri laughed softly and patted her shoulder. “I have that effect
on people. Don’t you have private security who can…” She tried to
find the right words and decided to reformulate her thoughts. “You
need a bodyguard who would at least be a line of defense against
the paparazzi.”
“Ha. I’ve tried that before. It didn’t work out so well for me. The
bodyguard took pictures of me and sold them. His firm fired him,
obviously. But the damage was done.”
“Oh, that’s no good. Look, I have a good friend who owns a
security firm. He can be trusted, I assure you.”
Paige winced. “I don’t know. I’ve been burned once before.”
Gerri sighed. “You poor darling. You must be so lonely. I’m
guessing there isn’t a special someone in your life who can help?”
“That isn’t even an option. Most men only want one of two things
from me. They wanna have sex so they can brag they bagged Paige
Kirby. Or they want me to talk to a producer about casting them in a
movie.”
“Right.”
“Right,” Paige repeated. “So yeah. I am definitely lonely.” She
sighed and shook her head. “I’m so sorry for unloading on you like
this.”
“Not at all. But I’ve got an idea.” Gerri took a Hermes scarf from
her purse and handed it to Paige. “Use this to cover your hair. I’m
getting you out of here. We’ll go for a glass of wine. You could use
it.”
“Oh, thank you. Seriously. You’re so kind.”
Gerri waved her off. “From one woman to the other, we need to
stick together.”
Paige draped the scarf over her long wavy black hair like a movie
star from a long-ago era. She was still stunning, but the
photographers would hardly take a second look at her.
Gerri snuck them out the door, strutting like she owned the place.
She didn’t stop until a cute little restaurant with a darkened window
was in view. They took one of the booths at the very back, and
Paige made sure her back was to the door.
They ordered a bottle of wine from the waiter and settled. Gerri
detected Paige was noticeably calmer. Her shoulders were no longer
at her ears. Even her breathing was less tense.
“Better?” she asked.
Paige nodded. “Yes. I owe you big for helping me.”
Gerri shook her head. “You owe me nothing, darling. I had to
help you. What kind of person would I be if I threw you at their
mercy?”
Paige sighed. “In my experience? A normal one.”
“Well, that makes me terribly sad for you.”
“Don’t be. I technically chose this.”
“Is that true? You wanted to be chased down the street?”
“No. I wanted to act. Make some art, make people laugh and cry.
The paps are something I have to deal with, apparently.”
“Hmm. And what does your manager say? Your publicist?”
“Are you kidding? They love it. If I didn’t know any better, I
would assume they were behind it, but that’s not possible. They
wouldn’t do that to me. I’ve asked them multiple times, and they
promised it would eventually blow over.”
“Don’t you wish you have love? A partner? A family?”
Paige nodded sadly. “All the time, but it’s impossible.”
“Nothing’s impossible.”
Paige gave a bitter laugh. “I’d be surprised if I met a man that
didn’t want me to make him a star or to brag about dating me.”
“Darling, there are men out there like that.”
“I wish.”
“Wh..."
The flash of a camera momentarily blinded Gerri, cutting off her
response. She blinked away the burn. “How in god’s name did they
find us?”
“No idea,” Paige sighed. “They always manage to do it. No matter
how well I hide. It’s the most infuriating thing.”
“We need to go. We’ll leave through the kitchen and get you
home.”
 “You don’t have to help me.” Paige’s face was pulled into a scared
and pained scowl.
“Of course, I do. Now, come.”
Gerri tugged her new friend out from the booth and marched
right through the service door. One of the cooks shouted at them,
but she raised a hand.
“Please, we’re just passing through.”
Too stunned by her confidence, the cook snapped his mouth shut
and watched them scurry by.
“How did you do that?” Paige asked.
“Easy. Just pretend you belong in a place, and no one pays much
attention. It’s easy to melt into the background when you’re not a
famous actress.”
Paige laughed, but it was humorless. More exhausted than
joyous. “I wanna be you when I grow up.”
Gerri smiled. “You really should give my friend a call. Remember
the name Bear Paw Protection. Will you do that? Give them a chance
for me.”
“Bear Paw Protection. Got it. I’ll give them a call. Promise.”
“Wonderful. Now let’s get you home.”
Gerri took Paige to the silver convertible she rented for her
holiday and followed Paige’s instructions up Sunset Boulevard to her
Beverly Hills home.
It was a massive thing made of white stucco with a high black
fence surrounding it. It was beautiful, but it didn’t look like a home.
“Do you live here alone?”
“Yeah, I do. Unfortunately. Thanks so much for helping me. Give
me your information, please. Next time I have a premiere, you are
going to be my plus one.”
“That’s not necessary, but it would be fun.” Gerri rattled off her
phone number. “Stay in touch, will you, Paige? I’ll worry about you if
you don’t.”
“I will. Care to stay? We can have a swim, take in some
sunshine? Maybe actually have some wine?”
Gerri grinned. “That’s a wonderful idea.”
 And just like that, Gerri Wilder had made another friend. Paige
might’ve been a famous actress with a recognizable face splashed on
every tabloid, but the young woman was sad and lonely. She needed
something in her life to make it matter. To make it whole.
Perhaps love.
Maybe a family.
Something that would put the light back in her beautiful hazel
eyes.
“I’m going to make sure you’re just fine, Paige Kirby,” Gerri
promised as she drove away later that night.
The moon winked in agreement.
C H A P T E R T WO
 PAIGE

P aige removed her ball cap carefully, rearranging the short wig
she had put on. The massive window in her agent’s office was
reflective enough to be a mirror.
Actually, pretty much everything in the room was shiny.
Her agent’s taste leaned toward gaudy. He didn’t believe in
minimalism, rather, flashing his wealth and success like a badge of
honor.
A lot of people in Los Angeles were like that.
Paige? Not so much. She wanted to go to a shady diner that had
the best fries and burgers and eat like no one would snap her
picture and paste it all over the tabloids and social media.
She still got teased about the photo of her, mouth wide open and
stuffing in half a donut.
What did the caption read?
Paige Melts Down Over Break Up
Pregnant Paige Pigs Out
Paige’s New Lover: Donut
It was mean, downright cruel. Why couldn’t she eat a donut if
she fucking wanted to? It was no one’s business.
But that wasn’t even true.
If she ate a donut, it was a whole lot of people’s business. Her
whole team got up her ass about it – almost literally for all the
squats they had her do the next day.
 Beauty standards were a bastard in this town. Paige hated it. Her
waist size had nothing to do with her talent on camera.
A loud gasp pulled her out of her thoughts.
“What the hell did you do to your hair?” Jackson shouted at her
as soon as he walked into his office.
She patted down the short blonde hair. “Oh, I needed a change,”
she lied.
Like she would ever cut her hair and dye it so light. Paige loved
her long black waves. The women in her family all had the same
hair, and it was a point of pride to keep it long.
“Well, you look absolutely ridiculous. How am I gonna book you
in for gigs looking like that? You know you’ve got that reading with
Francesca Cortez next week. What is she gonna say? She won’t cast
you.”
Paige sighed. “Well, I’m sure Francesca will understand I can
wear a wig. Hair grows. It can be dyed back.”
“Whatever. I’ll have my assistant book you a hair appointment for
this afternoon. Has any pap snapped your mug like that?”
Yikes. Jackson was in one hell of a bad mood. He wasn’t exactly
the kindest person in the world, but this was a whole other level of
mean, even for him.
“It’ll be okay. I’m more than my hair. I’m sure Francesca will see
that.”
But the great Francesca Cortez would never see her wig — or her
real hair.
Paige wasn’t going to that meeting. It might be career suicide,
but she needed some time away from everything.
That included future jobs.
Paige had a plan.
Hence the wig.
No one would be able to recognize her, and no paparazzi would
be able to follow where she was going. She was desperate for some
alone time away from the strange world of Hollywood. Her life was
so far removed from what she had dreamed of as a child.
Paige needed a second — or a week — to catch her breath. It
would help her focus and realign herself.
 She couldn’t do that with the paparazzi breathing down her neck
and judging every little thing she did. Paige could hardly remember
what it was like to be on her own, what it was like to not be chased
down the street. She was losing her grip. Not only over her life but
over herself. That wasn’t good for anyone.
It would have been awesome to trust Jackson, but Paige knew
how he would react. He would turn this into an opportunity to get
her name splashed over the media. He would send her to rehab,
stating exhaustion. The tabloids would get all the sordid details.
She wasn’t exhausted.
She was… Okay, so she was exhausted. But not in the way
Jackson would sell it. Paige wanted this to be a private moment. She
didn’t owe anyone an explanation. Any other person on the street
could go on a vacation without having to justify it to the masses, so
why should she?
Jackson stood at his window, hands on his hips, looking out over
LA’s landscape. He was quiet.
That meant he was probably gearing up for a verbal attack.
Paige readied herself for it.
“You know, Paige, I keep you on as a client by choice. Your
career isn’t going nearly as well as it should, and that’s entirely
because you’re too difficult. You don’t take all the roles you could.
You cherry-pick like that goddamn queen of England.”
But the queen of England wouldn’t play the sexbot in a buddy
comedy, flashing her tits for a joke.
She was sick of defending her choices to Jackson. Nudity wasn’t
something she was comfortable with. Not unless it was on the stage
and for a very good fucking reason.
Paige was discerning. Not difficult.
It was all a matter of opinion.
“You’re never going to be what you could be like this. Not with
that hair. I think maybe I’ll have to re-evaluate our contract. There
are dozens if not hundreds of young women out there who would
die to be in your position. And here you are, squandering it.”
Yup.
Paige sat there and took it.
 Those other young actresses could have those roles. If they
didn’t want to be the next Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, or Idina Menzel,
they could have the roles Jackson kept sending her way.
Jackson continued. “You think you’re gonna get anywhere in this
town without me?” He laughed dryly. “Good fucking luck, kid. Now
get out of here and go fix your hair. You look ridiculous. I don’t want
your picture taken like that. Make sure to stay out of the news cycle
before you get it fixed.”
“Sure thing.”
Paige left without saying much more to her manager. Today’s visit
had been successful for one reason: now Jackson would tell folks to
look for a blonde with short hair. Not for her signature long black
locks.
If the paps got pics of her like this? Bonus. For once, she
wouldn’t mind. Then they would all obsess over her new look
instead of trying to find her.
Paige had a plan.
It was a thorough plan that took way too long to devise, but she
sure hoped it would all be worth it.
She left the building, wearing a hat over her wig and big
sunglasses. She scanned the street as she walked to her car, but
strangely, not a single photographer leaped from the bushes to snap
her picture.
Her disguise was good, but not that good.
Something didn’t feel right. Where were the hordes of
disrespectful so-called professionals?
Nowhere to be seen.
Figures they wouldn’t show the one time I want them to.
Unreliable fuckers.
Paige drove all the way out of Los Angeles. She didn’t stop until
she reached a small town outside of Ponoma. There, she parked her
car, took off the blonde wig, and replaced it with a shoulder-length
auburn one. She dabbed a deep burgundy shade of lipstick on her
lips and put on a pair of thick glasses. The effect was staggering.
She barely looked like herself anymore.
 She took a small suitcase from the trunk of her SUV and rolled it
behind her as she went to the counter of the car rental. With a deep
breath, she pushed through the door, half expecting people to rush
her as soon as they noticed her.
Nope.
She blended into the background. Just another patron that had
nothing special going on. She made her way to the counter, and the
worker, a tall and lanky woman with short-cropped hair, barely
looked up from her screen.
“What can I do for you?” she asked, bored to tears.
“I’ve got a reservation on a small car. Not an SUV.”
“Name on the reservation?”
“Viola Menzel,” she answered automatically.
“ID,” the woman asked.
Paige’s sweat was seconds away from making it through her wig.
She had manufactured a fake driver’s license, and she could only
hope it passed the test.
The worker took it, barely glanced at it, and slid it back to her.
“How will you pay?”
“Cash,” she tried to sound as bored as the clerk. She dropped a
wad of twenties on the counter, holding her breath.
The money was counted only once, placed in the till, and a pair
of keys were then unceremoniously presented to her.
She was nearly out of here.
“Thank you. Is that it?”
“Uh-huh. Red car parked up front. Have a pleasant day.”
And that was it.
Paige had a car. Under a fake name. Miles and miles outside of
LA.
She rolled her luggage behind her on the way to the parking lot.
She gently placed it in the car and sat behind the wheel. She tried to
be as calm and slow as possible. She didn’t want to draw any
attention to herself.
With a trembling hand, she turned the key into the ignition,
looked around, and just like that, Paige Kirby drove off into the
sunset, disappearing from Hollywood.
CHAPTER THREE
 DEV

D ev Weaver was not an indecisive man. He wasn’t even a

complex man.
If his belly was full, he was content.
But buying a new expensive guitar was the kind of splurge that
made him uncomfortable. He didn’t need the new instrument, but he
sure wanted it.
That was the most complicated thing about him.
Needs and wants were on opposing sides of his mind, and it was
difficult to make compromises.
So, yes. Dev wanted the guitar, but his old one was perfectly fine
if it was a little banged up from years of use. At first, learning to play
guitar was a challenge he gave himself, but soon, he started
enjoying it.
His friends knew he liked to strum the strings.
What did they not know?
When he was alone, he liked to sing. He had no idea if he was
any good, but that was hardly the point. He did it for fun, for
himself, because it was something to do on a lonely Saturday night
when everyone else in the sleuth went off on date night with their
mates.
Not that Dev was in a rush to meet his mate. Those nights might
be lonely, but at least he was at home and not in some restaurant or
at the movies. He didn’t fit comfortably in those seats. His shoulders
were too wide and his legs too long. Whoever got stuck sitting
beside him always eyed him with fear, as if they could see his bear
through his human skin.
Nope.
Staying at home with his guitar and the quiet of his own space
was much more fun.
Ideally, his mate would be just the same.
She would have to be, right? If not, they would hardly be a good
match. Not that every pair of mates seemed to be outwardly well-
matched. Some of the best couples he knew were also some of the
oddest.
That didn’t mean it didn’t look absolutely exhausting to be
permanently attached to another soul.
Dev pursed his lips at the price of the guitar and did quick math.
He could swing it if he took a few more jobs instead of easing off
like his boss and alpha wanted him to.
The work would be worth it for a sweet, shiny, brand-new guitar.
We’re doing it. We’re buying it.
“Weaver, I’ve got an assignment for you.”
Dev looked up from his phone, his finger hovering over the
screen. He was seconds away from making the big purchase. He
arched a brow in annoyance. “Yeah?” he grumbled.
“Before I tell you about it, I want you to remember that your last
assignment didn’t go well. You owe me.”
Dev swore under his breath. “For fuck’s sake. Nowhere in the
files did it say the woman was on the run after harming a panther’s
mate. How the hell was I supposed to know? You didn’t even know.
She didn’t even know.”
“Well, you’re right. You couldn’t have known, but you didn’t have
to fight the whole damn pack, either.”
“It was my job. Jasmine hired us to protect her from a bunch of
bad guys who were after her. I protected her, didn’t I?”
“Yes. You did. Too bad we didn’t catch on sooner that she wasn’t
exactly innocent.”
“But that’s why you fired Rick and hired Joanie. Now we have a
better tech geek on staff. It won’t happen again.”
 “It better not. Especially not with this next assignment. It’s a big
one. Top secret.”
Dev narrowed his eyes and leaned back into his chair. “Top
secret?” Top secret meant premium pay. Maybe he wouldn’t need to
pick up extra shifts after all. “Sleazy politician? Or the rare honest
one?”
Casey shook his head. “Nope. Sorry to disappoint. The client is
an actress. And before you say ...”
“No. No. Fuck no,” he roared! “I already told you a bunch of
times. No famous people. They’re the worst privileged assholes in
the world.” He knew that because they weren’t too far from LA. They
got a few Hollywood contracts every now and again.
Dev hated those.
“Do you remember that one singer who had me holding her
miniature poodle for a full week? I’m not doing that again. Picking
up dog shit is not on my list of career goals.”
“Tough shit,” Casey shrugged. “I am not turning this job down. It
comes from a good friend of mine. She called in a favor, and I owe
her big time. Everyone else on staff is booked. You’re the only one
who can do this. Besides, Gerri requested you personally.”
“Gerri?” Dev’s spine straightened. “The matchmaker who helped
you find Stewart?”
“The very one.”
“Fuck it all.” Dev blew out a breath.
He had known Casey for a very long time, pretty much since they
were kids. Dev had never seen his friend happier than when he
found his mate. If Casey felt grateful to Gerri Wilder for matching
him with his husband, Dev owed it to his alpha to step up.
Loyalty wasn’t something Dev Weaver took lightly.
Not with Casey.
He wasn’t just his best friend and his alpha. They were brothers
in all the ways that counted. Casey’s parents had taken in him when
his mother passed away, leaving him orphaned.
If this needed to be done for Gerri Wilder, Dev would do it. So
long as the woman stayed away from him. At the time she matched
Casey and Stewart, his alpha had asked Gerri to find Dev’s mate.
 That conversation hadn’t gone over well.
At the time, Dev had even less interest in having a mate.
Thankfully, everyone had forgotten about it.
“You’re not gonna give me a choice, are you? I’ve got to take this
assignment?” Dev mumbled, deflating from his anger.
“Yep. You’re doing this.”
“Fine, but know I fucking hate you.” He didn’t mean it, but Casey
understood. “You owe me some salmon and beers.”
“Yeah, yeah. Wanna know who the actress is?” Casey wiggled his
eyebrows.
“No. It doesn’t fucking matter who she is. They’re all the same.”
“You’re so wrong, my angry little cub.” Casey grinned wide. “Our
newest client is Paige fucking Kirby. Apparently, she wants to go on a
vacation all by herself to think. She is ditching her people, but she
wants protection. Gerri met her a few months ago when she was
visiting LA, and they struck up a friendship. Gerri suggested Paige
use our services.”
“Why does she need protection? Why not ask her people to help
her? Wouldn’t her agent or manager have security for her already?”
“No idea. I didn’t ask. This is pulling enough cash to see us
through for a little while.” Casey always talked like the business was
in trouble. They weren’t. They did well; they could pick their clients
and turn down more unsavory work. The alpha just liked to be
financially secure. It was his job as the company’s owner, but also as
the leader of the sleuth. Casey took pride in employing a lot of the
bear shifters. He liked knowing he provided for his people. It was a
noble quality Dev admired.
“This is weird,” Dev commented. “You sure this isn’t shady?”
It wouldn’t be. Not with Gerri involved. That was just wishful
thinking on his part.
“Paige’s reasons are her own and have nothing to do with us.
Our job is to guard her against the paparazzi. That’s all she wants.
Time away from the spotlight.”
“Sure, it is,” Dev grumbled. “Those people are never as simple as
they want us to believe. She’ll have a list of demands before the day
is out. Just you watch. I’ll be cleaning poodle poop for days.”
 Casey shook his head. “I don’t think so. She didn’t mention a pet,
and really, she was very sweet over the phone.”
Dev groaned. “Well, of course. They’re always sweet over the
phone. Then the second they show up here, they’re pure
nightmares.”
“She won’t be a problem. Gerri really likes this young woman.
Are you gonna be a problem?”
Dev sighed. “No. When is this whole thing going down?”
“Paige will be here in a couple of hours.”
“Fuck.” That meant he didn’t have time to get in the right head
space to deal with a starlet. He was going to be one hell of a surly
fucker without the proper cool-down period.
“I know it’s short notice, but that’s how she wants it. Everything
will be done covertly to keep the media from getting a whiff of this.
As soon as she gets here, you’re driving to Anaheim together. From
there, you’ll board a plane to Hawaii. She’ll be traveling under an
assumed name. You’ll probably have to come up with a cover story.”
“Wait, she isn’t doing this whole vacation thing as herself?” Dev
frowned. Now that was weird.
“Nope. She really wants to be off-grid.”
“Great. So, she’s gonna be all nervous. This is gonna be a pain in
my ass.” He stood and rubbed a hand across his neck. “I’ll need to
go home. Grab some clothes.”
“Grab enough for two weeks,” Casey warned.
“You’re fucking with me, right? You just said one week.” How in
the hell was he supposed to survive two weeks with a puffed-up
actress? She’d probably treat him like a butler or something.
Casey nodded. “Well, one week is the baseline, sure. But you
never know. The assignment might run long if she enjoys her time
with your grumpy ass. Go on and get your stuff. Don’t take too long.
She called a little while ago, and she was on her way. She sounds
very eager to start this vacation of hers as soon as possible.”
“You’ll have to feed Orange Number Two every couple of days,”
Dev said. “Don’t let him die.”
Casey rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, Dev. I won’t let your goldfish
die. You know it’s a ridiculous pet to have, right? They don’t live
long.”
“And? I like Orange Number Two. He’s funny. Funnier than
Orange Number One.”
Casey threw his head back with a laugh. “Only you would find a
fish funny. It doesn’t do anything. It just swims in its own filth all
day long. And those names. You’re lucky you’re good-looking
because you’re one weird man.”
“Whatever. Feed him. If he dies, you owe me a new Orange.”
“I will give you a dollar if that happens.”
Dev flipped him off as he lumbered to the door. “Let me know if
Miss Hollywood gets here early. I’m gonna grab lunch while I’m out.”
“Bring me back a donut.”
“No,” he shot back over his shoulder. “You don’t deserve one for
sending me on this job.”
They both knew Dev would bring a whole box of donuts.
They were that kind of brothers.
CHAPTER FOUR
 PAIGE

P aige stood in front of Bear Paw Protection, looking at herself in

the window’s reflection. It was good to look in the mirror and
see her face without any disguises.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
If her plan worked, she would be free to be exactly herself, just
like this, for at least a week.
She could hardly wait.
With another deep inhale and long exhale, she pushed through
the door and was immediately greeted by a handsome man with
sandy hair and a matching beard. He came toward her.
“Hey, there. You must be Paige. Of course, you are. I recognize
you.” He shook her hand. “I’m Casey. We spoke on the phone.”
“Casey, hello. Gerri has told me so much about you. Thanks so
much for taking me on as a client. I’m sure my requests were odd.”
He waved her off. “Not even a little bit. We’ve had much weirder,
I guarantee you that.”
“Oh, good. Somehow, that makes me feel so much better. I really
appreciate everything you’re doing.”
“Any friend of Gerri’s is a friend of mine. Without her, I wouldn’t
have met my husband.”
Paige smiled. “That’s so sweet. She didn’t tell me she liked to
play matchmaker.”
Casey threw his head back with a laugh. “I think she likes to play
at it quite a bit. Follow me into my office. We’ll grab a coffee while
we wait for your bodyguard to arrive.”
Paige followed him down the hallway and into a warmly
decorated space. There was a long, wide leather couch off to one
side while the center of the room focused on a big wooden desk. A
framed picture of Casey with another man — his husband —
featured prominently there.
Casey pulled out one of the chairs facing his desk for her and sat
beside her in its matching mate. He crossed his legs and smirked at
her. “I don’t want to bother you with any Hollywood questions, but
not gonna lie. It’s hard not to pester you.”
Paige laughed. “I’m used to it. Fire away.”
He shrugged. “I’d rather not. You’re my client, after all.”
“Well, how about this. Tell me your favorite movie of mine, and
I’ll offer a tidbit of information in return.”
“You are clever. I can’t pass that up. In Falls of Gold 2: The
Rising, you had to do that insane jump from the temple wall. Did
you really do that stunt?”
Paige doctored her features, waiting to remain calm. “I wanted to
do it, yeah. I trained and trained for it. But the day of the shoot, the
execs pulled the plug on it and called in a double. They told the
media I did it myself, but they wouldn’t allow it. I was actually very
upset about it.”
He pouted. “I bet. Especially if you had trained for it and
everything.”
That was the usual refrain lately. She did all this work for
challenging roles, but just as she was about to get to do the cool
and impressive thing, she was told she couldn’t.
Her.
A grown-ass woman.
It pissed her off, but she remained outwardly calm.
No one wanted to work with a difficult actress, and she didn’t
want to get a reputation as a diva. That would hardly get her
through the theater door.
Somewhere, off in the distance, a heavy door shut with a loud
and echoing boom. Paige, startled, jumped to her feet. “What was
that?”
 “The back door. Your bodyguard is here,” Casey answered. “Don’t
be put off by his surly exterior. He’s actually a big teddy bear when
you get to know him.”
Well, sure.
Because that didn’t sound ominous at all.
Paige licked her lips, smoothed down her shirt, and pushed her
hair over her shoulder. Why did she want to make a good impression
on the bodyguard? She didn’t really know. She was only aware that
a lot of people had a negative view of those in her profession. She
didn’t want to be lumped in with the divas — most of which, as it
turned out, were the leading men. Actors were the biggest whiners.
Casey’s office door opened, and a man walked in.
Immediately, Paige worked to swallow a gasp, but there was no
killing the blush creeping over her face.
The man wasn’t just tall.
He was a beast. He sort of looked like a bear poised on his back
paws. Even the scowl on his face gave Paige the impression he was
about to open his jowls and growl the roof down.
He looked none too pleased to be there.
Great. He hates me already. And, of course, he has to be
gorgeous.
Paige had worked with some of the so-called sexiest men in the
world over the course of her career. But this guy? He put them all to
shame with his shaggy brown hair and well-maintained beard. His
Henley was almost indecent; it was so tight on his muscled form.
If she had been on the set of a movie, she would have
dramatically fanned herself while the narrator said something not-so-
clever and over-the-top sexual.
Now she understood why they did that in movies.
When the right man walked into the room, the air could vanish.
Get it together, Paige. He’s working for you. Don’t be a cliche and
drool on the help. You’re not some cocky prick hitting on the nanny
while the wife is off shooting on location. You’re a grown woman in
complete control of her lust.
Paige held out her hand with a back straight, and her head held
high. “I’m Paige Kirby. You must be Dev Weaver.”
 He kept his arms crossed, making his biceps bulge.
Oh, okay. So maybe I’m a little bit in trouble.
Dev watched her carefully through a pair of soft hazel eyes. They
were too kind for the annoyance rolling off him. Yup, he hated her
already, just as she had feared.
“Miss Kirby.” His voice was deep but beautiful despite the edge he
added to it.
She dropped her hand instead of leaving it hanging like a dead
fish on the end of a line. “Call me Paige, please.”
“Nope.”
“Oh. Okay.” She blushed into her hairline. “Should I call you Mr.
Weaver, then?”
“Dev’s fine.”
“Well, if you’re Dev, I insist on being Paige. Remember, we’re
going incognito. No formalities you might be used to.” She smiled
warmly at him. Please stop glaring at me.
Casey went over to his employee and nudged him with this
elbow. “See, Paige? I told you he was a bit grumpy. It’s only because
he doesn’t want to leave Orange Number Two all alone.”
She frowned. “Orange Number Two?”
“My goldfish,” Dev answered.
Huh.
That was the very last thing she expected him to say.
No man could be truly horrible if he had a goldfish, right? That
was almost heartbreaking in its sweet innocence. Her heart fluttered,
but she didn’t know why.
“Oh. I’m sorry you’ll miss time with your… umm… with your
goldfish.” What was the proper etiquette about water pets, anyway?
“It’s fine. Casey will keep him alive. Or else.”
Casey waved him off. “Yes, yes. You’re very scary and dramatic.
We get it.”
“We should go. Quickly. I don’t know how, but the paps have a
knack for finding me. Like, all the time. Even when I’m wearing a
disguise. We need to leave. Not stay in one place too long in case
they have already caught my scent. When we get to the resort, I’ve
been promised the highest level of privacy.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m
paying a pretty penny for it. It’s taken me a long time and a lot of
effort to make it this far without being detected. I would like to keep
it this way.”
“Fine.”
“You two kids have fun.”
“See you,” Dev said to Casey before heading outside without
turning back to see if Paige was keeping up.
Casey smiled at her. “Go on. Follow him. This is it, Paige. Your
vacation starts now. Enjoy yourself, and don’t let him bother you too
much. He’ll thaw. He’s kind, really. I wouldn’t have agreed to give
him this assignment if I didn’t believe in him.”
“Thanks.” She returned his smile and chased after Dev.
He stood by a small sedan, dropping his luggage — and
somehow — hers, too, in the trunk. He slammed it shut and wiped
his hands on his ass.
That was the only reason why she noticed his butt. Because he
brought her attention to it. If he hadn’t, she would have lived the
rest of her life, content in knowing she had never ogled Dev
Weaver’s posterior. Yeah, right.
“Are we ready to go?” she asked.
“Gimme your phone,” he commanded.
“My phone?” she asked, confused. It was her baby. Her life. She
wrote all her song lyrics on there. She had written a few scripts for
musicals on it too. Those were top-secret projects no one knew
about. “No, I will not give you my phone. Why would you need it?”
“You got your shit backed up?” he ignored her completely.
“Obviously.”
Then, as she watched in horror, the big grump took her phone
from her hand and smashed it down onto the asphalt.
That wasn’t enough for him, though.
He proceeded to dig his booted heel into it, and Paige
whimpered. She could’ve sworn she heard the poor device weep out
for her.
“Why? What is the matter with you?” She tried to shove him in
the chest.
 She flew backward because he was so massively muscled. She
stumbled, but he caught her, lining their bodies in an overly intimate
way.
Oh. He is a man.
“Don’t do that, Birdie. You’ll only hurt yourself.”
“Why did you wreck my phone?”
He shrugged. “Who set it up for you?”
“My manager. Why?”
“Sorry to tell ya, Birdie, but if you’re constantly found, even in
disguise? Someone on your team is selling you out to the paps.”
She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “You think my people
are tracking me?”
“Yup. Now get in the car. We can’t miss our flight.”
Without another word, he hopped in behind the wheel and
revved the engine as another warning he wanted to go.
Hollow and betrayed, Paige dragged her feet to the passenger
seat and sat. She slid the seat belt over her shoulder.
“You really didn’t think they’d be doing that, did you?” he asked,
his tone the softest she’d heard.
She nodded.
“Well, Birdie, you’re gonna need to be a hell of a lot more
devious and suspicious if you wanna make it out alive.”
She didn’t know if he meant her career or their trip.
It didn’t matter.
Dev drove them away.
For better or worse, they were in it together now.
CHAPTER FIVE
 DEV

D ev gripped the steering wheel with so much strength, he was

concerned he would end up ripping it off by accident.
He couldn’t think straight, and that was fucking
inconvenient.
The whole car smelled like her.
Like fucking honey.
Like paradise.
His dick wouldn’t calm down, his bear was on a tear, and he was
one exit away from pulling over to the side of the road and calling
this whole thing off.
The second he walked into Casey’s office, Dev knew he was
doomed. Paige Kirby stood from her chair, short and curvy — just
right for his taste like she was fucking Goldie Locks.
But her hair wasn’t blonde. Nope. It was the most enticing shade
of black, waving down her back like it wanted to highlight her
shapely hips and ass.
Paige fucking Kirby. Was. His. Mate.
It hit him with such force, for an insane moment, he thought his
bear was pushing out of his skin to run toward her. It was insanity
that this should be how his life went down.
He should’ve known something was up the second Casey told
him he had to take this assignment because Gerri Wilder insisted on
having him on the case for her dear friend.
 It had to be a setup, for fuck’s sake. This had to be a joke. They
were playing a trick on him.
He put on the blinker and pulled over to the side of the road.
“What’s going on? Are we being followed? Did you destroy my
phone for nothing?”
“Stay in the car” was all he gave by way of answer. He slammed
the car door behind him and lumbered away, putting distance
between himself and his mate.
Or maybe not.
This could be a bad joke.
He took deep breaths, clearing his nostrils of Paige’s honey scent.
It didn’t loosen the knot developing in his neck or the headache
starting in his eyeballs from focusing on the road so hard.
He grabbed his phone and quickly dialed Casey’s number. “What
the fuck, Casey? Did you do this?”
Casey chuckled, and that only pissed Dev off. “Did I do what?”
his alpha asked.
“Did you ask Gerri Wilder to find me my mate? For real this
time?”
Casey laughed again. “For real? You fully realize that once
someone puts that idea in Gerri’s head, she doesn’t forget, right? It
didn’t matter that we joked about it. You’re on her radar now. You
have been for a while. Why?”
He clenched his jaw down hard. “No reason.”
“Oh, shit,” Casey gasped. “Are you telling me Paige Kirby is your
mate?”
“I didn’t say that,” he snapped.
“Well, who else would it be? Why else would you call me with
this question?”
“It’s nothing. Forget I called.”
“That’s not happening now. My interest is piqued.”
“Bye, Casey. I hate you. Don’t forget to feed my fish.” He ended
the call before his alpha could pester him for more questions, but as
he walked back to the car, his phone vibrated away in his pocket.
It wasn’t a call.
 It was a series of text messages begging — then demanding —
more details. Dev didn’t even have to look at the phone to know. He
knew his friend that much.
“Is everything okay?” Paige asked as he climbed into the car.
He rolled his window down. Maybe he could drive with his head
out of the window until they got to the airport. That wasn’t too
weird. She was from Hollywood, for fuck’s sake. Surely, she would’ve
seen stranger things.
But he doubted she had seen something as odd as a grown man
shifting into a bear.

P aige was stunning even in her disguise — a short blonde wig with a
pair of thick black glasses and a baggy T-shirt.
You can totally do this.
That was the refrain Dev chanted to himself on the flight to
Paige’s chosen destination: Hawaii. If they had flown on a private jet
with a tiny cabin, he wouldn’t have been able to survive.
On a crowded commercial flight, there were too many other
scents. He could focus on other things, like the crying baby in the
seat ahead of him. A baby in first class was a choice. Not one he
would’ve made, but the mother was clearly overwhelmed, nearly
weeping as she tried to calm her baby.
Reaching his patience limit, he leaned forward in his seat. “May
I?” he asked the stranger. “I’ve got lots of nieces and nephews. They
call me the baby whisperer.”
The woman looked up at him, her mouth agape and chin
trembling. “You can help her? She’ll stop crying?”
He shrugged. “I can give it a try. It’ll give you a break, at the
very least. Besides, we’re on a plane. It’s not like I can kidnap her.”
She handed over her screaming child, and Dev tucked her in the
crook of his arms. The baby — Mathilda — looked up at him, her tiny
brown eyes in shock. She didn’t recognize him, but he smiled down
at her.
 “You’ve got to stop screaming, little one. You’re hurting yourself.
If you take a deep breath, your ears won’t hurt so much.” He
continued explaining things to her. She was barely four months old
and wouldn’t understand a word he said, but she watched him in
fascination, stuffing her little hands in his beard. She hiccupped from
crying so hard but soon settled. He told her the tale of a nice family
of bears who all took care of each other, walking up and down the
aisle, gently bouncing her.
Baby Mathilda was fast asleep in no time at all. He returned the
sleeping child to her grateful mother. “I was so anxious, I think I
might’ve been stressing her out. Thank you so much.”
He shrugged. “No worries.” He took his seat once more.
Paige turned to stare at him. She blinked at him. “Well?” She
fluttered those eyelashes of hers again. “Are you going to explain to
me what the hell just happened right there?”
He shook his head.
“You just rocked a baby to sleep. You, the big man who has a
beard and a goldfish.”
“Leave Orange Number Two out of this.”
She laughed softly. “You’ve got a gooey center, Dev Weaver.
Before this trip is through, I will get to the core.”
So long as you lap me up.
Ouf. His bear was really going to get him into trouble.
Especially if Paige kept on saying things like that.
By the time they landed and left the plane, Dev was in serious
need of some alone time. Helping baby Mathilda had given him a
reprieve, but driving to their resort in a small cab, just the two of
them, was all too much.
He was tired, and worst of all, he was starving.
He didn’t do well with hunger. Most shifters had a fast
metabolism, but he was a bear. He could eat a whole school of
salmon and polish off a pie-eating contest for dessert. He was that
hungry.
When they finally pulled up to the resort, he audibly sighed in
relief. He jumped out of the car, not waiting for the driver to help
with their bags. He tipped the man generously and sent him on his
way. He rolled their luggage to the counter, barely looking around.
He needed out and away from Paige before he seriously lost
control of his mind.
Paige waltzed up to the counter and flipped her wig’s short hair,
smiling warmly at the clerk.
“Welcome to Rising Sun Resort. How can I help you?”
“We’re Mr. and Mrs. Weaver, here on our honeymoon,” Paige said,
reaching out for him. Her small dainty hand landed on his bicep,
cutting off all air supply to his brain.
“Oh, isn’t that adorable. You two are definitely a beautiful couple.
I sure hope you will enjoy your time here. Make some memorable
moments.”
“I’m sure we will,” Paige cooed. “Isn’t that right, Pookie-Bear?”
Paige reached out and ran her fingers through his beard.
His cock immediately paid attention, not understanding this was
all fake. Before his downstairs situation became a very real problem,
he grabbed her hand down and tucked it behind her back. To the
clerk, it would look like an amorous embrace. In reality, it was pure
self-preservation.
“Follow Jay here to your room. If you need anything, please let
us know. Have a good honeymoon.”
Paige waved to the clerk before Dev led her away. “Was that
entirely necessary?” he grumbled in her ear.
She shivered at the touch of his beard against her cheek, and he
made a note of it.
Don’t touch her with the beard. He’d shave it as soon as he could
if she didn’t like it. Wait. What? Had he really thought that?
He loved his beard. Way more than this woman he barely knew,
mate or not.
Dev followed behind Paige and the bellhop, who escorted them
to their room.
As a matter of fact, it wasn’t a room.
It was a private cottage right by the water with its own personal
dock. There would be no real reason to mingle with the other resort
patrons.
 That was probably the point. Paige didn’t want to be recognized,
and no matter how much she called herself Mrs. Weaver, if she
wasn’t careful, someone was bound to recognize her – even with her
wig.
At least, the cottage would be big enough for both of them. They
would keep to their own rooms and limit their time together. He
wouldn’t have to be tortured by the very sight of Paige all day, every
day, for seven fucking days. Dev didn’t know how many hours that
was, but he would do the math and then count them down. He
would count his lucky stars for every one that passed without a
single incident between them.
If you think a bear can keep away from a honeycomb, you’re a
bigger idiot than I thought.
He didn’t know who spoke, him or his bear.
CHAPTER SIX
 PAIGE

P aige was stunned

No.
That was too small for what she felt.
She was shocked and pleased, horrified and — attracted.
Yup.
You take a big lumbering man and put a crying baby in his arms.
You watch that man calm the screeching child. See if your ovaries
don’t burst out of your body.
Impossible.
Of course, Dev Weaver was a big sweetheart with everyone but
her. It was annoying as hell. Paige had no clue what she had done
that was so offensive to the man, but she had obviously upset him
somehow.
That would need to change and fast. The whole vacation was
built for a honeymooning couple.
Dev was going to have to get with the program. They were going
to be doing all kinds of excursions together. She had warned Casey
about that part of the job, but she was starting to get that the man
hadn’t warned his employee. Why? She didn’t know.
But Dev wasn’t going to ruin her vacation. Even if she had to tie
him to the bed, he would have fun.
Wait. What?
Had she really just thought that? Impossible.
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