Some Bear to Love: BBW Bear Shifter (BWWM) Romance Standalone by Terry Bolryder

him under his wing and taught him about the sea to distract him.
    The sea was always there for him. He could always come back to it. His family thought he was the cold one, the distant one, but perhaps he was really the most sensitive, the most hurt by their mother’s abandonment, because he was definitely the one most held back by it.
    But he was grateful for the chance he’d gotten to know his mate. There was something wonderful between them, and he was glad they’d had a chance to explore it. And it would hurt to say good-bye, but then the sting would fade. Hopefully.
    He reached out a hand as she reached him. Her braids were woven into one thick braid and rested over her shoulder alluringly. Her curves looked amazing beneath the intricate wrap of the soft sarong that fluttered slightly in the wind. He licked his finger, put it up in the air, and grinned. “Good wind.”
    “Good,” she said, laughing slightly as he helped her up onto the deck.
    Tonight he was taking her out on his private boat. A smaller yacht with just a small cabin below, only big enough for two. But he didn’t plan to take her downstairs with him tonight. He knew if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to let her go. And if he didn’t, she’d blame him for the rest of their lives.
    They’d both agreed on no quarter, no begging, no rule changes, and they were about to find out why. But first, he had a surprise.
    “Come here,” he said, guiding her to a seat next to his. He untied them from the dock, pulled the bumpers that kept his boat from scratching, turned on the lights that helped him steer as the sun was fading, and started the boat.
    It rumbled to life with a satisfying growl, and he moved the throttle back to pull away from the dock. He palmed the wheel, aware she was watching him and it turned her on to see him handle the boat.
    She liked him being in control almost as much as he liked being in control. Another reason they would have been fantastic mates, had things been different.
    He still laughed inside when he thought about that first day together, after she’d stolen his boat. And their first night, in the dark in a dinghy, and the night in his suite. And they had so many memories to add after that.
    They drove out until the shore and the resort were distant and they had the distinct feeling of being alone on the ocean, rocked by the waves. He dropped the anchor. Looking at the sun, he guessed they still had forty-five minutes of daylight, at least.
    He laid out a quilted blanket and opened the cooler to reveal Dom Pérignon champagne and strawberries. He popped the cork on the champagne and let it spill off the side of the boat, then brought it over to her and poured her a glass. When he handed it to her, she grinned, but he thought it looked slightly pained and he didn’t like that.
    “Only the best for you New York types,” he said.
    “I didn’t know you had such luxury out here,” she teased.
    “We aren’t complete savages,” he said, taking a strawberry out of the container and placing it gently between her lips. She took another sip and chewed and swallowed with pure rapture in her face. Damn, he wanted to do that again. So he did.
    The sunset was gorgeous, all orange and red and pink and fading blue, with the water getting brighter toward the horizon as it flashed back the colors of the sky it was reflecting. He didn’t think he’d ever had a more perfect moment.
    “Sebastien?” she asked quietly, feeding him a strawberry and giving him a moment’s excuse not to answer.
    He chewed slowly and then swallowed. The bite of the sour berry tingled with the tang of the champagne. It felt a little like their relationship. Sweet but bitter. So bitter. “Yes?”
    “Do you want to go first or should I?”
    “Should we even do this?” he blurted out. “I mean, it won’t change anything. It’s just going to make us angry at one another, if the reasons aren’t good enough.”
    “No, because we both agreed to what