Falling Close: A Friends to Lovers Romantic Comedy by Sydney Muse

Author:Sydney Muse [Muse, Sydney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-12T16:00:00+00:00

Raven had taken this too far, but she wasn’t mad about it. Dean’s hand slid to the small of her back, holding her body against his, and she might never be mad about anything ever again. She might stay in the woods with him for the rest of her life and be just fine.

Then a branch snapped behind them.

Raven and Dean froze, still holding on to each other as they tried to catch their breath. “Please tell me that’s a murderer,” she whispered against his lips. “Please tell me that is an actual human murderer and not a wild animal.”

Raven knew that sounded ridiculous—and she knew murderers were worse than wildlife—but she had a thing about animal encounters, a full-blown phobia that was pretty ironic for a wilderness resort employee. And this was not how she wanted tonight to end. In a B movie frenzy of fur, claws, and teeth.

Please don’t let it be a wild animal.

Please don’t let it be a wild animal.

Dean didn’t say anything. More branches snapped in the distance as something moved closer, and the time for talking had passed. Wordlessly, he shifted toward the sound, tucking Raven behind him to keep her safe. His arm stayed curved around her, pinning her against his back like he was ready to shield her from whatever came next. Please don’t let it be a wild animal.

Raven held her breath as the woods rustled again. Peering over Dean’s shoulder, she watched the trees shift as a dark shape lumbered toward them. A black bear. An actual black bear.

It wasn’t just a wild animal; it was one of the largest in Colorado. With claws. And teeth. A real festival of worst-case scenarios—even if they were one of Dean’s favorite animals.

Why couldn’t it have been a rabbit headed toward them? Or a deer? Or a plague of locusts? Why did it have to be something that could weigh nearly three hundred pounds?

Dean’s grip on Raven tightened, like he could tell she was spiraling. Or maybe he just wanted to remind her he was there. That they were in this together, and he wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.

The bear in the distance was larger than Raven expected, but also smaller. Squat and wide and powerful looking, even in the dark. Its inky fur was dotted with silver streaks of moonlight, and its snout was much lighter, almost honey-colored. Somehow, it was surprisingly cute, but Raven couldn’t stop shaking. A cute predator was still a predator.

She cowered behind Dean a little more. Even after working here for five years, this was the first time Raven had encountered a bear up close, the real deal instead of just the post-bear aftermath she usually saw. And she was not a fan.

Then suddenly, she could hear it, Dean’s voice in her head. The memory of every bear fact that man had ever told her. An entire avalanche of logic ready to soothe her terrified soul.

Black bears are rarely aggressive.

Their diet mainly consists of plants.

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