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    Grin and Bear It: Animal In Me Series, #3
    Grin and Bear It: Animal In Me Series, #3
    Grin and Bear It: Animal In Me Series, #3
    Ebook107 pages1 hour

    Grin and Bear It: Animal In Me Series, #3

    By Tamara Hoffa

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    About this ebook

    A trip to the library can change your life, but Guiles Fredricks never expected to find his mate standing behind the checkout desk.  One whiff of her blackberry and lavender scent has him hooked, but the fear haunting her emerald green eyes makes his bear roar to claim and protect her.

    Gina Salducci came to Honey Corners to hide. On the run from her abusive ex- boyfriend she fears she will never be safe. Nick Mancuso runs Atlantic City, he has ties to the mob and won’t hesitate to kill her if he finds her. Obviously her taste in men sucks.

    When her fears are realized and danger finds her, will she run again, or find it in her heart to trust the bear that vows he is her mate?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTamara Hoffa
    Release dateOct 15, 2015
    ISBN9781519988010
    Grin and Bear It: Animal In Me Series, #3
    Author

    Tamara Hoffa

    My best friend calls me “her Fairy Godmother,” but I feel more like Cinderella. After over twenty-five years of living a typical life, I now live my dreams and I create them too. Nothing is better than creating a brand new world from a blank piece of paper. Breathing life into characters and watching their stories unfold—I am truly blessed. I live in on eight acres in middle Tennessee with my husband, my dad, one of my three children, two dogs and three cats.  I am privileged to have two precious grandsons. When I’m not on my computer or reading my kindle, you’ll usually find me in the kitchen. I love to cook! If I’m not there, I’m on the fields, watching my grandsons’ soccer or baseball games. It’s never too late to chase your dreams. I’m proof you can catch them, even if arthritis slows you down. Who knows, your own Fairy Godmother may be just a dream away.

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      Book preview

      Grin and Bear It - Tamara Hoffa

      Tamara Hoffa

      Paranormal Romance

      ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this ebook allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of  the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

      WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. 

      Paranormal Romance 

      Grin and Bear It 

      Copyright © 2015  Tamara Hoffa 

      ––––––––

      First E-book Publication:  October 2015 

      Cover design by Dawné Dominique 

      Edited by Ariana Gaynor 

      All cover art © 2015 Dawné Dominique 

      ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. 

      All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. 

      PUBLISHER

      Tamara Hoffa

      GRIN AND BEAR IT

      Tamara Hoffa

      ––––––––

      Prologue

      ––––––––

      Gina Salducci prayed to whatever gods were listening that her rattletrap car would make it the last hundred miles to Honey Corners, West Virginia and the job at the library that was waiting for her. Everything she owned was stuffed in the backseat with room to spare, not much to show for her twenty-seven years of life.

      But at least she’d escaped with her life. So far anyway. She checked the rearview mirror again. Gloria had helped her get away, God, she hoped her friend didn’t get jammed up over this. Nick was such a bastard.

      She touched the faded bruise around her left eye, hoping her makeup still covered the remnants because she’d have to stop for gas soon. She had fifty dollars left in her wallet and she didn’t dare use a credit card.

      Good thing this job came with room and board. If she could just make it to Honey Corners maybe she’d be safe. At least for a little while.

      No more slinging drinks at the Egret Casino and Lounge. No more skimpy costume with feathers sprouting from her ass and her boobs on display for all the drunks to ogle and paw. Best of all, no more Nick to smack her around when she came home every night.

      God, she’d been such a fool. Gina had always made it a strict rule to never date her customers. More than one man thought she ought to serve up more than a gin and tonic just because she worked on the strip and wore a costume no bigger than a postage stamp, but a girl had to pay off her student loans somehow. Who would have thought getting a job with a fine arts degree would be so hard?

      Idiot that she was, she’d broken her own rule and gone out with Nick. He’d worn her down. Tall, handsome, rich, and oh, so charming. He’d been the perfect gentleman caller, sending her flowers and candy. Coming to the casino every night and begging her to go out with him. She’d finally relented and for a while it had been wonderful.

      Dinners in the finest restaurants. Dancing all over town. Lavish presents...then he began to smother her. She noticed cars following her wherever she went. Nick or one of his men. He was at her apartment every night when she came home. Made himself a key without her permission.

      He grew jealous and possessive. Then the abuse started. First just a slap, and the furious apologies, a diamond necklace. Please, I’ll never do it again. But, of course he did. The next time with fists.

      He wanted to control her every move, hated her job and constantly tried to make her quit. Hell, I’ll even marry you, if that’s what you want, he’d said. Some romantic proposal, right? No, thank you. Then she’d never get away from him.

      Every night when she came home from work, Nick took her tips. For safe keeping. Yeah right. He thought he knew how much she made slinging drinks, but Gina was a good waitress and managed to hold back a twenty here and a fifty there, that he didn’t know about. Still, it had been a struggle.

      Nick was more than generous when it came to giving her money for personal use. If she wanted to get her nails or hair done, he’d arrange it in a minute, new clothes, no problem. As long as he approved, of course. But, when she needed her car repaired, that was another story.

      You don’t need that heap fixed. Geno will drive you anywhere you want to go.

      Yeah, that was the problem. She didn’t want Geno driving her anywhere. She wanted to get away from Geno...and Nick.

      A green highway sign came up on her left, Honey Corners fifty miles. She glanced down at the gas gauge, a quarter tank. Could she make it without stopping for gas? The music playing from the radio registered in her brain and she turned it up. Sara Evans, A Little Bit Stronger. Tears stung her eyes, but she smiled. That was going to be her theme song from this day forward. Day after day she was going to get a little stronger.

      Chapter One

      ––––––––

      Guiles Fredricks knocked on the door of Jenna Raynes’ classroom. Come in, she called. He was so not looking forward to this. How had he gotten roped into chaperoning a kindergarten field trip to the library again? Oh, yeah, his Sippe Lieter and Jenna’s mate, Bern Helms, had ordered him to.

      It’s not that Guiles didn’t like cubs, he loved them, but twenty-five of them for the whole day? He wasn’t a father, why was he the one getting roped into this assignment. Martin was the expectant father, he should have been assigned this duty. Of course, that was precisely why he wasn’t here.

      Martin’s mate was being just a tad, what was the word Bern used, excitable, at this point in her pregnancy. Personally, Guiles would say crazy as a loon. One minute Elizabeth was laughing, the next she was crying, and you never knew what was going to set her off. She shifted into her bear the other day and almost bit his hand off because he tried to take the last honey bun on the plate. Damn.

      Hans was usually Jenna’s personal guard, but he was away on some special project for Bern with their allies the Von Drake wolf pack. So, Guiles was stuck with library duty. Oh well, at least he liked to read. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too bad. He squared his shoulders and entered the classroom.

      The children were all seated quietly in their tiny little rows of desks with their hands folded in their laps and smiles plastered on their lips. Oh, the little buggers were up to something.

      Hello, Guiles. We’re so glad you’re here. Aren’t we children? Jenna said.

      Yes, Miss Raynes, chorused from the class.

      This isn’t good, Guiles thought.

      We have a wonderful day planned. The bus has already arrived and now that Guiles is here, we’re ready to go. Everyone grab their buddy and line up at the door. She clapped her hands. Quietly please.

      Guiles walked to her side. They’re planning something, he whispered.

      I know it, she whispered back laughing. But between the two of us, we’ll figure it out and stop them in their tracks. They think they are so smart, but I’ve been doing sneaky a lot longer than they have.

      Guiles laughed and threw his arm around her shoulder. Why don’t I doubt that, Miss Jenna?

      She elbowed him in the ribs.

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