Protecting Mr. Fine (The Billionaire Brotherhood, #4)

by Lucy Lennox

Don’t let a bear’s aloofness fool you—they feel emotions deeply. They may act tough, wandering solo through the wilderness, but inside? They’ve got hearts as big as their appetite for honey. —Bear Facts for Insomniacs, Episode 13

Then I stepped out of the elevator and saw the most beautiful man I’d ever laid eyes on… and hubris literally knocked the breath out of me. Gorgeous face. Long, sun-kissed hair. Honey-brown eyes that regarded me curiously. A mouth so soft and sensual my gut went painfully tight in an instant.

He had the patience of a saint and the kindness of a damned Disney princess.

my crush simply meant that I was more aware of him. Better able to do my job. It didn’t have to be a big deal. Hubris said, Hold my beer.

Zane Hendley was the walking definition of a person who set himself on fire to keep everyone around him warm.

“B-bear?” he asked weakly. “What happened?” My heart gave a crazy leap at hearing that name on his lips. I loved all the things it represented—the teasing, the familiarity, the trust we’d built, the knowledge that I’d do anything to keep him safe—and I hated it, too. Because I wanted it to mean even more.

“He’s fine,” I snapped, wishing I could burn the world to make it so. “He’s Mr. fucking Fine.” And the horrifying truth hit me in that moment—a truth I could never tell Zane without losing my right to stay by his side and protect him. Somehow—through my own hubris, or chance, or the fucking Ventdestinian winds of fortune—Zane Hendley had crawled under my impenetrable professional walls… and burrowed himself claws-deep in my heart.

It’s a foolish bear indeed who goes sniffing around another bear’s honey.

But try as I might, I couldn’t outrun the fact that the man I had a crush on… okay, fine, the man I loved more than any other human on Earth… was having sex with the stupidest and second most beautiful man on the planet.

the faded target now hidden under what could only be described as a logo for a solar-powered anger management program.

In the wild, when a bear bonds, their loyalty runs as deep as their strength.

“I’m not much of a people person, Zane,” he’d said. “The thought of those crowds makes my stomach feel like it might sneak outta my ass without warning.”

Bears are naturally protective of the things they value, and they’re not known for giving up their territory or their honey without a fight. But if the reward is sweet enough, a bear might just learn to trust and share.

“I’m so in love with you I can’t breathe. If something happens to you, my life will simply… stop. I can’t… I can’t let anything happen to you, Z. You’re…” His lips were wide with a smile, and his eyes were wet. “I’m your honey.”

You’re my brave, my light, my truth. The world shines brighter because of you. Stand tall, let your colors show. You’re the brightest light, never let it go.

You’re my principal, Zane. Where you go, I go. It’s as simple as that.”