HIDDEN HEART

Publisher: Ellora's Cave ISBN: 1-4199-0131-1 Part of the Lions and Tigers and Bears anthology together with Kit Tunstall and Jodi Lynn Copeland Genre: Shape-shifter/Paranormal

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Rafe Kutter is hiding a terrible secret, and with it, his heart. He's a werebear determined never to pass on his curse to a child of his own. Bold and bewitching Lindy Timberlane not only frees his heart, but ignites a blaze of passion that he fights to deny.

Amazed by Rafe's abilities and appalled that he believes he's cursed, Lindy risks her own heart to help him accept his gift and hopefully ... her love.

Excerpt

Lying in her tent, wide awake, Lindy was still worrying about the significance of what happened earlier in the evening. There was no doubt that Rafe had been about to kiss her, a thing she'd decided she very much wanted. But then something had happened. All the heat and want and need she'd seen in his eyes just seemed to drain away, replaced by such a haunted look of loneliness, regret and resignation that Lindy felt her heart pinch with dismay.

It hurt to think that Rafe wrestled with such poignant emotions, and she couldn't help but wonder why. She hadn't refused his advances, she had in fact been on the verge of throwing herself into his arms. The agonizingly slow moments that passed as he'd moved closer had made her want to moan with frustration.

She wanted him. There was no denying it. Her body was making demands, her mind was confirming the need and now, seeing the hurt that filled him, her heart wanted to heal his. Conflicting emotions swirled inside. Mother, lover, friend, she felt the need to be all those and more to the big, quiet man who slept in the tent next to hers.

She restlessly changed positions in her sleeping bag and froze at the sound of something brushing the side of her tent. Listening intently, her tension increasing, the sound came again and she let her held breath out with a whoosh. It was the tall grass at the back of her tent. The breeze had picked up and intermittently set the stuff dancing against the nylon walls.

Slowly relaxing, Lindy sighed and yawned, pulled her backpack into her arms, and hugged it tight. She missed Humphrey, she admitted wryly and yawned again, her eyelids drifting down. Sleep came, and with it, dreams.

Naked, she lay back against the huge, warm body that curled around her. Dark, soft fur caressed her, sending delightful shivers over her skin. She could feel the strong, steady heart that beat against her back and she ran an exploring hand down a long fur-covered leg. Another shiver shook her as something nuzzled the hair at the back of her neck, and she smiled even as her hand reached a paw.

The enormous paw sported long, curved claws and her fingers explored them curiously. A low growl sounded at her ear and she turned her head, her eyes meeting those of the creature she leaned against. A shocked gasp was torn from her lips as she froze in terror, waiting to be torn asunder. The bear simply stared at her, its eyes dark and familiar and filled with patience as it waited. Lindy slowly relaxed and took a deep breath. Puzzlement filled her thoughts as recognition replaced fear.

"Rafe," she whispered and woke.

She groggily blinked a few times then drifted back to sleep, the dream filed away in her subconscious. Unfortunately, the next dream was not so easily dealt with and she woke again, this time in a cold sweat, a phantom roar reverberating in her head. Lindy lay shivering for a moment then sat up and crawled to the entrance of her tent. She cautiously lowered the zipper and peered out. Lit by moonlight, their campsite held none of the monsters that haunted her dreams.

All was quiet, except for the soft sounds made by the breeze as it rustled grass and leaves, and the chirp of crickets and frogs in the darkness. She scooted out of her tent and stood shivering as the moisture dried on her skin. Dressed in a pair of jersey shorts and a thin t-shirt, she felt naked as the air easily penetrated her clothes.

The dream was slowly fading, but she still felt an echo of the terror that had filled her in the dream as something large had leaned over her, its hot, pungent breath coating her skin and making it crawl before she was grabbed and dragged across the grass. Her fingers had dug into the dirt as she'd sought for something to hold on to, and a scream had built in her throat.

Breathing hard, fighting the returning fear that washed through her, Lindy forced herself to calm down, and was silently coaxing herself to let it go and relax when a voice spoke softly from behind her. "What's wrong?"

She screamed and spun to face the new threat.

"Damn! What's wrong?" Rafe exclaimed.

"You scared me!" she yelled.

"Well I didn't mean to, I was just trying to see if you were all right."

"I had a nightmare. I was ... scared," she confessed, the last word trailing off softly.

"You were what?"

Lindy bit her lip and looked up to see a teasing twinkle in his eyes. "I was scared, all right? I admit it," she fumed.

"I see. I guess I didn't help matters."

Lindy shook her head and shivered again as the breeze kicked up and rushed over her. Her nipples pinched tight under the thin fabric of her shirt, and for the first time she noticed that Rafe was bare-chested and wearing nothing but a pair of loose athletic shorts that exposed his well-formed legs to mid-thigh.

Lindy's mouth went dry as her gaze wandered the glistening mounds of muscles that sculpted his chest and abs. She'd known he was built, but this was the most beautiful example of the male body she'd ever seen, and when another breeze whispered over them and Rafe's small nipples went hard, she almost groaned at the spasm that quivered through her pussy.

"So are you all right now, ready to go to back to sleep?"

"I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep."

"Still scared?"

She nodded, unwilling to admit that it wasn't fear that was going to keep her awake, but desire. Rafe had definitely gotten her juices flowing. The man was truly breathtaking. Rafe gave a resigned sigh and went to her tent, bent down and pulled her sleeping bag out. Lindy swallowed hard at the sight of his oh-so tempting backside as it was momentarily presented for her enjoyment. The leg opening of his shorts rose and she could almost swear she caught a glimpse of the firm mounds of his ass. She shook her head, wondering where these new voyeuristic tendencies were coming from. She'd never felt the need to ogle any other good looking man in this way.

Throwing her sleeping bag over his arm, Rafe motioned for her to follow him to his tent. He ducked inside and Lindy heard a brief scrambling around then he stuck his head out. "Come on, your bed's ready."

Eyes wide and holding back a smile, she crawled inside Rafe's tent and found her sleeping bag laid out next to his.

"Think you can sleep now?" he asked.

Lindy nodded, and laying down on her side, she scrunched some of the bag under her head to form a pillow. "Thanks," she murmured softly and with a deep sigh relaxed into the warm welcoming darkness.

"You're welcome, now shut up," he grumbled.

Lindy snorted a soft laugh, deciding that this was the best outcome of a nightmare she'd ever experienced. Who'd have thought the thing would result in her sharing a tent with the hunky Mr. Kutter? Granted, she was horny as hell, but there were worse things to be. She was still smiling when a yawn took her, pushing her slowly yet inevitably toward sleep.

The bear had returned, and she relaxed into the heat he generated at her back. Lindy wasn't afraid this time and wiggled contentedly in its embrace. She drifted in a half doze, feeling the soft warmth of the breath that stirred the hair at the nape of her neck. Images of Rafe and the bear intermingled in her sleep-fogged brain. Again, she pushed back into the body that curled against hers and felt something hard pushing against her bottom. The flowing images solidified and she suddenly knew without a doubt that it was Rafe-so warm and solidly real-pressed against her.

She moaned softly and turned over, pushing at him, urging him to his back. Still half asleep, her inhibitions at rest, she was awake enough to know where she was and what she wanted. She slid her hand over his taut abs and down under the waistband of his shorts, finding what she sought. His cock. Full and hard. She slid her fingers around it and lightly stroked.

Just emerging from sleep, Rafe groaned and a drowsy smile pulled at her lips in response. Lindy moved down his body and rose up enough to pull his shorts down and over his towering erection, an erection of truly epic proportions, she noted with awe.

Sleep was loosening its hold on her just as she renewed her hold on Rafe's cock and began slowly stroking. Thick and hot, she could see the full veins that wrapped its darkly sleek and solid surface and feel the blood throbbing under her fingers.

His hips moved, pushing his hard, pulsing flesh further into her hand as she bent to him, her tongue flicking out to sweep up the clear, sweet drops of precum that bubbled from the swollen, plum-shaped head. The taste was heady and compelling.

Reviews

Review Site:Fallen Angel Reviews
Reviewer: Elizabeth
Rating: 5 Angels

The Lions and Tigers and Bears anthology contains three shape shifting stories, each of which the male is the shape shifter and is wary of falling in love with a woman due to his rather unique abilities. Each of these tales is about love conquering the fears and obstacles each couple faces. I was drawn to this particular anthology because of Ms. Steele, having read and thoroughly enjoyed To Trust a Wolf. Having not read anything by the other authors, I was very happy to find that I also enjoyed their stories. [...] In Hidden Heart, the way that Rafe's experiences as a child impacted and shaped his life as an adult, forming his determination not to impose what he sees as his curse on anyone else, demonstrates the author's awareness that our personalities and beliefs are formed by our own personal experiences, particularly those from our childhood.

The three stories are well thought out and well written. The sex scenes are detailed and scorching. As a whole, this anthology has widened my reading arena; I had only previously read werewolf shape shifter plots but can now add lions, tigers and bears to my shape shifter reading interests. This is a definite read for paranormal romantic erotica fans – particularly those who enjoy shape shifter plotlines.



Review Site: Cupid's Library Reviews
Reviewer: Marina
Rating: 5 Cupids - both for story and pleasure

Hidden Heart is a fantastic short story filled with humor, wonderful characters, and emotion. Ms. Steele captures Rafe's multitude of emotions throughout this story realistically and with great depth. Rafe is what I would picture a bear-shifter to be like physically, but his feelings and heart are an added dimension I just fell in love with. Lindy, likewise, is a character with great heart and compassion. Because of Ms. Steele's ability to make these characters so believable their love story from the start is one that just touches the heart. The attraction between the two sizzles and when they are intimate it's an inferno. I enjoyed how Ms. Steele showed the playful side of Rafe while also showing his strength and insecurities. She makes Rafe the perfect complement to Lindy and vice-versa. They both play well off each other and their bond is wholly tangible. The introduction of Cade and the other wolf-shifters proved a nice balance to Rafe's isolation and gave him the much needed push to find his heart. In reading this short story I was reminded as to how much I have enjoyed Ms. Steele's other shifter story To Trust a Wolf. This is a wonderful shifter story that touched my heart and ended this anthology on a high note. A definite keeper next to, To Trust a Wolf on my shifter bookshelf.



Review Site: Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer: Wateena
Rating: 5 cups

Lindy Timberline owns Timberline teddies, a company that makes and sells teddy bears. She also donates to Wild Life camp and is invited to get an up close and personal visit. When up at the Base Camp, she meets Rafe and is immediately attracted to him; but why is he acting like a bear with a sore paw with her?

Rafe Kutter is a biologist for the Wild Life camp. Being Shoshone, he has been brought up with different kinds of beliefs and cultures and a curse. Now with Lindy here, he is starting to want things he has only dreamed of. But how can he tell her about his curse?

Kate Steele weaves a fantastic story of a shape shifter and his desire to be normal, with a sexual romp that is hot and steamy. A great read.



Review Site: Euro Reviews
Reviewer: Chrissy
Rating: Great/Excellent (4 1/2 Flags) & Erotic

Kate Steele's Hidden Heart draws you into the emotions of the characters by using humor and smart mouth attitudes to cover both Rafe and Lindy's vulnerabilities. Rafe because of his shape shifting abilities and Lindy because she's a full-figured woman and is sensitive about it. Amazing story and I loved the way the teddy bear idea played throughout the story!



Review Site: Romance Junkies
Reviewer: Contessa
Rating: 4.5 Blue Ribbons

HIDDEN HEART is an amazing story. Rafe believes himself to be curse as werebear, while Lindy thinks he has a remarkable gift that he should embrace. I really enjoyed watching the story unfold between Rafe and Lindy. Because they both possessed strong personalities, it was very entertaining to see them either consistently at each other throats in a heated argument or caught up in a blazing, hot sexual encounter.