Husband With Benefits

Lily huffed and puffed as she dragged her suitcase behind her and wondered why she thought the distance from where she had been dropped off to this house was less. Dragging a bag in the snow was no mean feat! And the wind howling past your ears made it somehow even more eery.

However, as she saw the large mansion that she needed to manage, she forgot all about her struggle... It was beautiful! With a hand on her hip, she stood for a moment and admired it. The guest house, with its old-fashioned red brick and charming chimney, looked like something out of an English fairy tale. Its warmth practically radiated through the windows. Lily grinned to herself, shuffling through the set of keys she had been given, searching for the smaller one that would unlock the front door.

Just as her fingers brushed the key she needed, she caught sight of something from the corner of her eye. Her heart skipped a beat. Was someone—or something—moving toward her? The figure was far off but was definitely getting closer. Slowly. Cautiously. As if sneaking up on her.

Her pulse quickened. Was this her imagination running wild, or had she been spotted by a bear of all things? Weren’t they supposed to be hibernating by now? And were they supposed to be hovering so close to where she was supposed to live? Even though she might not have to move about, she could not stay locked inside the house, could she? Panic set in as she fumbled with the keys, her fingers trembling uncontrollably. Her breath hitched as the figure moved faster, its form looming larger with each passing second.

With wide, frightened eyes, she tried to focus on getting the key into the lock, but her hands shook so violently she could barely control them. "Come on, come on," she muttered under her breath, willing her hands to cooperate. The wind howled louder, drowning out all other sound. She could feel the figure getting closer—too close. Her panic surged.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the key slid into the lock with a satisfying click. But before she could turn it, she felt a heavy paw land on her shoulder. Her heart leapt into her throat.

She froze. No, no, no! This was it! She squeezed her eyes shut, covering her ears with her hands as she let out a scream of terror.

Lily’s breath came in short gasps, her body frozen in terror. But through the pounding in her ears, she became aware of a voice—soft but insistent. "Lily... Lily, it’s me. Open your eyes."

For a moment, she stayed in her shell of fear, gripping her ears and squeezing her eyes shut tighter. But then she realized that the paw gripping her shoulder wasn’t rough or clawed; it was warm and human. Slowly, her heart still racing, she let her hands drop from her ears and hesitantly cracked her eyes open.

There, standing in front of her, was no bear. It was him. The last person she expected—or wanted—to see. Her heart lurched, not from fear this time, but from pure shock.

Her voice came out in a breathless, confused whisper. "You’re... not a bear?"

For a split second, the man looked just as stunned as she felt. Then his lips curved into an amused smile, his eyes crinkling with laughter. "A bear? Really, Lily?" His eyebrows lifted as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. "Is that what you thought?"