The Mountain Man's Baby Bears (Stormy Mountain Bears Book 2) Read online

  What’s more is that she’s wearing my shirt.

  No wonder she smells like me.

  I’ve never been mated before. Oh, I dated Emily for a very long time, and we were desperately in love, or so I thought, but I never felt the urge to claim her as my own. I never needed to mark her.

  Not like this.

  With Theresa, I find myself craving her. I find myself completely delighting in the way she looks and the way she sounds. When she opens her mouth to speak, I just want to slide my tongue over those perfect lips and make her fall silent under my touch.

  There is so very much that I want when it comes to her.

  “Welcome to the pancake room,” I tell her. I fight myself to keep from licking my lips. The last thing these kids need is to see me going totally crazy over their mom.

  “Thank you,” she smiles. “I can see you boys are getting a lot done.”

  “Look what I did!” Sebastian proudly points to the bowl. Silas does, too.

  “We stirred.”

  “Wow, you stirred?” She looks from the bowl to me and back again. “Good job, boys. Did Mr. Heath help you?”

  “Yeah!”

  She laughs and nods.

  “Okay, why don’t you go to the bathroom and wash your hands? I’m going to talk to Heath for a minute, okay? And I think it’s going to be a few minutes before the food is ready.”

  “Just a few,” I tell her.

  The boys hop down from their stools, scurry out of the kitchen, and go into the bathroom. They close the door behind themselves and lock it, which should probably worry me. I have no idea how much splashing or soap-spilling they’re about to get into, but right now, I don’t even care.

  All I care about is her.

  “You’re wearing my shirt.”

  “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Do I look like I mind?” I wink at her, and she chuckles.

  “Not really.”

  “I don’t.”

  “So,” she looks around at the messy kitchen. “You like cooking.”

  “I probably spend more time in the kitchen than any guy you’ve ever met.”

  “That’s kind of cool, actually,” she says. Theresa leans against the counter and looks over at me. “What’s your favorite thing to cook?”

  “Any kind of meat.”

  “Figures,” she laughs.

  Just then, Spot comes into the room and rubs up against her legs.

  “Aw, hey boy,” she says. “I wondered where you were.”

  “He went out this morning to run around.”

  Spot was totally riled up after having such an adventure yesterday. I love my dog, but I don’t want him running around inside the cabin. I was happy he made himself comfortable running around outside. It’s one of the best reasons for living out here in the mountains. He can run and be free. He can explore and roam and have fun. He can hunt or swim or do whatever he likes. He can lead a happy life, and that’s all I really want for my pup.

  It’s all I really want for anyone.

  “So tell me something,” she says. “What’s your favorite thing about living out here?”

  “The freedom.”

  “From what?”

  “Everything.”

  “Not a city guy, huh?”

  “Not so much.”

  “I understand,” she says wistfully. She reaches for her hair and twirls it a little. “I’ve been thinking about leaving the city.”

  I’m a little surprised.

  “Why?”

  Theresa looks at me like she’s trying to decide whether or not she’s going to trust me with her answer. It’s okay. It’s a hard decision: trusting someone. The reality is that we’ve only just met, but still, I’m curious as to why the little minx doesn’t want to be in the city anymore. She’s got kiddos, after all. Doesn’t she want to be close to family?

  “It’s my job.”

  “What about it?”

  “There’s been a lot of pressure lately,” she says. “I’m ready for something new.” She lets out a deep sigh of relief, as though she’s been holding it in. Somehow, I get the idea that Miss Theresa has been carrying around the weight of the world with herself, and that makes me feel just terrible.

  “What about your job?”

  “My assistant is…well, she’s a bit intense.”

  “How?”

  “Remember how I said she’s always booking things for me? Well, it’s not just once in awhile. It’s constantly. She thinks that it’s important and it’s just part of her pushing me forward. In some ways, it’s nice. She takes care of everything. All I have to do is just show up, but sometimes…sometimes it just feels like I’ve been playing the role of who I’m supposed to be and not actually playing myself. Does that make sense?”

  “A little too much sense,” I tell her. “That’s how I felt with my ex. I mean, catching her cheating with my friend was a fucking nightmare, but in some ways, it was kind of a relief. I didn’t know just how much I’d been holding my breath in that relationship until it was over. I didn’t realize that she’d been holding me captive in so many different ways.”

  “Then it ended, and you felt free.”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Seems pretty indicative of a toxic relationship.”

  “Speaking from experience?”

  She shrugs, and I wonder exactly what her past dating history looks like. Not that it matters. My bear wants her, and I do, too. She could tell me she’s a virgin or she could tell me she was a porn star and it wouldn’t matter to me at all.

  Just then, she turns around.

  “Hey, has it been awhile since the kids left?”

  Shit.

  I turn off the stove and move the pan before the pancakes burn. I slide the pancakes I was cooking onto a plate and then we head over to the bathroom.

  “Kids?” She called out, turning the knob, but it doesn’t budge. “It’s locked,” Theresa looks at me. “Silas? Sebastian? Open up!”

  We hear giggling inside.

  “You’re going to have to break the door down!” She gasps dramatically, and I laugh at her.

  “Or I could use the key.”

  I reach over to a side table that has a small jar, a couple of books, and the key. Then I grab it and unlock the bathroom door. Theresa looks at my little setup before turning back to me.

  “A reader?”

  “What can I say?” I shrug. “I’m a romantic at heart.”

  I push open the bathroom door and sure enough, the kids have gotten into just a little bit of trouble. They pulled down all of the towels and Silas is hanging from the towel rack while Sebastian is dancing in the bathtub.

  Theresa steps inside and pales when she sees what the kids are doing.

  She opens her mouth, but I place a hand on her shoulder.

  “It’s okay,” I tell her.

  “But-”

  “Hey boys,” I turn to the kids. “Let’s get down, okay? Remember that this isn’t how we play inside the house, right?”

  The kids giggle. Sebastian comes out of the bathtub, but Silas keeps swinging like a damn monkey.

  “Sebastian,” Theresa says. “Please get down and tell Mr. Heath that you’re sorry. That’s not how we act when we’re visiting someone.”

  She reaches for him and tugs. He releases his iron grip on the towel rack and drops to the floor. Then he turns around.

  “Can you help clean up the towels?” Theresa asks.

  “Okay,” he says. Together, they reach down and pick up the towels that the boys dropped around the room. It’s a small bathroom, and it’s a tight fit for all of us in here, so I take Silas and head out to go back to the kitchen.

  “You’re lucky,” I tell Sebastian. “You have a good mom.”

  “She’s my mommy.”

  “She’s the best mom.”

  Silas looks up at me and smiles.

  “The best mom.”

  Chapter Eight

  Theresa

  We e
at breakfast and then help Heath tidy up the kitchen. By the time we’re finished, it’s mid-morning, and I realize that I should probably head back to our campsite. The kids are ready to run around and honestly, I feel a little bad for taking up so much of his time. Maybe I shouldn’t. He doesn’t seem to mind that we’re here, and that’s kind of wonderful, actually. If anything, I get the impression that Heath likes having the company.

  I feel like he enjoys having us in his space, and that he likes playing dad to the kids. He doesn’t have children of his own, which is just so crazy to me because he’s really, really good with my boys.

  Like, unbelievably good.

  “We should probably get going,” I finally say.

  “What? No!” Silas and Sebastian say in unison.

  “We don’t want to impose on Mr. Heath too much more,” I tell the kids.

  “You aren’t imposing at all,” he tells me. “In fact, I have an idea.” He wiggles his eyebrows and turns to the kids. “Hey, while I talk to your mom, can you boys go outside and find ten good sticks for me? Spot loves to run around and play fetch, but I never have enough sticks.”

  “Okay!” The kids both take off outside and the door slams behind them. Then Heath strides across the room and kisses me deeply. Instantly, I’m up on my toes and I feel like my heart is going to fucking melt.

  “What was that for?” I ask.

  “A request.”

  “What?”

  “How much longer is your planned vacation?”

  “I’m going back tomorrow,” I tell him.

  “What if I take you to your campsite and we gather up your stuff? You could stay here one more night, and then I’ll drive you back to your car tomorrow.”

  I look at him curiously, trying to figure out the catch. I don’t think that he wants sex from me. Well, that’s not true, but I don’t think he’s using it as some sort of bargaining chip. He’s not the kind of guy who would take a woman for granted like that. He definitely wouldn’t try to pressure anyone.

  “You aren’t busy?” I ask him. “You wouldn’t mind having a strange lady and her little kids hanging around?”

  “Not at all,” he says. “In fact, I rather liked playing house with you all this morning. I could go for another day. What do you think?”

  He strokes my cheek, touching me gently, and I practically melt into him. Why can’t I resist this guy?

  More importantly, why don’t I want to resist this guy?

  “I think it sounds wonderful.”

  Heath seems just as surprised as I am. Maybe that’s okay, though. My entire life is planned. Every single day, I have a schedule for how many words I have to write and how many tasks I have to accomplish. My entire world revolves around writing for deadlines, but right now, I don’t have any of those responsibilities.

  Right now, I have the absolute freedom to just lose myself here in this cabin with this man, and I kind of want to take it.

  I kind of want to forget about all of the stress I’ve been dealing with and all of the work I’ve had to do, and I just want to think about him and how wonderful he is.

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  He kisses me again, and then he steps back just as the kids come barreling into the house. I have to respect the fact that he’s discreet. It’s not that my kids aren’t allowed to know I date, but they’re small, and the reality is that spending a couple of days making out with a stranger isn’t the same thing as me falling in love or dating long-term or heaven forbid, getting married. I need to make sure my kids have a stable life. They don’t need to get their hopes up that some guy is going to be around long-term only to have him leave.

  That’s not fair to them, and it’s not fair to me, and it’s not even fair to the guy.

  In this case, though, I can’t help but wish things were different. I mean, Heath is an incredible guy who has obviously been really hurt in the past. Is it so bad that I’d love to date him? He feels like a hero from one of the books I write. He feels like someone who could change your entire life if you’d only just let him.

  And oh, I kind of want to let him.

  He’s sexy and kind and I don’t really see a single thing wrong with him except for the fact that he’s been burned before. Is it terrible that I feel horrible for him? And I kind of hate his ex. I know there are two sides to every story, but I think that what she did was just nasty. She had no right to do that to him. Staying faithful when you’re dating someone shouldn’t be the hardest thing in the world. She should have talked to him if she was having a hard time with their relationship.

  She didn’t have to throw it in the trash.

  No, she didn’t have to throw him in the trash.

  “Did you boys find ten sticks?” Heath asks the kids.

  “I found six,” Silas says proudly.

  “I found seven,” Sebastian counters.

  “I found eight,” Silas glares at his brother.

  “I found one million,” Sebastian snaps.

  Spot runs around them in a circle, happily laughing.

  “Why don’t you boys go throw the sticks and have Spot fetch them for you?” I suggest. “I bet he’d like that.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s his favorite game,” Heath encourages them.

  The kids laugh and take off back through the door.

  “Let them play for a little while,” Heath says. “Then we’ll go get your supplies.”

  “I have everything I need right here.” I step forward again and I press my hands to his chest. Firm, broad, and warm: he’s everything I want. I feel like a teenager again as I kiss him over and over, and it’s kind of crazy just how much his playfulness and flirting is turning me on. I can’t remember ever feeling quite this excited about a guy before. There’s something different about him: something magical.

  When Heath kisses me, I feel like I can fly.

  I feel like I have the entire world at my fingertips.

  And I think that no matter what happens in my life, everything’s going to be okay if he just…keeps…touching…me.

  Chapter Nine

  Heath

  By the time we collect the tent, the food supplies, and everything else, it’s mid-afternoon and the kids are ready for a short nap. We put them to bed and then Theresa and I cuddle up on the couch. Spot is out running around, so it really is just us. We’re alone together and it’s kind of wonderful. She rests her head on my chest and touches me gently.

  “I have to admit that I miss you being shirtless,” she says. I laugh. I showered and changed before we went to get her things. She’s still wearing my shirt, though.

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure I can be shirtless again for you sometime.”

  “Is that a promise?”

  “It’s more than a promise,” I wink.

  “How is it more than a promise?”

  “A promise is something that’s going to happen later. I can take my shirt off right now. Or you could take it off for me,” I say gently, wondering if she’ll take the bait. Theresa looks at me for a long minute, considering me, and then she nods and smiles. She reaches for the hem of my shirt and pulls it off. She tosses it aside and then she just looks at me.

  I don’t know why, but when she looks at me like this, I feel like my entire body is tight and anxious. I feel like I’m going to explode if she keeps this up. My cock is already hard and she’s barely touched me. Then she looks down, noticing it.

  “Heath,” she whispers. “Your cock.”

  I bite back a laugh or a growl: I’m not sure which. I’m just silently hoping she’ll touch it because oh, it wants her. All of me wants her.

  “What about it?” I whisper.

  “You’re hard.”

  “Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have a super-hot and sexy woman rubbing her tiny human hands all over me. It would be crazy not to get hard over something like this.”

  “Sexy?”

  “Oh, you’re sexy as fuck, Theresa. Don’t let anyone
tell you otherwise.” I reach for her and kiss her, and then I let my hands trail down over her chest. My fingers graze the sides of her breast before moving down to her hips, and I hold her there.

  She bites her lip and smiles up at me.

  “Does that mean you’re going to let me play with you a little bit?”

  “I suppose that depends on what you want to play.”

  “Oh, I was thinking something like this,” she places her hand on my thigh and starts teasing it higher, closer to my cock. “Or maybe something like this,” she takes her other hand and starts massaging her breasts over her shirt.

  Fuck.

  I’m even harder. My dick seems to be absolutely straining at my pants now, and I can’t hold back any longer. I want her. Need her. I’m craving her and I hope she’s craving me too.

  “I want to play your game,” I manage to whisper.

  “Show me.”

  I take her hand and I pull it a little higher before placing it right over my cock. She closes her eyes and groans as she rubs me. She touches me over the pants, rubbing up and down, and my cock throbs beneath her fingers.

  “You’re so hard,” she murmurs.

  “You’re just too sexy,” I whisper.

  “Can I…?”

  “You’re so polite, baby,” I kiss her neck, biting her as she touches me. “Take what you want,” I whisper in her ear. “I’m yours.”

  The words are affectionate: sweeter than I’m used to. I’m not really used to this sort of thing. I mean, I haven’t even dated since Emily and I broke up. When she left me, I kind of swore off women, but this is better than anything I could have ever hoped for.

  Theresa doesn’t hold back, either. She slides her hand beneath the waistband of my pants, and she grips my cock with her palm. She starts stroking me, touching me faster and faster, and soon an orgasm threatens to take over. I reach for her wrist, stopping her, and she smiles.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, were you enjoying that a little too much?” She laughs.

  I growl and push her back on the couch. I shift my position so I can reach for her own pants and tug them off.