“Sounds like fun.” He puts her down when she squirms in his arms.
The girl is a ball of energy.
“I’m going to tell Baloo,” she says before scurrying into the house.
“Baloo?”
“Her cat.” Weston rubs the back of his neck and leans on the door frame.
“Like the bear from the Jungle Book?”
“You watch Disney movies?”
I shrug. “Like I said, I have a lot of nieces and nephews. But to be honest, I never really got over the whole princess thing.”
He chuckles. “I don’t see you as a princess.”
I frown, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. I tuck a strand of my wild red hair behind my ear. “What do you see me as?”
“It was a compliment, Kate.” He takes a step toward me. “You don’t seem like a woman who’s looking for her Prince Charming to make her happy.”
I swallow, because he’s close now, and a warmth spreads through my core. “I learned a long time ago not to hope for a happily ever after, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want one.”
I still wish for one. And even though Weston’s right in a way, that I’m not looking for a man to complete me, there’s still a part of me that hopes one day to share my life with someone. My girlfriends tease me about it, they assume I’m a hopeless romantic - it’s more than that though. I believe in love because I’ve experienced it.
And deep down I want to experience it again.
There’s also the part of me that wants something I don’t even understand, that I’ve never had, and have only read about in romance novels - to be completely ravished.
“So, what are you looking for?” he asks, leaning closer, studying me like he can read my thoughts.
“I...uh...” I take a step back, forgetting that there are steps behind me.
Before I fall, Weston reaches out, wrapping a large arm around my waist, and pulls me toward him. “Careful.”
I swear to God, I moan when my palms flatten on his chest. Holy shit, the man is ripped. And even though he’s right, and I’ve never wanted to be the whole damsel in distress needing a white knight to save me, it feels good to be held by powerful arms, to feel...safe.
But more than that, I feel something stir inside of me. A hunger. A need. Like my body has been in a deep sleep, and all I need is one kiss to wake it up completely.
Like I said earlier, I never got over the whole princess thing.
Weston is still holding me, dark eyes piercing and primal, and I swear I hear a growl rumble in his chest.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he says roughly.
“Wha-what question?” I stutter, unable to pull my gaze away from his mouth that’s just inches from mine.
“What do you want, Kate?”
You. Your body on mine. In mine. Filling me. Taking me. Pushing me to limits I’ve only dreamed about.
I whimper, and it must be enough of an answer because his mouth crashes against mine, and he kisses me with a wildness that makes every cell in my body come alive.
Chapter 3
Weston
One kiss. One fucking kiss is all it takes.
This woman, Kate - she’s mine. I press my lips against hers, suddenly starved. Her mouth opens, my tongue swirls against hers. She tastes so sweet, like those damn vanilla bean cookies and I want more. Everything. Her. My cock strains against my blue jeans and her body leans into mine like it knows where it belongs.
“Daddy?” Finley shouts from the house. “I can’t get the TV on!”
My daughter’s cry from inside forces Kate to pull back, and I hate that the moment ended so damn soon, but hell, what am I thinking?
I’m supposed to focus on Finley, on getting her in line - not getting all hot and bothered over a woman much too sweet for me. Kate is all princess wishes and daydreams and I don’t know what else - but I’m not it. She needs a fucking Prince Charming, not a Beast.
“Daddy!” Finley pushes open the front door screen. “You’re not listening!” She stomps away, and I catch Kate’s eyebrows as they fly up, as if surprised to see my little girl be so demanding.
“I take it you haven’t seen Finley’s tantrums yet?” I run a hand over my beard.
“No, she’s a little precocious but never so … ”
“Loud?” I chuckle. “Thing is, Fin is my whole world, has been since the moment she was born. And she’s an only grandchild to boot. To say she’s spoiled is an understatement. Yet I just can’t seem to say no.”
Kate listens, not saying anything. Her pink tongue darting over her lips. My jaw tenses at the sight.
“Listen,” I say. “It’s been a long day, and I could use a cold drink. Wanna come in for a beer? As a thank you for hanging out with Fin.”
She twists her lips, what she’s debating I don’t know. Finally, she says sure and follows me as I lead the way inside.
“Sorry, wasn’t planning on company.” I look around my cabin, trying to see it from Kate’s perspective. The sink is full of dishes, a basket of unfolded laundry on the couch. Thumbtacks hold some posters in place, a poker table is pushed in a corner, piled high with old fishing gear I can’t seem to part with.
Looking at Kate, I try to read her expression, but she seems nonplussed by my bachelor pad.
She steps over the boots piled around the front door as I push open the back door looking for Fin. She’s abandoned getting the television to work and is in her teepee on the back porch, Baloo curled in a pile of blankets.
“That’s Finley’s fort?” Kate asks.
I nod. “Yeah, I promised her a treehouse though and need to get on it. She’s pretty much outgrown that thing.”
“Winter is coming shortly, isn’t it?” Kate asks, following me back inside. “It’s going to be dark most of the day, right?”
I smirk. “You saying I’ll be out of time soon?”
She smiles as I pull open the fridge. I pop the caps and hand her an IPA. “This okay?”
She nods. “I’m not so picky.”
“I always thought you were kinda … prissy.”
She moans softly. “Gosh, that’s some reputation I’ve garnered for myself here in Bear Valley.”
I take a swig, realizing Kate is easier going than I gave her credit for. And it’s a good thing. Because that kiss told me something pretty fucking important.
She’s my mate.
I want to kiss Kate again, and I step toward her, prepared to make a move when Finley comes inside the house. “I’m hungry,” she says. “Can we order pizza?”
“Uh sure.” Looking over at Kate I add, “Want to stay for dinner?”
She shakes her head and sets down the beer. “Thanks for the invite, but I promised Addie I’d help her organize the nursery.”
I nod, walking her out as Finley protests.
“I’ll see you in the morning. Your dad will drop you off and we can make those cupcakes, okay?”
Finley seems pleased with this compromise.
Kate kneels, eye level with Finley. “But listen, sweet pea, you’ve got to be a big girl for your daddy tonight. That means taking a bath and brushing your hair without a fuss, tidy your bedroom before you turn out the lights, and maybe even tell your dad, that big ole’ bear, to clean that kitchen of his.”
Finley giggles at that, looking up at me. “You are a mess, Daddy.”
Kate leans in. “True, but you’re the lady of this house, Fin. I bet you can give him some chores.”
Finley lets out a loud laugh, thinking this is the funniest idea she’s ever heard.
Kate leaves down the front steps and I stand there with Finley’s hand tucked in mine. We watch her go, both seemingly mesmerized by the woman.
“I like Kate a lot,” Finley says.
I watch her go back toward town, thinking that she’s really the complete fucking package. She is generous, can cook, can kiss like no one’s business.
“I like her too, Fin.”
It’s the truth,
but damn, there is no way in hell a woman like her would fall for a bear like me.
Chapter 4
Kate
We’re sitting on the carpeted floor of what will be Addie’s son’s nursery folding her tiny little baby clothes and sorting them into piles by type.
The room is painted blue with a dark wood crib and changing table. She hasn’t had her baby shower yet, but I don’t think she’s going to need much. There are so many onesies in this room I lost count.
I told Addie I’d dropped Finley off at home earlier this evening and she has lots of opinions on her brother-in-law.
“His place is a mess, isn’t it?” Addie asks.
“Yeah, it’s pretty much a bachelor pad. But it doesn’t really matter. He loves Finley, and that’s what is important.”
“Sure, but he gives Finley too much free rein. She needs more discipline. Structure. Boundaries. She runs away all the time, it stresses the whole family out.”
I bite the side of my lip, feeling defensive of a father and daughter I barely know.
But I know something. At least, I know something about Weston’s lips and how they feel against mine.
Perfect. God, the man can kiss. It was like my whole body was set on fire, and I’m pretty sure if Finley hadn’t interrupted us, it would have turned into more. I hadn’t realized how starved I was for a man’s touch. But not just any man - Weston’s touch.
“Well, I’ll be hanging out with Finley tomorrow. I won’t let her run away on me.”
Addie frowns. “Why are you babysitting Finley on your day off? You said you were going to sequester yourself in your bedroom all day and work on your book.”
I pick up a mint green sleeper printed with tiny little bears. Folding it, I answer, “She wanted to make cupcakes. It sounded fun.”
The truth is my book sucks. I took a sabbatical from the bakery because I wanted a fresh start. But every time I try to write a chapter the characters feel flat and forced. Then I go in the kitchen and whip up a batch of blueberry scones and they come out perfect, light and airy and oh so good.
I can’t help but wonder what exactly I’m trying to accomplish by giving up my career and moving to the middle of nowhere to become a novelist. As fun as it sounds, writing a romance novel isn’t as easy as baking a flourless chocolate cake. At least not for me.
I love to read, that doesn’t mean I love to write. Or am any good at it.
“Well that’s nice of you,” Addie says. “Finley could use some TLC. And if she’s taken a liking to you, run with it. Whenever I’ve tried to spend time with her, she gets really wound up.”
“She’s still rambunctious with me.”
Addie smiles. “Not surprised considering you feed her sugar the entire time you’re together.”
I laugh. “That’s true. She has a penchant for sweets, just like me.”
“And just like her dad. Weston has the sweet tooth of the family.”
“Oh really?” I lick my lips, trying not to think about the kiss. How it was very sweet indeed.
“Do you...” Addie pauses. “Do you have a thing for Weston, Kate?”
I blanch. “What?” I shake my head, maybe a little too aggressively. “No way. We’re opposites. He’s a guy’s-guy. Not my type at all. I’ve always been attracted to men who wear Dockers and play golf.”
“Guys who play it safe you mean?”
“What’s wrong with safe?” I ask, swallowing my emotions. The sad truth is, safe doesn’t guarantee anything. I know that because Matt was a safe pick and he’s gone.
Still, it seems less scary than a man like Weston.
“I know you’ve been waiting for your Prince Charming to sweep you off your feet.” She shrugs, but I see a flash of light in her eyes. “But you know, Cinderella isn’t the only fairy tale.”
I shake my head, not following as Addie picks up another sleeper, this one printed with bears too. What’s with that theme?
“Yeah,” she continues, a smile that I can’t quite interpret tugging at her lips, like she’s in on a secret I don’t know. “Maybe your love story is more Beauty and the Beast.”
“This is so cool,” Finley says as she lets the homemade pink slime we just made slip through her small fingers. “Can we make purple now?”
“How about we get cleaned up and go outside? It’s such a nice day out.” Probably one of the last of the season. The leaves are already changing color and the days are growing shorter.
“What are you two doing in here?” Piper asks, coming into the kitchen, lifting a dark eyebrow at me when she sees Finley.
“We’re making slime.” Fin takes a big gob of it and places it in Piper’s hand.
“Oh.” Piper cringes. “That’s...fun.”
“And now we’re going on a picnic, right Kate?”
I didn’t say anything about a picnic, but once the girl has something in her mind, it’s hard to deter her.
“Would you mind watching the store?” I ask Piper, finishing cleaning up the mess.
“Of course.” She opens the oven and sniffs. “That smells so good. What is it? And please tell me it doesn’t have zucchini in it.”
I chuckle, remembering Piper’s face when I told her that her favorite muffins had zucchini in them.
“Honey chocolate chip banana bread. Vegetable free.”
“Can I have a piece?” Finley asks, bouncing on her stool.
“I’ll bring some with us, but you have to eat something healthy too.” I pull out the sandwiches I’d made earlier and put them in a bag with two apples.
She pouts but doesn’t argue.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you that your mom called.” I pull out the banana bread and place it on a rack to cool.
Piper groans. “She’s been calling almost every night lately. Once she got wind that both Addie and Harley hooked up with some Alaskan hotties—”
I clear my throat and glance over at Finley who is listening intently to everything Piper says. The kid doesn’t miss anything.
Piper shrugs and continues, “Well, she’s dead set on getting me married off. Thinks my biological clock”—she makes air quotes—“is running out of time.”
“You’re not even twenty-four.” I chuckle.
“She was married with two kids by my age, which she never fails to remind me.”
I slice the banana bread and add two pieces to a container, and then give one to Piper.
She takes a bite and moans. “God, this is good. You know you’re never allowed to leave me, right?”
“Don’t worry, it’s not like I have suitors beating down the door for me.” I place the container in the bag with the sandwiches, and say to Fin. “Go wash your hands and we’ll go.”
When she slides off the stool and races to the bathroom, Piper shakes her head. “I’ve told you a hundred times, you’re gorgeous Kate. You just kind of give off this vibe.”
“What vibe?” I cross my arms.
“The whole, I’m not interested in sex vibe.”
I cough. “Are you saying I’m a prude?”
“A little.” She grins at me and pops a piece of banana bread in her mouth.
“I haven’t seen you out on a date since we’ve been here.”
She shrugs. “Because I’m kind of on a man fast.”
“How is that any different than me.”
“Difference is you want the whole fairy tale, happily ever after. I don’t.”
I roll my eyes at her, but I know she’s right.
“That said.” She takes another bite of the banana bread. “For my stomach’s sake, I hope your Prince Charming takes his time.”
“Trust me, I don’t think there are any Prince Charmings in this neck of the woods.”
“No. But there are some really hot mountain men that could warm your bed until—”
“Can we go now?” Finley asks, racing back into the kitchen.
“Yeah.” I take the girl’s hand, hoping she didn’t hear Piper’s last comment.
“Have fun.” Piper waves as we leave.
My thoughts are a jumbled mess as I walk with Finley, allowing her to tug me along. Piper was right, I do want the whole fairy tale, but I also want more of what I felt yesterday when Weston kissed me.
“Come on, Kate. Hurry up.” Finley has let go of my hand and is running ahead of me, into the woods.
“Finley, slow down.”
She doesn’t, and I chase after her, wondering how the hell a six-year-old can outrun me.
“Finley, if you don’t stop now, you won’t get any banana bread.”
That makes her halt in her tracks, and from the hill above, she turns and frowns down at me. “But we’re almost there.”
Out of breath, I huff the remaining way up the hill. “It’s dangerous out here, Fin. You can’t just run off. There are wild animals, wolves and bears—”
She starts laughing.
“You think that’s funny?”
“Can I tell you a secret?” she whisper-yells.
I’m still trying to catch my breath. “Yeah.”
She motions me closer. “My daddy is a bear.”
“Yeah, you said that.”
“No. Like a real bear.” She makes claws with her hands and growls. “So are my uncles. But not me.” She pouts at that. “Because girls can’t be bears.”
I sit down on a log and try to bite back the smile that tugs at my lips. The kid definitely has a good imagination. But I remember when I was younger, thinking my own dad was Superman. He always wore this t-shirt with the logo on it and would joke that he was the Man of Steel. At six I believed him, thinking he was the strongest man I knew.
“That’s pretty cool,” I say, playing along, not wanting to crush her fantasy that her dad is larger than life. Because I can understand why she’d think that. Weston was...everything.
Gorgeous, and all muscle, and not only that, he had a good heart. That was obvious considering the way he was with Finley.
I sigh, touching my lips, remembering the kiss.
“Come on, Kate,” Finley says, taking my hand and tugging. “We’re almost there.”
Untamed Daddy (Mountain Men of Bear Valley Book 3) Page 2
