Big Bear Daddy: Werebear Surprise Baby Romance (Sweetwater Father Bears) Read online

Jessy looked uneasy, chewing on her lower lip as she processed everything. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea, though. He wanted to keep both his girls safe and he could only do that when they were close to him.

  “Do you think this could have something to do with my search for Rachel?”

  Could it? Colt wondered, putting all the pieces together in his head.

  There was the way Lana’s eyes changed when she was with Jessy. And Jessy had mentioned Rachel’s oddly short pregnancy. It all pointed towards what Colt had been suspecting for a while now – that Lana was a shifter.

  Sometimes, baby shifters took time to show their capabilities. Growing into their animal was a tough process, especially without biological parents around. Colt had always thought he could sense a shifter in Lana, but it had been too early to tell, yet he’d been getting a stronger feeling about it ever since Jessy came into their lives.

  Having her own kin around would speed things up, Colt mused.

  Since Rachel was human, that could only mean the shifter genes came from the father.

  And now they might be followed by a shifter.

  I don’t like coincidences. Not one bit.

  Sixteen

  Jessy

  I can’t believe I let him talk me into this, Jessy grumbled to herself as she got out of the car and her feet hit the wet grass in front of Colt’s cabin. The last thing I need right now is more time alone with him, she thought, trying to keep her libido in check.

  Lana had fallen asleep during the drive, so Colt scoop her up in his arms. Handing Jessy the keys, he gestured for her to go in ahead. Stumbling slightly in the dark, she made it to the door and opened it as quietly as she could, holding it open so Colt could carry Lana inside.

  He disappeared into the house and made a beeline for Lana’s room. He emerged from the nursery a moment later, flicking the light on in the living room.

  Whoa, Jessy thought, looking around.

  It was like a whole different place from when she was last there. A small kitchen area was set up near the left wall, and the rest of the living room was now fully furnished. It looked just like a cabin in the woods was supposed to, with a rustic, cozy vibe and well-loved furniture.

  “It looks great. Where did you get all this stuff from in such short notice?” she asked, her attention on the rough-hewn rocking chair in one of the corners.

  It looked perfect for spending time with a baby in her arms on those long Autumn evenings…

  “It turned out I didn’t have to worry about much. My mother had put most of this stuff into storage and then forgot about it. I had it all brought back out, ” he said, patting the backrest of the wide couch in the middle of the living room.

  “You really have made this place a home.”

  “I’d like to think so.”

  Jessy paused, her eyes still running over the new furniture, though her mind was a million miles away.

  “Colt, do you think we’re in danger?”

  He took a moment to think about it, rubbing his bearded jaw. But being able to share her thoughts with someone felt good. There’d been nothing and no one to confide in during those months on the road, tracking Rachel. Unless she counted the Toyota.

  Whatever his response would be, she knew she was in a dangerous situation no matter what. Keeping her hands off Colt was difficult enough without sharing a roof. How she was supposed to get through the night knowing he was sleeping in the other room, she didn’t know.

  “I felt someone watching us back there and I could sense there was a shifter nearby,” he reasoned, pacing around the room with measured strides.

  “Could that someone have just been a curious member of the local clan?”

  “I guess that’s possible. You didn’t see anything out of the ordinary?” he queried, glancing at her without slowing in his pacing.

  Jessy thought about it for a moment and then shook her head.

  “Can’t say that I did. Could it be that you’re on high alert because of what the Alpha told you and are being overly cautious?”

  From what Colt had told her, she knew he was very protective when his family was involved. It could have colored his assessment of the situation, but she couldn’t know for sure. She didn’t have shifter senses, so she would have to rely on what he saw and smelled.

  “I have been a bit high-strung lately,” he sighed, running a hand through his thick hair.

  Looking at how stiff his shoulders were, she didn’t doubt it for a second.

  “Come on, take a weight off,” she said, going up to him.

  Patting his arm and leading the way to the large couch in the middle of the room, she could feel anticipation build in her.

  She sank into the soft cushions as they sat down, shoulder to shoulder. Her body buzzed with excitement as soon as they made contact, her mind jumping from potential danger to kissing him again in an instant.

  How does he have such an effect on me?

  Fighting the electricity between them was getting tiresome. It took all of her energy to resist his charms. She found herself wanting to stop fighting it and give in, consequences be damned.

  Was that really such a bad idea? For all she knew, they were a day away from never getting to enjoy their futures at all, just like Rachel. Shouldn’t she be grabbing life by the horns, or by the scruff as it were, while she still could?

  Yes, she decided.

  She could deal with the aftermath later. Right now, she wanted a taste of what she’d been depriving herself of.

  Colt hadn’t made any moves since she’d told him she wanted to take it slow, so she would have to take the reins on this one and see where it lead.

  “I can take the couch and…” Colt started to say, stopping short when she placed a hand on his thigh and started to slowly slide it upwards.

  He turned to look at her with fire in his eyes, almost making her shrink back under the intensity of his gaze.

  “I thought you wanted to take it slow,” he remarked, his voice lower than before.

  There was a fire in his eyes now, slowly coming to life.

  “I’m thinking maybe fast is the way to go, after all,” Jessy said, her words breathy.

  “You better be sure,” he warned, the barely restrained lust in his voice making her shiver.

  “I’m sure.”

  Jessy barely got the sentence out before Colt’s mouth came down on hers, gentle yet demanding. Winding herself around him, she matched his fervor, moaning when their tongues rubbed together.

  It felt good to let go and give her body the wheel. Better than she could have ever imagined.

  Colt pulled her onto his lap and she gasped when she felt his hard cock press between her thighs. Even through his jeans, she could tell it was a lot bigger than she was used to.

  With a low growl, he grabbed onto her ass, lifting her up as he stood from the couch and marched straight into his bedroom. He handled her like she weighed nothing at all, and yet Jessy clung to him as if he was about to drop her at any moment.

  He wasn’t about to.

  The springs creaked softly when Jessy’s back pressed against the mattress, her lips still firmly on Colt’s as he lay her down on the sheets. Her head was spinning at the suddenness of it all, going from hanging out on the couch to being spread out on his bed.

  “I want you so much,” Colt muttered, pulling away to trail kisses down her neck.

  Liquid heat pooled in the pit of her stomach as she squirmed under his considerable weight, enjoying how their bodies rubbed together. Her panties were already soaked, her nipples hard and waiting to be touched.

  “Then take me,” she whispered back, surprised at the boldness of her words.

  There was no shyness in her anymore, not when Colt’s lips felt so good against her skin and his eyes roamed over her curves like she was the sexiest woman alive. He just growled in response, slipping his huge hands under her shirt and pulling it over her head.

  “I love your skin,” he said
quietly, tracing the outline of her bra with his tongue before pulling it down to expose her breasts.

  A tremble shook her whole body when he slowly sucked a nipple onto his mouth, gently tugging at it with his teeth. The sensation bordered on pain, making her back arch and her eyes squeeze shut. She loved what he could do to her body with the barest of touches.

  “Yes. More,” she panted, bucking her hips so her clit could rub against the bulge straining against Colt’s jeans.

  He chuckled under his breath before moving on to her other breast, licking at the hard peak until she could do little more than whimper and mewl. His hand trailed down her stomach, leaving a scorching trail behind it as his fingers moved to unbutton her pants. With his tongue still teasing her chest, he yanked them down, bringing her red panties into view.

  A finger slipped past the lace, finding her clit and circling it with deliberate slowness. Need surged through her veins, potent and maddening, making her clutch at whatever part of him she could reach.

  “Let’s see how ready you are,” he murmured, after giving her nipple one last suck.

  His finger slid down her wet slit before slipping inside her. Slowly pumping in and out of her pussy, he added another finger, and then another, until all she could do was beg him to fuck her.

  “Please, Colt,” she whined, writhing underneath his touch.

  “Is that what you want, Jessy? You want to feel my cock inside you?” he teased, curving his fingers inside her.

  Out of patience and overcome with lust, she searched her mind for something that would make him lose control.

  “You can come inside me, I’m on the pill,” she moaned, grabbing at his shirt.

  He stilled for a moment at that, his voice sounding choked when he spoke.

  “You don’t play fair.”

  Suddenly, she was cold as his warm body pulled away from her, only so he could get out of his clothes. His naked body was bared to her, giving her a chance to take a closer look at the tattoos she had gotten a glimpse of when she’d seen him shirtless.

  An intricate pattern wound up the right side of his chest and wrapped around his bicep. She reached out to trace it with her finger. His skin was hot and soft, just waiting for her to explore.

  I’ve gone straight to heaven, she thought.

  Looking down, the sight of his rock-hard cock jutting out from his chiseled body made her hiss out a breath. If she wasn’t as wet as she was, she would be concerned about it even fitting inside her. But she was ready, more ready than she’d ever been for any other man.

  Colt claimed her mouth again as he positioned the head of his erection against her pussy, slowly rocking his hips to push inside. Already beyond words at that point, Jessy could only call out something incomprehensible as he started to move, sinking deeper with each thrust.

  Her body was charged, every motion making her gasp and whimper. It was like she’d never really felt how good someone could feel before she’d had Colt. And she wanted so much more.

  Spread thin and filled up, she followed his lead as they got into a rhythm. Reality began to fade away as his strokes grew more savage, building up the tension inside her until she thought she might break apart at any moment.

  With his muscles coiling against her soft flesh, his hand moved to massage her breast. He pinched her nipples between his fingers, adding another layer of pleasure to her already overwhelmed senses to handle.

  The tight bundle of hunger nestled deep in her core began to unravel, flooding her brain with feel-good chemicals as she thrashed beneath him, their sweaty bodies slapping together in the dark.

  “Oh, yes,” she sighed, loving the deep, hard rhythm he set.

  Colt was relentless in the way he drove into her, splitting her open to reach just the right spot to drive her insane. His face was contorted in pleasure, making him look more animalistic than ever. Seeing him so unrestrained only fueled her own wildness as she bucked her hips against his.

  With one last powerful thrust, she was sent careening over the edge, a scream ripping through her as every nerve ending in her body exploded. Colt’s hot seed pumped into her only moments later, accompanied by a growl so primal, it touched something intrinsic within her.

  “That… was… amazing,” she managed to get out in between labored breaths, lying exhausted on the tangled white sheets surrounding her.

  Colt flashed her a wicked grin as he brushed a strand of damp hair away from her face, planting a kiss where the hair had been.

  “We’re just getting started.”

  Seventeen

  Jessy

  So this is what bliss feels like, Jessy thought absently, sipping her coffee and smiling at Lana, who was holding her teddy bear to her chest like she often did.

  Sitting at the breakfast table with Colt and Lana, Jessy couldn’t help but feel this was what every morning should look like. Even though they hadn’t spent that much time together, she could already imagine sharing her life with Colt and raising Lana together.

  It scared her, how she already had such strong feelings towards him. Even crazier, she got the impression he felt the same way.

  He was staring at her across the table with Lana in his lap, not even trying to hide the fact his eyes were fixed on her face. The easy, knowing smile he wore made her weak in the knees. Good thing she was already sitting down.

  “What?” Jessy asked, blushing. “Do I have food in my teeth or something?”

  “Just enjoying the view. And thinking about last night.”

  “That was something, wasn’t it?” she replied, her body remembering every second of pleasure he gave her. “I’m surprised we didn’t wake Lana,” she added in a whisper, looking at the little girl, squirming as Colt tried to maneuver a spoon into her mouth.

  “I’m not,” he laughed. “I once watched her sleep right through a thunderstorm that had grown men quaking in their boots.”

  They lazily picked at their food, chatting about what Lana liked to eat and how Colt had been a terrible cook before he became a father. Time slipped by as Jessy told him about her parents and growing up in Portland, with Colt picking up toys to entertain Lana with once she got tired of sitting in his lap.

  Neither one of them seemed to want to break the spell of the morning after.

  “I should probably get back to the hotel, get out of you guys’ hair,” she said once they were done with breakfast and Lana was getting fussy.

  Colt raised his brows, looking at her with what seemed to be a modicum of surprise.

  “Or you could check out of the hotel and stay here with us.”

  Is he saying what I think he’s saying? she thought, gaping at him and waiting for her brain to catch up to everything that was going on. First I had sex with my niece’s adoptive father, and now he’s asking me to stay with him?

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked, hesitant.

  Colt tipped his head to the side, watching her. His body language read relaxed, but Jessy couldn’t believe he was saying those things to her without his heart beating a mile a minute in his chest.

  “Of course I’m sure. You said it yourself, you’re in no hurry to get back to Portland. Staying here, you could spend more time with Lana and save money at the same time. What’s there to think about?”

  When he puts it like that…

  They were already more involved than was wise, there was no going back now. And he did make some valid points.

  But what if…

  “Okay,” she blurted out, not giving herself time to overthink things.

  “Great,” he beamed at her, hauling Lana onto his hip as he stood. “I need to go into town anyway to get some supplies, you can get your stuff from the hotel while I go to the store with Lana.”

  Everything was moving so fast, yet Jessy didn’t mind. She had always been the sensible sister, but now she was finding out she liked jumping into things and taking risks. It was exciting and fun, and it was freeing to go with her gut every once in a while.
>
  All her instincts were telling her staying at the cabin was the right call.

  “Let’s do it,” she said, taking a deep breath.

  With her backpack on and her purse slung over her shoulder, Jessy strolled out of the hotel after settling her bill and checking out. Chewing on her last Twizzler, she was humming to herself, feeling happier than she had in a long while.

  A new start, she thought. I think I need that.

  She had no intention of quitting on her quest of finding what happened to Rachel, but she couldn’t deny that staying with Lana was equally as important. That, and she wasn’t sure if she could leave Colt behind even if she wanted to. His offer to stay with them got rid of both of those problems in one fell swoop.

  Setting her sights toward the center of town, she picked up her pace, eager to catch up with Colt and Lana.

  At first, she didn’t pay much attention to the sound of footsteps erupting from somewhere behind her, preoccupied by her thoughts. But as they got closer and closer, she began to sense something was off.

  When she could feel the person’s breath on the back of her neck, she’d officially had enough. She swung around, ready to give whoever it was a piece of her mind.

  “Hey, buddy,” she started, only to snap her mouth shut at the sight of the tall, tattooed man in front of her.

  He had a thin nose and deep-set eyes, but what really caught her attention was the bleached hair and multitude of piercings. The description of Rachel’s mysterious companion flashed in her mind, making her take a stunned step back.

  Could it be? Is this the man Rachel was involved with?

  “Hello, Jessy,” the man growled, looking at her with disdain.

  “Excuse me, do I know you?” she shot back, squaring her shoulders and willing herself to stay calm.

  Panicking never helped anyone.

  “You should. We’re family, after all,” he said, enjoying her shocked reaction.

  Well, that pretty much confirms it. He’s not only Rachel’s ex, he’s also Lana’s biological father… I bet he knows what happened to Rachel.