The Mountain Man's Baby Bears (Stormy Mountain Bears 2)

“Too long.”

“When did you eat?”

“Um, breakfast, maybe?” I take another bite and then another. Oh, for dragon’s sake, this is so amazing. I love it. Every bite just makes me feel even more fantastic.

“You haven’t eaten since breakfast, yet you’re trying to camp in the forest?”

“Are you judging me?” I put my fork down and glare at him, suddenly irritated.

“A little bit, yeah.” He crosses his arms over his chest and oh, shit, I’m in trouble now because all I can think about is whether there’s a way to convince this guy to spank me.

Seriously.

He could just pull me over his knee and yank my jeans down like that.

No big deal.

Just a spanking between acquaintances.

He raises an eyebrow as he looks at me. For just a brief second, his nostrils flare, and I blush. Fuck. I forgot that he’s a shifter. For just a second, I let my defenses down. If he’s part-bear, he can probably smell me, right? Some animals have really incredible senses of smell, and if I had to guess, he’s one of them.

Fuck.

I’m definitely aroused, and I’m not sure that it’s a good idea to let this stranger know just how much I want him to yank my hair back and bite my neck.

What the hell is happening to me?

I shake my head to clear it. Focus, Theresa. He was insulting me. He was judging me for not eating.

And now I’m basically starving.

“Look, it’s hard being a mom.”

“No one is saying that it isn’t, but you have to take care of yourself.”

“I got busy.”

It was one thing after another this morning. Between the kids fighting while I was packing to them not wanting their lunch to the failed afternoon playdate before we headed up to our camp...it was just a really, really long day.

“Theresa, eat the food,” he says. His eyes soften just a little, and I obey him. I pick up my fork and I start eating because food is something simple and easy and it’s really not that hard to follow this sort of direction.

Not from him.

Not from the handsome bear.

As I eat, he watches me. Finally, he speaks.

“It’s important to take care of yourself,” he says. I don’t say anything this time. I just keep eating. Suddenly, I really do feel like a starving person. I honestly can’t even argue with him because I haven’t been taking care of myself.

Life with twins is harder than I ever thought possible.

I don’t know what I was thinking when I decided to do the solo-mom thing. I mean, I thought I could handle it, and I can, but he’s right. I need to take the time to look after myself.

Otherwise, how am I going to look after my boys?

“I don’t know your story,” he continues. “But I’m going to offer you some advice you didn’t ask for.”

“Okay.”