Papa Bear (Finding Fatherhood Book 1) Read Free Page B

around for blankets or a pillow, but not seeing them. Perhaps you weren’t supposed to use them with infants? With a shrug, deciding the room was warm enough with the baby’s fluffy sleeper, she tiptoed out of the room, leaving the door cracked, and made her way back to the living room.
    Lucas was still asleep on the couch, and she bit her lip as she debated about whether she should wake him before leaving. Ultimately, she decided she should. He might prefer to sleep in his own room, and either way, he needed to know he was the only adult available. She briefly considered staying, but she was dead on her feet too, and staying would mean sleeping beside Lucas on the couch or borrowing his bed. That idea was far too tempting, especially when she imagined him sprawled in it beside her.
    Clearing her throat, she moved closer to him. He didn’t even flinch when she cleared her throat again, louder this time. “Lucas?” He didn’t stir at all, so she moved closer to the couch, leaning carefully over him with one knee on the cushion as she brought her face closer to his. She told herself it was simply so she wouldn’t have to shout at him, but she couldn’t pretend there wasn’t more drawing her toward him.
    His lips looked soft and inviting, parted as he snored gently. For a brief moment, she was tempted to mold hers to his, but then common sense reasserted itself. She couldn’t go around kissing him, especially when he was asleep, if she wanted to maintain an emotional distance between them. That was the sort of thing that led to anything but friends. Either they’d end up as fiery lovers that broke up as soon as he learned about her past, or they’d fizzle and fade out. That seemed pretty unlikely, considering how he made her heart race, but she wasn’t willing to risk the friendship for a casual fling.
    “Lucas?” She kept her voice soft, but a little louder than last time. “Are you awake enough to hear what I’m telling you?”
    He muttered something that sounded eerily like a growl, and a moment later his arm was around her, dragging her down onto his lap. He held her cuddled against his chest, his large hand cupping the back of her head and keeping her immobile. She would have objected, but she knew he was asleep—and she didn’t exactly want to object if she were being honest with herself. Being held against him like this felt too good, and she allowed herself a moment to savor it before pulling away with a regretful sigh.
    His arms held tightly to her, requiring some effort on her part to free herself enough to lift her head. “Lucas, wake up.” She spoke more firmly this time, and his eyelashes fluttered open slowly. His gaze seemed unfocused, so she waited until there was a sign of recognition before speaking once more. “Angel is finally asleep, and I need you to let me go so I can go home and fall into bed myself. Thank goodness it’s a Sunday, so I don’t have to open the shop until this afternoon.”
    He growled something again, and most of the words were incomprehensible to her, but she was aware of his arms tightening around her, and one word coming through crystal-clear. “Mine.”
    She shook her head, denying his assertion to both of them as she tried to pull away. “Let go now. I know you’re half-asleep, but you have to let go.”
    “I have a better idea,” he said in a slurry voice thick with sleep. A second later, the hand on the back of her head guided her mouth to his, and his lips touched hers.
    It was a surprisingly tender kiss, considering how gruff he’d been, and how clearly reluctant he was to release her from his arms. His mouth moved gently over hers, his tongue stroking the seam before pressing lightly to gain access. Even knowing it was a bad idea, she yielded with a moan, allowing his tongue to sweep inside her mouth. She caressed it with her own as their kiss grew progressively hungrier. For the moment, she forgot all about how weary she was as she lost herself in