Goldilocks and the Grumpy Bear: A Romcom Holiday Novella by Kacie West & Jenni Bara & A.J. Ranney

Author:Kacie West & Jenni Bara & A.J. Ranney [West, Kacie & Bara, Jenni & Ranney, A.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jenni Bara
Published: 2022-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

11

“Right there. You see those three stars in a row?” Natalie pointed to the sky.

Chris’s dark hair bounced as he nodded, wearing a huge grin. “The big bright ones.”

“That’s Orion’s belt.” She pointed to another well-known constellation. “And that one over there is the Big Dipper. See how it looks like a big scoopy spoon-type thing?”

Chris tilted his head, squinting in the direction she pointed. “Oh! Yes, I see it! Fist bump.”

Natalie pounded his hand, smiling at his excitement, but when her gaze locked on Declan’s, her smile faded. Since the minute she’d come down the stairs, he was extra broody. His scowl had deepened, and there was definitely more huffing than normal. But she constantly felt his eyes on her. Even now, his gaze felt like a burn.

Or maybe like a caress.

Trailing along her neck, down her shoulder, across her breasts. She shivered, and at her reaction, he shifted and looked away. But Natalie couldn’t pull her attention from the broad shoulders that rested above the water. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, pulling her focus there, then on to the scruff of his almost-but-not-quite beard.

As if pulled by the same invisible force she was compelled by, he fixated on her again, his eyes meeting hers before dropping to her lips. Slowly he raked his gaze back up. And the burn was back.

He was more intense tonight than he’d been in the days since they’d met. It flipped her stomach and stole her breath, and she wanted to lean into it and run away all at the same time.

“What’s that one, Natalie?”

She turned back to Chris and the stars, pointing out a few more constellations and explaining the stories behind them. Finally, Declan stood up, droplets of water running down the tight skin of his torso.

She might have teased him about his strict diet, but holy heck, had it paid off. What would it feel like to have all that taut muscle pressed against her? How would his lips feel running along her skin? She longed for the tickle of his scruff against her neck, her stomach, her inner thigh.

She squeezed her thighs together to stop the pressure.

“Come on, Chris. Time for bed, bud.”

Startled again from her fantasy, she shook her head and blinked, inspecting the stormy woods. It wasn’t fair that he could be so unaffected, dealing with his son’s schedule and remembering his bedtime routine, while she was so distracted she’d forgotten where she was.

“Aw, not fair, Dad.”

Natalie almost chuckled at the mirrored statement. Although his meaning and motivation were far different from hers.

“We just got in.” Chris huffed.

“I said a half hour and then it was time for teeth and pajamas. That was our deal.”

They both climbed out, a pout still on Chris’s face as he grabbed his towel and stomped inside.

Natalie stood up, ready to follow them in and get herself settled for the evening.

“Don’t—”

The husky voice froze her in her tracks. And this time, he didn’t even try to hide the heated appraisal of her body.

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