The Polar Bear's Baby (Honeypot Babies Book 1) (6 page)

“You’re so wet.”

“Just for you.”

He fucks me, slowly at first, then faster. I feel like a fucking princess as he dominates my body, taking me harder and deeper until I finally come with him inside me. Then he comes, too, whispering my name as he does.

I watch Aidan’s face when he comes. He closes his eyes, but I can’t stop watching the way he looks when he’s lost in this moment. He looks perfect and I feel perfect being here with him.

Then the moment ends and he looks back up at me with a sweet smile on his face.

“Damn, Mia. That’s the best fucking blowjob I’ve ever had in my life.”

Aidan

Mia falls asleep quickly, but I’m awake for a long time just thinking. She curls against me and I pet her hair softly. She feels so right with me, so perfect. I feel like everything that’s been missing in my life is finally here.

And I’m so glad she’s the one I’m having a child with.

I’m so glad she’s the one warming my bed.

I’m so glad she’s the one I get to spend the rest of my life with.

I have every intention of spending the rest of my life making her happy. I want to please her, to show her how special she is, how important she is. I want her to know that I care about her. I want her to know that no matter what happens, I’m going to be here for her.

Our road won’t be easy. It won’t be simple. She’s a human and I’m a shifter. We’re going to have some ridiculous cultural differences to get over. Neither one of us planned to be parents, so throwing a child into our weird, unconventional relationship is going to be even trickier, but there’s one thing I know for certain: our baby will be loved. Our baby will be
so
loved.

I have no idea what time it is and since I got rid of my bedside alarm clock years ago, there’s no way to tell. I need to talk to someone, though, and it’s not Mia’s brother.

Richard.

I’m going to have to tell him eventually. I’m probably going to have to tell him pretty damn soon since he’s going to be in town tomorrow, if my memory serves correctly. I don’t think he’ll react as poorly as Mia thinks he will, though. Something tells me Richard comes to Honeypot for a deeper reason than wanting to be a good person.

Something tells me he’s got a shifter of his own here.

He at least has one he wants to make his own.

No, the person I need to call is someone much closer to me, someone very important. This is the guy I go to with all of my problems, my issues, my fears.

This is the one person who understands me no matter what I’m going through.

This is my other half.

Slowly, I pull away from Mia and sneak out of the bed. She’s on top of the comforter, so I grab an extra blanket and lay it over her body. She looks so sweet curled up and I hate the idea that she has to go back home for an entire two weeks. It feels like too long to me. It feels like hell.

Sneaking out of the room, I slowly pad down the hallway and downstairs to the living room. I manage to find my phone on one of the end tables and check the time. It’s a little after midnight, which means it’s the perfect time to call.

Settling in on the sofa, I grab my phone and call. He should answer pretty quickly, if memory serves correctly. The last time we talked, the Army had just switched him to nights, which means he gets home around 11:00. Since California is an hour behind us, he’ll be just getting off work.

He answers on the second ring.

“Hey, buddy,” the familiar voice says warmly.

“You won’t believe what happened to me today.” I jump right in. There’s no point in hiding what’s happened.

“Nice to hear from you, too,” he says with a hint of a growl, and I just laugh.

“I’ve missed you,” I say.

“Same, brother. Same.”

“When are you moving back to Colorado?”

“As soon as the damn military lets me. Don’t you worry about that.”

“I do worry about it. It’s been too long.” I don’t want to sound too pathetic. I don’t say
I think about you all the time
or
the house feels empty without you.
The truth is that when Austin left Colorado, a little bit of my heart left with him.

“Yep,” Austin sighs and I can hear his frustration through the phone. Even if he hadn’t say anything, I would have been able to tell he’s feeling stressed. That’s the thing about twins, especially shifter twins: we can feel the other twin’s emotions. “So what happened? Must be pretty big for you to actually pick up the damn phone.”

“I’m not that bad.”

“You’re pretty bad.”

“I met someone.”

“It’s not that human from the party, is it?”

“One and the same.”

“I knew you had it bad for her. What happened? Finally call her?”

“Nope,” I say. I wonder if he can hear the smile in my voice. “She came to see me today.”

“I take it things went well.” Yep. He can definitely hear the smile.

“She’s asleep upstairs right now.”

“Way to go, brother. When’s the wedding?”

“Hopefully in a couple of weeks.”

Silence.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Austin asks after a long minute.

“Never been more.”

“What does she think about all of this? Isn’t it a little sudden? You know I support you, but this is a pretty big commitment.”

“Remember what dad said before he married Katherine?”

“Yeah,” he pauses. “He said you know when you find your mate. He said a shifter always knows and once you find her, there’s no point in waiting.”

Our mother left when we were babies and our dad mourned for her for years before meeting Katherine. I still remember being a little cub and meeting her for the first time. They hadn’t known each other more than a month or two when they got married. They both just knew. Even now, all these years later, they’re still completely in love with each other.

They’re still happy.

My dad and Katherine’s relationship gives me hope that no matter what happens, true love will prevail. No matter how hard things get, no matter how tough the journey might be, we will always be able to count on each other.

“That’s how I feel about Mia.”

“Still seems a little sudden to me, but let me know when you two plan to tie the knot and I’ll book a flight home.”

“That means a lot to me.”

“I’m only coming for the wedding cake, man. Tell me you’re baking it yourself.”

I laugh. Austin has always had a weakness for sweets. He always says he got lucky having me for a twin because I’d make all the sugary treats in the world and he’d get to eat them. Our father spent a shitload of money on fillings for Austin when we were kids. Even now, as an adult, I don’t think the guy’s slowed down when it comes to sweet treats.

“There’s something else.”

“What is it?”

“I’m going to be a father.”

“No shit?”

“No shit.”

“Congrats, Aidan. Holy dragons.”

“I know. I always thought you would be the first to have kids.”

“Same. You were always more interested in baking cookies than catching girls.”

“Well, I finally caught one.”

“Sounds like she’s a keeper. I’m happy for you, man. Can’t wait to meet the little human who captured my brother’s heart.”

“I can’t wait for you to meet her, either.”

We chat for a few more minutes about Austin’s life in the military, then he has to go. It’s late and he needs to get some rest before he gets up early for physical training. Even though he’s a shifter and in fantastic physical condition, he has to meet all of the Army’s regulations when it comes to physical training, fitness, and running.

Apparently, running a couple of miles in your human form is pretty damn hard when you’re used to just shifting into a bear before exercising. Maybe that’s why the military requires it.

I end the call and sit in the living room for a few more minutes thinking about my brother. I can’t wait for him to meet Mia. He’s met Richard before, though it’s been a few years, and they got along pretty well. There’s no doubt in my mind that Mia will fit in perfectly in my family. My dad is going to adore her and Katherine is going to go nuts over a grandbaby.

Finally, I get up and go back to bed where Mia is still sleeping in a little ball in the center of the bed. Everything is going to be okay.

I can feel it.

Aidan

“Everything is going wrong!” Mia cries to me on the phone. It’s her last day of work. Somehow, she managed to make it back home, turn in her notice of resignation, and finish up working at the bakery. Only today, it seems, everything has gone wrong for her, and my heart is breaking.

“Tell me what happened,” I say. I’m in the middle of mixing the batter for a batch of cookies. I’m trying out a new recipe I think Mia will really love. She’s been having weird cravings this week, so I’m trying to conquer all of them with just the right mixture of sugar and chocolate.

“A customer said I look fat,” she’s crying and my heart is breaking for her. I wish I was there, but I couldn’t get away from the bakery today. I’m planning on driving out tomorrow with a rented truck and helping her pack up her belongings. She’s on a month-to-month lease and gave her landlord a month’s notice, so we’ll move her stuff to my place, then go clean her unit. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but she’s been exhausted lately. The morning sickness is in full swing, too, so Mia hasn’t been feeling great at all.

“Baby, you aren’t fat. You’re growing a cub.”

“I know,” she says.

“What did you do?”

“I dumped pie in her lap.”

“Are you serious?” I bite my lip to keep from laughing. Mia is a feisty little thing and I immediately get the mental image of her dumping a piece of cherry pie into some poor old woman’s lap.

“So my boss told me I could leave early,” she says, only Mia sounds almost sad.

“Baby, are you feeling a little down about quitting your job?”

“No, not really,” she says. “I’m excited to work with you, honestly. It’s just a big change.”

“I know.”

“Maybe I should talk to my brother,” she laughs. “He could give me some great counseling advice.”

“Wait, you haven’t told Richard yet?” The last two weeks have been so crazy that it completely slipped my mind. I guess I just assumed she’d tell him.

“Nope.”

I take a deep breath and taste the batter. More salt. Just a smidge. I add it and keep mixing, wondering what I should say to her. I’m not upset she hasn’t told Richard, but I wonder what’s holding her back. Is Mia feeling absentminded because of the pregnancy or is she worried her brother is going to judge her? And how should I respond in a way that won’t make her burst into tears? That’s the most important question.

I love Mia, adore her, but I love Richard, too. We haven’t been as close the last few years, but I see him all the time in town and it’s not like this is something we can hide forever.

You can’t hide anything in Honeypot for long: not a relationship and certainly not a child.

Even if Richard didn’t notice Mia’s growing belly, someone would ask him how he felt about his sister dating the town baker.

Then there would be hell to pay.

“Why haven’t you told him yet, honey?”

“I’ve just been really busy with work and packing and dealing with landlord stuff.” Her words are fine, but her voice is tense and anxious.

“And?”

“You’re as bad as Richard.”

“I know. I did live with the guy for a year.”

“And I’m scared to tell him.”

“Why?”

“What if he gets mad?” She whispers. “What if he doesn’t like us being together?”

“Would that stop us, honey?”

“No.”

“You need to tell him soon.”

“I know. I will. I’ll talk to him tonight when he gets back from Honeypot.”

I promise to come over in the morning with the truck to help her load up her belongings, then I end the call. Turning back to the cookies, I add a bit more flour and keep mixing. I’ve got a stand mixer and all the fancy gadgets – and good baker would – but sometimes I still like to mix things by hand. It’s relaxing. Mixing something gives me a chance to clear my mind and just focus on what I’m doing and how I’m doing it. It’s like meditation or yoga, but I get to eat a delicious cookie when I’m done.

The door out front chimes. I’ve got a customer.

“Be right there,” I call out and reach for my roll of plastic wrap. Covering the bowl of dough, I place it in the fridge to cool. You don’t
have
to cool dough to make your cookies, but it really does make a difference in the final flavor. When I first started baking, I tried to take shortcuts in my dough prep as a way to save time, but quickly learned it wasn’t worth ruining the end result. Not properly cooling batter can take cookies from “awesome” to “pretty good,” and that’s not something I’m willing to do. Not with my bakery.

I wash my hands quickly, then head out front. I’m not sure if Hope is stopping by to pick up some lemon tarts for the guys at the Blair Ranch or if Savannah wants to pick up some brownies for her son, but I’ve got them both covered. If it’s someone new, someone who isn’t a regular at the shop, I’ve got them covered, too.

When I step into the front of my shop, it’s not Hope or Savannah waiting for me, though. I know even before the tall figure turns around exactly who has come to Bear’s Bakery, and I don’t think he’s interested in buying cookies today.

“Hello, Aidan,” Richard turns around. “I think we need to talk.”

***

Richard is tall. He’s tall for a shifter and definitely tall for a human. I’ve never considered myself to be short and even I find myself craning my neck to look at him. Today he seems even taller than usual, which I chalk up to the fact that he’s obviously here to talk about Mia.

He doesn’t look mad or upset. That’s not Richard’s style. Instead, he looks confused, pensive. One thing I’ve always respected about Richard is that when he has a problem with someone, he goes directly to that person.

The only downside to this is that obviously, today I’m that person.

“Richard,” I say, coming into the front of the bakery. Sunlight streams through the open windows giving the space a warm, welcoming vibe. It’s one of the reasons I love my bakery. I’ve tried to make it as comfortable and cozy as possible. I get a lot of customers and I want them to keep coming back again and again.

Part of the appeal of living in Honeypot is the close shifter community. Having a great place where people can get together, eat cookies, and have pie is part of how I give back. I do a lot of discount days, freebies for fundraisers, and donations for special events in town, but I also make enough money at the bakery where I don’t have to worry about losing my shop or stressing about prices.

Now, as I stand in the center of my quaint little shop, I try to figure out how I’m going to tell Richard the truth about me and Mia. Obviously, he knows. Mia and I have kept things low-key in Honeypot. She spent last weekend here and I drove up one night and saw her, then came back early enough to open my shop the next morning. Aside from that, though, we haven’t really gone to any social events as a couple or come out publicly with our relationship.

It’s not that we’re hiding anything or ashamed of our relationship, it’s just that until she talked to Richard, we didn’t want things to get too crazy. Our community might be close-knit, but part of that means anything you do quickly becomes everyone’s business. It’s hard to have secrets in a small town. That’s doubly true when shifters are involved. Maybe it’s because we can smell each other’s emotions or because our senses are heightened, but I’m not terribly shocked to see Richard in my shop.

Now the time has come for me to be honest with my friend. I need to tell him the truth about me and Mia. He’s going to be able to handle it and even if he’s a little weird about things at first, there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll end up being completely supportive of us and our relationship.

That’s just the type of guy Richard is. Maybe it has to do with him being a therapist or maybe it’s because he just has a tender soul. I’m not sure.

“It’s been awhile,” Richard says, then he crosses the room and gives me a hug. He’s definitely a hugger. I am, too, and that’s another reason we’ve always gotten along so well: neither one of us feels like our masculinity is threatened by physical touching.

“How’s it going, man?” I ask, patting his back.

He lets go and looks around the shop.

“You know, it’s been awhile since I’ve stopped by,” he says casually.

“That’s true,” I wonder when he’s going to bring it up or if I should first. Does he know about the baby or just that Mia and I are dating now? Does he know I want to marry his sister or that I plan to spend the rest of my life with her? I need to address any concerns he has, but I don’t want to jump in with too much information, either. In a situation like this, I feel like it’s best to wait and see what Richard says.

“I want to-”

“I’m in love with her,” I blurt out, interrupting him.

“-Order a dozen cupcakes,” he finishes, his face looking shocked. “Wait, who?”

So much for playing it cool, you stupid bear.
There goes my great plan to be awesome and suave and chill about this whole thing.

Only now I have Richard’s full attention, so I don’t really have the option of trying to backtrack. Because he’s a therapist, Richard knows better than most all the diversion tactics people try to use when they don’t want to share information about something.

“What kind of cupcakes do you want?” I ask, grabbing an order pad.

Smooth, real smooth.

“Um, I want a mixed dozen,” he says, giving me a weird look.

“Special event?”

“No, they’re for Mia.” I drop the pen on the counter.

“Mia?”

“Yeah, she’s been pretty tense lately. I’m not sure what’s going on with her.”

“Well, cupcakes are one way to cheer her up,” I say.

“Yeah,” he says slowly, and I can tell Richard is about to go full-shrink on me. We lived together long enough for me to know that when he slows his voice down, he’s preparing to ask a question. The way you answer or deflect the question determines the direction the rest of the conversation will take.

If you’re honest about his question, he’ll help you figure out a way to solve your problem, but he’ll do it in this roundabout way that makes you think you solved the problem yourself. It’s genius, really. People think he’s a great counselor and he gets to know he helped you help yourself.

If you deflect Richard’s question, though, he won’t let it drop. He’ll want to talk about not only the real answer, but why you deflected and why you did so in that way. What’s the harm in talking about your problems? What’s the point of avoiding conflict if it means you won’t be able to heal? These are the type of questions he’ll ask.

“Let’s talk about you,” Richard says casually. He leans against the counter, but doesn’t pretend to look inside the glass case to see what I’m selling today. Instead, he looks at me, waiting to see how I’m going to respond to his question.

This is it.

This is the moment where our relationship changes forever.

This is the moment where I tell one of my favorite people that I not only slept with his little sister at his birthday party, but where I tell him the two of us made a life.

We made a child.

This is the moment where I tell Richard his future is going to be bright, where I tell him things are going to be very different than he thinks they will.

“What would you like to know?” I ask.

“What would you like me to know?” He shoots back.

“Well,” I say. I run my palms across the glass countertop, then I take a deep breath. “It’s Mia. I’m in love with Mia.” 

“I know,” he says, and my jaw drops. “Was there something else?”

“We’re going to have a baby.”

“I thought as much. Shall we have a drink? I’m parched.”