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“Maybe we can do this again sometime.”
Now was the moment to tell her that he couldn’t. He would let her down gently but firmly.
To his horror, what actually emerged from his lips was, “Sure. That would be great.”
Her answering smile and blush just about tore his heart in two. His cat purred with satisfaction.
You cowardly, selfish asshole!he berated himself as he hurried out the door and sprinted over to his own cabin.
And on top of all that, he’d been so busy trying to get laid that he’d completely forgotten about his bedtime story appointment with Taylor and Savannah.
Thank God for electronic reminders!
Luckily, he was only a minute or two late logging in. His daughters were both already in their pajamas when his dad answered the video call on his tablet.
From the looks of it, Dad and the girls were all sitting in the guest bedroom, waiting for Lucas’s call.
“Daddy!” his daughters chorused from either side of their grandpa.
“Lucas! I was beginning to worry you’d forgotten all about us!” Dad said.
The knife of guilt twisted in Lucas’s gut. He winced.
“Sorry about that. I just got back from dinner, and I was running a couple of minutes late.” Which was the truth, if not the whole truth.
His dad’s brows rose, but he didn’t comment. As a retired National Park Service ranger, he knew better than to ask questions while Lucas was on assignment somewhere. Instead, he said, “The girls have requested you read them The Little Bear in the Big Woods.”
No surprise there. It was their current favorite.
Lucas called up the ebook on his own tablet, though he’d memorized the whole thing at this point. “Once upon a time, there was a very small bear cub who lived in a very big forest…” he began.
* * *
Later, after he’d said good night to his girls, he showered and slipped between the sheets of his own bed. Despite the sting of guilt for misleading the pretty little cop about who he really was, Lucas felt happier and more relaxed than he had in a long time.
And his cat was still purring away at the back of his head.
Maybe I just needed to get Malia out of my system, thought Lucas.I’ll turn her down if she does invite me over again.
His cougar sat bolt upright in sudden alarm.No, no, no! I want to continue courting this woman!
It wanted to taste her sweet lips again. Hold her tempting little body and hear her soft cries and exclamations of pleasure.
Truth be told, so did he.
And I didn’t even get the chance to see her naked.
He recalled Tringstad’s horrified expression, and his gut churned. He could only imagine what his fellow game warden was thinking right now.
From now on, I need to keep my distance from Malia, he told himself.Before I really screw things up.
Chapter 10
See, Malia’s wolf said smugly in the wake of Lucas’s hasty departure. Those other men courting you were boring. Lucas is who we want. He’s what we need.
Malia couldn’t argue with her beast. She’d never been with anyone like Lucas. Someone who knew what she needed. And exactly how to touch her. Their encounter had been incredible.
And that spicy appetizer had only whetted her appetite. She definitely wanted the full meal.
