Baby Protector Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Baby Paranormal Romance (Who's the Daddy? Book 4) by Harmony Raines

came here to the house. Old man down the street saw him. Maybe he is just being thorough in making sure Sam is safe, or maybe there’s more to it.”
    “Leave it with me. I’ll have a rummage through his life. You know I love finding juicy details people think are well-hidden. You might have the muscle, but I have the brains.”
    “Thanks. Let me know if you find anything,” Joel said.
    “You’ll be the first. After the chief, at least,” Landy said. “But watch your lady too.” Then Landy hung up.
    He wanted to tell Landy he could trust Chrissie completely, but it would sound false, since they had only met each other a few hours ago. Joel was glad Landy trusted him enough to look any deeper into Anderson’s background for him. A background check would have just scraped the surface, and why would they have gone further, when the guy was a paragon of society?
    While he washed the dishes, he thought it over. If nothing turned up on Anderson, he would play the long game, keep a low profile, keep Sam and Chrissie safe, and sooner or later, someone would break cover, and they would have the whole thing cleared up. Or Sam would end up in a foster home, with a new identity. Maybe that was for the best. Sooner or later Krieg would surface, and they’d get it out of him.
    Anyway, the longer it took to work out, the more time he had to spend here with Chrissie, playing happy families. And he planned to make sure they were very happy. He wanted to be the perfect man for her, so she couldn’t imagine life without him when it was time for them to leave. How did he do that?
    For him the bond, the need for her, was instant. Somehow he had to act as if he was falling in love with her, not as if it was tightly bonded love at first sight.
    “You OK in here?” she asked, coming into the kitchen with Sam in her arms.
    “Yes, just finishing up. Can I get you anything?” he asked, wiping the surfaces down.
    “No, I am going to feed Sam. Then I am going to bed. It might be a long night trying to get this little one settled. You might want to put some cotton balls in your ears,” she said lightly.
    “But then I won’t be able to hear if someone breaks into the house.”
    “The alarm is on. Anyway, no one followed us, and hardly anyone knows we are here, we have to be safe for one night.” Her eyes caught his. “You’re serious?”
    “Yes.” He dried his hands, while she warmed the bottle. “I pro…”
    “I know. You promised. And I am grateful. Truly.” She grabbed the bottle and then came towards him, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Joel. I’m glad you’re here.”
    He cleared his throat, the emotion of her lips on his skin almost too much. “I’m glad I’m here too.

Chapter Ten – Chrissie
    Sleeping in a strange house had always been a problem for Chrissie. Tonight was no exception. She tossed and turned, listening to the house and the noises from the street outside, hearing Joel’s warning in her head every time she shut her eyes.
    Sometime after she had come to bed, Chrissie heard Joel go around the house and check the doors and windows. Twice. He was like an animal on the prowl, coming up the stairs softly, making little noise, despite his big bulky body. She could imagine him walking on tiptoes, being careful of every floorboard that might creak under his weight and wake her or Sam.
    Then she heard his bedroom door open, and the bed creak under his weight. He was there; she and Sam were safe. This comforted her and she slipped off to sleep, only to be awakened, what felt like immediately, by a hand over her mouth.
    Struggling, she opened her eyes and looked up into Joel’s concerned face. He put his finger to his lips and motioned her not to scream. She nodded, her eyes wide, both with shock and trying to focus in the dim light.
    Slowly, he took his hand away, and then bent to whisper in her ear. “There’s someone trying to get into the house.”
    She went cold, shuddering despite