Bear Naked
Page 24
“It’s decided, then?” Alex had relaxed, settling on Ryan’s recliner, his mate in his lap. He was feeding bits of burger to Tabby, who accepted them happily. “We’re definitely moving here?”
Will Bunsun nodded. “Eric will be going back and forth to oversee the transfer, but Bunsun Exteriors’ main office will be moving here. We’ve got enough of a presence on the East Coast to justify the move, and we all agree we want to be near you guys. Eric will be moving here as well. We’ll leave the West Coast operations up to one of your other cousins. Probably Keith.”
Heather shook her head. “Nope. Both Keith and Tiff want to move with the rest of us. You’ll have to find someone else.” She shot a quick glance at Barney. “And it won’t be me, either. I like it here.”
Barney’s brows rose at her sharp tone. “Like I have a say in it.”
“You’re right. You don’t.”
“’Cause I can’t fit in a Hobbit hole.”
Heather yipped, a canine sound that had Barney laughing. “Asshole.”
“Heather, language.” Stacey’s tone was more amused than angry. “Call him buttmunch.”
Heather smirked at Barney. “Buttmunch.”
“You’re just cranky because you missed elevensies. You should eat something.” Barney ducked as Heather swiped a claw-tipped hand at him. He shook his finger at her. “Temper, temper.”
Laura exchanged a look with Stacey, who shrugged. They both looked like they were trying not to laugh. “It’s decided, then. Glory will move in with Ryan—”
Glory blinked, distracted by the slap-fight going on between Heather and Barney. Heather seemed to be winning, most likely because Barney was unwilling to use his strength against his teeny mate. “I will?”
Ryan’s mother smiled serenely. “Yes. You will. Because if you don’t, we’ll move in with you.” She ignored Glory’s protest and continued. “We’ll take turns guarding Cynful Tattoos. Whoever isn’t working has a shift, so she’s with one of us at all times.”
Will shrugged. “Works for me.”
“I like it.” Ray smiled warmly at all three girls equally.
“As long as Ryan’s mate is safe, I’m willing.” Steven had the same stubborn look his son got sometimes. There would be no changing his mind on the issue of her safety.
Chloe patted Glory’s leg. “Welcome to my hell.”
Glory whimpered. “But the crockpot is still here.”
Chloe smacked her brother upside the head. “Seriously?”
Ryan shrugged and took another bite of burger. “I’ll clean it before she moves in.”
“I’ll clean it.” Laura headed for Ryan’s kitchen. It wasn’t long before she shrieked. “Ryan David Williams! Get your ass in here now!”
Ryan gulped and got his ass in there.
Glory pulled the French fry basket closer as she listened to Laura bully her son into killing the alien life form. “So. Who’s helping me move?”
Chapter Eight
Glory yawned, stretching out on the huge bed. She’d had the best night’s sleep in quite a while, and the last thing she wanted to do was wake up.
“I hate you so much right now.”
Glory bit her lip to keep from laughing. Poor Ryan. He sounded miserable. “Aw, did the big, bad Bear have a bad night?”
Ryan grumbled under his breath as he shuffled into the bathroom. “I need a bigger couch.”
“You driving me to work?” Glory scrambled out of bed and stretched again.
“If I can get my back to unkink, sure.” Ryan poked his head around the door. “I’m sleeping in my bed tonight.”
“I don’t think so, Goldilocks.” She began unbraiding her hair. She rarely slept without it braided and always regretted it when she forgot. The tangles could take hours to undo.
“I do think so, baby bear.” He shut the bathroom door, and she heard the sound of water running.
“Hmph.” Glory got dressed, choosing one of her soft, wispy outfits in pale pink. She added some jingling bangles on her wrists and one of her ankles before pulling on her ballet flats. Now all she needed to do was her hair and makeup, and she was ready for her day.
If Ryan would ever get out of the bathroom, that was.
Glory pounded on the door. “Are you done yet?”
She barely heard his answering grunt.
“Fine.” She left the bedroom and headed straight for his kitchen, making herself a cup of coffee.
Soon the scent of the brew filled the apartment. Ryan lumbered out of the bedroom, his shirt half tucked into his jeans and his feet bare, his morning scruff darkening his jaw. He whimpered as she picked up her mug and took a sip.
Glory gave him her most innocent look and took another sip. “What?”
“Evil woman.” Ryan picked her up like she weighed nothing, kissed her and set her gently aside.
The man was good for her ego. He didn’t even wince at her combination of morning and coffee breath.
“I’m going to go do my hair and makeup. Make me another cup, please?”
Another grunt, but she was pretty sure Ryan would do as she asked. She headed back into the bedroom and did her normal morning routine, getting ready quickly so her coffee would be nice and hot. By the time she got back into the kitchen, Ryan had his shirt tucked in and shoes on. He was leaning against the counter, his eyes closed, sipping at his coffee with a blissful expression.
“Food?”
He pointed toward the fridge. Almost afraid to see what was in there, she opened the door.
Inside was a barren wasteland of nothingness. She glared over the door at him. “Where?”
He opened his eyes. “Check the bottom drawer.”
“For what? Tumbleweeds?” But she opened the bottom drawer, surprised to find it full of fruit. “Okay.” She was used to something a little more substantial in the mornings, but she supposed she could make this work until she dragged him grocery shopping.
She made two quick fruit salads, scarfing hers down when she saw the time. “Hurry up, baby bear. We’ve gotta go or I’ll be late for work.” She took his cup and hers to the sink, rinsing them and their bowls out before setting them in the dishwasher.
Ryan grabbed both their jackets and Glory’s purse while she rinsed their dishes. “We can pick up some breakfast sandwiches on the way in for Cyn and Tabby.”
Will Bunsun nodded. “Eric will be going back and forth to oversee the transfer, but Bunsun Exteriors’ main office will be moving here. We’ve got enough of a presence on the East Coast to justify the move, and we all agree we want to be near you guys. Eric will be moving here as well. We’ll leave the West Coast operations up to one of your other cousins. Probably Keith.”
Heather shook her head. “Nope. Both Keith and Tiff want to move with the rest of us. You’ll have to find someone else.” She shot a quick glance at Barney. “And it won’t be me, either. I like it here.”
Barney’s brows rose at her sharp tone. “Like I have a say in it.”
“You’re right. You don’t.”
“’Cause I can’t fit in a Hobbit hole.”
Heather yipped, a canine sound that had Barney laughing. “Asshole.”
“Heather, language.” Stacey’s tone was more amused than angry. “Call him buttmunch.”
Heather smirked at Barney. “Buttmunch.”
“You’re just cranky because you missed elevensies. You should eat something.” Barney ducked as Heather swiped a claw-tipped hand at him. He shook his finger at her. “Temper, temper.”
Laura exchanged a look with Stacey, who shrugged. They both looked like they were trying not to laugh. “It’s decided, then. Glory will move in with Ryan—”
Glory blinked, distracted by the slap-fight going on between Heather and Barney. Heather seemed to be winning, most likely because Barney was unwilling to use his strength against his teeny mate. “I will?”
Ryan’s mother smiled serenely. “Yes. You will. Because if you don’t, we’ll move in with you.” She ignored Glory’s protest and continued. “We’ll take turns guarding Cynful Tattoos. Whoever isn’t working has a shift, so she’s with one of us at all times.”
Will shrugged. “Works for me.”
“I like it.” Ray smiled warmly at all three girls equally.
“As long as Ryan’s mate is safe, I’m willing.” Steven had the same stubborn look his son got sometimes. There would be no changing his mind on the issue of her safety.
Chloe patted Glory’s leg. “Welcome to my hell.”
Glory whimpered. “But the crockpot is still here.”
Chloe smacked her brother upside the head. “Seriously?”
Ryan shrugged and took another bite of burger. “I’ll clean it before she moves in.”
“I’ll clean it.” Laura headed for Ryan’s kitchen. It wasn’t long before she shrieked. “Ryan David Williams! Get your ass in here now!”
Ryan gulped and got his ass in there.
Glory pulled the French fry basket closer as she listened to Laura bully her son into killing the alien life form. “So. Who’s helping me move?”
Chapter Eight
Glory yawned, stretching out on the huge bed. She’d had the best night’s sleep in quite a while, and the last thing she wanted to do was wake up.
“I hate you so much right now.”
Glory bit her lip to keep from laughing. Poor Ryan. He sounded miserable. “Aw, did the big, bad Bear have a bad night?”
Ryan grumbled under his breath as he shuffled into the bathroom. “I need a bigger couch.”
“You driving me to work?” Glory scrambled out of bed and stretched again.
“If I can get my back to unkink, sure.” Ryan poked his head around the door. “I’m sleeping in my bed tonight.”
“I don’t think so, Goldilocks.” She began unbraiding her hair. She rarely slept without it braided and always regretted it when she forgot. The tangles could take hours to undo.
“I do think so, baby bear.” He shut the bathroom door, and she heard the sound of water running.
“Hmph.” Glory got dressed, choosing one of her soft, wispy outfits in pale pink. She added some jingling bangles on her wrists and one of her ankles before pulling on her ballet flats. Now all she needed to do was her hair and makeup, and she was ready for her day.
If Ryan would ever get out of the bathroom, that was.
Glory pounded on the door. “Are you done yet?”
She barely heard his answering grunt.
“Fine.” She left the bedroom and headed straight for his kitchen, making herself a cup of coffee.
Soon the scent of the brew filled the apartment. Ryan lumbered out of the bedroom, his shirt half tucked into his jeans and his feet bare, his morning scruff darkening his jaw. He whimpered as she picked up her mug and took a sip.
Glory gave him her most innocent look and took another sip. “What?”
“Evil woman.” Ryan picked her up like she weighed nothing, kissed her and set her gently aside.
The man was good for her ego. He didn’t even wince at her combination of morning and coffee breath.
“I’m going to go do my hair and makeup. Make me another cup, please?”
Another grunt, but she was pretty sure Ryan would do as she asked. She headed back into the bedroom and did her normal morning routine, getting ready quickly so her coffee would be nice and hot. By the time she got back into the kitchen, Ryan had his shirt tucked in and shoes on. He was leaning against the counter, his eyes closed, sipping at his coffee with a blissful expression.
“Food?”
He pointed toward the fridge. Almost afraid to see what was in there, she opened the door.
Inside was a barren wasteland of nothingness. She glared over the door at him. “Where?”
He opened his eyes. “Check the bottom drawer.”
“For what? Tumbleweeds?” But she opened the bottom drawer, surprised to find it full of fruit. “Okay.” She was used to something a little more substantial in the mornings, but she supposed she could make this work until she dragged him grocery shopping.
She made two quick fruit salads, scarfing hers down when she saw the time. “Hurry up, baby bear. We’ve gotta go or I’ll be late for work.” She took his cup and hers to the sink, rinsing them and their bowls out before setting them in the dishwasher.
Ryan grabbed both their jackets and Glory’s purse while she rinsed their dishes. “We can pick up some breakfast sandwiches on the way in for Cyn and Tabby.”
