Bear Naked
Page 51
Lighter skinned than his brother, with short-cropped hair and thick eyebrows, he was considered by a lot of the women Ryan knew to be handsome. He wore a business suit and black-rimmed glasses with the same ease that he sported cargo shorts and a tank top. Eric Bunsun looked at home no matter what he wore, and rarely failed to impress when he wanted to.
And when he wanted to impress upon someone the need to leave, he wasn’t above showing what he could do with those large, accountant’s hands. Eric had never been quite as rough and tumble as Bunny, but only because the man was more subtle. If Eric decided Dr. Jim Woods wasn’t good enough for Chloe, the poor guy wouldn’t stand a chance of getting close to her. Almost as large as Bunny, Eric could be downright frightening when he chose to be. His dark eyes would go ice cold, and the thick muscles that corded his neck would flex. He went from smiling money man to menacing hit man with a simple look.
But Eric didn’t comprehend the siren song of a mate, how hard Chloe would fight to stay by Jim’s side. Chloe would take Jim and run if she thought for even a second that Eric was a threat to him. It’s what Ryan would have done if Eric had taken a dislike to Glory and tried to drive a wedge between them. Luckily, Eric didn’t seem to mind his mate nearly as much as Julian’s. “He’s Chloe’s.”
Eric scowled. “He’s not.”
Ryan chuckled. “Marked or not, trust me. He’s Chloe’s.” He patted his cousin on the shoulder when the man grunted unhappily. “Look. Did you find anything really bad in his background? Anything that would raise a red flag for Mom and Dad?”
Eric fidgeted with his glasses before shrugging. “Not yet.”
“Then trust in the mate bond. Chloe knows what she’s doing.” At Eric’s disbelieving look, Ryan opened the bedroom door. “A mate can’t be denied, no matter how much you might want to. The dreams alone would eventually drive you insane.”
Eric followed him into the living room, muttering under his breath. But Ryan heard what his cousin said. “Then I hope I never meet mine.”
Oh, but Ryan did. And he prayed that, whoever it turned out to be, they got a look at the real Eric Bunsun, the one who thought his family hung the moon and the stars. Whoever it was would become Eric’s sun, bringing sunshine to his cousin’s life. Eric needed someone to protect, to turn all that need onto. As annoying as he could be, Eric had a big heart, even bigger than Bunny’s. If—no, when—he found his mate, she’d be utterly adored.
“So.” Ryan pulled his attention away from Eric and back toward his mate. Glory was holding out a mug of coffee, yawning so wide he thought her lips might split. She’d managed to clip her waist-length curls into a high ponytail, with two thick curls coming from her temples to brush against her breasts. The hairstyle made her look even more like one of Bunny’s manga characters, and Ryan loved it. “What did Eric the Awful want?”
Behind her, Bunny laughed as Eric rolled his eyes. “I’m not that bad.”
“You called Cyn a freak because you didn’t want her around Heather, remember?” Glory shot Eric her best glare. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re lucky I don’t call you Eric the Ball-less.”
“Eric!” Stacy Williams smacked her nephew upside the head.
“Ow!” He rubbed the spot his aunt had hit, staring at her with an outraged expression.
“Wait, wait.” Bunny held up his hands, ever the peacemaker. “Mom and Dad already laid into him for it.”
“Oh.” Ryan’s mom settled back down. “In that case, what can we do for you, dear?” Stacey turned all her considerable charm on Glory, who blinked in shock. “Your sister will need family around.”
“Family that can protect her from a shifter.” Raymond Williams put his arm around his mate, his Bear peeking out and dotting his green eyes with spots of brown.
Before Glory could respond Ryan pulled her close, careful of both their coffee mugs. “The asshole changed her. She’s Wolf.”
“Then we protect her from the rogue Wolf and introduce her to the local Pack.” Stacey sipped her take-out coffee serenely. “I’m sure Belle Lowell would love to meet her.”
Glory went stiff. “I’ve met Belle Lowell. She’s overwhelming on her best days. Maybe we should let her get used to Tabby and being around non-psychotic Wolves, before we introduce her to the Queen of Scream.”
The Queen of… Ryan started to laugh. Where did she come up with this stuff?
Bunny shook his head sadly. “You really think the Curana hasn’t already called her?”
“Bunny’s right.” Ryan held tight when Glory made a move to get away from him. “From what I’ve seen, Emma and Belle are tight. She’d want Belle to know what’s going on, and to hell with what Barney wants.”
Bunny nodded. “Besides, Belle and Rick will do their best to protect Hope, just like they do Tabby.”
“And so will we.” Chloe looked determined, and there was a strangely familiar silver glint in her eye. “Hope won’t live in darkness anymore.”
Well. That wasn’t freaky as fuck. “Chloe?”
She tilted her head, the silver gone, just his little sister looking at him like she usually did. Like she totally knew something he didn’t. “Yeah?”
“Nothing.” Julian was keeping a close eye on her. The Kermode would tell him if Chloe was in danger. And if he didn’t, out of some half-assed sense of privacy or to protect Ryan, Cyn would tell Glory.
“We’re moving up the plans to take Bunsun Exteriors to the East Coast.” Ray and Stacey exchanged a quick glance. “Tiffany and Keith will be coming here as soon as they wrap up some jobs they’ve been working on. Once they do that, corporate moves to Halle.”
Ryan wasn’t surprised that Heather’s brother and sister would be moving closer to the rest of the family. Keith was far more laid back than even Bunny, and would follow the family flow without a quibble. Keith and Bunny even had the same love of manga and anime, and would watch Ranma and Sailor Moon for hours together, cackling like hyenas.
Tiffany, on the other hand, was hell in heels, and would eviscerate anyone who bothered her baby sister. He bit his lip to stop a laugh as he pictured introducing his hell-raiser cousin to Barney. The Hunter wouldn’t know what hit him until he was plucking a four-inch spike out of his balls.
And when he wanted to impress upon someone the need to leave, he wasn’t above showing what he could do with those large, accountant’s hands. Eric had never been quite as rough and tumble as Bunny, but only because the man was more subtle. If Eric decided Dr. Jim Woods wasn’t good enough for Chloe, the poor guy wouldn’t stand a chance of getting close to her. Almost as large as Bunny, Eric could be downright frightening when he chose to be. His dark eyes would go ice cold, and the thick muscles that corded his neck would flex. He went from smiling money man to menacing hit man with a simple look.
But Eric didn’t comprehend the siren song of a mate, how hard Chloe would fight to stay by Jim’s side. Chloe would take Jim and run if she thought for even a second that Eric was a threat to him. It’s what Ryan would have done if Eric had taken a dislike to Glory and tried to drive a wedge between them. Luckily, Eric didn’t seem to mind his mate nearly as much as Julian’s. “He’s Chloe’s.”
Eric scowled. “He’s not.”
Ryan chuckled. “Marked or not, trust me. He’s Chloe’s.” He patted his cousin on the shoulder when the man grunted unhappily. “Look. Did you find anything really bad in his background? Anything that would raise a red flag for Mom and Dad?”
Eric fidgeted with his glasses before shrugging. “Not yet.”
“Then trust in the mate bond. Chloe knows what she’s doing.” At Eric’s disbelieving look, Ryan opened the bedroom door. “A mate can’t be denied, no matter how much you might want to. The dreams alone would eventually drive you insane.”
Eric followed him into the living room, muttering under his breath. But Ryan heard what his cousin said. “Then I hope I never meet mine.”
Oh, but Ryan did. And he prayed that, whoever it turned out to be, they got a look at the real Eric Bunsun, the one who thought his family hung the moon and the stars. Whoever it was would become Eric’s sun, bringing sunshine to his cousin’s life. Eric needed someone to protect, to turn all that need onto. As annoying as he could be, Eric had a big heart, even bigger than Bunny’s. If—no, when—he found his mate, she’d be utterly adored.
“So.” Ryan pulled his attention away from Eric and back toward his mate. Glory was holding out a mug of coffee, yawning so wide he thought her lips might split. She’d managed to clip her waist-length curls into a high ponytail, with two thick curls coming from her temples to brush against her breasts. The hairstyle made her look even more like one of Bunny’s manga characters, and Ryan loved it. “What did Eric the Awful want?”
Behind her, Bunny laughed as Eric rolled his eyes. “I’m not that bad.”
“You called Cyn a freak because you didn’t want her around Heather, remember?” Glory shot Eric her best glare. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re lucky I don’t call you Eric the Ball-less.”
“Eric!” Stacy Williams smacked her nephew upside the head.
“Ow!” He rubbed the spot his aunt had hit, staring at her with an outraged expression.
“Wait, wait.” Bunny held up his hands, ever the peacemaker. “Mom and Dad already laid into him for it.”
“Oh.” Ryan’s mom settled back down. “In that case, what can we do for you, dear?” Stacey turned all her considerable charm on Glory, who blinked in shock. “Your sister will need family around.”
“Family that can protect her from a shifter.” Raymond Williams put his arm around his mate, his Bear peeking out and dotting his green eyes with spots of brown.
Before Glory could respond Ryan pulled her close, careful of both their coffee mugs. “The asshole changed her. She’s Wolf.”
“Then we protect her from the rogue Wolf and introduce her to the local Pack.” Stacey sipped her take-out coffee serenely. “I’m sure Belle Lowell would love to meet her.”
Glory went stiff. “I’ve met Belle Lowell. She’s overwhelming on her best days. Maybe we should let her get used to Tabby and being around non-psychotic Wolves, before we introduce her to the Queen of Scream.”
The Queen of… Ryan started to laugh. Where did she come up with this stuff?
Bunny shook his head sadly. “You really think the Curana hasn’t already called her?”
“Bunny’s right.” Ryan held tight when Glory made a move to get away from him. “From what I’ve seen, Emma and Belle are tight. She’d want Belle to know what’s going on, and to hell with what Barney wants.”
Bunny nodded. “Besides, Belle and Rick will do their best to protect Hope, just like they do Tabby.”
“And so will we.” Chloe looked determined, and there was a strangely familiar silver glint in her eye. “Hope won’t live in darkness anymore.”
Well. That wasn’t freaky as fuck. “Chloe?”
She tilted her head, the silver gone, just his little sister looking at him like she usually did. Like she totally knew something he didn’t. “Yeah?”
“Nothing.” Julian was keeping a close eye on her. The Kermode would tell him if Chloe was in danger. And if he didn’t, out of some half-assed sense of privacy or to protect Ryan, Cyn would tell Glory.
“We’re moving up the plans to take Bunsun Exteriors to the East Coast.” Ray and Stacey exchanged a quick glance. “Tiffany and Keith will be coming here as soon as they wrap up some jobs they’ve been working on. Once they do that, corporate moves to Halle.”
Ryan wasn’t surprised that Heather’s brother and sister would be moving closer to the rest of the family. Keith was far more laid back than even Bunny, and would follow the family flow without a quibble. Keith and Bunny even had the same love of manga and anime, and would watch Ranma and Sailor Moon for hours together, cackling like hyenas.
Tiffany, on the other hand, was hell in heels, and would eviscerate anyone who bothered her baby sister. He bit his lip to stop a laugh as he pictured introducing his hell-raiser cousin to Barney. The Hunter wouldn’t know what hit him until he was plucking a four-inch spike out of his balls.
