Kinsley smirked. “Har har, Dr. Harry Bear.”
“Good one. Very clever.” Harrison grinned and shook his head before he continued. “What I don’t want to do is upset you—or your mom—or make anything harder for you. So, what would work for you? What do you want?”
My breath caught in my throat as I waited for Kinsley’s answer. My heart pounded away, and the butterflies in my stomach went crazy. I wanted to cry. Harrison had done the perfect thing to make me fall for him that much more. He was treating Kinsley the way she wanted to be treated, asking her point-blank. It was bold and kind and scary as hell.
“This. We’re all talking and it’s okay.”
He smiled at her. “I told you about mates. I want to be with your mom more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. I’m going to do everything I can to make her happy and keep her smiling for as long as I live. What I didn’t tell you, and what I didn’t know until I met you two, is that the mate bond extends to every part of your mom. Even you. I know that I’m never going to be your dad, but I am your mom’s mate. And you are your mom’s daughter, so by default, you’re mine, too. And unlike your dad, I do want to be here. I do want to be a part of your life. I want to make sure you’re happy, too.”
I was crying. I couldn’t help it. There wasn’t a single thing he could have said that would have been more perfect.
Kinsley cleared her throat and looked away from us. When she looked back at Harrison, she shrugged. “You’re kind of a pain in the ass, too. You’re bossy, and if you think you’re going to tell me who I can and can’t date, you’re wrong. You’re always nagging about how I talk to Mom, but Boots likes you a lot. I guess it wouldn’t be too awful if you were around.”
Harrison laughed. “I’ll remind you that you said that a few months from now when you’re mad at me.”
“If you’re going to be around, I want something out of it, though.”
“Kinsley—” I started to chastise her, but Harrison cut me off.
“Name your price.”
“I want a car when I’m sixteen. You’re a doctor, you’ve got money. You can buy me a car.”
“That’s hilarious.”
“I’m serious.” She crossed her arms over her chest again and frowned. “You’re going to be around all the time, you’re going to be rubbing your stinky bear scent all over my mom, you’ll probably be eating all of the good snacks and leaving the toilet seat up. I deserve a car, at least.”
“I’ll give you shifter lessons and buy you a bicycle.”
“As many shifter lessons as I want. And a golf cart.”
“As many shifter lessons as you want and a scooter.”
“Ugh. Fuck it. I’ll take the bike.”
“Kinsley! Language.” I rested my head in my hand. The whole night had gotten away from me entirely.
“Geeze, Mom. It’s just a word.” She looked at me sheepishly. “Am I still grounded?”
“Oh yes. Big time.”
“Mom! Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. Hugely, enormously grounded. You should go to your room now and start cleaning it, actually.”
“What the hell? When we live with Harrison, I want a separate part of the house completely. I want my own wing of the house. The west wing.” She picked up Boots and carried him with her. “I can’t believe you’re still going to ground me, after I said I was okay with Harry Bear hanging around.”
Harrison growled. “That’s Doctor Harry Bear, thank you.”
It was the damnedest thing. I could’ve sworn I saw my morose, sullen child crack a smile before disappearing into her room.
Once her door slammed, I met Harrison’s gaze and watched as he patted the couch next to him. Shaking my head, I squinted and furrowed my brow. “I feel like you and my daughter just made a lot of decisions for me.”
He slowly stood up and walked over to me. Kneeling in front of me, he rested his hands on my thighs. “Fate made a lot of decisions for you. We just helped it along.”
“I don’t know if I can do any of this, Harrison.” I sighed. “I want to, but what if I can’t? What if I can’t balance it all?”
“You don’t have to. It’s not all on you anymore. I’m here to help.”
“So, what? You just move in and we live happily ever after?”
“Honestly, my house is bigger. Not big enough for Kinsley to have her own wing, but she can have a room far enough away that she won’t hear us. My house also has an alarm system, you know, for the times she tries to sneak out.” He shrugged. “After you move in, we can get married if you want, or just live like heathens. Have another baby, if you want, or just enjoy that ball of sweetness you already have. I don’t care, as long as you’re by my side.”
I choked. “What?”
“There’s the claiming mark, too. It’s like getting married for shifters. It’s a bite, but not a painful one. I received a disgustingly long, detailed lecture about it from my parents when I was younger, so I can assure you, I’ll make it pleasant. I’d love for you to meet my parents, too. They don’t come down too often, but maybe we can have them over for Thanksgiving? My mom is going to adore having Kinsley to spoil.”
Slapping his shoulder, I stood up and gasped when he pulled me back down.
“I’m teasing you. It’s all going to happen, but there’s no rush. We’re in this for the long haul, honey. You and me. No matter what you were thinking earlier, you’re not getting rid of me. Ever.”
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”
He cupped my cheek and smiled. “Do whatever you need to do. I’ll be right here beside you through it all.”
Launching myself into his arms, we both fell backward, hitting the coffee table and sending it skidding across the floor into the wall. The noise was ridiculous, but Kinsley didn’t come out of her room. Spread out on top of him, I laughed. “You have no idea yet what you’re committing to.”
His kiss was soft and tender. “Whatever it is, I’m all in.”
23
Kinsley
I pulled myself up out of the water with my arms and headed for the nearest lounge chair, dripping pool water across the smooth cement. My towel was draped over the chair. I wrapped it around me and adjusted my sunglasses in the hot sun as I looked around for Boots. The little furball was curled up under a palm tree taking an afternoon snooze.
It had been two months since Mom and Harrison had officially mated and we’d moved into Harrison’s ginormous house. When I told him I wanted my own wing, I’d been kidding, but that’s almost what I got. I ended up with a huge bedroom that had a bathroom and sliding doors to a balcony that faced the ocean. Seriously sweet.
The house was right on the beach with two wrap around porches, a swimming pool, and a family room with a massive TV and a pool table. With this awesome house, including my decked out bedroom and private bathroom, being grounded around here was not bad. Not bad at all.
I didn’t mind my friends seeing me at the Children’s Clinic anymore since the town pediatrician was now my stepfather. In fact, I hung out there a lot. Polly was actually kinda cool, and she was also a shifter. Harrison and Polly both agreed that next month, when I turned sixteen, I could have a job there. Harrison suggested I work a few days a week in the summer and on Saturday mornings during the school year, but I had to promise not to threaten any of the kids. No problem there, especially since he’d mentioned nothing at all about snarling at the flirty moms who eye-screwed him. Those bitches better watch out.
After drying off, I strolled into the house to get a snack from the kitchen. My mom and Harrison were in there. Mom was leaning against the island giggling. Harrison had his arm around her was and kissing her neck. Ugh! Again?
I cleared my throat. “Um, excuse me. I was just looking for a knife.”
Harrison motioned with his head. “In the drawer.”
My mom’s eyes narrowed. “What do you need a knife for, Kinsley?
“So I can gouge my eyes out! If you two
horny toads keep at it, there’s going to be sleepless nights, crying babies and stinky diapers around here in another nine months.”
My mom blushed, but Harrison grinned from ear to ear and kissed her lightly on the forehead. “Let me guess, you’re feeding the bottomless pit again, Rude ‘Tude?”
“Hey, you’re the one who told me I wouldn’t get fat, Harry Bear.” I pried open an air tight container with homemade chocolate chip cookies from Grandma Dot and grabbed myself a handful.
That was another thing. I also had grandparents now—for the first time ever. Harrison’s parents, Walter and Dorothea Daniels, lived near Tampa but had come to visit a couple times already. Dorothea made me call them Grandma Dot and Grandpa Wally. Harrison said his mom was over the moon because she finally had a grandchild. I kind of liked having a Grandma Dot, too, even though, in addition to the cookies, she kept sending me weird crocheted sweaters.
“So, my sixteenth birthday is next month—”
“Is it?” Harrison pretended to be surprised, but I was on to him. He knew. He was a bad actor.
“Anyhow, I was wondering if I could have a pool party here.”
Harrison and mom exchanged glances and both of them grinned like they had something up their sleeves. I wasn’t sure what, but something.
My mom met my eyes and winked at me. “I think that might work. As long as you behave and don’t get yourself grounded. We can start making plans this weekend.”
It was interesting seeing the changes in Mom. She was way happier and less stressed with Harrison around. I watched as they left the kitchen. Sometimes those two were in their own little world. Harrison’s arm was still around mom, and her head leaned on him as they walked. I didn’t ask where they were going because I was pretty sure I already knew and I really didn’t want the mental picture invading my thoughts. There wasn’t enough Clorox bleach on Sunkissed Key to clean that vision out of my brain.
I would deny it to my mom or Harrison, but I secretly wouldn’t mind being a big sister. It would be cool having a little rug rat running around here, especially if my little brother or sister was a shifter, too.
And as for my sixteenth birthday, I’m still working on getting that car.
THE END
NEXT BOOK IN THIS SERIES
Arden Richardson has no excuse.
She doesn’t know why she does it.
The comatose man isn’t even her patient.
But…
Her kiss awakens the sleeping giant.
Flynn Bennett has a shady past.
It extends back almost to the cradle.
He’s trouble with a capital T.
But…
One kiss is all it takes…
The bad boy.
The ex-con.
The bootlegger.
Vows to be a better man—for her…
The beauty.
The nurse.
His mate.
Get Chased Mate HERE
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P.O.L.A.R.
P.O.L.A.R. (Private Ops: League Arctic Rescue) is a specialized, private operations task force—a maritime unit of polar bear shifters. Part of a world-wide, clandestine army comprised of the best of the best shifters, P.O.L.A.R.’s home base is Siberia…until the team pisses somebody off and gets re-assigned to Sunkissed Key, Florida and these arctic shifters suddenly find themselves surrounded by sun, sand, flip-flops and palm trees.
Rescue Bear
Hero Bear
Covert Bear
Tactical Bear
Royal Bear
* * *
BEARS OF BURDEN
In the southwestern town of Burden, Texas, good ol’ bears Hawthorne, Wyatt, Hutch, Sterling, and Sam, and Matt are livin’ easy. Beer flows freely, and pretty women are abundant. The last thing the shifters of Burden are thinking about is finding a mate or settling down. But, fate has its own plan…
Thorn
Wyatt
Hutch
Sterling
Sam
Matt
* * *
SHIFTERS OF HELL’S CORNER
In the late 1800’s, on a homestead in New Mexico, a female shifter named Helen Cartwright, widowed under mysterious circumstances, knew there was power in the feminine bonds of sisterhood. She provided an oasis for those like herself, women who had been dealt the short end of the stick. Like magic, women have flocked to the tiny town of Helen’s Corner ever since. Although, nowadays, some call the town by another name, Hell’s Crazy Corner.
Wolf Boss
Wolf Detective
Wolf Soldier
Bear Outlaw
Wolf Purebred
* * *
DRAGONS OF THE BAYOU
Something’s lurking in the swamplands of the Deep South. Massive creatures exiled from their home. For each, his only salvation is to find his one true mate.
Fire Breathing Beast
Fire Breathing Cezar
Fire Breathing Blaise
Fire Breathing Remy
Fire Breathing Armand
Fire Breathing Ovide
* * *
RANCHER BEARS
When the patriarch of the Long family dies, he leaves a will that has each of his five son’s scrambling to find a mate. Underneath it all, they find that family is what matters most.
Rancher Bear’s Baby
Rancher Bear’s Mail Order Mate
Rancher Bear’s Surprise Package
Rancher Bear’s Secret
Rancher Bear’s Desire
Rancher Bears’ Merry Christmas
Rancher Bears Complete Box Set
* * *
KODIAK ISLAND SHIFTERS
On Port Ursa in Kodiak Island Alaska, the Sterling brothers are kind of a big deal.
They own a nationwide chain of outfitter retail stores that they grew from their father’s little backwoods camping supply shop.
The only thing missing from the hot bear shifters’ lives are mates! But, not for long…
Billionaire Bear’s Bride (COLTON)
The Bear’s Flamingo Bride (WYATT)
Military Bear’s Mate (TUCKER)
* * *
SHIFTERS OF DENVER
Nathan: Billionaire Bear- A matchmaker meets her match.
Byron: Heartbreaker Bear- A sexy heartbreaker with eyes for just one woman.
Xavier: Bad Bear - She’s a good girl. He’s a bad bear.
Nathan: Billionaire Bear
Byron: Heartbreaker Bear
Xavier: Bad Bear
Shifters of Denver Complete Box Set
Charmed Mate (Cybermates Series Book 2) Page 11