And so was Bryce.
“What’s there to plan?” Chance asked as he turned from his twin to look at Ahm. “Luke pops us into your office, we steal the file, and then we pop back out.”
“It isn’t stealing, Chance. It’s my file,” Ahm reminded him.
“But it sounds more covert ops when I say steal,” Chance complained. The guy sounded like he had been hanging around Oscar way too long. He knew Chance was a damn good father to the boy. They were always watching those espionage movies and creeping around the house, acting like spies. It did Bryce’s heart good to see Chance so happy. He was also a little envious of the man and his family. Bryce brushed that thought aside when he felt his mate’s irritation level rising.
Ahm rubbed at his temples as he cut his eyes over to Bryce. “Are they always like this?”
“Like what?” Bryce feigned ignorance of his brothers’ playful behavior. He was actually having a good time right now. He loved playing around with the twins. They kept life from getting boring and stale.
“Like grown-ass kids.”
“Don’t make me bust out my garlic spray bottle,” Chauncey warned. “I heard a noise coming from my closet last night. Was that you?”
Ahm started toward the doors, heading out of the barn, grumbling something so low, not even Bryce’s shifter hearing could pick it up.
Bryce exhaled a sympathetic chuckle. Poor Ahm. If he was losing patience this quickly, the twins were going to drive the elf insane by the week’s end. He held on to that thought as he watched his mate’s backside, his cock getting hard as he thought about the sex they had three days ago and how damn good it felt to be buried in that tight ass. It had shocked him that Ahm had let Bryce fuck him, but then again, the man seemed to be surprising him a lot lately.
The number one surprise was Ahm’s profession of love. It had blindsided Bryce. He thought he would have to browbeat the confession out of Ahm sometime in the distant future. But the man had given it of his own free will.
“Do you think he’ll be back?” Chance asked as he scratched at his chin and then answered his own question. “I think he’ll be back.”
“You two are morons,” Bryce said as he went after his mate. He caught up to Ahm by the porch, grabbing his arm to stop him from going any further. It was getting to the point that Bryce hated to see a frown on the man’s face. Ahm had frowned enough in life. If Bryce had it his way, Ahm would wear a pleased expression all the time. He was sexy as hell when he smiled. It made the dimples in his cheeks pop out. “Slow down, pudding pop.”
Ahm turned, glaring at Bryce as if he were the offender. His nostrils were flaring and his blue eyes were twin ice glaciers. “Don’t try to sweet-talk me. Your brothers are immature assholes. They better be lucky you would take offense to me killing them. I’ve never exerted so much patience in my life!”
“Duh, you just now figuring them out?”
Ahm looked as if he hadn’t expected that answer. “Well, yeah.”
Bryce took a seat on the steps, pulling Ahm down next to him. The man sat without a fight—which surprised Bryce. He exhaled a deep breath as he thought of a way to explain Chauncey and Chance to Ahm. There really wasn’t any way to describe them to anyone who wasn’t family or didn’t know them really well. “Look, the twins have been like that their entire lives. I don’t apologize for the way my family acts. All I can say is learn to fight fire with fire. You have to learn to outwit them.”
Ahm looked skeptical, and still pissed off. “I’ve never met a family like yours, Bryce. The Lakelands are very unconventional.”
“And that’s what makes us so damn lovable.” Bryce gave a soft laugh. “I don’t want to be normal, and neither do my brothers. Where’s the fun in that? Let your hair down.” Bryce tugged at a few strands that had fallen over the man’s shoulder. “You have plenty for that.”
“So we get the file and then plot revenge against the two hellions?”
Bryce winked at his mate. “Now you’re cooking with bacon.” He turned. “Speaking of bacon, I can smell it cooking. There’s fresh coffee, too.” Damn if the scent wasn’t making Bryce hungry as hell. “Come on. Let’s go eat before we invade France.”
“You are one strange bear,” Ahm said as he stood. Bryce could see some of the closed-off rigidness slipping back into Ahm’s blue eyes, and he wasn’t going to allow that. He pulled his mate into his arms and grinned. “But you wouldn’t have me any other way, dumpling.”