“I like it when you laugh like that,” Dade said, quiet as a breath.
“Like a hyena?”
“No, like you mean it. Like you can’t help but laugh.”
“That was really fun. I thought…well, I thought all of this bear stuff was just going to be really heavy, all the time, every day. I kind of needed a light moment.”
Dade’s hair was wet and mussed with that sexy, just-got-out-of-the-shower look, and his smile was easier than she’d ever seen it. His defined chest heaved against the nearly transparent white T-shirt she’d soaked, and damn, he was calling to her hormones.
Those whiney hos would have to wait to get banged again, though, because Ma was waving them up to the house for dinner, and she definitely wasn’t down with getting busted by Dade’s family with her dress up around her hips.
“Squirrel scratch,” she said as she wiggled her fingernails against one of his nipples. She bounded off laughing but looked over her shoulder to see him with his hands on his hips, staring down at his one perky bud on that side.
“That’s just wrong,” he called out. “At least perk up the other one.” His voice dipped low. “Preferably with your mouth.”
“This bear has teeth, remember?”
Dade scooped her up, and she gasped at how fast he’d gotten to her. “Oh, I remember.” He leaned down and kissed her hard, biting her lip at the end, and pulled a little moan from her throat. “It’s one of my favorite things about you.”
“What’s your other favorite things?”
Dade smiled absently at the field they were walking over as he hugged her closer to his chest. “The way you say sweet shit in your sleep.”
“I do not. I’m not a sleep talker.”
“Says who? You can’t hear your own self in your sleep.”
“Fine,” she said, slipping her arms around his neck. “What did I say?”
“That you loved me.”
“Fibber.”
“Well, do you?” he asked, blond brows arched high.
She wanted to say no just to argue, but he would hear the lie. “Yes,” she murmured, heat creeping up her neck.
“Well,” he said, sneaking a glance up at the porch where everyone was lining up to fill their plates. He set her down and gripped her waist with his strong, oversize hands. “Quinn Copeland, I love you back.”
Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she searched his dancing eyes. “Dade, don’t tease me.”
“Wouldn’t tease about something like this. I’ve never said that to a woman before.”
She snuggled her cheek against the hard planes of his chest and huffed an emotional sigh.
“Woman, you gonna cry again?”
“No.” She probably wasn’t going to. Looking up into his happy, ocean-colored eyes, she smiled and sighed contentedly as she brushed a damp lock of hair from his forehead. “That’s even better than you staying with me for breakfast this morning. Careful, you big scary bear. Keep telling me things like that, and you’ll prove Shayna right.”
The smile fell from his face slightly as he rocked them side to side in a music-less slow dance. “And how’s that?”
“I really will make you soft.”
Chapter Eleven
Dade couldn’t stop watching Quinn with Leah and Rory. She sat at the dining room table cutting up with them, looking at old photo albums Ma had dug out. Over the course of the evening, his mate had settled into an easy comfort with them, and wasn’t even shying away from conversation anymore.
Ma was humming to herself in the kitchen, washing dishes with Boone. Dade and Cody, meanwhile, were playing wrestle-mania with the cubs. They’d had their baths, and the boys were clad in little matching train pajamas Ma had probably found on sale in town, and Arie was wearing a nightgown with little porcupines printed all over. They smelled like soap and toothpaste and were worked up into a giggling frenzy as he and Cody did fake body slams and choke holds with them.
Aaron rolled him over and pulled on his arm, and Dade tapped out to the delight of Tate, who was clapping and cheering on his cousin. Aaron looked up at him suddenly. The blood drained from his face and his eyes changed to green-gold.
“No, no, no,” Dade rushed.
“I don’t feel good,” Aaron said in a frightened voice, and then a little bear cub exploded from his tiny body.
“Crap,” Cody murmured. “It’s okay, boy. I’ve got you.” He scooped his furry little son off the ground before he clawed Ma’s good rug.
Aaron’s little black claws dug into Cody’s neck, drawing blood as he hugged onto him, but if Cody felt it, he didn’t show it.