Bear Naked (Halle Shifters) (12 page)

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.”

“Cyn’s working this morning. Tabby has the night shift with Heather, so I’ll take Tabby’s sandwich.” She was still starving. A woman could not live on fruit salad alone, after all. She grabbed her coat and followed him out the door. “Are you planning on hanging out at the shop all day?”

“I have to go get some work done, so my parents said they’d be in around ten.” Ryan yawned. “Why do you have to go in so early?”

“It’s eight thirty. What time do you usually head in?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you. You guys are open until eleven, so why do you go in so early?”

Glory gave him her best innocent look. “Business meetings.”

Ryan snickered. “Is that what you call your good morning gossip session?”

“Actually, Mr. Accountant, we do the books, discuss the clients for the week, take inventory, do the orders for ink, needles, jewelry, go over the latest trends, decide if we’re doing any of the cons this year—”

“Okay, geez. I didn’t realize you guys did so much in the mornings.”

“We really need another piercer too.” Glory yawned. Some days it felt like she never left Cynful.

Ryan pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. “I telecommute so I don’t start until nine. And since we’re now on East Coast time while the main office is on West Coast, I usually don’t start until noon.”

“That’s going to change now that the business is moving here.”

He shrugged. “I can handle it.” He shot her a steamy glance. “You’re worth it.”

Glory squirmed and cleared her throat. “If you say so.”

“I do.”

It didn’t take long to stop off at a local fast food place to pick up some breakfast, and they were pulling up in front of Cynful Tattoos before the sandwiches had cooled. Ryan and Glory made their way to the front of the building, smiling and waving at Cyn through the plate glass window.

“Good morning!”

“Morning, guys.” Cyn stopped polishing the glass on the countertop long enough to sniff appreciatively. “Egg, ham and cheese?”

“Would we bring you anything else?”

“God, I love you.” Cyn reached for the bag and pulled out her sandwiches. “I’m starving. Super Bear decided to work with Alex today.”

“He still worried about deportation?” Ryan settled down on the gray chaise and pulled his own sandwiches out, handing the bag to Glory when he was done.

“Yes, even though Gabe and Max both reassured him that the Senate was working on keeping him in the States.” She sighed. “We’re thinking of pushing up the wedding.”

“Don’t do that.” Glory ripped open the wrapper. “Give yourselves the wedding you want.”

“If it means getting Julian his green card, I’ll marry him tomorrow.”

“If the Senate doesn’t come through or if they take too long, then yeah.” Ryan threw away an empty wrapper and grabbed his second sandwich. “I would move up the wedding. But wait another month or two before you decide, okay? You can always do a courthouse wedding, and then hold your dream ceremony later on.”

The girls both stared at him. “Thought about this a lot, have you?”

He shrugged. “Julian’s family.”

And that was it as far as Ryan Williams was concerned. Julian was family, and the Bunsun-Williams clan would back him one hundred percent.

“Then let’s not worry about it until all this other shit is taken care of.” Cyn gathered her empty wrappers and tossed them in the trash. “We need to get ready to open. Take the trash out for me? I’ll start setting everything out for the day.”

Glory crumpled up her empty wrapper. “Will do.”

“We can’t keep an eye on you if you go out back to the trash bin.” Ryan scowled. “I’ll take the trash out. Cyn can keep an eye on you right here.”

Glory rolled her eyes. “Fine.” Glory picked up the glass cleaner. “I’ll just do the windows, okay?”

Ryan relaxed. “Thanks, sweetheart.” Ryan stole a brief kiss before gathering up the wastebaskets behind the counter and by the chaise.

Glory began cleaning the plate window, trying to ignore the way her lips tingled. She was getting used to those stealthy, sweet brushes of his mouth against hers. She wanted more, though. Deeper and longer, and that both scared and excited her. If she allowed Ryan the type of kiss they both seemed to crave, she doubted it would stop there. Ryan would take her, mark her and make her like he was.

Was she ready for that?

She watched out of the corner of her eye as Ryan headed into the break room. The way his jeans cupped his ass…

Woof
. Glory was going to have to use her handful of paper towels to clean up the drool.

“I think that window is clean.” The amusement in Cyn’s voice caught her attention.

Glory rolled her eyes. “I can’t get this hand print off. I think it’s outside.” It wasn’t uncommon. People leaned against the huge window all the time. Some of them were trying to get a better look at the flash—or tattoo art—in the window. Some were fixing something with their shoes, or just needed a second to rest while shopping. “I’m going to head out front and clean it.”

Cyn frowned, but really, there wasn’t anything she could say. Glory would be on a main street, in broad daylight, with other shops open all around them. There might not be any place safer. “All right…”

Glory rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to be mauled by a shifter right on the street, Cyn. Besides, you’re right here. I think, Miss Kodiak, you can protect me. Right?”

“Just stay where I can see you, and everything should be fine. I don’t want to have to explain to Ryan how I lost his mate.” Cyn folded her arms across her chest. “And I don’t want you hurt again on my watch.”

“It wasn’t your fault that I got shot, Cyn.”

Cyn sniffed. “I know that.”

“Bullshit.”

Cyn huffed. “Just go clean the window.”

Glory was shaking her head as she stepped out of the front door of the shop. No matter how much she tried to reassure Cyn, the woman still felt like it was her responsibility that Glory had been shot by a madman. None of them had expected a sniper would take shots at them. That was the kind of thing that happened in the movies, not real life.

“Glory Walsh?”

Glory started to turn, to answer the man who’d spoken her name, but before she could she was yanked back against a hard chest. A sharp pain pierced her neck as the man bit down, and Glory screamed.

Cyn came barreling out of the door with a roar, but it was too late. The man was gone, running down the street as Glory collapsed to the pavement, bleeding and crying.

Ryan must have heard Glory scream, because he came careening out of the alley with his claws extended. He started to give chase to the man.

“Ryan!”

He ignored Cyn’s shout, continuing down the street. If he got his hands on the man, Glory doubted the guy would survive.

“Ryan,” Glory gasped as Cyn pressed the paper towels she’d planned on using on the window to her neck. “Ryan, please.” Her vision was going dim.

Ryan stopped running. She barely noticed the inhuman roar that seemed to rip its way out of him, but he was coming back, running as fast toward her as he had after the bad guy. His blue eyes were totally brown when he knelt at her side. “Glory.” He stared at the bite mark on her shoulder and hissed. “Son of a fucking bitch.”

Together, Cyn and Ryan helped her into the shop, holding her up when she nearly fainted from the pain. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. So sorry.”

“Not your fault.” She thought she’d be safe. For fuck’s sake, it was right out on the street, in broad daylight. There were people all around.

But apparently crazy dickheads didn’t care about being caught.