Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 17637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 88(@200wpm)___ 71(@250wpm)___ 59(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 88(@200wpm)___ 71(@250wpm)___ 59(@300wpm)
“We both are,” I reply, leaning back to take a sip of my coffee, savoring the warmth of the moment.
“So, we need to talk about today,” Sawyer begins, setting the stage for whatever is bubbling beneath the surface.
“Oh?” I prompt, looking up to meet his gaze. There’s a mix of amusement and something deeper swirling in his bright blue eyes, and I can feel a small knot of excitement tightening in my stomach.
“Dillon the Dick called me earlier,” he admits, rolling his eyes dramatically. “He apparently rallied Grant and Gabe for some moving tasks.”
It looks like my brother already has another fan. My inner bear snorts at that thought. I blink at him, my brain slowly catching up with the conversation. “So, they want to help me move in with you?”
Sawyer meets my gaze with undeniable intensity, his voice sincere as he adds, “Only if you want to. I’ve been ready to spend the rest of eternity with you since the second I saw you. I can be patient if you still need time.” My inner bear vehemently rebels at the thought of me taking him up on his offer.
Usually, male bear shifters don’t give their mates the option of whether or not to live together, so his offering makes me fall even deeper in love with him.
Butterflies ramp up their celebration in my stomach as I process this because it’s like watching puzzle pieces slot effortlessly into place. The adorable cabin in the woods is home, and the bite on my neck tingles at the thought of waking up in Sawyer’s arms every morning for eternity.
“Just so you know, I have a spoiled cat named Minnie who’s determined to run the show,” I tease, making sure he knows what he’s in for.
Sawyer, unfazed, grins widely and wiggles his eyebrows. “I’m pretty good at handling spoiled rotten pussies.”
“Please don’t use that line in front of my brothers,” I groan, knowing what a shit-show I’m in for between him and my brothers.
“Oh, you know I’m going to have to use it.” He rubs his hands together gleefully. “I mean, I owe them for the whole grading my dating efforts thing.”
After arranging for my brothers to meet us at my home, we head over to start packing my things.
While I’m sorting all the books on my bookshelf, Miss Feline Authority herself, Minnie saunters into the room as if summoned, tail waving nonchalantly in the air, surveying Sawyer with the loaded skepticism cats are famous for.
“You’ll have to convince my picky cat to move to your house,” I suggest, amused by the challenge. “She’s the real authority figure.”
Sawyer crouches down to Minnie’s level, offering his fingers cautiously. “Hello, Minnie. My place needs a rightful queen.” When he scratches her under the chin, she rolls over and offers her stomach for more rubs, accepting Sawyer into her benevolent graces. “Looks like I’m in,” Sawyer says, flashing a victorious smile. I guess no female is immune to his charms.
Amid Minnie’s watchful oversight and her subsequent royal approval shared with an almost theatrical tail flick, we continue the process of packing.
Chapter 8
Sawyer
With the last box precariously perched in the back of my SUV, the realization that I’m moving my soulmate into my home slams home like a freight train. Dillon, Gabe, and Grant swooped in like some chaotic moving crew, all elbows and laughter, making the effort much easier than expected.
Gabe and I are carrying the weighty bookcase up the steps to my home.
“You need to get my sister a better car,” Gabe grunts, casting an appraising glance back toward the driveway. “That tin can on wheels won't make it up the mountain on snowy days.”
I’m tempted to fuck with him a little bit but I’m too tired to even try. “Agreed. She needs something that won’t lose an argument against a snowbank.”
Gabe huffs out a laugh. “You’ve got that right.”
Together, we position the bookcase against the office wall where Gianna wants it.
“What room do you want these in?” Grant calls out, carrying in one of Gianna’s mysteriously labeled boxes.
“Surprise us,” Gianna responds, her voice rich with humor as she untangles the web of kitchen items.
In the midst of it all, Minnie stalks around surveying her brand-new kingdom, looking forward to all the trouble she’s going to get into soon.
It’s my first night shift since Gianna moved into the cabin, and leaving her alone in the cabin while I head into the chaos of the ER has me on edge. The stubborn worry gnaws at me, like an itch beneath the skin that whispers across the boundaries of rational thought.
The packed hospital parking lot promises I’ll have zero breaks, and an overload of adrenaline blasts through me. Night shifts are always difficult, but when you have a curvy, gorgeous mate sleeping alone in your bed, they suck ass.