Page 65 of Warlander Beast Cat

Cadence was cackling now, listening to them bicker.

They were quiet for a few breaths, and then Kru got a grin on his face as he said, “Maybe two bottles of ranch.”

Cadence had to duck out of the way of the flying rock Gunner threw. Kru ducked it easily too, his booming laugh echoing across the valley below.

Gunner got up and made his way to his truck, his limp looking utterly painful, and Cadence watched him as he went. There was less tension in his shoulders, and she could’ve sworn that she could see his cheeks swelling with a private smile. Or perhaps it was a wince of pain—she would never know for sure.

When she turned to look at Kru, he wore this thoughtful smile as he watched Gunner get into his truck.

Kru was so much more than anyone realized. He didn’t have to come out here and take a weight off Gunner. Not right now when he was still battered and bruised and cut up, struggling to heal from what Gunner had done to him. He was understanding in a way she’d never realized until recently.

In the morning light, he looked so handsome—his hand propped on his thigh, hair perfectly mussed from sleep, eyes intent on Gunner, the smile that curved up his masculine lips just slightly. He wore a thin white T-shirt, and she could see dark underneath the thin material where he was still struggling to heal. He was so handsome, so strong, so wise, so funny…he was the perfect embodiment of sex appeal.

He blinked and dragged his gaze to hers as Gunner pulled away. “What are you thinking?”

“How handsome you look,” she admitted honestly. He parted his lips to say something, but she held up her finger and warned him, “Don’t say ‘wanna fuck.’”

“Fine. Wanna bone?”

She giggled and scooted closer to him. He automatically held his arm out so that she could melt against his side, and bless that man, he didn’t even wince as she settled gently there. He pulled her in closer with his strong arm and rested his cheek on top of her head.

“Look,” she said, angling her phone toward him. She’d pulled up the picture of him and Gunner sitting on opposite sides of the log.

“You should send that to him.”

“To Gunner? He probably wouldn’t appreciate it.”

“Nah. It’s good for the broken ones to get an occasional reminder that they aren’t alone.”

Cadence dropped her hand as she looked up at him, stunned. He did that a lot—surprised her. “You would’ve made a good Alpha, just so you know.”

He leaned into her and wrapped both arms around her. “Flattery will get you everywhere with me,” he said with a chuckle.

“I’m serious! I would’ve signed up for your Crew.”

The grin slowly slipped from his lips as he searched her eyes. His dark brows knitted with unsaid thoughts, so she asked, “What are you thinking?”

“That I’ve never met anyone like you. That I don’t want to disappoint you. That I want you to stick around. That I like that we have a code word for if we’re in trouble. That I want to always wake up with you. And also I’m thinking about your tits, because the neck of your shirt moved to the side a little.”

She belted out a surprised laugh and rolled her eyes. “You were doing so well until that last part.”

He hooked a finger in the neck of her shirt and pulled it forward, peeking down. With a giggle, she pulled her arms inward and pushed her cleavage together and up for his viewing pleasure.

“How,” he drawled out. “How did you just make them even better?”

“It’s witchcraft, buddy,” she said, standing.

“Buddy?” he asked as he stood stiffly. “Nope. Reject.”

He was in a lot of pain as he began walking to the truck, so she slowed her pace and slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow, where he was holding his ribs. “I’m happy you are a shifter.”

“Today I feel the same. Pretty sure I would be a smear on the side of that mountain if I was a human.”

“Yep, and then you would never see my tits again.”

“Oh, I would come back and haunt you.”

“Creeper!”

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