Page 38 of His Protective Bear

“Perfect for this point of gestation. It’s a little too early to hear the heartbeat, but everything is developing on track. If you look really closely right here, you can see the flutter of the baby’s heart.”

I let out a breath. “Good.” I knew we couldn’t test for anosmia till much later, but at least everything else was okay. I just had to hope Hunter’s genes overpowered mine.

The rest of the appointment was a blur, and by the time we left, we were proud owners of an ultrasound picture of our little bean.

“How are you feeling?” Hunter asked when we were on our way back to the diner.

“It is still a little surreal, but I am really, really happy,” I admitted, staring down at the ultrasound image in my hands.

“Good,” Hunter said, “because I’ve never been happier.”

“I hope you’ll still feel the same way after you find out my parents want you to come over for dinner, but you don’t have to come,” I was quick to add.

“Great, when? I was going to invite myself over, actually,” Hunter admitted.

I turned to face him, “You were?”

He took his eyes off the road for a second, “Of course. They’re your parents. Why wouldn’t I want to spend time with them?”

He really shouldn’t be able to surprise me anymore, but he still managed to. “Tomorrow,” I said.

“Perfect. I’ll be there,” Hunter said and reached out to squeeze the hand that lay on his thigh. “And while we’re making plans, we should probably pick a day to go look at baby stuff. We don’t want to leave the nursery until the last minute. Although I suppose we can order everything online. I can ask Kian, Nash, and Cooper for websites or give you their numbers if you prefer. I know they’ll be happy to help we already have a ton of stuff the twins have outgrown.”

“That all sounds wonderful, but I don’t think I have space for a whole nursery at home,” I thought about it, “I guess I could ask Papa—”

“I meant back at our house, mine at yours on crazy bear,” Hunter said.

“Oh!”

“I told you I wanted us to live together, baby, and I meant it. The next time you stay over, it's permanent,” Hunter said, “Our bed isn’t the same without you in it.”

Warmth radiated through me at his words. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to wipe the grin on my face if they had paid me.

“I want you in my life, in my home forever, baby. Please think about it.”

I wanted to scream yes, but I said, “I’ll think about it.”

Chapter 18

Hunter

I felt like a teenager about to pick up my first date from his parent’s house. It was crazy that I’d met both his parents more than once, but somehow, this felt like the most important moment of my life.

I straightened my shirt one more time, then went around to the passenger seat to grab the bottle of wine and dessert I asked Graham to make. I’d even picked up a remote control car for Clay.

I knew my mate was at the door before I straightened. When I turned around, I saw I was right.

Gods, he was beautiful. There was a fragile strength to him that made me want to protect him, even though I knew he could take care of himself. I walked up the steps, and the moment I stood in front of him, I pulled him into my arms for a kiss. Even though I knew his parents were probably watching, I couldn’t help but pour my affection for him into the kiss. Sage moaned when I sucked on his tongue and made my cock plump up. I had to stop this before I took him on the damn front porch.

When I pulled back, Sage smiled up at me, “Hi.”

“Hey.” I stole another quick kiss.

He giggled and shoved me playfully, “Come on in before they send out a search party for us.”

When I walked into the house, Sage led me straight to the kitchen. I was happy to see we were having dinner in there rather than in the formal dining room. It shouldn’t make a difference, but eating in the kitchen felt like something you did with family. For a guest, you used the formal dining table, but the family used the breakfast nook.

Colin stood when I walked in, and we shook hands. “Good to see you, Hunter.”

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