Page 8 of Wild Reckoning

Ryker strode through the door then stopped and stared at Killian with the car seat between his feet. He smiled then nodded. “Looks good on you, bro. Just try not to corrupt him.”

Too late.

Chucking a thumb over his shoulder, Ryker sat next to him. “I left the truck running so your mate and cub can be warm.” He leaned over and smiled at Ethan. “Can you say Uncle Ryker?”

Killian grinned. It looked as though he wasn’t the only one excited to have a little one in their lives.

“Uncuh Dyke!”

Killian laughed so hard his side hurt, but his brother didn’t seem amused. “Ry…ker.” He pronounced his name slowly, drawing it out.

“Uncuh Dyke!” Ethan giggled, kicking his small legs.

“We’ll work on it,” Ryker muttered then stood, holding his hand out. Killian got up and dug out his keys to his bike before handing them over.

“Gonna catch up with the others,” Ryker said then lowered his voice and leaned in. “Congrats on finding your mate, man. And the cub’s adorable.”

“Thanks.” He clapped Ryker on the shoulder. “You’ll find yours, too.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ryker rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “I’m starting to think my mate’s just really good at hide-and-seek.”

Killian laughed, though he saw the hint of wistfulness in his brother’s eyes. “Maybe he’s waiting for you to up your game.”

“Please. My game’s flawless,” Ryker shot back with a smirk. “See you at the house.”

Just as he headed out, Stewart walked over, clutching some folded paperwork. It was hard not to pull his mate into his arms, to taste the lips Stewart was just nibbling on at the counter.

Forcing himself not to openly gawk at Stewart, Killian began to ramble to fill up the space between them. “Ryker brought the SUV, and Ethan just told me he’s still hungry. How about I take you guys to lunch? There’s a diner just down the street. My dime.”

Stewart paused, chewing on his lower lip, the same damn lip Killian was dying to taste, and wanted to know if it was as soft as it looked. “I’m not sure. We’ve already put you out enough…”

“It’s no trouble.” He gave his mate his most charming smile, hoping to persuade him. “Plus, I could definitely use a bite myself.”

The smells of the oils and rubber were starting to irritate Killian’s lungs as he watched his mate mull over his offer. Ethan stared up at his uncle as if willing him to say yes. The kid wasn’t the only one.

“All right. But only if you let me pay for our share.”

That wasn’t how things worked with Killian, but since he’d just met his mate, he relented and grinned. “Deal.”

As if he’d been toting around the cub since birth, Killian automatically picked up the car seat and headed for the door. When he reached the SUV, he secured Ethan in the backseat then climbed into the driver’s side.

When they reached the diner, Stewart decided to let Ethan walk inside with them. Killian wasn’t sure how long the two had been on the road, but the cub looked thankful to be out of the car seat. He held Killian’s hand, not Stewart’s, and bounced around as he walked. It was more like he tried to skip, but he kept tumbling over his own small feet.

Killian used their combined hands to teeter him back up, only for Ethan to stumble again.

The diner was warm, welcoming, and smelled like heaven when the three of them entered. They slid into a booth, Ethan in a high chair the server immediately brought over.

“This place is nice.” Stewart looked around, taking everything in, but Killian noticed the way his mate kept sneaking glances at his body every few seconds.

It made Killian want to puff out his chest just a little bit more so he could display his assets. Will you stop being an idiot?

His mate definitely felt the pull—an unseen hand drawing them toward each other. Killian sure as hell felt it. From the moment he laid eyes on the gorgeous blond.

It was only when he’d smelled Stewart that Killian had been certain.

“So,” he started, leaning back in his seat, “are you new in town?” Could the question sound any more like a pickup line? It had definitely sounded better in his head. It was just as stupid as the “display” one, and Killian wished he would stop thinking about it.

Stewart glanced out the window briefly before turning his attention to Killian. A soft, sweet smile curled the side of his kissable lips. “I already told you that, but yeah, today’s actually my first day here. I rented a house, though I haven’t even seen it yet.”

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