Page 13 of In Plain Sight

“And you already sealed your bond? Are you crazy? You don’t know anything about him.”

“I know the only thing that matters,” I said, taking Bran’s hand and moving closer to his side. “He’s my one true mate, and I’m not going to screw that up by fighting it.”

“Smart man,” Gage said admirably. “Boy, do I wish I’d had the balls to just seal our bond the second we met, but even that thought scared me shitless.”

Clara elbowed him in the ribs.

“Well, I guess I’m happy for you. You seem like a great guy, Bran, but you better take damn good care of my sister,” she said.

I tried not to laugh. Clara was the smallest of all of my siblings and the most laid back. Very little riled her up and it was always funny to watch when something did.

“We really have to go,” I insisted. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

I ushered Bran to the truck, and then drove over to meet Peyton.

“Clara seemed surprised we would bond so quickly.”

I snorted. “Yeah, well, three of my sisters have bonded mates now, as well as my brother. They all fought their mating. I swore if I was ever lucky enough to find you, I wouldn’t. It’s really that simple.”

“I’m glad,” he said sincerely.

I parked the truck at the back of the diner and leaned over to kiss him. A knock on the window startled me.

“Your truck was spotted when you pulled up. Here’s your food. Square up later, I put it on your tab for now.” Peyton looked around. “The curious are about to descend, so you probably want to get out of here.”

“Thanks, Pey,” I said, taking the bags from her and passing them to Bran.

“Hi, I’m Peyton,” she said to Bran.

“Bran. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too. Now get out of here and call me tomorrow,” she ordered.

Peyton usually only got assertive in the kitchen, but since she’d taken the job as head chef at Kate’s Diner, that bossy side of her had been popping up in all facets of her life. I was proud to see it.

“How much food did you order?” Bran asked when we arrived back to the apartment. “This thing weighs a ton.”

I shrugged. I had told Peyton to give me the biggest steak they had. I thought Bran could use the meat. He was going to need his strength to keep up with me. I grinned evilly at the thought.

I pulled out plates and silverware and set them on the table. He unpacked the food and stepped back, staring in shock at the enormous porterhouse before him.

“What is that?”

I laughed. “Your dinner. You wanted steak, right?”

“Not the entire cow. That thing must have cost a fortune.”

I shrugged. “I don’t really care how much it costs. I told Pey to give you the biggest they had. Wolf shifters require meat. Lots of it. We live on a cattle ranch, that’s not an uncommon meal around here. Eat up.”

I grabbed two beers and set them on the table before I sunk into my chair and dug into my own dinner. All the portions were large at the diner. Our kind required an excessive amount of food, especially meat.

Bran finally dug in and moaned as he sunk his teeth into the first bite.

“Keep that up and you really won’t be finishing this meal,” I warned.

He gulped then grinned back at me. We ate quickly. Despite his protests, he polished off every bite of food. I got up to clear the table as he went to take a shower. When I was done and the last dish was put away, I sat down on the couch trying not to listen to the water raining down from the shower where my mate stood naked and probably wanting.

I had never been shy with my sexuality, and I wasn’t about to start now. I quickly stripped, dropping my clothes into the hamper outside the bathroom and walked in. Bran didn’t notice my intrusion at first. As he turned and leaned his back against the shower wall, I saw he was a little busy. A pang of irrational jealousy shot through me at the sight of him stroking himself.

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