Page 47 of Easton’s Claim

He squeezed her once, then released her and clapped a friendly hand on her shoulder. “Well? Better get back in there and make him stop sulking.”

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Easton strode back into the dining room to get the last of the plates from the table, still stinging from Piper’s rejection.

It annoyed him that he was hurt over something so small, but the way she’d yanked away from him the moment his brother had stepped into the kitchen made it clear she was either embarrassed or uncomfortable about having their relationship out in the open. Neither of those reasons were okay with him.

He reached across the table to grab the nearly empty bowl of mashed potatoes and glanced at the window. What the hell were she and Wyatt talking about out there, anyway?

Charlie helped him clear and followed him back into the kitchen, leaving their dad, Jamie and Austen to continue their lively conversation.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, frowning at him as she set everything on the counter.

“Nothing.”

The back door opened and Wyatt stepped inside, Grits right on his heels. He gave Easton a little smile on the way by that said everything was okay and the tension he hadn’t even realized he’d been carrying bled out of his shoulders. Then Piper came in and he stilled. She met his gaze as she shut the door behind her, then flicked a glance at Charlie.

His sister glanced between the two of them, got the message, and turned on her heel to leave the room. Easton shoved his hands into his pockets. “What did you guys talk about?”

“Us.” She walked over to him, slid her arms around his waist and leaned up on her toes to kiss him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pull away, I just reacted without thinking.”

Sighing, he slid his hands out of his pockets to hug her. “I don’t want to hide this. I can’t, because I love you and I won’t pretend I don’t.”

“I know.” Her eyes were full of regret, and the love she was too scared to profess yet. It was enough. “I’m not embarrassed of us. This is all new and I didn’t handle that well. I really am sorry. You’re so important to me, and I don’t want to ruin this.”

Snagging her hand, he turned around and started walking toward the dining room.

“What are you doing?” she asked, trailing behind him.

He stopped in the entrance of the dining room and tugged Piper forward until she was standing next to him, then wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. Making it plain as day what the situation was. Five pairs of eyes stared at them.

“Piper and I are officially together,” he announced. “So you guys can just deal with seeing me kiss her.”

Piper made a choked sound but didn’t protest when he slid a hand into her hair and bent to kiss her. Her eyes were wide as he leaned down and sealed his mouth over hers. He heard Jamie’s low chuckle, then Charlie and Austen both cheered and clapped.

When he lifted his head a moment later Piper stared up at him, her cheeks bright pink. “There. Secret that wasn’t really a secret is out.”

“Well, that’s one way to do it,” Wyatt muttered, and when Easton looked over at him, he was shaking his head in dismay.

But there was one person’s approval that mattered to him more than anyone else’s. He shifted his gaze to his father, who was staring at them with an unreadable expression.

“Dad?” Beside him, he could feel Piper holding her breath as she awaited his father’s reaction. “Tell her you’re fine with it. She’ll worry otherwise.”

A lopsided grin split his father’s face, filled with such approval and affection that Easton’s chest tightened. “’Bout damn time.”

Everyone laughed and Piper hid her face against his chest, but not before he caught the relieved smile there. He hugged her to him and kissed the top of her head. “See? Nothing to worry about. We’re good.”

She nodded, let out a shaky laugh. “I’m going to punish you later for this. Severely.”

“Oooh, can’t wait.”

“Pervert.” She tipped her head back to glare up at him, but her eyes were brimming with a mix of annoyance and laughter. “I thought you said you’d matured.”

“Well, no one’s perfect,” he said with a grin. “But if anyone can tame me, it’s you.” And now that he’d gone and made a spectacle of them, he needed to get her out of here and give her time to decompress.

Staking his claim in front of his family was one thing; embarrassing her was another. “Come on, let’s go dig your clothes out of the shed.”

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