Page 1 of Ours

Chapter One

“I can’t believe you’re making us do this, Susie. Shouldn’t we wait until Sammy is out of hospital, so she can come with us?” Sandy really didn’t feel like learning self-defense. The only reason she’d reluctantly agreed was because of what had happened to their friend Sammy.

Susie turned and winked at her. “You are the smallest of all of us, Sandy. Are you even over five feet?”

“I am five-two, thank you very much.” She was actually five-one and a half, but she rounded up. She figured her sassy personality made up for the rest.

“Anyway, we could all use the exercise to lose weight, not that you’re huge or anything. I weigh more, but…” Susie wasn’t been mean. We’d all talk about wanting to go to the gym to help lose weight and never actually done it. Sandy was proud that Susie had had the courage to do it. It was how she’d met her men and was now ridiculously happy.

Sandy straightened her shoulders as she and Jane followed Susie into Healthy Bodies. “I know Susie. I’m quite happy with my size fourteen body.” Muttering under her breath, she added, “I wouldn’t be surprised that you weigh more.I’mnot pregnant.”

Susie paused before the locker room and stared at her. “How on earth did you know? We haven’t told anyone.”

Sandy rolled her eyes. The fact that Susie thought she and Jane didn’t know she was knocked up was just hilarious. “Susie, you suck at keeping secrets.”

Jane laughed. “Not only do you spend half your morning at work in the bathroom, but you touch your tummy and always have a huge smile. Plus those men of yours won’t even let you carry your handbag.”

“The only thing I’m dying to know is who’s the baby daddy?” Sandy raised her eyebrow, eager to know the answer.

“I’m betting it’s my brother.” Sandy jumped as the deep voice sent a shiver through her body.

Susie squealed and wrapped her arms around the man. “Zack.”

Zack picked Susie up and kissed her lips. A second later, she was snatched out of his arms, and two very pissed-off men glared at Zack.

“Keep your fucking hands and especially your mouth to yourself, brother. You may be Mum’s baby, but you’re big enough to get your ass kicked.”

Zack chuckled and took a step in Sandy’s direction only to pause. He seemed to sniff the air.

Now that he was closer, Sandy gave herself a chance to check him out. She looked up, way up, to see long, shaggy midnight black hair that hung over the brightest sapphire blue eyes she had ever seen. He had strong high cheekbones that shaped into a square jaw and full puffy lips.

Oh God, he has the face of an angel.She gulped and gazed leisurely down the rest of him.Oh my, where did Susie find all these gorgeous muscle-clad gods?The thing about this guy was not just his bulging muscles, but his arms that were coved in tattoos. Sandy wanted to trace the patterns and find how many he had and how far down they went.

Curious, she asked, “Are there any more of you Bear boys around?”

Susie, Blake, and Brian chuckled, and out the corner of her eye, she saw Jane slowly moving toward Zack.

“How do I become a part of this family? You are all so yummy.” Sandy groaned as Jane’s “yummy” came out a husky purr.

Jane had her sights set on Zack, so Sandy knew he’d never notice her. Once Jane got her claws into a man, she didn’t let go until she wanted to. Not that Sandy thought she ever had a chance, especially with the hunk of a man currently maneuvering himself closer to her and away from Jane. Sandy thought this odd because men loved Jane. She attracted them like bees to honey.

Shrugging at the weird occurrence, she eyed Susie’s men, hoping they would give her an out so she could go home, read a book, relax, and pray her brothers left her alone for one night. “I would think you two wouldn’t agree to let Susie do this self-defense class. What with her being pregnant. Isn’t it a bit too violent for her?”

Brian, who held Susie, seemed to grip her tighter and whisper in Susie’s ear. Blake, on the other hand, snarled. “She’s not doing the class. She doesn’t need to. Right, sweetheart?”

Sandy watched as Susie stomped on Brian’s foot, gave a huff, and walked through the locker room door without saying a word.

“Well, I think you were told.” Sandy giggled as she joined her friend, how could she not after Susie’s performance Susie had those two men wrapped around her little finger.

****

Zack watched the little redhead follow his sister-in-law and breathed in her lingering scent.Strawberries and honey. Yum.He pictured her in his mind. A tiny fragile little thing, she looked barely five feet tall, her bright firebird-red hair in a plait that fell to just above her delectable tight bottom. She had warm chocolate brown eyes that shone in her heart-shaped face, a dainty nose covered in freckles, and a full bottom lip. He’d also never forget —her large round breasts, her shapely body, or her cute short legs. He would bet his tattoo shop that her feet weren’t any bigger than a size six. Zack loved that she wasn’t a stick figure, and he would have something to hold onto when they made love.

A loud sigh interrupted his daydream, and he opened his eye to see the blonde in front of him. Looking around, he heard his brothers arguing to the side of the locker room door about Susie going to the classes that he was doing with their cousin Jake.

A cleared throat made him turn back to the blonde in front of him. “Ah, what can I do for you, lady?”

Zack had always enjoyed the touch of women, but as fingers trailed up his chest, he shivered in revulsion at the touch of a woman who wasn’t his mate. Catching her fingers before they went any farther, he stepped away as she said in sulky voice, “I was going to ask you what you were doing later.”

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