Page 20 of Bear Creek Father's Day
“I’m all set, Tasha, but I’ll let you check the table settings so you have an excuse to be here when Zak arrives.”
She stuck out her tongue and disappeared to do his bidding. Soon, the unmistakable sound of a vehicle out front reached Orrin’s ears and his heart skipped a beat or two. He’d been more than eager to see the sexy man again, though he had to be careful not to put the moves on him in front of Rayn or the cubs. His bear had no such reservations, however, and Orrin had to give him a mental thump on the snout for riling up his libido. This was a meal and social interaction, not a date—though Orrin sincerely wished it was, albeitwithoutan audience.
Meal prep was momentarily abandoned so that everyone could gather by the front door to greet their guest, and Orrin provided the necessary reminders.
“Everyone on their best behavior now, and allow Rayn to greet him first.”
The doorbell chimed, and Tasha opened the door while Orrin remained with the children.
“Welcome, Dr. Hall—come on in. I’m Tasha, Orrin’s assistant and housekeeper. I want you to know how grateful we are that you took such good care of Rayn on Wednesday.”
Zak crossed the threshold carrying a large bag from the Red Barn on one side, and a wrapped, rectangular gift on the other.
“Thank you, Tasha. Please call me Zak, and that goes for the little ones, too. I brought some sweets for later and a gift for the children.”
Tasha took both items and excused herself, while Orrin stepped forward to scent Zak. If his lips happened to graze the man’s neck in the process, it could hardly be helped, and both men gasped at the soft contact. After lingering just a little too long, Orrin stepped back with a fired-up smile—suffering an additional jolt of lust when he noticed the doctor’s ear stud and perfectly trimmed dirty blond scruff. Shifters normally eschewed ornamentation and kept grooming to a minimum. Not so with this incredibly sexy, irresistible man.
“M…may I take your coat, Zak?”
Zak had barely walked in the door and Orrin’s scent was already stirring inappropriate thoughts. It would be a miracle if they kept their hands off one another for the entire evening. He handed over his coat and dropped to one knee as Rayn hobbled forward to greet him. She clung to his neck, breathing deeply, and he kissed the top of her head.
“How are you feeling, Rayn?”
She pointed at her leg.
“It still hurts, but I didn’t run or jump like you said. Will you sit by me for supper?”
Zak nodded.
“Of course. Now, I’ve met Kip and Zuzu, but who are your other friends?”
The cubs surged forward to scent Zak, asking overlapping questions and torn between being polite and dragging him to the dining room so they could eat. Rayn quickly introduced Scout, Birdy, Griffin, and Fort, and explained why they hadn’t been at the clinic on Wednesday with everyone else.
“They go to school and ride a yellow bus! Orrin says I have to grow up more before I can go too.”
Once the greetings were over with, Rayn and Kip took Zak’s hands, leading him to the dining room. Except for Scout and Birdy, who were helping Orrin and Tasha, the rest took their places and waited for the food to arrive from the kitchen. When all was ready, Tasha bade them goodnight and left to enjoy her evening off. Lastly, Orrin sat at the head of the table—regrettably, not next to Zak, which was what he and his bear wanted. For him, at least, it promised to be a long and frustrating evening.
Chapter 10
Absently, Zak wondered how long he could hold his breath.
It was the only way, after all, to shut out the alluring and distracting scent coming from Orrin. Not just his natural aroma, but the added fragrance of arousal and desire—a sweet and savory mix that silently drove him wild. If the children were aware of it, they probably didn’t understand what the heady bouquet meant at this age; a definite advantage given that they would be together all evening.
Zak assumed thathisresponse to Orrin’s scent created an equally intoxicating musk—torturing the handsome shifter as they both pretended to ignore the olfactory connection. Actually, he was having a wonderful time interacting with Rayn and the cubs, and the delicious meal was a definite bonus. His years of training had left him isolated, goal-driven, and socially rusty, so it felt good to simply be Zak for a while and not the doctor.
For dessert, Orrin filled a large tray with the cookies, cupcakes, donut sticks, and sweetbreads Zak had brought with him. Though he’d intended to purchase enough for an army, he forgot how much seven little ones could eat, besides two adults. Orrin made sure they shared the bounty so that each of the children got a taste of everything on the platter. Orrin chose to eat a single cookie, leaving everything else for the kids and his guest, and Zak noticed.
That simple demonstration of selflessness gave him an even higher opinion of the man. Orrin Crosby wasn’t just a pretty face, but a principled man of character who walked the talk. Men like him, human or shifter, were few and far between, and Zak privately acknowledged that he had a tendency to paintevery shifter with the same (negative) brush. If he expected the townspeople to accept him without prejudice, and so far they had, wasn’t he obligated to do the same?
Once the meal was over, everyone helped clear the table and clean up, though Zak volunteered to do Rayn’s part of the work.
“You need to rest your leg, sweetie. This won’t take long, and I’ll be right back.”
The kitchen was a beehive of noisy activity, and Orrin appreciated his help as they rinsed and stacked dishes for later washing and stored leftovers in the fridge. Apparently, Kip knew what it was all about, directing his housemates on where things belonged. At one point, the two men both turned at the same time and ended up pressed together from chest to thighs, wide-eyed and hearts pounding. Orrin whimpered while Zak mouthed unintelligible words as they briefly froze in place.
If the children noticed, they didn’t say anything, and the awkward moment passed with both men blushing before they parted and got back to work. Orrin relished the warmth of Zak’s solid, muscular body, his remarkable scent, and the impressive boner that had nestled alongside of his own. Zak was so flustered that he still wasn’t certain his vocal cords were working. Orrin’s slimmer frame felt like it was designed just for him, and he’d fought the urge to pull him in by his long hair and ravish those deep pink lips with raw kisses.
Zak made his escape as soon as he could, retreating to the dining room where all the children were waiting for him and Orrin. The man in question appeared shortly, carrying the wrapped gift Zak had brought with him.
