“This is kind of weird, right?” she announced with a sweet smile. “Like, oh, here’s your mate. You just met, but fall into bed anyway and complete the bond.”
“Can I be honest?” I asked slowly.
“Always.”
“I’ve wanted to fuck you since the moment I saw you.”
“Bullshit,” she argued, her eyes twinkling. “My hair was one huge knot, my clothes were filthy, Istunk,and I was threatening you with a broken beer bottle.”
“Didn’t matter,” I said, smiling back. “Instant attraction.”
“Well, I guess that’s comforting.” Her lips twitched as she tried to hide her smile. “At least I know you’ll still find me attractive when I’m huge, pregnant, and don’t feel like showering or getting off the couch.”
The last words were nearly indecipherable as she realized what she was saying.
“I don’t think it’s possible to find you unattractive.”
“Thank you, mating bond.”
I let out a laugh, and she shushed me, glancing at the door.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with the mating bond,” I argued, lowering my voice. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”
“I wasn’t then.”
“Sure, you were. I knew it was there under the grime.”
She widened her eyes at me and shoved my shoulder.
The room was quiet as we looked at each other. She was outspoken and so sure of herself since the moment we’d met, but there was a vulnerability there too. She was showing it to me. It felt like a privilege that not many others received.
“So…you want kids?” she asked softly.
“Yeah.” The word came out rough. I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I’d like a couple. You?”
“I’ve always wanted a big family,” she replied. “Growing up as a single child was fine—I had my cousins to play with and stuff—but I always thought if I had kids I’d have at least two so they’d have a built-in best friend.”
“I liked growing up in a big family,” I replied, leaning down on my elbow so I could prop my head in my hand. “There was always someone around to hang with.”
“Yeah, exactly!”
“I can continue taking the pills if you want to wait a while, though.”
“You’re already taking them?”
“When I realized that my brothers seemed to be finding their mates in rapid succession, I figured it would be smart,” I confirmed. I’d felt like an idiot doing it, but now I was relieved I had.
“Oh, and I have an implant—” Her sentence cut off abruptly. “Right, my implant won’t work.”
“Unfortunately, no. But I’m happy to take care of it.”
“It’s like, I know all of this stuff, but I keep forgetting that it applies to me now. I didn’t think I’d be anyone’s mate. The odds of that were like winning the lottery or getting eaten by a shark.”
“Human men should be taking care of the birth control too.”
Rosemary scoffed. “Yeah, right. Have youmethuman men? I mean, don’t get me wrong, the good ones are out there. But counting on the majority of them to prevent pregnancy sounds like a terrible idea.”
“I don’t think we should take any chances while we’re dealing with all of this,” I said quietly, running my hand over the soft skin of her thigh. “We have plenty of time to start a family.”
