The bear nodded again, adamantly, and Nessa snorted out a sharp laugh. “You’re supposed to shake your head no! Not yes. That’s evil.”
But itwasfunny as hell.
The bear huffed, the sound so similar to Murphy’s own expression that she laughed again.
“I suppose if you hadn’t been a jackass to Murphy then we probably wouldn’t be here, huh?”
She shivered, just thinking about the horrible implications. If they hadn’t fallen in love, mated … She’d have been alone when Tony showed up.
She pushed the thought away. She refused to dwell on the possibilities. They didn’t matter anymore.
She was right where she was supposed to be. Officially living with Murphy, mated to him. She’d even set up a few interviews for the positions she had opened at her teahouse. She would still work there, of course—she loved the place—but she didn’t want to be there full-time when she could be enjoying her mate.
Murphy’s bear licked her hand and then backed away, his eyes never leaving her. He shifted, and after a few seconds, her naked mate stood in front of her, a bewildered look on his handsome face.
“He really did that to me and had zero remorse. He tormented me for months, Nes.Months,” Murphy muttered. “How did you figure out what he’d done?”
Nessa shrugged. “It was something Hunny mentioned while we were out the other week. Nothing major, but it made me really question how you’d gotten over your mating sickness so quickly. Especially when we hadn’t even mated yet.”
Murphy hummed, stepping forward. He ran his hands through her hair before cupping the nape of her neck. “My mate is an intelligent female.”
She preened at his words. “You keep complimenting me like that and we’ll be late for our own dinner,” she joked, her voice dropping to a sensual note.
Murphy growled appreciatively, the sound sending a shiver of delight over her skin. His cock hardened, and she licked her lips, suddenly starving for his touch. “You’re beautiful,” he continued. “And sexy, and so—”
“Yeah, we’ll just push dinner back by an hour.” Nessa grabbed Murphy’s hand, tugging him toward their house, a gleeful bounce in her step as he hurried along behind her.
If anyone showed up on time, they could entertain themselves with snacks and drinks while Nessa entertained herself in a much more pleasurable manner.
Besides, it was called acocktail hour for a reason, right?
“Can I speak with you both in private?” Colter asked, approaching them from the hall near Murphy’s office.
Nessa looked up at Murphy in confusion but followed her mate and Colter away from the gathering of people in the living room.
Dinner had gone off without a hitch, and contrary to her horny thoughts earlier, she’d had plenty of time to prepare a full spread before their guests arrived. She’d wanted to make a mix-match of food, providing a blend of Filipino cuisine with the usual dishes Tabitha made during her own family dinners.
Given how much bear shifters could eat, she’d been nervous about making enough food.
Luckily, Tabitha worked like a well-oiled machine in the kitchen, expertly whipping up dish after dish. She’d even helped with thelumpiaand theleche flan, both items she’d never made before today.
Given how well Murphy’s mother had done after watching a quick tutorial video and receiving some verbal instructions, Nessa had to wonder if her true calling was actually in the culinary arts, as opposed to medicine.
Hunny, while she wasn’t well-versed in the kitchen, had enjoyed learning different methods for cooking, claiming that she needed to know the basics. Tank, who’d been lurking near the fridge at the time, had grumbled that he liked providing meals for her.
Now, everyone was finished with their food and relaxing, the buzz of conversation light in the air as she followed her mate down the hall.
As Nessa entered Murphy’s office, he closed the door behind her. Placing his palm on her lower back, he guided her to his office chair, helping her into the seat.
He turned to Colter then, who was standing on the other side of the desk. “Is everything alright? Angelo isn’t giving you problems, is he?”
Colter’s face tightened. “Nothing I can’t handle. I’ve got Tank and Marcus watching him right now, so he’s not a flight risk.”
Nessa tilted her head to the side. “Does he seem likely to bolt when he’s with you?”
She didn’t think he would, given how quickly he’d agreed to their version of ‘house arrest,’ but Angelo had surprised her on more than one occasion. She didn’t trust him. In truth, she wasn’t sure yet if she ever could. One day at a time …
“No. He’s just irritating. Did you know he drinks juice right from the damned container? It’s disgusting.”
