He chuckled. “Try and stop me.”
She bit back a grin, refusing to acknowledge how right it felt to be cuddled up in his lap. “You’re such an ass, Ryan.”
Her sappy tone belied her words. He was getting to her, the big oaf, and if she wasn’t careful she was going to fall in love with him.
Admit it. You’re already in love with him.
“Your ass.” When she glared up at him he kissed the tip of her nose. “Give me a chance to prove to you that not everyone leaves, all right?”
She bit her lip. “I keep telling myself that Cyn and Tabby are still here, but part of me believes even they’ll go away eventually.” God, she’d been terrified when her family up and left. The fight had been huge, the bruises her father had left behind a reminder of why it had been a good thing in the end.
But she missed her brother and sisters with a ferocity that would have shocked anyone who didn’t know her well. Temp, Hope and Faith had been the only things that made living in the Walsh household bearable. When Hope disappeared, Glory had been devastated.
It was the first of many losses she’d suffered over the years. Her twin had never been found.
“Glory?”
“Hmm?”
“Tell me about Hope.”
Glory winced. “Another time?”
He studied her for a long, uncomfortable minute before nodding. “I want to know. Maybe we can ask some of the shifters to help find out what happened to her.”
For the first time in a long while Glory felt some hope. Why hadn’t she thought of that? “You think they’d be willing to?”
Ryan smiled. “You’re technically a member of the Halle Pride. I think Max and Emma would be willing to help you out.”
Glory smiled. “Maybe it’s not such a bad thing, having you stick around.”
“Yup. I’m like Super Glue. You’ll never get me off your skin.”
He sounded far too happy about that. “You’re crazy.”
He hummed under his breath. “Leave everything to me. You worry about our date, and I’ll worry about setting up a meeting with the Alpha and Curana. Deal?”
Jeez. She was going to regret this, she just knew it. But what else could she do? She kissed his chin, knowing that sooner or later she was going to give in to him. “Fine. Deal.”
The soft, sweet kiss she received in return made her think that belonging to Ryan might not be such a bad thing after all.
Chapter Three
“Changing your shirt again?”
Ryan snarled at Julian DuCharme, the Spirit Bear who’d mated Cyn. The man was smirking, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. His long hair was tied back in a braid that Cyn would undoubtedly undo the moment she got her hands on it.
“It’s like watching a sixteen-year-old girl get ready for a first date.” Alex, bald and big and sweet as honey unless you pissed him off, grabbed a dark blue button-down shirt. “Here. It goes with your eyes.” The asshole batted his lashes at Ryan and sighed. “You want me to do your hair?”