The Deputy and His Enforcer (Kincaid Pack #3) - Kiki Clark Page 0,101

spoke before he could. “If you even think about apologizing, I swear I’ll… I’ll… I want to say spank you, but I feel like that would be fun and a terrible punishment.”

Giving a gasping hiccup, Marcus peeled his face off Robson’s shirt and leaned back, glaring playfully at him. His gorgeous pale skin was so red and blotchy it looked painful, but the tepid smile on his mate’s face seemed genuine for the first time in a week. “You can’t say things like that,” he croaked.

“Sure I can,” Robson said, shifting Marcus onto the couch and standing. He hurried into the kitchen and got a glass of water. Reentering the living room, he handed it over and resettled on the couch, pulling Marcus back onto his lap. He waited until Marcus had drunk most of the glass, then said, “You’re my mate and the man I adore above all else—there isn’t anything I can’t say to you.”

Face softening, Marcus set aside the glass and wrapped his arms around Robson’s neck. “I suppose that is true.”

“Mmhmm.” Leaning forward, he nuzzled at Marcus’s soft beard before pressing a sweet kiss to his salty lips. “And it means that it’s my job to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, and you haven’t been, have you, cariño?”

Biting his lip, Marcus’s eyes drifted toward the kitchen and that damn letter. “No, but—”

“So,” Robson interrupted, pretending like Marcus hadn’t even spoken, “you and I are going to go for a run in the woods. You furry, me human.”

Marcus chuckled. “Is there another option for you?”

“Don’t be sassy,” Robson said, not meaning a word of it. “We’ve got to get going.” When Marcus squirmed in Robson’s lap, he couldn’t help but laugh at the pretty pout Marcus was giving him. “We don’t have time for sexy times, cariño, so suck that lip back in.”

Sighing, Marcus climbed off Robson’s lap and trailed into the kitchen, face already starting to cloud again as he stared at the paper still sitting on the table. “Maybe we should just—”

“Nope.” Robson wrapped himself around Marcus’s back, kissing the side of his neck. “The stupid letter can wait. Strip and then outside.” He felt Marcus shiver at the order and pressed a smirk into his hair before pulling away. With a light tap to Marcus’s ass as he slipped past him, Robson said, “Come on. We’re already running late.”

He saw Marcus’s body jerk at the slap but didn’t let himself get sidetracked again, striding toward the front door and smiling when Marcus followed. On the small porch, he waited patiently as Marcus stripped, eyeing him suspiciously.

“How can we be late for a run?” Marcus finally asked, slipping his briefs off.

Grinning at his mate’s half-hard dick, he made a please continue motion with his hand. “Better keep going or you’ll get cold in a hurry standing out here naked.”

Grumbling, Marcus sent him one last half-hearted glare, then shifted into his wolf, sidestepping in his excitement as soon as he was changed.

“There’s my fluffy buddy,” Robson said, grinning as he knelt and rubbed at Marcus’s neck and shoulders. He laughed when Marcus bumped into his chest with his head, nearly knocking him over, but Robson was learning that was his favorite trick to pull, so he was braced for it. “I’ve got a surprise for you. Come on.”

Marcus tipped his head in question, then bounded off the porch, apparently satisfied with just going with the flow in this form. Jogging down after him, Robson set their direction and pace but didn’t worry about Marcus darting all around him, sniffing and barking in excitement. Marcus had needed this, badly, and Robson was beginning to realize that reminding him to take a break and embrace his furry side was going to become just another way he took care of his mate.

He was watching Marcus closely, so he saw the exact moment the others came into range of his nose or ears. Skidding to a halt, Marcus lifted his head and focused on something ahead and just to the right, then suddenly threw his head back and howled so loudly it startled Robson.

Laughing, he had to sprint to keep Marcus in sight as he took off running, howls and roars and a screech answering his call. Panting but grinning, he finally caught up to his mate in the large clearing where the others were waiting. There were a lot of wolves, but Bennett’s tiger was present as well and a screeching red-tailed hawk who came to land