NATASHA

Bear settles down once I offer him a little tenderness. His earlier brattiness dissolves into an overly protective streak. He starts asking me a million questions about his house.

"You're moving in here in a month," he says as his gaze holds mine, almost daring me to contradict him.

Okay, so he hasn't completely settled down.

"Can I paint and change all the furniture?"

My question steals his confidence. "What's wrong with my stuff?"

Smirking at the pout on his face, I join the kids on the floor. They've gotten Lobster Mac to sniff their fingers. Yet, every time they try petting him, he bolts back under the couch with his brother.

I show the kids how to make kitty noises. They imitate me, and Lobster Mac quickly pops his head out. I show them how to stroke the carpet to lure the cat closer. Soon, Lobster Mac is investigating my lap and purring loud enough to make his brother curious.

As the kids pet the cat, I smile at Bear. "Your house is beautiful. I meant that."

"But?"

"Where will the kids sleep?"

"There are two bedrooms near mine. You want the kids close, right?"

"Yes, but I think we can stick them in a single room for now. They're used to sharing."

"But don't you want a pink room for Jacinda and a blue one for Hector?" he asks, clearly proud at how he remembers their names.

"A pale blue will be fine for both."

"But she likes her pink doll."

"She can have a pink bed. But Jacinda likes her brother close. One day, she probably won't, but why rush things?"

Bear frowns and looks around his house. I feel him picking at things in his head.

"The house we lived in wasn't big like yours. The yard was large, but it was mostly mud. Everything you have here is better. If I want to change things later, we'll discuss the matter like husbands and wives do. But now isn't the time."

My words help Bear snap free of his agitation. He settles into a chair and watches me coax King Crab out from beneath the couch. Like my kids, the cats do better when the other one is nearby. Soon, they're scenting the kids and claiming us as theirs.

"Natasha," Bear says when I get too fixated on the kids and cats. When my gaze finds his, he watches me in an intoxicatingly needy way. "I want to order dinner. There are menus in the kitchen."

Soon, I've chosen from a BBQ wing place. Earlier, Siobhan texted me with a few restaurants Bear likes. Her cheat sheet makes picking dinner easier. The BBQ wing place offers a tempeh option, so I can skip the meat. I ask for the kiddie-sized versions for Jacinda and Hector.

Standing in the kitchen with me, Bear mutters, "Still not eating meat, huh?"

"I eat it," I say, noticing how Bear's erased the space between us. "I just prefer not to."

"Does your family feed you the veggie stuff?"

"No."

Bear's gaze shifts, and he backs off. "Well, you can eat whatever you want here. I mean, it's going to be your home. Anyway, with me, I don't care what you eat."

"I care what you eat," I say, fucking with him and instantly winning a frown. "I want you to be healthy so you'll grow old with me."

Bear's horror at a possible vegetarian diet shifts when he thinks of us together.

While waiting for the food, Bear shows us around the house. The kids investigate each of the six bedrooms and all of the bathrooms, even checking inside the toilets.

"Is that clean enough for you?" Bear teases them when they nearly stick their heads inside.

"Yep," Jacinda says and runs past us back to the hallway.

The house is massive. I'm already imaging where to put things for the kids. I pick their future room and smile at the view of the backyard.

Once we reach the primary bedroom, Bear announces, "This is where you'll serve me sexually."

"Yep," I reply, refusing to take the bait. "How often do the maids come? There's no way you're keeping this place clean by yourself."

"Twice a week. I take care of the cats."

"Very responsible," I say, caressing his chest as I walk past him and back into the hallway.

We end up in the backyard where the kids run around in a circle.

"The place has a security gate and cameras everywhere," Bear announces. "You'll be safe here."

"Can we put a jungle gym out here for them?"

"Sure, and I'll get a fence installed around the pool."

"Does your fancy place have a hot tub?" I ask and imagine him stripped down and wet.

Bear frowns at me. "The kids are right there. Keep it in your pants, Kovak."

Hearing his protective tone, I ask, "Will you really raise them like your own?"

"Yeah, but I want one with my blood."

"It's tradition in my family for the man's side to choose the names, but I'd like to pick for our kids."

"Okay, but nothing Russian."

"I'm not Russian, Bear," I mutter.

"You're from around that part of the world."

"You and I are from the same part of the world, you brute."

"Stop calling me that."

"No. Anything else I might call you could catch on with the kids. Don't you prefer them thinking you're a boot rather than a dumbass?"

"I'm not stupid."

Poking his chest, I demand, "Prove it. Let me see your SAT scores."

Bear laughs. "Nerd."

His chuckles make me smile. "I don't think you're stupid, you know?"

"Just sloppy."

Understanding his meaning, I lose my smile. "Not sloppy. You were indifferent. If you cared enough, you'd have been more careful."

Though Bear looks scolded, he's keeps bringing up his mistake. There's no fixing how he stole the life of someone special to me. Though I'm not ready to forgive him, I've chosen to avoid throwing salt in that open wound.

It's up to Bear to decide if that's enough.