I laughed. “I doubt it. You work out every day. Besides, my not-so-healthy cooking goes hand in hand with your healthy stuff.”
His hands slid around to my naked stomach, and he tugged me back so I could feel his erection. “We fit together well then.”
“We do.” I grinned. He glided a hand down and into my sweatpants, where he wound it around my thickened length. He ran it up and down, getting me harder than I already was.
A throat cleared. “Please tell me you’re not jerkin’ my brother off in my kitchen.”
Wade chuckled, but he didn’t let go of me. “All right, I won’t tell you that.”
“Brother, get your fuckin’ hand outta there.”
Wade kissed my neck again and removed his hand, turning toward Zion. “You gonna make me a coffee?”
“Get your own,” Zion said. “You practically live here. I ain’t waitin’ on you.”
“True. But I’ve got another place to look at this afternoon. Hopefully it’ll be the one,” Wade said as he got himself a coffee, and I tried to calm my raging erection.
Wade had been to many houses, but none were what he’d been looking for. He knew what he wanted, and I knew him, which meant he’d make sure he’d get exactly that.
“How many would this be you’ve checked out?” Zion asked.
“This will be the fifteenth,” I said for him.
Zion laughed. “Fingers crossed for you then, brother. Now, are you two comin’ to the compound tonight?”
“I’ll see how it goes in church this mornin’,” Wade said. He hadn’t told the rest of his brothers yet because I’d asked him not to. That was only because I wanted to give us a little more time to be just us without anyone else saying anything to get him riled. It had been a few weeks ago when we’d gone out on our first date, and some drunk guy had made a comment when Wade had kissed me. I was lucky Wade listened to me to leave it alone; that was after he’d given the guy a black eye. I worried he would take on his brothers if one of them made a snide comment, which was bound to happen. Some of them just learned to grow up that way. However, Wade was going to let the brothers know who he was dating before the party at the compound that night where I would go as, not Zion’s brother, but Wade’s partner.
“I’m sure the brothers won’t care.”
“We’ll see, but if anyone says anythin’ to Lucas tonight, I’ll fuckin’ have their blood.”
“I’ll be right there backin’ you up, Wreck, you know that.”
Wade grunted.
“Hell, I won’t be the only one either. Don’t stress over it,” Zion said.
I kept quiet because I was a little worried. Not about showing I was committed to Wade, but over Wade wanting blood if they were idiots about us being together.
My phone started ringing. Wade picked mine up from the table and looked at it. “It’s Mom,” he said just before he answered with, “Hey, Mom, you’ve got Wade here.” I glanced at Zion to find him smiling like I was. Mom and Dad adored Wade so much they’d told him to call them Mom and Dad. I loved they did that for him, knowing it meant a lot to him.
“Nah, he’s awake and cookin’ breakfast. Hang on, I’ll put you on speaker.”
“Morning, my boys” came through the phone.
“Morning,” I replied.
“Hey, Momma Bear,” Zion called.
“Lucas, good luck on your test today, and Zion, a friend of mine has a daughter who’s just moved to the area—”
“No thanks, Mom. Love you, but I’ve gotta get a shower in before the other two hog it. Bye.” He quickly raced out of the kitchen.
“Zion!” Mom yelled.
“He’s gone, Mom,” I said.
She sighed. “That boy, he’ll never settle down and find the one like you two have.”
Wade and I looked at each other and grinned. As I dished up the last of the cooked pancakes, I said, “He will, Mom. It just might take longer.”
“Then I’ll never get grandkids I can spoil. Unless… are you two looking at a surrogate or adopting?”
Wade choked on the sip of coffee he’d just had. I laughed. “Mom, it’s too soon to even think of that.”
She sighed again. “I suppose you’re right.”
“How’s the house coming?” I asked. Mom and Dad were still living with our aunt at the moment because once they’d come back from Australia, neither wanted to leave again. Dad hadn’t realized he’d missed home so much. Currently, they were building a two-bedroom house about fifteen minutes away from Zion’s.
“Another couple of months and we’ll be in there. It’s just lucky your aunt has a big enough house for all of us until it’s done.”
“That is lucky,” I said, aware they would have been staying here with us and sleeping in the living room.
“Anyway, I better go. Your father wants to go to the hardware store, and I have to go with him so he doesn’t spend all our money on useless things.”
“Good luck,” Wade said.
“Thank you. Love to you both.”
“Love you, Mom.”
When Wade didn’t respond, uncomfortable with the word and expressing his emotions because of his asshole parents, Mom called, “Wade?”
“Ah, yeah, you too.”
She giggled. “That’ll do.” Then she hung up.
I placed the plate on the table and walked over to him, slipping my arms around his waist. “You’ll get there.”
“It’s not because I don’t want to say it. I just ain’t tellin’ your mom I love her when I haven’t said it to you first.”
My heart perked up and skipped a beat before taking off in flight, along with my stomach.
“Um… okay,” I muttered.
He tucked some hair behind my ear. “Eyes, Lucas.”
I looked up at him.
He smiled softly. “You know, right?”
“What?”
“That I fuckin’ love you.”
My stupid eyes chose that moment to water for no reason, and all my swoony emotions were swirling inside me.
I licked my lips, cleared my throat, and said, “I had a feeling you did, but hearing it makes it even better.” I thumped my forehead
