Page 48 of Finders Keep Her

“You really haven’t done shit with this place.” Z starts to wander around the space. He taps the bag in his hand, and I nod for him to go ahead and set up. I have an idea of what he is thinking already. That is a go bag, except it’s not coming with us. “Suppose that will make this easier.” He places the bag on the kitchen island.

“Clothes, Ellie.” I break up the scolding that Cosima is giving Ellie.

“Ellie? That’s your real name?” Cosima's whole face lights up with excitement. “It’s so pretty.”

“It’s Marks,” Ellie tells her. I grab her backpack off the floor that she’d dropped.

“Pants,” I tell her. “That’s the bathroom.” I motion toward the door.

“Thanks.” Ellie takes the bag from me. I lean down to kiss the shell of her ear. “Don’t take too long.”

“I know. You’ll have Ellie withdrawals.”

“Exactly.” She's not wrong, but it's also time to get this show on the road.

"You two are so adorable."

"Gross." Ellie scrunches her face.

"Gross?" Cosima laughs. "I recall you saying marriage and love were gross once upon a time."

"They still are."

“So you’re not in love with my brother here?”

“I have to put pants on.” I watch my girl hurry toward the bathroom, her cheeks flushing a soft pink.

“I can’t believe this!” Cosima whispers loudly before following after Ellie.

When I turn back to Z, he’s done setting up his system. “We need to talk.”

“I know.” I run my fingers across the top of my skull. “But we’ll wait.”

“Are you sure you don’t want us to talk first?”

“Yeah, we wait.”

I won’t keep Ellie in the dark, not when she’s the star of the show. I want her to see how much I believe and trust in her.

No hiding, for either of us.

Chapter Twenty-Four

ELLIE

“I’m sleeping with your brother,” I blurt out. I knew Cosima was going to be right on my ass when I entered the bathroom. Thankfully the shirt Ronan put on me went past my knees. I still can’t get over how big he is. He really might be a bear shifter.

“I got that with him missing a shirt and you wearing it.”

“It just happened, and well, I’m not sorry.” Not going to lie.

“All right.” She folds her arms over her chest. “I’m still mad.”

“Really?” I stop digging through my backpack when I find underwear and shorts to put on. If she’s so pissed, why does she have a smirk on her face?

“I’m mad you didn’t tell me, and we need to get you sexier panties.”

“Hey, they’re comfortable.” I press them to my chest protectively. She’ll have to fight to stop me from wearing my granny panties.