Page 7 of Hunny and the Bear (Bearly Yours #1)

Seven

T ank spent most of the evening with a sleeping Hunny pressed flush against him, the soft swells of her breasts cushioned against the hard muscles of his chest. Her sweet scent enveloped him as the TV droned on in the background, practically static in his ears as he instead listened to her soft breathing, her warm breath skating over his exposed neck. He hated it, or rather, hated how anticipation burned in his gut each time her breath kissed his skin.

It was torture, pure and simple.

At some point after she’d cried herself to sleep, she’d moved to get more comfortable, settling herself more firmly into his lap. He’d gotten hard instantly, his dick like a steel monster trying to punch free of his clothing. It didn’t help that every time he inhaled, her delicious scent filled his lungs, keeping his desire simmering for the last few hours. His erection hadn’t gone down, not once, but she hadn’t noticed it at all, peacefully slumbering in his arms.

Thank fuck for that.

As it was, he was afraid to move, to do anything to alert her to the literal dickhead that refused to take a hint that now was not the time. Hunny required tenderness and care, and although Tank was terrible at administering both, he was determined enough to try.

So his dick needed to fuck right off.

He took another deep breath, counting in his head until he reached one hundred. It did nothing to quell his desire. So he counted again, gritting his teeth as Hunny rubbed her cheek along his shoulder in her sleep, her fingers playing with his thick dusting of chest hair. She mumbled something and he lost count, studying the gentle curve of her face instead.

He should get up, put her to sleep in his bed, and go out. As the enforcer for tonight, he needed to do a perimeter check along his clan’s territory in the next few hours. The run would help him clear his head. But he didn’t move, not yet. Tank closed his eyes, enjoying the faint sounds of his little rabbit.

I’ll get up in a minute, he thought lazily, laying his hand on top of Hunny’s. Just a minute .

A loud bang startled Tank awake.

He jolted forward on the sofa, his arms wrapping around Hunny’s back when she almost slid right off of him. She gave a surprised squawk, her nails digging into his shoulders and her thighs squeezing around his waist.

“What the hell was that?!” she exclaimed, her voice thick with sleep. “Henry?”

“Dunno,” he rasped, holding her closer as he rested his head in the crook of her neck, breathing her in. He enjoyed hearing his name on her lips. No one ever called him anything other than Tank, so hearing his birth name felt … intimate . Something shared just between the two of them.

Hesitantly, her fingers slipped through his hair, massaging the base of his neck as he cradled her to him. How long had he slept? It felt like more than a handful of hours because, for the first time in years, he actually felt well-rested.

Birds chirped outside, and his brow furrowed in confusion. His eyes shot to the nearest window, at the sunlight streaming in through the glass. “Fuck,” he growled.

He’d slept the whole night like this!

“What—” Before Hunny could finish her question, he gently plopped her onto the couch beside him, pushing to his feet.

“I missed my patrol,” he answered gruffly, frustrated with himself for his lack of control. He should have known holding Hunny like that was dangerous; she calmed him too much, made him relish the simplest little things—like the sound of her breathing as she slept.

Another loud bang sounded, much easier to pinpoint now that he was conscious. Grumbling under his breath, he beelined for the front door. Aggravated, he ripped it open, fully expecting Murphy to lay into him for missing his shift. What kind of cruel punishment would Murph conjure up for his mishap?

“Oh! There’s my baby boy,” Tabitha Sinclair declared loudly, gently tapping Tank’s cheek as she pushed past him and into the house, her youngest son, Jasper, following directly after her. “I heard you might need some help today, Tank.”

“I thought I was your baby boy?” Jasper asked with a frown, nodding at Tank in greeting as the two of them walked into his home like they owned the place.

Tank’s upper lip curled in irritation. They knew he despised having his home invaded like this, and yet they’d wandered their nosy asses right on in without invitation.

This had to be Murphy’s revenge, the evil fucker. Tank had to hand it to his older brother; this punishment was diabolical.

As much as he loved his mother and his little brother, Tank hated unannounced visitors. He required ample notice to charge his social batteries for any and every occasion, and he never interacted with people in the morning, finding it extremely taxing.

So far, Hunny had been the only exception; he felt good when she was near, no matter the time of day. It was odd, really. Her presence in his home didn’t feel like an intrusion, but an addition to it. Natural, even.

“Oh, dear, you know you—” Tabitha stopped in her tracks, a delighted squeal leaving her mouth as she spotted Hunny on the couch. “Oh! You must be the bunny shifter. What a beauty you are. Tank, isn’t she beautiful?”

Tank’s jaw clenched, unsure of what to say. Obviously, he thought she was beautiful. Breathtaking, especially with her hair a slight mess and her eyes drowsy, giving her a sultry appearance. But he certainly didn’t want to voice any of that out loud, neither did he want to make her uncomfortable.

Hunny sat awkwardly on the couch, her mouth hanging open as she reached for a throw pillow. She placed it on her lap, hiding her bare thighs from view. “I—” Clearing her throat, Hunny gave a forced smile. “Yes, hi. I’m Hunny.”

“Hunny?” Jasper snorted. “No wonder Tank didn’t show up for his shift last night. He fucking loves hon—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Tank interrupted, smacking the back of his younger brother’s head hard.

“Ow!” Jasper hissed. “What the fuc —”

“Boys!” Tabitha scolded, turning from Hunny and batting each of their ears. For someone several inches shorter than her sons, she’d perfected her aim over the years, and his ear rang from the impact of her palm connecting solidly. “Behave yourselves!”

Abruptly, Hunny laughed, the sound delicate and pure, erasing whatever retort was on the tip of Tank’s tongue. His gaze snapped to her face, seeing a small flash of a smile before she covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m sorry. Laughing is rude. But you’re both so big and your mom is this tiny little thing. I didn’t think she’d just clobber you like that.”

Tank cleared his throat, his face heating. Luckily, his beard covered most of his embarrassment, otherwise he was sure Jasper would use it as yet another thing to rib him for, the prick. Unfortunately, his mom was staring right at him. Her lips parted in surprise and her eyes widened, almost like she’d seen a ghost. His brows furrowed in confusion at her sudden change in demeanor and she looked away abruptly.

“Well, Hunny,” Tabitha said sweetly, morphing from a street fighter back into a loving mother before Tank’s very eyes. “When you have a bunch of cubs that outgrow you before they’re teenagers, you get creative with your disciplinary methods.”

“You’re not even that short.” Jasper rolled his eyes. “I mean, five-seven isn’t tall , but it’s more than average for females these days.”

“You’re too kind,” Tabitha drawled, sending Tank another odd glance. “There’s a reason I decided to not have more cubs after you were born.”

Jasper furrowed his brow. “Because I was the perfect specimen after four failed attempts?”

“The perfect pain in the ass,” Tank grumbled.

Hunny’s lips quivered again, like she was trying to hold back another smile. It was a shame, really. He wanted to see her like that again; radiant and happy.

“I’m sorry for barging in here unannounced,” Tabitha stated, sending Tank a pointed look. “But Murphy mentioned your guest might need some clothes and a checkup.” His mother lifted her hand, and that’s when he noticed her holding a plastic bag stuffed full of clothes. Had she been holding that when she’d walloped him and Jasper? She must have been.

He hadn’t even noticed.

Hunny jumped up from the couch, reaching for the bag immediately. “Oh wow, I’d love to change into something.” She blushed, looking down at her borrowed shirt. “This probably looks like something happened between me and your son, but it didn’t.”

Tabitha blinked once. “Looks like what happened, dear?” she asked, a little too innocently.

Jasper smirked. “Like she and Tank just got done fu—”

“I’ll rip you apart if you say one more word,” Tank snapped at his brother, his fingers itching to do just that. The little shit might be a few years younger, but Tank would have no problem kicking his ass if he embarrassed Hunny.

“Now I see why your mom didn’t want more kids. You’re a bit of a shithead,” Hunny cut in suddenly. She sent Tank an amused look. “Can I watch when you beat him up?”

Tabitha looked between Tank and Hunny quickly and then giggled. “Oh, I like you, Hunny.” Ignoring her two boys, she wrapped an arm around Hunny’s waist, steering her toward the stairs. “You know, I’ve always wanted a daughter …”

Tank watched his little rabbit walk off, his gut clenching with each step she took away from him.

“Someone’s a bit riled up this morning,” Jasper teased when the women were upstairs. He laughed as Tank grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and hauled him right back outside. “Ouch!” Tank closed the door softly behind him before he shoved the male forward, smirking when his brother almost toppled down the porch steps.

Jasper righted himself just in time, whipping around to grin sheepishly at Tank.

They’d had a tumultuous relationship their entire lives, which happened a lot with bear shifter siblings. Too much testosterone in a house full of males, and they’d always played rough. It didn’t help that when Tank had lost his mate at such a young age, he’d closed himself off from everyone. Sometimes it felt like the relationships with his family had frozen at that point, never developing further. Trapped in a kind of stasis.

He knew that was his fault, but it was easier that way. Or at least, that’s what he’d told himself for the past several years.

Tank pointed at Jasper, his expression promising death. “You better behave yourself around my—” He cut himself off abruptly, snarling under his breath when he realized he’d almost called Hunny his woman. “Hunny isn’t sure if she wants to stay with the clan.” With me , he silently added. “And I won’t have you scaring her off.”

Jasper held up his hands in surrender, some of the childish humor fading from his eyes. “Alright, brother. I apologize.” He remained silent for all of two seconds before adding, “Do you always sleep on the couch? Or only when hot females are visiting?”

Tank sighed. “I’m going to kill you.”

“That’s rude, considering I covered your shift last night when you didn’t show up. You could thank me for helping,” Jasper added with a smug smile.

Tank raised a brow. “Fuck you.”

Jasper’s smile morphed into a full-on grin. “You’re acting different.”

“What do you mean?” Tank asked distractedly, his throat already irritating him. He looked back toward the house, wondering if it had been a mistake to leave his mother with Hunny for any length of time.

Tabitha was a force of a woman, and he knew she could be overwhelming. But she was kind and genuine, and part of him hoped that would help sway Hunny with her decision to remain here.

Jasper shrugged. “Usually I act like a prick and you grunt at me once and then ignore me. But you’re far more lively today than I’ve seen you in years. A rude dick, sure, but a lively rude dick.”

“Shut it,” Tank muttered, his brow furrowing as Jasper’s words sank in. Was he behaving differently? He didn’t think so, though he had to admit that he didn’t feel drained like he usually did at this point in a conversation. Not that he ever really got this far into a conversation.

Unsure of what to do with Jasper’s comment, Tank moved from the porch and wandered to the side of the house, feeling the sudden urge to chop up some logs. It calmed his nerves. Only, he’d chopped all the logs yesterday, leaving him with nothing but stacks of wood.

Too bad he wasn’t holding Hunny in his arms; that seemed to calm him more than anything over the past few days.

Jasper whistled loudly as he spotted the high stacks of wood, some logs far longer than the others. “You’ve been busy.” Tank grunted in answer. “We’ve got several months until we need this much wood, Tank. So why’d you cut all this up so soon?”

“Might need to build another room,” he said eventually, stroking his beard. “Hunny will need a place to stay, and my cabin’s too small right now.”

“I see. And you’ve got no problem sharing your space with her and a kit?”

“No.”

Uncharacteristically, Jasper remained silent for a few minutes, the two of them just staring at the stacks of wood.

Eventually, his brother replied, his voice thicker than usual, “You know, you’ll probably need a spare bathroom downstairs, too. Women love extra bathrooms.”

“Yeah?” Tank hadn’t thought about that.

Jasper hummed. “Shifters usually carry to term in about eight months, right? Kit will be here before you know it. We should probably chop down some more trees.”

“Right now?”

Jasper shrugged nonchalantly. “Doesn’t have to be today. You down for some company tomorrow?” Tank grunted in answer, and Jasper clapped him on the shoulder, squeezing slightly before letting go. “Tomorrow it is then, big brother.”

Tank nodded absent-mindedly, already thinking of what other things Hunny might need. Tomorrow sounded good.