“Like what?”

“Anything.” Then he added, “Anything that doesn’t involve your family. Just you.”

“Oh. Wow. Okay. Uh ...” He watched her struggle with that simple request. “Um.” Finally, after what felt like a really long time, she said, “I don’t like beetles.”

“The band?”

“No. The insect.”

“You don’t like beetles?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

“I think they’re gross.”

“What about spiders?”

“Don’t mind spiders. They deal with ants and flies.”

“I’m sure beetles serve a purpose.”

“Don’t care.”

“Okay.”

“Now you’re judging?”

“I’m not judging. You don’t like beetles. That’s okay. I don’t like lizards.”

“What’s wrong with lizards?”

“You’re going to judge me about lizards but I can’t judge you about beetles?”

“When you ask me a lot of personal questions ...”

“I asked you one.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why?”

“Why ask me a personal question? Why do you care?”

Annoyed that she was clearly annoyed, Crush sat up until his back rested against the headboard, and he pulled her onto his lap, replacing the ice pack on her knee, then wrapping his hands around her waist. “I ask you questions because I give a shit. Because despite my best intentions to not get emotionally involved, I like you.”

“Why didn’t you want to get emotionally involved?”

“Because you’re crazy.”

“Oh. You’ve got a point.” She looked off and said, “I really like Australia.”

“Okay.”

“I went once. For vacation, not a job. Hung out with the dingoes.”

“Full dingoes or—”

“Shifter dingoes.” She nodded. “They were fun.”

She pressed both her hands to his chest, fingers stroking. “Maybe we can go out sometime.”

“What do you mean go out?”

“You know ... out.” She unleashed her claws, kneading his chest. “Like a date out.”

Crush closed his eyes, his entire body tightening. Lips pressed against his throat, fangs grazed the tendons.

“Is that a yes?”

“Huh?”

“All that groaning you’re doing, I was wondering if that was a ‘yes, let’s have an eventual date.’ ”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

He gripped her shoulders and rolled until she was flat on her back and he was between her legs. The damn ice packlong forgotten.

“Am I going as your date or your pretend date?”

She brought her hands up, dug her claws into his scalp, scratching him right at the base of his neck—which felt fucking awesome!

“Real date,” she promised. “But still pretend boyfriend.”

Crush grinned. The feline would always be difficult, wouldn’t she?

“I can live with that.”

“Good. Now where’s the rest of those condoms?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Cella turned over, burrowing closer to Crushek, the sun coming in through the windows annoying her. But the bear tensed beneath her and when he moved, so did she. Both of them pulled their weapons at the same time, hers from under her pillow, aiming it at the foot of the bed.

Cella blinked at the man standing quietly at the end of the bed. “Mario?”

“Morning, Miss Malone.”

She nodded. “Right.” She pressed her hand to Crush’s forearm so that he’d lower his weapon. “I’ve gotta go. I’m being called in.”

“Are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” She kissed him. “I’ll call you later.”

“Okay.”

She tossed off the covers, but heard the bear growl. She motioned Mario away with a jerk of her head.

“Jealous already?” she asked after the driver left, teasing just a little.

But Crush’s answer was deadly serious. “Yes.”

She laughed, kissed him again. “Later.”

“Yeah. Be careful.”

Crush watched from his window as the Town Car pulled away from the front of his house and turned the corner at the end of his street. After that, he went back to bed to get some actual sleep, loving that Cella’s scent was still all over his sheets and him.

But then, an hour later, a new scent filled his room. A scent he didn’t much like that had him reaching for his .45. He had his hand around the holster when Chazz brought his fist down on Crush’s hand.

Crush roared in pain and anger and, naked, charged his brother, tackling him to the floor. He had him pinned when Gray grabbed him from behind. Crush brought his elbow back, ramming Gray in the throat and his fist in Chazz’s mouth again. Then he stood, grabbing both his brothers around their necks and lifting them to their feet. He slammed their heads together, knocking them out, and dropped them.

“Now, now.”

Crush looked up at the six grizzlies coming through his doorway, one of them the big one from that day in the Group offices. “Is that any way for brothers to act?”

Cella walked into the Queens office building that housed the KZS offices. And as soon as she stepped inside, her boss latched on to her arm and dragged her toward the elevators.