by Lynn Hagen
“Asleep in the car,” Legend answered before he yawned.
T-Rex frowned. “Didn’t you say he was a runner?”
Just then Stripper walked out of communications room, taking a large swallow from a can of pop he had in his hand. He smiled and saluted Legend. “Nice to have you home.”
The man was standing there buck naked. Hence the name Stripper. If the guy wasn’t on assignment, he refused to wear a stitch of clothing. The men had grown used to it, though they teased Stripper, stating that they were going to go blind from his big-ass balls swaying so freely.
But things were different now that they had company. “Go put some damn clothes on,” Legend said and then smiled. “Thanks. Nice to be home.”
“I need a break anyway,” Stripper said as he set the can on the table by the door. “I’ll take your shit up to your room.”
“Thanks,” Legend replied and then added, “And I was serious about the clothes.”
Stripper only chuckled as he took the luggage upstairs. Legend was either going to staple some boxers on Stripper, or convince Gabe to wear a blindfold for the entirety of his stay. Most shifters were comfortable with nudity, but Stripper took it to a whole new level.
“You know you’re not going to win that battle,” T-Rex said and then shrugged. “Maybe Gabe will turn out to be Stripper’s mate and the problem will be solved.”
Legend gnashed his teeth together at the thought of Stripper going anywhere near Gabe. T-Rex frowned. “Something you need to tell me?”
“Yeah,” Legend replied. “If Stripper lays a finger on Gabe, I’ll rip his fucking arm off.”
T-Rex’s eyebrows shot up. “Whoa,” he said. “What the hell is going on?” And then his face darkened. “Tell me you did not fuck the guy.”
When the Legend didn’t answer the man, T-Rex’s face grew even darker. “You know the rules,” he said with a snarl. “And on top of that, Maxwell Summerville is a dear friend of your dad’s. You do not mix business with pleasure.”
T-Rex let go of a slew of curses as he rested his hands on his hips and lowered his head. He took a deep breath as if trying to pull in his control.
Legend didn’t like being chewed out, and he definitely didn’t like being snarled at. If he wasn’t almost positive that Gabe was his mate, he would understand the man’s anger. “My bear couldn’t stay away from him.”
T-Rex frowned. “You know I’m new to all this shifter shit. Explain to me what that means.”
Legend leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “We go by scent, but that’s not entirely accurate. My bear was going nuts to get to Gabe, and that’s always a telltale sign. But the only sure way to know that Gabe is my mate is if he’s pregnant.”
T-Rex closed his eyes and shivered as if trying to dispel the image. “Yeah, I remember Milo giving birth in that hut. Strangest fucking shit I’ve ever seen.”
Milo was mated to a bear shifter on the Triple-B ranch. The guy had been kidnapped by his own father and dumped in the jungles of Columbia. When their ex-team member, Sparrow, had called them for help, they had located Milo—the man had been in the middle of labor when they found him.
T-Rex glanced at him. “Is Gabe going to go through the same thing?”
“I have to call the shifter doctor first,” Legend said. “Have the guy examine Gabe to find out why he’s been so sick. Hopefully I’ll know what’s going on after the examination.”
T-Rex cursed. “You sure know how to fuck a situation up.” And then his expression turned to bewilderment. “There’s such thing as a shifter doctor?”
Legend chuckled as he threw his arm over T-Rex’s shoulder. “You have a lot to learn, bro.”
“I think I’ll pass,” T-Rex replied. “Now go get Gabe from the car. Sam and I did a sweep of the perimeter earlier. The motion sensors and cameras are all in working order.”
The reminder of why he’d gone to get Gabe in the first place felt like a bucket of ice being poured over Legend’s head. How could he stand there and joke while Gabe was still outside? Legend growled at himself as he headed to the car.
When he approached the car, Legend could see Gabe sitting up in the backseat, looking around. The man appeared relieved when his pale-blue eyes settled on Legend.
There was no doubt that Legend was falling hard for Gabe. His chest tightened and his bear growled low at the sight of Gabe searching for him. The man’s blond hair was sticking up, disheveled from all the hours of sleep. He was simply adorable.
“Is this your house?” Gabe asked when Legend opened the back door.
“It is.” Legend squatted as he pulled Gabe’s hands into his. He ran his thumbs over the smooth skin as he smiled up at his mate. “Do you feel any better?”
Gabe nodded. “I guess I was just worn out.” And then he blushed.
The guy had to be thinking about the night before. A low, rumbling growl worked its way up Legend’s chest. He liked when Gabe was docile. But then again, Legend liked Gabe’s fiery side as well.
“Let’s get you inside, sweetness.” Legend stood, releasing only one of Gabe’s hands. He led the man into the house and saw that T-Rex hadn’t moved.
“Gabe Summerville, this is T-Rex.”
Gabe chuckled and then tilted his head back. T-Rex towered over most people. T-Rex was a play on Tanner Rexford’s name. But the men teased the man about being a dinosaur as well. He was tall enough to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex. “Is that your real name?” Gabe asked.
T-Rex extended a hand as he returned the smile. “Tanner Rexford, but please don’t call me that.”
Gabe shook his hand and then his entire face turned seven shades of red. Legend turned to see what Gabe was staring at and then groaned when he spotted Stripper coming downstairs…still naked.
Legend slapped a hand over Gabe’s eyes, pulling his mate’s back to his chest. “Didn’t I tell you to get some damn clothes on?” he asked Stripper.
Gabe knocked Legend’s hand away. “I’ve seen naked men before.”
“See,” Stripper said as he grinned at Gabe. “He doesn’t mind.”
Gabe cocked his head to the side, staring directly at Stripper’s balls. “They’re so…abnormally…big.”
Legend spun Gabe and glared at Stripper. “So help me, if you don’t get something on, I’ll neuter you and then you won’t have to worry about your abnormally large balls.”
Gabe’s shoulders were shaking and Legend heard the man laughing. Legend didn’t find this the least bit funny. Stripper was not going to let it all hang out in front of Gabe.
Stripper threw his hands up in the air and then went back upstairs. “That’s the thanks I get for not only taking your luggage up, but storing it neatly in a corner.”
Legend sighed. “Thanks, Stripper.”
“I see why you call him that,” Gabe said. “Can you let me go now or is someone else going to walk in here nude?”
“I like him,” T-Rex said as he chuckled. “Takes things in stride.”
When Gabe yawned, Legend grabbed the man’s hand and led him toward the steps. Legend said over his shoulder to T-Rex, “We’re heading to bed. I’ll fill you in on the rest of my trip tomorrow.”
“Oh, are you talking about someone watching us?” Gabe asked.
“Someone was watching you?” T-Rex asked.
“Tomorrow,” Legend said as he continued to walk. “Hot bath right now.”
“I want a full report,” T-Rex said as Legend and Gabe disappeared upstairs.
* * * *
Gabe peeked out the bedroom door to make sure there weren’t any naked men running around. Not that he didn’t like a nice piece of eye candy, but he’d been all kinds of embarrassed last night and he didn’t want a repeat. There was no way in hell he’d be able to hold a serious conversation with a guy who had his junk on display.
His eyes fluttered closed as he inhaled deeply, the scent of bacon and something sweet wafting toward him. Gabe moved from the doorway of Legend’s bed
room and followed the aroma down the stairs until he was standing in the kitchen, staring at a nice-looking guy. A clothed nice-looking guy. Well, almost clothed. The guy wasn’t wearing a shirt and he was showing off a sexy, ripped abdomen.
The stranger turned and then grinned. “I was just thinking of having breakfast with a gorgeous man and, wow, here you are.”
“Knock it off, Sam,” Legend said as he strode into the kitchen and kissed Gabe on the cheek. “He’s my gorgeous man.”
Sam winked at Gabe. “A guy can dream.”
Were all of Legend’s friends sexy? The three he had met so far were drop-dead gorgeous. Luckily Legend owned his heart, or Gabe just might turn into a man whore for these guys. But, he could still appreciate their beauty.
“Have a seat and I’ll serve you right up,” Sam said in a tone that was dripping with sensuality. Legend growled and Sam chuckled. “You know I’m only teasing him, trying to make Gabe feel more at ease.”
“If you make him feel any more at ease,” Legend said as he grabbed two glasses from the cupboard and filled them with orange juice, “you’ll have him naked and then I’ll have to kill you.”
Sam dropped a full plate in front of Gabe. The smell alone had his stomach rumbling fiercely. He hadn’t eaten in two days and Gabe feared he’d hurt himself by polishing his food off. But he gave it one hell of a try. He ate all three pancakes, four sausages, and half his scrambled eggs. Never in his life had he eaten so much in one sitting.
“A man after my own heart,” Sam teased. “I’ll take your nearly cleared plate as a compliment.”
Legend didn’t threaten the man this time. Gabe could only guess that the guy knew it was a lost cause. Sam seemed to be himself no matter what.
“It was delicious,” Gabe said to Sam. “Thanks.”
He was so full now that he was afraid to move. His pants were a tad tighter, but he did feel much better. Legend pointed to his glass of juice. “Drink up.”
And put it where? There was no more room in Gabe’s stomach. “I promise to finish it.” That was the best he could do.
Legend, however, cleaned his plate and went back for seconds. The guy was nothing but lean muscle, not an ounce of fat on him. Where on earth did he put all that food and why wasn’t he three hundred pounds?
After finishing his second plate, Legend wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I need to go for a run,” he said to Gabe. “Will you be all right here without me?”
Sam rolled his eyes as he took a seat, a large plate in front of him. “No, we’re all going to tickle his fancy while you’re gone.”
This made Legend stiffen as he gave a low growl to Sam. The guy did that a lot. It was a sexy sound, but strange. Gabe had never heard a man growl before. It reminded him of the bite mark on his shoulder. He reached up and caressed his fingers over the area where Legend had bitten him and was stunned to find the mark gone. How had he healed so fast?
“Can I go running with you?” Gabe asked. “I need to work off this breakfast.”
Sam and Legend exchanged a weird look before Legend said, “I don’t want you straining yourself until the doctor clears you.”
“Doctor?” Gabe frowned. “It was just a stomach bug. Why would you have me go to the doctor’s office?”
Legend stood and took his and Gabe’s plates to the sink. The man was acting very strange.
“You’re not going to the doctor’s office,” Legend said. “The doctor is coming here.”
Gabe chuckled. “No way. Doctors still make house calls?”
But Legend didn’t find this amusing. His expression was a closed book and Gabe couldn’t get a reading. Sam had grown quiet as well. Had Gabe said something wrong?
All he did was ask if he could go running with Legend. Gabe couldn’t see what was wrong with that. “Fine, I’ll stick around here until the doctor comes. But I’m telling you, I feel much—” Gabe’s eyes widened when his mouth began to water and his stomach began to rebel.
Not again.
He jumped and ran from the room, but ended up going in circles since he didn’t know if there was a downstairs bathroom. Legend rushed from the kitchen and grabbed Gabe, running him down the hallway. He threw the second door on the right open and hurried inside. They made it just as Gabe’s breakfast made a reappearance.
He dropped to his knees, his gut twisting painfully. What. The. Fuck. Gabe was tired of this. What had he eaten to cause him to be so sick? Legend wiped Gabe’s face with a cool towel as Gabe knelt there, wishing his stomach would settle.
“See,” Legend said gently. “Just relax, sweetness.”
“He all right?” Sam asked as he appeared in the doorway.
“Why do people ask that?” Gabe moaned, resting his head on his arm that was lying on the toilet seat. “It’s so obvious that I’m not.”
Legend squatted next to Gabe, brushing Gabe’s hair aside. “I’ll put you to bed and give you a bucket.”
Gabe shook his head and felt a wave of dizziness. “I’ll go crazy up there all by myself. Can’t I stay down here?”
“The living room it is,” Sam said. “I’ll go toss some pillows on the couch for you.”
Gabe was only half listening. He was concentrating on keeping the rest of his breakfast down.
“Come on.” Legend flushed the toilet and then lifted Gabe from the floor.
“Wait,” Gabe said. “I have to brush this nasty taste from my mouth.”
Legend reached into the vanity drawer, pulled out a toothbrush still in its wrapper, and handed it to Gabe. “I’ll go make sure the doctor is on his way while you brush your teeth.”
Gabe nodded, accepting the toothbrush before Legend left. He scrubbed, feeling as if he was going to be sick again. He stood there, waiting, but the nausea passed.
He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take. Hopefully the doctor brought something with him to get rid of whatever was wrong with Gabe.
He tossed the toothbrush aside, rinsed, and then headed down the hallway. Gabe rolled his eyes and hurried past Legend when he spotted Stripper coming down the stairs, naked.
Legend must have spotted him as well because he hurried from the living room. Sam shook his head. “You’ll get used to things around here.”
Gabe curled up on the couch, thankful that Sam had supplied a few soft pillows. “I just have to deal with it for a few weeks.”
Sam stilled, his brows furrowing, but said nothing.
There was definitely something cryptic going on in this house.
Chapter Eight
Legend wasn’t sure why he was denying the truth. He’d tried to convince himself that it really was a stomach virus. It could be the fact that he didn’t know how to explain things to Gabe. Legend was tougher than nails in every aspect of his life, yet, when it came to Gabe, he had wussed out. He wasn’t sure what that said about him, but it sure as hell made him pace the hall as the doctor examined Gabe.
It had started out as a simple attraction. But Legend should’ve known. His bear had never gone that crazy to be near anyone. He rubbed his hand over his head and glanced at the door, wondering how Gabe would react if he really was pregnant. Legend wanted to rush in there and find out, but the doctor insisted on giving Gabe privacy.
T-Rex was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, watching Legend pace a hole in the rug. It wasn’t Legend’s favorite pastime, but he couldn’t seem to stand still. He’d never once given fatherhood any thought. Being constantly on the move, always in dangerous situations, Legend didn’t think it was possible for him to settle down.
“So you haven’t told him anything?” T-Rex asked.
Legend scrubbed his hands over his hair before he shook his head.
“What were you waiting on, for him to give birth?”
T-Rex was now being Legend’s fucking conscience. Where had that reproachful voice been when Legend should have been using his head and not his hormones? It was true. He should have laid his cards on the table befor
e things had gone too far with Gabe. But it was too late now and he’d have to deal with any fallout.
“The time just never seemed right,” Legend answered. “We were too busy running and then Gabe got sick.”
“I’m pretty sure you could have mentioned you were a bear before fucking the guy. It takes a second to slip a condom on and a second to say, ‘Oh, by the way, you just might get pregnant.’”
“Why are you being such an ass?” Legend asked. He wasn’t in the mood for this shit. He had enough on his mind already. Legend was beating himself up as it was. He didn’t need T-Rex joining in. He could feel like shit without the guy helping.
T-Rex shrugged. “Call me Gabe’s advocate. He should have been aware of what he was getting himself into.”
Great, now Legend really did feel lower than cow dung. But if Gabe was his mate, then their road would have led them here anyway. His eyes strayed to the bedroom door and Legend wondered what was taking the doctor so long.
“I’m just fucking with you,” T-Rex said. “It’s messed up that you didn’t tell him, but you know I have your back no matter what goes down.” The man didn’t look the least bit apologetic. “Sparrow came to me while you were gone. He said that the men on the Triple-B want to help us start up our own ranch.”
That caught Legend’s attention. He stopped pacing as he asked, “What the hell do we know about ranching?”
“You know we have a lot of downtime,” T-Rex said. “We have to start somewhere, do something. I’m not one for sitting on my ass.”
“I’m not breeding horses.” The thought turned Legend’s stomach. There was no way in hell he was milking a horse. The idea almost made him gag.
“Harland knows a guy who can become our foreman, who can teach us about ranch life. We don’t have to breed. We can run a cattle ranch. Trade, sell, and buy cattle.”
“That does not sound appealing.” Legend glanced at the door when he thought he heard it open. It was still shut tight.
“The other guys think it’s a great idea.”
“And what about when we go on missions? Sometimes we’re gone for weeks at a time,” Legend argued. “What will the cows do then, milk themselves?”
