Already Freakn' Mated by Eve Langlais Page A

sorry.” Softly spoken, she could hear the regret in the tone. “That must be hard. I can’t imagine not having a horde of family members. Although, it would probably be quieter.” They both peered at the ceiling as the muted thumps of the ongoing celebration managed to penetrate the soundproofed basement.
    “I would love to have a big family.” She couldn’t hide the wistful tone. “But at least I have Sheng.” Too late, she realized she slipped with her brother’s name. Oh shoot. He’s going to kill me.
    But Chris had no idea she’d made a grave booboo. “I’d like to meet him sometime. Find out your deep dark childhood secrets.” He waggled his brows and grinned.
    “Oh, I doubt they’d interest you.” Although, some of her upbringing would probably shock. Captured before her tenth birthday along with her brother and parents, she spent most of her teenage years training to entertain Kaleb’s guests.
    “Somehow I don’t think anything about you is boring.” His words, mixed with his intense gaze, left her no wiggle room to misconstrue his meaning.
    But she did her best. “So why rebuild the gym with you and your brothers all grown up? Who uses it?”
    “We might be grown up, but some of us still live at home while we save up for a house. Me, my brothers, Stu and Kendrick, haven’t left the nest yet and use it quite often. Dad still comes down here sometimes too. Soon, it will also accommodate my niece and nephew, once they pass the slobbering stage into the walking one. Then, there’s kids of my own one day. Young shifters need a safe place to explore their animal side. What better than a jungle gym made for them? We’ve got climbing bars and a wall. Hemp covered poles and even some distressed wooden panels for them to rub their nails. And if you look in that bin over there, you’ll find knotted ropes and balls for playing. Pups can have a lot of energy, and with my sister popping out two at once, we got this place finished just in time.”
    “Family is important to you?”
    “Family is everything. We all stick together, no matter what.”
    “That sounds great.” She envied him that. Once, she’d at least had her mother and father to count on, now, it was just her and Sheng against the world. Or against Kaleb, at any rate.
    “Yeah, it’s great, until they stick their nose in your business,” he muttered darkly before grinning.
    His frankness and love for his family just cranked her liking of him up another notch, however, it was his smile that sent heat shooting through her veins. She needed to turn the conversation to something less intimate. More boring. “Will my gym look like this when done?” she asked, turning to feign interest in the setup again.
    “If you want. Or nicer. Anything you want, let me know. I’ll give it to you.”
    She whirled at the sound of his voice behind her. He stood so close she needed to crane to look him in the face. Just a half step forward and she would have hit his chest. The small space separating them might as well have not existed seeing as how her entire body tingled. “Is this why you brought me down here? To show me an example of your work?” Did she wrongly assume he’d wanted to get her alone for another reason?
    “Honestly? No. I have an ulterior motive. But first let me ask you something. Are you feeling an urge to sneeze?”
    His question surprised her. “What? No. My cold is gone. My healing ability finally kicked in and got rid of it. Why?”
    “I’d rather show you.”
    With wide eyes, she gazed up at him as he encroached her space further. Mouth dry, tummy full of butterflies and her heart beating too loudly, she whispered. “Why did you bring me here?”
    “So I could get you alone and do this.” A large hand cupped the back of her head and drew her closer, but he was still too tall. With a growl, his free arm wrapped around her waist and he lifted her smaller frame until her face was level with his. “Say something now if you