Truly, Madly, Whiskey(5)

Bear ran his hand down her back. It was hard to believe it had been less than a year since Truman had found them. Kennedy had gone from a rail-thin, frightened little girl to a healthy, happy member of not just Truman’s family, but Bear’s, too.

“You’re the best painter around, sweetheart. Thank you for helping me.” He lifted his eyes, catching Crystal watching him with a warm—interested?—look in her eyes. He liked that a whole lot.

Crystal’s eyes skittered away. “Hey, Ken? Where’s Mommy?”

“She’s giving Lincoln a baf.”

Crystal smiled. “Want me to take you up to bed?”

“Yes,” Bear and Kennedy said at once.

Crystal rolled her eyes at Bear and reached for Kennedy.

Bear put an arm around Crystal’s waist, ignoring her glare. “I’m escorting two of my favorite girls upstairs. Deal with it.” He guided her toward the stairs, where they ran into Truman on his way down.

Truman stood eye to eye with Bear, his dark eyes moving between the two of them. His lips curved up and he shook his head. He must have read the annoyed expression on Crystal’s face, because he reached for Kennedy. “I think I’ll intervene. Thanks, guys.”

After he went upstairs, Crystal said, “You can let go of me now.”

“No thanks.” He kept ahold of her as she stalked back to the living room. “Want to tell me what happened tonight?”

“No. I want to paint.” She squirmed out of his grip and he tugged her back.

“If you think I’ll let this go, you’re wrong. Talk to me. What’s got you so irritated?”

“Jesus, Bear,” she snapped. “I’m not yours. You don’t have to protect me.”

He ignored her comment because she knew damn well how things worked with the Whiskeys. More importantly, she knew him well enough to know he’d never sit idly by and let her get hurt. If someone had pissed her off, he’d straighten them out.

“You’re not mine yet,” he conceded.

“God, you’re so arrogant and handsy and…Ugh!” She pushed away. “I just had a rough visit with my mom, that’s all.”

“What happened?” Her not wanting to go into specifics didn’t surprise him. She’d always been cagey about her parents.

She grabbed the ladder and dragged it toward the far wall. He took it from her, and she glared at him again. She was the most stubborn woman he’d ever known. She was also sharp, confident, and possibly the most sensitive person he knew, though she’d never admit to it. Those were just a few of the things he found utterly entrancing about her.

Her arms were crossed, and he was pretty sure if it were possible she’d have steam coming out of her ears. “Can we just paint?”

“Sorry, sugar, but we’re done for the night.”

“Seriously?” She looked around the room, and her stomach growled. Her lips curved up at the edges as she spread a hand over her belly.

Perfect. He whipped out his phone, texting Tru and telling him he was taking Crystal out for a bite to eat. “Grab your bag. We’re going out to eat.” He draped his arm over her shoulder and headed for the front door.

“I’m not hungry.”

He gave her his best deadpan stare.

Challenge rose in her beautiful eyes. “You don’t tell me what to do.”

“All right. Your stomach’s growling. Obviously you’re hungry. Let’s go grab something to eat.”

She folded her arms over her chest. “That’s telling.”

“Christ, woman.” She had no idea how much he adored this side of her. They’d never been on an official date, but they’d gone to grab a bite to eat spur-of-the-moment like this plenty of times. “Are you hungry?”

“I could eat.”

“Great,” he said. “Let’s go.”

“Oh my God. Really? Didn’t anyone ever teach you how to ask a woman if she’d like to go out to eat?”

“Are you telling me to ask you out on a date?” He slid his arm around her waist again and waggled his brows.

“No.” She laughed.

He loved her laugh. It was brazen and loud, like her. “Damn. Thought I got lucky. Crystal Moon, would you like to grab a burger with me?”

She picked up her bag from the floor. “Fine. But I need to tell Gemma. You’re so bossy.”

“You totally dig bossy, and I already texted Tru and told him.”

“Presumptive and bossy.”

He pulled open the door. The starless sky made the night extra dark, and even with the streetlights it felt as though the night had swallowed the earth.

Crystal walked toward her car, and he tightened his grip. “We’ll take my truck.”

“I can drive. Then you don’t have to bring me back to get it.”

He opened the passenger door of the truck and said, “I also wouldn’t have you with me on the way there. Climb in.”

“Bossy.” She stepped onto the running board and he smacked her ass. She glared over her shoulder.

“You know I like it when you glare at me.” He circled the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat, debating unhooking her seat belt and hauling her pretty little ass across the bench seat. But her expression turned serious, and he remembered she’d had a hard night. Empathy pushed his desires to the side.