Hers (10 page)

When the music went on again and guests started
dancing, Sammy could see that she and Jane were the only people left from the
bridal party.

“Do you think it would be rude if I went home now
also?” she asked Brock and Slater.

“No. I’ll go talk to my parents. They organized this
part of the night. Go with Slater, and I’ll help with anything that needs to be
done.”

After what Brock had just said she wasn’t leaving
him. “No. I’ll stay. I’m the bridesmaid.”

Brock pulled her to him and kissed her. His lips
traced hers, and his tongue sought entry. Sammy opened and let him and held him
to her. Right now she didn’t care what anyone thought or said. Brock pulled
away and passed her to Slater.

“Get what she needs to go home. I’ll be back in a
couple of minutes. Let me just talk to my parents.”

Sammy tried to get out of Slater’s hold to go with
Brock, but she had no luck.

“Let him go and do this.”

Sammy said her goodbyes. All the time she held
Slater’s hand, and as she grabbed her purse Brock came back.

“We can go. Mother organized a cleaning crew, and
the wedding planner will get anything that they miss. So we can leave. Come on.
I’m beat.”

Sammy smiled at Brock and linked her arm around his.
“Sounds good.
Let’s go.”
 
She walked out of the reception holding
Slater’s hand and her arm linked with Brock’s, and Sammy felt good, relaxed,
and just plain old happy.

Slater and Brock made her feel good, whether it was
just talking and listening to a soothing voice or dancing and having fun with
Slater.

Chapter
Five

Friday afternoon Slater drove to Sammy’s house to
pick her up for his family dinner. He was feeling better about where he stood
with her. Sandy’s wedding had been a success, and a lot of family and friends
knew he and Brock had a mate. Slater was happy his mother and father had
introduced themselves and organized a dinner tonight. Sammy seemed to really
like his mother even if his mother was over the top and bossy.

The biggest surprise this week had been that Sammy
had liked self-defense. She and her friend Jane had a ball. Slater really
enjoyed watching Sammy laugh and smile. Slater smiled as he remembered Sammy
giggling on the way home at the way the women had acted around him and Brock.

“Are women always throwing themselves at you two and
I’ve just missed it?”

“I don’t get as much attention as Brock, as he has
the badge bunnies to contend with as well, but being part of the Bear family
still gets me a lot of female attention.” Slater sighed. “When I was younger I
admit to taking advantage of that and having a new woman almost every week, but
I’ve had enough of that. I’m ready to settle down, maybe even start a family.”

“I’m in total agreement with Slater. I’m ready to
have the whole thing, someone to come home to every night, a house with a woman
I love, and children.” Brock had been confident.

Sammy hadn’t responded to their words that they were
ready. But he and Brock could both see she was thinking about what they’d said.
Sammy must have been happy with their response because the next day Slater got
a visit at work from Sammy asking if he would help her find some easy part-time
work to help ease her back into the work force. Slater offered her a couple of
jobs and was happy that she took one from him in the end. She would be a cleaning
waitress. She would wipe down the tables and get the dirty dishes and so on.
She’d asked to start with lunches as he wasn’t so busy then.

Slater was happy Sammy felt safe and comfortable
enough to ask him about jobs and was willing to work with him. She was going to
do three days a week to start with and then see how she went from there.

Parking out the front of Sammy’s house Slater
couldn’t get rid of his nerves and wished that Brock was here now and not
meeting him later at his parents’ house. Slater told himself there was no
reason for him to be nervous since Sammy had already met his mother and father,
but it didn’t work. This was different from the meeting at Sandy’s wedding
though, more intimate, and she would see the house he grew up in and meet his
brothers.

Slater got out of the car and made sure his clothes
sat right before he walked to the front door and knocked.

“It’s open,” Sammy yelled.

Opening the door he walked in and towards the
peaches and honey scent. “Why the hell don’t you have your door locked? That’s
so dangerous.”

Sammy turned from the mirror in her bedroom where
she was putting lipstick on and glared at him. “You don’t have to speak like
that. I had the door unlocked because I knew you would be here any minute and I
wasn’t ready.”

“Oh.” Slater deflated and looked at Sammy. She was
in black fitted pants and a cream colored top that sat low showing just the
right amount of cleavage.

“My face is up here, Slater. Do I need to change my
top? I don’t want to show too much cleavage. I liked your parents, and I don’t
want to do anything that would have them think less of me.”

Slater grinned up at Sammy before he pulled her to
him and rubbed his erection against her. “I like that top. I like what you’re
wearing. You look good.”

Sammy giggled against him. “I can tell you like it,
but I want to look perfect for your parents. I don’t want to look like a hussy
or a skank.”

Moving his hands down to cup her arse he squeezed
the round globes. “You look beautiful. You always do. Stop worrying. My parents
already like you.” Leaning down Slater kissed her, enjoying her taste and her
groan of pleasure. Sammy’s hands slid up his chest, and she pulled his
shoulders farther down so she didn’t have to strain on her tip-toes as much.

The phone in his pocket went off, and he knew
without answering it would be his mother. Moaning at the interruption, Slater
pulled away and answered his phone on its last ring.

“Hi, Mum. We’re just about to head over to you now.”

“Great. I was just making sure you hadn’t distracted
her and that’s why you’re not early. You’re always early, Slater. Today is the
first time you might be actually
be
running late.
What’s wrong? You’re not embarrassed, Slater? I only have ten photo albums out.
Not all fifty.”

He sighed. “Mum. I’m going. Thanks for the call.”
Slater hung up before his mother could say anything more.

Sammy smiled up at him with laughter in her eyes.
“We better go. Don’t want to make you even later. I can do the rest of my
makeup in the car.” As she walked by him a giggle slipped out, and he moaned.
Now he remembered the real reason why he was nervous. This was the first woman
he’d ever brought to meet his parents and see the house he grew up in.

****

Sammy stared at the massive mansion in front of her.
It backed onto a reserve and fit in perfectly with its surroundings. The house
was white, wide, and two-storey with the vines climbing up the windows and a
red thatched roof.

“You grew up here? It’s gorgeous.”

Slater shrugged like it was no big deal. Sammy
started to feel out of place. She’d never been in a house like the one she was
staring at out of her window. Sure, she’d been to Susie’s and Sandy’s new houses,
but that was different. They were her best friends. The house she’d lived with
her mother in she could probably fit into Slater’s family home four or five
times.

The front door flew open, and Slater’s mother rushed
out of it and over to their car. “You’re finally here.”

Sammy chuckled as Slater groaned beside her. “Mum,
we are only five minutes late.”

Slater’s mother Abigail pulled Slater into her
embrace. “I know that, baby, but for you that’s late. You’re always early.”

Abigail came over to Sammy and hugged her. “Welcome.
Come in. I have so much to show you.” Abigail grabbed her arm and practically
dragged her through the door and to a huge lounge room with two white leather
sofas and brown soft carpet and pictures, which covered the walls.

“Sit. The dinner is only fifteen minutes away.
That’s plenty of time to start showing you these photos. We’ll start at the
baby ones, and you can see how cute Slater was as a baby.” Abigail reached for
her hand and squeezed it. “You and Slater would make gorgeous babies. I don’t
have any grandkids yet, and I’d love them.”

“Mum, stop with the baby talk,” Slater said as he came
in with his father Daren and sat on the other sofa across from her and Abigail.

Abigail shot Slater a stern look. “I will not. Your
brothers won’t be giving me any grandbabies soon. They’re not even looking for
or wanting to find a mate.” Sammy bit her lip to hold in her giggle as Abigail
placed her hand on her heart. “Do you know what Jordan told me when I ask him
to come?”

Slater huffed out his breath. “No, Mum.”

“He said he didn’t want to come in case the mating
bug somehow rubbed off from you and caught him. Can you believe it?” Abigail
shook her head. “Kayon wasn’t much better. I actually got a phone call from him
just before you arrived. He was trying to get out of coming to dinner. Jordan
said too many of the Bear family were falling with the mate curse. Kayon called
it a curse.
 
I hope you set him straight
tonight how wonderful it is to find your mate.
The love of
your life.
Your soul mate.”
Abigail gave a warm
smile to Daren.

Sammy watched the exchange and hoped that she could
have what Slater’s parents had one day. Soon, she hoped. The way they looked at
each other made Sammy feel like she was intruding on a private passionate
moment.

“Mum, don’t push them. Fate will get them when
they’re ready.” Sammy could feel Slater’s stare on her as he spoke.

Abigail placed a green album in front of her and
opened to the first page. A picture of a newborn baby was on the page with a
sprinkle of almost white hair on its little head.

“That’s Slater, about half an hour after he was
born. Cute, isn’t he?”

Sammy glanced at Abigail and smiled. “Yes. He was.”

“Keep going through it. This book goes until he’s
one. The next is the red. Get through what you can before dinner. I’m going to leave
for a moment or two and go check on it. Ask Daren about some of the pictures.”
A wicked gleam came into Abigail’s eyes. “Slater loved being naked. I had a
hard time keeping clothes on him. He was my little feral baby.”

“Mum, please.” Slater’s voice didn’t sound too upset
as he reprimanded his mum. Sammy could hear the love shine through it.

Abigail left the room, and Sammy smiled as turned
the pages of the album and found only one of Slater clothed. Sammy laughed and
teased Slater. He came and sat next her taking Abigail’s spot and groaned at
the pictures. Sammy was enjoying
herself
. She asked
Daren about one or two of the pictures, and he had a great tale for each.

At the end of the second book two men similar to
Slater strolled in. One was clean shaven and wore a black expensive looking
suit. The other had a slight five o’clock shadow, nothing like Brock’s, but had
super short hair and wore a comfortable suit.

Slater and Daren got up with welcoming smiles on
their faces. “Kayon, Jordan, you’re just in time. I can smell Mum taking the
roast out of the oven now. You both have just enough time to meet Sammy, my
mate.”

Sammy stood up by Slater as the two men blatantly
stared at her. “Hello. It’s nice to meet you.” She put her hand out ready for
them to shake.

The all-business clean shaven one took a deep breath
in and snarled. “How come you’re not mated? You’re not his mate. If you were
Slater’s he would have mated you.”
 

Sammy felt
herself
shrink
back at his words.

“Kayon, apologize right now, son. I—your mother—we
brought you up better than that. You have no idea what Sammy has been through.
For her to be in a relationship at all
I
think is
brave.” The look of disgust on Daren’s face was evident as he glared at his
son.

Slater was snarling and growling so loud Sammy found
it hard to hear Daren.
 
Sammy looked at
Daren surprised at what he’d said. She could feel her emotions bubbling to the
surface, and she told herself she shouldn’t worry over the fact that Slater’s
parents seemed to know about her past.

“What is going on? I leave for fifteen minutes to
get the dinner out and you’re starting World War Three.” Abigail shot a glance
at everyone before her glance rested on her husband and son.

Kayon’s
dark
brown eyes, which looked almost black, rested on her. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize
you are the woman I helped do the restraining order up for. I apologize for my
behavior.”

Slater pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms
around her. Sammy was glad because she needed his strength right now as she
stared into his brother’s cold eyes. “That’s fine. Forget about it. I would be
cautious, too, if I had any siblings. I haven’t let them mate me properly
because I want to get to know them first. I don’t ever want to make the mistake
I did with Greg ever again.”