Keeping My Pack (20 page)

I roll my eyes and push the cart toward the dairy section. Kitten had said she would push it, but she kept wandering off, leaving the cart to walk around and grab things, her arms overflowing, then bringing them back to the cart. It was painful to watch.

“
No, that bastard isn’t getting any more Lucky Charms. He doesn’t even eat cereal; he just picks the marshmallows out. There’s a shelf in the pantry dedicated to his discarded boxes of marshmallow-less cereal.”

“
Really? Hmm, then let’s get a bunch of boxes.” She says excitedly, nearly bouncing.

“
Why?” I ask in amusement.

“
So I can make him a whole box of just marshmallows.” She states like that’s entirely rational and the only conclusion to such a question.

I sigh, wondering if I should have gotten another cart. “Fine, but only because you’re cute, not that he deserves them. And I’ll get some real marshmallows so I can turn all this unused cereal into some breakfast bars.”

“
Yay! Ooh and if we get some honey and granola, we can make bars for Reed as well.” Kitten chirps, disappearing around the corner to the cereal aisle. She comes back with her arms full again. I hope one of these days she learns that’s what the cart is for.

“
Look at you, making more work for me.” I tease.

“
I’ll help you.” She offers. “I love watching you cook and move around the kitchen.” Her cheeks turn a light shade of pink, but she holds my eyes. Damn, she’s sexy.

I grab a couple gallons of milk and look over the cart, checking if I’ve forgotten anything. Damn, I passed Maksim’s Nutella earlier, and now I have to go back for it. Who knew the old Russian would be completely obsessed with the stuff.

In the kitchen, Kitten helps put away groceries with me, though I mostly hand her frozen or refrigerated items due to her choice of making the giant pickle jar a centerpiece on the island table. I have a feeling that thing will be the bane of my existence until the move. Not that I would ever deprive her of easy access to the food she wants to eat. That girl is still too thin in my opinion. She’ll always be gorgeous, but I’ll feel better after she puts on a few pounds and gets a little rounder. She’s eating healthier now, but it’s been slow to show on her thin frame.

“
Hey Tristan, do we have any more of those brownies you made last night?” Jace asks as he walks in. A grin forms on my face, yes, those brownies were a hit last night, even Reed the carb-counter had a handful of them.

“
If we do they’ll be in the fridge, or maybe Remy froze one for his ice cream.” I shrug.

“
This brownie?” Kitten ask, swinging her short legs as she perches on the counter.

“
Yes, those. Are they in the icebox or the refrigerator?” He asks.

“
This is the last one.” She tells him with an evil smile.

Jace’s eyes widen. “No, the last one?” He says, disappointed. “Can I have half?”

“
No.” Kitten replies, taking a bite of the brownie.

Jace tilts his chin up, affronted. “Now that’s not very fair of you.”

“
Who said I was fair?” Kitten mumbles through her bite.

“
I could take that from you if I wanted to, you do realize this.” He responds haughtily.

I lean back against the stove, groceries forgotten, to watch the show. These two are always going at it. If Jace wasn’t so easy to rile up, I don’t think Kitten would be so combative with him. As it is, he makes it too much fun for her, and she can’t resist. If I didn’t know any better, I’d blame it on sexual tension, but I know for a fact that they go at that often enough that it shouldn’t be a factor.

“
You want it, come get it…Little Jace.” Shit, she just threw down the gauntlet.

Jace splutters for a comeback as he leaps after her, but she’s quick to hop off the counter and make a run for it. Too bad for him that she’s a quick learner and realized early on in their shenanigans that she can’t out run any of us, but her small body can out maneuver with the best of them. Her best move is leading him around in a circle like she does now around my kitchen island.

I laugh at the two of them, silently putting my money on Kitten for the win, but outwardly encouraging my brother, showing solidarity.

Kitten pauses in her giggling to taunt at him. “I guess you don’t want it badly enough.” She calls, sticking her tongue out before bursting into laughter again.

Jace hops over the counter, taking a surprised Kitten down with him to the floor. She shoves the last of the brownie in her mouth whole, choking it down as he tickles her mercilessly.

“
Why you little Brat!” He shouts in humor.

She is barely breathing as he relentlessly goes for the ribs, her ultimate weakness. “Do you give?” He pauses as he waits for an answer.

“
Never!”

He continues to tickle her as Logan walks in, opening a new box of his cereal and leaning next to me. “What was it over this time?” He asks idly as he munches away, dropping more food than gets in his mouth.

“
The brownies from last night,” I tell him. Kitten lets out a snort-giggle combo, and Jace pauses to laugh at her. She reaches up quickly and messes up his perfectly styled hair, resulting in more tickling.

“
Oh man, those were awesome!” Logan tells me. “Did you get milk?” I nod, and he steps around the two crazy people to get to the fridge. “You mean these brownies?” He says as he holds up the Saran-wrapped plate with at least a half-dozen brownies left on it.

“
Yep.” I chuckle. Damn, my Sweet girl can be devilish when she wants to be.

“
What! Oh, now you’re really going to get it.” Jace warns the hysterical girl.

Ash saunters into the room, picking an apple out of the fruit bowl before plucking Jace off the floor with his free hand. “No, she’s not. The brownies are over there, and she needs oxygen to live.” He gives him a light shove toward Logan, who stands in front of the open refrigerator door even though he has his cereal in one hand a brownie in the other.

“
You were looking for milk,” I call out helpfully.

“
Oh, right.” Logan tucks the box under his arm before reaching for the milk. He has to bend over, so naturally, the open box spills all over the place on his trip down. He doesn’t even notice.

Ash reaches down and helps Kitten to her feet. “Why do you always have to pick at him?” He asks her.

She smiles up at the big guy, her face flushed and her hair wild. “Because it’s fun, and because I always win.”

“
You do not!” Jace huffs indignantly.

“
Don’t even start this again.” Ash sighs at Jace.

“
Me? I didn’t start it; she started it.” He points out.

Logan laughs as he starts putting Lucky Charm marshmallows on top of the brownie. “Oh my god! What are you, five?” He teases.

“
The things I deal with.” Jace mutters, finally getting one of the brownies he came in here for in the first place.

Remy pauses at the doorway. “And just what the hell is going on in here?” He questions with a raised brow at the room.

“
Nothing!” They chorus, the four of them suddenly finding better places to be.

He steps over the coffee machine, making himself a fresh pot to refill his mug. “So who won?” He asks with a smirk.

I shake my head in amusement as I go back to the task of putting away food items. “Definitely not whoever is on cleaning duty today.” I joke.

Each of us takes a look around the messy kitchen, our eyes meet, and we share an evil grin before shouting at the same time.

“
Reed!”

Kitten helped me make dinner, a simple chicken dish which consisted of wood-fire grilled chicken breast topped with sautéed mushrooms, crisp bacon, melted Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, with a honey mustard sauce served with fries’ julienne.

She has no cooking skills to speak of, but she seemed eager to learn, and she helped with what she could. Every now and again I’d catch her staring at me, watching what I was doing, and I have to admit that helped the ego quite a bit. She was especially interested in learning how to make the cheesecake with a strawberry glaze and topped with fresh strawberries.

I may, or may not have fudged a few pieces of information on that topic when she wasn’t paying attention. Don’t judge me, keep a woman coming to you for baked goods and you’ve got her for life.

Dinner was a fun affair, with good conversation and laughter and a dash of wine, just as it should be. Throughout desert, I took a moment to sit back and notice how much things have changed since Kitten came into our lives. Not only do two new people sit at our table, people I’d be proud to call friends, but the light of my life, my reason to breathe, sits near the middle, engaging with each of my brothers, making them laugh, telling them stories, giving them looks that make their eyes ignite with life. I don’t share a table with perfect people, because none of are, but I share my table with my family and to me, right now, this is perfection. And it’s all thanks to one tiny woman, who has stolen my heart and given me back so much more.

As the guys drift off to do their thing, and Maksim retires for the night, I take Kitten’s hand in mine, bringing our joined hands up for a kiss. “Will you join me for bed tonight, Sweetie?” I ask her.

She smiles at me, nodding her head in that way Kitten does. I scoot her chair back for her and leave the dishes to Reed tonight. I need some Kitten time, and I could care less if he leaves the mess for tomorrow.

I let Kitten get showered in my bathroom and take my own in the shared one in the hall. Drying my hair with a fluffy white towel, I peruse the closet in search of something to wear for bed. I choose a pair of silky basketball shorts, knowing Kitten likes the feel of them. I take a seat on the bed as I wait for the slowpoke. The bathroom door opens, and I’m ready to greet her with a smile. However, she opens the door so hard it slams against the wall behind it. I stand and take a few steps toward her, thinking something is wrong.

Kitten steps out of the bathroom, her face on fire in embarrassment, looking as sexy as ever. She’s too innocent to realize that a white tank top and a wet body produces a lovely see-through effect. And I’m never going to point it out to her, either. Her matching white short-shorts are cute, but she’s paired them with red panties, and the sight makes my own shorts a little tighter.

“
Sorry, I tripped.” She explains.

I don’t believe her for a second, but I let her get away with it, now more curious than ever why she slammed the door open. The incident is quickly forgotten though as my roaming eyes finally make their way to hers and my smile turns into a knowing smirk at the heat I see there. Kitten inhales deeply, and I swear her eyes light up like Christmas lights. “Come here, Sweetie.”

Her sexy bare feet shuffle forward until she’s standing right in front of me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear she was checking me out. Her pink tongue flicks out, licking her upper lip and I hold in a moan.

“
You smell
so
good.” She says breathlessly. Thank the lord I showered. Her chest heaves and my eyes focus on the swell of her breasts; her warm breath fans my chest, and it’s a struggle not to think very naughty thoughts.

“
I want you…” She trails off as she lifts her hand to my chest. Using the pad of one of her fingers, she reaches out and lightly traces my pec. Damn that feels good. The rest of her fingers and her palm join in and before I realize what’s happening, my head is tilted back, and her soft hands are running insistently all over my exposed chest and abs.

“
Fuck…Kitten…” I pant. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me.”

“
No,” She says sweetly with a smile in her voice, only serving to make me harder. Playful Kitten is a sexy Kitten. She takes another step forward and my brain stalls out at the feel of her chest pressed to mine, then I’m falling backward as she gives me a light shove, catching me off guard.