Stevens-Journey [Brac Pack 20] (3 page)

“But I thought you were the foreman.” Roman nodded as he headed toward the bedroom door. “I am. I’m also the proprietor.”

Steven didn’t know too much about construction. Heck, he didn’t know anything about it, but he was sure the same person shouldn’t have both titles.

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“Supper is at six. If you’re hungry, just let Pa know. My brothers come on strong, but they’re harmless.” Harmless? They looked as harmless as a lion setting his sights on prey. Steven wasn’t too sure he wanted to stay here if Roman wasn’t going to be here. “Can I come with you?” Roman shook his head as he walked down the creaking stairs.

“It’s not safe. I know you have questions about what happened back in town. I’ll answer them when I get home.” Steven left the subject alone. He didn’t want to upset Roman and get taken back to that dark and lonely shelter. He may be intimidated by Roman’s brothers, but staying here was better than the resource center. He’d never stayed alone and didn’t like it very much.

“I’ll be back at the end of the work day. Just make yourself comfortable,” Roman said before walking out the front door. Well, hell’s bells. What was he going to do now?

“I’m Chauncey,” one of the brothers said from behind Steven.

Steven bit his lip and looked away, nervous.

“Steven,” he said to the furniture as he looked around. There were three large sofas and two armchairs sitting in the living room. It really was a nicely decorated room complete with a huge river rock fireplace against one wall. Bookshelves sat on either side of the fireplace with a wide-screen television situated above the mantle.

“Make yourself at home, Steven.” Chauncey picked up the remote and handed it to him. “Since this is your first day here, Pa doesn’t expect you to work the farm.”

That was good news considering he hadn’t a damn clue how to work one. This was the complete opposite from what Steven had grown up with and knew. He was a city boy. This farm life may prove to be too hard.

“Are you hungry?” Chauncey asked from behind him.

Steven shook his head. He was too nervous to eat. Taking a seat on the edge of one of the couches, he raised the remote and turned the
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television on. He flipped through the channels as Chauncey left to go back outside.

Steven settled back, wondering what his new life was going to bring him. This
was
his new life. He would never again be with David, which was a plus, and he now found himself living in a small town.

Things were changing, and Steven was ready for it. He was a big-time people pleaser but was wary of this family. They could crush him if they got pissed and became hands-on like David had decided to do.

Steven pushed his ex to the back of his mind. He had fallen out of love with the jerk over a year ago. That was the reason David became hands-on. Steven had told him he was leaving, and David told him he was staying.

Damn it. Forget about him
. Steven pulled a throw pillow over his chest as he watched the cooking channel. It was his favorite thing to watch. He fancied himself a pretty good cook and loved to create new dishes.

Maybe the diner would take on another cook. That would be nice, and it would put funds in Steven’s pockets. Something he sorely needed. Roman had offered to hire him, but Steven didn’t think he would get anything done being around the stud all day.

Tossing the pillow aside and hitting the off button on the remote, Steven went to search the kitchen. He could show his appreciation by having dinner ready when the men came in from working.

He rummaged around the pantry, noticing a shitload of sweets. He got a few ideas about dessert from what was stocked in there. Steven began to pull things out, setting them on the table as he went about making dinner for the eight large men who lived there.

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Roman rushed to his truck after the crew went home for the night.

He couldn’t wait to get to know his mate. Tossing his tool belt on the passenger floor, he started his truck and began to pull away.

The ride home seemed to take longer than normal as he finally pulled into the driveway. The twins, Chauncey and Chance, were sitting on the porch swing talking as he shut the truck door and walked up onto the porch. “Where’s Steven?”

“Look at little bro,” Chauncey teased. “Ready to run inside and claim his mate.”

“Shut up,” Roman grunted as he leaned against the porch rail.

“Where is he?”

“That little mate of yours is full of surprises.” Chance’s grey eyes sparkled with amusement. All the Lakeland brothers had black hair and grey eyes, a family trait that was strong in all of them.

The twins were good guys, but they liked to play around a little too much. Roman may be the youngest cub, but he was more mature then these two boneheads. “What does that mean?”

“He sure makes a pretty wife.” Chauncey laughed as he ran off the porch, dodging Roman’s cuffing hand.

“If you don’t claim him, I’m gonna marry him,” Chauncey teased from the front yard.

“Not if you want to reproduce,” Roman threatened.

“Fat chance. I’m gay, dumbass.” Chauncey ran around to the back of the house so Roman shot through the front door, trying to beat his brother to Steven. He followed the wonderful aroma into the kitchen to see his mate in an apron and humming as he set the table.

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Damn if that wasn’t a gorgeous sight. Steven had black hair to his shoulders, just like the Lakeland family, but his eyes were a mossy green. His slim figure and pale skin made Roman want to whine and beg to take his mate upstairs and have his wicked way with him.

He knew he had to be patient. First of all, Steven was human and didn’t have a clue he was in a house full of bear-shifters. Second, his mate was a victim of some jackass knocking him around according to the Timber wolf, Dagon. If he ever ran into Steven’s abuser, he hoped he was behind the wheel of his truck.

His eyes narrowed when Chauncey walked through the back door and over to his mate, leaning close to Steven, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Smells good, Steven,” he said in what Roman assumed was his sexy voice. His brother needed to go back upstairs and practice in front of the mirror for a few more years. It sucked.

“Chauncey.” Pa’s warning voice floated into the kitchen before his father appeared. “You want your ass kicked?” Chauncey grunted as he moved away from Steven. “I didn’t mean no harm. I was just teasing Roman.”

“Roman won’t mean no harm when he skins your ass for getting to close to his unclaimed mate,” Pa said quietly to the playful bear.

Roman ignored them as he moved closer to Steven. His mate smelled better than the sweetest berries. Roman wanted to lick him from head to toe and then repeat the process a few hundred more times. He may be the smallest of the litter, but he felt like a giant next to Steven.

“It’s almost ready.” Steven smiled up at him, and Roman got a raging hard-on. That smile was going to be his undoing.

“You cooked?” he asked in surprise.

“Yep. I hope you like roast and veggies. I made fruit salad for dessert.” Steven beamed at him as he opened the oven and pulled the roast out.

Roman was lost in that smile. He grabbed the pan to help his mate and realized too late that he had just grabbed a hot pan. The pan hit
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the top of the stove as he ran to the sink and stuck his reddened fingers under cold water. His mate was at his side in seconds. “Oh my god! Are you all right?”

“Do that again. I missed it the first time.” Chauncey roared with laughter from the other side of the kitchen. Roman shot him a narrowed look before turning back to Steven.

“I’ll be okay. It didn’t hurt,” he reassured Steven, who wore a worried look as he pulled Roman’s hands from under the running water to examine them.

“I got a paper cut earlier. Can you look at it for me, Steven?” Chauncey said from the other side of the table. Roman looked over in time to see his pa cuff his brother in the back of his head.

When Steven’s fingers touched his, Roman’s world tilted sideways. They were the softest hands he’d ever felt. His mate’s hands looked delicate and slender. He whimpered when Steven let them go. “Do you have a first aid kit around here?”

“He’ll be fine,” Pa answered for him. “He’s tougher than that.” Steven looked at Roman from under his lashes, a smile tugging at his lips. “He looks like it.”

Roman felt his face heat at his mate’s words. Damn if he wasn’t standing here making a fool of himself. He felt his family’s eyes on him but ignored them to play the wounded so his mate would touch him again. “They really hurt. Can you spread some burn cream on them?”

Chauncey groaned from across the room, his eyes rolling as Roman passed him to get the medical kit. “Jealous?” he asked when he got close enough to whisper.

“You’re damn right I am.”

Roman grinned from ear to ear as he retrieved the medical kit and took it to his mate. He was in heaven as Steven sat down and opened the small packet of burn cream and began to gently apply it to his fingers. He didn’t need it. Shifters could heal quickly from something like this, but he wasn’t passing up the opportunity.

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“There,” Steven said as he let Roman’s hand go. “Don’t grab any more pans fresh from the oven,” his mate warned.

“I won’t.” Roman stood, sticking his tongue out at Chauncey when Steven had his back turned. It was a childish move, but he and his brothers were extremely close and loved to tease one another. He knew none of them would touch Steven, but they sure as hell would torture Roman into thinking they were being too friendly.

“You boys wash up while dinner is put on the table.” Pa waved them out of the kitchen. Roman didn’t want to go but did as his father commanded. He rushed to get cleaned up and then damn near broke his neck as he and Chauncey raced down the flight of stairs to the kitchen. The set of triplets, Bryce, Olsen, and Gavin, had surrounded Steven, asking him a thousand and one different questions.

Roman grabbed Steven by his wrist, pulling him away from his curious brothers. He introduced Steven to them, but gave each one of them a peeved look before sitting his mate down next to him. Pa came into the kitchen with Chance close behind him.

“Where’s Riley?” Roman asked as they started to pass the food around.

His pa grabbed the delicious-looking biscuits. “He’ll be in shortly.

Bella’s close to foaling.”

“What’s foaling?” Steven asked as he scooped up a forkful of potatoes to eat. There wasn’t enough food on his mate’s plate. Roman grabbed the bowl of garlic mashed potatoes and placed a heapful onto Steven’s plate.

“It’s when a horse is about to give birth,” his pa answered as Steven stared wide-eyed at his plate. Roman added two more biscuits and smiled at Steven, proud that he was helping his mate put some weight on his thin frame.

“Hot damn, Steven.” Chauncey smacked the table with his hand.

“This is good as hell.” He pointed to his roast with his fork. “You’re hired.”

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All his brothers chimed in their agreement, making Steven sit up straight and smile proudly. Roman was love-struck by his mate’s sparkling green eyes. He nudged Steven’s leg with his under the table, winking at the little imp.

* * * *

Roman crept out of his room after everyone had gone to sleep. He walked down to Steven’s door, listening for a moment. When he didn’t hear any movement, he shifted and curled up on the floor outside of Steven’s door.

This was not only Roman’s mate, but his first time being in love, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. He sniffed at the few inches under Steven’s door, inhaling his mate’s sweet scent.

“He’ll be all right,” his pa said as he walked from his bedroom.

Roman was embarrassed that he was busted. He father walked down the hall, kneeling at Roman’s side. He ran his hand over Roman’s head, giving him the grounding he needed with his emotions so out of control.

“He’ll accept you. Just go slow. I’m proud of you, son. You got yourself a fine-looking mate.” His father scratched his head as he stood. “Just don’t scare the hell out of him in the morning. Shift before he wakes up.”

Roman snorted as he laid his head on his paws. He whined at his father.

“There’s no easy answer, Roman. Just remember that you have your family here for you. If anyone tries to hurt him, they’ll have eight angry bears to deal with.”

Roman grunted his approval as his father walked back to his room. He may be the youngest, but he was a full-grown bear. If anyone tried to get near his mate, he would eat them.

Roman sniffed at his mate’s scent again, filling his lungs with Steven as he dozed off to sleep.

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* * * *

Roman woke to someone screaming and a door slamming. He blinked his eyes open and realized he was still in his bear form. Shit.

That scream came from Steven. Doors swung open as his brothers ran into the hallway and toward Steven’s room.

“You dumbass. If you wanted to give him a heart attack, why didn’t you just stand on your hind legs and roar at him,” Chance said as he shook his head.

Roman shifted, brushing past them as he walked into his bedroom and grabbed a pair of jeans and pulled them on. He zipped them and then walked back down to Steven’s room. Everyone was still in the hall as he knocked on Steven’s door. “Tiger, it’s Roman.”

“Tiger?” Gavin asked with a look of amusement on his face. “I like that.”

Roman grunted at his brother as he waited for Steven to answer the door. It slowly opened as Steven peeked out and into the hall.

“There was a bear in front of my door.” He frowned, his eyes searching the hall with drawn brows.

“Can we talk?” Roman asked as Steven backed up, opening the door to allow him entrance.

Roman puckered his lips as he frowned at his brothers, who were moving closer to Steven’s door. “Go away,” he whispered irritably.