“You’re jumping right to moving?” Ty asked, in real surprise.
Ken paused. “Isn’t that what’s happening?”
“Well—yes—but—”
“Ha. I knew it. Just from how you were looking at her, man. I recognize that poleaxed expression. Like something hit you upside the head hard enough to knock you out, but somehow it felt good.”
Ty had to admit that that was an accurate description of how he’d been feeling for the last twenty-four hours. “All right, yes, you got me. Misty’s my mate. I can’t believe you knew before I did.”
Ken did a little victory dance, except he had to be careful not to spill his coffee, so it was more like a self-contained butt-wiggle. Ty rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you conducted yourself with grace and charm when you first met Lynn.”
“Hell, no. She thought I was a total idiot.” Ken grinned, a flash of white teeth. “But we got there in the end.”
Ty had to smile. “It didn’t take much getting there for us. From the second I saw Misty—”
“In an armed standoff in the woods—”
“I knew she was something. We connected right away.” Ty smiled, reminiscing, and then shook himself out of it and went to pour two mugs of coffee.
“And then you connected—”
Ty pointed at him. “Watch it.”
Ken held up his hands. “I was just going to say, you know, on a mystical, metaphysical level. As mates.”
“Sure you were.” Ty took the mugs and turned to leave the kitchen. “Hey, thank you for starting the coffee.”
Ken slapped him on the shoulder. “My pleasure, man. Enjoy your coffee and your lady. I’m happy for you.”
Ty smiled. “Thanks.”
He took the coffee upstairs, and managed to maneuver the door open without spilling anything or burning himself. Misty was sitting up in bed, blinking sleepily, the sheets pulled up to just under her full, bare breasts. Ty drank in the sight.
Then she made grabby hands, and he hastened over to hand her a mug.
She took a long drink, not seeming to care that it was screamingly hot, and sighed in pleasure. “Oh, that’s the stuff. Thanks.”
“No charge.” Ty settled in next to her. “Do you have to get to work?”
She shook her head. “Day off.”
Ty contemplated the entire day stretching out before them. A whole day to spend with his mate. Then he laughed.
She looked at him over the top of her mug. “What?”
“We get to double our total time together today.”
Her brow wrinkled. Then she laughed too. “I guess we do. It seems like so much longer than that already.”
“I know, I feel the same.” Ty wondered what they could do. Spend the day in bed? Shift and run some more? He felt a little restless, like he wanted to do something.
“You want to go check out what they’re doing over at the new center today?” Misty asked.
He smiled. “That sounds perfect.”
Then an almost comical expression of dismay came over her face. “You ripped my shirt last night.”
Ty felt a flush of heat as the sense-memory washed over him, of needing to get to Misty’s body so badly he couldn’t wait, grabbing her shirt and tearing it down the middle—