Gemma turned to the laundry room because the vision of Eddie and Dash together was too much for her fragile state of being. Leave it to the four-year-old to whisk you out of a romantic euphoria like a tornado hitting your house.

Maybe it was a good thing. Eddie had her brain so mushy she probably would have started pulling his clothes off, forgetting her son was in the other room.

Moving the wet clothes to the dryer, Gemma took in her current feelings. She was comfy here, in Eddie’s house. It was nicer than any she’d ever lived in. He’d all but declared his love for her, which, after five days was normally something you’d worry about. But the way he said it with the feelings behind his words, she couldn’t push away the fact that her instincts were telling her, though, that this guy was not lying. He wasn’t trying to pull a fast one on her.

This thought was reinforced by the reality that she didn’t have anything anyone else would want. She was overweight, yet shockingly malnourished. She lived in a shack that should be condemned. It wasn’t like he was some skeevy guy hoping to steal her TV in the middle of the night – not even a pawn shop would take it. She didn’t have anything monetarily to offer, and since Dr. Rochon was handsome, well-off, and gainfully employed, it wasn’t like he couldn’t get a date, which meant he must really like her. He was letting her use his washer, he was ordering her favorite pizza, and was amazing with her son.

Still…

“Eddie?” she said, poking her head through the doorway.

“Yup?” Eddie said, the phone to his ear.

Gemma saw he was still ordering. “I’ll wait.”

Eddie held up his finger and said into the phone, “Great. See you in thirty,” and then hung up. “Hit me,” he said, giving his attention back to her.

“Did you make my landlord fix my roof and install new heaters?” She asked the question but was fully prepared for him to lie.

“Which answer will get me into less trouble?” he asked cautiously.

Gemma glared at him. “Why did you buy me that phone?”

“Because you needed it; just like you needed a roof that didn’t leak. The last thing you can afford is to get pneumonia and miss work. The heaters? Well, those were to cook out the years of dampness in that place. The phone was because I wanted to be able to talk to you – or text you to make sure you were all right. Or to say hello whenever I wanted.”

“Did you really have a car seat already?” she pushed.

“Nope, bought it special for Mr. Dash here. It’s top of the line, and unless he has some freakish growth spurt, will last him a few years.” Eddie didn’t mention that he brought it over the fire station to make sure it was properly installed, having no clue about how to do it himself.

Shit, this wasn’t helping her not like him.

“You know you don’t have to buy us things,” she said, her voice smaller than she would have liked. She saw his eyes flash. He didn’t like that; she could tell. “I mean – we like you, Dash and I. You don’t have to buy us stuff,” she tried again.

She watched his eyes get squinty then she could see him force his body to relax. “I know that. But fair warning – I don’t see it as buying you stuff; I see it as providing for you. This is new, and this is probably not how you expected things to be going for you. But I can’t – no, scratch that – I won’t let you struggle anymore. If there is anything I can do to make your or Dash’s life even the tiniest bit easier, I’m going to do it. So you can decide right now how pissed you’re going to get at me. Come up with something that won’t be too exhausting, like stomping your feet or screaming, because I plan on doing it every day until there isn’t a thing in this world you want or need.”

“Well, that’s just crazy!” Gemma couldn’t help herself. This guy was not going to play Eddie Claus all the time.

“It’s not crazy – it’s how it should be,” Eddie said. He picked Dash up and set him on the floor. Leaning down, he whispered something in his ear, and Dash took off like a shot.

Gemma watched Eddie stalk towards her. Yes, it was a total stalk. Her instincts were telling her to back the hell up and shut the door between them. She didn’t do either of those things. She stood frozen until he was an inch from her, their bodies skimming together. His hands came up and circled her neck, brushing over her shoulders.

“Gemma, look me in the eye and tell me you aren’t interested in me. Tell me you don’t want me taking care of you. I won’t stop. I don’t even care if you refuse to see me; I’ll still take care of you. I have to protect and provide for you. It’s in my nature, it’s who I am. I would be miserable not being able to do the small things that could make your life easier. Would you do that to me? Make me suffer?”

“I don’t think you would suffer that much,” Gemma scoffed.

Eddie brought his face close to hers, his lips so close to hers that she could feel his breath tickling her lips.

“Gemma, I need you. I want you. I’ve waited for you. Don’t deny me all that you are, I’m giving you my heart. Please don’t tell me it’s too soon or that I couldn’t possibly know how I feel because I have never been so sure about anything in my life.”

He kissed her then, his mouth sealing over the words still hanging in the air. His bear was urging him to bond with their mate, to show her – through lovemaking and the bite that would forever bind them – that he was the right one for her. For a polar bear, it was shockingly simple. For humans, there was much more convincing to do.

When Eddie kissed his mate, he gauged how much she was giving back to him. Every time, she gave as good as he did. She wanted him, her soul was straining towards him, which was just as he felt. She just didn’t have the words to describe it or the trust in the fates to guide her to him.

“Please, let me,” he whispered against her lips.

“Let you what?” she whispered back.

“Love you. Protect you. Fuck you,” he said, his voice a rumble that she could feel through her chest.

“Damn, either I say yes or get a Biggest Idiot in the World t-shirt to wear like a scarlet letter,” she groaned.

“Then don’t be an idiot, stay with me tonight. Then tomorrow I’ll start early, convincing you to stay another night, and another. Then I’ll work on convincing you to move in with me and quit your jobs. Or maybe quit your jobs then move in with me. I’m not sure yet which I want more.”

“Eddie! I can’t quit my jobs. This is all well and good fun, but I can’t just abandon my responsibilities.”

Eddie frowned at her. “Fine, but you are putting in your application at the hospital tomorrow. I’ll poke Human Resources with a stick to get you on the interview schedule. Then when they offer you the job – and they will, because they’ll recognize you as a smart, hard worker – you can quit your jobs. You won’t be paying rent anymore since you’ll be living here, so one job will be enough for whatever bills you have. I’ll be paying for utilities, food, pizza, movies, and other items, so you can start saving for whatever you like.”

“Eddie, I never said I’d move in with you. I just met you!”

“Fine, you need character witnesses? You’ve met Cage and Sophie. Cage is basically the top dog in the family as he runs the timber company right now. I can call about twenty cousins that could be here within the hour. My mom and dad are home; they will vouch for me. I’m sure they would love to meet you. My sister and brother – well, you can meet them later. They are typical siblings that will only talk shit about me. Here, I’ll call my mom and we can talk to her on speaker,” Eddie said, pulling away from her and walking to the counter where he left the phone.

“Eddie! Don’t you dare call your mother. She will think I’m some kind of floozy trying to trap her doctor son into a relationship. I’m sure she’d be thrilled to know you are interested in a single mom with a kid,” Gemma snorted.

“Not ‘interested in,’ I’ve been chosen for a single mom with a kid. I’m not shopping, Gemma, I’ve bought. You just haven’t let me take the wrapping off yet,” he said, and his eyes went hot and hooded.

“Stop. Dash is in the other room,” she hissed.

“And tonight he’ll be fast asleep, tucked into the spare bed. I’ll be convincing you to join me in the master bedroom. Wanna make a bet whether I’m going to win?” His eyebrows raised in challenge.

Gemma did not want to bet on her being able to keep her legs together tonight. Even if he woke up in the morning and kicked her out, it would most definitely be a night to remember. She didn’t know how to respond without sounding like a slut.

“I don’t bet,” she said haughtily and turned back to the laundry room.