Page 50 of Bad Blood Bear

The computer joined the other purchases.

“Flynn says” worked fine until they got to the store that sold winter coats and boots. They’d already bought her work boots and hiking boots, but when Tank insisted on getting her the bunny boots with the faux fur, along with a hot pink hooded winter jacket with matching faux fur trim she obviously adored, Lissa dug in her heels. “That’s totally impractical. How am I supposed to do construction work in that?”

“Right,” Tank said. “You need a durable, dark-colored one too.”

Lissa stopped dead, hands on her hips, her gorgeous blue eyes narrowed. “Tank. Stop. There is no way in hell Flynn okayed all this. There are NO bunny boots on that list.”

Tank held the list out of her reach. “You don’t know that.”

The blue gaze grew narrower. “Don’t make me go glowy-eyed on you.”

Tank gave up. “Okay,” he said. “I might be slightly guilty of budget-busting. My b—” He broke off, glancing around the store at all the people within earshot. “I mean, Jiminy Cricket likes buying you stuff. It makes him happy.”

Lissa rolled her eyes at the code name. “And who’s going to pay for all that? I don’t want to be in debt to Flynn before I even get a job.”

“I’m paying,” Tank said. “I wouldn’t run up debt for you without asking.”

“That’s exactly what you’re doing. Except to you, not to Flynn.”

He faced her, cupping her face with one hand. This was important. “There’s no debt here, Lissa,” he said. “Not between us.”

She shook her head. “I don’t like to owe people,” she told him. “Trust me, out on the streets, it never ends well. They say there’s no strings, but they always want something back when you least expect it.”

Tank didn’t know if he wanted to hug her up tight, or bear-smack all the people who’d made her so wary that she only felt safe relying on herself.

Instead, he said, “Look, I admit I don’t know how to do this relationship thing. Maybe I’m doing it wrong. But you need the things, and it hurts me to see you making do with inadequate clothes when there’s something I can do about it.”

He brushed back a strand of her curly hair, the way he loved to do. He felt her lean slightly into his touch. He said softly, “Taking care of you, making sure you’re happy and have everything you need, it settles…Jiminy. Please let me.”

She dropped her eyes, fiddling with the zipper of the pink jacket. He could see her fighting with herself, taking deep breaths, and he waited her out. He couldn’t force her to trust him.

Finally, in a low voice, she said, “Okay. But this is it. No more. Promise.”

“Okay, promise.” He tilted her chin up and kissed her lightly. “Thanks.”

“Why are you thanking me? You’re the one bankrupting yourself.”

He just grinned and tweaked her nose. “Because I’m having so much fun, Little Bear.”

She smacked his hand away, but he’d managed to make her smile. “That’s Little Jiminy to you, Hulk,” she said.