Total pages in book: 19
Estimated words: 16943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 85(@200wpm)___ 68(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 85(@200wpm)___ 68(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
Pushing the enticing fantasy from my mind, I lean closer and ask, “How’s your day going?” As I ask, I notice the slight purple bruises and puffiness under her eyes. I wonder if she had a hard time sleeping last night, too.
“It’s been great.” Her smile lights up the goddamn room. It’s corny as hell but one hundred percent true and I forget about my restless night as I stare at my gorgeous mate. “Would you like a banana split with maple bourbon sauce?” My heart melts knowing she remembers what I ordered yesterday.
“I’d love one, but make it with whatever ice cream you like best,” I suggest, hoping to convince her to share with me.
While she scoops up my icy treat, I glance around, taking in the scene. The whole shop is alive with chatter and laughter, a symphony of noise that doesn’t come close to drowning out the noise going on in my mind. Every time Louisa glances my way, there’s that flash of something in her eyes I can’t define. It’s like we're sharing a little secret no one else is in on.
Chapter 4
Louisa
Gabe stands against the counter as I scoop up his ice cream, and I swear I can almost feel his warm breath brushing against the back of my neck. My girly bits tingle at the dirty things I’m hoping he’ll be doing to me in the near future. He’s got this way about him that captures the room's attention, commandeers it even, but it’s the little things about him, the things no one else would even notice that set my pulse racing and tell me he was made just for me.
The subtle changes in him threw me off for a second, but now I’m starting to freaking love his wickedly chiseled jawline and his massive muscles that are evident beneath the tight black shirt. He was tall, dark, and handsome yesterday, but today, the shifter is smoking hot.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Gabe tells me when I hand him the banana split. “Would you like to sit down and share this with me?”
“I’d love to.” There’s no way I’m turning down the chance to spend time with him. I’m really surprised my voice remains steady despite the flurry of thoughts ricocheting through my mind. “I just need to ask Wendy to watch things.”
“I’ll be right over here.” He strolls over to an empty booth while I turn to Wendy.
“Would you please keep an eye on things?” Her satisfied smirk tells me she already knows what’s going on between Gabe and me. “I’m going to take a quick break.”
“Sure,” she readily agrees. “Take as long as you want. I can handle things.”
“I bet you can,” I mutter under my breath as I walk away. You can’t hide anything from freaking shifters.
I slide into the booth across from him and reach for the extra spoon. As I take a bite of the sweet ice cream, he watches, chuckling. It’s a low rumble that resonates through the shop, mingling with the ambient noise of laughter and clinking spoons.
“You know,” he says, digging his spoon in for another bite, “I’ve been thinking.”
“Dangerous pastime,” I quip, falling into the entertaining rhythm of our banter, though my curiosity is piqued.
He raises an eyebrow, acknowledging my verbal snipe with a slight curve of his lips. “This is true, but I had an idea.”
“Should I be concerned?” I ask, trying hard to ignore the way my insides twist in anticipation.
“I’ll try to go easy on you.” He leans back, staring into my eyes in a way that causes electricity to flow down my spine, waking up all the nerve endings. “At first.”
The whispered words hit me like a jolt, scattering my thoughts and making my heart do somersaults. “And after that?” My mouth runs away without consulting my brain.
“You’ll have to wait and see.” His self-assured smirk should cause my hackles to rise but it does the complete opposite. I clasp my hands tight in my lap, fighting the urge to lean across the table and kiss his lips.
For a moment, it feels like the entire world has narrowed to just us and what’s about to come.
“Would you like to have dinner at my place tonight?”
My acceptance sits on the tip of my tongue while an unwelcome thought flashes through my mind. “I can’t tonight.” Of course, the one evening I have something to do is the night Gabe invites me over for dinner. His eyes turn stormy as a frown breaks out on his face. Tension fills the air around us, and I rush on to explain, “I have two new employees starting this weekend, and they’re coming by tonight to fill out their paperwork and get a tour of the shop.”
Relief passes across his handsome face as he blows out his breath. “Would tomorrow night work for you?”