Damon nodded. “I’d trust her with my life.” He pictured her beautiful smile and warm eyes. “She’s wouldn’t hurt anyone. She’s kind. Understanding.” Loving. She made him feel like he’d never felt with anyone before. Loved. Accepted. Not someone to be left behind and abandoned, like both of his parents had done with him.
Rafe nodded. “I hope one day that I’m in your shoes.” He arched his brows. “But not in your exact situation.”
Damon fidgeted through dinner with Sophie at a pub that was known for its seafood specials. It would be a full moon tonight, which meant his wolf was agitated, eager to run. He twirled the pasta from his shrimp scampi around his fork, but didn’t take a bite. Anxiety wormed its way through his appetite.
“How was your day?”
“Not bad. I had another project my boss pressed for a quick turnaround. While I waited for reviews from co-workers, I took breaks walking the trails. That’s something I should do more back home.”
Back home, he repeated in his head. She meant elsewhere, back in the city. She didn’t live here with him. “What’s stopping you from doing so in the city?”
“Good question. Once I start work, I just—” She shrugged. “Work.” Her gaze drifted to the mountain. “Besides, I don’t have all this beautiful scenery to entice me.”
He raised his glass. “May you have plenty of scenic walks while you’re here.”
“That’s the plan.” She sipped her wine. “Right. Until Sunday.”
Those words stabbed him as surely as if she’d picked up her knife and tossed it across the table into his chest. Why did she have to bring up the hours that ticked down to her departure?
She took a bite of her scallops. After she was done, she asked, “What about you? How was your day?”
He pictured the day on the mountains followed by meeting up with his pack mates. What was once a perfect day in his life now rang as shallower as he longed to return to Sophie.
“I worked on the mountain much of the day and then had a meeting.” That was one way to summarize the tense check in with his pack to see if anyone had noted activity from the Sacco wolves. Fortunately, there were no reports. “I’m glad to be here with you.”
“Me, too,” she agreed, warming him with an appreciative gaze.
Their gazes locked, and heated tremors rocked inside him. He had this moment with his mate and he wanted to treasure it. Would his life feel cold and empty once she left?
“You seem anxious about something,” she pointed out.
“Oh.” He straightened in his chair.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, of course not.” He avoided her gaze and ran his fingers up and down the stem of the wine glass
“You seem distant. I can’t help but wonder if you might have regrets about last night. Is that the case?”
Damn, he was going to blow this. He stopped fidgeting with the wine glass and stared into her worried eyes. “Not at all. It was a night I’ll never forget. I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you here with me right now.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Is that a line?”
“No.” He furrowed his brows. “Why do you say that?”
“I’m sure I’m not the only woman who’s been here with you.”
He blinked at her twice. “Where did that come from?”
She motioned around the restaurant. “I’m not naïve. A hot guy like you. All these single women coming up for the weekend, like my friend and me. It’s the perfect setup for a fling. No strings attached.”
His heart slammed into his ribs. His trepidation about coming clean to her wasn’t helping the situation, leading to her having doubts. “Is that what you think this is? A fling?”
The server came to check on their meals. After she left, Sophie replied. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve always been the monogamous type and never had a fling.” She motioned back and forth between them. “So, I don’t really know what to make of this.”
He gulped. “I know this seems rushed, but I have to put it out there. Would you ever consider moving up here?”
Sophie blinked. “You don’t mean moving in with you, do you?”
“That’s one option. I like having you here. Eating with you, hearing you sing in the shower, peeking over your shoulder to see what you’re working on. But I understand if I’m rushing things.”
She bit her lip. “I don’t know, Damon. We barely know each other.”
His wolf rumbled. Tell her.
Right, that was the goal for tonight, but where to start with revealing the truth? She didn’t even know that shifters or mates existed. He glanced around the pub. So many people dined here tonight, so many possible witnesses if she freaked out. Rafe would not be happy with a human screaming about wolf pack secrets.
Maybe Damon should wait until they returned to his cabin. Besides, it would buy him more time to formulate his thoughts.
Damon took a large gulp of wine. Everything changed tonight.
Chapter 13
Sophie
When they returned to the cabin, Sophie hoped they’d sit in the hot tub and have a repeat of last night. Him asking her to consider moving here gave her so much to think about. Of course, it had tremendous appeal. Spending time in the cabin with Damon had made for a magical week. The mountains were breathtaking and Damon—well, he practically defied description. His considerate side wasn’t something she’d ever encountered with past boyfriends.
And the sex—out of the freakin’ universe. She’d never expected it to be like that. Her body tingled just thinking about being with him again tonight.
Damon frowned. “I got a call from Rafe. I need to go deal with a work situation.”
That was weird. His cell phone was plugged into the speakers in his living room where it typically was. She’d never even seen him speak on it.
That added to his strange behavior tonight. Why was he acting so peculiar and anxious?
He kissed her on the lips. “I’ll be back as
