Page 67 of Diners, Damsels & Wolves

She repeated the mantra in her head to soothe her nerves.

And did she ever want to talk to him. Not just the casual conversations they had in the diner; not the quick hellos they shared in the parking lot. She needed to give him a proper apology for the other day and wanted to confirm where he was in this relationship. Was it too soon for that talk? Hell, she’d been single for so long she hadn’t the faintest idea. But she knew he felt right.

Maybe her worries about dating had all been for naught. Maybe all she needed was the right partner. She could care for Rachel and allow herself this small shred of happiness. Couldn’t she?

When a knock sounded at the door, she shoved a foil in her pocket and ran to answer it. She thought she’d jump out of her skin if her nerves didn’t calm down. Opening the front door, her heart melted.

Tom was a vision, wearing slacks and a navy blue button-up, his top buttons undone with his sleeves rolled up. Her own personal Adonis stood on the front steps. His ginger hair glowed in the late morning light, an adoring smile plastered across his face. Worries vanishing, she knew everything was going to be alright.

Seventeen

Thomas

Parking next to Clarissa’s car, Tom frowned. According to the home nurse company, someone was supposed to be here right now. Were they neglecting Clarissa’s aunt?

Getting out of his car, he smelled an unfamiliar human and vehicle, Rachel’s fresh scent mixed in. The nurse must have taken Rachel somewhere.

Going up the rickety front steps, he felt naked, showing up without something. He always brought her flowers, should he have today too? When he got her text, he was in such a rush to get here, he hadn’t thought about it.

He had scarcely enough time to ensure Nathon and Sam were spreading the word to the other shifters about Clarissa not knowing. Tom knew Maria said she’d take care of it, but he was too anxious. He’d asked Sam and Nathon to tell everyone to call their Alphas ‘boss’ instead.

Resigned that it was now too late to worry about her discovering the secret and him forgetting flowers, he knocked on the door.

He heard her run across the trailer. Why was her heart rate accelerated? Was something wrong? Perhaps that was why she wanted him to arrive early. Mentally he braced himself for whatever terrible news she was about to tell him.

The door flung open to reveal her beaming face. His breath caught. Her chestnut hair fell in a halo around her petite frame, catching stray rays of sunlight illuminating her immaculate face. Large hazel eyes stared up at him as if he’d made her whole day just by existing.

“Hi, come on in.” She opened the door wider. “I’m happy you were able to get here early, I wasn’t sure if you were busy with cooking or something.”

Remembering how to talk, he chuckled. “A cousin who just moved into the family house loves to cook. He demanded I let him be in charge of the menu. Michael all but threw me out this morning when I tried to grab breakfast.”

Thomas looked around the trailer for signs of distress or anything out of the ordinary. The only thing noteworthy was her aunt’s absence.

“Rachel’s out with a friend.”

Odd. Why did she say a friend took Rachel out, did she not want him to know she had a nurse coming to help? Whatever the reasons, he kept his mouth shut.

Clarissa cleared her throat, her face colored. “Since she’s out, I just thought it might be nice if we spent some time together.”

Tom was confused. They’d spent hours together. If she wanted to see him sooner, she didn’t have to wait for Rachel to leave. Studying her face, the blush deepened on her cheeks.

Stepping closer, she reached up on the tips of her toes and kissed him. Albeit confused, he reciprocated. Leaning into her, he opened his mouth. Tongue flicking inside to explore, she moaned. He reached one hand up to grab the back of her head, the other her waist. Grabbing his shirt, she tugged him down to her. He smiled against her lips.

“Hmmm?” she hummed.

“We’ve been together a lot lately,” he said.

“I mean alone. We’re always at the diner full of my coworkers or we’re here with Rachel. I wanted to be with you.”

An easy grin pulled at his mouth as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Warmth pooled in his chest at her words. Pulling away, he let her guide him to the small kitchen table. Scooching a chair right up next to his, she tucked herself into his side. He draped an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

For half a second, he wondered why she hadn’t taken him to the sofa, then he remembered the first time he’d been here. Sitting up late with her and Rachel talking, they’d moved into the TV room. The sofa had been unbearably uncomfortable.

That first night at the trailer, he noticed little signs of neglect and age. Cracks in the cupboards, rust on the bottom of the oven, and the odd breeze that seemed to be ever present inside, as if there was a hole in one of the walls.

He had to fight back his wolf’s urge to whisk Clarissa away with him that first night. She and Rachel both; he didn’t want them living like this, but he knew it was too soon, way too soon, to present her with the offer. His mate needed more time.

His mate?! When the hell had he started thinking of her as his mate? No, this wasn’t right, he couldn’t think of her as that. Not while she was ignorant to his hand in her life, not when she didn’t know what he really was. He needed to take a step back. He didn’t want to, but it’s what was best. She needed more time to adjust to him being in her life, and he needed more time to tell her the truth.