I Stole the Alpha's Car (18+)|✔️

Chapter 12

Our food arrived, and as I raised my first bite to my lips, I closed my eyes and savored the warm herbed goodness of the breading, the brief resistance of the crab against my teeth, and the salty sweet tang of Old Bay seasoning. I swallowed, feeling my lips curve into a satisfied smile.

Opening my eyes, my breath hitched when I saw the raw desire on his face.

"You need to stop looking at me like that."

His voice came out gravelly, "Believe me, I'm trying."

Sticking his fork into his beautifully plated lamb shank he pulled off a piece of tender meat as easily as if he'd been slicing through butter.

"So, we've talked about me. What about you? What do you do?"

"At the moment? Nothing." I swallowed a sip of my bubbly and continued, "I had plans but due to unforeseen circumstances," I gestured toward him, "they aren't going to pan out."

"I truly am sorry about that-"

"Don't be," I interrupted. "I was mad at you, but what's the point? You had no more control over this than I did."

"Well, what were you going to do?"

"I was going to move out to Wyoming to be with Evan."

He barely hid his grimace. "Your boyfriend?"

"Yeah. Or ex now, I guess." I looked out over the city. "It's so weird. I was so sure it was going to be him."

"I have to say, I don't get it. He's such a mouthy little bastard."

I look back at Dwayne, eyebrow raised.

"I spoke with him," he explained, "when I was in my own panic mode."

"Oh?"

"He was very... protective of you."

I smile wistfully, "He's a good kid."

"I'm sure he is." Dwayne took a sip of his wine. "But, if I'm ever in the same room as him, I might try to teach him some manners."

Grinning, I asked, "What did he say to you?"

"Nothing that I'm going to repeat in polite company."

I shook my head and smiled, taking another bite of my entrée.

"What about your ambitions?" He asked. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but you don't strike me as the kind of woman to be satisfied playing housewife."

"I-uh." I looked around the restaurant. "I kinda want to run a place like this."

"Really?"

I nodded, "I've got a couple years of kitchen experience, and I just graduated with my associates in culinary arts."

He leaned back and sipped his wine. "Chef Lauren."

My lips curved in a wry smile. "I know you might find this hard to believe, but I actually thrive under pressure."

He raised his eyebrows, "I'm having a very hard time believing that, honestly."

I chuckled, "Okay, let me amend that – I thrive under predictable, low-stakes pressure."

"Now, see, that I could buy."

I must have glanced once too often at his lamb shank, because he held his hand across the table, "Your fork."

Blushing slightly, I turned the implement handle-first and placed it in his fingers.

He took it, carving off a mouthful of meat before dragging it through the sauce.

Holding it across the table, he presented me with a choice: take the bite directly off of the fork, or take the fork and risk touching him.

Every second ticking past made it more and more likely that his incredibly tempting mouthful would fall onto the tablecloth.

And that would be sacrilege.

Reacting on instinct, I leaned forward and took the forkful in my mouth.

As my lips pressed against the metal tines, the warm, tender flesh of the lamb fell to pieces in my mouth. Notes of tomato, olive and cucumber melded with the sweet heat of a pepper I couldn't name, all topped off with the cool, fresh bite of mint.

Dwayne looked on, enraptured, eyes ravenously devouring me.

"God, I could watch you eat all day."

I shook my head slowly, savoring the flavors. Reaching across the table, I took and sampled his cabernet sauvignon, knowing he was too distracted to mind.

Inez had done her job well. I tasted high mountains, dark chocolate and sweet, tart berries ripening on the vine.

Everyone raves about the shifting part of lycanthropy, the sweet, fierce ache that takes us from human to wolf. Not enough people respect the truly decadent wonder of our heightened senses.

Setting his glass back on his side of the table, I rubbed my tongue along my teeth, trying to collect my thoughts.

"How do sheep ever reach adulthood when their babies taste this good?"

His laughter rattled the silverware.