“Your carriage awaits, little lady.” Frank holds the car door open for me. The last time I saw him he was wearing pajamas, but he’s dressed extra smart today in a full suit, which must be sweltering in this heat.
I climb inside, expecting Cole to be waiting, but he’s not there.
“Where are we heading?” I ask Frank, shifting nervously in my seat.
“Mr. Silverwood will meet you at the pack house. But otherwise, my lips are sealed.”
I gaze out the window, fighting to ignore the nerves trying to invade my system as we head through the alpha quad. When we arrive at the Silverwoods, Frank ushers me up the stairs. I’m about to use the knocker when the door flies open.
“Woah.” Cole’s jaw drops. “You look…” His Adam’s apple bobs. “Beautiful.” He stands aside. “Come in.”
I expected him to be dressed up, but he’s wearing comfy sweatpants and a plain white tee with a black apron over it.
“We have the pack house to ourselves tonight.” Cole smiles sheepishly. “I thought I’d make you dinner, and we can have a quiet night in, if that’s okay?”
“That sounds perfect.” I suck in a breath, instantly relaxing a bit now that I don’t have to worry about making any social faux pas or using the wrong cutlery. “I can go home and change?” I look down at my attire self-consciously, knowing I’m completely overdressed. “The girls thought you were taking me to a fancy restaurant in Forestville. I don’t have any really nice dresses, and I didn’t want to embarrass you, so Kady lent me this.” I’m babbling but I can’t seem to stop as my nerves bubble over. “It’s pretty, but I can’t walk well in it without looking like a waddling duck?—”
“Faye.” Cole cups my face in his giant palms, stopping my train of thoughts in their tracks. “You never have to dress to impress me. I’d love anything you wear, simply because it’s on you. But mostly, I just want to enjoy an evening having you all to myself and getting to know you better. If you feel more comfortable, I can get you one of my T-shirts to wear?”
“Yes.” His offer removes that last weight from my shoulders. “Please.”
He dashes to find me one, returning with a black tee that smells freshly laundered and is still warm from the drier. I almost pout, disappointed that it doesn’t smell like him.
“Meet me in the kitchen once you’ve changed?”
As soon as I shed the slinky dress, I feel so much more at ease. Kady’s dress was absolutely stunning, but being comfy in Cole’s T-shirt is so much better and instantly makes me feel at home.
I follow the delicious smell wafting from the kitchen to find Cole stirring a pot.
“My clothes look better on you than Kady’s.” Cole grins, checking me out. “If I had my way, you’d never be out of them.”
My cheeks feel like they’re on fire. “Something smells good.”
“I made spaghetti Bolognese,” he motions to the pot. “I’m not much of a cook, but it’s one of the best dishes I can do, or so the guys tell me. It’s almost ready, if you’d like to eat soon?”
I swing my head up and down in response. You can’t get any better than a big, comforting bowl of carbs, right? He comes around the candle-lit table to pull a chair out for me. I’m flattered to see how much effort he’s made. This definitely beats any restaurant in Forestville.
“I guess chivalry isn’t dead,” I joke, taking a seat.
“Not when I’m around,” he replies seriously. “What would you like to drink? I have some red wine or sparkling grape juice?”
“Maybe a little of both?”
“This is a special bottle.” He pours the wine first. “I don’t know a lot about wine, but Ren’s a connoisseur, and he says it pairs well with tomato sauces.” Cole returns to the pot, spooning out a little sauce to taste. After licking his lips, he adds an extra crack of black pepper. “It’s all done.” He grabs two bowls. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.” I’m practically salivating from the rich smell filling the room.
“This is the first time a guy has ever cooked for me,” I say as he serves up the steaming pasta.
“You’d better get used to it.” Cole takes the seat opposite me. “Although we tend to eat out most of the time. When we leave SVU, we’ll probably hire a private chef. We have one over the holidays because we’re so busy.”
“Mmm,” I moan after taking my first bite. “So good.”
Cole’s adorable dimple appears as he smiles proudly. With the candles casting a warm glow over his features, he’s even more gorgeous.
“So where do you guys spend the holidays?” I ask, remembering that the purpose of tonight is getting to know each other, not drooling over him.
“For the past few years, we’ve spent most of our time in Saltwave Bay, close to the Maverick’s house.” He takes a sip of his juice. “I invested in real estate with some of my trust fund, so I have apartments and houses all over that we sometimes stay in too.”
