The world around them stopped.
He stared into her eyes, and she stared back.
After a charged moment, Rena slid her hands back. “Like a queen.” She nodded, her voice hoarse. “I’ll definitely tell her that.” She stared at him. “Would you like to meet her?”
He felt them taking a step closer to that relationship he desperately wanted. “Meet your mother?”
“Ja,” she teased.
He chuckled. “I would, very much.”
“I’ll tell her. She’s a mean cook.”
“Like you?”
“I’m not bad. My mom can make a tin can taste good.”
“Then by all means, we should meet her for dinner.”
Rena shook her finger at him. “Just remember, she’s my mom, even if she looks more like my prettier older sister.”
Axel didn’t like hearing that. How could Rena not realize how beautiful she was to him? “Nein.No one is prettier than you.”
“Oh stop.” But he could see the compliment pleased her. “Not to change the subject, but about your cat…”
He groaned. “It’s not my cat.”
“What are you going to name her?”
“She’s not mine to name.”
“How about Lady, since she’s the lady of the house you got her?” She gave him a smirk. “Or did you make it? Because it’s wooden and not something plastic you might get at the store.” She laughed. “Ha. I can see you blushing.”
“I’m not blushing.”
“You totally are.” That dimple winked at him.
“It’s not fair that you get cuter when you’re smug. You should be hideous and harpy-like so I can banish you to the underworld.”
She blinked. “Did you sayunderworld?”
“I like fantasy movies.” And the Viking romance book he’d borrowed from her collection last week had been written with a touch of fantasy and used the wordunderworld—which struck a chord. Almost as big a lure as all the wild, unprotected sex the characters had gotten up to. He needed to read the sequel and wondered if she owned it.
More, he wondered if she’d be up for recreating the many sexual positions and acts the characters had performed.
“What isthatlook for?” she asked, leaning back.
He tried to clear the lust from his expression. “Look?”
“Never mind.” She glanced away and said half under her breath, “I know exactly what that look meant.”
“Did I—”
“Oh my God.It’s him.” A young woman stood next to the table, staring at him.
“Jenna, it is!” Her friend stared as well.
“Can we help you ladies?” Rena asked in a more polite tone than he would have used.
