She took another sip of her drink and continued.
“They were both from Miami originally and both have family in the city, so Dad had a house built here. We moved into it when I was twelve and we’ve been here ever since, though my dad flies to New York and L.A. often for business still. What about you?”
Sloane shook his head. “I’m from Alaska originally.”
“Really? I can see that. What with, you know,” she dropped her voice to a mock whisper, “the polar bear thing.”
Sloane chuckled.
“What on earth made you move to Miami?”
“My dad died when I was eight.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“Mom didn’t handle it too well,” Sloane said. “Which is not too surprising. She had four kids, with me being the oldest at eight, and my sister the youngest at three, and everywhere she turned just reminded her of Dad.”
“That’s so sad.”
Sloane nodded. “Mom was a qualified marine biologist and got offered a job here in Miami. At first, she didn’t want to move because her whole life was there, you know? Her job, her family and friends. But in the end, she decided to give it a go. She packed us all up and came down here and that was that. We never moved back.”
“Did she ever remarry?”
Sloane sighed. “No, and she’s not likely to, either.”
“Why not?”
Sloane held Ray’s gaze and explained. “Because no one can replace a shifter’s mate.”
They stared at one another for a long moment before Sloane finally looked away. Their conversation had become far too serious for a first date, even if it was with his mate. Or maybe it was a second date, if you counted the whole kidnap thing. Still, Sloane thought it best to lighten the mood.
“So, when you first saw me, how much did you want to jump my bones? Be honest—I can take it.”
Ray’s mouth fell open, and then she threw her head back and laughed. Sloane grinned. That was more like it.
“Well, if you want the truth, I thought you were drop dead gorgeous. But that was irrelevant because at first I thought you were a hooligan, then a madman.”
“Ouch. And now?”
“Now, I think you’re something else.”
“And what might that something else be exactly?” he pressed.
She sighed. “Pretty damn amazing.”
“Now we’re talking.”
To his delight, Ray laughed again, and Sloane was sure there was no greater sound in the entire world. And if she’d been beautiful before, it was nothing to how she was when her face lit up with amusement, and her eyes crinkled with mirth.
“Hey, what did you tell everyone about being kidnapped?”
She pursed her lips. “I told them that my new boyfriend carried me off when he saw me out with another man to try to convince me to pick him. When they asked why I was with the other man, I said that I’d only met with Jack to break up with him. I said I hadn’t told you that my father was a billionaire, so you had no idea what trouble you were causing with the caveman routine. I apologized for making people worry and for wasting police time.”
“Wow, and they bought all that?”
“You’d be surprised at what the daughter of a billionaire can get away with. Mostly, the police think we’re all airheads who haven’t got the brain cells we were born with. I could see them literally shaking their heads in dismay.” She shrugged. “They were probably relieved I wasn’t their daughter.”
“I was half expecting a visit from the police last night. Thank you for not giving them my name.”
