He chuckled. “Yeah, I do but brother here.”
I offered my arm on the way to the car. I opened the car for her and she brushed past me getting in, making her scent and mine kick up a few notches.
Once we were in the car, I turned to her. “You have two choices. Italian or Greek. Italian is choice one or Greek is choice two. Or there’s a choice three where you don’t want either and we find something else you want.”
She smiled, lighting up the whole damned world and held up one finger. One. Italian. Yeah, we couldsodo this communication thing.
On the ride to the restaurant, she turned to look at me several times. Her fingers curled and unfurled into a fist. “Can I hold your hand?” I asked. Consent was everything to an omega down to hand-holding, at least, in my experience. Touching them was a privilege I didn’t take lightly.
Instead of answering, she threaded her fingers with mine and laid our hands over her thigh.
At the restaurant, we were seated in a dark corner and I was glad for it. I wanted this date to be as private as possible while maintaining her sense of security. While we were bonded and sure, beyond a doubt, that we were fated mates, she didn’t know us very well yet.
“Did you paint today?” I asked as the waiter walked away. She had pointed out what she wanted to me and I ordered for us both at her prompting.
She took out her phone and opened the notes app.I did. A lot, actually. I did a good number of cards with three wolves on them.
“Is that right? Three white wolves?” Nodding, she wrung her hands in her lap. I slid one of mine in between them. “No need to be shy. I’ve been thinking about you all day as well.”
Sylvia’s scent was powerful tonight, and I wondered for a second if she might have a heat coming on. She was on suppressants. I knew because I could smell them through her own scent, the twinge of chemicals muting her omega smell, but once an omega found her scent match, it was only a matter of time before the suppressants and scent blockers were of no use. Nature always won, no matter how much we tried to fight her.
Our food was delivered to the table and she smiled at the waiter, setting off a streak of jealousy inside me. It would be that way until she and I both were marked and maybe beyond that, but underneath the human exterior, I was a wolf man, after all. It kind of came with the territory, though I was trying to keep it in check.
Sylvia got on her phone, typing something. She showed it to me and I nearly fainted.
No need for jealousy. I’m here with you. No growling either.
I looked up at her and she was smiling. Blush in full force. “I can’t help it.” I reached around her back and grabbed her hip, pulling her flush against me in the booth. “There. Just in case he has any ideas.”
Through dinner, we talked about Sylvia and her dreams. She wanted to paint full time, but there was also a part of her that wanted to go to school for art history. I told her she could do any of that she wanted to and we would support her.
She refused dessert but I ordered her some tiramisu to go anyway.
The whole night, our scents intermingled until they melted into one. We talked about everything and even though she used her phone, it was like we’d known each other forever. And if I had my way, we would know each other forever.
She held my hand in between hers the whole ride home. Something had changed that night between us. We’d gone from potential to surety and I was all in for it.
Hell, I was in love with her already.
We parked and I noticed there was a car missing. She typed on her phone that the pack took Lily on a date. Rumor had the baby.
“Do you want to go in?” I asked, hoping that she didn’t. I knew it was a lot to ask, but I wanted to kiss my female more than I’d ever wanted anything.
But it was all up to her.
“Not yet.” She typed and turned to look at me. Her gaze dipped down to my lips and I inhaled, taking in all her scent. Moonlight shone through her window, giving a halo effect. Lighting her up like she was my own angel.
“Sylvia, can I kiss you?”
I wondered how long you would take, alpha.
I unclipped my seat belt and turned to face her. Cupping her face with my hands, I leaned forward. “You are so damned beautiful, omega. I can’t believe you’re mine.” Then I pressed my mouth to hers. Her lips were soft and supple. She reached out and fisted the front of my shirt and what I’d intended as a chastekiss, a first-date kiss, soon became open mouths, tongues, and heavy breathing.
I considered dragging her over the console onto my lap, when a set of headlights beamed into the car. She tore away from me with wide eyes. Her lips were pinked and puffy. “That’s your family,” I said.
I have to go but thank you for a great first date. My first ever.
“It was my pleasure, Sylvia. Go on in before I put this car in reverse and kidnap you,” I said, laughing. “Tonight was incredible.”
