Matt launched into a vivid description of everything he loved about the town, the mountains, and the forests. “The Thornbergs were here when the town was founded. It’s a part of us. And we’re a part of it.”
Tessa took another sip of her wine, her eyes out of focus as if she were turning his words into pictures. “I can see why you’re so rooted here. There’s something special about this place.”
They ate in companionable silence for a while. Yet beneath the quiet, Matt could feel something building between them—words unspoken, questions unasked.
Making small talk feels like we’re skirting around what we really want to say,Matt said to his bear.
Then say it,his bear urged.
Not until after dessert,Matt replied firmly.
When the main course was finished, Matt brought out dessert—individual chocolate soufflés with a molten center, topped with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Tessa’s eyes widened at the sight.
“You made these?” she asked, clearly impressed.
Matt nodded, watching as she took her first bite. Her eyes closed briefly in appreciation, and the small sound of pleasure she made sent heat coursing through him.
Throughout dessert, their eyes met and held with increasing frequency, each glance lasting a heartbeat longer than the last. The tension between them was palpable now, like a living, breathing thing.
When they finished eating, Tessa stood to help him clear the table. “Let me,” she insisted when he protested.
They moved around each other in the small kitchen, plates and glasses in hand. As they reached the sink at the same time, they nearly collided. Matt caught her by the shoulders to steady her, the plates forgotten as they stood face to face.
Tessa looked up at him, her eyes wide and dark in the candlelight. A strand of hair had escaped her bun, curling against her cheek. Matt reached up slowly, tucking it behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her skin.
“Tessa,” he whispered.
She leaned into his touch, her eyes never leaving his. Matt bent his head, closing the distance between them until his lips met hers in a kiss that started gently but quickly deepened with shared hunger.
His bear roared in triumph as Matt wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer. This kiss was different from the one they’d shared on the lookout—more certain, more demanding. Tessa’s hands slid up his chest to curl around his neck, her body fitting against his as if made for him.
And she was. She was made for him. His mate, his perfect match. The knowledge burned through him with absolute certainty as the kiss deepened, leaving them both breathless when they finally pulled apart.
“I’ve been wanting to do that again since you got here,” Matt admitted, his forehead resting against hers.
“Me too,” Tessa whispered, her fingers still playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
The dishes could wait. Everything could wait.
No,his bear said.There is one thing that cannot wait.
His bear was right. As much as he wanted to carry Tessa to bed and make love to her right now, he owed her the truth first.
And then… Then he would claim her.
Chapter Seventeen – Tessa
Tessa rested her head on Matt’s chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart while hers thumped erratically. Kissing Matt had not been on the menu tonight.
It had just happened.
Who was she kidding? After their shared kiss at the lookout earlier, the kiss was definitely on the menu. It was the appetizer. Now she was ready to have her main course…and an oh so sweet dessert.
All she needed was the courage to take the next bite.
Tessa took a breath to steady her nerves and tilted her head to look up at him. The heat in his eyes told her what she needed to know. He wanted to devour her, too.
And she wanted to be devoured.
