“I’m fine.” He slid his thumb along her knuckles. “I’ll be right as rain in a few days.”
Lucy eyed him for a moment, her face circumspect, and Cade wondered what she was thinking.
“Look, this might be a little forward.” He admitted. “But I’m really enjoying your company. Would you be up for—”
“Yes.” She smiled, not even letting him finish the sentence. Then she blushed prettily, dropping her gaze as she realized what she’d done. “I mean, I’d love to… see you… sometime.”
When her eyes flashed back up to his, Cade felt it in his core. The connection, the heat. The desire. He calculated the distance to his house on the edge of town, predicting how quickly he could get them there and determining which path would attract the least amount of attention.
“Or now.” Lucy smiled.
“I’d love to invite you to my place.” Cade wasn’t sure they were having the same conversation, but he liked where things were and where they seemed to be heading. Liked that look in her eyes, liked the way her scent had deepened, the way her breasts rose and fell as her breath changed.
“That would be nice.” She whispered, blooming for him right there at the table.
Cade bit back a growl as the thought of parading her through the riffraff in the cafe flitted through his mind. It was hard enough the first time they’d walked through with all those male’s eyes on his mate. He shook his head. Not his mate. Not yet. He may have staked a bit of a claim by holding her, but until he actually mated her, she was fair game, wasn’t she?
“Do we need to bus our table?”
Lucy’s innocent inquiry brought him back to the moment, back to her gorgeous eyes and soft smile. She really was a good human.
“No.” Damn, his voice was husky. “Lenora’ll get it.”
Lucy glanced over his shoulder. “Is that an exit? That gate?”
Cade grinned, liking the way she thought.
“It is indeed.” He smiled, rising from his chair. “Shall we?”
He liked the way Lucy sidled up to him, but he didn’t like how much of her coffee and croissant were left untouched. He wanted to provide for her the way she’d provided for him. No, heneededto provide for her in the way of his people.
“Wait a minute,” he stopped her before she took his hand. “Why don’t we finish our coffee first?”
As much as he wanted to take her home and get them naked, he needed to slow the fuck down. There were things that needed explaining before they jumped into bed together. Some pretty fucking big things. But as Lucy settled back in her chair, he started with the small ones first.
“So, how long have you lived here?”
“Oh my goodness,” she giggled. “You’re so right.” Lucy cupped her hands around her mug, that sweet blush on her cheeks again. “Um, I just moved in a few weeks ago, but I’ve had renovations going for a couple of months.”
“Renovations?” Cade took a sip of his coffee, remembering her bedroom, with its natural fibers and luxurious vibe. There’d been something cozy and den-like about the airy and serene space that had appealed to him. Probably because he’d been laying on her comfortable bed, surrounded by her intoxicating scent.
“It was my grandfather’s place.” Lucy focused on her cup. “Yayo took good care of things but, well,” she glanced up with a smile, “let’s just say we had differing tastes.”
“Not a fan of standard cabin decor, huh?” He chuckled.
“No.” she laughed, reaching for her croissant. “I don’t actually get that aesthetic either. I mean, just because you’re surrounded by wildlife doesn’t mean you need to hang it on your walls. Dead creatures and hunting and fishing gear aren’t my idea of art at all.”
Cade laughed along with Lucy.
“What about you?” She asked. “How long have you lived here?”
“Since I was a kid.”
“So you must know the area well.” She took another sip of her coffee. “I was thinking it’d be fun to try out Wheeler Peak. You ever been there?”
“I have.” He nodded. “And I’d love to take you sometime.”
The thought of her going alone got his hackles up. That hike was at least a six-hour trek round-trip, with an elevation gain of nearly three-thousand feet, not to mention the drive to Taos to access the trailhead. No way was he going to let her do any of that on her own.
