“Well, this one is really special.”
“You look really pleased with yourself,” she said with a chuckle.
“I am! It came to me earlier today, and I couldn’t wait to share it with you. I already took pics for social media, but I didn’t post them yet because I wanted to surprise you.”
“I’m ready whenever you are.”
He set a plate with a metal dome over it in front of her.
“Ready?” he asked, his brows high, his eyes bright with excitement.
“Yes, already!”
Lifting the dome, he said with a reverent voice, “I present to you, my sweet mate, The Juliette Melt.”
She stared down at the burger and her mouth immediately watered at the sight. And then she realized the name.
“You named it after me?”
“Yep.” He set the dome behind him on the counter and said, “Third-pound patty, caramelized onions, and two slices of gruyere, on toasted brioche with a generous smear of garlic butter and a bit of mayo. And I went with steak fries.”
“Oh, it’s really a gorgeous burger. I love gruyere!”
“Try it, baby.”
She lifted the burger and inhaled the scents of grilled meat and sweet, buttery onions and garlic, and then took a bite.
She’d loved the Blue Monster, but the Juliette Melt? It was so good it took her breath away.
Finishing her bite, she said, “I love it. It’s amazing!”
He pumped his fist. “Yes! I’m so happy.” He cupped her face and kissed her, then pulled out his phone. “Posted, baby. You’ve officially got a burger named after you.”
“You don’t have one for yourself, though,” she pointed out, then took another bite.
“The Blue Monster is mine, though. Maybe I should have called it the Blue Sigh.”
She laughed.
He got back to work while she ate and they talked about their days, the tavern, and being part of the pack. When he took his break a little while later, they sat on the picnic table in the back with drinks and made plans for the weekend.
“I wish I could take off weekend nights,” he said with a grumble. “So we could go out on dates.”
“I’ve got Sunday and Monday off from the bookstore, so we can go on lunch dates on those days since The Howl doesn’t open until four. We’ll make that our weekend.”
“That sounds good. And maybe I can take a long break on the occasional Friday or Saturday and actually take you out.”
She leaned over to kiss him. “I love that.” Hooking her arms around his neck, she smiled at him. “Did I tell you how much I love you?”
“Right after I rocked your world before work this afternoon. I love you too.”
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Osiris. I’m so glad I met you.”
He kneaded her waist with his hands, his eyes simmering with the amber of his wolf. “I’m unbelievably glad I met you, too, Juliette.”
She kissed him, thinking how ironic it was the burger he’d made for her was named the Juliette Melt. She sure did melt whenever he touched her.
Her sweet, sexy wolf.
