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Liza laughed as she took the flowers, her fingers brushing against my hand. “Thank you. Do you mind if I put them in some water before we leave?”
“Sure, no problem.” I followed her just inside and waited as she arranged the flowers in a glass vase and displayed them on her mantle.
“Shall we?” I extended my arm, and she took it without hesitation. We walked to the car in silence, an electricity sparking between us that made it difficult for me to think. Being this near to her was torture. “Mate!” my wolf growled in the back of my mind, but I ignored him and focused on opening the car door for her instead.
On the drive to the restaurant we talked about our day and what we’d been up to since we’d last seen each other. Liza laughed at some of my stories, and I found myself craving to know more about her.
I parked, got out and then opened the car door for Liza. My fingers grazed her waist and across her lower back as we were led to our table in the back corner. I was grateful that the place was pretty quiet—I didn’t want any distractions tonight.
I studied her face in the candlelight. Liza was off-the-charts gorgeous. Her piercing blue eyes were like pools of crystal-clear water that seemed to shimmer and dance as the light shone on them. Her eyes held a depth that was both serene and alluring, drawing me closer to her with each passing moment. They were a reflection of her soul, revealing a beauty and purity I’d never encountered.
Her platinum blonde hair was board straight, cascading like a waterfall down to her full breasts. The sleeveless dress dipped low enough in the front to reveal a hint of cleavage, and even lower in the back, showing off acres of smooth, firm skin.
I shifted in my seat and glanced around the room, trying to focus on something, anything to keep me from sporting a massive boner in the middle of the restaurant.
“So, I’ve been wondering something, Ty.” Liza cocked an eyebrow as though asking permission to ask the question, then leaned forward as if she were really interested. The idea that she cared about anything relating to me was as intoxicating as any alcohol I’d ever had to drink. “Do you enjoy your job? Every time you talk about it, you seem a little flustered.”
That she’d paid attention when no one else ever really had caught me off guard. “I enjoy it well enough. This week has been a little more intense, though.”
Liza propped her chin on her hand. “Why is that?”
“I’m picking up a lot of slack since Dad’s accident, so I’m visiting most of our businesses daily. Gotta keep up appearances for the family, you know?”
She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
I sighed. “Everyone expects the alpha to be strong and on top of anything thrown in his direction.” I never understood how many things were thrown at him in a day. “And with Dad becoming frailer, others will now see him in a negative light. I intend to keep that from happening.” It was more than an intention. It was an obligation.
“That’s got to be difficult. Sounds like you have the weight of your family on your shoulders.” Liza took a sip of water, her lips parting ever so slightly. Every muscle I possessed tensed.
Shit. Her body was more distraction than I needed—than I could take.
I nodded. “It’s been difficult, but I’m grateful I’m available to take care of things. What about you? Are you happily walking down the path of your chosen career?”
Liza’s eyes danced with joy. “Yes, actually. I wouldn’t trade it for any other job.”
“What got you started? Did you always know you’d become a chef?”
Before she could answer, the waitress arrived for our orders. “Miss, what would you like?”
Liza smiled down at the menu. “I’ll have the lasagna and a side of fried calamari.” She lowered her menu and looked at me. “Ty, you have to try the lasagna. It’s out of this world.”
I closed my menu and handed it to the waitress. “I can’t argue with a chef. I’ll have what she’s having.”
The waitress took our menus, and Liza turned her attention back to me. “To answer your question, I wasn’t always sure I’d be a chef. I enjoyed playing pretend when I was a child and cooking meals for my parents that were actually just random weeds I’d plucked from the garden. My parents made me take part in so many different activities, clubs, and sports in high school, I was exposed to a number of possible career paths.”
“So, what was the deciding factor?” A sly grin spread across my face. “Were you hoping to become a professional softball player?” I wanted to know everything about her, every thought, and every desire. Of course, I wanted to know about the desires, but never before had I felt so strongly about knowing a woman’s thoughts. On one hand, it worried me, but on the other, I was excited at the prospect.
Liza chuckled, her voice softening. “No. If you must know, I made a meal for the family who lived across the street when they were sick. I found so much satisfaction in making something from scratch that brought them comfort. That’s when I knew it was my calling.”
“If you want to speak of callings, I used to dream about becoming a professional football player. I played in high school with your brothers, and there’s nothing in the world that will make a guy realize he’s not good at something quite like lying on his back, gasping for air because he got tackled by a Mims man. Thanks to them, I figured out pretty quickly that I was shit at football.” I watched as Liza tried to make the connection.
“You know my brothers?”
“Oh, yeah. We attended several sports camps together.” I grinned, enjoying having a piece of new information for Liza. “They’re good guys.”
She nodded. “They’re the best. A little overprotective, but they’re the most fantastic brothers in the world. Which reminds me… they’re coming home for summer break.”
I found myself entranced by her smile, her laughter. She could’ve been saying the same words over and over again and I would’ve sat there like a fucking idiot, grinning from ear to ear. Her laughter was so contagious that I found more and more ways to bring it out of her. By the end of the date, I was pulling jokes out of my brain I hadn’t told in years. Liza thought they were hilarious, which only made me want her more.
