She was even more beautiful than he’d remembered. And she tasted even better. He forced himself to step back and take her hand.
Her cinnamon locks hung down her back in a loose braid, soft tendrils curled around her heart-shaped face. Her big hazel eyes blinked slowly as she smiled up at him. The entire world tilted on its axis and David forgot to breathe.
“Hi,” she said in her husky voice that sent waves of desire through his entire body.
His Wolf perked up, wrestling him for dominance. He closed his eyes. He knew they’d be glowing a bright gold. Fuck. David needed to exercise some control.
“David?”
“Uh, yeah, sorry, I, uh, is it warm in here,” he murmured and opened the door behind him.
“Nope,” she looked around and then back to him, “so, what’s the surprise?”
“Not yet, first things first, you hungry?”
“Yeah, I could eat,” she replied with that gorgeous little smile on her oh-so-kissable lips.
“Good, come on, let me feed you,” he grabbed his jacket and keys and took her by the hand.
“But my car?”
“We can pick it up later,” he smiled and tugged her along.
“Wow, this is an awesome car,” she said as he opened the passenger side door to his sleek, black Mercedes S65.
“Thank you,” he replied.
He never thought about it, but he guessed the luxury sports car was awesome. He’d certainly spared no expense when he had it specially ordered, but it probably seemed a little ostentatious. Fuck, if she didn’t like his car he’d trade the damn thing. He didn’t want her uncomfortable even for a second.
“So, what were you thinking for lunch?” her sweet voice interrupted his thoughts.
“You’ll see,” he smiled as he took off out of the hospital’s parking lot and headed for the east side of town.
“Tell me about your interview, did you get the job?” David asked. He was more than happy when she jumped right in and told him all about her day.
He’d called Cat to check on how Cassie’s interview went and was greeted with a barrage of questions. Most of which he answered, not wanting to piss-off his Alpha’s little sister.
Cat had gushed about Cassie and her experience. She would make a great addition to the center, Cat had told him. David had exhaled after that, feeling a mountain of tension he didn’t even know he was harboring lift off him. Now that she had employment, she’d stay. That was tantamount to his future.
David drove them to an out of the way little restaurant that sat a block away from the dark and stormy Atlantic Ocean. Pretty average for a December day on the Jersey Shore.
The lot for ‘Iamo Bella was packed for lunch. That didn’t deter David. He pulled up next to the valet and tossed his keys to the smiling young man with practiced ease.
“I’m eating in today, Tony. Park her for me, will you?” David reached the passenger door before either she or Tony touched the handle. No one, but he would help her out of the vehicle.
“Sure thing, doc,” the young man said grinning and nodding his head at Cassie.
“Her?” Cassie asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, yeah,” he laughed, “She’s a lady, all the best cars are,” he couldn’t help but grin at her raised eyebrow. He ducked down and stole another quick kiss.
Her lips were so soft and pliable, he wished they were alone, so he could explore them. Later.
“Mm, you’re delicious, asteri mu,” David smiled and tugged Cassie along with one hand on the small of her back and the other on her elbow.
She seemed shocked by his sudden affection. But she didn’t resist. Thank God. He stole a look or two as they entered the restaurant. She seemed to like the looks of the restaurant. David released yet another breath, the need to please her was almost overwhelming.
“Signore, dottore! You are here and with such a bellisma young lady, come I have your table ready,” the restaurant owner greeted him at the door.
Cassie was blushing prettily as Giovanni showed them to his usual table. David chatted with Gio while taking in Cassie’s reaction. When he’d called Giovanni for a table at the always crowded restaurant, his intention was to get Cassie an amazing meal, not impress her.
Still, he felt good when she looked at him with her wide doe eyes, eyebrows slightly raised as he beat Giovanni to her chair before the older man could move it for her. She blushed again and murmured her thanks, as if she was unused to such attention. Shit. He’d fix that. Nothing was too good for her.
“Now, dottore, you leave everything to me,” Giovanni said in his lightly accented voice, “I have a very special menu prepared for you and your lovely woman,” he smiled and walked away throwing out orders in Italian to one of his waitstaff.
“You do like Italian?” David should have asked that before he brought her there, but who didn’t like Italian food?
“Of course, my last name is DeMarco, my father’s family has roots in southern Italy on the Amalfi coast.”
“Perfect! No allergies then?”
“No, I’m healthy as a horse,” she blushed again.
“Well, no worries there, I am a doctor you know,” she laughed and relaxed visibly at his teasing. Good. He wanted her to feel at home with him. That was very important.
“So, tell me more about your day,” he was curious.
How many times had she blushed and laughed while he was at work? How many teasing smiles had he missed? His Wolf growled at the idea of anyone but him being on the receiving end of said smiles. Mine.
Cassie was both eloquent and charming as she told him of her interview. Her soft voice grew animated as she described meeting one of her new students. He knew Cat and Tate ran an excellent program.
It served to help many Wolves and Shifters, as well as, the occasional normal. With extracurricular programs like art, drama, and music being cancelled in many of the region’s public schools, as they could no longer afford to keep on their curriculum, the outreach center offered these and more to help broaden the minds of many of the young people in town. It was also excellent therapy. Music and art were great outlets for emotions and for soothing a young Shifter’s beast.
“It’s great to get teens involved in something other than snap-a-gram or whatever the heck they’re using on their cell phones. You know what I mean, anyway, I was devastated when I became a senior and Maccon City High cut out the drama program, with theatre being my major and all. This is a truly great opportunity to do something I love and give back to my hometown,” she sipped from her sparkling water and looked at David expectantly.
“I know you’ll be just perfect,” he smiled and sat back as a waiter brought them a large platter of hot and cold antipasto.
“This looks great! I am starved!”
She dug in with gusto and David exhaled, relieved again to see she ate like a real person. He’d dated far too many women, she-Wolves included, who thought they needed to eat like rabbits in front of him. He preferred her healthy appetite and voluptuous figure to any of those waifs.
“Mmm, I’m sorry, I skipped breakfast because I was nervous,” she said then moaned as she bit into a perfectly fried piece of eggplant.
“Here, have mine,” he said and put his bite to her lips. Feeding her off his fork proved to be deadly in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
The way her plump, pink lips wrapped around the piece of metal made him think about how good they’d look wrapped around his long, hard length. Fuuuckkk. And the way she moaned in pleasure when she swallowed! He damn near came in his pants.
They chatted and ate plate after plate of ‘Iamo Bella’s phenomenal food until David thought he’d die of permanent hard-on-itis. How a woman could look so fuckable when eating pasta was beyond him, but every lick of sauce off the corner of her mouth had him gritting his teeth.
When she declined dessert, confessing to not being able to eat another bite, David rose from the table, leaving two hundred-dollar bills and hurried her outside with a wave to Giovanni.
“Aren’t you going to wait for the check?” She asked as Tony pulled up the car.
“Oh, you see, Giovanni, the owner is good Pa-, people, and uh, well I delivered his grandbabies in the restaurant after closing one night when his son and wife were visiting from Miami.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’d been working forty hours straight and called in an order just as they were locking up, but Junior said he’d wait for me. I had no idea, of course, that he was here with his very pregnant wife. When I was walking in, her water broke and twenty minutes later, I was delivering the first of twin sons right in the break room. Since then, Gio insists I am his famiglia and he won’t take my money. So, I tip well and every holiday I get a card from my honorary nephews, Stefano and David.”
“Wow! I mean, seriously, doc, you’re like a superhero or something,” she shivered, and he turned the heat on a little stronger.
“Who me? Nah, just a doctor who happened to be at the right place at the right time. And some hero, I almost maimed you yesterday,” he frowned, then twitched as she touched his arm with her hand.
“Hey, that was an accident. One I’d gladly go through again if it meant meeting you,” she said in a voice so low he almost didn’t hear her. Thank God for supernatural hearing!
“Believe me, asteri mu, I’d have found you anyway,” he turned his attention back to the road and tried to ignore the sweet scent of her arousal.
That and the rapid increase in her heart rate made David question what he had planned next. He didn’t want to rush her after all.