“You look gorgeous,” Gage said behind the menu. “I wouldn't be surprised if you caused a few accidents on the street tonight.”
Gage had a dark, almost gloomy way of speaking that could easily be interpreted as boredom. But Rylee felt she already knew him well enough to know that his words had meaning, every single one, and that monotone timbre of his voice was something to be sought after.
Especially the way it vibrated in bed.
Rylee smiled, her skin feeling a flash of perspiration cast over it.
“I certainly hope not,” she said, trying to reply coolly.
She could see his eyes, his curious animalistic eyes hovering over the menu, watching her. There was never a time in her life when she felt good about being watched by a man, but the way Gage looked at her was titillating. He was making her wet, and her skin prickled with desire.
She flicked her gaze toward him, trying to show him that she was a match for his stimulating magnetism.
“You’re the only person I want to knock over tonight,” Rylee said, her voice raspy.
Gage remained immovable but laughed subtly.
“What looks good tonight?” she asked.
“Hmm,” Gage said, almost grunting. “Steak is always good to me. Do you like big slabs of meat?”
Rylee shot her glare back at him. He had closed the menu, placed it down, and cupped his hands on the table. He was challenging her, and Rylee was so excited about impressing him.
She placed her menu down and folded it closed. She leaned against the table, her breasts sitting on it like a push-up bra, her lavish cleavage fresh and open to his ravenous eyes. She kept her voice low but maintained eye contact, her heart ready to rip out of her chest.
“I do tend to,” she whispered. “But it depends, to me, how it's handled.”
Rylee brought her finger to her to the center of her chest and then slowly ran it down her body. When she arrived at her cleavage, she traced along the long line, watching, hoping to break his gaze.
She was finally able to, catching him looking down for a flicker of a second, his eyes brightening with excitement.
“I think you know a lot about handling,” she murmured.
Gage licked his lips and sighed. Rylee leaned back in the booth, imitating his position with her hands cupped in front of her.
“My, my,” he growled. “You are delicious, aren’t you?”
EIGHT
GAGE
Gage made sure he got himself nice and primped up for his date with Rylee. He noticed how much extra care he was taking in looking good for her, which wasn’t something he was used to doing. He had no idea how to woo a woman and had never been called a playboy in his life.
He also knew that Rylee wasn’t just some woman. He knew the second he caught her scent that she was something special, something cosmically designed just for him. It was a feeling difficult to describe to other humans. It was akin to love at first sight but much more intense and meaningful.
Gage set out in his car alone after Rylee was adamant over text that she wanted to arrive on her own. A part of him was thankful for it, knowing that being alone with her could be dangerous for his bear self. He couldn’t resist her in his office when they first met, so there was no way he could resist after watching her slip into his car, beautiful bare legs and all.
He drove to the restaurant, feeling surprisingly nervous. He didn’t know what he was doing at all, really. He wished he had asked Talon or another one of the boys about how to act on a fucking date. Should he have picked her up anyway despite her conviction for him not to? Should he have brought flowers?
“For fuck's sake,” Gage whispered to himself.
He felt empty-handed as he walked into the establishment. He was glad he had at least decided to show up early. He would have looked like a complete tool if he wasn’t there to meet her.
But that was the military man in him. That was the same person who still made sure his clothing was iron pressed and that he got up at the same time every day, even on weekends. It was something he thought would fade away but had, instead, held onto him like grim death.
Gage ordered a whiskey while he waited for Rylee. He told himself that he couldn’t lean too far into the mate concept just yet since she had no idea he was even a shifter. That would be a lot for a woman to hear, especially only on the second date. But he had feelings for her right off the bat. There had to be a way to get that across to her without scaring her.
Gage immediately caught her sunny, sand-soaked scent as she walked through the front door. He flicked his eyes upward and followed the hovering beauty intently, his heart moving into his throat, his cock twitching beneath his dress pants. She was wearing a long trench coat, and he had to resist the urge to lick his lips as he imagined what was beneath it.