“Nick Carver.” She said his name aloud, liking the sound of it on her tongue.
“I’m Gina Malone. Nice to meet you.”
“Would you allow me to take you out for dinner, Gina?”Nick asked.
Throwing caution to the wind, she stepped out of her comfort zone and said yes to the dinner date. He would pick her up at six o’clock. That gave her a few hours to rest and get ready for an evening out on the town.
If she was expected to stay up past eight, she was going to need a quick cat nap. Despite the excitement surging through her system, she quickly drifted off to sleep once her mind was made up.
An hour later, she popped out of bed and headed straight for the shower with a bounce in her step. The prospect of having a date was exciting, but a date with Nick … swoon-worthy Nick … was an entirely different thing. If she hadn’t cast that spell, she would have shot him down and told him no quicker than a bug hitting a windshield on a highway.
She didn’t do or date hot guys. They had always been strictly off limits after getting burned before. But Gina had to believe that it was her spell at play. That was why Nick had asked her out. She had certainly never seen him in town before. He was someone she would have noticed. He hadthatkind of air about him.
Hell, every woman in town probably noticed him. He was that freaking hot.
She rushed through her shower routine and quickly set about making her hair look presentable instead of keeping it in the same moppy, soaked looked she was currently sporting.
There was a gentle knock on her door. “Hey, Gina. Are you awake?” Maggie asked.
“Yep. Come on in,” she called out.
“I wanted to see if you wanted to go out and grab something for dinner tonight?” Maggie asked as she entered the room.
Gina panicked. Of all the nights, Maggie had to ask her to go out tonight.
Shit, shit, shit,she thought. She had wanted to keep her plans with Nick to herself, but she also didn’t want to lie to Maggie.
“Oh, sorry. I have plans tonight.” She decided to be straightforward with Maggie, who was quickly becoming her new best friend. She really did not want to lie to her.
“The hottie you met at the café?” Maggie asked with an arched eyebrow and a knowing smile.
“Yeah, but I was hoping to keep it to myself for now. Just until I see if there’s anything there.”
“I totally get it. The last thing you need is Annie riding your ass for info when you’re not even sure if you’re interested.” Maggie leaned against the door frame.
“Exactly! I mean, I love Annie and all, but holy balls! She is persistent. I just don’t want to encourage her level of drama over a first date. What if he turns out to be a total ass?”
Maggie laughed. “That’s an understatement. I know she means well, but sometimes you just need to tell her to back off. That’s what I did, and she stopped bugging the fuck out of me to find a guy. I’m just not ready. I’m sure I will be one day, but today is not that day. Anyway, you have fun tonight. If you need an escape, just text me with an H for help, and I’ll call back with some sort of emergency.”
“Thanks! Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
* * *
Nick paced back and forth,deciding on a third cold shower. Ever since he had met Gina, he had one thing, and one thing only, on his mind. How the hell could he get her under him pronto?
The second he caught her scent, his bear went fucking wild, wanting to claim his mate. The will of his bear was a force to be reckoned with. Never before had he fought so damn hard to keep his animal in check. He had gripped the table, hoping like hell his mate hadn’t noticed the indents his fingers put in the hardwood.
He checked his watch again, seeing if it was time for him to leave yet. It wasn’t. Not even close.
“Arf.” Odin barked at him, pulling his mind away from the clock, which seemed to be running backward.
“I know. I know. I need to chill, but I can’t. Odin, I know you don’t understand, but I’ve never felt anything like this in my entire life. I need to be near her. I need to see her, to touch her. This overwhelming feeling that I have to protect her is killing me.”
He was going out of his fucking mind playing the waiting game. Sure, he could’ve puttered around at the bar, but there wasn’t much he could do until he had Makayla sign off on the new menu.
Over the past few days, he’d come up with a name for the bar and grill, created all the signage, and was pretty much ready to rock and roll. He was counting the days until Saints and Sinners opened in the hotel.
It had always been his dream to run his own bar and grill, and while it wasn’t technically his, he was working to build it from the ground up, and Makayla was giving him free rein. He didn’t technically need her approval for the menu, but he wanted it.