Chapter 6

SIX

T hey started sharing the tiramisu, the explosive chemistry between them growing hotter by the second.

Lena tried her best to focus on the delicate flavor of the sweet meal they were sharing, but Alex's gaze across the table was a distracting spice she hadn't anticipated. It was during this back and forth, the playful war over the last bite of dessert, that Alex's demeanor shifted ever so slightly.

"Lena," he said, his voice a low murmur that was almost drowned out by the clinking of dishes in the background. "There's something you should know about me."

"Oh?" it was hard to put words together with his thumb caressing her palm in erotic circles. "What's that?"

"It's very personal," he said, his voice low, gruff. She met his gaze and the heat at the pit of her stomach spread through her limbs. "I hope it won't change the way you see me."

Curiosity piqued, Lena leaned in, a half-eaten spoonful of tiramisu hovering forgotten at her lips. She swallowed at the anxiety growing inside her. "If you tell me you're secretly a superhero, I'm prepared to be thoroughly impressed."

Alex chuckled, but there was a seriousness to his eyes that hadn't been there before. "Not quite a superhero, but I do have... abilities that are out of the ordinary."

The air between them thickened with intrigue. Did he…did he have a forked tongue? God, she hoped so. Lena found herself caught in the gravity of the moment. "Abilities? Like, you can juggle fireballs or read minds?"

Maybe he really was a superhero. He resembled a very sexy Dark Knight.

"Nothing so flashy," he replied. "I'm a shifter. A wolf."

Lena's spoon clattered onto her plate, a small part of her wondering if this was some elaborate joke. The look in Alex's eyes, however, told a different story—one of vulnerability and truth. She knew about shifters, of course; they were woven through the fabric of her beloved fantasy novels, but to meet one in the flesh was a plot twist she hadn't seen coming. She didn't even know anyone who knew any shifters. Everyone talked about them but they were very private and secretive. Only the chosen few knew who they were.

A cocktail of emotions swirled within her—surprise, disbelief, and an underlying current of fear. Yet, looking at Alex, the man who had captivated her with his quiet strength and quick wit, she felt an undeniable pull, a curiosity that was eager to leap before looking.

"So, you're telling me you turn into a big bad wolf?" Lena teased, trying to lighten the mood while her mind raced. "Do I need to be worried about my heart or just my grandmother's house?"

Alex's lips twitched into a smile, and he reached across the table, taking both her hands in his. His touch was reassuringly warm and solid. "Only if she lives in a cottage in the woods," he played along, his voice so gruff it made her squeeze her legs together. She'd never had a guy's voice make her body tremble before. "I promise, I'm not big or bad," he licked his spoon. "All the time. But I am quite protective of those I care about."

"And how does one become someone you care about?" Lena flirted, allowing the charged energy of the revelation to mix with the chemistry that was already between them.

"It starts with a date," he said, his thumb tracing small circles on the back of her hand, sending shivers up Lena's arm. "And then, maybe it's someone who can look past the shifter part and see the man beneath."

Lena's heart raced, torn between the logical fear of the unknown and the excitement of the narrative unfolding before her. "And if this hypothetical person wanted to know more about the man beneath, what should she do?"

The tiramisu was forgotten, just a creamy memory on their tongues as her words hung in the air, charged with a silent electricity that pulsed in time with Lena's heartbeat.

"Let's get out of here," he suggested, his voice smooth as velvet, dark and enticing. "I want to show you something."

Lena felt a shiver of anticipation run down her spine. She had always been the easygoing but cautious type, yet there was something about Alex that made her want to throw caution to the wind and chase the storm.

"Lead the way," she said, her voice carrying a playful lilt that echoed the flutter in her chest. "I'm a sucker for a good show and tell."

They made their escape into the night, the cool air a stark contrast to the warmth that buzzed between them. Alex's hand found hers, their fingers intertwining naturally as he led her to the edge of town to a big cabin set back from the road in front of a forested area. The house stood alone, embraced by shadows and the whispering of trees.

His home was a reflection of him—solid, inviting, and with a hint of mystery in the dark wood and soft lighting. Stepping inside, Lena felt as if she were walking into a new chapter, one where the lines between reality and fantasy blurred into something spellbinding.

"I didn't bring you here to scare you," Alex said, his gaze holding hers as he closed the door behind them, the soft click a punctuation mark in their evening.

Lena's body temperature was several degrees higher than normal. Her reply was a mix of boldness and the breathless wonder he inspired in her. "Then why did you bring me here?"

A slow, almost predatory grin spread across his face. "Because I wanted us to be alone."

God, yes. She so wanted them alone. But now that they were, she was a little nervous. Thirty-six years old and Alex made her feel like a silly teenager.

The air between them sizzled, a palpable force that pulled her toward him. "Well, here we are," Lena said, stepping closer, her voice a husky whisper. "Alone at last."

She was proud she'd kept the tremble from her voice. He took her coat, his fingers brushing the nape of her neck as he lifted it away. The touch sent a cascade of goose bumps over her skin, and she caught her breath at the sensation.

Alex's house felt like a place out of time, the modern world held at bay beyond the windows. Lena followed him to the living room where he started a fire in the hearth, casting dancing shadows over the walls.

The tension between them was a living thing, a spark that threatened to ignite with the slightest provocation. Alex turned to face her, and Lena was struck by the intensity in his eyes—a fierce blue that held the promise of untold depths. Then the golden flashed and his features slightly shifted into a feral, more savage Alex. And he was so sexy.

"I don't want to rush you," he murmured, his voice laced with restraint.

Lena's heart hammered in her chest, and she closed the distance between them, drawn by the magnetic pull he had on her. "You're not. You're not rushing anything I don't want to rush myself."

His hands settled on her hips, firm and insistent, as he pulled her against him. The connection was immediate, a current that ran through them both, setting their senses alight. He was hard. Heat pooled at her core. There was no turning back. She wanted Alex and he wanted her.

"Tell me to stop, and I will," Alex said, but the look in his eyes told Lena he didn't want to, and neither did she.

"Don't stop," she breathed, reaching up to trace the line of his jaw with her fingertips. Strong. Dangerous.

His head came down slowly, almost as if giving her a chance to back out. To change her mind. She leaned into his hardness and brought her face to his. The kiss, when it came, was inevitable—as natural as the turn of the earth and as vital as the air in her lungs. His lips were on hers, and the world fell away, leaving only the heat of his mouth and the taste of him, which was better than any dessert they had shared.

His lips were masterfully caressing hers, his tongue dominating hers. Their tongues danced, swiping over each other in playful and erotic moves. As they moved together, Lena was swept up in the rush of desire, the danger of it all adding fuel to the fire that Alex had ignited within her.

In Alex's arms, Lena felt herself teetering on the edge of a precipice. It was thrilling and terrifying in equal measure, but as his hands roamed over her, as his mouth claimed hers with a hunger that matched her own, Lena found that she didn't care about the fall.

She only wanted to fly.