13. Adeline

THIRTEEN

Adeline's heart thundered in her chest louder than a drum. The extravagance of the restaurant they dined in added to her nervousness. She looked around at the white tablecloths draped over elegant wooden tables.

The black and white marble floors gave the room a timeless yet fashionable feel. Adeline had never eaten at such a fancy place. It made her uncomfortable. Leaning across the table so only Griffin could hear her, she whispered. "This place is really nice. Are you sure this is okay?"

Griffin chuckled. "It's absolutely fine, Adeline. Order whatever you want, and don't worry about it."

She bit her lip and smiled at him. It was a smile he wanted to see every day for the rest of his life. "Okay, then. If that's the case, I think I want the grilled squid salad and the chocolate hazelnut torte, not in that order."

His deep laughter surrounded her. "Dessert before dinner? I'm not opposed to that."

"Really? Because neither am I."

"Fuck it. You get the torte, and I'll get the champagne currant sundae."

Her interest piqued, Adeline glanced down at her menu. Everything on it looked and sounded divine. If she kept reading, she'd change her mind a million times. She closed the menu and pushed it toward the end of the table.

Griffin, on the other hand, studied his menu with rapt attention. "I can't make up my mind."

Adeline laughed. "What are you stuck on?"

"There's the lamb or the beef. But then again, the clams and sausage look good too. I'm also not opposed to pork and peppers."

Adeline cocked a brow and held back another chuckle. "So I take it you're not going to order the plant-based veggie burger?"

His eyes lifted from the laminated paper to her face. "Plant-based meat? That's like eating self-righteousness. I'll stick to the real deal, and I'm getting the lamb."

She snorted her laughter into her glass of water, watching as he closed his menu and placed it on top of hers. Their table sat in front of a large fireplace unlit due to the summer season, but Adeline could imagine a roaring fire within its stone walls.

Twice now, she imagined how incredible Vermont would be during the winter. The state was well-known for its skiing destinations, and while she had never been, it was something she'd often wanted to try.

"Griffin? Have you ever skied?"

He looked at her just as the waitress walked over to take their orders. Griffin ordered for both of them, and the waitress laughed when he said they'd take their dessert first. He also ordered a bottle of their finest red wine.

Cindy, the waitress, while respectful, kept her eyes on him the entire time she jotted down the orders. It didn't upset Adeline. On the contrary, she felt proud to have someone like Griffin on her arm, if only for the night.

"I'll get that right in for you," Cindy said with a warm smile mostly aimed at Griffin. She hurried off.

Griffin's attention immediately returned to Adeline. "Have I ever skied? Yeah, all the time. I live less than an hour from Stowe and that's like the mecca of ski destinations in the state. Why do you ask?"

Adeline shrugged. "Well, you just strike me as someone who skis, and I knew Killington, Stowe, and Okemo were major ski destinations. I was just curious."

"Do you want to go skiing, Adeline?"

She shrugged again, suddenly feeling foolish. He was so much more capable than she. He had done so much more in his short time than she ever would. He was successful and probably good at everything he did. Skiing would be no exception, she was sure. Not to mention, it was an incredibly expensive sport.

"It's something that always looked fun," she said. "I've just never had the time to try it."

"You've never gone?"

She shook her head. "No, never."

"We'll go this winter. I normally go to the resort in Stowe, but Killington has some great spots too."

"I doubt I'll still be here in the winter," Adeline said almost regretfully. "But if I am, that would be great."

Griffin leaned back in his chair. "Mmm-hmm." The look on his face told Adeline that he certainly thought she'd be around for a while. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, so she decided not to push the issue.

Just as Cindy brought over the bottle of wine and poured two glasses, Griffin's phone dinged. He waited until the waitress walked away again before pulling the phone out of his pocket and checking his messages.

"It's Mari," he muttered.

Adeline's heart instantly began pounding. "Is something wrong?" she asked nervously.

At the sound of her unease, Griffin glanced up, pausing mid-text to reassure her. "Not at all. She's just letting us know they're home, and the kids are having a blast."

Adeline let her breath out in a whoosh. "Oh."

He sent the text and pocketed his phone. "Drink your wine and relax," he said gently.

He pushed the glass closer to her. She took it, but not before their fingers brushed. Her breath hitched in her chest at the contact, but he merely smiled, watching as she took a drink.

"Wow, that's delicious."

"Isn't it? I love a good wine."

Not wanting to sound unsophisticated, she kept to herself that she only bought boxed wine when she needed a glass to relax. She had never had anything this good. She took two more sips before setting the glass on the table.

Dessert arrived, and they shared bites of each other's.

"Damn," Griffin said between mouthfuls of the torte and champagne sundae.

"I think I like yours better," Adeline mumbled. "But not by much."

He held his spoon out for her, a big bite of ice cream heaped onto the utensil. It gave her pause at the intimacy of the gesture. It was almost like they were a real couple. Deciding to worry about it later, she leaned forward and wrapped her lips around the spoon.

Dinner followed shortly after, and it was just as good as dessert. They did the same thing, sharing bites of each meal, trying to decide which one was better. Each plate was so jam-packed with flavor that it was hard to decide if either topped the other.

Adeline was sufficiently stuffed at the end of the meal.

"I couldn't eat another bite if I wanted to," she said with a light laugh.

Griffin paid the check with his credit card, and when Cindy returned with his receipt, she handed him a key to one of the upstairs suites. Adeline's cheeks flamed, and she glared at him.

Once Cindy was safely out of earshot, he looked right at her. "I had no idea this meal came with a room, Adeline, I swear. And we don't have to stay."

She stared at the key clutched in his hand. It looked so tiny sitting in his massive palm, so inconsequential, but it wasn't. That key meant a lot more.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to stay. With two glasses of wine swirling around in her head, she didn't want to make any rash decisions.

"I think I'd like to take a walk in the gardens," she said quietly. "While I think about it."

He showed no signs of wanting to argue with her. If there wasn't even a slight chance she wanted to stay, he didn't seem anything but accommodating. He rose to his full height and offered a hand out to her.

She slipped her fingers around his, and he pulled her to her feet. They strolled outside into the warm night air. The fragrant smell of flowers filled their senses and they walked along the grounds that overlooked sections of Lake Champlain.

"It really is beautiful here," she said.

"Vermont is incredible," Griffin agreed. "This area really does the state justice, and Shelburne Farms has a lot of activities for kids and families. There's a summer camp, day programs, kayaking, crafts, all that stuff. Mari comes here with her two all the time."

"Jodi and Deanne would love that," Adeline said. "Speaking of, I'd like to call them and check in."

She pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed Mari's number. The female shifter answered right away.

"The kids are having the time of their lives, but hang on one second, and I'll get them for you," she said.

A moment later, Deanne's breathless voice sounded from the other end. "Hi, Mom."

The sound of laughter and excited screaming could be heard reverberating through the phone, and Adeline smiled.

"Hi, sweetheart. Are you having fun?"

"Yeah. I … Hey! Wait for me. Mom, I got to go. We're about to play Twister."

Before Adeline could even respond, Mari was back on the phone. "Sorry, Adeline. Orion pulled out the game, and Lourdes asked Deanne if she was, and I quote, ‘ever gonna be ready?'"

Adeline snickered. "I'm glad they're having fun. And thank you again for watching them."

"Of course. It's no problem at all. You and my brother have fun and don't worry about anything. Bye, now."

The call ended, and Adeline slipped her phone back into her purse. Knowing her girls were safe and well taken care of was a huge relief. Though she never thought it would be possible when this whole Tobias thing first started, Adeline felt like she could relax.

Being here with Griffin was nice. No, it was better than nice. It was terrific. It felt right. And if she was being fair to herself, she wanted to stay at the inn with him. She wanted to spend the night here, but did he? That thought made her flush.

"Well? How are the girls?"

Griffin's voice brought her back to reality, forcing her to pull her mind out of the gutter and focus on the present, on him.

"They're absolutely fine. And neither of them wanted to talk to me. They're having so much fun."

"I'll be honest with you, there's no one in the world I'd trust more with my kids. If I had any, that is. Mari and Orion are great parents, and they're both thrilled that your girls are the same age as theirs. There aren't a lot of shifter children around here for them to play with."

"I'm glad everybody hit it off. It's been a concern of mine since I adopted Jodi and Deanne, them not having anyone to play with that's like them."

They continued to walk and talk along the lake as the sun was setting. The colors along the horizon created a glorious palette across the sky. Tangerine streaks reflected off the water, creating a romantic atmosphere.

Griffin's hand reached for hers, his fingers lacing together with her own. The contact sent shivers up and down her spine. She tightened her hold, wanting more than anything to spend the night with him.

Should she tell him that? Would he even want to? She contemplated this, wondering at his reaction should she bring it up.

They walked on in silence, her thoughts consumed with the desire to be with him, having no idea why she wanted it so much. The idea of being with him made her dizzy with excitement. Their connection was intense and arousing, and she wanted to explore it further.

"Griffin …" She stopped walking, which forced him to pause. "I'd really like to stay … here … with you," she said shyly.

He, by no means, needed to be asked twice. His mouth descended upon hers swiftly in a passionate kiss that left her breathless.

"I'd really like to stay too," he responded huskily when they finally broke apart.

With their hands still entwined, the two of them made their way back to the inn, eager to be alone at last.