Page 32 of The Runaway Mate

“You look stunning,” he said softly, his eyes never leaving mine.

I felt a blush creep up my cheeks as I smiled at him. “Thank you. Right back at you.”

Oh, my Goddess, were we really going to be able to go a whole night without arguing?

Ryan smiled, his hand still on my arm. “Are you ready?” he asked. I nodded, and he gestured toward the door. “After you,” he said.

“Not so fast,” Jem’s voice was abrupt, reminding me that I wasn’t alone with Ryan, not yet.

“You look beautiful, Mai. Have a good evening, and if Ryan doesn’t treat you right, just let me know, and I’ll make him do five thousand push-ups a day for the next year.” He kissed me on my cheek, slapped Ryan on the back, and watched as we walked out the door.

As we made our way outside, I thought about Wally’s words from earlier. Could I really forget about everything that had happened between us for one night? Could I pretend this was just a first date without any of the history or baggage we brought with us?

Ryan opened the car door for me, and I slid into the passenger seat. His eyes met mine as he shut the door, and I could see the intensity in them. It was like he was looking right inside me, seeing all my fears and doubts and desires. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my nerves at bay as he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car.

We were both silent as he drove. Now that we were finally here, I didn’t know what to say. Ryan’s knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel, and I could feel the heat rolling off him in waves. I kept stealing glances at him out of the corner of my eye, taking in the way his jaw was set and his muscles were tensed beneath his shirt. It was like he was holding himself back, fighting against some powerful urge. Every time our eyes met, I felt a spark ignite between us, a connection that I was finding increasingly impossible to ignore.

If my wolf had been a cat, she would have been purring. We were exactly where she wanted us to be. But it wasn’t that easy for me, and every time I opened my mouth to say something, I quickly shut it again. What to say that wasn’t off-limits? I couldn’t ask about his brothers, or work, or Jem. Did he have a hobby? I couldn’t ask that; it sounded so lame. I had to ask something, though, before this got even more awkward.

“So where exactly are you taking me for our past-free dinner?”

Ryan looked over at me, then nodded his head at the Bottley Bar. “Here. I thought you’d be comfortable at some place you knew.”

I glanced out the window at the packed bar and froze.

Chapter twenty-two

Ryan

Ipulled up outside the bar, and I could see how busy the place was. Mai froze, and it hit me that she would have to face all these people. There would be people she’d known her whole life in there, watching us, trying to work out where she’d been, why she was back now, how our date was going.

Great fucking plan, Ryan.

We couldn’t eat here without our history being shoved in our faces all night.

I pulled a U-turn and set off in the direction of the compound.

“It was a bad idea. Sorry. But I have a Plan B,” I said, glancing over at Mai.

She nodded, her scent full of relief, but I caught her frown when I turned into the compound. “You’re taking me back?”

Dinner with Jem and Hayley around? No fucking way.

“I’m taking you to my home. Mason and Sam are working on a case out of town, and Derek told me he’d be at the office all night. We’ll have the place to ourselves.”

“Oh.” She swallowed nervously. “Okay.”

“Relax, I’m not that bad of a cook.”

“You still cook?” She looked so surprised that it made me laugh.

“Of course. What? You think there is a Sylvie at all the compound houses?”

She shook her head. “Well, yes. Either that or you order in.”

“I like cooking. I liked cooking for you and my brothers, and I still like cooking now. It relaxes me. It always has.”

From the way she fell silent, I knew I’d messed up by bringing up the past. She’d been clear that she wanted tonight to be just us getting to know each other now, with no mention or reminders of our history.

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