Page 27 of Enchanting the Alpha

“Don’t sound so shocked.” He couldn’t resist leaning in closer, drawn by the way her pulse quickened. “I have many hidden talents.”

“Do you, now?” Her lips curved into that teasing smile that drove him crazy. “I might need proof of these alleged talents.”

“Tomorrow night then. Seven o’clock?”

“It’s a date.” She stretched onto her tiptoes to kiss him softly, and it took every ounce of his control not to deepen it into something more heated.

After walking her home - and stealing several more kisses along the way - Xabir pulled out his phone and dialed Thane’s number.

“Let me guess,” Thane answered, laughter in his voice. “You need intel on my sister’s favorite foods.”

“Am I that predictable?”

“Only when it comes to Romi. Lucky for you, I’m feeling generous with information.”

Ten minutes later, Xabir had a detailed list of Romi’s favorites. He particularly noted Thane’s emphasis on her weakness for cannoli cake from Bellissimo’s in New York.

“She practically cries when she eats it,” Thane said. “But they don’t deliver.”

Xabir smiled. “Leave that to me.”

One phone call and a generous payment later, Bellissimo’s agreed to overnight their signature cannoli cake. Next, he arranged for luminescent hydrangeas - purple and blue, just as Thane suggested. The magical blooms would provide perfect mood lighting for the dinner table.

The next evening, Xabir surveyed his handiwork with critical eyes. The handmade pasta was almost ready, the cake had arrived perfectly intact, and the hydrangeas cast a soft, ethereal glow across his dining room. Everything had to be perfect. Because somewhere between their first meeting and that kiss in the café, Romi had become essential to him in a way no one else ever had.

His wolf recognized her as a mate, but it was more than that. He wanted her heart, not just her body. Though his body definitely had opinions about that too, especially when she arrived wearing a deep blue dress that made her eyes sparkle.

“You look beautiful,” he said softly, drinking in her delighted expression as she noticed the flowers.

“They’re gorgeous!” She touched one glowing petal gently. “How did you know hydrangeas were my favorite?”

“I have my sources.” He guided her to the table, enjoying the way she fit against him. “Wine?”

“Please. Something tells me I’ll need it to handle all these hidden talents you’re about to reveal.”

He poured them each a glass of red wine, watching as she took in the intimate setting. Her scent betrayed her attraction - vanilla and coffee with a new note of arousal that made his wolf growl appreciatively.

“So,” she said, taking a sip of wine. “The powerful Alpha of the Western Lupo Pack cooks Italian food. I feel like there’s a story there.”

“I traveled a lot, expanding the hotel chain.” He served the pasta, enjoying her appreciative inhale. “Spent six months in Italy learning from an old grandmother who insisted I was too skinny.”

Romi laughed, the sound making his heart skip. “I’m trying to picture anyone calling you skinny.”

“Nonna Lucia was very persuasive. By the time I left, I’d gained fifteen pounds and learned every family recipe she had.”

“Lucky me.” She took a bite and made a sound that tested his control. “Oh my god, this is amazing.”

“I’m glad you approve.” He reached across the table to brush his thumb across her lower lip, ostensibly wiping away a drop of sauce. “Though your sounds of appreciation might be too distracting for me to finish my own meal.”

She blushed but held his gaze. “Maybe that’s my plan. To distract you.”

“It’s working.” His voice dropped lower as her scent spiked again. “Though I should warn you, little witch, I can be very distracting too.”

“Can you, now?”

TWENTY-NINE

The challenge in her voice made Xabir’s wolf stir. Instead of responding immediately, he took a slow sip of wine, letting her anticipation build. “Patience. We haven’t even gotten to dessert yet.”

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