Page 49 of Combust
I know you’re probably swamped with med school, but I really miss hearing from you.
Plus, I’ve got some exciting news. You’ll never believe this, but after a string of ShiftMatch duds, I finally met someone by accident, and we’re dating! He’s told me that he’s seriously courting me. My bear is crazy about him, and so am I. His name is Cade Hunter, and he’s the new foreman at the ranch. Dad hired him to fill in for Matt while he’s in LA.
Cade is really sweet. He literally saved me when one of my dating duds got overly-handsy with me. I can’t wait to tell you the whole story F2F!
Please say hi to Matt and Chris for me. I miss you guys and am really looking forward to seeing you at Thanksgiving!
Love, Maggie
* * *
Friday, November 21
Cade couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this happy. Maybe before the fire…but never likethis.
He could hardly believe that he’d gotten to fall asleep every night this week with Maggie’s luscious body in his arms, surrounded by her scent. And that he’d woken up each morning with her beautiful face the first thing that he saw.
He hoped to wake up that way for the rest of his days.
Their lovemaking was as sweet and fiery as he’d dreamed it would be. He longed for the day when he could claim her fully and seal the mating bond between them. She washis. Both he and his bear knew it.
Until that day came, he contented himself with learning every inch of her body, and discovering exactly what would drive her out of her mind with pleasure.
And she appeared to be studying him, as well, and applying those lessons until he thought his brain would go into a meltdown from sheer sensual overload.
Dane had been a mite grumpy with him on the morning after Cade’s first date with Maggie, but Cade hadn’t taken it personally. Even if Dane’s request that Cade join him, Annabeth, and Maggie for dinner tonight had sounded more like an order than an invitation.
It couldn’t be easy for the clan’s enforcer to deal with the fact that Cade was doin’ all kinds of unmentionable things with Dane’s daughter.
Now here he was, standing on Dane and Annabeth’s porch, scrubbed to a fare-thee-well and dressed in his best jeans and shirt.
He had to admit to a pang of apprehension. Funny how he could face down an angry grizzly or a charging bull without flinching, but facing Maggie’s parents over supper had him nervous as a fly in a glue pot.
Time to stop procrastinating, or I’ll be late.He knocked. In these parts, no one locked their doors. But Cade wanted to start dinner with Maggie’s parents on the right footing.
Maggie opened the door. A wave of delicious food smells rolled out around her. “Cade!” She gave him a smile that turned his heart to pure mush.
To his pleasure, she went up on tiptoes to bestow a hug and a quick kiss.
“Come on in. Dinner’s nearly ready,” she said, reaching for his hand.
She drew him inside.
“Welcome, Cade! I hope you like chicken pot pie,” Annabeth called as he paused in the small mudroom to remove his hat and denim jacket.
“Howdy, Mrs. Swanson. Happens that I love pot pies,” he said.
It was true, even if he usually heated up the frozen ones from the grocery store. He couldn’t wait to try one made from scratch by a real baker.
“Can I get you a beer?” Dane asked. He was setting the table.
“Thank you kindly, I’d appreciate that.”
He peered around with curiosity at Maggie’s childhood home.
From the outside, it looked like an older house, kept up well. The inside had been recently renovated. A large, very modern kitchen, complete with a wide stone-topped island, was open to the living room and dining area.
It was comfortably furnished, with hardwood floors and colorful rugs, and furniture pieces that were nice, but not so nice that he’d be afraid to actually sit on them.
