Page 26 of The Alpha and His Enemy Wolf
Reluctant to leave her, he asked, “Would you like to get together again tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
Only when he heard that word was he able to breathe freely once more.
Chapter 8
Mila
Throughout the next day, Mila wandered beyond the village to explore the natural landscapes. She trekked along the stream and walked by a frozen lake where people ice skated. All the while, she thought of Rafe and how she’d pull off her task while ignoring her wolf’s insistence that he was the one.
They met for dinner at an Italian restaurant. Mila questioned Rafe on how he ran the business and the pack, but he often directed the conversation back to her. He appeared to be interested in tales of her growing up. Why? There was nothing special about her life. She led a simple, somewhat sheltered existence with her pack, contributing to whatever needed to be done. During her free time, she explored the forests during the day and hunted in wolf form after dusk.
Was he onto her plan? Or truly interested in learning more about her?
The internal clash roiled inside her leaving a tightness in her stomach. Beyond her ulterior motive, a deeper part of her was intrigued by him.
They’d finished a bottle of red wine, and a pleasant hum warmed her blood. After they left the restaurant and wandered back through the resort village, she tried once more. “So tell me, Rafe, what exactly do you do as CEO of this resort?”
“Make decisions.”
That didn’t tell her much. “Like what?”
“It’s not at all interesting. I’d rather learn more about you. Like what do you like to do in your free time?”
Ah, the pattern repeated once more, and once again, she questioned why. This time, she’d call him out on it. “Are you really interested?”
He jerked his head. “Of course I am. Why?”
“Each time I try to talk about you, you change the subject back to me.”
He arched one heavy brow. “That’s because you keep talking business.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“This isn’t business right now, it’s pleasure.”
Her lips parted. “It is?”
“Yes.” Rafe surprised her by taking her hand. “And I think we should do something fun. Something that you’d like to do.”
Mila’s hand tingled with warmth, and her wolf moaned with contentment. She glanced around the brick buildings illuminated by lights out front. “What is there to do here at night besides eat and drink?”
“Plenty. Besides the shops around here, down a ways there’s snow tubing, ice skating, a bowling alley, a small movie cinema…”
They passed a storefront with paintings in the window, and Mila glanced inside. “What’s this?”
“One of those paint experiences.”
“What’s that?” She turned to him.
“It’s where you join a group and follow an instructor through steps in painting a scene. It’s pretty popular here. Guests often get a glass of wine and some snacks and socialize as they spend a couple of hours working on a painting with family and friends.”
She placed her hand on his arm. “Ooh, that sounds like it could be fun. Have you ever done it?”
“No.”
She grinned. “Do you want to?”
