Page 9 of Wolfish Desire

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“Sure.” I practically float inside, then watch through the window as he drives off.

I’ve only gone on a handful of dates. Nobody has ever interested me the way Kingston does. It was, hands down, the best date of my life.

My heart is twirling and spiraling. Nobody has ever really seen me like Kingston does. I’ve always been the unimportant smallest sister who was in the way. Nobody has ever made me feel like a priority. But I already feel like the most important person in his world, and he is definitely the most important one in mine.

Does it matter if things are moving at such a breakneck pace if it all feels so good?

5

KINGSTON

Istare into my fridge, less than thrilled with any of the options. I end up making a sandwich with leftover chicken and part of a spinach salad that still has a bit of life left. Funny, I was just at the grocery store with Sierra and didn’t even think of myself.

I eat while standing in front of the window, wishing that she were here. Even a quick lunch would be nicer with her around. Is it weird that I miss her already?

Is it also weird that I didn’t tell my brothers about her last night? We normally tell each other pretty much everything. I just can’t quite wrap my mind around the idea that my dream girl simply appeared in a parking lot as I was driving by. That kind of stuff happens in movies, not to me.

Then I chuckle, looking around my enormous kitchen that opens onto the massive living room. I still can’t believe any of the success with the company happened either, especially so fast. It’s ridiculous! But everything has worked out perfectly. Maybe I should take the same approach with Sierra: just try my best and go with the flow.

As to my brothers, they will understand that I need to figure out what’s going on before I share it. Which means I need to establish that Sierra and I are on the same page.

She hasn’t exactly said how long she’s in town. Even though technically I could work remotely and live anywhere, leaving my family would be difficult. I hope Sierra falls in love with Old Hemlock Valley and wants to stay.

What the hell is wrong with me? Talk about getting ahead of yourself. First, I need this lovely woman to come on another date with me.

I grab my phone and am already pacing when she picks up. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me. Is it too early for another date?”

I love that she doesn’t hesitate. “Not at all. I’d love that.”

“How about dinner at my place? I’m not the best chef, but…” I chuckle. “It’s probably in the dating rules and guidelines somewhere that you’re supposed to check out a guy’s home, make sure he’s a good person and all that.”

She laughs sweetly. “True, I’ve read about that. I’m supposed to make sure that you have a bookshelf with actual books on it, and that your bathroom is clean. What was the other thing…” She hums for a moment. “Oh, right – make sure you don’t have a row of mannequins dressed as ex-girlfriends or anything else completely insane.”

“Fair enough.” I laugh with her. “Talking of checking a person out… You never actually told me your last name.” There’s a few seconds of dead silence, and I wonder if the call cut out. “Unless you’re in the witness protection program or something,” I add. “It just feels like something I should know.”

She laughs too hard, making it sound unnatural. “Cushing. It’s nothing sinister, I just forgot.”

“All right then, Sierra Cushing, shall I pick you up at six?”

“I have my car back, remember. I could just make my own way to your place.”

Crap. I want to drive her so that I know she’s safe on these mountain roads. But I know the Dirty brothers wouldn’t have given her car back if they didn’t trust it. Also, I can’t be so overprotective that I frighten her away. “Sure. I’ll text you a map. Your phone will be charged in case anything happens, right?”

I can almost hear her rolling her eyes. “You know it. Safety first.”

“Great. See you soon, beautiful.”

“See you.”

I love that she sounds flustered whenever I tell her how gorgeous she is.

I head for my laptop that’s sitting on the dining room table. She couldn’t be one ofthoseCushings, could she? As in, well-known and old money?

After a quick search, I find a family photo with a smiling Sierra taken at least ten years ago. Staring at her father, I know I’ve seen his face before.

A quick search brings up a profile for James Cushing. Of course! He was one of our early investors. I remember now, I saw him again at a tech conference a few years ago.