Page 15 of Boundary

"But not Jeremy?"

"During the week, Jeremy lives in the city. When he is here, Jeremy shares a room with his cousin. He was planning on taking the cottage. The house is large, but we have run out of space for the pack members. It's unusual for one of our kind to have many children. The girls share a room, but my son has his own."

"I could pick Hymn and Alexia as your daughters, which is your son?"

Shifting his weight, Dale pressed his lips into a firm line before speaking. "He's not here tonight, but you've met before. My lawyer who tracked you down at the hospital to demand you sell the cottage back to me."

Standing straight, I focused on trying to remember him. "That's why you look familiar. How did you find me?"

"Adam trained in computer forensics before joining the agency. Most of my pack have many qualifications, and they work for me when they want time out." Assessing me, Dale shifted his weight. "Why did you buy it? You hadn't even seen it."

"The picture just called to me. That nature surrounds it, and it came furnished was the clincher. It's hard to explain, but I knew it was where I needed to be."

Where we stood out on the decking Dale's indigo eyes appeared dark, but I saw them brighten at my words. Caressing my cheek, Dale gazed into my eyes. The swarm of butterflies lodging in my stomach since meeting him erupted. "You are exactly where you need to be." His voice was tight; almost a whisper.

Lost to his caress and eyes for a moment, I caught myself and pulled away, taking several steps to distance us. "I should call it a night. You may want to join your friends?"

Snickering, Dale raised a brow. "I don't know what it was like where you come from, Vera, but here, a father does not skinny dip with his daughters."

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I totally forgot and..."

Chuckling, Dale took both my shoulders in his hands. When I flinched but held my ground, Dale sobered. "I know you didn't mean to insult me, relax."

Moisture welled in my eyes, and I had to concentrate on my breathing to prevent the tears from falling.

"He would have hit you for something so innocent as that?" I nodded. Gritting his teeth, Dale took a deep breath. His anger pulsed in the air, but it was gone before I could acknowledge I'd felt it. "You said a professional chef taught you to cook?" Stepping back from me, Dale changed the subject.

"Y..yes."

Gesturing to his kitchen, Dale cocked a cheeky brow my way. "Care to whip us up an after-dinner snack?"

Eyeing his beautiful clean kitchen, I relaxed and followed Dale inside. "Anything particular you fancy?"

Eyes roaming my body, Dale smiled as he met mine. "Surprise me."

Giving him the biggest grin, I raided his fridge and pantry to find ingredients and see what I could make. Malcolm never let me choose. There was always a set menu or a specific request that I needed to serve. Never was the choice mine. The excitement was overwhelming. "Do you have a sweet tooth?"

"Very much so." Appraising my body again, Dale licked his lips. It wasn't creepy the way he did it. His gaze was a civilised gentleman with an edge of a tease.

Turning back around when the heat rushed to my cheeks and chest, I grabbed up what I needed and started mixing. Observing me, Dale sat with a smile on his face while I whipped cream and beat eggs in his kitchen. "Do you know you hum as you cook?"

Stopping long enough to consider he was right, I shrugged. "I like to have music playing when I cook. I love listening to music."

"You enjoy cooking for others?"

After placing the glasses of white chocolate and honeycomb mousse in the fridge, I cleaned up. "I do. Cooking was my first true love."

"Do you believe in true love, Vera?"

"Don't you? What about your ex-wife?"

"She wasn't my true love. I grew to care for her, yes, but had she not fallen pregnant, I would have ended it with her soon enough."

The happiness I'd felt cooking dropped out of my stomach, leaving me feeling hollow.

Reading my expression, Dale sighed. "I was young when I met Rebecca. I enjoyed seducing beautiful young women. I'd see them once or twice and then move on."

Turning my back, I kept cleaning so he couldn't see how unsettled I was by his admission.

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