“Ha ha.”
The front door opened and Sigh and Juliette walked in, thick as thieves and moony-eyed, and he turned away and got back to work.
“Hi, Trick,” Juliette said as she came to the table.
“Hey.”
“Do you mind if I tell you something?”
“Not at all. What’s up?”
She stared at him, glanced at Sigh who shrugged, and then said, “Sigh said I needed to think twice before I got involved in this any more than I already did, but I don’t like to see my bestie all twisted up in knots. So, I’m sticking my nose in a little bit, but only because I saw you two Wednesday night and I know that’s what it looks like when truemates find each other.”
He put the chair down on the floor and looked at her. “What’s going on?”
“Cassidy is not a love at first sight person. She’s very practical. Not that she doesn’t have a romantic side, because she does, she’s just cautious. And, unfortunately, between medisappearing into my relationship with Sigh, and her sister talking to her last night, I’m afraid she’s decided it’s easier to walk away than risk getting hurt.”
“Her sister, Lauren?”
“Yeah. She’s protective of Cass but has kind of a shitty outlook on love because her ex was a piece of work and their parents’ marriage was definitely not a match made in heaven.”
“But I’m not trying to hurt her.”
“I know.” She gave him a sad smile. “Her parents’ marriage was bad. I remember going to her house when I was young and… oh, how they fought. I guess they were hot and heavy and it burned out fast, and then they stuck with each other long enough to ruin everything for their kids too.”
“So she thinks because we jumped into bed that we’ll burn out fast too?”
“I’m afraid so. And apparently Lauren also said that I personally am special because Sigh has mated me, and that normally shifters stick with shifters and only look for sex from human girls and nothing long term.”
He snarled.
Cassidy must be listening to her sister to have cooled toward him so fast.
“So she wants space?”
“Yeah, but that’s the last thing you should give her.”
“Come again?”
Juliette chuckled. “If you steer clear of her, no matter the prickly-barbed-wire warning signs she’s throwing off, you’re just proving that you’re not in it for the long haul. So you need to show up for her. You can give her some space, but don’t disappear. Show up with proof that you want to bring her into your life. I needed that from Sigh, too. Great sex is great, but you can’t just have a relationship built on orgasms and pillow talk.”
His wolf, perpetually restless since she’d left them Wednesday night, settled finally. “Then I’ll prove it to her.”
“Good.”
Sigh joined them, and Juliette leaned back against him, and the way it was so easy with them made something click for him.
They might have fallen fast, but that’s what happened when truemates found each other.
The fast feelings came because the knowledge was there – fate had aligned to bring them together and they justfit. The way that he knew Cassidy fit withhim. She just needed him to show her that he wasn’t just looking for a quick lay, he was looking for forever.
By closing time at the coffee shop, Trick was waiting on the sidewalk, a block down. Cassidy walked out and shut the door behind her, took a few steps, made eye contact and froze.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.”
“What are you doing here?”
