“Very.”
After letting Sigh know to add another burger for Cassidy, they walked out onto the deck and moved to the railing so she could see the band and the view of the river. The music rolled around them, and Cassidy stood next to him, tapping her foot and singing along quietly.
When the band switched to another song, she turned to Trick.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“Thanks for coming.”
“This is nice.”
“The deck?”
“All of it.”
The doors opened and Sigh walked out with a tray, and Juliette waved at Cassidy. They sat with his family at two small tables pushed together, to listen to the band and eat Trick Smash burgers and piles of fries.
To his surprise, while Cassidy talked to Juliette, she spent most of the next several hours talking to him.
And when the band was finished and had packed up and left, she shared her input about the band when Dare asked her, and then she helped carry the dishes to the back with Juliette.
“Walk me out?” she asked Trick, when she came out of the kitchen.
“Of course.”
At her car, she said, “Thanks for tonight. I had fun.”
“Me too. And the band was good.”
“You guys will hire them for the summer?”
“Yeah, for one weekend in July and one in August. We’re really looking for a house band, we just have to find the right one, then we’ll have live music on the deck until the weather goes to crap.”
“That would be great.”
She stared up at him, and he felt the gravity of the situation settle around them.
He wanted to ask her to come home with him, but he knew it was a bad idea to suggest that so soon. He was making sure she knew he wantedallof her, not just her fun zones.
She went onto her toes and kissed his cheek.
“Sleep well, Trick.”
“Goodnight, Cassidy.”
“You can call me Cass. My friends do. The people who matter to me do.”
His wolf went still, but his heart damn near triple-thumped and broke through his ribs.
“Okay. Cass.”
Her smile was real this time, and it was glorious.
He watched her drive off, and while he was bummed the time with her was over, he was deliriously happy to have had the chance to get to know her.
Cass was looking for proof he wasn’t a one-night-guy, that what had sparked between them wasn’t just fluff and no substance.
He’d show her.
