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“It is. The town has been mine for a long time. I guess I’m lucky that way. I’ll do anything and everything in my power to protect it.” I held her gaze, letting that sink in. She didn’t look away.
“I don’t blame you. You have a wonderful place here. I’d do anything to protect it, too.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes, it is.”
Knocking back my espresso in one gulp, needing the heat of it to combat the growing lust welling up within me, I asked, “Do you have a boyfriend, Savannah?”
“I wouldn’t be on this date if I did.”
I smiled at the bite in her reply. “No. I suppose not.”
“How about you?” she asked. “Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Wife?”
I shook my head. “Not anymore. And no wife yet. I prefer less complicated relationships. But with you, I believe that would be impossible.”
“And why’s that? I’m not complicated.”
“Oh, but you are. You’re not a woman a man can taste and stay sane. You’re a mystery. A puzzle to be solved.”
She scrunched her nose up at that. “Maybe you should tell that to my ex-boyfriends.”
My wolf growled with ferocity. I had to release the empty espresso cup out of fear I might break it. “Not your fault you don’t have sufficient self-worth to know the man you deserve. The vicious cycle always begins somewhere.”
She sipped at the espresso, leaning back in her chair as she studied me. “You know shit all about me.”
Ah, the raw nerve.“I didn’t mean to insult you. I only meant that when a person doesn’t believe they’re worthy of someone, they tend to look for less.”
“It’s fine,” she sighed. “You’re probably right. Most women sell themselves short in a world such as this one. To a lot of men, if you’re not pretty enough, thin enough, or clever enough, you don’t get noticed. If you’re too pretty or too clever, you’ll get noticed, but it will be for all the wrong reasons. Should you be too tough or too independent for them then they can’t handle it.”
“Those aren’t men, sweetheart. They’re assholes.”
She laughed. And it fucked me off that even her laughter could turn me upside down. Only a mate should be able to affect me so deeply. And I knew she wasn’t my mate, so what the hell was this?
“Give yourself time, Donovan.” She lifted her cup. “You act like a good guy now, but the inevitable will come.”
“And why’s that?”
“When your woman puts on weight and gains a stretch mark or two. When she loves you too much or puts you in harm’s way of her affections and you can’t handle her light, you’ll walk away, turning into the same, said asshole.” She sipped her drink.
“That’s a cynical attitude to have on the male species,” I grinned. “Aren’t women just as bad?”
“Not with the right guy.”
“And who would be the right guy for you?”
She stared at me then, unforgiving. “One who tells the truth.”
A sneer reached my lips. “One has to tell the truth to demand it, sweetheart. And what human can say they’re one hundred percent sincere?”
“There are some lies we can’t help but tell,” she whispered. “What lie do you tell yourself at night when you’re in bed alone?”
“Come to my bed some time, and maybe you’ll find out.”
She half-smiled. “You’re smooth. I’m still trying to determine if that’s a good thing or not.”
Not liking how the energy had shifted, I changed tactics and checked my watch. “How about you finish up your coffee and I’ll walk you back to the inn? It’s getting late.”
Disappointment flitted across her face, and it pleased me. She didn’t want to leave either, and I’d got the upper hand once more.
“Thank you.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Savannah. Every little drop.”
