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“Do you want to check out the terrace?” Holden gestured to the doors. “It feels nice out there this time of day with the ocean breeze.”
We stepped out, and I walked to the edge, resting my hands on the smooth railing and taking it all in. The terrace spread almost the full length of the building, with a dining area, a private fire pit, and a hot tub.
“Nice,” I commented. “Do you entertain many people out here?”
Holden chuckled and came to stand beside me. “Actually, it’s lonelier than you might think growing up here, despite people coming and going all the time.”
I turned and leaned against the rail to face Holden. “How so?”
“Well, when I was growing up and training to be an alpha, that was the focus of my life. I had a private tutor, trainers—you name it. Yet I had no siblings. Kids would come and go as regional alphas visited. But that’s just it.” He gave me a rueful grin. “They’d always go. I always wondered what life would have been like if my parents had more kids.”
I laughed. “Never a moment’s peace. Sharing your space even when you don’t want to.”
“Doesn’t sound so bad,” he said with a wistful smile.
“I guess not. I love my siblings more than anything, even if they made my life hard at times. We lost our parents when I was only eight. Nico raised us, so the three of us were always close.” Not wanting to go down that path, I changed the subject back to him. “It seems like you have a good relationship with your parents.”
Holden nodded. “Yeah. They’re pretty great. And I do have Garrett. He wasn’t always here growing up. But he’s like a brother to me now.”
Just then, a knock on the door had Holden grabbing my hand and leading me back inside. “Dinner’s here.”
I didn’t pull my hand away, even when a jolt of electricity shot up my arm, surprising me. The pull of desire low in my belly had me drawing in a deep breath. My body was definitely reacting to Holden, but I didn’t know what I thought about that.
Two staff members dressed in white chef’s jackets wheeled in carts with at least a dozen covered dishes spread between them.
“Are more people joining us?” I teased Holden when the staff had set everything up and left.
He shrugged one shoulder and gave me that half-grin I’d seen a few times. A tingle of awareness raced through me. “You have a competition tomorrow. I wanted you to have your choice of meals.”
“Because it might be my last?” I joked. He winced, but I just shrugged. “Better to make light of it than dwell on it.”
“Maybe. But tomorrow’s competition won’t put your life on the line.”
Maybe not. But an unexpected challenge at any moment could.
“So,” Holden said, filling his plate with steak, shrimp, potatoes, and roasted vegetables, “did you leave anyone special behind back home?”
I arched a brow and speared a piece of shrimp. “Other than my sister? No. I didn’t exactly have time for dating.” I didn’t mention that there had never been anyone who caught my eye.
“I understand that,” he muttered.
“What do you mean?” I asked, surprised. “Surely the great Holden Wilder has had his pick of women to date.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Seriously?” I continued. “You’re kidding, right? As attractive as you are, I’m sure women constantly throw themselves at you.”
He leaned in with a teasing grin on his lips. “You think I’m attractive?”
“I, uh…well…” Shit. I pursed my lips together. “You know you are.”
“I didn’t know you thought so, though,” he said softly, his eyes locked on mine.
I couldn’t help it. My gaze dropped to his mouth. “Now you do,” I whispered, my words embarrassingly breathy.
“Indeed,” he murmured, closing the distance between us. I stayed frozen as his soft, full lips brushed over my own, an internal battle waging in my mind.
My body was all in, though, when he did again, teasing my lips apart.
