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Lucas waited for his meal, thoughts rolling around like tumbleweed in his mind. He would do the tour with Eliana, but that was it. He wouldn’t interact with her anymore. He would make his decision, then get the fuck out of there before it was too late.
His wolf inside him wept with disappointment. Lucas did what he could to focus on eating the tuna fish sandwich placed before him, trying desperately not to look in the direction where Eliana lingered.
But it was impossible. She stood there like a goddess reigning over her kingdom, her very presence vibrating from the wooden floors under his feet. He thought about running away. That was how alarmed he felt.
The magnetic pull to her, though, controlled by his wolf, wouldn’t let him.
FIVE
ELIANA
Eliana stood by the counter serving delivery drivers and walk-in customers the entire time Lucas spoke with her mother. She found it exceptionally difficult to concentrate. He was directly within her line of sight, and besides that, she could smell him from a mile away.
His scent was that of a delicious bakery, sugary and sweet, a sneaky temptation to indulge in during the depths of night. It conjured up the naughtiest thoughts she’d had in a long time, causing her to squeeze her legs together and bite her lip to keep from groaning aloud.
It was rare for Eliana to feel out of control despite her penchant for spontaneity and fun. She thought there was a time and place for everything and feared becoming too rigid. But it would also be a curse to lean too far on the opposing side. Encouraging chaos into your life on a day-to-day basis would not be good for business or life.
But sneaking a glance at Lucas brought out that wild side, the beast that wanted only to ravage and cast aside consequences.
It wasn’t good. She had concerns for the island and, most of all, the pack finding a new alpha. She couldn’t get caught up in her wolf’s pleading desires.
She overheard her mother announce, rather drastically, that her daughter would be the one to show Lucas around and introduce him to prospective alphas. She cursed her mother under her breath but, at the time, felt a stirring excitement in her gut.
She felt like a gleeful child for the first time in a very long time.
“He’s eating his sandwich,” her mother said, casting her eyebrows at her daughter.
Eliana pretended to be distracted by the customers, typing in nonsensical numbers and orders into the register. She gazed at her mother, pursing her lips with disinterest.
“Hmm?”
Her mother gave her a knowing wink, and Eliana knew she couldn’t deceive her. She was an intuitive shifter, and the person who had known her tells since the moment she was born.
“Show him around, get a sense of what he’s looking for. Who knows, maybe you’ll like him.”
Eliana rolled her eyes as her mother passed her, planting a playful bump against her butt as she passed by.
She was about to throw up from the butterflies dive-bombing in her stomach, but intrigue softened the nervousness. She had been living a life at the restaurant, running it with her mother, and carrying around heavy emotions since her father’s death and the subsequent death of her uncle. It was nice to feel a spark inside her, even if it was distracting.
She waited for Lucas to finish eating, telling herself that she needed to focus and be professional. So she walked over to his table, acting nonchalant as she gave him a nod.
“Hi. My Jeep is out front, the banana-leaf green one. Meet me there when you’re done.”
Lucas looked up at her from his plate, which was mostly finished. He gave her a smoldering look, and she could have sworn that she felt faint.
“Banana-leaf green?”
He smirked, his gray eyes flickering with the smallest of fires. She was annoyed and elated, wondering how many women he had bedded with just a flash of that dashing smile.
“Yes, you’ve never seen banana leaves?” she snapped back.
“I have indeed,” he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I’ve just never heard green described that way. It’s refreshing.”
Eliana didn’t know how to react, especially when he rose from the table, showing his height towering over her. He had quite the presence in their small cafe, with broad shoulders that strained through his button-down floral T-shirt. He was stylish, too, with not one hair on his head or face out of place.
“This way, then.”
Eliana forced herself to spin around and leave the restaurant. The din of the cafe faded and was replaced by tropical songs, birds singing in tune, and tourists harmonizing with idle chatter.
