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“I’m going to take Becca up to the lake house, and I am going to prove to her that I am worthy of our love … for both of us.”
The two men chuckled and embraced. Noah was overwhelmed with appreciation for what Lev was doing for him. He couldn’t think of a better way to prove to Becca that not only was he here to stay but that he was no longer the little boy who had shattered her heart all those years ago.
Lev had been right. Noah no longer wanted to go home and fall into bed. He never wanted to fall into bed alone again. He wanted the beautiful, magnetic woman of his dreams by his side. He jetted back home in his truck, rushed inside, and began packing. He was half tempted to call up Becca immediately and invite her, but it was nearly two in the morning. She likely would think he was insane.
And wasn’t he, even a little? Wasn’t there always a little dash of craziness when someone was in love? Noah thought so because it was that kind of madness that pushed him to return and reconnect with Becca in the first place.
He had it all planned out in his mind. He would visit her at the ice cream shop and make the suggestion. He wouldn’t lie to her, of course. The opportunity to have private time would be obvious and wonderful.
If only she would accept, or time would be lost again.
EIGHT
BECCA
Becca barely slept that night after the enforcer had come to her door to warn her about the rogue bear. But it wasn’t because she was scared; it was because her mind was stuck on what he had said about Noah being at Lev’s place. That meant, in her mind, that he was trying to contribute to the ongoings of the clan again. That was a good sign of his enduring presence back in his hometown.
But at the same time, Becca was terrified of being hopeful. Hopefulness had tormented her when he had been gone, even when Rayna pleaded with her to let him go. Ray tried to make her go out on double dates, hell, even set her up with men she thought might be good for a roll in the sack. But no one got her engine going like Noah. She had never even considered the prospect of giving anyone else a chance.
She also didn’t want to feel like a fool again. When she woke around four in the morning, having dozed away on her kitchen table, that was exactly how she felt. She scoffed at herself for letting him get to her so easily, for nearly riding his cock right there in the front seat of his truck after being apart for years.
Her frustration kept her tossing and turning for the next few hours. When her alarm for work went off at seven a.m., she felt like her eyelids were glued shut.
Becca considered calling in sick, but you didn’t get days off when you owned a business. Plus, she had lunch to go to with Ray.
Somehow, she yanked herself onto her feet, showered, and put on her uniform. It was in no way luxurious, but it was something for the time being while she figured out her place in the clan. Out of sheer laziness, she called a cab to take her in and nearly dozed off again in the warm beam of sunlight in the back seat.
Everyone seemed to be live-wired that day, of course. Becca felt like she was moving through molasses while her thoughts spun around like a whirlpool. She made a mental note to take it easy when her shift was over and not to give in to the lingering sensation of igniting flames inside her gut.
Becca sauntered through her workday, thankful that she didn’t have Noah’s number and that she didn’t know where he was staying. It was nearly time for her one-hour lunch break when her chest felt like it had been punched.
Because of her sleepiness, Becca thought at first that the sight of Noah walking into the shop was merely a mirage, an incredibly detailed fantasy that had come to near fruition. But when she blinked a few times, the silhouette of his lean, muscled form sharpened into a full-bodied dreamboat right in front of her. He was smiling, his hazel, honeysuckle eyes a siren to her loins.
“Hey, Becca,” he said softly. “How are things today?”
Becca felt like a hot mess. She felt her face bloom into a blush as she slid her jaw back and forth, trying to avoid gnawing on her lower lip. He literally made her feel faint, ready to swoon like a heroine in a romantic novel.
“Hey,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Oh, you know, same old shit down at the ice cream shop.”
It was a Saturday, and the bustling crowds of weekend customers had lulled for the time being. There would be a resurgence later on when the teenagers and young adults went out on their evening dates. She hoped they would all stay away forever so she could study the heavenly face standing before her.
His smile remained. His slow blinks were like that of a smitten cat. He leaned against the counter, and a few powdery blue veins bulged out from his exposed biceps. Becca clenched her teeth together to keep the snake of her tongue inside its cave.
“I’m glad to hear it’s nothing terrible. But I’m afraid I didn’t come down here to discuss the merits of ice cream flavors and dairy distribution.”
Her face was scalding. It was autumn, and there were a few scorching days here and there, but it wasn’t even close temperature-wise to what it could be. The man was like a damn sun.
“Oh? Is that so?” Becca said, attempting to busy herself by grabbing a cloth to wipe the counter with.
“It is so. Listen, Becca.”
Becca was moving the cloth around the sparkling and pristine surfaces she had already finished cleaning. It still smelled like the lemon-scented cleaner. She moved along the counter to the freezer where the buckets of ice cream sat in their little cubby holes, attempting to feign some level of disinterest.
But they were both shifters. He could detect the zesty fragrance of the sweat emanating from her pores. She herself was picking up musky with a delicious hint of vanilla.
And it wasn't the ice cream.
“Yes?” she responded nonchalantly.
