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She shook her head at her indecisive and contradictory behavior.
He chuckled, “You don’t have to run away from me. I promise I won’t bite.”
“I don’t believe that for one minute. If I give you half a chance you’ll eat me up like the big bad wolf,” She commented without thinking and when a worried look crossed his face she pretended not to notice, shifting her attention instead to the woods surrounding them.
“You did after all bring me to a secluded wooded area. What am I supposed to think?”
CHAPTER FIVE
Her comment about the wolf, though offhanded made him hold his breath, but it had to be an innocent reference to the fairytale and not his lineage as a lycan since Martin had assured him that the pack kept a low profile and few non-pack members knew of their existence. He breathed a sigh of relief when she shifted the conversation to the wooded area.
He’d found it earlier in the week when he’d shifted to run, and his first thought had been that it was the perfect spot to bring his mate for a picnic. There was a creek to the west of the main trail, and even in his human form, he could pick up the faint sound of water bubbling over the rocks.
“Come on, this way.” He pulled the storage bag off the back of his bike hopeful that she would like his surprise then held out his hand to her smiling gently as she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her to their destination.
He was awed by the trust she placed in him knowing that it had to be difficult and a bit scary since he was still unknown to her and they were alone.
He hoped that it was because they were mates and she instinctively recognized that they belonged together that she would place herself in such a situation where her safety might be at risk. As if sensing his dark thoughts she shivered.
“I’d never let anything bad happen to you.” He made the vow to reassure her. He smiled at her keeping it warm and friendly rather than seductive and flirty.
“I’d never knowingly put myself in a dangerous situation that I couldn’t handle.” She said it with such conviction that Clay couldn’t help but believe her, and as she stood there in front of him with the afternoon sun shining down on her he realized she had that same blurred distant feeling that she’d had in the restaurant.
They walked for a while in silence, and after a few minutes, Clay realized that they had fallen into sync with each other. They moved together and even their breathing matched. It was a phenomenon he’d witnessed in mated pairs before but he hadn’t realized it happened so quickly or naturally.
When they reached the clearing near the water’s edge Clay could feel her growing excitement. When she saw the area set up with a blanket and cushions she couldn’t contain her glee and let out a noise that was almost a squeak as her hand gripped his tighter.
“You like it?” he asked gently. Pleased with the effort he’d gone to when she gave him a spontaneous hug. “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I tried to bring an assortment of food.” He held up the hand holding the storage bag from his bike
“A picnic?” she asked as she sank to her knees on the blanket he’d laid out.
It had taken some planning after she’d finally called him. Clay had made his way out to the spot he’d seen while running in the forest and he’d carefully laid out the thick blanket and cushions so that she would be comfortable while they ate.
He placed the bag between them on the blanket and started pulling out the meal he’d packed for them.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding you did bring a bit of everything.”
He shrugged embarrassed that he might have gone overboard. “Well, I didn’t know what you like. I thought it best to be prepared,” Clay ducked his head afraid of what her reaction might be. Instead, he avoided her gaze and focused instead on pulling their food out of the bag.
“Hey, don’t do that she admonished him.” He paused when she cupped his jaw raising his chin until their eyes locked. He felt the gentle brush of her fingertips through his entire body.
The look that passed between them was heated and it made Clay feel like she could see into his soul. Feeling exposed he tried to look away but her eyes held him captive.
“I love that you went to so much trouble. This is one of my favorite spots and I’ve always wanted to have a picnic here but I never have. Please don’t be embarrassed that you did something special for me.”
She leaned in and kissed his cheek. It was tempting to turn his head so that their lips would meet but he didn’t want to steal their first kiss.
It was such an innocent show of affection that Clay felt guilty for all the lascivious thoughts he’d had about her since they met. He turned his head slowly making sure his intentions were clear. He lifted his hand mirroring her body language giving her time to pull away if she wanted to.
She seemed to hold her breath as his lips drew closer to hers. “I wasn’t going to kiss you. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t, at least not today, but I’m not as strong as I’d hoped to be.” The words were breathed against her mouth as he gave in to the desire to kiss her. It was tentative and sweet, but there was an underlying heat that he knew would rage out of control consuming them both if they weren’t careful. As if sensing this she was first to pull back from the caress.
“I can’t do this.” Her chest heaved with her effort to pull air into her lungs. She let the hand that had been on his face fall away but kept it held out between them as if to ward him off.
“I would never force you.” His heart was heavy as she watch him warily as though she expected him to pounce at any moment. “Let’s just enjoy lunch. It wasn’t my intention to do anything other than that. The reality of you just went to my head for a moment.” He moved back on the blanket to give them both some space and went back to pulling out the rest of their food.
When he had it laid out between them he stretched his legs out in front of himself and leaned back on his forearms taking in the scenery around them.
The ground was still muted and dull waiting for the rain that would bring it back to life with the slightest bit of moisture. The water beside them was a brilliant blue tinted with shades of green that reminded Clay of her eyes.
