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When she reached the passenger door, she paused, pressing one hand against the metal, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She closed her eyes, inhaling a deep breath, filled with the heady scent of sun-warmed grapes. It all seemed so impossible she feared she was dreamwalking.

No,she told herself.This isn’t a dream. I saw it, felt it.Her mind lingered on the image of Kris in his bear form, massive yet somehow still…Kris. She’d looked into those dark, intelligent eyes and recognized him immediately.

Her cheeks flushed pink as she pictured him standing before her, their eyes locked together as his fingers worked their magic inside her. She clenched her thighs instinctively, heat flaring at the thought of him entering her fully, claiming her the way mates were meant to be claimed.

But then footsteps approached and her eyes flew open. She needed to compose herself. Somehow.

“Are you okay?” Kris murmured, rounding the front of the truck to stand beside her, his voice tinged with concern and an undercurrent of restrained desire.

She blinked, still caught in the afterglow of her own thoughts. “Uh huh,” she said, though her voice came out hoarse. She cleared her throat. “I’m fine.”

“You look a littleflushed,” he teased gently, stepping close enough for her to catch the distinct warmth of his body. The swirl of longing that had been simmering came roaring back, so she tore her gaze away, placing both hands on her cheeks in an attempt to hide the deepening flush.

She looked up, meeting his amused, searing stare, and promptly forgot how to breathe. Did he have any idea what he did to her?

Of course, he did. She could see it in the small self-satisfied smirk that played across his lips.

But, she suspected, she had the same effect on him.

“You look a little hot yourself,” she said, half-laughing but mostly just trying to control her nerves. She brushed past him, letting her body slide against his groin before hoisting herself onto the seat.

“Not fair,” he muttered under his breath, adjusting his jeans as the bulge there became more…pronounced.

Yes,her mind cooed.We definitely have the same effect on each other.

He climbed in beside her, and the air inside the cabin seemed to crackle with tension, sparking arcs of awareness between them. Cassia briefly considered yanking the door shut and asking him to drive them both to a place where they could lock themselves away, forgetting the world outside. But duty intervened, as it always did.

The restaurant had to come first.

She cleared her throat again, fiddling with her seat belt. “So…do you think your uncle will know a chef we could hire? A real professional who can handle a vineyard-focused menu?”

Kris exhaled, switching gears in his mind, even though the hunger in his eyes didn’t fully subside. “I’m sure he can help. He’s pretty well-connected and respected around here.”

Cassia nodded. “Aren’t all Thornbergs?” she asked, shooting him a half-smile.

Kris let out a short laugh. “I don’t know about that, but we try.”

“No skeletons in the closet?” Cassia teased, arching an eyebrow.

He snorted. “I didn’t say that. All families have secrets, and mine’s no different.”

She felt a flicker of curiosity but decided not to pry. This was not the time to poke around old family mysteries. Instead, she flashed a quick grin. “Finn’s plans are looking good,” she said, smoothly changing the subject.

Kris nodded, eyes lighting up with pride. “Yeah, I think he’s worked extra hard because he feels…” He paused, perhaps considering how to phrase it without throwing Finn under the bus. “Well, not guilty exactly, but…responsible.”

“Responsible for bringing us together under false pretenses,” Cassia finished, though she wore a smile to show she bore no grudges. After all, it hadn’t been false at all in the end, had it?

No, there was nothing false about the way she felt about Kris.

“Exactly. But I think fate’s a better word for it,” he said, glancing at her. “You might’ve come under odd circumstances, but I don’t regret a second of it.”

She suppressed a shiver of happiness. “Me neither.”

He flashed her a smile and turned his attention back to the road. They fell into a comfortable silence as the rolling fields gave way to scattered houses and then to the outer suburbs of Bear Creek. Kris took a left, then a right, before pulling into a small parking lot in front of a restaurant building that looked closed. But then it was still early.

“Is anyone even here?” she asked. Perhaps they’d have time to kill while they waited for Kris’s uncle to arrive.

She had some ideas of how they could pass the time...