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“And have a nice lunch with Robert,” Anne said.

“I’m sure I will. He’s an amazing cook.” Maisie left and drove over to Robert’s place.

When she arrived, she knocked on the door and Robert hurried to open it, Mittens greeting her too. “Aww, you came back.” She crouched down and petted her.

“Yeah, I brought her home while I was doing some laundry and other chores. You and I didn’t talk about what we wanted to eat. Do Scottish salmon sandwiches appeal?”

“Oh, aye, I haven’t had one in ages. What can I do to help?”

They soon were adding the cheese, avocado, mayonnaise, tomatoes, and cooked salmon to slices of sourdough. Then they sat down to eat.

“Ohmigosh, this is so good,” Maisie said, tomato juice running down her chin. She laughed, and he wiped her chin with his napkin before she could grab her own.

Then, and she didn’t even know how or why or exactly when it happened, they were kissing. She was on her feet, and she guessed he’d pulled her from her chair. It was just so amazing, spontaneous, fun-loving, and he tasted so delicious. “You make everything even more special,” she said. “Meals, the island adventure, sword fighting, nighttime fun, all of it.”

“I swear, Maisie, when I caught you in the sea, our stars had to have been aligned.” Robert kissed her again. “I feel like when I’m with you, I’m standing in sunshine, no clouds in sight, though if they come, we’ll chase them away.”

“You’re all that I want in a wolf,” she admitted. “I know we don’t want to rush into anything, but I’ve never been this close to a male wolf before, to be ready to mate. I feel so comfortable with you, like I’ve known you forever. You’re so easy to love.”

He smiled. “I feel the same way about you. It feels so nice being with you no matter the wild situations we’ve been in. You’re an amazing woman.”

“Let’s finish our lunch, and then we’ve got some time to try out your bed before I have to leave.”

“I’m so glad we’re on the same page.”

She swore they finished their sandwiches in record time, and then he grabbed her up and stalked toward his bedroom. She was glad he did because she wasn’t sure which of the rooms was his bedroom. It was beautiful inside with one large picture hanging over his bed of Mittens sleeping on her pillow.

Maisie laughed. “How did you get it framed so fast?” It looked so perfect with his black-and-white bedroom decor—his black comforter and black-and-white pillows, the black lamps on the bedside tables and white lampshades. His furniture was all light oak that complemented the black-and-white furnishings.

“While you were working at the inn, I took the pictures over to Veronica first thing, and she did that one right away so I could bring it home and hang it.”

“It’s just adorable.”

“Yeah, because you did such a beautiful job taking the photo in the first place.”

“Thanks. I love the way Mittens is color-coordinated perfectly with your bedroom.”

“Exactly.” Then Robert and Maisie were kissing, hugging, cherishing each other.

He made her feel so special and so loved.

He started to slip her shirt over her head. He sat her down on his comfortable bed to remove her shoes and socks. “Oooh, I love your bed. Once I’m in it, I’ll never want to leave it.”

“I would love to keep you there with me,” he said, smiling.

He removed his shoes, and she began to kiss him again. She treasured kissing him, enjoying his warm mouth on hers, the tenderness, loving, genuine force while he was pressing his kisses against her lips. Then she was unbuttoning his shirt and dragging it off his shoulders.

He unfastened her pants, and she did the same with his. Her bra was tossed aside, and then his boxer briefs and her panties joined her bra on the floor. They were on the mattress, moving against each other, bodies undulating, pressing against all their most sensitive spots, working up his arousal. He was getting hard with all the friction between them. Together they were amazing. She was so hot and wet for him already.

She was certain he was the one for her, and she would have just saidscrew it and mate me already, but she was afraid she was being way too impulsive, and she needed to slow down. But slowing down wasn’t what she had in mind as she gently scratched his back with her nails and he nipped at her bottom lip, telling her how much he loved the feelings between them.

“I don’t want to wait,” she said in his ear, wanting him to know she needed this with him and making herself vulnerable to rejection. But she was also ready to accept it if he wasn’t ready for it.

“I know I’ll never feel this way about another wolf.” Robert smiled. “You’re the only woman I’ve been with that, when we have plans to be together, I don’t forget them.”

She smiled at him. “That says a lot.”

“It sure does. What about your parents? Do they even know that we’ve met and have been dating?”