Page 5 of A Very Grumpy Ranger (Wolf Valley: Grumps #9)

FIVE

Blake

“How’s this?” I ask Jade, stepping out of the bathroom wearing outfit option number five.

“Ohh, sexy!” she gushes.

I smile, twirling around in my dark wash jeans that mold to my legs and ass like a second skin. My flowy tunic-style shirt floats around me as I spin, and I laugh as I get dizzy and stop.

“I think this is the one.”

“Definitely! You look hot,” Jade agrees.

I sit on the bed next to her and pull on a pair of socks and my boots.

“What time are you picking him up?” she asks.

“He’s picking me up in an hour.”

“And what did you have planned for tonight? It needs to be good if you want to win the bet,” she says.

“Oh, I’ve got this in the bag,” I say confidently. “We’re going to the pottery studio up in Maple Creek and then out to dinner at that new barbecue place.”

“Sounds fun. Call me tomorrow and let me know how it goes,” she says as she stands and gathers her things.

“I will.”

She hugs me and smiles reassuringly before she heads out. I take a deep breath and look around my apartment. I spent all day stress cleaning it, so the place is spotless.

My palms are sweaty, and my heart is racing as I wait for Luca to pick me up. I need something to distract me, but I’m all caught up on work, and there’s nothing else to do here.

Entering the bathroom, I brush my hair until it shines. I twist it up into a high ponytail and then splash cold water on my face.

Calm down! I order myself. It’s a date. Not even our first date. It will all be okay.

I dry my face and hands and pace my apartment, my eyes glued to the clock.

Finally, four o’clock rolls around, and Luca knocks on the door.

“Hey,” I greet him as I open the door.

“Hey. Wow, you look amazing.”

“Thanks. You look pretty good yourself.”

“Thanks. Are you ready to go?”

“Yep.”

I grab my purse and phone and step outside, locking the door behind me.

“What’s the plan for tonight?” Luca asks as we head downstairs to his car.

“You don’t want to be surprised?”

He shrugs. “If you want. Might be hard to drive us there.”

“You’ve got a point,” I agree.

“Did you want to drive us there?” He asks, holding up his keys.

I wave them away. “No, I hate driving.”

“Really?”

I sigh. “Yeah. I had a mean driving teacher. Now, every time I’m behind the wheel, I’m anxious and on edge.”

“We could work on that,” he offers.

“Maybe, but not tonight.”

He nods and opens the passenger door for me. I hop in, and he rounds the hood and climbs behind the wheel.

“Where are we headed?” he asks as he starts the car.

“Maple Creek. Or…shoot, I should have asked if you minded driving that far first.”

“It’s fine. It’s only twenty minutes from here,” he says, pulling out into the light traffic. “What’s in Maple Creek?”

“Pottery.”

“Pottery?”

“Pottery and barbecue.”

“Sounds like a date.”

“A winning date,” I correct him.

“We’ll see.”

Maple Creek is the largest town in the region, boasting a professional hockey team and an airport. It has way more restaurants and businesses than Wolf Valley.

“Want to put in the directions?” Luca asks, passing his phone to me.

“Sure.”

I pull up Maps on his phone and enter the address of the ceramics studio.

“How was your day? What did you do?” I ask as we get on the highway.

“I finished unpacking. Tried to find some furniture online for the guest rooms. I also need some kitchen supplies. Just a lot of odds and ends.”

“Do you want to look while we’re in Maple Creek? We could hit up some furniture stores,” I offer.

“Not tonight. Not on date night.”

“Another time, then.”

“For sure. I’d love your opinion on some things.”

“Okay.”

“How was work?” he asks.

“It was fine. My manager was in a meeting all day, so I didn’t have to deal with her or anyone else. I finished early and started looking for a new job,” I tell him.

“Any leads?”

“Not really. They’re hiring for some construction work, but unless I want to learn how to weld, I don’t think I’d be a good fit.”

“Probably not.”

“I’ll keep looking.”

We arrive in Maple Creek, and Luca parks in the ceramics parking lot. We hop out of his car, and he takes my hand.

“I hope you don’t expect me to actually sculpt something,” he warns me.

I laugh. “No, this is strictly painting pottery,” I assure him.

He opens the door for me as we enter. Our instructor checks us in and leads us to a table in the back corner. She explains the process before leaving us to select a piece and choose our paint colors.

Luca follows me as we examine the pottery options. I decide on a bowl, and Luca grabs the same as me.

“What are you planning on painting?” I ask as we look over the paint colors.

“I’m not sure yet. Maybe polka dots or…flowers? What’s easiest?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never done this before.”

He nods and grabs a few different colors. I decide to try my luck at making little hearts, so I grab red and white paints and head back to the table.

We talk as we work. Luca tells me about growing up with Milo, their time in school, and when he decided to join the military.

“Why the Army? Or the Rangers?” I ask as I add another coat of paint.

“I’m not a huge swimmer, so the Navy and Marines were out, and I’ve never had any interest in flying, so no Air Force. That left the Army.”

“Why go into special forces?”

“I wanted to serve my country. I wanted to make a difference,” he says quietly.

“You did,” I assure him.

“I tried.”

“You did,” I promise. “I’m sure of it.”

He nods, and we work in silence for a while, both of us getting lost in our painting.

“That looks great!” our instructor says once we’re finished. “Remember to initial the bottom with this pen.”

I flip my bowl over and write my initials, then pass the pen to Luca.

“They’ll be finished in the kiln and ready for pickup in a few days. We’ll call you,” she says as we check out.

Luca tries to pay, but I push him aside and swipe my card.

“Come again,” the instructor says as we head out, and I wave over my shoulder.

Luca takes my hand as we walk back to his car. “That was fun,” he says as he opens my door.

“Ready to admit defeat?”

He grins. “Not yet. Where now?”

“Dinner. There’s a barbecue place right around the corner.”

He nods and closes my door. We drive to the restaurant and pull in. It’s packed and smells delicious. My mouth waters as we stand in line, and Luca’s stomach growls.

“Hungry?” I ask.

“Starved.”

“Me, too,” I admit.

We wait a few minutes to be seated. Looking over the menu, we decide to split a few plates so we can try everything. I let Luca order and lean back, taking in the place.

Dinner passes in a flash. We joke, rank the meats and sides by our favorite to least favorite, and learn more about each other.

It starts to rain again as Luca and I argue over who gets to pay the bill. I win since it’s my date, but Luca grumbles as I put my debit card down with a victorious smirk.

“I should have paid,” he complains as we leave the restaurant.

I laugh. “It was my date.”

“Still.”

Lightning streaks across the sky, and I jump at the loud boom of thunder that follows.

“Let me get the car. You wait here.”

I wait beneath the awning while he brings the car around, then dash through the rain to the passenger door and slide inside.

“Now where?” Luca asks.

“Home.”

“Mine or yours?”

“Mine.”

The rain splatters against the roof and windshield as we drive back to Wolf Valley. We pull up to my apartment, and I turn to Luca.

I intend to ask him who won the date or maybe suggest a third date as a tiebreaker, but when my eyes clash with his, all thoughts leave my head.

His eyes drop to my lips, and we both freeze, the moment suspended in time. My body heats, and my core clenches. I lean forward, my body swaying toward his.

“Blake.”

That single word—my name on his lips—sends a shiver down my spine. It’s low and rough, like gravel and longing, and it wraps around me tighter than any embrace.

I lean in without thinking, the space between us charged and electric. His hand lifts, hovering near my cheek, and then he cups my face gently like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he moves too fast. I don’t. I can’t. I’m already lost to the pull between us.

“You gonna keep looking at me like that or kiss me?” I whisper, my voice unsteady and thick with want.

His breath hitches. “I’m trying to remember every second of this.”

And then his mouth is on mine.

It’s not soft. Not tentative. It’s desperate and deep like he’s been waiting forever and finally cracked. His lips claim mine, and I melt into him, my hands curling into the front of his shirt as I press my body against his. The heat between us roars to life, scorching and undeniable.

His other hand slides around to the back of my neck, tilting my head, and the kiss deepens.

My lips part, and his tongue brushes against mine, hot and insistent, sending a bolt of heat straight through my core.

I moan into his mouth, and he swallows the sound like it’s the only thing he wants to hear for the rest of his life.

I don’t know where the world went—maybe it fell away the moment he touched me—but right now, all that exists is this: the taste of him, the way he groans softly when my fingers slide into his hair, the way he presses me against the door like he can’t get close enough.

I gasp as his mouth drifts to my jaw, then down to my neck, the scrape of his stubble making me dizzy.

“Luca,” I whisper, my voice trembling.

He pulls back enough to look at me, his chest heaving. “Tell me to stop.”

“I won’t,” I say, breathless. “I don’t want you to.”

His lips crash into mine again, and I’m instantly lost in him.

We’re like two teenagers, making out before I have to head in for curfew. The storm rages around us, the rain cocooning us in his car.

His tongue tangles with mine, and I moan as his fingers move to cradle the back of my head.

BOOM!

A loud clap of thunder startles us, and we jump, jerking apart. We’re both breathing heavily. His cheeks are flushed, his lips swollen from mine, and all I can think about is asking him to come upstairs.

“Did you want to come in?” I ask breathlessly.

“You want me to?”

“Uh-huh,” I say huskily.

I’ve never been so turned on and needy in my life, but I don’t tell him that.

“I mean, I think it’s clear that I already won the bet,” I joke. “Might as well get my prize.”

I mean for the words to be light and teasing, but they seem to have the opposite effect on Luca. It’s like a bucket of cold water being dumped on him.

His eyes go from dark and heated to guarded in a second, and he pulls back.

“I…I can’t. I need to get home,” he says stiffly.

I blink.

What? How did I mess this up so badly in a few seconds?

“I…Are you okay?”

He nods. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Oh. Okay, um, I’ll see you later,” I say as I gather my things.

My cheeks heat in a fierce blush. I duck my head as I grab the door handle and bolt from his car. I don’t look back as I run up the steps to my apartment. I can hear his car idling at the curb until I get inside, and I know he’s checking I’m safely inside before he leaves.

Always a gentleman.

Is that why he didn’t want to come in? Was it too soon? Is he not into me?

Questions circle in my head all night, but I can’t pinpoint what went wrong.

I hope I didn’t ruin things between us permanently.