Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
L ucky hummed along to the music coming from her car speakers as she navigated onto the highway.
She was on her way to Oakridge and giddy excitement had her panther pacing within her body.
It had been a week since she’d seen Rah, and while she’d used the days to think, she still missed him.
The long distance wasn’t going to work for much longer.
Him spending last weekend at her place had spoiled her. She liked waking up to him next to her.
In her head, she had a timeline for the relationship. She wanted the courting phase, enjoying their daily talks and the flowers Ezra sent to her house, but her panther was being uncooperative. Lucky wasn’t sure if she was ready to leave her life in Eastfield just yet.
Plus, she could admit to being wary about what Ezra did for a living.
Dating a drug dealer was one thing…an assassin was a whole ‘nother. The sad part of it all was that she didn’t find it necessarily a deal breaker.
Was that delusional?
He was her mate, and she’d waited her whole life for him. At the end of the day, she had no plans of losing out on that just because he and his family got rid of people for the good of all shifters. Yeah…that sounded good. She would go with that excuse.
Her animal had wanted her on the road Friday after work, but she’d stalled, waffling until Saturday afternoon.
It would cut into their weekend, and while her animal lamented that, Lucky figured it would be her way of being careful.
Because surely the more time she spent with him, the more her animal would get attached.
But the animal was impatient and all of Lucky’s fake timelines didn’t mean shit to it.
To his credit, Ezra was being patient. He hadn’t pressured her at all on Friday. A part of her had expected it, but he had sat on the phone with her until the wee hours of the morning without complaint.
Her phone rang and she smiled to see that it was the object of her thoughts. No one was going to make her come up off this male and there was no reason for her to pretend otherwise.
“Rah,” she breathed out.
“I love the way you say my name, princess.” He growled. “Your detail said you’re headed this way. You’re coming to me?”
“I miss you.” That was as simple as it got.
“That’s what I like to hear. I’m sending you my address.”
“I was just going to get a?—”
“Princess.” His tone sent a shiver down her spine and her panther whined in need.
That tone said he didn’t plan on going back and forth with her about where she was staying while in town. Why did she never know she liked to be handled like this?
“Send me the address then, Rah,” she conceded.
He chuckled and her phone buzzed in the holder. “See you soon, my love.”
She reset the GPS and headed to do as her mate bid her.
The moment she crossed the bridge into Oakridge, the atmosphere seemed to change.
She had entered rarefied air, and even the sun shined brighter.
Eastfield had its share of ballers and elites, but this was different.
This was that one percent shit people only dreamed about.
Half-a-million-dollar cars casually drove through the streets while designer stores lined the landscaped roads, hidden behind lush greenery, providing shade to the pedestrians shopping.
Yachts dotted the horizon, bobbing along with different-sized sailboats.
She’d not seen this side of town when she had come for her date with James.
She followed along with the directions, the boats getting closer until she got to a high bridge with a toll booth at its entrance.
Jaunty nautical flags flapped against the sea breeze, and a smartly dressed male manned the arm.
Lucky rolled down her window and paid the fifteen dollars to get onto the island, rolling her eyes at all the pomp and circumstance.
She left her window down, inhaling the ocean air as she crossed over the bridge.
There were fewer pedestrians here; instead, women in running gear walked with baby carriages at a leisurely pace, talking amongst themselves. Chile…where was she right now?
Ten minutes later, the mansions spread out further until she finally came to her destination.
Lucky checked her GPS one more time to be sure, slowing the car in front of a pair of formidable iron gates.
She knew Ezra was rich, but not ‘house got its own zip code’ rich.
She was in awe as someone came out of the gatehouse and asked for her ID.
She gave it to the tiger shifter and eyed the second male circling her car.
Her daddy ain’t raise no fool. Lucky didn’t relax until the gates opened and she was waved inside.
Another car, who she assumed was her detail, rolled through the gates behind her.
She drove her small sedan down the tree-lined driveway until it curved in front of a breathtaking mansion.
Hell, it was more like an estate. The whitewashed brick and black roof was both imposing and warm at the same time.
Her mouth dropped open as she pulled up to the house.
Brick steps led to a beautiful entrance and open glass double doors.
Ezra was waiting at the top of the stairs, sunlight kissing the smooth chocolate skin of his face.
He was dressed casually, a white t-shirt hugging his chest and leaving his tattooed arms exposed.
The khaki lounging pants he wore made her mouth water.
Before she could shut off the car, he prowled to her, opening her door.
“Princess,” he greeted.
He leaned down and kissed her, impatience broadcast in the way his tongue demanded entrance.
Lucky sighed, her body going up in flames.
She was equally happy to see him, and Lucky decided right then and there that she would be calling off of work next week to spend extra time with him.
Ezra helped her out of the car and pulled her into his arms.
“I need to turn the car off,” she murmured as he nuzzled against her cheek.
“You don’t,” he assured her, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the house.
“Wait, I have a gift for you, though.”
Reaching into the car, she grabbed the plant she bought for him, along with the three-wick candle she’d made.
He smiled softly. “You brought me a plant.”
“It’s jasmine. It helps reduce stress. And the candle should do the same,” she informed him.
Ezra blinked at her a moment before speaking. “Thank you, princess. I can’t remember the last time I got a gift from anyone outside of my siblings.”
“You’re welcome.” She kissed his cheek and turned back toward his house. Her breath caught at the beautiful mansion. “You went to cotillions growing up, didn’t you?”
Ezra chuckled. “Something like that.”
“Your home is stunning,” she told him, turning in a circle in the foyer.
“Our,” he corrected her.
Lucky froze her movement and turned to him. She cleared her throat. “No wonder you and your siblings can live together in this place.”
“They have their own areas. You’ll see when you get upstairs to our rooms,” was his answer to that as he tugged her toward the double staircase.
Her eyes took in everything she passed. Oh, this was lavish. Was she ready for what she was about to get herself into?
Lucky was in awe of the large landscape photos that adorned the walls of the upstairs hallway.
They were haunting, dark woods taken at different times of the day.
Some felt hopeful in the way the light dappled through the trees while others looked formidable, almost a warning.
She shivered as Ezra stopped in front of a heavy door.
There was an electronic lock on the outside of it.
He pressed a code into it and the door opened.
It was like his own apartment inside of the mansion.
They walked into a small kitchen, only slightly smaller than the one in her apartment.
The floors were wooden, a warm tone that matched the butcher block countertops, setting off forest green cabinets.
There was a small microwave, a stovetop built into the counter, and a narrow fridge.
Two stools flanked the edge of the small island, the only dining space in the kitchen.
She had passed a massive kitchen already, so she assumed Ezra only ate here if he needed privacy.
She liked that, especially since she didn’t even know if his siblings would like her.
They passed through a sitting area with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and comfortable seating.
The whole room smelled like him, everything neat and in its place.
There was a lot of light coming into the space, which she appreciated because she would need to move her plant babies here. She smiled at him.
“I love this.”
He walked up and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m happy to hear that. You want to freshen up before we have lunch?”
She nodded and allowed him to guide her to his bathroom, gasping at the luxury of it. Forget falling in love with Ezra, she’d solidly fallen for his house.