Chapter Nineteen – Kris
Kris stood back, brushing the plaster dust from his hands, and admired the newly smoothed wall. It still needed a final coat of paint, but for now, he was satisfied. Keeping his hands busy had been a good distraction, a way to keep himself from dwelling on how much he wanted to be alone with his mate. Every time he stopped to catch his breath or realign a panel, his thoughts drifted back to Cassia. Her soft sighs, the taste of her lips, the way she molded against him like they’d been made for each other. He swallowed, heat flaring low in his belly.
Smiling to himself, he let his shifter senses roam. After they’d returned from their visit to his uncle and aunt’s restaurant, his mom had invited Cassia to help her pick out tablecloths and silverware for the new restaurant. It meant they had been apart for a couple of hours or more.
Probably a good thing, he mused. If she’d been in the barn with him, he doubted he could’ve resisted making love to her right then and there.
He glanced at the wall again, nodding in approval, before gathering up his tools. He took them to the outdoor tap and cleaned them off, then splashed cold water on his face. The shock of it cleared some of the heat from his cheeks but did nothing for his heated thoughts.
Cassia was right, his bear teased. You’re a little hot.
Maybe we should cool off under the trees, Kris replied, an idea sparking in his mind. A quiet trip to the stream near the top of the vineyard, just him and Cassia… That was exactly what they needed.
He dried his tools, put them neatly in the toolbox, and made his way out of the barn, stepping into the late afternoon sun. Yeah, a picnic near the stream sounds about perfect. On impulse, he detoured through the tasting room, grabbing a couple of bottles of the wine he’d blended the night Finn had drafted that ad. That same ad that had—strangely, wonderfully—brought Cassia into his life.
Fate, his bear rumbled softly.
No doubt, Kris agreed, holding the bottles to his chest and heading toward the house. He could sense Cassia even more clearly now. He could hear her laughter, her voice interspersed with his mom’s as they talked. Only a few days ago, a moment like this had been a dream. Now it was their reality.
Climbing the porch steps two at a time, Kris swung open the door. As he stepped inside the kitchen, his gaze was instantly drawn to Cassia, who had her head bent over a stack of tablecloths while Leanne gestured at something. As if sensing him, Cassia glanced up, giving him a coy smile that tightened every muscle in his body until he felt like a coiled spring, ready to launch.
“Finished for the day?” Leanne asked, her gaze lingering on the wine bottles tucked under his arm.
“Yeah,” Kris said, walking over to the fridge. “I, um, thought we could walk up to the stream, and share a glass or two.” He deposited the bottles on a shelf and closed the fridge door, fighting the grin tugging at his mouth.
Leanne cocked an eyebrow at him. “Well, that sounds like an offer you can’t refuse,” she teased.
“It does,” Cassia agreed, her fingers lightly resting on a stack of fabric samples. “Once we finish up here.” He imagined her fingers trailing across his skin, and his heart skipped a beat.
“Great,” he said, backing out of the kitchen. “I’m gonna grab a shower. Take your time.” He caught the heated look in Cassia’s eyes as her gaze traveled over his body. The same look she’d given him that morning.
A powerful wave of longing built up inside of him. If only they could take that shower together…but he doubted Cassia would join him when Leanne was in the house.
We need a place of our own, his bear said with a huff.
Right? Kris shot back wryly, as he turned his back on his mom and his mate and bounded up the stairs. As much as he loved living at home, it was far from private. Neither was the guest house Cassia was staying at. He loved his aunt and uncle dearly, but he also did not want his and Cassia’s every movement relayed back to the rest of the family. The only secluded corner they could steal was the barn. And even that was risky, with family members coming and going.
We’re going to have to leave home, his bear said.
We’re certainly old enough, Kris replied lightly.
He showered quickly, the hot easing away any lingering muscle stiffness from his day’s work. But no amount of scrubbing erased the flickering images in his mind. Cassia’s parted lips, her soft moans, the arch of her back as he drove her over the edge… The thought alone had him half-ready to jump out of the shower and take her to his bed right now.
Cool it, his bear rumbled with amusement. You’ve got your plan.
Yeah, Kris snorted inwardly. If I don’t combust first. He finished his shower, toweled off, and then dressed in casual jeans and a fresh T-shirt. After dragging a comb through his hair, he hurried back downstairs, where he found Cassia alone in the kitchen, reorganizing a small collection of fabric samples. At the sight of him, her whole expression brightened, and Kris felt that tension inside him coil tighter. She straightened, resting a hand on a wicker basket he recognized instantly. It was the same one they had used for childhood picnics, barbecues, or any sort of family outing.
“Your mom insisted on making us a picnic dinner,” Cassia said, patting the basket. “Thinks we’ll need sustenance, I guess.”
His bear let out a purr of approval. We do need our strength, he quipped, and Kris nearly laughed out loud.
Oh, we will, Kris said.
“Mom does like to keep us fed,” he told his mate as he crossed the room.
“Well,” Cassia teased, reading the humor in his eyes, “I guess you have had a long day of work.” She lifted a corner of the basket’s lid and peered at the contents, releasing a little sigh of delight. “Smells incredible.”
Kris grabbed the wine from the fridge, then slipped the bottles into a small insulated pouch before looping the picnic basket over one arm. He extended his free arm to Cassia. “Shall we?”
Her face glowed as she slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow, nestling close to him as they stepped outside. The late-day sun cast golden light across the vineyard, highlighting each row of vines in a gentle glow. Cassia rested her head briefly against his shoulder, an easy, intimate gesture that left Kris’s chest so full of emotion he could hardly breathe.
He guided them up the gentle slope, through rows of leafy vines rustling in a mild breeze. Once they hit the wooded area, they paused to turn and look at the view of the vines and the house below.
“It’s stunning.” Cassia inhaled deeply, and then let the breath out slowly.
“So are you.” Kris pressed a kiss to the top of her head before they turned and continued uphill. They crossed a small clearing before reaching the spring, which trickled down from a rocky ledge, forming a small, babbling stream that ran down through the vineyard’s lower fields.
“This water is why Thornberg wine tastes so unique,” Kris told his mate. “That, and the valley’s microclimate.”
“Is it also what makes the Thornberg boys grow so big and strong?”
“Maybe.” Kris laughed, a rich, deep sound that seemed to warm the air around them. “I remember my grandfather used to bring us up here to drink from the spring water when we were kids.”
“Another Thornberg secret,” Cassia said.
“Why don’t you try the water?” Kris set the picnic basket down on the ground and then walked to the spring. “Come on. The water is delicious.”
Cassia approached the spring, kneeling beside it. She cupped her hands in the crystal-clear water and brought them to her lips, drinking deeply.
“Oh!” She turned to him with wide eyes. “It’s so cold and sweet.”
Kris uncorked one of the wine bottles and poured two glasses, the ruby liquid catching the late afternoon sunlight. He carried them over to where she kneeled by the spring, admiring how the dappled light through the trees played across her face. He could scarcely believe she was real—and that she was his.
How lucky can one man be? he murmured.
Very lucky, his bear said, contentment radiating through their bond.
“This is the wine I blended the night Finn made the ad,” he said softly, offering her a glass.
Cassia rose, taking the glass with a smile that made his heart skip. “The ad that brought me here.”
They stood close, the sound of the bubbling spring a gentle backdrop to the moment. Kris raised his glass. “To the restaurant,” he toasted.
“To the restaurant,” she echoed.
“And to us,” Kris added softly. They held each other’s gaze as they sipped the crisp white wine. Then Cassia set her glass on a flat rock, rose on her tiptoes, and brushed her lips over his in a slow, lingering kiss.
Kris slid an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him, returning the kiss with equal fervor. The gentle rush of the stream, the whisper of the leaves above—everything faded except the taste of her, warm and sweet. His entire being hummed with the intensity of the mate bond, the unstoppable need to claim her fully. And he poured every ounce of longing into that kiss.
When they finally broke apart, both breathless, Kris rested his forehead against hers.
“I’ve been wanting to do that all day,” he murmured.
Cassia’s smile was radiant. “Just that?”
A low rumble of desire vibrated through him. “Not just that,” he admitted, his voice husky. “But I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
“What if I don’t want a gentleman right now?” she whispered, her fingers trailing up his chest.
His bear growled with approval, and Kris felt his control slipping. He captured her wandering hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss her palm. “We should probably eat,” he said, though truthfully, his appetite for food was overshadowed by another hunger altogether.
She laughed, a sound that warmed his soul. “We probably should,” she agreed, though she didn’t release his hand. “But first…”
Cassia leaned in and kissed him again, this time with a boldness that set his blood on fire. Her lips parted, inviting him deeper, and Kris responded with a groan that seemed to rise from his very soul. His hands cupped her face, thumbs caressing her cheeks as he savored the sweet taste of her.
When they finally pulled apart, Cassia’s eyes were hazy with desire, her breathing uneven. “I’ve been thinking about this all day,” she confessed. “About you.”
“In what way?” he murmured huskily as he ducked his head and kissed her neck, inhaling her scent.
“In every way,” she whispered, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. “I keep thinking about how it felt when you held me, when you kissed me. When you…” She took hold of his hand and guided it down over her body and between her thighs.
Kris rubbed his hand over her mound through the fabric of her jeans, feeling her heat even through the denim. His bear growled, urging him to stake their claim, to make her theirs completely.
“Cassia,” he breathed against her neck, his voice strained with need. “I want you so badly it hurts.”
She arched against his touch, her body responding instantly. “Then take me,” she whispered. “I’m yours, Kris. Aren’t I?”
“You are,” he growled.
Something primal and possessive roared to life inside him. In one swift movement, he pressed her back against the trunk of a nearby pine, his body flush against hers.
As he bent his head and kissed her, it was as if a primal part of him had awakened. A part that wanted, no, needed, to claim his mate. And roar from the highest peak that she was his. Forever.
And nothing, especially no cheating ex-fiancé, could change that!