4. Louisa
Chapter 4
Louisa
Gabe stands against the counter as I scoop up his ice cream, and I swear I can almost feel his warm breath brushing against the back of my neck. My girly bits tingle at the dirty things I’m hoping he’ll be doing to me in the near future. He’s got this way about him that captures the room's attention, commandeers it even, but it’s the little things about him, the things no one else would even notice that set my pulse racing and tell me he was made just for me.
The subtle changes in him threw me off for a second, but now I’m starting to freaking love his wickedly chiseled jawline and his massive muscles that are evident beneath the tight black shirt. He was tall, dark, and handsome yesterday, but today, the shifter is smoking hot.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Gabe tells me when I hand him the banana split. “Would you like to sit down and share this with me?”
“I’d love to.” There’s no way I’m turning down the chance to spend time with him. I’m really surprised my voice remains steady despite the flurry of thoughts ricocheting through my mind. “I just need to ask Wendy to watch things.”
“I’ll be right over here.” He strolls over to an empty booth while I turn to Wendy.
“Would you please keep an eye on things?” Her satisfied smirk tells me she already knows what’s going on between Gabe and me. “I’m going to take a quick break.”
“Sure,” she readily agrees. “Take as long as you want. I can handle things.”
“I bet you can,” I mutter under my breath as I walk away. You can’t hide anything from freaking shifters.
I slide into the booth across from him and reach for the extra spoon. As I take a bite of the sweet ice cream, he watches, chuckling. It’s a low rumble that resonates through the shop, mingling with the ambient noise of laughter and clinking spoons.
“You know,” he says, digging his spoon in for another bite, “I’ve been thinking.”
“Dangerous pastime,” I quip, falling into the entertaining rhythm of our banter, though my curiosity is piqued.
He raises an eyebrow, acknowledging my verbal snipe with a slight curve of his lips. “This is true, but I had an idea.”
“Should I be concerned?” I ask, trying hard to ignore the way my insides twist in anticipation.
“I’ll try to go easy on you.” He leans back, staring into my eyes in a way that causes electricity to flow down my spine, waking up all the nerve endings. “At first.”
The whispered words hit me like a jolt, scattering my thoughts and making my heart do somersaults. “And after that?” My mouth runs away without consulting my brain.
“You’ll have to wait and see.” His self-assured smirk should cause my hackles to rise but it does the complete opposite. I clasp my hands tight in my lap, fighting the urge to lean across the table and kiss his lips.
For a moment, it feels like the entire world has narrowed to just us and what’s about to come.
“Would you like to have dinner at my place tonight?”
My acceptance sits on the tip of my tongue while an unwelcome thought flashes through my mind. “I can’t tonight.” Of course, the one evening I have something to do is the night Gabe invites me over for dinner. His eyes turn stormy as a frown breaks out on his face. Tension fills the air around us, and I rush on to explain, “I have two new employees starting this weekend, and they’re coming by tonight to fill out their paperwork and get a tour of the shop.”
Relief passes across his handsome face as he blows out his breath. “Would tomorrow night work for you?”
“Tomorrow sounds great.” After hashing out our plans, we finish off the rest of the banana split.
The banter between us is easy, but underneath it, there’s a tension swirling around us. I’m pretty freaking sure everyone in town can feel the electricity crackling between us.
As I’m processing my whirlwind of thoughts, he slides out of the booth and tosses the empty bowl down into the trash before turning back to me. “I should get going, but I’ll see you tomorrow night.” He pauses, and my pulse quickens as he steps closer again.
“I’m glad you stopped by.” The words feel inadequate as they leave my lips, but it’s the best I can muster with the ‘Gabe fog’ swirling through my brain.
In the blink of an eye, he closes the distance between us. My breath catches as I watch his expression shift from playful to something far more serious. It’s powerful, a sudden rush of excitement flows through me.
“Louisa,” he says my name in his deep voice, causing my heart to flutter as my mind spins out of control. And then, before I can even think about what’s happening, he leans in, and my world catches fire.
His lips cover mine, soft and demanding all at once, surprisingly tender compared to the whirlwind of chaos coursing through my veins. I lose myself in the sensation as his warmth envelops me. Everything else around us blurs. It’s just him and me, locked in this incredible kiss.
His lips move confidently over mine with an intoxicating mix of sweetness and just the right amount of urgency, and my defenses melt away like ice cream under the hot sun.
I lean into him instinctively, finally allowing myself to experience what it feels like to have him this close, to feel the power of his kiss wrapping around me. Moments stretch out between us, and the connection deepens as I taste the remnants of his banana split mingled with bourbon.
The world fades, and all I can focus on are his lips, his breath ghosting over my face, and the feel of his muscular body pressed tight against mine.
After what feels like a lifetime lost in a dream, he finally pulls back. There’s a playful glint in his eye that softens the intensity of the moment, but I can still feel the electric connection humming between us. “See you tomorrow,” he says, his voice dropping to a gravelly timbre that sends shivers down my spine.
“Yeah… wow,” I manage to stutter, my cheeks flushed and heart racing. “I’ll see you then.”
Standing there frozen, I watch as he walks out the front door and disappears around the corner.
“Wow.” Wendy walks up beside me fanning herself. “The heat coming off you two almost caught the ice cream shop on fire. Wait ‘til I tell Tilly her last son finally found his mate. She’s going to be over the moon.”
Swallowing, I glance over at her. “Mate?” I already had a sneaking suspicion the pull between Gabe and me wasn’t your run-of-the-mill attraction, but I wasn’t ready to admit it could be this serious.
“Polar bear shifters are completely monogamous. We don’t play the field.” Wendy shrugs and heads back over to the counter to help a customer while I stand there absorbing the news.