minutes later the Sweet Water Lake came into view. Pulling to a stop and cutting the engine, he didn’t make a move to get out right away. “I come up here a lot when I just want to get away from everything and everyone.” He looked over at her, and saw she already had her gaze locked on his.
“You come up here a lot then? You seem like you like your space.” The way she said it wasn’t an accusation.
He nodded. “Yeah, I do, and I’ve gotten the reputation in town as being a frigid asshole.”
She chuckled softly. “I don’t think they’ve really seen the real you.” Her cheeks turned pink after she spoke, as if she didn’t mean to say that. She cleared her throat. “I feel the same way at times, like I just need to get away.” She faced forward.
The sound of the wind blowing right outside of the vehicle could be heard, especially clear because he was a shifter. He didn’t want his mate to feel uncomfortable with him, and Easton would do everything in his power to make sure she never felt like that.
He climbed out of the truck, and stood there, seeing if she wanted to come out with him. She glanced at him, and when she smiled everything in him roared out at the pleasure he got from that one gesture. Easton shut the door and walked over to the passenger side, opened the door, and held his hand out for her to take. He’d much prefer to grab her around the waist and help her out, but he could be a gentleman toward his mate.
He stood there a moment, just holding her hand, feeling that connection move through him. She was the one to take her hand from his, but she smiled up at him. Easton cleared his throat and headed toward the ledge of the mountain. The lake could be seen, as well as part of Sweet Water.
Jessie moved up beside him a moment later, and together they just stood there, neither speaking. The smells of the wilderness around them, of the stillness, had a calming effect.
The scenery was breathtaking, and although he’d been to this spot many times over, having his mate beside him, experiencing this, had a whole different feeling moving inside of him.
Moving a little closer to the cliff, she kept a few feet between them, despite the fact he wanted her close to him, holding her, inhaling her scent. The emotions that came from her were calm, but also slightly tremulous, and even though he didn’t really know much about her because they hadn’t gotten that deep into conversation at the restaurant, he still felt like he knew his mate in what mattered.
“I’d like to apologize for running out the way I did when we first met.”
He looked at her, but she had her focus on the lake.
“That wasn’t right, but I was going through a lot of things, and I guess my emotions were pretty hectic.” She looked at him then, her face a mask of sadness, but also … hope.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. I ran out, as well, when I first saw you at the diner. I didn’t know how to grasp the whole mating thing. I’ve been a recluse my whole life, and knowing I had someone who was just for me, a mate that I was responsible for, had confusion taking control.”
She smiled at him, and he felt a little lighter for telling her that. He didn’t know if he’d ever be a good mate, but he’d sure as hell try to make this female so damn happy she’d never worry or question if being with him was the right thing to do.
“When my mom died I was really young. My dad skipped out on us well before that, and I don’t remember him much.”
He didn’t say anything, just let her open up to him. Easton was glad she was able to be honest with him, because that’s what he wanted right now, and knew that’s what she could give him.
“After my mom died I moved in with my Aunt Brenna. She was the only good thing in my life, and was the only supportive one I ever really had after my mom died. She used to say it was us against everyone else.”
He saw her smile softly, and knew she was thinking about
“You come up here a lot then? You seem like you like your space.” The way she said it wasn’t an accusation.
He nodded. “Yeah, I do, and I’ve gotten the reputation in town as being a frigid asshole.”
She chuckled softly. “I don’t think they’ve really seen the real you.” Her cheeks turned pink after she spoke, as if she didn’t mean to say that. She cleared her throat. “I feel the same way at times, like I just need to get away.” She faced forward.
The sound of the wind blowing right outside of the vehicle could be heard, especially clear because he was a shifter. He didn’t want his mate to feel uncomfortable with him, and Easton would do everything in his power to make sure she never felt like that.
He climbed out of the truck, and stood there, seeing if she wanted to come out with him. She glanced at him, and when she smiled everything in him roared out at the pleasure he got from that one gesture. Easton shut the door and walked over to the passenger side, opened the door, and held his hand out for her to take. He’d much prefer to grab her around the waist and help her out, but he could be a gentleman toward his mate.
He stood there a moment, just holding her hand, feeling that connection move through him. She was the one to take her hand from his, but she smiled up at him. Easton cleared his throat and headed toward the ledge of the mountain. The lake could be seen, as well as part of Sweet Water.
Jessie moved up beside him a moment later, and together they just stood there, neither speaking. The smells of the wilderness around them, of the stillness, had a calming effect.
The scenery was breathtaking, and although he’d been to this spot many times over, having his mate beside him, experiencing this, had a whole different feeling moving inside of him.
Moving a little closer to the cliff, she kept a few feet between them, despite the fact he wanted her close to him, holding her, inhaling her scent. The emotions that came from her were calm, but also slightly tremulous, and even though he didn’t really know much about her because they hadn’t gotten that deep into conversation at the restaurant, he still felt like he knew his mate in what mattered.
“I’d like to apologize for running out the way I did when we first met.”
He looked at her, but she had her focus on the lake.
“That wasn’t right, but I was going through a lot of things, and I guess my emotions were pretty hectic.” She looked at him then, her face a mask of sadness, but also … hope.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. I ran out, as well, when I first saw you at the diner. I didn’t know how to grasp the whole mating thing. I’ve been a recluse my whole life, and knowing I had someone who was just for me, a mate that I was responsible for, had confusion taking control.”
She smiled at him, and he felt a little lighter for telling her that. He didn’t know if he’d ever be a good mate, but he’d sure as hell try to make this female so damn happy she’d never worry or question if being with him was the right thing to do.
“When my mom died I was really young. My dad skipped out on us well before that, and I don’t remember him much.”
He didn’t say anything, just let her open up to him. Easton was glad she was able to be honest with him, because that’s what he wanted right now, and knew that’s what she could give him.
“After my mom died I moved in with my Aunt Brenna. She was the only good thing in my life, and was the only supportive one I ever really had after my mom died. She used to say it was us against everyone else.”
He saw her smile softly, and knew she was thinking about
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