Page 11 of The Alpha Option
Blue pointed up the hill. “Jace’s is up there. He’s having a little problem with his carburetor.”
Once again, wonderful. Cassidy eyed her new caretaker with concern. “Please tell me you have the skills to do what we need around here?”
Jace raised a hand. “I solemnly swear I will take care of you.”
The shiver that hit her shouldn’t have happened. Also, he hadn’t really answered her but gone in a completely different direction. Ridiculous how the silliest things he said sent her insides quivering. But so be it.
She would deal with the lust issue shortly. First, she needed to fill her belly.
They moved inside, where Blue helped Stephanie pack up the notebooks. “Barbecue sound good?”
“Oh, I don’t eat meat,” Stephanie deadpanned back. “Is there somewhere in town that serves tofu?”
Her delivery was perfect. Both Blue and Jace shuddered before fixing obviously fake smiles back in place.
“Sure,” Blue said with a little less enthusiasm.
Stephanie ruined her game face by laughing. “Just kidding. Barbecue is wonderful, although I do like tofu as well.”
“Tofu with barbecue sauce, I can do,” Blue offered.
Cassidy turned to discover Jace right beside her. He was staring at her in a very heated yet not creepy way. “And what do you like, Cassidy?”
“Flavours. Sweet, salty, spicy enough to make your hair curl. I like food to be invigorating and the company to be entertaining.”
He dipped his chin. “Then I know exactly where we’re going. Blue? Call Pete and tell him to save us a booth.”
Cassidy was too busy staring into Jace’s mesmerizing eyes to be certain, but she was almost positive she heard Blue curse softly before saying, “Okay.”
5
This was beyond foolhardy. Sheer and utter chaos.
Jace had left Timberwolf Lodge and the town of Jasper behind all those years ago on purpose. Leaving meant he’d avoided a war no one could win.
Being summoned back by his auntie’s letter had him mentally scrambling for ways to keep the peace. Most of those required flying under the radar or never stepping foot in town. Ever.
He shouldn’t be taking the ladies anywhere near Jasper, let alone into his cousin’s restaurant.
But as he enjoyed the amazing feeling of his hand on Cassidy’s lower back, guiding her to a table at Pete’s, he somehow knew this needed to happen. Drat it all anyway.
It wasn’t yet noon, so the place was only a quarter full, but already all eyes were on their group as Blue led them toward a corner booth.
Good—slightly out of view, a wall to put his back to…
“Jace, you old scoundrel. How the hell are you?”
Doomed. They were all doomed, Jace decided as he turned to face his Uncle Lenny. So much for a quiet reentry into the wolf community. Jace wondered how long it would take for everyone to know he was there, considering Lenny was the loudest gossip in the entire pack.
How long before Del heard and decided to appear?
Nothing to do but roll with it, Jace realized. “Just fine, Uncle. Looking for a bite to eat, that’s all.”
Lenny grabbed Jace’s free hand and shook it with wild enthusiasm. “Sure you are. Only place in town worth coming to, my Pete’s place. Sit, sit. Everyone will be so excited you’re back. Been a long while. Told everyone you’d walk right back through those doors someday. Who’s this? She yours? Of course, she is.”
Before Jace could insert himself between Lenny and Cassidy, his uncle had grabbed her hand and lifted it as if ready to press a kiss to her knuckles.
Cassidy twisted. A seemingly casual move that left Lenny bent over empty air while she stepped to the side and stopped in front of Stephanie, instinctively protecting her friend.
