Page 24 of Having the Bear's Baby

She raised the bottle. “I have vodka, tequila, or whiskey if you’d prefer.”

“Whiskey, if it’s no trouble.”

“Not at all.” She poured herself a glass of wine and grabbed the decanter to pour him a tumbler half full.

She grabbed the glasses and nodded to the balcony that she favored. Liam followed her outside, sitting beside her on the loveseat as they clinked their glasses.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Emma teased as she set her glass on the side table.

She looked at him, and his countenance looked too serious. His blue-gray eyes were focused in the distance.

A sense of doubt crept in. Was he having second thoughts? Was he reconsidering their agreement?

A rush of worry tightened her chest. Had she said or done something that inadvertently caused him to doubt their path? Her mind raced, replaying their recent interactions in search of any missteps or misinterpreted signals.

The seconds felt like an eternity as she waited for a response. She had come so far and mustered the courage to dive headfirst into the unknown, and the prospect of it all unraveling was paralyzing.

Her heart yearned for Liam, for the connection they had forged, and for the potential future she had glimpsed. But the fear of rejection, of her newfound dreams slipping through her fingers, was a weight she struggled to bear.

He finally turned to her. “I was thinking on the way over.”

Oh shit.

Her mind raced to make sense of the situation. What if he had realized their circumstances were too complex, too unconventional? What if he had come to his senses and decided they were better off going their separate ways?

Uncertainty tightened its grip, and a sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Her breath caught, and she held it as if doing so could stall whatever disappointing words might come.

He cleared his throat. “Maybe we could take a romantic vacation, just the two of us. I have a secluded cabin by the lake in the woods that I think would be perfect for some quality time alone.”

Relief washed over Emma at his suggestion.

She was happy he wanted to do this, but why had it looked so hard for him to ask? Did he really think that she would say no after the last couple of weeks?

“I think that sounds great, Liam.” She touched his hand. She wanted to reassure him that she really did want this, and he wasn’t in this alone. He could be vulnerable around her. She would never judge him for that.

He smiled warmly at her and stroked her hand with his thumb. “Good. I wasn’t sure if it was something up your alley that you’d enjoy doing. But I figured having no outside interference, including phones and my family, would be good for us. We could get to know each other more and spend the week doing whatever we wanted. It’s a beautiful area. I think you’ll really enjoy it.”

She giggled. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I would say that you are trying to hide me away. If not from your family, then from the other shifters we had that lovely run-in with.” Emma was partly kidding, but she had a feeling there was more to this than he was letting on, especially given the recent events.

He looked shocked. “What? No. I mean, we don’t need my family butting in, but I just wanted some quality time with a quality woman.”

Emma raised her eyebrow, giving him a knowing look.

“Well, maybe that other clan has something to do with it. But that’s not the whole reason. I really do want to do this because it would also be nice to be alone with you.” He gave her his most charming smile.

Emma almost spat her wine out at his puppy-dog eyes.

“I already said I was in. Don’t look at me like that.” She laughed. “I just want you to be honest with me.”

“Fair.” He took a sip from his glass. There was something so animalistic in that movement, making her feel like she could see the bear rippling underneath.

“I’ll have to see what my schedule looks like first. Just so you know.”

“You know, you don’t have to work.”

She raised both of her brows at him now. “Yes, I do. I can’t just take time off. They need me. Plus, I like my job. For the most part, anyway.”

Liam reclined in his seat, taking another sip.

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