"Okay, let's do this. If you're going to make this mistake, at least make it with confidence, woman," she told her reflection. It mocked her sharp nod, but she didn't care anymore.
Besides, I get steak tonight! The last thought filled her with another sort of excitement. Shift on Main was well known for the quality of its steaks, and that happened to be Caia's favorite meal, even if it was normally out of her budget. But since Gabriel had insisted on going and that he was going to pay, she had every intention of indulging herself just a little bit this evening.
You sure do, don't you? The sarcastic part of her brain didn't seem to respect the off switch, constantly bombarding her with its innuendos. Which were partially true, she knew. After all, it was her brain.
Rolling her eyes, Caia strode out the front door of the little apartment she rented, fiddling with the keys, trying to find the one necessary to lock it.
"Hello wonderful."
Caia straightened, then turned around.
"I thought you said to meet at the restaurant?"
"I didn't want to wait any longer than I had to in order to see you," he said. His voice was different, and it took her a moment to realize what it was. There was nothing more to it, but it was void of something that half the time she hadn't even realized was there.
His professionalism was gone. Gabriel was off the clock, and he was able to tell her his thoughts now. There would be no more guarded replies from him tonight, she thought, descending the three steps from her front porch to the sidewalk carefully. Her eyes were focused on his face as he took in her outfit for the first time.
Her cheeks warmed slightly as she saw his Adam's apple bob up and down when he swallowed, followed by his tongue flicking out to nervously lick his lips. There wasn't an ounce of nervousness in his body language, and if she hadn't been looking for it, it was likely she would have missed even that little slip. But she had seen it, and it made her smile to know that she wasn't the only one with a few butterflies in her stomach tonight.
Caia opened her mouth to reply, but then she saw him in the light for the first time.
"Gabriel! Are you okay? What happened?" she exclaimed, rushing to close the last few feet between them.
Her fingers flew to his face, all sense of propriety and any façade that they were just coworkers completely ignored as she traced the outline of the huge red welt that started above his left eye and ran across his forehead and down his right temple, stopping at his cheekbone, as if whatever had hit him had glanced off the bone and been unable to hit him again.
"I'm okay. I'm okay, I promise!" he said, engulfing her searching hands within his, holding them against his face as he took a deep breath in. He pulled them down to his mouth, kissing her hands softly as they unblocked his eyes. The focused green gemstones looked down at her gently. She could sense the small smile hidden behind her hands as he kept them pinned to him while he stared at her.
"You look beautiful," he whispered.
Caia ducked her head, blushing as she tried unsuccessfully to hold in a smile of delight. "Thank you," she said. "But what happened? It looks so painful!"
"Head wound," he said proudly, then ducked as she pulled back a hand to hit him. "I got jumped by a crazed shifter with a pickaxe today. He got a little close for comfort, but I promise I'm fine. Head wounds just take the longest to heal. If it had been anywhere else, you wouldn't have even noticed that I had been hurt. It'd be just a white mark by now, instead of this," he said, pointing up at his forehead to the thick red line.
"It looks so painful," she said quietly, tracing the outline of it lightly with her fingers. Gabriel closed his eyes under her touch, shivering slightly as she reached his temple.
His eyes flicked back open as she paused, meeting her gaze once more as they stared at each other, the only light the pale yellow glow from the fixture above her porch. Caia found her mouth suddenly dry as she realized what was about to happen.
They were going to kiss. It was going to happen. She could see him leaning forward ever so slightly as his head tilted slowly to the side. Thunder hammered against her ribcage as her heart tried to escape its cage. The butterflies in her danced an intricate number, taking her stomach with it as they went, while blood flushed her cheeks with desire.
A bird cawed loudly at them from the roof of her garage, startling them and ruining the moment.
Caia ducked her head away, taking a slight step back, putting some space between them so they could breathe.
"So you came to pick me up, did you?" she said, trying to fill the silence.
"It seemed like the nice thing to do."
"Oh really?" she said, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "No ulterior motive at all?"
"Nope. None. I mean, I didn't want you to risk ruining that fabulous dress either, but that's it."
"So you didn't think it through that picking me up also meant that you'd have to drop me off later?" she said, trying to act far sterner than she felt.
"I will? Hmm." Gabriel put a fist under his chin and looked up at the sky, pretending to think. "Why, I never thought about it that way, but I think you're right."
She couldn't keep her laughter contained any longer and she giggled, slipping her arm into his as easily as if she had done it a thousand times. It was, however, the first time she had ever experienced the size of his muscles up close. They were … intimidating was too scary of a word, but it almost summed it up. Gabriel was so large and powerful, wrapping her hand around his bicep-or at least, the small part of it her hand could cover-truly emphasized the power behind him in a way that made her feel both nervous and secure at the same time.
"Well, it's too late now you careless oaf," she teased, "so be a good gentleman and take me out for some highly priced food. I'm starving!"
Gabriel's delighted laugh rang in her ears and sang to her soul for the entire-albeit quite short-drive to their destination.
"You know, if anybody we know from work is here, we're going to get crucified by the Kedyns tomorrow," she said, some of her nerves returning as they walked from the parking lot to the front doors.
There were two flights of stairs separated by a small landing that led up to the building. Its high peaked roofs and large shingles, combined with few windows, made it look like the building was straight out of another era.
Gabriel held her arm for balance as they ascended. "Perhaps," he agreed. "But at the same time, we're only out for dinner as work associates, are we not?"
Caia restrained her instinctual urge to snort at his words. They both knew that was a bunch of crap that nobody, not even themselves, believed. Not at this point. She wanted to deny her feelings for him and to continue on with things how they should have been, but Caia was mature enough to recognize a losing battle when presented with one.
"Of course. And we're going to act like that all throughout dinner, while we both wear these ridiculous get-ups, right?"
Not that she thought for an instant Gabriel looked ridiculous in the pinstriped black suit with accompanying bowtie. In fact, with his freshly trimmed stubble, side-parted finger-length blond hair and blinding smile, she thought he looked stunningly handsome, a picture of modern masculinity, which she had seldom seen from the other bear shifters in Genesis Valley.
"You look the farthest thing from ridiculous," he murmured in her ear, pulling the door open to allow her to enter.
"Well, I must admit, I like hearing that. But I think even you have to admit I went a bit overboard for a dinner," she said, blushing at herself.
"I'm not complaining. Besides, it makes me look much better," he teased, pulling her hand tight as she tried to remove it from the crook of his elbow. "Now now, don't get your panties in a knot." He looked over at her with an evil grin. "That is, assuming-"
This time she did pull her hand away and used it to punch him. "Don't even say it, mister," she told him.
Gabriel laughed, turning away from her to acknowledge the hostess.
"Reservations under Gabriel," he told her.
"Right. Just this way please," she said, guiding them through the restaurant, and pulling open an ornately decorated wooden door. "Here you are. Your server will be with you shortly."
"Wow." The word didn't really do the room justice.
"Like I told you," he said, "I got us the private room."
She could hear his delight at her reaction. "I believed you. I didn't realize it was quite so … elaborate.
"What? Just because it's got a fireplace, two TVs, super-comfortable chairs, and exquisite woodwork panels covering the walls?"
Caia blinked, looking over at him and the shit-eating grin on his face. "Actually yes, Gabriel, that's exactly what."
His smile grew broader.
"Please," he said, gesturing to the table.