“Yes.”
“Very well, that will do.” The waiter nodded and left.
Gaby lifted her glass. “I propose another toast.”
Kane’s feral gaze held her in his alpha force field. He raised his glass. “Yes?”
“To frenemies with benefits.”
He laughed. “And to the one and only wolf charmer, who I vow to protect with my body and soul.” His tone softened. “Forever.”
Gaby gaped, seeing the wolf shadow him. The werewolf who during the heat of his climax claimed her as his. Like a commitment, and now he appeared to confirm his intention. “You mean that?”
He reached for her hand and gently kissed it. “Yes, I do.”
She closed her eyes and savored the moment of complete bliss and happiness. No. I can’t be in love. Doubt darkened her lovesick contentment. He needed to come back to reality. “Steele, eventually, you will remember and I’m afraid I won’t be allowed in your life.”
Without letting go of her hand, he met her eyes. “Why did you call me Steele?”
“It’s your real name.”
“I don’t want it to be.”
“Why not?”
“The name Steele reminds me of a life without you.”
“But it was your real life.”
“I’m happy the way things are. You, me, and once we settle, we can adopt a shelter dog or two. We can move by the coast.”
Gaby’s heart skipped a beat. She too imagined them together. A cottage by the ocean. Throwing a ball on the beach with a scruffy terrier chasing after it. Quiet candlelight dinners. Her artwork, dog training and he tinkering with a sailboat. She shook her head. “How soon before they find us?”
“Trust me. I’m on guard. No one will find us.”
“Sounds great and I bet after more dreams your memory might snap back.”
“Even if I manage to remember my identity, we’ll never part.”
Gaby drank the entire second glass. Frank too had promised her the world after they made passionate love. They would travel and on their return, he promised a bigger house near headquarters. How opportune for Frank. Her face reddened. He would have two homes, one for his wife and one for his mistress.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…everything.” She shook her head. “Let’s not ruin the best day of my life.”
He lifted a brow. “Let’s plan on making each day as good as today.”
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. She braved a smile. “Okay.”
The first course arrived and though he couldn’t remember his past, she told him everything about hers. He wanted to know. The good, the bad and the very ugly, including the year of torture after her attempt to escape. “Giles used electroshock until I swore to never run away again. But the dark isolation room was by far worse.”
He sighed. “The ass told me what he did to you and if the lion hadn’t killed him, I would have.”
“After he released me from isolation, things got better. I was allowed to get my online art degree and even my own home away from the facility, but still stuck on his property.” She sighed.
“It’s over, I’m glad you told me.”
The waiter brought the main course and then poured the red wine for Kane, waiting for his approval. Kane savored it as if trying to identify every ingredient. “Exceptional indeed.”