Perfect Tales of the Were - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,21
life for the next fifty years—or however long the Goddess would grant them together. She was his mate.
That she hadn’t trusted him had hurt on a very deep level. Her change in attitude and willingness to believe in him had gone a long way toward healing that pain. Now, he had only one thought in mind—making the ranch safe again, so that they could live together here, if that’s what she wanted, in peace and security. He would do anything to be certain his mate was safe.
While the threat posed by Jones and Pepe was toward shifters at the moment, it was still a threat. People like that—those willing to hunt other beings for money—weren’t the kind of folks Cody would allow to be around his mate. They had to go. One way or another, Jones and Pepe’s days were numbered on this ranch.
That thought in mind, Cody finished up his chores while on the phone with Shane, making plans for tomorrow night. After that, he called ahead to set up his dinner plans. He had a few things to tell Cassie that couldn’t wait much longer. The first of them would be revealed at dinner.
A new spring in his step as his plans fell into place, Cody finished his work early and hustled back to the bunkhouse to get ready for his date. A shower and a change of clothes were in order, and the sooner he got that accomplished, the sooner he could be with Cassie again.
*
Cassandra was ready at six o’clock, curious as a cat about who Cody was taking her to meet. She hadn’t realized he had friends in the area, though she had to admit, she didn’t know all that much about him. All she knew for certain was that he’d appeared when her foreman had advertised locally for ranch hands. Rich had liked him and his ability with horses enough to give Cody the job, but other than that, what did she really know about Cody Tyler?
His truck was shiny in the twilight as he pulled around to the front of her house and picked her up. He insisted on getting out and coming around to greet her with a kiss that nearly made her swoon. Then, he opened the passenger door for her, whistling low when her legs were exposed as she hoisted herself into the cab of the pickup.
“You look good enough to eat, little girl.” The low voiced words rumbled through her as he leaned across to secure her seatbelt, rubbing his chest over hers. When he pulled away, her nipples were hard little points pushing out the fabric of her bra and shirt. He glanced down, smiling when he saw the reaction and licking his lips. The promise in his eyes made her blood heat. “Yeah, I’m gonna nibble on you later tonight, but first, we’re going to have dinner like civilized people.”
He closed the door and loped around to the driver’s side, climbing in with little fuss. He drove like he did everything else, with calm assurance and skill. They talked about the ranch and his work with particular horses as they headed for the town called Big Wolf. He went through the small town, passing into an upscale residential area on the outskirts. Her curiosity piqued when he pulled into one of the long driveways.
“You wanted to know about the woman who was in my truck.” His eyes darkened, and she braced herself for what he might say. “This is her house. The woman who lives here is my sister, Megan. She’s coming with us to dinner tonight so you can meet her.”
“Your sister?” Damn. Her voice had actually squeaked. Cody grinned at her.
“My little sister, to be more accurate. She was in a car accident a few weeks back. That’s why she was all bruised up. She showed up unexpectedly at the airport and called me for a ride as I was in my truck, on the way here,” he explained. “I stopped by the airport to get her, and she agreed to wait in the truck while I talked to Rich. She was worn out from her trip, so she was happy enough to doze in the sunshine.”
“That explains a lot.” She felt bad for doubting him. She’d decided to trust him, but knowing the facts made her feel even better about trusting her gut.
“This is the house where I grew up,” he went on, shocking her. “I was living here until I took the job