is for life, Cassie. I’m yours, and I will never stray. Now and forever.”
“Wow,” she breathed, realizing his words went far deeper than she’d expected. “You really mean that.” She didn’t have to pose it as a question. The truth was right there in his eyes.
“Mates are special. We only get one. We search for years, and some of us never find the one who was meant to complete their soul. I was lucky. I found you when I least expected it, and now, with you, I am complete. At long last. My roaming days are done, and it’s time to settle down happily. With you.” He kissed her again, his joy overflowing so that she felt the same jubilant excitement.
His words were startling. Amazing. And a little confusing. She drew back to ask some pertinent questions, but he got out of bed and started ransacking her closet.
“I’d better get back to the bunkhouse before anybody notices,” he said, grabbing a sheet off the top shelf of her closet and wrapping it around himself toga-style. “Do me a favor and hide what’s left of the clothes I was wearing last night. I’ll dispose of them later where nobody will see.” He leaned down and kissed her so sweetly her mind glazed over. Then, he was leaving. He looked back from her doorway and smiled. “Hold that thought. We’ll talk about everything later, okay? I promise. For now, we just have to act as if nothing special happened last night.”
“Nothing special?” she huffed, shaking her head.
“I know, I know,” he replied, a lopsided grin on his face. “Do your best, all right? A lot is riding on nobody discovering that there’s anything strange about the town and its people. Remember that. It should help.”
Sobering at his words, she realized how serious this really was. “Okay. I’ll do my best. See you later.” She couldn’t help the little thrill that coursed down her spine when she said that. She would see him later. And, if this mating thing was as serious as he’d made it sound, she would be seeing him for a good long time to come.
Chapter Ten
The morning passed with little comment. Cassandra had dressed after Cody had left and done a quick clean up around the house, making sure there was no sign of his ripped clothing or anything else that might indicate what had gone on the night before. Emma came over for lunch, explaining that some of her carpentry crew had been drafted to help with other chores this morning and that Rich, himself, was working with the horses since it looked like two of the ranch hands had taken off in the middle of the night.
Cassandra did her best to act both surprised and concerned. She hoped she’d got it right, but Emma seemed to take her reaction at face value, talking about how ranch hands were either loyal to a fault or drifters who pulled this kind of thing on a regular basis. Cassandra was relieved to hear that the sheriff’s plan had been the right thing to do.
For her part, Cassandra started laying the groundwork for a change in her relationship with Cody. They’d been discreet, but Emma had seen them together. Cassandra explained that the injured girl in Cody’s car had been his sister. Emma was surprised and a bit skeptical until Cassandra told her about the dinner they’d had together the night before, how she’d met his sister, Megan, and had the story confirmed beyond the shadow of a doubt.
At that point, Emma seemed to change her mind about Cody, and then, the teasing and prying questions began. Cassandra humored Emma, to a point. It would be good to be able to be seen with Cody without it raising too many eyebrows. If what Cody had said about them being mates was true, then the people in her life—Emma and Rich among them—were going to have to get used to it sooner, rather than later.
After Emma left, about mid-afternoon, Cody came up to the house. He joined her on the front porch, in full view of anyone who cared to notice, and he kissed her hello. When he pulled back after a long, lingering moment, he smiled down at her.
“I’ve been thinking about kissing you since I left your bedroom this morning. Damn. What a sight. You all sleepy and sexy in that rumpled bed. I hope you know how hard it was for me to leave,” he whispered, a growl in