The next morning, much to Cage’s dismay, Sophie insisted getting up early and heading in to camp to make sure the men had something warm in their stomachs to start the day.

Cage met with Conner and Wyatt to go over what they found out about the sabotage to the hydraulic hose. Conner was sure it wasn’t the environmental groups and Wyatt agreed that it wasn’t their style. That left only one option that Cage wasn’t ready to face. One of their own was wreaking havoc on their business.

Pondering this, he tried to figure who would do such a thing, and why? His brothers were arguing about something and the sound was grating on his nerves

“Hey, you two fuckers need to shut your traps or take it outside. I was a pretty damn happy camper before coming to work today. And you know I didn’t want to be here, I had better things to do.” Cage growled.

“So we smell, bro,” Wyatt snarked.

“Clearly, our Alpha spent the evening with his mate. The question is whether he claimed her or not,” Conner plied.

“I can’t hide from either of you who I’ve been with. But no, I didn’t claim her. She has no idea who we are and I need to figure out how to tell her before we can take the next step.”

“How about, hey baby, I’m a bear, rawr,” Wyatt offered, making claws with his fingers.

“Or how about, hey honey, sometimes I get hairy and like to rub my big butt on trees to scratch an itch?” Conner offered bending over laughing at his hilarity.

“Either both of you find something to do or I’m telling mom your interfering in my courtship,” Cage threatened.

“Geez man, we were just kidding!” Wyatt said looking horrified at the prospect of their mother coming down on them for getting in the way of her plan of grandcubs.

Conner was already heading out the door, not willing to face his mother’s wrath. Wyatt was quick on his heels, nobody wanted an Alpha or an Alpha’s momma mad at them.

Sighing, Cage tried to get back to his work, but his mind kept straying to Sophie. Then his eyes would wander to the window towards the mess hall. He wanted to go see her, even though he knew she was working. He was going to have to figure out how to break it to her that he was going to hire another cook. He didn’t want her from sun up until sundown in that mess hall slaving away over a hot stove.

He figured she wouldn’t mind spending her time just sitting her luscious ass on his lap all day while he was working. She would be fine with that, wouldn’t she?

Sophie was just finishing cleaning up from breakfast and was starting to prep for dinner. Her beef stew and soda bread along with triple chocolate brownies just required a lot of chopping. The stew would simmer for a number of hours.

She was trying to keep busy, keep her mind off the amazing night in Cage’s arms. They had made love two more times last night, barely getting any sleep. But Sophie woke up energized and blissfully in love. Not that she could tell Cage that, he’d think she was insane. Nobody fell in love in just a week. It was statistically impossible, or at least that’s what her mother would have said, a woman that admitted she didn’t even believe in love.

Sophie wanted to see him, smell him, touch his skin. She felt like a junkie, looking for a fix. One night together and she was totally addicted to him. She craved him, her cells calling out to him.

The door to the kitchen opened and he was there, like he’d heard her call.

“Sophie, I’m sorry to bother you, honey. I just needed to see you,” he said, looking sheepish.

Sophie took a running leap into his arms and rained kisses over his face. “I was just thinking about you too,” she admitted, burying her nose in his neck and breathing him in.

Cage did the same, scenting along her neck, swiping the path with his tongue. The sweet taste of her skin calming his bear.

“I don’t like being away from you,” she whispered to him.

Bringing his mouth down to hers in a bruising kiss, Cage tasted the sweet chocolate she’d been cutting and sampling. “I don’t like it either, honey. That’s why we need to talk,” he said, setting her down on her feet.

Just then his stomach growled announcing he’d skipped breakfast. Laughing, Sophie plated up some left over biscuits from breakfast and slathered them in butter and honey and set them on the counter.

Cage picked her up and set her ass down next to the plate. He grabbed a biscuit and shoved the entire thing into this mouth. Sophie’s eyes got huge and she started to laugh. He looked like a greedy chipmunk with his cheeks stuffed full of biscuit.

Smiling back, Cage gave her a sticky kiss and finished chewing and swallowing.

“Okay, what do we need to talk about?” Sophie asked. She was distracted by the strong muscles in his jaw as he chewed, her eyes trailing down his throat as he swallowed. For some reason it made her hot.

Sniffing, Cage groaned, “We don’t have time for that, darlin’, we do need to talk.”

Sophie dragged her eyes from his amazing throat and met his gaze. “About what?”

“I’m fairly confident that you are as interested in me as I am in you. What we have is rare and I’m not willing to pussyfoot around and play games with you. I’m yours and you’re mine. It’s our rules, our lives. I want you closer, as close as I can keep you. Which means I don’t want you spending eighteen hours a day in this kitchen.”

“Cage, I love to cook! That’s the whole reason I moved here. I didn’t plan on meeting you, but it’s still my dream to be a chef, to cook and feed people. Are you firing me?” It dawned on her this was not what she had expected they were going to discuss.

“Of course not, darlin’, I’m asking for a compromise. I want to hire another cook so you can split the time here and we can spend more time together. I know it’s fast, but I want you to move in with me. I work long hours and I want any free time I have to be with you. You can cook here or at home. We can build a life here, you and I. If that is something you want, that is,” he finished looking worried for the first time.

“Of course, Cage. I wouldn’t have stormed into your office last night and demanded we have sex if I wasn’t sure I wanted to be with you. I do want to keep cooking, but I admit, if I keep getting distracted thinking of you, I’ll end up burning this place down eventually,” she said laughing.

“You can’t imagine how much that means to me, honey. That you would be willing to share your kitchen and give up a little bit of your dream to spend more time with me.” He kissed the tip of her nose.

“I’m not giving up all of my dreams, Cage. You are a dream come true that I didn’t know I had until now,” she said quietly, opening herself up to him.

“Ahh, baby,” he said wrapping her in his arms, “you are more precious to me than I can say.”

Sitting there for a moment, soaking each other in, Sophie broke the silence, “So what now?”

Sighing, Cage pulled back and with a very serious face said, “Tonight, dinner with the family.”