Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart (Fated To The Wolf #7)

8. Dakota

8

Dakota

S adie must have been watching for him because she rushed out of the house as soon as he pulled into the driveway, carrying an overnight bag, a garment bag, and a large thermos. She looked beautiful in her jeans and Journey T-shirt. Her smile took his breath away.

“Good morning. I brought some coffee to go. I even brought you an extra cup in case you didn’t have one. I also brought some blueberry muffins.” She set the thermos and cups on her seat and stowed her bags in the back seat.

“Bless you. I will never say no to coffee in the morning. I wouldn’t ever turn down a muffin, either.”

She hopped in, leaned over, and kissed his cheek. Sadie poured him a cup of coffee. “Black, right? That’s how all the tough guys take it.”

“I don’t know that I’m a tough guy. I’m more of an arteest . However, I do like black coffee.”

The three-hour drive to Albuquerque went by quickly. They talked about their favorite actors who passed away and whether there were any decent young actors.

“This conversation reminds me of George Jones’ song, Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes? He references a lot of old country music singers and asks ‘Who’s gonna give their heart and soul to get to me and you?’ The same could be said for actors. So many of them become the part as opposed to the character playing a part.”

Dakota grinned. “I didn’t think that a youngster like you would know who George Jones was.”

“I’ll have you know that I know all of the old timers, like Hank Sr., Merle, Johnny, Loretta, Conway, and tons more. I actually like them more than I like the new folks.”

“It sounds like you have an old soul.”

Sadie shook her head. “Nope. A middle-aged soul, like yours.”

Dakota laughed and shook his head. It was the first time that either of them had said anything to each other about their age difference. She had brought it up jokingly, and Dakota was relieved. It was almost like she let the air out of a balloon. “I guess that’s why we get along so well. We see the world through similar eyes.”

“I don’t think that it’s a matter of age. It’s a level of maturity. There are some grown folks who are about as mature as the toddler throwing a temper tantrum at the store because they didn’t get candy. I have some students who are extremely mature and make me forget they aren’t adults.”

“True enough. I’ve met plenty of folks on both sides of the maturity scale on my travels.”

“I bet you’ve met all kinds of people – nice, kind, generous, selfish, hateful, greedy, etc.”

“Of course. There are people like that everywhere we go.”

His heart skipped a beat as she slid her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. The warmth of her hand sent a tingle of electricity flowing through him.

They stopped by the hotel and the manager let them check in early. He had reserved two rooms with connecting doors. They dropped their bags off and he drove to Albuquerque Old Town.

He held her hand as they strolled through the historic area, admiring the beautiful adobe buildings and incredible art scenes.

Sadie smiled at him. “This is incredibly beautiful. I’m only three hours away, but I’ve never been here.”

Dakota put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to a hidden courtyard. It was a beautiful oasis, with a gorgeous Pegasus fountain in the center. Beautiful fall flowers perfumed the air.

She squeezed his hand. “This place is breathtaking. I’m so glad we came when the flowers were still blooming. I’m thinking about planting a butterfly garden in my backyard next year.”

They stopped for lunch at a local café and then they rode on the Sandia Peak Tramway. He wrapped his arm around her and she pressed close to him as they stared at the gorgeous view far below them.

Once they got to the top, Sadie looked over the mountain in awe. The slight breeze played with her red hair and her green eyes sparkled in awe at the view. A huge smile lit up her face.

“This is incredibly beautiful,” she breathed.

“Yes, it most definitely is,” Dakota agreed, although he wasn’t looking at the scenery surrounding them. His eyes were focused on the woman standing in front of him.

They walked hand in hand along one of the trails. Most of the time, they strolled along in silence, simply enjoying the fresh air and each other’s company. Occasionally, he pointed out a bird or other animal they encountered, telling her a little bit about the creature.

She grinned at him. “It’s like I have my own personal tour guide and I don’t even have to tip afterward.”

“Who says you don’t have to tip?”

“Alright, don’t play in the middle of the street during rush hour.”

“Ha ha. You think you’re cute, don’t you.”

She wiggled her shoulders and cocked her head to one side. “I know that I’m adorable.”

“Yes, you are.”

After about an hour, he looked at his watch and sighed. “It’s almost four. I guess we should be getting back to get ready, although I’d love to ditch the party and just hang out with you.”

She laughed. “You can’t ditch your own party and you will be hanging out with me. You invited me to go with you, remember?”

“That’s not what I meant, turkey, and you know it.” He gave her a little swat on the butt and she giggled.

They went into their own rooms to shower and dress. He fumbled slightly with the buttons on his shirt. Dakota left the top two buttons unfastened because he didn’t like feeling choked. Reluctantly, as a nod to the formality of the occasion, he slipped on a black jacket that fit him perfectly.

He was amused that he was actually a little nervous. It had nothing to do with the exhibit and everything to do with the petit redhead that was dressing next door. She had turned his world upside down in the short time they had known each other.

There was a light knock on the door separating their rooms.

“It’s open.”

She stepped through the connecting door and Dakota’s breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a black dress with thin straps that accented her body perfectly. Her gorgeous legs were enhanced with black strappy heels. She had curled her hair and styled it so it framed her face.

“Do I look okay?” She sounded anxious. “I’ve never been to one of these before, although everything I read about on the internet said this dress would be okay.”

“Darlin’, you look gorgeous, and you’re lucky that I’m afraid Lydia would hunt me down and murder me, or we wouldn’t be going anywhere.”

She smiled shyly at him. “You clean up nicely, too.

Sadie walked over to him and put one hand on his chest. She put her other hand on the back of his neck and tilted his mouth toward hers, pressing her lips against his.

His hard shaft twitched in his pants and fires exploded inside of him. When she pulled away from him, Sadie stared into his face with hungry green eyes.

“I think that maybe you should stay three feet away from me at all times or we might just end up giving an exhibition of a different sort.”

Sadie giggled. “Natural art. Could be interesting.”

Lydia rushed up to them as soon as they stepped into the gallery. “Cutting it a little close, aren’t you? You have seven minutes before the doors open to the public.”

Dakota grinned and pointed at Sadie. “It’s her fault. She distracted me.”

Sadie gasped and smacked his arm lightly. “Don’t you dare put the blame on me, mister. I’m just along for the ride. I follow your lead.”

Lydia just shook her head and growled low in the back of her throat.

Promptly at six, the doors opened and people started arriving. Everyone was dressed to the nines. He was the only one without a tie. Women wore beautiful dresses and expensive jewelry. Some of them carried purses that he suspected cost more than his truck.

“Is this a gallery exhibit or a fashion show?” he whispered to Sadie.

She laughed quietly. “Yes.”

Sadie slipped away as people approached him, wanting to talk to the man of the hour. He talked about his work and answered questions about what inspired him. Several of the people in attendance had actually taken the time to watch at least one of his documentaries. A couple wanted pictures with him.

The entire time he was talking to others, he was acutely aware of Sadie. It was almost as though an invisible string was tied between the two of them. He watched her studying his photographs.

For some reason the look of admiration on her face made him feel prouder than any of the accolades he was getting from the other patrons. She wandered back to his side and listened intently to his conversations with the gallery patrons, speaking up and contributing intelligently.

She stood in front of the crowd when he delivered his speech at 7:30. Although he knew everyone in the room was listening, he felt as though he was talking just to Sadie. She smiled at him and nodded at important points, making him feel even more confident than he usually did.

He talked about how exploring the lives of wild animals he connected to a part of his soul. Of course, he didn’t mention anything about being a shifter, and even though it wasn’t his strength, it was still a part of his identity. Sadie’s smile told him she understood the deeper meaning of his words and she felt that connection as well.

Lydia had insisted that his speech be about ten minutes but he expected people’s eyes to start glazing over around the five-minute mark. He was gratified that almost everyone’s attention was focused on him throughout the entire speech. The applause brought the house down when he finished and people crowded around him. Some of the guests picked up on the fact that she was with Dakota and engaged her in conversation, which he halfway listened to as he spoke to other people. She insisted that the work was all his and that she was just a fan while pointing out the attributes of his work. Sadie also brought up his documentaries and books.

He was gratified to see that red dots appeared on the descriptions beneath a lot of his work. Lydia pulled him aside and told him it was one of the most successful gallery exhibits she had hosted in the last decade.

The event was formally over at nine, but several patrons stayed until ten. They only left because Lydia shooed them out the door.

“We may have to host your work once a year. You were fabulous and everyone loved you – even if you didn’t wear a suit or tuxedo.”

Dakota grinned. He took her teasing remark as it was meant to be. “Next time I’ll wear a flannel shirt and jeans with my old comfortable work boots.”

Lydia laughed and shook her head. “Get out of here.”

As they walked to the truck hand in hand, Dakota sighed. “I could use a drink. How about you?”

“Sounds good.”

They drove to a nearby club and managed to find a corner table. Sadie ordered some loaded fries with her strawberry margarita and they talked about his evening. Dakota was pretty sure she was more excited about the event than he was.

After her first drink, she pulled him onto the dance floor. They wrapped their arms around each other. Sadie laid her head on his chest and their bodies moved slowly to the music. The heat from her body made the infernos rage inside of him, and he wanted nothing more than to make sweet love to her all night long.

When the song ended, she looked up at him and smiled. “Let’s head back.”