They found a grassy spot near the water's edge, spreading the blanket under a towering pine. The setting sun painted everything golden. Andre unpacked the basket with careful movements, revealing thick sandwiches wrapped in wax paper, a container of cookies, and bottles of lemonade.
"Turkey and Swiss with honey mustard," he said, handing her one. "Unless you're vegetarian? I should have asked..."
"It's perfect." Joy unwrapped the sandwich, inhaling the yeasty scent of fresh bread. "You really made this?"
"Baking helps me think. My hands need something to do when my brain won't settle." He settled beside her on the blanket, close enough that their knees almost touched. "Started at four this morning. Couldn't sleep."
Joy took a bite, the bread's crispy crust giving way to soft interior. "This is incredible."
They ate in companionable silence, watching the sun sink toward the mountains. A family of ducks paddled past, leaving ripples that caught the fading light. When they finished the sandwiches, Andre produced the cookies with an almost shy gesture.
"My nephew Tommy loves the extra chocolate chips I put in these. He says they are the best cookies in the world. Who am I to argue with a five-year-old?" His smile made dimples appear. "I owe you an apology." Andre's voice dropped, serious now. "Several, actually."
Joy waited, watching his profile as he gathered his words.
"I've been treating you like a problem to solve instead of a person to know." He turned to face her fully. "My bear knows you're mymate. But I want to know YOU. Not just how to keep you safe. Who you are. What you dream about."
The sincerity in his voice made her throat tight. "What do you want to know?"
"Everything." The word came out fervent, then he caught himself.
So, Joy told him. About the meditation of pouring candles, watching liquid wax become something solid and useful. How each batch of soap was a small chemistry experiment, variables balanced until perfection emerged.
"My bees aren't just livestock. They're partners. I provide homes and care, they share their abundance." She leaned forward, enthusiasm blooming in her chest. "Everything I make comes from that partnership. Honey, wax, even the goat milk soap. It's all connected."
Andre listened with complete attention, asking real questions. Not about security vulnerabilities, but about her favorite scent combinations. Whether she named her queen bees. If the goats had personality quirks.
"Clementine thinks she's a dog." Joy found herself laughing. "She follows me around the yard, tries to come in the house. I'm hoping the kids inherit her sweet nature."
"When is she due?"
"Any day now. Probably twins, from the size of her." Joy's voice softened with anticipation.
The sun painted the lake in shades of gold and amber. A breeze stirred Joy's hair, carrying the scent of pine and approaching evening.
She shifted on the blanket, turning to face him more fully. "I've been thinking about yesterday." Her hand found his chest, palm flat against his heartbeat. "At my house. Before the lights..."
"Joy." Her name emerged rough, barely controlled.
"I'm choosing this."
She leaned in slowly, giving him time to pull back. He didn't. His hand rose to cup her cheek, thumb brushing her cheekbone with devastating gentleness. Their breath mingled in the shrinking space between them.
Their lips met. Joy sighed into the kiss, feeling her tension melt away. Andre's hand slid from her cheek to tangle in her hair, the slight tug sending sparks down her spine. Desire ignited in her core. This was a kiss. Every kiss she’d had in her past had been a pale shadow compared to this. Joy’s entire body buzzed with awareness of her mate.
She pressed closer, her fingers curling into his shirt. The fabric was soft beneath her hands, but the chest underneath was all hard muscle and barely restrained power. When she parted her lips, inviting him deeper, his groan vibrated through both their bodies.
His tongue swept against hers, hot and demanding. The taste of him flooded her senses—chocolate from the cookies, the tang of lemonade.Andre.Her mountain lion rose beneath her skin, wanting to mark him and claim him. She fought the urge to bite, to sink her teeth into that strong throat and make him hers forever.
Andre's other hand found her waist, fingers spreading wide as he pulled her against him. She wanted to climb into his lap, to feel all that solid warmth pressed against her. When she nipped hislower lip experimentally, the growl that rumbled from his chest made her thighs clench.
His hand tightened in her hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss. She could feel his bear just beneath the surface, could taste the wildness he kept leashed. His tongue stroked against hers with devastating skill, each slide sending heat pooling low in her belly. She made a sound she'd never made before, needy and desperate.
They broke apart only when oxygen became critical. Andre's eyes had gone dark, pupils blown wide with desire. His chest heaved with each breath. The hand in her hair trembled slightly, as if it took everything he had to keep from pulling her back for more.
"Joy." Her name came out rough, raw with want.
She could see the battle in his eyes—desire warring with restraint. She could feel her lion prowling, ready to take him right here. The air between them crackled with barely contained need.
