She clung to the raw wood two-by-four at the entrance to the room to stop from bounding in and jumping him, literally and otherwise.
Instead, Tessa cleared her throat. “You want some breakfast?”
He paused, lifting his head to flash her a wonderful smile that made her heart lift. “Good morning. Breakfast would be super. Hey, I picked up a new coffeemaker—one of those just add water ones. Give it a try. There’s a whole box of the decaf thingies it uses on the counter.”
“Thank you.” She shuffled awkwardly before turning away. Coffee, breakfast. Then, damn it, she was going to muster up the energy to help hammer boards.
On the second floor one of her sticky notes caught her eye, and she moved in closer to discover he’d written a comment below her suggestion for lighting.
Excellent idea. That will highlight the seating in this area. Well done.
Tessa stared for a moment before wandering the entire floor and reading the comments he’d added to each and every one of her notes. She carried this warm glow with her as she forced herself to keep moving into the day.
Thursday
Mark built five walls, three door casements, a couple of bathroom subfloors and roughed in the plumbing for the family guest bathrooms.
In the afternoon he split a cord of wood and stacked it in the woodshed.
Every time he rounded a corner in the paddlewheel and spotted Tessa hard at work on the to-do list they’d put together at breakfast, his need for her flared again, and every time he somehow managed to turn away.
Lying down for the night on the single bed in his Gramps’ room was a special kind of torture, knowing she was there, right on the other side of the wall.
Being noble sucked.
Friday
Mark finished the framing on what should have taken at least three weeks, and started on the wiring.
Tessa read through four different manuals regarding cooking for groups, planned sample menus for the B&B, took a nap, put together a couple of different promotional brochures, washed all the sheets and linens, took another nap, scrubbed and polished all the windows including the ones way up high that required her to balance on the top platform of the stepladder.
The email announcing her best friend would be back in town the next morning was the only thing that stopped her from going nuts.
Mark being noble? Sucked.
Chapter Eight
They stepped through the doors of the pack house, Mark a little wary about the upcoming meet-and-greet. Tessa held his arm, staying right beside him. The fact she was touching him, sticking close to his side made it easier.
I love my pack. I trust my pack.
Mark repeated the words mentally as loud as he could to drown out the internal voice that whispered taking his unmarked mate, his beautiful, impulsive and sexy mate, into a place with a lot of shifter males was a bad idea.
The issue of her being a cat was high on the list as well, but his wolf was far more concerned about the other problem, go figure.
Tessa squealed with excitement, jiggling on the spot as her arm shot into the air, and she waved frantically. “Keri. There she is. Woohoo.”
A rush of relief struck at her enthusiasm—it was the first time in the past couple days that Mark could say Tessa had acted her normal energetic self. His mate was gone like the summer, vanishing between one blink and the next. Keri raced to meet her as well, the two of them tangling together in a huge hug as Keri’s mate, Jared, looked on.
Mark crossed the distance more sedately, but in time to hear the start of the conversation as the two friends curled up on the nearest couch and began catching up.
Jared stood behind them, leaning his hip on the couch. He poked Mark in the arm. “Well, fancy this. Keri told me everything, by the way. You and Tessa, mates, the cat thing.”
Drat. “Yeah.”
“You need anything, let me know.” Jared grinned. “Of course, now I have to wonder what would have happened if you’d made it to the cruise ship on time in July. It would have been you going crazy the entire trip.”
Although on the ship they wouldn’t have been under each other’s feet. “I’m sure it turned out for the best. You and Keri might not have met otherwise.”
“It’ll all work out in the end.” Jared patted him on the back. “Come on, let’s grab the girls a drink.”
Jared’s unexpected echo of TJ’s earlier words, the phrase Mark had taken as a mantra, helped calm the wolf inside. Mark leaned over the couch first, putting his lips close to Tessa’s ear for a moment as she talked with her best friend. “Sorry to interrupt. What do you want to drink, hot or cold?”
“Cold, please, but no—”
“No caffeine. I got it.”
Keri snorted. “He’s already got your number.”
Tessa stuck out her tongue.
The easy banter should have relaxed him, but Mark was too on edge to let his fears go. He squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll be right back. Stay with Keri.”
Tessa blinked at him, a question in her eyes, but she didn’t argue. “Umm, sure.”
Mark pulled himself away. Each step farther from Tessa felt forced. Painful.