Jaime didn’t argue, just rested a reassuring hand on his upper arm and gestured toward the entrance.
Beau closed his eyes for a moment, trying in vain to steel his nerves. This was it. Before his legs could make an instinctual run for it, Beau forced them to stride toward the crystalline doors. They slid open at his approach, exposing an elegant, maple host stand and a smiling woman just behind it.
He’d been seen—there was no going back now.
“Welcome to Sea Glass Fine Dining,” she said. If she was surprised by the sudden appearance of a human, her face didn’t show it.
Her thick strands of hair had been ornately coiled into a twisting bun atop her head—a style that would be impossible for flimsy human hair. Delicate silvery fins flared from the sides of her face, and Beau realized her skin was visibly scaled, almostlike she was still in full Mer form. Her eyes were overlarge and liquid black.
“Um. Hi, I’m supposed to be meeting someone…”
“Name?” she asked, peering down at a list on the stand.
“Loriun…” Beau paused.Oh god I don’t even know his last name.
Either the maître d' hadn’t noticed or she was gracefully ignoring his fumbling. “Ah, yes, Loriun Kolhn,” she responded, eyes still on her clipboard. “Please follow me, Mr. Montgomery.”
With another bright, customer service smile, the Mer led Beau to a set of beautiful stairs made of maple wood planks and gleaming cast iron railing. As he trailed along behind her, he noted that her tail was retracted. Was it possible for them to be in a state of partial shift?
Pondering the mysteries of Mer biology was helping to distract his racing mind. He felt as though his blood had been replaced with pure adrenaline. He hardly noticed the eyes of Alphas at surrounding tables. Inhumanly beautiful men, gazing at Beau like he was a vintage Bordeaux at a wine tasting.
The second floor was nearly silent, with nothing but the sound of gentle violin in the air. More plants grew from recesses along the glass walls, though their leaves boasted the telltale green of earthly flora.
“Your guest has arrived, Mr. Kolhn,” the maître d' murmured.
Beau’s lungs were completely paralyzed. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to the single table that occupied the room.
Eyes of the clearest aqua, like sunlight through shallow waters. A deep ring of abyssal blue around the iris. And at the center, a burst of scarlet that seared into Beau’s soul.
I am so fucked.
Chapter 7
Beau
Once the maître d' disappeared down the stairs, Beau’s body took its place at the table without any conscious decision on his part. His mind was far too preoccupied with staring unabashedly at the Mer that sat across from him.
Loriun’s fiery hair cascaded over a broad chest and shoulders. High, fine cheekbones held the shadows of long lashes, and a graceful brow only added to the beauty of his eyes. Beau’s gaze lingered on the shadows just above the Alpha’s strong jawline, which pulled attention to his sinful mouth.
After Beau had drunk his fill of Loriun’s devastatingly handsome face, he noticed what the Mer was wearing. A navy shirt, with sleeves rolled to the elbows, and buttons fighting for their lives at the center of his chest. The top button was undone, leaving a tantalizing glimpse of the hollow in the base of his throat. Beau wondered what it tasted like.
Christ, pull yourself together.
“You must be Beaumont.” The Alpha’s voice turned Beau’s bones to jelly. So rich, so deep, so melodic… It would probably feel incredible if he hummed with his lips around Beau’s—
Focus!
“I prefer Beau.” He was mortified to hear the tremble in his voice.
“Beau,” Loriun repeated. Was it just Beau’s imagination, or did the Alpha look nervous? “My name is Loriun Kolhn.”
“Loriun.” The name was velvet on Beau’s tongue.
Those plush lips curved into a faint smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Beau couldn’t say the same, so he merely nodded, and tried to take even breaths. As he did, a new scent swept across his skin. Fresh-cut cedar, and crushed pine, all carried by an undertone of heady musk. Beau breathed it in, feeling the scent tingle through his blood. The sensation sent a thrill throughout his body, culminating in a subtle stiffening beneath the table.
“I… wanted to meet you in a human way.” Loriun shifted. “I have quite a few human contacts, and I have gathered that your species prefer casual dates in the beginning.”
