I still can’t believe we ran into each other like that. How lucky!
“Ope, I think you have a visitor,” Cynthia says in her adorable Midwestern accent. Bells jingle on the door, and when Zed strolls in, her eyebrows shoot up. Maybe I forgot to mention that he’s a dragon.
He’s even more handsome in the daylight. His long hair is swept back into a loose man-bun between his polished horns, giving him an air of a swashbuckling fantasy hero. Broad shoulders test the limits of his pullover, its navy-blue hue setting off his gorgeous red scales. Neat khakis that show off his muscular thighs complete the look.
He looks confident. He looks like an adult. He looks like hetried. He definitely dressed for the date.
I’m so, so glad that I changed out of my work clothes into my favorite red dress. I bought it a few years ago because the color reminded me of Zed, actually, and it’s the one item of clothing I put on when I want to feel sexy and confident. I put on a quick swipe of lipstick and a strappy pair of sandals, but I wish I’d had time to do my hair.
I stand to greet him, and his eyes rake me up and down before landing on my face. “Cari,” he breathes. “You look stunning.”
Cynthia sighs dreamily behind her desk, and I feel myself flush. “Thank you, so do you.”
He grins crookedly at the compliment. “I made reservations at a place that isn’t far. You don’t mind walking in those heels?”
I shake my head. “Radar would love to stretch his legs after a long day at work, anyway. What is that, hair gel?” I squint at a shiny droplet on the lobe of his elegantly pointed ear. It must be styling product left from his pre-date routine.
I swipe it off his ear with two fingers and comb it through my curtain bangs to keep them out of my face. It’s scented like cinnamon and cardamom, spicy and sweet. Men’s grooming supplies always have such yummy fragrance. “Mmm, this smells great!”
Zed looks like he swallowed a fly as he watches me style my hair. He leans forward, bending so he can draw a deep breath. He hovers inches away, running his snout along my shoulder and neck to my hairline. His proximity raises goosebumps on my skin.
He must be affected by the closeness, too because his voice is thick as he says, “It smells great onyou.”
Cynthia sighs again, and then pipes up, “You better run along, you two, if you’re trying to make your reservation on time. Don’t want to spend your date in a waiting room, do you?”
“I think I’ve spent enough time waiting for this date,” Zed agrees, winking at me. I loop my arm through his, and we head out. As we walk, I’m hyper-conscious of how close he is to me, his body heat radiating through his clothes. At this point, I don’t even care about having dinner. I just want to take him home and make up for lost time.
But we have things to talk about. A lot of things. And I’m not sure I can take it if we connect and then he bails on me when he finds his mate.
When we reach the sidewalk, Radar tugs the end of the leash in the direction of the park, but Zed leads us east toward San Drogo’s cute little downtown district. When Radar realizes we’re taking a different route than usual, he hugs close to my ankle, using my movements as a guide.
“I’m glad you showed up,” I say, squeezing Zed’s forearm. It flexes under my fingers like a dog begging for more pets. “When you were late, I realized I didn’t tell you where I worked. I hope it wasn’t too hard to find me.”
“Sorry about that. I lost track of time in the shower.” He sounds embarrassed.
There’s an awkward pause as the thought of him with water cascading over his naked body momentarily distracts me. I fumble for words. “Um. Yeah. Uh. Don’t worry about it. Glad you’re…um…clean. Glad for you, I mean. I don’t mind if you’re dirty. You can be dirty all you want. Oh no, that sounded different coming out of my mouth than it did in my head.”
I want to lift up the sidewalk and crawl underneath it, but Zed just laughs, tugging me into his side. “I’ll be as dirty as you want me to be,” he growls playfully, making my heart and my pussy flutter in unison.
This is really happening. Zed’s here and he’s single andhe’s flirting with me. Who cares how it ends if I can enjoy it while it lasts, right?
He nods to a restaurant up ahead. Light and music spill from the windows onto the patio in front, where tables are set up under glowing string lights. “That’s our spot. I thought Radar would like to be outside. Their website said they’ll even bring a special meal out for dogs. Have you eaten there before?”
I nod, warmed that he thought so much about Radar’s comfort. “Cynthia’s granddaughter had her sixth birthday there. It was really cute. They have great burgers.”
“Blue cheese and bacon, pickles on the side, right?” He grins at my open-mouthed expression. “You thought I’d forget your usual order?”
“It’s been fifteen years!”
“And no time at all,” he says solemnly, turning to face me. “Listen, Cari. I wrote you a letter, but I might as well say it out loud. I’ve been kicking myself—”
Before I can find out why, we’re interrupted by the cheery host. “Table for two for Glisson? Aw, and we have a little buddy. Hi, little buddy,” he says to Radar. “I’ll bring him out a bowl once we get you three settled, how does that sound?”
Zed nods and doesn’t finish his thought. Our table is awesome, right by the outdoor fireplace. Even though it’s not a chilly night, it’s still extra cozy to have the flames licking nearby. Radar settles under the table by my feet, and the host brings us all water.
“Meatlovers’ Celebration Package, right?” he asks, winking. Zed nods, and the host adds, “I’ll get that started for you, then.”
The host vanishes again, and we share an awkward silence until I motion to the fire. “This is nice. Reminds me a little of the hive on feast nights. Do they still have those?”
