He moved my glass aside and held my hand. “I just mentioned what we could talk about, and we’re done talking business. When a man asks a woman out, it’s not because he wants to pick her brain. You have a certain look I find interesting.”
I withdrew my hand. “What about intelligence or sensibility? Those aren’t desirable traits?”
He shrugged and sat back. “That comes later, if at all. I’m a man who admires beautiful things.”
I folded my hands on the table. “Tell me, when one of your diamonds or other pieces has a flaw, does it affect the value?”
“Of course.”
“Imperfectionincreasesthe value of my stones. It’s those discolorations and fractures that make a gemstone truly beautiful because it means there is no other like it in the world. It’s not a carbon copy of another.”
“But you sell costume jewelry. No offense, but you don’t deal in precious gems. Your stones are more ubiquitous, and that makes them worth less.”
“Why should one type of stone have more value than another? They’re just rocks, Dutch. You can shine them up all you want, but they’re rocks. Diamonds sparkle, but they have no character or color.”
He reached for my hand and lifted it, looking at the stark contrast between his pale skin and my honey-brown. “I don’t mind a little color.”
“Am I the flawed diamond?”
“We all have flaws,” he said, brushing his lips across my knuckles. After a swift kiss, he let go and sat back. “Do you mind if I ask your ethnicity?”
“I’m a mix of tribes.”
I was also part Caucasian on my mother’s side, but that invited more questions than I was willing to answer.
He steered his gaze away. “Ah.”
His enigmatic reaction piqued my curiosity. “That’s all you have to say?”
“I thought maybe Spanish. I’m not familiar with Native American Shifter culture.” His blue eyes lit up, and he turned the ring on his finger. “Spain is a marvelous country. It’s probably in my top five if I had to list them all.”
“You like to travel?”
“Immensely. There’s so much beauty out there.” Dutch momentarily got lost in his thoughts, and when he returned his attention to me, his eyes were lit with interest. “I’m curious about your animal, but it’s rude to ask.”
“I don’t mind. I’m a proud wolf.”
Dutch guzzled his beer and then set down the bottle. “Do you live with a pack or a tribe?”
“Me personally? I’m independent for now. But my people live in both packs and tribes. My father’s pack is a blend of cultures, but when you drive out into the country, you’ll see more of us living in tribes. I grew up in a pack, so that’s the only life I know. What about you?”
He gave a tight-lipped grin. “I’d prefer not to say.”
I nodded and looked toward the pool tables. Shouts erupted followed by the sound of pool balls clacking together. It made me wonder if Dutch was a docile animal, such as a deer. I didn’t notice any clues in his demeanor, and sometimes herbivores or birds were the least likely to reveal their animal. They believed it put targets on their backs, especially if they had enemies. The bear ring seemed like a ruse, and the style didn’t suit him at all.
I wasn’t certain what to believe. Dutch certainly didn’t strike me as a ferret, though the idea of being able to carry him in my purse tickled me.
“What are you grinning about?” he asked.
That made me smile even wider. “Nothing.”
“I’m no pig, but I might be a jackass.”
We both chuckled.
But the laughter died in my throat when I glanced up and spotted Tak approaching with a purposeful stride. It caught me so off guard to see him that I sat in stunned disbelief. He wasn’t just casually passing by on his way to the exit or even the bathroom; he made direct eye contact and was zeroing in on our table.
Before reaching it, he snagged an empty chair from an adjacent table and dragged it behind him. He then flipped it backward and straddled it in the empty spot to my left.
