Before I could scoot my chair back, Deacon was on his feet and helping me up.
A server rushed over.“Is there anything else we can do for you?”
“No,” Deacon replied.“Put everything on Hamish Macgregor’s tab.I’m his second-in-command.”
The woman bowed.“Of course.Good evening, Mr.Shaw.Miss Thompson.”
“Councilwoman Thompson,” Deacon said, correcting her.
“Yes, my apologies.Councilwoman Thompson.”
“Miss is fine,” I said, hiding my embarrassment.“Thank you for a lovely dinner.Everything was delicious.Please let the chef know.”
“We hope to see you again soon.”She began clearing the table as we left.
Heads turned as Deacon held my arm and paraded me through the middle of the room as if we were on a red carpet.He nodded at people randomly, and I wondered if he knew them.I suddenly felt like bursting out laughing, but I kept my cool and strutted up those illuminated steps in my six-inch heels.
My feet were killing me, but it was worth it.These heels were my absolute favorite.One of the perks of being a Shifter was not having to worry about blisters or bunions since I could heal myself.
When we reached the car, Deacon appraised me and had to tilt his head up a smidge.I guessed him to be around six foot without his heavy boots, which gave him an extra inch of height.
“You look sexy tonight, but have you ever thought about shorter heels?I bet they hurt.”
“They feel fine.”
He twisted his mouth to the side and opened my door.
Once inside the car, I considered Deacon’s initial reaction when I greeted him at the door earlier that evening.He even asked me then if I had another pair of shoes.Deacon was clearly bothered by my height.I was five ten without them, but I loved heels.They gave me a boost of confidence and made me feel amazing.Of course, plenty of men had an inferiority complex about it.They didn’t care about how it mademefeel, only how it madethemfeel.
Still, all things considered, Deacon had made a good impression tonight.I hadn’t seen any red flags that were a deal-breaker.We were similar in some aspects and different in others.He commanded respect, and not just with his own pack.Despite his tough demeanor, Deacon also had a softer side.
When he got in the car and shut the door, an awkward silence passed.
“Is this your Escalade?”I looked at the black glossy hood.
“Yep.It’s the first thing I bought when I became second-in-command.Hamish has an account set aside for me.The rest of the pack doesn’t have personal accounts; they have to go through the pack accountant whenever they want money.”
Remembering how he’d put our dinner on Hamish’s tab, I got the feeling that either Hamish was encouraging this coupling or Deacon just wanted to boast to the staff that he was a beta wolf so we would get special treatment.
His vehicle was roomy enough to haul people around in—practical for a large pack.
On the way home, we made small talk, but there were so many awkward silences where I couldn’t think of anything to say.He asked me twice how I liked dinner, then briefly mentioned how much land they owned and how it was plenty of room for a tiger.I thought about that during the drive and wondered if I could acclimate to a wolf pack.Would their animals automatically accept me?If I killed one of them in a fight, that could end my career.
“We’re here,” he announced, snapping me out of my daydreams.
Deacon shut off the engine before getting out and opening my door.
When we stepped onto the porch, I faced him and smiled.“Thank you for a lovely evening.You sure aren’t what I thought.”
He jerked his head back.“And what’s that?”
I shrugged.“I don’t know.When we first met last year during that meeting, you were a little domineering.”
He moved in until I backed up against the door.Deacon rested his forearm near my head and touched my hair as if to remind me how domineering he still was.“Any other suitors I should know about?”
“None to speak of.”
“What about Cross?”
