That man was dangerous and here she was, risking a car crash just for the chance to see him.
Men made women stupider.
Gritting her teeth, Destiny stepped up on the curb and splayed her legs as she studied the patches of ice that littered the sidewalk.
Her mom was standing near the door of Copper’s, arms thrown tightly around herself to ward off the cold wind.
“Is he here?” Destiny called.
“Nope. I’ve been here for half an hour. He will show though. I have faith.”
Or he wouldn’t. Maybe he’d talked himself out of this. Destiny had messaged him good morning before she’d started grading papers today, but he’d never responded.
Yet another red flag. He was uninterested.
She did ice skating movements in her high heels. She’d thought this sidewalk was salted, but she’d been wrong. It was slick as hell.
She gasped and her legs went wide, and at that exact moment, a car hit her. At least, that’s what it felt like. A solid wall hit her in the back and she went flying. Destiny yelled in fear, but she hadn’t been hit by a car at all. She found herselfin Dodger’s arms, against his brick wall of a chest, smelling the most delectable cologne she’d ever encountered.
“I can’t watch this anymore,” he gritted out. His frost blue eyes cast down to her quickly and then back up as he strode with powerful steps toward her mother, who wore a plastered smile on her face as she snapped a picture. Great.
“I can walk on my own,” Destiny groused.
“You literally can’t,” he gritted out. “I just watched you almost fall three times in a ten foot stretch. How do you survive your daily life?”
Destiny struggled out of his arms. “Put me down.”
“You’re welcome,” he said as he settled her onto her feet and walked past her.
She still had fifteen feet to get to the door, and the snow and ice was piled here. She took a step and her heel slipped.
From the doorway, he stood next to her mom with his arms crossed over his chest, head cocked, staring unblinking at her.
She took another step, and it was more slickness. “Okay!” she said in frustration. “If you’re just going to stare at me and judge me, you may drag me.”
He snorted and stepped forward easily like the ice parted for him. Annoying. He grabbed her hand and dragged her behind him. She did a combination of stabbing the ground with her heels and ice skating until they reached the door. “Stop taking pictures,” she said to Mom.
“I’m not. I’m taking video. Okay, honey, bye.”
“What?” she asked as her mom pulled her into a hug.
“I’m leaving you to your date.”
“It’s not a date,” she and Dodger said at the same time with the same conviction.
“Mmm hmm. I’m meeting Behren for dinner at Ollie’s. If you need anything, text me. Don’t forget you have a rapewhistle.” She turned to Dodger and gave him a hug like they knew each other. “If you hurt her, I will sic my husband on you.”
“Why do you smell like werewolf?” Dodger asked through a frown.
Mom gave a charming smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” She walked away across the slick ice much better than Destiny on account of her wearing the proper snowshoes with thick rubber tread on the soles. She marched directly across the street to a familiar Ford Explorer with chains on the tires.
Dad.
The window rolled down, and her stepdad, whom she referred to as simply “Dad” was sitting there glaring directly at Dodger, with his fiery gold eyes.
“Who the hell is that?” Dodger gritted out, holding his gaze.
“That would be my stepdad,” she said, waving to him.
