"Hi there," I said, trying not to sound as awkward as I felt. "I have a seven o'clock reservation with Mr. Gryphon?"
Thankfully she seemed to know all about it. "Of course! Follow me."
As I trailed her, another little doubt popped up in my mind. Was it normal for Maverick to make dinner reservations with guests? What if he was a player? After the debacle with Terry, how much could I truly trust Maverick?
But then I saw him sitting at a beautiful table on the restaurant's back deck, lit by a string of fairy lights against a backdrop of ocean, and all my doubts melted away. The sight of his beaming smile alone made my chest clench.
"Leo!" Maverick said. "So good to see you. Please, sit."
I sat down with a smile on my face.
4
Maverick
Gods,Leo was the most exquisite thing I had ever seen.
He was dressed in a new outfit, one that took a step back to showcase Leo's handsomeness front and center. He shot me a shy smile and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear as he sat across from me, his warm brown hair turning amber beneath the golden glow of the lights.
I inhaled a subtle lungful of air. He smelled incredible. It wasn't just the pleasant scent of the soap from his obvious shower, but the natural smell ofLeothat lay beneath it. I craved more of it.
My gryphon reared inside of me with a sharp cry, demanding to touch and kiss our fated mate. But it wasn't time yet. We had to be patient.
"Sorry about my outfit," Leo said with a laugh. "I realized a little too late that I didn't bring anything to wear, so I had to raid the boutique."
"You look wonderful."
He quirked a brow. "You don't think it's weird that I'm wearing clothes from your shop?"
"Why would that be weird?" I asked.
Leo blushed and took a sip of ice water. "N-nevermind."
I looked him over again. He really did look stunning. I never wanted to take my eyes off him.
"Wait," I said suddenly. "You didn't pay for those, did you?"
Leo scoffed. "Well, duh! Of course I did. I wasn't about to steal from you."
I clicked my tongue and shook my head, making a mental note to refund him. "Please, the next time you need anything, just tell the clerks you have my blessing. Everything is on the house."
Nearly choking on an ice cube, Leo sputtered, "What? No way, I can't do that!"
"You can. In fact, I forbid you from spending your money."
Leo tried to scowl at me but he ended up laughing. "Not like there's much of it left anyway." He shot me a wary look, like a stray dog cautiously accepting a steak it was offered. "Are you sure, Maverick? I seriously hate being a burden on people."
I smiled gently at him. "A couple clothes off the rack and a comped room are no burden to me, Leo, I assure you. Your visit being on the house is not going to send me into a downward financial spiral."
Leo chuckled, sinking back into his velvet-cushioned seat. I felt the last of his fight floating away even as he continued to argue half-heartedly. "But what if I stayforever? That would definitely be a financial burden."
My heart fluttered at the idea, and the desire left in its wake gripped my chest like claws. He must have seen my expression because his grin faded and he sat up with curious eyes.
After a quiet moment, Leo hurriedly said, "I'm not serious, you know that, right? I can't stay here forever. I mean, that would just be silly."
He said it with a laugh but I heard the tiniest hint of doubt in his words. Could it be he felt the string of fate connecting us, too? Our eyes met, unblinking, for a stretch of time, mousy-brown on gold.
I opened my mouth to refute his statement, to tell him no, it wasn't silly, that I wanted nothing more for him than to remain on my island with me forever, but we were interrupted by the server.
