I was scared of getting hurt again.
While I’d been the one to break things off with Bradley, I knew doing so hurt me far more than it hurt him. As he and my family liked to say, I’d always been sensitive. I gave my heart a little too freely, and people were quick to toss it around like it was nothing, never giving me theirs in return.
I didn’t want Dante to do the same.
I didn’t want to lose my friend, and part of me feared that crossing that line between friends and more than would do exactly that.
Chapter 16
Dante
FUCK.
I knew kissing Serenity would be good. I knew feeling her against me would be hot. But goddamn, the real thing was so much better than anything I’d conjured up in my head, and now that I’d had a taste, I was addicted. I needed more of her. I’d been goingcrazyfor the past week since we’d kissed at the club. She’d been busy this week with work and avoiding Bradley while there, so other than some flirtatious texting, nothing even remotely sexual happened.
Though, we still talked daily.
If we weren’t texting throughout the day, we were on the phone at night. I didn’t think I’d have so much to talk about with a human who had no hope of understanding a demon like me, yet there was no shortage in things to talk about with her. Hell, I’d even gone out of my way to help her box up Bradley’s things from her apartment, because she didn’t have the heart to do it on her own.
It was … different. Very different.
Different was good, right?
With Saturday finally here, it was my chance to have Serenity all to myself. No bandmates ruining the moment or giggly human women stealing her away this time.
Dressed in dark jeans and a maroon sweater, I pulled on my black winter coat and headed to the coffee shop Serenity began her Saturdays at every weekend. She was already there and getting out of her car by the time I arrived, so with a grin, I joined her on the sidewalk.
“You look beautiful,” I complimented while raking my eyes over her.
She wore dark pants and one of her sweaters, this one pink with black bows running along the sleeves. Her silver hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with some strands framing her face. No matter how many times I saw her, her beauty smacked me square in the chest every single time. Regardless of what I was doing with this relationship, I was truly drawn to her in every single way.
Her cheeks flushed, and she shifted on her feet as her eyes averted. “Thank you. So do you. Handsome, I mean. You look very handsome.”
Chuckling, I gestured to the coffee shop. “So what’s the plan from here, Star? I’m following you today.”
I held the café door open and followed her inside the warm establishment. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, but even that rich smell couldn’t compare to the icy freshness of Serenity’s essence. I wanted to breathe her in deeply and taste her again. The thought had my dick stiffening, and I had to shift to hide the bulge now tenting my pants.
“Since you’re joining me today,” she started with an excited gleam in her eye, “I thought we could grab our coffee then go straight to the zoo. Since you’ve never been, I want to make sure there’s plenty of time to show you everything and let you meet everybody.”
“And by ‘everybody,’ you mean …”
She placed her hands on her hips and gave me an obvious look. “The animals, of course.”
Of course.
We grabbed our to-go coffees before getting back in our respective cars. I nursed my warm black coffee while following Serenity to the zoo, which was bigger than I expected, considering this town wasn’t huge. Shrubbery cut into the shapes of animals lined the parking lot, and various animal tracks made of white paint led from the lot to the front gates. It wasn’t terribly packed since it was pretty chilly out, but a good crowd still trickled to the zoo entrance.
“Did you bring a book?” Serenity asked as we started toward the main gates.
I held up the newest addition to my never-ending personal library—a thriller. “Of course. Who do you think I am?”
“Give it here. I’ll put it in my bag until we get settled.”
Apparently, Serenity didn’t just come to the zoo to see the little creatures who inhabited it. She also came here to read. She’d told me ahead of time to bring my own book today, and whileItypically liked being the boss, that was one order I didn’t mind following.
We made it to the gate where Serenity produced her season pass, but before we even reached the two teen girls manning the ticket scanner, the duo spotted me and instantly changed. Gone were the bored expressions, and in their places were gaping smiles, wide eyes full of awe, and hands covering now red faces.
“Uh-oh,” Serenity mumbled under her breath, seeing the teens, too. “I know that look.”
