He accepted it, lips brushing the edge of the spoon. “I’m not one for sweets,” he said, thoughtful, “but…that is good.”
“Well, lucky for you, I am one for sweets,” she teased, giving him another spoonful before he could protest.
This time, he didn’t look at the pie. He looked straight at her.
Heat tightened low in her stomach. The restaurant suddenly felt warmer. Or maybe that was Hektor, because a moment later she felt the light, slow curl of his tail along her thigh beneath the table.
Her breath hitched.
They leaned in at the same time, like gravity had finally stopped pretending it wasn’t involved, and Zara felt happiness bloom so hard in her chest it almost hurt.
Just a couple of days ago, she’d been unsure, flustered, trying to figure out what to do with all these new feelings and this impossible Drakkon who made her so frustrated. Now here she was, in a beautiful restaurant in a magical city, with his tail sliding slowly along her thigh and making her feel things that should probably be illegal in public.
And the best part?
He was right there with her. Completelyhersin this moment.
His eyes dropped to her mouth, and she felt the slow, anticipatory curl of his tail tighten just slightly—like he couldn’t help himself.
Yeah.
She loved this.
She lovedhimlike this.
Hektor dipped his head, just enough that she felt his breath brush her lips, and Zara’s whole body lit up in response. She reached for his shirt without thinking, fingers curling in the fabric, pulling him closer.
A soft sound rumbled in his chest, and his tail curled more firmly around her thigh, anchoring her to him. It didn’t feelpossessive in a bad way. It felt…sure. Steady. Like he was telling her without words,I’m here. I want this. I want you.
Zara’s smile slipped into something softer, warmer. “I like it when you do that,” she whispered.
His gaze flicked down again, to her lips, to where her hand rested against his chest, before returning to her eyes. “Do what?” he asked quietly, voice low enough that she felt it in her stomach.
She grinned. “Act like you can’t help yourself.”
Hektor huffed a breath that might’ve been a laugh, but it was swallowed immediately when Zara brushed her nose against his.
“Zara,” he murmured in warning, or maybe it was gratitude, or surrender, she couldn’t tell.
She didn’t care.
She leaned in the rest of the way.
Their lips met in a slow, lingering kiss, sweet at first, then deeper, warmer, his hand sliding to her waist. His tail stroked up once, deliberate and unhurried, and she nearly sighed into his mouth.
The restaurant noise faded. The world faded. It was just him, his heat, his focus, the way he kissed her like dessert didn’t matter anymore. His tail inched higher under her skirt and along the curve of her butt, a slow, teasing sweep that made her breath stutter. He pulled back just enough to look at her, voice low and rough as he grumbled, “What do you have against panties?”
She bit her lip, trying not to smile. “I’m wearing them.”
His tail slid up until it tapped the thin strap, the lightest brush of pressure. “Barely any,” he said, unimpressed.
She giggled, warm and breathless, then leaned in and kissed him, as his tail traced another slow line along her skin.
When they finally parted, barely an inch between them, she whispered, breathless, “Best. Date. Ever.”
His answering smile was slow and dangerous. “Zara,” he said softly, warningly.
But she could already feel him drawing closer. The table felt smaller. The space around them charged. Her entire being thrummed awake, aware, desperate for him.
