“He does.” Kivani looked at Dakota, who was examining a display of pumpkins at the next table with that same focused attention. “He's good at a lot of things.”
“I can see that.” Martha's smile widened. “You should bring him around more often.”
Kivani nodded and collected his bag, warmth spreading through him at the idea of Dakota becoming a regular part of his life.
They wandered through the rest of the market, Dakota pausing occasionally to examine something that caught his attention. A display of hand-knitted scarves. Jars of pickled vegetables. Bundles of dried herbs that filled the air with the smell of sage and rosemary. Kivani found himself watching Dakota more than the market, his tiger content to simply observe his mate moving through the world.
Dakota stopped at a table covered in baked goods, his eyes going wide at the array of pastries and breads. “Oh my god, those look amazing.”
The baker, a young man Kivani vaguely recognized from the coffee shop, smiled at Dakota. “Fresh out of the oven this morning. The apple fritters are my specialty.”
Dakota leaned closer, examining the golden pastries dusted with cinnamon sugar. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, and Kivani felt something tighten low in his stomach. His tiger rumbled, wanting to feed their mate, wanting to provide.
“Want one?” Kivani asked.
“I shouldn't.” Dakota’s eyes stayed fixed on the fritters. “I already had toast this morning. I don’t need any more carbs.”
“We’ll walk it off.” Kivani was already pulling out his wallet. “Two apple fritters, please.”
Dakota made a small sound of protest, but he was smiling when Kivani handed him the paper bag. They found an empty bench near the edge of the square and sat down. Dakota pulled out one of the fritters and took a bite, his eyes falling closed as he chewed.
“Good?” Kivani asked, even though the answer was written all over Dakota’s face.
“So good.” Dakota took another bite, and a small sound of pleasure escaped his throat that made Kivani’s blood heat. “Like, criminally good.”
“Then wait until you taste the cinnamon rolls at the local bakery. They’ll make your toes curl.” Kivani watched Dakota eat, his tiger purring with satisfaction. His mate was happy, fed, safe beside him in the morning sunlight. Everything in Kivani’s world felt right in a way it never had before. He reached for his own fritter and bit into it, the sweetness of apple and cinnamon filling his mouth.
They ate in comfortable silence, watching people move through the market. Dakota’s knee pressed against Kivani’s on the bench, a point of contact that seemed to burn through the layers of denim. Kivani could feel heat radiating from Dakota’s smaller body, could hear the soft sounds he made as he licked sugar from his fingers.
“This was nice,” his mate said when he’d finished. He crumpled the paper bag and looked at Kivani with something soft in his expression. “Thank you for inviting me.”
“I’m glad you came.” Kivani stood and offered his hand to help his mate up. Dakota took it, his palm sliding against Kivani’s, and for a moment, they stood there hand in hand in the middle of the square. He could feel his mate’s pulse fluttering against his fingers.
Dakota pulled his hand away. “I should probably let you get back to work.”
“Come up to my place first.” The words were out before Kivani could think them through. His tiger pushed forward, demanding more time with their mate. “I want to cut up some of this fruit, see how it tastes. You can help me test it.”
Dakota bit his lip, and Kivani watched the way his teeth pressed into the soft flesh. “You’re sure I’m not bothering you?”
“You’re not bothering me.” Kivani shifted the bag of fruit to his other hand. “I like having you around.”
Color bloomed across his mate’s features, and he nodded. “Okay. Yeah, that sounds good.”
They walked back to the building, the late-morning sun warm on Kivani’s shoulders. His tiger was practically vibrating with anticipation, pleased that Dakota was coming to their den, that they’d have more time alone together. Kivani forced himself to breathe evenly, to keep his excitement contained.
Inside, they climbed the stairs to the second floor. Kivani led his mate to his door and unlocked it, pushing it open to reveal his apartment.
Dakota stepped inside, his eyes going wide as he looked around. “Wow. This is so much bigger than my place.”
“Yeah, it takes up the whole width of the building.” Kivani closed the door and watched Dakota explore. His mate moved through the space with that same careful attention he gave everything, taking in the exposed brick walls, the large windows, the simple furniture. “It’s nothing fancy, but it works for me.”
“Are you kidding? It’s gorgeous.” Dakota ran his fingers along the back of the leather couch then moved to the windows that overlooked the street. “And the light in here is incredible.”
Kivani set the bag of fruit on the kitchen counter and started pulling out apples. “Kitchen's over here if you want to help.”
Dakota wandered over, his eyes tracking across the open kitchen with its butcher block counters and hanging copper pots. “You really like copper, huh?”
“Conducts heat well. Good for candy making.” Kivani pulled out a cutting board and a knife. “Plus, it looks nice.”
