“I guess we have to go out if I’m going to show the other shifter groups I’m polite.” And wouldn’t do anything to make them want to shake me. “I won’t tattle on you, but I’m not going to be known as the Alpha Mate that picks fights and likes to stir up the other groups.”
“Deal.” Giving me a quick kiss on the cheek, he did his best to look innocent but failed spectacularly. “Now it’s time for me to brag because you’re so much hotter than…never mind.”
Good grief.
“I’m not a gift you get to brag about.” He thought I was hot enough to brag about? “You have to promise to behave if we go out in public.”
Standing straight, he did what I thought was the Boy Scout salute. “Prepared, vicious, and smarter than the cats.”
I was not even going to respond to that.
He snickered as I turned around and headed to the passenger side of his car. “Ask. You know you want to.”
Brat.
“Tell me what I need to know about town. You keep leaving things out until they come up.” It wasn’t deliberate but it was annoying.
Looking slightly sheepish, Braun came around and opened my door. “I’m not doing that on purpose. There’s just so much I don’t think about until we run into it.”
“I know.” It was my turn to kiss him as he sweetly helped me in the car. “I just don’t want to look stupid.”
“I understand completely.” He genuinely seemed to because he started telling me facts and quick stories about town as we drove past small stores and people’s houses. “Okay, this is going to sound crazy but no one knows what the new guy at the food truck is. He’s weird.”
If anyone in this town thought the guy was weird he had to be an alien.
“To translate that, you mean he behaves oddly when compared to local humans and others?” When Braun’s face scrunched up and he nodded, I knew the man must be something fascinating. “And I can assume he doesn’t seem dangerous, but he does things that are unexpected?”
“Yeah. Oh. Don’t ask him about what’s in the meatballs.” Braun’s sigh had me trying not to wince. “If it’s listed as a special, you need to think twice, but I’ll back you up if you want to know.”
Good grief.
“That explains some of the reviews Emeric found.” They had the strangest community. “I thought it might’ve been some kind of issue with the wrong reviews getting attached to the food truck.”
Braun’s wince said it wasn’t.
“Any other warnings?” Yes. The answer was yes and he kept chattering away so I’d know all the good gossip before we got to town. “I’m going to need a spreadsheet.”
That had his grin coming back. “You need to talk to my mother. She knows everything, including who’s dating and what everyone is up to.”
I’d do that eventually but she was slightly overwhelming.
“One thing at a time.” Date first and my mother-in-law second. “We’re going to focus on us, not gossip.”
Hopefully.
“That’s right.” Parking on a side street that was next to what seemed to be some shops, he leaned over and gave me a quick peck. “Let me get the door for you.”
“Thank you.” It could’ve been old-fashioned manners or his Dom side, but either way, I liked it and had to ignore what it did to me.
Walking around town with an erection was not my goal.
He decided to make that difficult by kissing me again as he helped me out and wrapping his arm low around me. “Such a naughty mate.”
Ugh.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Two could play that game. “Where should we start? This is very cute.”
Yes, we were going to walk around town and I was going to learn about the area.
