“Okay.” Kirin huffed but didn’t release any smoke. Things were looking up.
“Do you want to start upstairs or downstairs?” Blaze asked, flipping through the guidebook. “There are caves to explore downstairs and a rocket ship on the top floor in the space exhibit.”
“Downstairs.” Kirin tugged on both our hands as he walked backward. “Emery said they have dinosaurs down there.”
And they did. Dinosaur bones of those believed to be prehistoric ancestors of us dragon shifters. My son explored every part of the display and even had a chance to dig some bones on his own in a sand table.
As we explored the rest of the museum, Kirin interacted with everything he could and often invited Blaze to play with him. Unlike when I played with him, he never corrected the alpha, telling him he was playing wrong. I wondered if he would after the alpha had been part of our life for a while. If… If he wanted to be. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, wasn’t sure if the strange connection I felt was real or just wishful thinking after being alone for so long.
After four hours of exploring all four levels of the place, Kirin finally slowed down long enough to throw himself across one of the twisty chairs in the cafeteria. “I’m starving. I can’t play anymore until I eat.”
Blaze looked to me. “Do you want to stay here to eat or go elsewhere? I was originally thinking we could go to The Firehose, but I wasn’t sure if Kirin would like any of the food there.”
Trying not to melt at how thoughtful the alpha was with every decision he made regarding our date, I rubbed Kirin’s back. “Hey, do you want to stay here and eat, or do you want to go to The Firehose, the restaurant that looks like a fire station and has the fire truck out front?”
My son sat up so fast, he almost banged his head on the bottom of the table. “Firehose.” He held his hands out in front of him. “I don’t need to play on the playground. We have one like that down the street already. But I’ve never been to The Firehose.”
“I’m not sure what the menu is like.” I rubbed his hair as he clung to my leg. “Are you willing to try some new foods?”
He nodded with less enthusiasm than he had earlier. “If Blaze likes it there, I do, too.”
I couldn’t believe how much my son was smitten with the alpha, and Blaze never once seemed offput by Kirin’s attention. It was strange how comfortable it all felt.
The restaurant did have chicken fingers and fries, satisfying my son’s tastes, though he did try the steak Blaze ordered when the alpha offered him a piece.
After we left the restaurant—the bill for which the alpha paid for when he claimed he was going to the bathroom—Blaze offered to take us to see the latest animated film about long-lost unicorns and the shifter kids who team up to search for them. When we arrived at the parking lot, Kirin was fast asleep, his head resting against the door.
“Maybe some other time.” Blaze cupped the side of my face and ran his thumb along my cheek. “You look tired, too. I’ll take you both home now.”
As much as I wanted to spend more time with him, I doubted I would have stayed awake in the theater.
Blaze parked in front of the walkway to my apartment then carried Kirin up to my place, far more comfortable with my son than I imagined any alpha to be.
I woke my son, insisting he use the bathroom, brush his teeth, and change into his pajamas before going to bed. Of course, he wanted to say good night to Blaze first.
Surprisingly, the alpha waited as I tucked my son in then searched for where he’d left the fire truck Blaze had bought for him.
Back in the living room, the alpha stood as I came out. “I hope you both had a good time today.”
“We did.” I reached for his hands as I gazed up into his golden eyes. “Thank you for everything.”
He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “It was my pleasure. I enjoy spending time with you. Both of you. But you look so tired, so I’ll leave now and let you sleep while your son sleeps.”
My stomach twisted. For some reason, the idea of Blaze leaving felt wrong. We barely knew each other, had only been on a couple of dates, but I did not want him to leave.
Pushing up to the tips of my toes, I kissed him. I think I caught him by surprise, but within a couple seconds, he responded, wrapping his arms around me and holding me close as he lined his tongue along my lips. I opened to him, the intimacy feeling so natural and needed.
When he pulled away, I gasped for air.
He placed his hands on my shoulders. “You should sleep.”
I shook my head. “For some reason, I don’t want you to leave.”
“Ladon,” he whispered as he tilted his head to the side. “Remember what happened last time. I don’t want you to be embarrassed or regretful.”
“No.” I leaned against his shoulder blade and wrapped my arms around him. “Not for that. At least, not right now. Just to sleep. I want you to spend the night.”
He was silent for several seconds, his deep breaths and the beat of his heart becoming deafening as I waited for his answer.
