by S. E. Babin
"She does," Sterling said, but his voice sounded strained.
"That's great, Sterling. I hope you have lots of frigid little babies who enjoy their private schools and homemade baby food."
"Now wait just a second, Archer. Don't you think -"
He was cut off by a breathy voice several feet away. "Sterling! There you are, darling. Really, you keep me waiting for more than a minute or two and force me to walk outside in my new heels? The nerve."
A belly laugh burst from me as I shut the car door. "I bet they're Louboutins," I said under my breath. "Super expensive. Super high maintenance. Are you concerned about dating someone whose shoes have more personality than they do?"
"Shut up, Archer,” Sterling growled as he raised his hand to greet the woman. As she walked closer, I had to roll my eyes. She looked like an ice princess.
"After tonight's date are you going back to her castle high on the mountains of Sweden? Perhaps she can show you how to ice sculpt?"
"Archer?"
"Darling!" The woman said again, her voice a little more strained now. "Who is it you're talking to there?"
"Yes, darling," I whispered. "Why don't you introduce us?"
"I hate you," Sterling said.
"There has never been a more mutual agreement in the history of agreements."
The woman clicked to a halt in front of us. Even in my heels I had to look up to her. She looked like a Norwegian supermodel. Borderline ice white hair, pale skin, and even in the dark I could see how freakishly light her eyes were. "And you are?" she said in her haughty tone.
"I'm Maron," I said, politeness oozing from my tone. "Sterling was just here telling me I left my headlights on. Such a gentleman," I oozed.
Confusion flickered in her gaze. "Oh. Really? I didn't see them on."
"Yes, he was making small talk about you, weren't you, Mr. Luna?" I gave the woman a blazing smile and leaned forward to whisper in a conspiratorial tone. "He thinks you might be his soul mate."
The woman's expression didn't change. "Well of course we are. Portia doesn't make mistakes, does she?"
"That's what I said!" I told her. "I mean, obviously look how perfect you look together."
I glanced back at Sterling. He was still standing slightly behind me, but the look on his face was thunderous.
"We do, don't we?" the woman gushed. If a flat monotone could be called gushing. She held out a gloved hand to me. "Cherry," she said.
Of course her name was Cherry. I gave Sterling a fierce grin and wink before I took the woman's hand. "So very nice to meet you. I can't wait to hear about your wedding. I'm sure it will be glorious. And your children?" I shook my head. "With your coloring and gorgeous eyes and Sterling's winning personality, I'm sure they will be just little geniuses."
A pinch on the backside made me jump, but I resisted squealing. I stepped out of the firing zone and nodded my head to both of them. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have someone waiting inside for me."
I watched as Sterling's eyes dropped to what I was wearing. They widened and I saw the barest hint of a nostril flare. That's right. Eat your heart out, werewolf. And he couldn't say another word because we were supposed to be strangers.
"Of course," Cherry said as she reached her hand out for Sterling's arm. "It was very nice to meet you."
I had stepped behind the woman. My gaze locked on Sterling. "Oh, I can assure you the pleasure was all mine."
His glare was glorious and I would cherish it forever. If there was ever a man who hated me more than Sterling Luna did, I was sure I'd never met him.
The thought warmed me as I sashayed into the restaurant to meet my soulmate.
A man sat alone at the edge of the restaurant and heaven help my heart, he was reading a book. I tried to make out the title as I walked toward him, but he was too far away to see. He was blond, a dusky sort of blond, that made him look less like a frat boy and more like David Beckham. I was waiting for him to tilt his head up to see me because if he looked anything like the star soccer player, I was going to go and kiss Portia straight on the mouth.
From what I could tell, he had a five o'clock shadow which did nothing to detract from the strength of his jaw, and he'd probably just came from work. He wore a white button down shirt with a loosened tie and had a navy blue blazer slung over the back of the seat.
Holy hotness.
As I moved closer to him, he sensed me and looked up. Light gray eyes highlighted by dark eyelashes plus high cheekbones equaled be still my beating heart. He was gorgeous. Drop dead and all that, and I was supposed to be less of a geek about this and more in control of myself. I let out a slow breath and stopped in front of his table.
"Dimitri?" See? Even his name was hot.
"Maron?"
I nodded and stuck my hand out. He ignored it which hurt my feelings for a second. But he stood immediately, brushed a kiss over my cheek, and pulled my chair out.
Oh my. Yes, please.
I sent him a grateful smile and sank into my seat, the memory of his closeness and his smell forever imprinted on my brain. Now this was what I was talking about.
I could feel someone's heated stare at my back and had no doubt it was Sterling glaring at me and still trying to come up with payback for how I'd just schooled him. I didn't look over.
Dimitri took his seat and put his back over to the side of the table. The title was The Book Thief, and it was the same book that made me ugly cry while drinking wine in my recliner when I read it last year.
I pointed to it. "It's one of my favorites."
"Mine too. This is my second read-through of it. There aren't a lot of books out there with the German point of view." His voice was low, rumbly, and slightly accented. The sound of it made my toes curl.
Calm down, Maron, I told myself. There was a lot more to a person than outward appearances. And good taste in books. And clothes. And smelling good.
"I hope you like red," Dimitri said. "The waitress came over a little early so I took the liberty of ordering a bottle."
Hmm. Small strike. I liked to pick my own drink. "No problem," I said instead. I could feel a goofy little smile hovering over my lips.
"Have you been here before?" he asked.
I shook my head. "Surprisingly, no. I tend to frequent a few restaurants and don't often venture to the edge of town."
His gaze kept flicking over to a place behind me and a furrow started in his brow. "Do you know the couple over there?" he asked. "The man keeps looking over here."
"Nope," I said without bothering to look. He had to be talking about Sterling.
He gave me a curious look. "Must be that incredible dress you're wearing," he said. "It's very Mad Men."
"Without the sexism and secondhand smoke," I quipped.
Dimitri didn't laugh. Gracious. Please let him have a sense of humor, I prayed. Don't make him pretty and oblivious to social cues.
"Mad Men is pretty misogynistic," he said after a moment.
I blinked at him. "Really?"
He nodded. "Don't you think?"
"I do... think. But I've never heard another man say something like that."
Dimitri shrugged and turned his attention to the menu. "It's the truth. It was a good show and was spot on with the time period, but I don't think anyone can argue that we've made a lot of strides since then."
I let out a strangled laugh. Who was this guy? "I agree." I picked up my menu and started looking through it. We were at a small French bistro. I already couldn't remember the name of it, but the food looked really good. I chose a French onion soup and a vegetarian version of Quiche Lorraine. When the waitress came back over and I rattled off my order, I could feel Dimitri's gaze on me.
"So it's true, then," he said when she was finished taking our order.
"What's true?" I asked as I picked my wine glass.
"You truly do not consume blood?"
He read the info pack. Dimitri was redeeming himself here. Big time. "I don't need to," I said.
His eyes gleamed with interest. "Never?"
I shook my head. "Never."
"What does your family think about it?"
I took a long sip of wine and set my glass down. "What do you think they think about it?"
"Mmm," he said. "I think the differences in us are what distinguish everyone."
"And you?" I asked. "What distinguishes you?"
A crooked smile appeared on his mouth and there was a dimple. A dimple! How had this man lived in Midnight Cove and not had an entourage of screaming fangirls following him everywhere?
"I read too much and do not socialize as much as I should. My family runs one of the largest covens both here and in North America. I rarely participate."
So he was a witch. Interesting. I could sense power emanating from him though I couldn't quite place him. I didn't have a lot of experience with witches, but if they were all this pretty, I could certainly get on board with more exposure. "So you neglected your magical practice?" I asked.
He laughed. "Not quite. My magic is quite eclectic. I didn't want to study solely with my family because I wanted to explore more. Our family is unique in that we are not born with ingrained talents. We have a... " he paused. "I guess you could say a pool of magic. We mold it. My mother chose to focus on divination, so that's where her talent lies. My father and brothers each chose different paths, but I refused to choose anything."
I leaned forward, extremely interested in spite of myself. "So where do your strengths lie, then?" I asked.
His elegant fingers curled around his wine glass. "Everywhere," he said with a wolfish grin.
I swallowed hard and leaned back. "Well," I said breathlessly. "I guess I deserved that."
His low rumbly laugh did funny things to my stomach, and I felt heat climb from my toes all the way up my neck. "Excuse me for a moment," I said before the blush crept up to my face.
I removed the napkin from my lap and placed it in my seat as I stood up. I turned from him and carefully made my way to the bathroom.
On my way, a man appeared beside me. "He's certainly pretty."
The blush had reached my cheeks. "Go away, Sterling. Your ice queen awaits."
He touched my elbow and steered me away from the bathrooms. I turned to see if Dimitri was watching.
"Don't worry. He's got his nose in a book. But I'm sure that's what you love, right? Sensitive little boys driven with emotion and no sense."
I chuckled. "Jealous?"
Sterling scoffed. "Of what? Books?"
"Intellect?" I challenged. "Emotional intelligence? Perhaps the fact he got out of his seat to pull my chair out?"
"He probably ordered your wine before he captivated your mind, didn't he?"
I frowned and Sterling crowed with amusement. "Poor little Maron has a tiny little woman brain and can't pick out her own wine."
"It was a nice gesture," I said, though it had bothered me.
"Admit it. It drove you nuts."
We were in a darkened hallway close to the coat closet. There was no one else around. "What do you want?"
Sterling moved closer to me and my back bumped the wall. "Personal space," I whispered.
"Yes. What about it?" He moved even closer. Barely an inch separated our hips.
"You're being super inappropriate," I whispered. His proximity was scrambling my brains.
"Why do you hate me so much, Maron Archer?" He reached out with a finger to toy with a loose strand of my hair.
"Is this what this is?" I asked. I licked my lips in nervousness. "Your ego?"
"My ego has nothing to do with it," he said.
"It has everything to do with it. I didn't jump in the sack with you right away and it's galling you, isn't it?"
"I hate redheads," he said with sincerity, but he leaned in even closer and inhaled deeply. "But you smell like strawberries and sunshine. Everything about you is forbidden, but I can't seem to get you out of my head. I hate you so much but I also want to tear your dress off."
"Sterling!"
"Hmmm?"
I shoved him off of me. He stumbled back into the wall and glanced at me with surprise. For a moment, I thought he might have forgotten my nature.
He straightened and blinked a couple of times. "My apologies, Maron. There's a lunar... event coming up very soon. It must be affecting my rhythms somewhat."
The only response I gave him was a raised eyebrow.
"You're right," he said. "An apology won't quite cover what just happened here. I'm a total cad."
"You are."
He gestured for me to lead. "I'm sure you've kept your date waiting long enough." I knew it had only been a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity.
The room felt like we'd stepped into a wildfire. "I'm sure your ice queen will cool you right down," I said as I let myself out.
I could have sworn I heard him murmur, "You have no idea," as he followed me out.
Eleven
Dimitri didn't bat an eye about the length of time I'd been gone. Apparently his book kept him quite absorbed though I did think it was weird he pulled it out for something as quick as a bathroom break. At least he wasn't looking at his phone.
"Sorry about that," I said as I sat back down.
He gave me a quizzical glance once I had his attention. "You look flustered. Everything okay?"
Everything was most certainly not okay. "Oh yes, fine. Just a long line at the restroom."
Dimitri didn't look like he believed me, but he shrugged it off. "The waitress came by and said our food would be right out."
A loud screech from behind us made me slosh wine. "You smell like her!"
Oh gods. Cherry. She was a werewolf and probably smelled me on him from a mile away. He had only touched me once but even the proximity could tip someone off. Plus Sterling seemed disturbed when I left him. And by disturbed I meant aroused. Very much so.
I was extra glad of my vamp hearing tonight.
"Relax," Sterling murmured. "I ran into her in the bathroom hallway."
So he starts his relationships off with lies? Completely unsurprising.
"Literally?" Cherry screeched. "Did you literally run into her or are you being metaphorical?"
A soft snort escaped me. Dimitri watched the drama, but I felt his eyes linger on me a little too long during it.
"I'm being literal," Sterling said quietly.
"Then why do you smell like you want to screw?"
My eyes watered with hilarity. I wanted so bad to burst out laughing but then Dimitri would know. Though from the way he was looking at me, I suspected he already did.
My hunch was solidified after Cherry threw a glass of wine at him and they were both escorted from the restaurant.
"Are you sure you don't know him?"
I turned back around and sighed.
"I do," I admitted. "We had one terrible date, and that was it."
"I see." Dimitri's gaze followed the troubled couple as they went outside. "And he still likes you?"
I let loose the laugh that had been brewing inside of me for several minutes. "No, not even a little bit. Sterling Luna rues the day he met me. In fact, that was what the bathroom incident was about. He was professing his undying hate for me."
Dimitri sipped his wine, his expression lost in thought. "Sometimes hate and love are so close it's difficult to distinguish one emotion from the other."
An uncomfortable laugh escaped me. "Sterling is boorish and pushy, and has the manners of a chimpanzee let loose at a farmer's market. I can assure you, there is no mutual like there."
My date nodded but I could tell the entire incident bothered him. Fortunately, he didn't dwell on it. Our dinner arrived a couple of minutes later and the occupants of the restaurant brushed off the drama and went right on like nothing happened. Dimitri ordered a plate of salmon and vegetables. While it looked good, it was super healthy and made me wonder if he was the kind of guy who shunned cake and all the other beautiful things in life.
He
noticed me giving his plate the eyeball and chuckled. "I have a cheat day twice a week. It keeps me sane."
"Oh thank goodness," I muttered. "I don't think I could live without cake."
"Could anyone?" he asked.
I was pretty sure Dimitri would be an easy guy to love. We clinked our wine glasses together and enjoyed our meal. When it was time to go, he paid the check and walked me to my car. I felt at ease even though he was stupid handsome. His hand in mine was warm and strong and when he leaned in to kiss me goodnight, I didn't resist.
His lips were warm and firm and there was a little tingle, but it wasn't a massive tingle. I didn't feel it all the way down to my toes like I expected, but that could be chalked up to first date nerves.
I hoped.
The sound of rain pounding against the roof woke me up out of sound sleep the next morning. I rolled over to stare out the window, perplexed. It rarely rained here.
I got up and pulled a robe over my sleep attire. Padding outside, I stopped on my porch and looked up. Everyone here had noticed the storm brewing, but since nothing happened, most people had put it to the back of their mind. I frowned as I stared up at the swirling sky. Rain wasn't necessarily a terrible thing in this town, but it was unusual enough to remark on. I pulled my robe a little tighter and shivered as the cool air swirled around me.
Weird.
Shaking my head, I went back inside. I'd planned to go out to the workshop and set some more stones, but we hadn't had rain in so long, I thought I'd make some tea and read a good book.
Twelve
Sterling
Shaw and I high-fived. "I can't believe it!" I cried. "It's raining!"
Jeremy sauntered over to us shaking his head. "You do know if you lived anywhere else, everyone would be staring at you like you're crazy?"
"Don't care," Shaw answered. "It's coming direct from that storm. So something is happening up there."
"Besides a predictable weather pattern?" Jeremy grumbled.
"You should be happy," I said. "You don't have to water your tree."