The news didn’t make Lena happy, but the deputy was right. She should have phoned ahead. Deadlines were driving her schedule, but her deadlines had nothing to do with small-town politics. “Guess I should have called before driving all this way.”
“Yes, ma’am. Guess you should have. It’s also the holidays, Dr. Verglas. Maybe you better come back in January or February.”
“That won’t work. The grant application has to be finished the first week of January. It’s for 1.2 million dollars. The funding organization gets to set the deadline and I can’t afford to miss it,” Lena said firmly as she shook her head.
“You’re going to miss it anyway if you hang all your hopes on getting people in Magic to let you build it here. Residents here like keeping a low profile. Alien hunters and government know-it-alls give us all the trouble this town can handle. You’re not going to change their minds, no matter how charming you are.”
Lena held out her hands with palms spread. “I’m sure you get a lot of weirdoes coming around, but I swear I’m not here looking for UFOs or aliens. I’m just scouting a location for a two-year experiment. I don’t even need a lot of room. It will be like a big greenhouse slash warehouse kind of building with a big old glass bowl over it.”
Calix snorted. “We get our fair share of crazy academics snooping around Magic too. Sorry. Nobody likes them either.”
She wasn’t a crazy academic. Wait… what did he say a minute ago? “Go back to your first argument—do you really think I’m charming?”
It was all Lena could do not to slap a hand over her own mouth for asking such a question. She crossed her arms again and stood her ground. It was too late to take it back. Now she had to wait him out.
Taking his time to do a thorough inspection, Calix looked her over and finally grinned. “You’re cute too, even with those far too serious glasses sliding down your nose.”
Lena looked him up and down. Under his clothes, she’d bet the deputy looked every bit as good as any of the hunky but delusional males she’d picked up on her way here. She thought that when she first saw the lawman waiting for her to pull up and stop, but now she saw the deputy’s attractiveness differently. It started with the fact that she was all alone here for however long it took to achieve her goal. Some male company in this tiny, hick town might make staying a whole lot easier. Plus, she needed an ally and the deputy seemed like a perfect choice.
Since he thought she was both charming and cute, how could she lose?
Lena smiled. “Are you married, Deputy?”
Calix reached up and rubbed his forehead. Thankfully the horn bump was now gone. He swept off his hat and pushed his shaggy brown hair back with his hand. Cutting it never seemed to do any good. It grew out scraggly no matter what he did. Theo thought it was Calix’s unruly dragon mane showing up in human form. Maybe it was.
He blew out a breath. “No. I’ve found the single life suits me.”
“Can I buy you dinner then?” Lena blew out a breath. “I heard all your warnings about staying, but I really can’t leave town until I’ve at least talked to some of your townspeople, even if all they say is no to me.”
Calix looked at the woman. Dinner? Was she serious? He could tell he scared her. He could tell she was nervous around him. “Why on Earth do you want to have dinner with me? I’ve already admitted I want to run you off.”
Lena laughed. The man was crazy if he thought she’d go off and cry over his polite no, but she was willing to give him some time to know the real her.
“Maybe I’m asking because I spent the afternoon with five good-looking naked men who reminded me I was a woman. I’m not asking to have your babies, Deputy Dawg. I’m just in the mood for male company and I’m offering to buy you dinner to get it. If you’re not interested in spending that time staring at me, just say so. I’m a big girl in more ways than just the obvious one,” she said, fisting a hand on an ample hip.
Calix chuckled at her teasing. She wasn’t a big girl by dragon standards, but by human ones? Yeah, some human males might be that stupid. A male would be an idiot not to see her physical allure. Now her annoying brain—well, that was another matter.
He felt his eyes flashing fire again as a grin settled on his mouth. This time, Dr. Verglas did not back up when she felt his dragon straining toward her. A ripple of genuine interest in a female, something Calix had rarely felt in his life, swept through him. An evening with her wouldn’t change anything important. He’d still be sending her away when it was done. Might as well eat a free meal while he figured out how best to give her cute ass the boot out of Magic.
Calix nodded once. “Dinner sounds good. There’s a restaurant in the smack middle of town that serves a good steak. I could meet you at The Wolf Trap around seven.”
Lena smiled at her victim—um… date. Date sounded better. “Don’t be late, Deputy Dawg. I haven’t eaten all day, and I’m starved. See you in a few hours.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Calix said with a reluctant grin, putting his hat back on as he turned and headed inside.
Lena watched the deputy disappear then did a discreet fist pump. She was secretly planning to wine and dine one of Magic’s ‘sworn protectors’ as he put it until the man agreed to help her convince the sheriff that holding a town meeting was the best idea he’d heard in years.
After she got settled into the inn she’d booked, Lena was going to go scouting for a location where she could build her snow dome. It was hot as hell here in Magic, New Mexico, which meant it was the perfect place for her and her work.
Finding no one inside when she arrived, Rime exited the back of the house and joined her Earth sister, Topper, who was sitting on the back porch. Her gaze went to the yard and all the males in it. “I see Thor and Stark found the missing Glacierans. Where were they?”
“I didn’t get all the details, but Calix told Thor that someone visiting Magic had picked them up on the way into town. No one knows why the portal delivered them into the middle of the desert instead of the rendezvous point. I could tell Stark was greatly relieved they had not been harmed by their side trip. They were all in good spirits when Thor rescued them from the sheriff’s office and brought them to the house.”
“Speaking of Thor—have you seen him?”
Topper grinned at the question. Stark’s sister didn’t bother to hide her fond feelings for Thor any more than her brother did for her. “Thor didn’t stay long. I think Stark asked him to check on some other things. I didn’t think to ask what tasks were involved. It was too damn hard to think with all those naked men smiling at me constantly. I offered to conjure clothes, but Stark didn’t think that was a good idea. I sent Jessica to my sister’s after school so I wouldn’t have to explain male anatomy to her.”
Rime raised an eyebrow and glanced at the males in the yard. “On Glacier, these males are prime warriors. You can tell by how they’ve honed their physical forms. What is Stark doing with these men?”
Topper shrugged as she looked at her sister-in-law. “Stark says he’s conducting an Earth protocol class. I believe it’s how he plans to select one or two of them for an extended stay. The people of Magic have agreed to allow a couple more Glacierans to come to Earth. As you can imagine, the women of the town are obviously more in favor of it than the men.”
“And how does Magic’s primary witch guardian feel about more aliens coming here to live? I can assure you no true Glacieran warrior would ever bring harm to your people. They might want to smother this planet with their protection. However annoying a trait that seems at times, it is a part of their natures which cannot be changed.”
Grinning at Rime’s defense of all Glacierans, Topper blew out a breath as she considered it. “Icela and the Fates are encouraging me to support what most would consider a continued alien invasion. I’m reserving my judgment until I see how the next few adapt here.” She winced when one of the men fell down. “Ouch. I bet that hurt his man junk.”
Rime chuckled at Topper’s study of the ma
les. “May I ask why my brother is conducting his protocol class unclothed as well?”
Topper giggled as she swung her gaze back to Rime’s. “I think the naked warriors are the best excuse Stark’s had to go buff outside in a long, long time. Your brother rarely complains, but I know he considers it incredibly hot here.”
Rime smiled. “You’ve had a miraculous effect on Stark. My brother is a very different male here on Earth than he was on Glacier.”
Topper laughed. “It’s not just him. I’m different too. Marriage, I’m learning, is full of compromises. I’ve learned to keep my more judgmental thoughts to myself. At the moment, I’m happy enough to set my questions about his methods aside and admire the scenery.”
“What scenery are you admiring, Topper?” Thor asked, stepping out of the house onto the porch.
Topper and Rime both laughed at his question and shrugged as they turned to smile at him.
Thor looked up at the assembly of naked men and snorted. “Didn’t they find any clothes that fit them?”
Topper smiled. “Theo’s having it shipped over when he collects enough for all six. Apparently, there was a fierce debate about only one or two of them getting dressed. They all refused the ‘gifts’ of clothes until all of them could have them. I think the dry goods merchants in Magic are going to have to start keeping extra tall clothing in stock.”
Thor snorted. He’d come to Earth in his uniform but had burned it to hide his alien background. “No one helped me find clothes when I arrived. Perhaps Glacierans are not as resourceful as they were when I was trained.”
“Isn’t it amazing the difference a hundred years can make?” Topper asked, grinning at him.
“I will mention the need for clothing to Alfred. Apparently, he’s become the new purveyor of men’s fashions in Magic. I’ve even noticed several males wearing red bow ties and suspenders. I think they hope to attract a cat shifter by doing so. Our friend Alfred has become the hottest male in Magic.”
Rime laughed and smiled at the male sharing her bed these days. “Are you telling me the mighty God of Thunder is no longer the male fashion icon in town?”
Thor smiled back. “Thankfully, I am not. Do you find me less attractive now, Priestess?”
Topper laughed at Thor’s joking and reached out to nudge her sister-in-law. “Look, Rime. They’re exercising now. Do you think it hurts them when things bounce around like that? I’m so glad I didn’t go shopping like I’d planned. It would have been a shame to miss this.”
Rime’s head swung to take in the sight of all the jumping men. She giggled and then worked to stifle her mirth. “Your humor is wicked, sister. Now I’m being rude about Stark’s visitors. Please do not tell my brother, Thor.”
“Oh, you have nothing to fear from me, Rime. My loyalty has shifted,” Thor said as he lifted a still chuckling Rime from her seat and sat down with her in his lap. “You should have seen your brother glaring at me earlier when I laughed at the single naked warrior who came through the portal. The man said his general back on Glacier had advised him to emulate Stark and come here nude.”
“I’m sure Stark was appalled by that news. Sadly, my brother has never had a true sense of humor,” Rime said.
Thor swept out a hand. “Amusement aside—this sea of nakedness is a golden opportunity for you to do some mate shopping, Priestess. See any male you like?”
“Yes,” Rime said instantly, her gaze coming back to Thor’s. “I’m sitting on his lap.” Her head tilted sideways to indicate the men in the yard. “Do you really think any of those young males could service me as well as you do?”
Thor lifted a brow. “No. They would not serve you as well I, Priestess,” he whispered.
“Agreed,” Rime said, brushing her hand lovingly over his jaw. “They are amusing though.”
“Agreed. They are amusing,” Thor replied, his mouth lifting in a smirk as he kissed Rime’s wandering fingers.
Chapter Three
At seven fifteen that evening Lena gave up waiting. She waved over the waitress and ordered. She’d learned long ago not to be upset by a guy standing her up. It had happened to her a lot more since she’d packed on a few extra pounds.
She was nearly six feet tall and had never been small in her life. Wearing a size sixteen was not some sort of crime in her opinion, but she’d learned many men didn’t appreciate generous curves like hers.
Why should she be concerned about Deputy Dawg leaving her hanging? The man was good-looking, but she was here on business. And right now her most important business was filling her growling stomach.
“I’ll have the large rib eye steak cooked medium. You can put ranch dressing on the salad and everything you got in the kitchen on my baked potato. Keep the bread coming too. On your next trip to the table, bring me the rest of that bottle of Pinot Noir to help me forget the day, please.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll get your order put right in and be back in a little bit with your wine.”
Lena sighed as the waitress hustled off. She buttered a piece of warm bread and savored each bite as she waited for her meal. The glass of red wine in front of her sat nearly untouched, but she was going to enjoy it shortly too. She had a long, lonely evening ahead and was in no hurry to return to the nearly abandoned inn where she was staying.
Lena got her phone out and checked her messages. When the salad came, she devoured that before returning to her phone to sort through emails. She skipped right over the ones with students asking her to reconsider their grades. That was something she did not do except in extremely rare cases. Students had to work as hard as she did to earn a good grade from her.
Another ten minutes passed before a large shadow fell over her table. Lena looked up from her phone and felt her heart stumble a bit. The man looming over her looked completely frazzled. He also looked sexy as hell. Since she wasn’t the type to hold a grudge, Lena smiled in welcome and pointed to the seat opposite her.
“Well, hello, Deputy. I’d given up on you. Have a seat and get comfortable.”
“Sorry I’m so late. Work got busy again.”
“Did those naked aliens give you a hard time? They didn’t seem to swing that way, but you can never tell about the good-looking ones.”
Calix grunted. Her joking about the sexual orientation of the aliens was funny, but he was too hungry to laugh at anything. “Believe or not, the naked aliens you brought me ended up being the easiest part of my day.”
His teasing back had Lena laughing from her gut. “You poor man. Now I feel guilty. Since I wasn’t sure if I was getting stood up or not, I went ahead and ordered.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll catch up,” Calix promised, sliding into his seat. He breathed out and finally let himself relax. It was nice to look across the table and see her smiling at him. There was nothing in her gaze except pleasure at having his company.
“Want me to call the waitress over for you?” Lena asked.
“No need,” Calix said flatly with another long-suffering sigh. When Lena looked at him with a question in her eyes, he slowly shook his head.
“You’re certainly a man of few words unless you’re being sarcastic or trying to get rid of me,” Lena joked.
“Just hungry,” Calix explained. And he’d, unfortunately, felt Karen light up when he walked in. The young fox shifter who worked there as a waitress was the reason he’d been avoiding the restaurant so much lately.
He felt nothing for the young woman but hadn’t wanted to break her heart by saying that she was far too young and not an appealing species for him. But then neither was the human across the table and yet he found Dr. Lena Verglas appealing though he wasn’t sure why yet.
“Oh look, here she comes running to help you,” Lena announced in a whisper while chuckling.
She grinned when the young waitress ignored all the other tables wanting her attention to hustle back to hers. The tiny woman appeared at Calix’s elbow nearly out of breath. The poor girl was barely as tall as him sitting down.
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Lena turned away to hide her grin. The child wasn’t even trying to be subtle. Somebody needed to take her aside and talk to her about toning things down a little.
“Hi, Calix. I didn’t know you were coming in tonight. You haven’t been to dinner here in forever.”
Lena watched Calix turn his head slowly in the waitress’ direction and offer her a small, tight smile. The woman seemed oblivious to Deputy Dawg’s extreme discomfort around her. Lena discreetly covered her mouth with her napkin so she could smile without being caught.
“You want the usual?” the waitress asked sweetly. “I have it memorized.”
Lena pushed her napkin against her mouth and delicately coughed into it to keep from laughing at his discomfort.
Calix slowly shook his head. “Not tonight, Karen. Magic mischief makers made me miss every meal today. Can I have three steaks instead of two? Rare on all three. Guess you can bring the vegetables this time too. Might as well—since I have company for dinner. Hopefully, I’ll have time to eat everything before some other dire thing happens in Magic.”
“Coming right up, Calix,” the waitress said cheerfully, running her hand possessively over his shoulder.
Lena picked up a bite of her bread and shoved it into her mouth to keep herself from grinning. She hadn’t missed Calix’s reflexive flinch at being touched when he hadn’t been expecting it. She’d bet the man wouldn’t be flinching if she’d been the one doing the stroking. There was enough chemistry between her and Calix to blow up a science lab or two.
“Thanks, Karen. Tell Ned to send out the first steak the moment it’s done. I’m starved,” Calix said before turning back to his laughing date. He waited until the fox shifter disappeared into the kitchen then leaned over the table and spoke quietly. “I hope she didn’t embarrass you. Karen has a little crush on me.”
Topper's Magical Christmas: My Crazy Alien Romance, Book 4 (Magic, New Mexico 40) Page 3