Chapter 19: Chapter Eighteen

She sipped her iced mocha as we walked back to the office. I didn’t know what to say to her.

If she were a shifter, she would have known that I belonged to Marcus. That he was my mate, my everything. It would have been an adjustment as she learned that she was ours. There was no doubt in my mind that she was meant to be ours.

Shifters moved fast, Marcus and I had mated the night that we first met. I had needed someone to belong to, he’d needed to be needed. I bore his sigil long before the sun rose, we hadn’t been apart since.

She was human, and even though we lived in a more progressive time. It was ingrained in me to hide. To keep the side of me that craved his touch hidden, I’d been born during the Victorian era.

Being a shifter had given me more liberties with being able to choose my bed partners. The dragons as a whole were unbothered by things like two men falling in love.

Humans were a whole different breed when it came to their mindsets on gender and pairings. How could you explain to them that your souls were knit to be together? That you felt them move through every fiber of you when you mated?

Wolves got it, they had fated mates. 

We dragons got to choose, but once the choice was made. It was forever binding, if Amelia couldn’t accept us.  I would stay by her side even if from a distance, just as I knew Marcus would.

Mourning as she went about her life. Dying on the inside as we watched her fall in love with some mortal.

The thought made my heart clench as I thought about her smiling that soft smile at someone who wasn’t us. Having a little house with a white picket fence. Children that weren’t ours, that weren’t Marcus’.

“Louis?”

Her soft voice pulled me from my melancholy thoughts. I tilted my head, looking over at her as she chewed on her straw. “Yes?”

“What kind of movies do you like?” She asked, her shoulders were stiff as she tried to make conversation.

“I like horror movies, right now I’ve been binge watching this vampire show.”

“Oh, the one based off those books?”

“Yeah, Maberry’s one of my favorite authors.” I said with a smile, “I’ve got all of his books.”

“I liked his zombie ones.” She said, her shoulders relaxing as she let go of the straw.

“Me too, maybe we could read them together one weekend?” I wanted to know how she saw things. Did she enjoy the surfers in the books as much as I had? Did she cry when I did, laugh over the dark humor?

“I’m almost done with the book I was telling you about. How about we start his newest book next week?” She asked, worrying her lower lip.

“Talk nerdy to me, I’m in.” I said, looking at her through my lashes as I held open the door for her.

“You’re going to get us in trouble.” She said as we walked past me. 

“Me?” I asked. Placing my hand on my chest in mock shock as I led her towards the boardroom. Smiling, my tongue pressed to the roof of my mouth. 

“Yes, you. You big flirt.” She said, stepping closer to me, her lips twisted into a playful smirk.

“Join me for lunch again?” I wanted to close the distance between us as she batted her eyelashes at me.

“I can’t.” She said, “Maybe I can make it up to you.”

My breath caught in my throat as I felt the tips of my ears turn red, my pulse racing. Her warm brown eyes twinkled mischievously up at me.

“Are you, are you teasing me?”

Her smile grew wider as she rocked back on her heels, “Who, me?”

“Oh, little one. You don’t know the fire that you’re playing with.” I said, closing the distance between us. 

She looked up at me, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, “See, trouble.” She breathed out with a nervous chuckle. 

“Make it up to me later?” I purred and her pupils dilated, her breath coming in a short pant. I breathed her in, the smell of the coffee barely hiding that delicious apple scent.

“Fine, I’ll let you pick the movie Friday.” She said. 

My lips spread into a grin as I stepped back, “You should get back to work.”

“Go back to your basement,” she teased, her hand on the doorknob.

I watched her as she slipped into the meeting. The frosted glass door clicked behind her as it closed. With a smile, I leaned against the wall.  Pulling out my cell phone, I swiped the screen open, sending a text to Marcus.

Friday, I had a date. 

I tucked my phone back into my pocket and turned, heading back towards my basement. Her fire made me crave her more than I already did. I couldn’t wait to see if it carried over into the bedroom, I’d take my time showing her that my flirting was real. That my feelings for her were real.

Author's Note: Happy Friday y'all, hope everyone has an amazing weekend. We're getting closer to the time jump, are you guys ready for that? Or are you guys enjoying Marcus and Louis? As always, your comments and feedback means sto much to me. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment XOXO