“Just to be safe,” I add.
“Alright,” she nods.
I keep my eyes forward and jog to catch up with her, trying my best to ignore the scrap of brightly colored lace sticking out of her purse and the unrestricted jiggle of her ass as she walks.
FOUR
Penny
This has beenthe longest I’ve spoken to Asher since he moved in across the street.
Sure, I was nervous at first, but the conversation has been easy, like we’re old friends. Okay, so maybe we haven’t really cracked the surface. It’s not like I know his life story or even what kind of shifter he is, other than a scaled one.
Gods, his scales. I can only imagine how he looks covered in them, gold and gleaming under the sun. I wonder if they’re soft or would feel rougher against my skin. Oh, great now I’m blushing.
“What about you?” Asher asks.
“What?” Quick, what were we talking about? First it was the traffic, then the smell of cookies. The Moon Sugar Bakery! “Oh, no, I haven’t been yet, but I’ve been dying to go. They have cute little Christmas cookies, but they always sell out by the time I get off of work.”
I rush ahead of him and climb the steps to my building. When I look back, he has his eyes cast towards the top of thecondo, his jaw flexing as he carefully follows me. Suddenly, I’m nervous again. Part of my brain latches on to the fact this is the end of the line and he has fulfilled his obligation to walk me home like my Prince Charming. I reach back and grab the doorknob, hovering.
“Well, here we are.” I smile, biting my lip.
“Right.” He nods. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was disappointed.
“Unless you want to come in for a bit. The least I could do is make you some tea as a thank you for saving my life. It might not be as good as what you’d get from Moon Sugar, but I’m sure it’ll warm you up a little.”
Asher’s smile could light a room, “I would love some.”
I shrug off my purse and toss it onto the couch as he enters the apartment like he’s entering a dungeon, cautious of everything he touches. Suddenly, I remember I left a couple of my fancy fantasy dildos out to dry in the bathroom and say a silent prayer to the gods when I find the door closed.
When I walk back out into the living room, he’s standing by the bookshelf with a picture frame in hand. I know the exact photo he’s looking at. It’s a photo of me and my siblings at Violet’s college graduation. Her two boys stood at the front of the group looking like tiny sentries.
He glances over at me, “How many of there are you?”
“Four.” I cross the room and point to the photo, “Violet, in the middle, is the oldest with her kids Micah and Riley, then on her left is Marigold, who is the baby of the group. And on the right is my twin Hazel.”
“And Penny.” He nods, “Is it short for anything? Penelope?”
“I wish,” I shrug. “Most of my siblings are named after plants, but according to my birth certificate, I’m plain old Penny.” When I turn, Asher is right there, close enough I can make out tiny specks of green in his blue eyes.
He tilts his head, “I’m sure there’s nothing plain about you.”
I notice a wistful look in his gaze as he regards the picture before carefully replacing it on the shelf.
“What about you?” I ask over my shoulder before walking into the kitchen and grabbing down a couple of mugs, “Any siblings?”
He crosses the living room and leans against the bar. At his height, I’m sure he can see most of the countertop, including the collection of decorative tea tins Shae and I have amassed while living together. “My parents moved out of the country a few years back. Now, it’s just me and my cat, Mango. Dragons rarely have large families.”
Oh, so he’s a demon and not a shifter like me.
From what I’ve heard, dragons are descended from the old gods who walked the earth long before the war between the witches and the demons. The two powerful sides fought for dominance over the world for centuries. Witches clearly won and chased most of the demons into their own realm.
“Don’t worry, you can share mine.” I say with a laugh, clearing my throat as I realize what I insinuated.
Asher’s watching me again, his features soft yet unreadable, though as soon as our eyes meet, he glances away with a smile playing at his lips.
“So, dragon. Does that mean you can,” I make an exploding gesture with my hands, “get really big?”
