Chapter Twelve
Juni felt lips on hercheek, dragging her from a warm dream.She smiled and opened her eyes, seeing Asher sitting on the side of the bed and leaning over her.His pale eyes stared deeply into hers, a softness creasing the corners as he brushed some hair off her cheek.
“I have to go,” he murmured.
She blinked, trying to wake up a little more.“Okay.Thank you for last night.”
He smiled.“I had fun.I want to do it again.”
She snorted.“Yeah, well, wait until you have to watchWALL-Eeight more times.You’ll be quoting the movie before you know it.”
“Hey, why don’t you and Clover come to The Unicorn for lunch?”
“Um, it’s a bar.”
“It notjusta bar.We do lunch there, too.”
Should she?Alpha Jericho told everyone to stay indoors, but ...she really wanted to see him.Besides, maybe it would be good for Clover to get out.“Are you sure it’ll be okay?”
“Yep,” he said.“Majority of my customers are human, and I’d really like for you to come by.”
“Okay,” she agreed.“See you at ...noon?”
“Yep, noon is good.”
He leaned over and gave her one more lingering kiss before pulling back to smile down at her.Then he winked, and rose, leaving her house.Juni stared up at the ceiling, replaying the night in her mind.Every moment she spent with Asher, the harder it would be to say goodbye.Asher wasn’t the settling down type.A self-proclaimed lover of women.She was in so much trouble.
****
“Are we really goingto a bar?”Clover asked, wide-eyed.
“Asher said they serve lunch, but technically, yes.”
They walked hand in hand down the street, and the closed signs in various shops made her anxiety spike.Alpha Jericho had made the announcement that everyone needed to shelter in place, and she was now second-guessing her decision to have lunch at The Unicorn.The few shifters walking on the sidewalk, who had obviously disobeyed that rule, wore masks and kept a wide berth around others.When they arrived at Asher’s place, she looked down at Clover’s awed expression.
“This is so exciting!”she squealed, jumping a little in that excitement.It made her feel a little less anxious.
“Just remember, you must sit at the table and not go running around,” Juni told her.“This is a place of business.”
“I won’t,” Clover promised.“I like Asher.Are you two going to be married?”
Juni shoved down the burst of happiness that thought gave her.She didn’t want a mate, right?Besides, he wasn’t the type of man to be content with one woman.They would have fun, for however long they lasted, and then she’d tuck the memories inside her heart and move on.
“No,” she replied softly.
“Why not?”
What could she explain to a nine-year-old girl?“I don’t want a mate.”
“Why not?”
Juni decided to be truthful.“Remember when we sat on the trailer steps after Ezra died?”
Clover nodded.
“You said you never wanted to fall in love, and I agreed with you.”
