“I’m not sure there’s anywhere in Silverrose that doesn’t come with that risk,” Flora said, sipping her wine.
The rest of the dinner was amicable, although the wake of Camden’s friends’ appearance cast an uncomfortable feeling in their interactions. By the time they were finished, Camden hadn’t been able to erase Flora’s unease.
“Alright,” Camden said as they got back into the car. “I was going to take you home after dinner, but I don’t think I did a very good job with this date.”
“It was fun,” Flora said immediately.
“You don’t have to do that,” Camden said. “I know that my old friends’ attitudes hurt you, and that made it hard for both of us to enjoy our meal together. We need a redo, and I’m not willing to wait for another day to make that happen. You deserve agooddate, okay?”
Flora smiled, and Camden took them to a club down the street. It was a known hangout for both the humans and wolves who lived in Silverrose, popular among the younger elements of the pack who were less discriminatory than the older wolves. The squad had found it during their first week back, but Camden hadn’t been there yet. It seemed like the perfect place for him and Flora to go together.
When they pulled up, the music could be heard outside. The bass thumped rhythmically, and neon lights spilled out onto the street as they walked up toward the door. The bouncer gave Camden a nod and stood aside so they could enter.
It wasn’t too crowded, but the environment was lively. Patrons at the bar were laughing and drinking, couples were wrapped around each other in dark corners, and groups of friends danced and jumped in time to the music on the dance floor.
“You want a drink?” he asked, leaning close to Flora’s ear so she could hear him.
Her eyes were wide and excited, reflecting the strobing lights back at him as she nodded and followed him to the bar. He ordered two shots of tequila, a throwback to the stolen bottles he had brought to their spot under the bridge, and tapped his glass against hers.
“To us,” he said.
As soon as the words came out, he felt silly and presumptuous. There was no “us” beyond what he wished for in his mind, but Flora surprised him yet again.
“To us,” she repeated.
She drank her shot, maintaining eye contact with him the entire time. He flinched as the sting of the liquor bit his tongue, but Flora remained steady. She smiled at him slowly as she lowered her glass to the bar top.
“Need a chaser?” she asked.
“You know I do,” Camden replied with a laugh, flagging down the bartender. Flora had always been able to drink tequila without anything to cut the taste, but Camden couldn’t. She was made of stronger stuff than she appeared.
The music slowed down, and Camden held his hand out to Flora.
“Dance with me?” he asked.
She took his hand and followed him to the dance floor. The lights pulsated in time to the slow beat of the music as Camden wrapped his arms around Flora, holding tightly to her waist as they swayed in a slow circle. The scent of spice and cinnamon wafted off her skin as he held her. Their movements were innocent and polite, matching the sweetness of the love song that filled the room.
“This is nice,” Flora said, so quietly that Camden barely heard her over the noise and bustle of the room. Her body relaxed in his arms, obeying the commands his hands gave her as they danced.
Too soon, the song ended, shifting into a song with a heavy bass. The sensual music wasn’t what Camden had in mind when he had asked Flora to dance, and he was about to guide her back to their spot by the bar when she surprised him yet again. Her hands moved from his shoulders to his hips, twisting them with hers as she stepped in time to the beat.
“Flora…”
“Dance with me,” she said, looking up at him through her eyelashes.
She turned her body around, holding his hands in hers as she swayed with her back pressed against his chest. Camden inhaled sharply, feeling his body reacting to her. He spun her out in an arc and pulled her back to his chest, facing her toward him once more.
Flora’s hands were on his chest now, trailing delicately down toward his waist. Camden had wanted to loosen her up by taking her on a date, but this was going further than he ever imagined it would. He grabbed her hips and pulled her closer, until they were grinding against each other on the dance floor.The fire in her eyes was unmistakable: Flora was just as turned on as Camden was.
He couldn’t take it any longer. Without another thought, he grasped her at the nape of the neck and pulled her lips up to meet his. She kissed him back with just as much fervor as he felt. Her lips parted, and she tilted her head, pressing her entire body against his passionately.
“Come with me,” he growled. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her off the dance floor and toward an empty corner of the room.
The corner was sheltered from the rest of the room by a brick pillar that supported the ceiling and a stack of chairs. Camden tucked Flora behind the chairs, out of sight of the rest of the patrons, and turned his back on the room. Her hands immediately wrapped around his neck, pulling his head down so she could kiss him.
Time seemed to stand still as the pulsing lights and music overrode his senses. The only other thing he was aware of was Flora. Her soft skin, her cinnamon lips, and the way the curves of her body pressed against him. She groaned against his lips as he nibbled hers gently, and Camden felt her knees give out slightly. He reached down and cupped her ass, pressing her against his pelvis, and began to kiss her neck.
“I want more,” she whispered in his ear.
