Page 75 of Dancing for the Minotaur

He considered this for a moment and then nodded.

“I believe I am willing to risk it.”

Terra laughed, but that same warmth filled her chest again. They kept shopping and soon she found something for her mother.

It was a small potted plant with curling silver leaves and dozens of tiny lavender flowers that glowed softly around the edges.

“Oh, Mom would love that,” Terra breathed. “But she has the world’s blackest thumb. She kills every plant she gets.”

The vendor, who looked like a fox with pointed ears and green eyes, shook his head.

“This one is nearly impossible to kill. It absorbs moisture from the air and purifies the atmosphere around it. It requires only occasional light.”

“That actually might be good for her,” Terra murmured, thinking of her mother’s heart condition and the stuffy little bungalow. “How much?”

Again Taurex paid before she could stop him.

“Taurex!” she exclaimed.

He looked innocent.

“What?”

“I have money. You told me they take ‘Earth dollars’ here.”

“I know.” He nodded.

“Then let me buy something.”

“You bought the skarra pod experience,” he pointed out.

“That was not a purchase,” Terra said.

“It cost me a blue cooling fruit,” he reminded her. “So it was a purchase–in a way”

Terra laughed despite herself.

“Which you paid for. I give up–you’re impossible.”

He smiled.

“So I have been told.”

They continued walking, now carrying several living baskets between them as well as the children’s gifts and Lucy’s glowing plant. Terra was beginning to feel as though she had stepped into some elaborate fantasy version of a Saturday date—wandering through a beautiful market, tasting strange foods, teasing each other and buying gifts for her family.

Except this wasn’t a date–was it?

She glanced sideways at Taurex.

He was carrying nearly everything despite her repeated attempts to take some of the living vine baskets from him. The big Monstrum looked perfectly comfortable, his horns catching the glow of the flowers overhead and his dark blue shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. Every so often another Monstrum greeted him and Taurex responded politely, but his attention always came back to Terra.

It certainly felt like a date, but neither of them had called it one. And he was still technically her boss.

Don’t complicate things, she warned herself. Just enjoy this time with him. There’s no need to put a label on it.

Then they passed a stall that made her stop dead and forget her speculation.

Long flowering vines hung from the branches overhead, woven with jewels and tiny glowing blossoms. Several horned Monstrum males were standing nearby while their mates selected vines and draped them decoratively around their horns.