Page 19 of Protected By the Elf Prince

Relief moved through me so swiftly, I nearly sagged against the wall behind me.

And then Landon turned his head directly toward where I stood hidden.

The breath caught in my lungs as his eyes narrowed slightly.

He wasn’t seeing me exactly, but he could be sensing my closeness again.

Slowly, I stepped away from the shadows. The need to reveal myself was too strong to ignore.

His gaze widened before he flicked his attention all around me, at the other people, as I grew closer.

His throat moved once before he muttered, “You probably shouldn’t do that.”

I stopped beside him. “Do what?”

“Appear out of nowhere like some supernatural Batman.”

Confusion flickered through me. “I do not know who Batman is.”

To my surprise, Landon barked out a short laugh. The sound struck something deep inside me as warmth spread through my chest unexpectedly.

I had made that happen, somehow, and I already knew I wanted to hear it again and again.

Landon gestured vaguely toward the empty stool beside him. “Do you, ah, want to sit?”

“I did not wish to presume.”

His expression shifted into something halfway between disbelief and amusement. “You literally stalked me to a bar.”

“That is a very harsh description.”

He cocked a brow. “It’s an accurate one.”

Perhaps.

“May I sit?” I asked.

He rolled his eyes slightly, though there was no real annoyance behind it. “Yes, Dashiel.”

A thrill rolled over me slowly at hearing my name from him. Still, a lot of humans and other species preferred to shorten names, so I offered, “Some people call me Dash. If you wish to also.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Do you like it?”

“It has never bothered me.”

He shrugged. “For some reason, I think I prefer Dashiel—your full name—is that okay?”

I did enjoy hearing it all from his lips, so I nodded.

I took the stool beside him, aware of every inch separating us.

We were close, closer than we had ever been, and his scent wrapped around me immediately.

Alcohol.

Clean soap.

Fresh clothes.