Page 5 of Little Bite of Bliss

Layla grinned through her tears. “You do. See you!”

I watched her take off, and shook my head. I really hoped for the best for her.

Stealing myself, I stepped into Creature Cafe. The scent of coffee greeted me and as always, it felt like coming home. I’d practically grown up in this place. So many of my childhood memories circled around this cafe and the extended family who surrounded it. Inferna and I used to play hide and seek around the benches and tables whenever our fathers wanted to hang out with the Barista, Trixie, and Lucy. Creature Cafe represented so much about the monster world that I loved.

I spotted the Barista and his eyes crinkled with a smile when he saw me. I stopped right in front of the counter, and he already had two coffees ready. Small comforts, but he’d made the infernal latte I’d been drinking since I was sixteen for me.

“I’m so glad you came, Archer,” he chimed. Maybe I was slightly spoiled, because the Barista wasn’t quite so gruff with me as he was with others. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

Until this morning, I hadn't been sure either. “Well, it is a match by you . . . so I’m curious. Even if it doesn’t work out.”

The corner of his mouth tugged, but he simply grunted. “Your date is in the booth in the back. You won’t miss her. If you need anything, just let me know.” Now, he smiled. “I’m excited for you.”

“Thank you. I’ll try not to fuck it up.”

“You’ll do great.”

I blushed as I took the two coffees and carried them toward the back of the cafe. A million thoughts rolled through my mind. Had the Barista told my dads about this date? Did my sister know? Was I going to get barraged with a thousand texts from them or had the Barista kept it a secret?

Truthfully, I hoped he’d kept it a secret because I just wanted to have this experience for myself at first. Whatever happened, good or bad.

My gaze swept to the sleek golden feathers with flecks of tawny brown that stuck out of the side of the booth. With each step closer to my date, the tension grew, until I caught her scent. I froze in place.

I wasn’t like my sister—I didn’t look like a demon. I took after my human father. But I was still part demon, and my sense of smell was especially strong.

And her scent . . .

My mouth watered and I closed my eyes, my cheeks immediately flushing. I hadn’t even seen her yet, but my cock was already hardening on instinct. Fuck. I thought everyone had been exaggerating when they told me about the moment they met their mate. But this was overwhelming.

All conversations were drowned out by the pounding over my heart. Wood creaked underfoot as I felt her presence grow stronger, but I couldn’t open my eyes.

The edge of a claw slid under my chin and tipped my head up. Finally, I looked at her, and I could barely breathe.

She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen in my entire life. Shock rattled me as I stared into burnished honey eyes. A tail slid around my waist and gods, I couldn’t keep my attention from immediately dropping to the swell of her breasts. I tried to focus on anything else about her, but it was difficult.

Mostly because she only wore a sheer bikini.

Every thought short-circuited.

Her fine fur was the color of sand dunes beneath a sunset. Rich brown hair fell in a curtain past her collarbones. Dark liner smudged her eyelids.

She was a sphinx, I realized. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen a sphinx before. I would have remembered.

“I’ve never seen someone as beautiful as you,” I whispered reverently.

A soft chuckle left her and her tail brushed over the front of my jeans, the tip teasing the hardening bulge there. I sucked in a breath, but I didn’t even glance around us. People could stare. I didn’t care.

“I want you to kneel on the floor right now and offer me my cup of coffee.”

Fuck. My knees weakened. Every movement I made was willing and eager. I put my cup of coffee on the table to my right, and then slowly knelt down in front of her. I held the warm mug between my palms, holding it up like an offering to a goddess.

Her diamond pupils expanded. She waited a moment, simply staring down at me.

Did she want me to kneel forever? Because I would.

Finally, she smiled. “Yes, I think you’ll do. Leave the coffee. I’m taking you with me.”

All logic flew out the fucking window. She could tell me to lay on the floor so she could step on me, and I would do it without hesitation. Whatever she wanted, I needed her to have.