Page 208 of Trick or Stalk

“You already have Walter.”

Walter stares at me.

“Exactly,” Gracie says. “He'll need a date, too.”

I blow out a breath. “Why is my dog getting a date on the same night I am?”

“So it’s a date?” Hades asks.

I turn my attention to him and get hit with a smile that takes my breath away.

Damn, it’s beautiful.

Now what was he asking me?

Oh, right.

A date.

“Yes.”

“Yeah?” He’s still giving me that smile that makes me forget everything.

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

My stomach does another stupid flip. Heat rushes into my cheeks. I haven’t been out on a date in such a long time.

Gracie makes a noise suspiciously close to a squeal.

I give her a look. “Don't.”

She presses her lips together, but she looks like she’s seconds from combusting from happiness.

I turn back to Hades. Something changes in his expression. Butterflies dance in my stomach.

“We should wear costumes.”

My mouth drops open. “Costumes.”

Gracie and Margaret practically explode. They talk over each other, and I can’t make sense of a single word until they both say, “Couples costumes.”

“Umm... what?”

“Good idea.” Hades rubs Penny’s head, then reaches out and pets Walter before any of us can warn him. I expect him to get bitten by one of Walter’s three teeth. But Walter just closes his eyes, a look of pure contentment on his face.

What the hell is wrong with these dogs? Why do they like Hades so much?

“I’ll pick you up here at five and we can go look at costumes.”

I stare at the man whose default expression is resting murderous face.

Costumes? With him?

That seems... absurd.

And yet, as his eyes lock with mine, it somehow seems natural.