Page 28 of Warlander Beast Cat

“I’m Andy. I’ll get the waitress’s attention next time she comes by. Are you from around here?”

“Oh, yep, I live up in the mountains.”

“Shifter?”

Cadence stopped glaring at Kru’s speed-date and locked her eyes on the man. “How did you know?”

“Well, your eyes are glowing like a bug light, and the growl in your throat says you aren’t entirely human. If I missed those two signs, your paper has an S on it.”

She glanced down at the number she held pinned against the table, and sure enough, there was a little S in the corner.

“They started identifying the shifters after the first speed-dating session, because one of the boys went home with a coyote shifter and nearly got himself mauled on a one-night stand. Ever since then, Pamela decided to keep us humies aware.”

“Humies?” she asked, relaxing. He had an easygoing nature and good vibes. “So you’ve done this speed-dating event before?”

“I did. It worked for me. I met my ex-girlfriend here.”

“Ex-girlfriend, so it doesn’t seem to work that well.”

“Nah, you’re looking at it wrong. Speed-dating gives you an opportunity to find someone you have chemistry with. It’s up to the couple to screw it up or not.”

Huh. “Who screwed it up between you and your ex?”

“Both of us.” Truth. “I was harder on myself though. This is my first time back here since we broke up. She’s been moved on for a while. Listen, you should just take him up to the bar.”

“Hmmm?” She sat up from where she was laying across the table staring at Kru as he talked to blondie.

“Clearly you like that guy.”

“These drinks are from that gentleman over there,” the waitress said as she set a pair of beers in frosty glasses in front of her and Andy.

Kru gave a two-fingered wave and a hot-boy smile. Cadence sipped her beer and narrowed her eyes at him. So smooth.

“Clearly he likes you too. Tell him thanks for the beer,” Andy said as he stood.

“Wait, it’s not time to rotate yet.”

The buzzer went off, and Andy grinned. “This ain’t my first rodeo.”

Cadence relaxed into a genuine smile. “Andy, it was nice to meet you.”

“You too, sixty-nine.”

“Cadence,” she introduced herself.

“Ah. You too…Cadence,” he amended as he did a silent cheers with his full beer.

Kru rotated to only a couple of tables away now.

She was C-team at mathematics, but this math she could do. Ten minutes. Ten tiny minutes and she wouldn’t have to worry about—she looked at Kru’s partner—another drop-dead gorgeous model. Come on! Was every woman in this bar built to walk a friggin’ runway?

This had been a stupid idea. He just smiled at her. Speed-dating was ridiculous and she had anxiety.

“Whoa there, party animal,” the tall man across the table said.

She realized in that moment she was chugging her beer like a sorority girl on a dare.

Was that a tattoo on that woman’s thigh? Crap. Tattoos were so hot. Kru was smiling again. Of course he was into her, she was perfect!

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