Page 21 of The Dragon, the Bear, and Their Sugar Glider Omega

I’d met him. He was a nice guy, but I didn’t see that as a hindrance unless they were roommates because his roommate didn’t like to be alone. If it was just the money, there wouldn’t be any issue. It wasn’t like I’d let him get the shaft. I’d buy out his lease or however it needed to happen.

“I guess we’re not going to solve that problem today.” My head was starting to hurt.

“It’d be nice if we could.” He leaned over and kissed me far too briefly, but at this angle, it was all that we could do.

“We do all have off in a couple of days. Maybe we should plan something special.” Armel was the sweetest. “We could go for a hike.”

I always loved the mountains, and dragons liked mountains. I needed to brush up on my dragon knowledge, for sure.

“Yeah, that could be fun. Or maybe we could go to a nice dinner?” Having a human roommate, he might be expecting a typical human-type date.

“I’ve been to a couple of restaurants in town that have some really good food and some privacy to them,” Armel said. “There’s that one, I forget the name, but they have these rounded booths and the little curtain you can close, and they make homemade pasta.”

“Francesca’s?”

“Yes. It’s supposed to be great.” I’d heard the reviews. That didn’t make it less human.

“I haven’t been, but can we really talk in a restaurant?”

The answer was no. Not about anything shifter related. Not about us being mates. Heck, in our society, just it being the three of us there as a throuple might turn some heads.

“We still have time to work on it. Why don’t we go and see our mate and depending on the vibe, go from there.”

“Yeah, that works for me.” I pushed myself to sit up and then stand, leaving the comfiness of my mate’s lap. “Did he say what time he got off?”

“He closes, so 3 a.m. ish.” Which was the worst of the worst, in my book. He never got nearly enough sleep on days he had this shift.

“Hopefully, we can hang out there for a while.” I grabbed my keys.

“Yeah. That would be nice.” He kissed me. “And afterward, maybe we can watch that movie you were talking about.”

I couldn’t remember which one he meant, but it didn’t really matter. All that did was that we did it together.

“You just want my head on your lap again?”

“Nope.” He grabbed my ass. “I wanted my head on yours.”

Chapter Fifteen

Armel

We needed a special night out for the three of us. With our concerns about Rome, and his really limited time, we put our heads together to try to come up with a plan. Clay had told us of his wealth, but until he suggested we take a helicopter to a picnic, I had no idea how much money he truly had. It wasn’t my first time in a whirly bird, but the first time, it wasn’t strictly a business expense shouldered by a client.

Just to have fun? Okay. We could do this.

The chopper waited for us at a small, private heliport. At one point, I’d wondered if he owned the helicopter, but he laughed that off. “I gave up most of my possessions when I moved here, remember? For sure, I wouldn’t have kept possession of a helicopter, if I’d owned one. But I do enjoy riding in them, and the place I have in mind for our shifting picnic can be easily accessed this way.”

Rome climbed out of the car and looked around. “Is it safe?” He cast a nervous glance at where the helicopter waited, rotors turning lazily. “I’ve heard they can have problems with them. Flight is nothing to mess with.” Our dragon, whose powerful wings could lift us all into the air, was concerned about mechanical flight. “I could fly us…”

“It’s quite safe, sir.” A representative of the company approached. “Your pilot flew in the military for over a decade before they came to us. He has an excellent safety record and all their information is available right in the office if you want to check it out.”

“No, it’s all right.” Rome had the grace to flush a little. “It’s not a question of trusting the pilot. I’m just more used to being under my own power. I wouldn’t want them to be offended.”

“Then come right this way.” The rep, an older wolf shifter, waved us onward. “You’ll be flying over the city a bit before heading to your destination. The lights can be quite enchanting.” He continued on describing our flight path as we approached the helicopter. “Ready to board?”

It was quite the luxurious experience, at least as I imagined such things were. Comfortable seats, for sure, the entire machine sleek and expensive looking. I wondered what it cost, but when I’d asked, Clay brushed my questions away. I would have liked to pay part but had a feeling that offer would really be taken poorly. At least I’d managed to be responsible for our picnic, which had been delivered to the heliport by the caterers who’d prepared it.

The pilot who greeted us as we boarded was a female shifter, a squirrel I thought, bright and chipper. “Welcome, gentlemen. I’ll be your pilot this evening, so don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. I understand there is a flier among you?”

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