Page 11 of Starfall

She wrinkled her nose. “Do you skip the gym?”

“Well, no. But I get to watch you day in and day out, and occasionally, I go over there to get on the case of one of my clients just to watch you flip your shit and put extra cheese on everything.”

“When did you pull your horns in?”

“While you were milking your venom.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Ah.”

“What does that feel like?”

“It’s part getting your teeth stuck in a toffee apple and a little like having a sour candy causing a drool waterfall while your sinuses drain.”

“So, not great.”

“It is unique. Probably similar to the first time you got your horns stuck in a t-shirt.”

He laughed. “I refuse to confirm that I have tried that, but yeah, it was awkward.”

“Can you take me back to my place?”

“Sure. May I take you out for lunch?”

She paused. “Like a date?”

“Precisely like a date. I will take a shower and be back in half an hour.”

“That’s fast.”

“An hour?”

“Better.” She smiled. “Do you have a place in mind?”

“I do. Do you like barbeque?”

“I do. I really do.”

“Good. I will be back in an hour. Wear something washable.” He grinned. He pulled into her driveway, and she nodded.

“One hour.”

She nodded and returned to her house, opening her door with a pulse of magic. She slipped into the house, watched through the glass as Rowen drove off, and tried to calm her thudding heart. Emery headed to the shower and scrubbed, trying to blot out the fact that he knew it all, or most of it, and he was still wanting to get closer.

Maybe watching her savage a rack of ribs would cool his interest.

She washed out the conditioner in her hair and sighed. He had found the thought of her biting him during sex to be arousing, so her gnashing teeth probably wouldn’t turn him off. Maybe she should eat like she was having afternoon tea.Nah.She couldn’t disrespect the lives of the animals she was about to consume. It definitely beat having to chase them down in the woods and kill them herself. Puberty had been rough, but she hadn’t killed any humans, so she considered it a win.

She picked out a dark tee with no decoration, dark blue jeans, and dark sneakers. She got carried away with handheld food and wasn’t going to hold back.

The jokes about food and sex drive might be accurate, but she didn’t care. Rowen had been verbally sparring with her for a few years by this point, and she always stopped the battle by eating something sugary, usually on a stick. He would flush, open and close his mouth, and leave. Now, she knew it wasn’t because he was speechless.

She dried her hair and pulled half of it into a high ponytail. It would keep it off her face. She put on a clear lip balm that would defend her from the hot sauces she preferred, and she got her purse. Her phone had messages from Orla, so Emery spent a few minutes answering them. When she looked up, she felt Rowen pulling into the driveway.

His timing was good.

She got up and walked to the door, locking up and using the key for a change. Rowen stepped around and opened the passenger door. “You look lovely and sparkling clean.”

“That is what happens when you shower.”

---