Page 27 of Sprite Wedding
Warmth fluttered through me, and I sighed. “I wish I was more like you sometimes.”
His eyes widened. “A scaly dragon who can dance like the Dickens?”
“No.” I laughed. “Being so outgoing and not self-conscious about anything.”
“I don’t want you to change a bit.” He shook his head. “You’re a bona fide badass, Zoe. You impress the hell out of me and everyone who’s ever met you.” He gestured between us. “Besides, opposites attract.”
He often repeated that to note our differences. We knew they were vast, from our physical appearance to our biological differences between species to the inner core of our personalities.
“And ‘birds of a feather flock together,’” I countered, one of my usual replies.
“That’s for normal people. It doesn’t apply to us.” He flashed a mischievous grin. “And if they try to fit us in any sort of mold, I’m going to smash it.”
LUCAS
As we finished up at the pub, some low-grade guilt simmered in my gut. I hated keeping anything from Zoe. Maybe I should’ve mentioned Linda coming to my house, but that seemed like a bad idea. It was as smart as throwing gasoline onto the drama-fueled fire that had been sparked by my still unexplained antics.
Besides, I’d finally convinced Linda just minutes before Zoe arrived. I was hoping she’d got the message, which I’d attempted to make clear, leaving nothing ambiguous. I was with Zoe and not interested in resurrecting anything with Linda. She’d seemed hurt but put on a brave face and left.
I took a final swig of my beer. “Ready to go?” I asked Zoe.
She dabbed her mouth with her napkin and put it down. “Yes.”
As we walked out of the restaurant, I put my hand on her lower back and let her walk before me. “Mi casa or su casa?”
If we lived together, we wouldn’t have to contemplate this question. Yet it didn’t seem like the right time so close to the disastrous proposal. Once things settled and Sebastian moved the rest of his crap out, I’d broach the subject again.
I swallowed. Her reaction might not be what I wanted to hear. Hopefully, she wouldn’t reject me.
“Your place is usually the better option,” she replied. “Fewer people. Warmer vibe.”
I agreed. She and her roommates shared a lease, splitting bills, but otherwise lived separate lives, staying out of each other’s business. How strange would that have been to live that way in our house? Although we gave each other a hard time, they were my brothers. My family.
I opened the door and held it for her so she could step outside the restaurant. When I followed her out, she stopped suddenly. I walked into her and stumbled. I tried to keep her from falling as she tried to regain her balance. We both tumbled to the ground, but I held onto her, cushioning her fall.
While we untangled ourselves, she sputtered, “Bryan.”
That elf Bryan pulled Zoe’s arm. “Let me help you up.”
My dragon grumbled inside. She turned and offered me a hand.
“I’ve got it,” I muttered and pulled myself up. Why did I have to fall and make an ass out of myself—again—in front of him? He’d seen my inopportune dance on a table on the cruise.
When I stepped beside her, she cast me a quick, furtive glance before returning it to this elf. “You remember my partner, Lucas.”
Partner? I preferred the term mate, but partner was more recognizable in the human world. Not that this dude was human.
He gave me a brief nod in acknowledgment before he snapped his focus back to Zoe. The way he stared at her, his gaze lingering as he scanned her from the head down and back up again, simmered the blood in my veins.
My dragon rumbled inside, perceiving this dude as a threat.
Stay calm, it’s nothing, although I didn’t know that for fact. “So, you two grew up together,” I stated in a matter-of-fact tone, despite my growing caution.
“We were quite close, weren’t we, Zoe?” Bryan said, still staring at her.
My dragon stirred inside, extending his claws with irritation. I didn’t attempt to stifle it this time as I also didn’t like the way this elf gaped at Zoe as if she was the tastiest dessert at a buffet.
“That was a long time ago,” she replied. She flashed me a sheepish glance and forced a smile as if to reassure me there was nothing to worry about.
