Page 36 of Flame it Up

They both headed into the city in Pyrus’s car, but Pyrus dropped Mazie off at one of Johannesburg’s large shopping malls. He drummed on the steering wheel, watching her get out of the car and attempting to ignore the ample curve of her ass.

“Are you sure you’re okay finding the suite after?” he said. “I can send a driver, or I can come to get you. It’s no problem.”

She spun around adorably and tilted her head down to the car. “Now, that will just ruin the surprise,” she said with a wink. “I’m a big girl, Pyrus. Don’t you worry. I won’t be late.”

She spun back around and walked inside with Pyrus biting his knuckle to keep from blurting out how much he looked forward to seeing her.

Pyrus returned to his hotel suite, an expensive and luxurious penthouse at the highest peak in the city, and ran to shower at lightning speed. He wanted to smell and look as good as he possibly could for her since it was their first time really being alone. He wanted to spoil her rotten, too, after working so hard at the sanctuary to let her know she deserved it all.

While she was gone, Pyrus had dinner brought in by the most prestigious chefs in the city, along with a bartender who made the most culturally specific cocktails. He also managed to call the hotel staff and tipped them generously to set up a table on the terrace that overlooked the bustling city.

Pyrus found himself sweating again after she had been gone for about an hour. He rinsed off his armpits and looked into the mirror, and glimpsed a man he had never encountered before. A man who wanted to impress a woman so desperately and so deeply that his hands shook at the thought of her presence.

He knew she was his mate because no one had ever made him feel this way.

Pyrus made sure the dinner was set up promptly with the cocktails made and the decor on the terrace set up flawlessly. When the doorbell to the room rang, he thought his heart was going to leap out of his chest.

“I’ll get it!” Pyrus yelled to the attendant. He opened the door slowly and was nearly sent backward at the sight of the real-life Aphrodite standing in front of him.

Mazie was wearing a green, whimsical floral dress that exposed her lovely cleavage down her long neckline. Her hair was long and wavy, running down her back, and she had applied makeup to make her eyes burst out even more … waves of green he merely wanted to drown in.

Both his cock and heart twitched at the same time. Her scent smacked him in the face, a delightful apple blossom and vanilla. Her plump, cute cheeks stabbed his heart repeatedly as she smiled broadly and gleefully.

“Good evening, Pyrus,” she said.

Pyrus blew air out of his mouth as he held the door open. She walked in and looked around, the whiff of her hair causing another dizzy spell to overtake him.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t think I’d be dining with a real goddess tonight.”

Mazie looked over her shoulder at him, still smiling. The image of her bare shoulders shining at him, combined with the glistening illumination of her eyes, would be etched into his soul forever.

“Oh, you,” she said, wrinkling her nose at him and pouting her lips painted a candy apple red. “Is this how you treat all of your guests?”

You’re the only guest I ever wanted.

Pyrus closed the door behind him, then leaned against it. He gazed at her, fondly entranced. “Only the cute ones,” he quipped.

Mazie let out a giggle that was melodic and enchanting. He held out an arm to her and escorted her to the terrace where dinner waited.

Pyrus wasn’t sure he could eat after being so nervous, and having Mazie on his arm was all the sustenance he thought he would ever need.

“Oh, Pyrus,” she said, covering her mouth.

Her reaction was thrilling, and Pyrus, more than anything, wanted to cause that reaction in her. Again and again.

They ate together once Pyrus asked the attendants to depart, thanking them profusely. They drank and joked and laughed, and it was the most fun Pyrus could remember having in so many decades.

Afterward was when the anxiety returned. Mazie sat on the couch in his suite that faced the window, watching storm clouds slowly rolling in. They spoke about her goals and dreams in life, with Pyrus sitting on the opposing end of the couch so as not to pressure her.

“I don’t really have any,” Mazie said, sounding forlorn. “My parents were very strict, and I honestly couldn’t wait to get out of there. So I didn’t really have time to come up with them.”

Pyrus could tell it was difficult for her to reveal that kind of information. She gazed out the window but looked comfortable and smoking hot as she lounged. He moved in a little closer, aching to absorb her essence.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said sincerely. “I would love to help you find out what those dreams are and certainly make them come true.”

Mazie turned to face him, her eyes glassing up a little. She breathed in deeply and blinked the tears away with a smile. “Come here,” she whispered.

Pyrus didn’t have to be asked twice. He nearly bounced to her side, slipping his body next to her, so their thighs were pressing together and placing an arm to drape overhead.

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