Page 22 of The World She Never Knew Existed

“I think that they realize that,” Daniel said. “But I’ll put the word out to anyone I run into.”

That afternoon, Dillon was thinking about Clara. He hated that she had seemed so vulnerable to her ex-husband, although she had been standing up for herself pretty well. He thought that maybe he should teach her some self-defense strategies, if she wanted to learn.

He knew that Zeke would be with his father and made a decision. He turned the store over to his manager and went over to the café. Clara was finishing up with an order.

“Are you busy later?” he asked.

“No.”

“I was wondering if you would like to go out and get a bite to eat,” he said.

“That sounds nice,” Clara replied.

Dillon found himself looking forward to the evening for the rest of the day. He was wowed by Clara when she answered the door wearing a black skirt that came just above her knees, a white ruffled blouse and high heeled boots.

“You look gorgeous,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said, shyly.

He took her to a Japanese restaurant, which was one of his favorites. There was none of the awkwardness that is often present during first dates.

“Jamie told me that you are relatively new to Ivy Springs,” Clara said.

Dillon replied, “Yes. I’ve lived in the same town all my life and decided that I needed a change. I heard that the general store was for sale so I took a leap.”

“Where did you live before?” she asked.

Dillon stiffened a little. It wasn’t like he could tell her that he had been living in the shifter world his entire life.

“From a very small town out of state that no one has heard of,” he said.

Hoping to change the subject so she didn’t ask more questions that he couldn’t answer, he asked, “What did you do before you moved to Ivy Springs?”

“I mostly stayed at home with Zeke,” she said. “I worked as a waitress at a diner and worked at a café for a short time, but John made that difficult. I love being a mom though, especially to Zeke. He is such a sweet and smart guy. I think that he was born with an adult soul.”

“He is a great kid,” Dillon said.

They talked about their childhoods and told anecdotes about some of the messes that they got into as kids.

When dinner was over, Dillon asked, “Do you want to go back to my place for a while?”

Clara hesitated for just a moment and then said, “Yes. That sounds nice.”

Dillon handed Clara a beer and they went out to his deck and sat on his swing. The cool night air brushed against their skin, as they continued talking and laughing.

He looked at Clara. At that moment the moon beams made it look as though she was sitting in a spotlight. The smile that played around her lips was irresistible. Dillon leaned over and kissed her.

9

Clara

Dillon brushed his lips across Clara’s, slowly and gently. A warmth spread through her at the touch. He put his hand on the side of her face and pressed his lips against hers, more insistent now.

Clara looked at the side of his face as Dillon kissed her, loving the sight of his strong jawline. She closed her eyes to revel in the kiss as it became more passionate.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers entwining themselves in his hair. His scent, a combination of sandalwood and something else, was intoxicating. The cool breeze caressed her skin.

His tongue pressed against her lips, begging for entrance. She opened her mouth for him. He touched the top of her tongue with his. Clara moaned as he explored her mouth. Embers that she had forgotten existed inside of her ignited.

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