by Amelia Jade
They were served their drinks and donut—she’d gotten a muffin—and found an empty table. Karri was still looking at him as he lifted the lid from the cup uncertainly.
“Have you ever had a drink like this?” she asked.
He thought about lying, about playing it off so that he didn’t come off as inexperienced, but then decided against it. She could clearly see through him, and lying would only hurt the chances of her coming to trust him. So he took a gamble and showed weakness for a moment.
“No,” he admitted, sniffing tentatively at the drink. “I’ve had donuts before…but they’ve always been brought to the embassy. I’ve never gotten one. I kind of panicked at the register and ordered the first thing I saw.”
Karri’s jaw fell open, but she quickly covered it, laughing into her arm.
“What’s so funny?” he asked snarkily.
“Oh nothing,” she said, eyeing the cup in front of him. “Nothing at all. Go on, try it.”
Lifting the cup he took a sip, ignoring something that sounded awfully like the word “basic” coming from Karri as he let some of the liquid slip over his tongue.
“Yech!” he said, practically spitting the drink all over the table. “What the hell are they trying to do? Poison me?”
Karri was losing her composure in the seat next to him. Tears were practically streaming down her face as she held her stomach, unable to do much more than just stay in her chair.
Setting the unholy combination of fluids down in front of him, Andrew tried to ignore the awkward stares being directed in their direction. It was tough, but seeing Karri so delighted made it more than bearable. Eventually she calmed down and the other patrons turned back to their drinks.
“So,” he said, giving her a level look. “Any suggestions on what I should try instead?”
Shoulders still shaking gently, Karri pushed her drink to him. “Try this.”
Cautiously he lifted it and took a sip. Immediately his eyes widened. “Heyyy, that’s not bad. What is that?”
“We call it a triple-triple,” she explained, looking at him sidelong. “You’ve never had coffee before?”
He shook his head.
“What do you drink?”
“Water. Beer. Occasionally a carbonated beverage or something.”
“Water and beer,” she said. “I should have known.”
“What more do I need?”
She smiled.
“So, you’re the boss at work, are you?”
“Pretty much.” She took her drink back and had a sip, then pressed it back into the middle between them, indicating she was okay if he had some more.
He obliged, though he didn’t take much of it. It was her drink after all.
“My dad owns it,” she explained when he gestured for her to continue. “I’m in line to take over whenever he decides to retire.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks. I’ve worked hard to ensure that I’ll be ready, and that I can continue to do a good job at it like he has.”
Andrew nodded. He wanted to pry some more, asking her why her face had tightened when she talked about her dad doing a good job. Or the look of doubt that had flickered through her eyes when she’d said she was going to take over. Whatever it was though, he sensed that right then and there wasn’t the time for it.
***
“I don’t mean to drink and dash on you, but I need to get going now,” she told him, glancing at her phone.
Eying the clock on the wall he noted that twenty minutes had passed. He nodded, surprised that they’d even sat down inside. She’d mentioned grabbing a coffee, but he hadn’t expected it to be more than a simple extension of their jog, not a sit down and chat session.
“Well, thank you for introducing me to the wonderful world of triple-triples,” he said, rising with her.
“Always glad to help,” she laughed.
“I’m missing something about what I ordered, aren’t I?”
“A little bit. But it’s okay, it’s just a pop-culture sort of thing. Nothing serious,” she said, brushing it off.
They stood outside awkwardly for a moment. He took in the way her jogging pants and top conformed to her body. Although he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, there was something about her that pulled him in. She was unlike the women he normally went for, and maybe that was exactly what it was that he was so interested in. The lack of curves might normally have been appealing, but on Karri it worked. She held herself with such poise and grace that he found himself being drawn in after it, like she had some sort of vortex around her.
“Thanks again for the flowers,” she said, and then headed off down the street to her house, leaving him there to contemplate the entire morning in far too much detail, analyzing her every word to see if it meant more than she’d intended.
Like thanking him for the flowers before leaving. Why bring that up? Was it just a thank you? Or perhaps she’d been trying to be more cryptic. Like “Thanks for the flowers, they were nice, but I don’t want them again, because I want you to come running with me every morning.”
Could that have been what she meant?
“You are thinking this over way too much,” he told his brain, uttering the words out loud so he could be sure it would hear him. Sometimes his mind liked to pretend it couldn’t hear what he was saying.
The truth was, he doubted things were going to be simple with Karri. She was a human, and she didn’t benefit from the instinctual knowledge that his gryphon could tell him about her. He sensed the way it paced back and forth, like a caged bird waiting for its chance to fly free, just like it wanted him to break free and go after Karri.
All in good time. But she has to come to be interested in me first.
And that meant he had to put in more effort than his animal might understand was necessary.
Good thing it was a morning beast.
***
Over the course of the next week and a half, he showed up to her door every morning. The first time she was once again surprised to see him, but by the next week’s end, his presence at the end of her driveway was becoming expected. She never invited him to come up to her house, and he never did. But each time they ran, he felt his spirits lift, bringing him to a happy place that he had never really known existed.
Although he didn’t ask Karri if she felt the same, the look on her face when she saw him in the morning gradually transformed from a small smile of greeting into a happy grin. The bounce in her step as she came down the asphalt to meet him became so evident she seemed to be skipping. There was no doubt in his mind that she looked forward to their morning ritual. They stopped for coffee several times, chatting about the weather, local events, and the like, though rarely did it delve into personal details. He found out she’d gone to college on the coast, and that she had a younger brother, but that was about it. In return, he told her a little about life in Cadia, though he focused on the happy and interesting bits, glossing over the less appealing parts.
While his heart may have been opening up to her, his gryphon was going wild. It began to shriek at him, telling him to make a move, to proceed with the mating already. Its calls began to overwhelm his restraint, and on more than one occasion he almost succumbed to its temptations. So it was with a bit of mild relief that he greeted her news on Sunday morning after their jog.
“Hey, I can’t make our next few mornings,” she’d explained, telling him about her business trip to Corbin Bay. Apparently one of their suppliers was trying to play hardball, and she was being sent in to bring them to heel. He’d grinned at that, by now being more familiar with her, to the point that he felt bad for whoever was tasked to try and negotiate with her.
Andrew had wished her well, and was planning to take off to the mountains for a day to let his gryphon free. Shifters being in animal form was highly illegal within the city limits, and it had been some time since he’d stretched his wings and rode the thermal winds of the Quicksilver Mountain range. He didn’t wa
nt to go three days without seeing Karri, but if he had to, this was as good a time as any. It would give him some time to tire his animal out, and also to see if he missed her.
Or if she missed him.
Chapter Ten
Karri
The business trip had come at the worst time.
Her father had told her Friday that she was going. Karri had spent all Saturday trying to figure out a way to avoid making the trip if she could. She didn’t want to leave Andrew. Things were starting to heat up with him, she could tell. That had become evident to her after their run on Sunday, when she’d told him about the trip. He’d not shown any outward signs of disappointment, but his carefully guarded tone had certainly been hiding some sort of emotion. She could only hope that it was a sense that he would miss her while she was gone. Considering what he’d done next, she thought her guess to be accurate.
After informing him of her trip, Karri had invited him to come running Wednesday evening once she was back in town. After the long drive Wednesday she would want to get out and stretch herself. Andrew had agreed immediately, without hesitation. He had told her that they’d have to follow his route, as he had to stop by several locations to do his job, but she didn’t care. Spending time with him was all that she wanted. Especially after what had happened next.
They’d agreed on a time Wednesday. Then they’d stood around awkwardly for several seconds as they said their goodbyes. She’d been just about to head up the drive to her house when Andrew had abruptly stepped forward and wrapped her up in his arms. Karri knew she’d panicked, and knew that it was obvious to him as well. It was unexpected, though not entirely unwelcome, she’d decided.
He felt…good. She only came up to his chest, but that was okay because it allowed her to rest her head there, feeling for the first time the broad, hard muscle. It had driven home to her just how powerful he was. She knew as a shifter he was stronger, faster, healthier, and more resilient than any human alive. But apparently even for shifters he was on the upper rung. He’d told her during one of their runs that he was a gryphon shifter. Karri longed to see him in his animal form, but knew that asking was likely considered impolite. But secretly she hoped he would show her one day soon.
After they’d parted from the hug, she’d wandered up to her house, dazed by how much she suddenly longed to be back in his arms, held tight to his body as he squeezed her the perfect amount. Enough to show that he could protect her, but not enough to hurt her either. There was something about feeling that strength in a man that she just loved, and Andrew had it in spades.
It was all that was getting her through the trip. Especially the business dinner she was currently on.
The problem with her father sending her to Corbin Bay was that he knew a great many men there. Men that he’d always encouraged Karri to meet, over dinner. They were all assholes, each and every one of them. There was no saving her from that; her father had terrible taste in human beings. Unfortunately, this time around, he’d thought he was being sneaky.
So he’d set her up with Jacques this time, under the pretenses of discussing increasing their working relationship with each other. Jacques, of course, thought her father was setting him up with his daughter, a meeting he’d been trying to get for some time. And because she’d told him the lie about who the flowers were from, Karri now found herself forced to endure a business dinner that was anything but formal.
It was a giant clusterfuck, is what it was. She desperately wanted out, but she couldn’t. She needed Jacques to tell her father they’d had a wonderful time, so that her father didn’t catch her lie. Which meant she needed to do a little flirting with Jacques.
Who was a grade-A asshole, like every other guy. Full of himself, thought his money could buy the affection of every woman, and generally overconfident about his own looks to boot. It was not a pleasant combination, and one that had worn thin when he’d set her chair for her and then touched her shoulders after pushing it in for her.
Karri tried not to shiver at the memories.
“So, how is your father?” Jacques asked as they nibbled politely on some fresh-baked bread.
Karri hated that part as well. The bread was good, but they served it with a cinnamon butter that was heavenly. She wanted to just shove piece after piece into her mouth, without fearing that he would judge her, or even worse, report it to her father. So instead she politely ate small bites, trying to savor the flavor as best she could. Maybe he’d get struck by a sudden need to use the bathroom, at which point she could shove the bread down and then get rid of the basket to a waiter to hide the evidence. Then she’d just tell him that they collected it in advance of their dinner.
Stupid formalities and politeness. I never go anywhere fancy to eat. When I do, I just want to stuff myself until I look like I have a food baby. Is that so hard for someone to understand!
Andrew would understand. There was just no way that he was the judging type. In fact, he’d probably try and fight her for the last piece, because places like this never gave out even numbered pieces of bread to their tables. It was always three or five slices. Which made them want to order seconds. It helped take away from the fact that the main entrees were always so tiny. Not for the first time she hated on high-society rules and customs. It was the stupidest thing ever. Pay more money for less food. Ridiculous.
Give me an all-you-can-eat buffet any day, please!
“He’s good,” she answered, finally swallowing her little chunk of bread, unable to make it last any longer. “He was a little sick at the beginning of last week, but is back to his usual rip-roaring self.”
Jacques laughed politely. “Yes, he is quite the jovial person, isn’t he?” His brown eyes watched her as she nodded. Then when he thought she wouldn’t notice, he ran them over her body.
Karri knew she was blessed to have generally attractive looks, even if she lacked the more full-figured feminine form that many craved. It had made her life a living hell trying to be taken seriously as a businesswoman, and it also meant that creeps like Jacques felt they could just eyefuck her whenever they felt like it.
Creeps. Seriously, can’t he wait until I’m not looking at all, so I don’t have to see him look at me like I’m some sort of prey to be hunted down and bagged for the night? All I want is a little bit of decency and respect.
Respect was the key word. It was something she’d fought long and hard for, and yet still achieved very little. The employees at the company respected her, because she’d worked hard to build the appropriate working relationships with them. They saw that she cared for their well-being, and wanted to ensure a happy workplace.
But outside of that little bubble? Good luck. Most of the men treated her as simply a messenger from her father at best, and more often than that as a mouthpiece to try and bed. Jacques was no different, though he wasn’t being as blatant about it as some of the others had been. His attempts were creepily presumptive, but he was at least polite about it. So far he hadn’t asked her to take off her underwear under her dress while still sitting at the table, so that made him better than two other men she’d had dinner with at the insistent urgings of her father.
“Are you interested in any dessert?” Jacques asked, pausing just long enough before the word “dessert” that it became a sexual connotation.
“No, I’m good,” she lied. The truth was, she was starving. Just not for what he was offering. She wanted a pint of ice cream, or a large slice of chocolate cake. Junk food. Even chips, though they wouldn’t be her first choice at the moment. Maybe some fresh baked brownies. So many choices.
The nice thing about being in Corbin Bay at least, was that there were quite a few places that would be open and serving all sorts of dessert options. Karri wouldn’t want to live their permanently; five years of various schools had been long enough. But she didn’t object to the variety of food shops that existed within a short walking range of anywhere in the downtown core.
“Ah, too bad,” Jacques said, givin
g her yet another smile.
I need to find a way to get out of here. Something that Jacques won’t be offended by, but also isn’t an outright suggestion.
The time-old adage of “It’s that time of the month” as it had to be phrased when speaking to men came to mind. She’d used it as an excuse before, but the flip side of that was that Jacques would just hear “I would totally fuck you tonight if I wasn’t on my period.” Which was absolutely not the case. She’d have to find something else, because the idea of having sex with him made her sick.
The lightbulb went off in her head with that last thought. Of course!
“Pardon me,” she said, allowing a panicked look to show on her face. “I’ll be right back.”
She stood up just a little too fast, and departed a little too quickly, one hand half-crossed over her stomach. It was cheap and outright deceiving, but truth be told, she didn’t care at all. The only thing that mattered to her was that it worked. After spending an appropriate amount of time in the bathroom browsing her phone and “fixing” her hair, she returned to the table.
“Is everything okay?” Jacques asked in a concerned voice.
“I don’t think so. I must have eaten something,” she told him, letting her voice grow slower and willing the blood from her face.
“You do look a little pale,” he said.
Joke’s on you bud. I’m always pale. But she didn’t say anything, just nodded.
“Are you okay to drive home?”
“Yeah, I’ll be good,” she said, waving off his unspoken assistance. “But I think I should cut things short.”
Mercifully Jacques didn’t put up a fight, and she departed the restaurant shortly thereafter, barely managing to hold in her sigh of relief as she hugged him gently goodnight and fled to her car.
“Thank God that’s over,” she said to her reflection in the rear-view mirror before sagging back into the black leather seat.
Why couldn’t I have been going to dinner with Andrew instead?
The tall, striking shifter formed in her mind. His meticulously sculpted jaw and facial features tilted downward even as his imaginary lips curved upward in a big grin. The eyes of brilliant azure that matched her own laughed with delight as she reconstructed him in her head while sitting in her car in the parking lot.
