lived?” he asked.
Zoe laughed. “Pretty much everywhere. We went to a lot of different schools when we were growing up. There was a period of time when Dad was moved almost every year. He was working as an itinerant preacher then, and he’d complete one set of tasks and then move on. It was in Texas where we met your…um…relatives. I might have been six or seven then. I was in elementary school, but I think Maia was only in kindergarten.”
When the food arrived, Vallen leaned back in his seat, picked up his fork, and ate contemplatively as his brothers encouraged Zoe to talk to them. She was entrancing, and he wanted her more than ever.
* * * *
Diego was damn hungry, and he ate his meal fast. Likely too fast for good manners. But that was fine by him. Now he could lean back in his chair and watch every movement of Zoe’s face. Every time the corners of her eyes crinkled up in the hint of a smile. Every little twitch of her lips as she wrangled that smile into a more solemn expression. The way her fingers moved, even though her hands were clasped. Every tiny thing about Zoe just screamed at him that he wanted her more than ever. If she didn’t let him hold her hand or, even better, kiss her goodbye at the end of today, likely he’d explode from unrequited love.
Yes, love. He’d known her for weeks and weeks, and even though this was their first official date, nothing changed the fact they’d spent entire days in each other’s company for over a month now.
Dammit, he wanted Zoe. She was their mate. He knew it.
At least lunch seemed to have loosened her tongue. They talked more in the afternoon as they finished looking at the rooms they’d chosen. She even giggled at some of his jokes about mighty warriors with long swords in the room with jeweled daggers and tiaras from the past.
As they walked out of the museum and into the parking lot, he was scouring his brain for a way to mention taking her back to the panther warehouse. But the truth of the matter was that he had no idea how to bring them closer together, as in intimately closer. It just didn’t seem to work on a first date. And no matter how often he told himself it wasn’t really a first date, the facts were that, yes, it was.
Monty settled her in the front passenger seat, and Diego went around to drive while Vallen climbed in the backseat. Vallen sometimes made a big deal about being the eldest, so maybe he’d think of a way to ask her. Meanwhile, Diego planned to head toward the warehouse unless directed otherwise.
“Have Leah and Maia told you about the dungeon at our warehouse home?” asked Vallen.
Diego was so surprised by Vallen’s unsubtle words that he almost stomped on the accelerator instead of the brake at the traffic light.
“They’ve mentioned that you have a dungeon, yes.” Zoe’s voice didn’t give him much of a clue as to her feelings about such things. Evidently Vallen was watching her though because when Diego flicked a glance at her Vallen was leaning forward, where he had a good view of Zoe’s face.
“And how do you feel about that?” asked Monty. From the proximity of his voice right behind Diego’s neck, Diego knew Monty was leaning forward now, too.
Zoe turned slightly to face them all more fully. “I find the idea of a dungeon intriguing.” Her voice was calm and measured, but she was moving her fingers again, so Diego hoped that was a sign of excitement. Or at least interest.
“What do you know about dungeons, Zoe?” he asked, almost holding his breath for her answer. Had she experienced BDSM before? Had her sisters talked to her about the dungeons at the warehouse? Had she been to the BDSM club in town?
“One of the women at church gave me her old iPad when she bought an iPad Air 2 recently.”
“Huh?” Diego had no idea what that was supposed to mean. Didn’t most people have iPads these days?
“I’ve always loved reading.”
Diego kept his mouth shut. Saying “huh?” twice in
Zoe laughed. “Pretty much everywhere. We went to a lot of different schools when we were growing up. There was a period of time when Dad was moved almost every year. He was working as an itinerant preacher then, and he’d complete one set of tasks and then move on. It was in Texas where we met your…um…relatives. I might have been six or seven then. I was in elementary school, but I think Maia was only in kindergarten.”
When the food arrived, Vallen leaned back in his seat, picked up his fork, and ate contemplatively as his brothers encouraged Zoe to talk to them. She was entrancing, and he wanted her more than ever.
* * * *
Diego was damn hungry, and he ate his meal fast. Likely too fast for good manners. But that was fine by him. Now he could lean back in his chair and watch every movement of Zoe’s face. Every time the corners of her eyes crinkled up in the hint of a smile. Every little twitch of her lips as she wrangled that smile into a more solemn expression. The way her fingers moved, even though her hands were clasped. Every tiny thing about Zoe just screamed at him that he wanted her more than ever. If she didn’t let him hold her hand or, even better, kiss her goodbye at the end of today, likely he’d explode from unrequited love.
Yes, love. He’d known her for weeks and weeks, and even though this was their first official date, nothing changed the fact they’d spent entire days in each other’s company for over a month now.
Dammit, he wanted Zoe. She was their mate. He knew it.
At least lunch seemed to have loosened her tongue. They talked more in the afternoon as they finished looking at the rooms they’d chosen. She even giggled at some of his jokes about mighty warriors with long swords in the room with jeweled daggers and tiaras from the past.
As they walked out of the museum and into the parking lot, he was scouring his brain for a way to mention taking her back to the panther warehouse. But the truth of the matter was that he had no idea how to bring them closer together, as in intimately closer. It just didn’t seem to work on a first date. And no matter how often he told himself it wasn’t really a first date, the facts were that, yes, it was.
Monty settled her in the front passenger seat, and Diego went around to drive while Vallen climbed in the backseat. Vallen sometimes made a big deal about being the eldest, so maybe he’d think of a way to ask her. Meanwhile, Diego planned to head toward the warehouse unless directed otherwise.
“Have Leah and Maia told you about the dungeon at our warehouse home?” asked Vallen.
Diego was so surprised by Vallen’s unsubtle words that he almost stomped on the accelerator instead of the brake at the traffic light.
“They’ve mentioned that you have a dungeon, yes.” Zoe’s voice didn’t give him much of a clue as to her feelings about such things. Evidently Vallen was watching her though because when Diego flicked a glance at her Vallen was leaning forward, where he had a good view of Zoe’s face.
“And how do you feel about that?” asked Monty. From the proximity of his voice right behind Diego’s neck, Diego knew Monty was leaning forward now, too.
Zoe turned slightly to face them all more fully. “I find the idea of a dungeon intriguing.” Her voice was calm and measured, but she was moving her fingers again, so Diego hoped that was a sign of excitement. Or at least interest.
“What do you know about dungeons, Zoe?” he asked, almost holding his breath for her answer. Had she experienced BDSM before? Had her sisters talked to her about the dungeons at the warehouse? Had she been to the BDSM club in town?
“One of the women at church gave me her old iPad when she bought an iPad Air 2 recently.”
“Huh?” Diego had no idea what that was supposed to mean. Didn’t most people have iPads these days?
“I’ve always loved reading.”
Diego kept his mouth shut. Saying “huh?” twice in
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