But Dirk’s smile goes soft at the corners. “Savin’ yerself for me, I see. Love that.”
“That’s not what I meant.” I run both hands through my hair.
“O’ course.” Dirk lifts his beer glass and takes another long sip. I watch his throat bob as he swallows, and heat flushes through me again. Goddess Alaya help me process this.
“I need to think,” I blurt lamely. “This is all very sudden.”
“Take all the time you need,” he says quietly. “Well, until tomorrow, because tomorrow I begin my formal pursuit of you, Connall. Same as Louanna.”
“Dirk, chill out!” Lou snaps. “This is a lot to absorb, okay? Jesus.”
“Och, Louanna, things will work out,” Dirk vows. “Let me get yeh home, my sweet. Tomorrow’s another day and another date.” He rises from his chair, winks at me, and heads toward the door.
Lou stands and gives me a shy look, something I’m so unused to seeing on her elegant features. Reaching down, she places her hand on top of mine. “He sprang this news on me today, too. What a weirdo.” A soft smile tips her plump lips upward. “I don’t know where it’ll lead but I think you and I might be feeling some of the same things, mostly shock and probably a degree of uncomfortableness. But now that I’ve had a minute to sit with it, I hope you’ll consider it. Maybe just a date to see?”
Heat flares through me. Is she saying what I think she’s saying?
I flip my hand over, and she strokes my palm gently. Amber eyes come to mine as she gives me a genuine smile. My wolf is fascinated, pressing forward to stare at her.
She removes her fingers and clasps her hands at her waist. “Enjoy your book, Connall.” Her scent explodes across my senses, and I can’t help but rise and bring my cheek to hers to rub affectionately.
“Oh,” she says, a strangled noise coming from her throat. But after a moment, she rubs back.
Dirk is quiet, but when I glance at him, he points to his cheek expectantly.
“Ugh, dude!” Lou shoves him toward the door. “Give him some damn space, you rude-ass Peeping Tom.”
It’s not until they leave and I pick up my book again that I think back on what she said.
Peeping Tom? What the hells is that? I resolve to go home and search it on the internet in case it’s important.
CHAPTER NINE
LOU
Ashiver travels down my spine as I stock empty potion bottles in the back storeroom at Alkemi. I lose myself to the work, my mind spinning over how Dirk spilled the news to Connall. Poor Connall looked so shocked and discombobulated. Then he rubbed his stubbly cheek on mine, and I nearly combusted.
Dirk put the damn idea in my head of all three of us together, and it just won’t leave.
Out of nowhere, something hits my ear, and I jump, knocking into the shelves as my arms fly sideways. Eyes wide, I whip around as bottles tumble off the shelf and fall back into the box.
At my feet, a red and white mushroom stuffie rolls across the floor. What the fuck?
A snicker at the door draws my attention. Fucking godsdamn Bellami stands in the doorway with his tiny arms crossed, a mischievous grin on his round face.
“Scared the shit outta you, didn’t I?” His voice is so small, I have to focus crazy hard to hear him.
I bend down and grab the mushroom, launching it back at him. He ducks, but I nail the top of his hat. It goes flying, along with the mushroom, out of the room.
Bellami scowls. “Hey now, that was rude. A mushroom is nothing to you but could seriously injure me!”
I plant both hands on my hips as the heat of being terrified drains from my face. “You know what, Bellami? We humans have a saying, ‘Don’t start no shit, won’t be no shit.’ You should really,reallytake that to heart.”
He snorts and ducks out of the room, returning a moment later with the hat back on his head. “I like that. I’m gonna use that. Except, as you know, gnomes are great lovers of starting shit.”
“I’m aware,” I mutter, turning back to the bottles.
Out of the corner of my eye, I follow as he crosses the room. When he taps my shoe, I scowl down at him. “Yes, Bellami?”
