“I can think of a few things.” He looked at my mouth, and I was at full attention. I didn’t know if that was what he was implying, but I was completely on board if he was. Sitting down just became quite uncomfortable. I stood up, which wasn’t much better. I walked into the kitchen and slid past River’s chair. All I know is that I wanted to pull him against me and let him feel what he was doing to me. I longed to capture his mouth with mine, inviting him to feel the warmth of his tongue against mine. My breathing became shallow as I considered how he would fit perfectly with me.
Tapping my chest, I said, “Up.” Charlie jumped on my shoulder. River was looking at me seriously. “What are you thinking?” My voice came out thick and husky.
“Well. Is there a dragon babysitting service?”
“Rodney or Sarah, watch Daisy for me when she can’t go with me. If I am gone during the day, she stays with her sister, Rose, at the office or occasionally stays home. If you need a sitter, Rodney will do anything for you since you arranged for him to meet his baseball idol.” He blushed at me and nodded slightly. River has a tough time takingcompliments, getting most awkward when I give him one. It surprised me that he worked as a sports agent; like many people, I guessed he has the persona used for work and the natural person friends and family see.
“Well then, let me take you on a date,” I didn’t see that coming, “I am not sure about the rules for leaving your dragon, but I assumed since this is new to him, I couldn’t leave him unattended. Even though I read that people do, putting him in a cage makes me uncomfortable. Can I take you out if I can get someone to watch him for the evening? It’s been a long time since I’ve dated anybody, and it’s been a long time since I have hooked up with anybody. Now I know I’m making a fool of myself.” His face just kept getting redder. He took a deep breath and looked away from me. His nervousness was just adorable.
I reached out to him, touched his jaw, and then got him to turn his head towards me. I was looking right at him. “Yes. I would love to go on a date with you.”
I could physically see his body relax, and he grinned at me. His eyes sparkled, and I could see all his teeth. He was beautiful when he smiled, and I smiled right back at him. “Let me teach you about your dragon. You should be able to leave him unattended for up to ten hours once you have both adapted and learned.” Heading into the living room, I sat in the middle of the sofa, forcing River to sit near me.
River sat down, not even trying to keep distance between us. His thigh was against mine, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the heat where we were touching. Only a few millimeters of fabric kept us from skin to skin, making me crazy.
One of the fantastic things about dragons was that they only needed to be told a few times before they completely understood what you were trying to teach them. Charlie jumped from my shoulder to the back of the couch. River tapped his chest. “Charlie up.” I wasrewarded when River smiled. They were learning together, and being part of that was fantastic.
I got a text message alert and picked up my phone to check it.
Rodneydoodle: You are for real, for real, right?
Yes, I am for real.
Rodneydoodle: Kiss that man for me. He is the greatest.
I will do just that. Soon. Can you watch his dragon for him for an evening?
Rodneydoodle: Sure, when?
“When did you want to go out?” I asked River as he whispered to Charlie. All I could make out was, “Who’s a good boy? You’re the best boy.” My heart did little flip-flops.
“How about Friday? I’ll take you to Delizioso. How about we eat at 8 p.m.? We can arrive at 7:55 p.m., leaving here at 7:30 p.m.? You must wear your tuxedo.” I stopped to think about everything he said and figured I would need to unpack that one thing at a time.
I texted Rodney, telling him to be here at 7:15 p.m., and I would send him the address. “Okay, you have a sitter for Charlie.”
I cocked my head at River. “Things with this date I am curious about. Delizioso is a Michelin-starred restaurant with a one-year waiting list. How are you so certain you can get a table?” I lookedat him, expecting him to realize he had made a mistake. I didn’t care where we went, but maybe he didn’t think it through.
“I know people.” He cocked his head, teasing me.
“Okay. I have a follow-up to that one, then.” I smirked at him. “It’s a fifteen-minute ride from here to the restaurant, and you don’t think we will have any wait time?” He rolled his eyes in mock annoyance.
“I think I covered this. I know people.” He looked at me like he was expecting me to challenge him.
I sighed, figuring I might as well drop that topic, and moved on to my third question, even though I made no headway on the other two. “How do you know I own a tux?”
“You just gave me costly wine. When you can give a gift like that to a new friend, then offer up more bottles as if it’s nothing, certain things become clear. You are very generous and thoughtful. You are the type of person who gets invited to charity events and galas regularly. Rental tuxedos are gross, and you strike me as someone who doesn’t wear previously worn clothes very well.” He knew he had me on all points. He wiggled both eyebrows, making me want to grab him and kiss his face off.
“We are friends?” I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
“That eyebrow is the death of me, Mr. Gentry. Yes, I think we are certainly friends,” I laughed.
“Okay, we need to learn more commands and discuss your future with Charlie.” We talked about training and a feeding schedule.
“You need to put drops in his food once a week. This will stop his ability to breathe fire.”
He looked at me, horrified. “Isn’t it mean? Won’t it hurt him?”
“I honestly think burning down his home would be more traumatic. They don’t even realize that there should be flames. It most certainly doesn’t hurt them.” He looked relieved.
