“In a partner,” I clarified. “Are you concerned that Portia’s setting you up with a vampire?”
Chet slowly set his glass down. “Areyouworried Portia is setting you up with a wolf?”
I swallowed hard because Chet seemed like he was annoyed with me. “I want children,” I said. “Eventually,” I clarified. Damn Cassidy and her stupid heart-to-heart talks.
“I do, too.”
I exhaled an annoyed puff of breath. “You are aware that vamps and wolves can’t have children together, aren’t you?” If he didn’t, I was getting up and walking out of here. Everyone knew that. Or they should. This was drilled into us ever since we were little kids.
“Theycanhave kids,” Chet said matter-of-fact.
I choked on the wine I’d just taken a sip of. “No, they can’t.”
Chet leaned forward, his light brown eyes sparkling. “Legally, they aren’t allowed to, but trust me when I say, procreation between vamps and wolves is entirely possible.”
“So you’re a rule breaker?” I challenged, annoyed that a slight thrill had run up my spine. I was an unintentional rule breaker. Mostly stubborn, so the rule breaking came naturally to me, though I hated disappointing people.
Chet shrugged. “Not usually, but I don’t think a rule is going to stand in between me and my soul mate. What about you?”
I tapped my fingers on the wooden table. “I’m just curious why Portia is setting people up when the law prohibits relationships.”
Chet shook his head. “It doesn’t prohibit relationships. It prohibits children.”
“But aren’t children the byproduct of most of those relationships?”
“Not necessarily. Some people don’t want children. And we both know how long it can take to produce a child between the species. Maybe Portia knows something we don’t.”
This was entirely possible. “I don’t know if I want to fall in love with someone with the possibility hanging over my head,” I admitted.
A flash of disappointment crossed his face before he gave me a polite smile. “Then perhaps you aren’t quite ready to meet your soulmate.”
I opened my mouth ready to give him the what for, but I realized he had a point. I waved my hand. “I’m sorry. Can we start over? This all got a little too intense for me right off the bat and it was my fault.”
Chet gave me a long look before he nodded. He was surprisingly easy on the eyes. Dark hair and light brown eyes gave him a decidedly exotic look. His skin was a lighter olive and it looked like he spent a lot of time in the outdoors. Most werewolves did, but Chet looked like he might make a living being outside.
“So what is it you do for a living?” I asked when the waiter who wandered over to take our order left.
“New construction,” Chet said. “We have some projects going on with Portia right now, and we have some upcoming work with the Alpha.”
“Mark?”
Chet nodded. “I like working with him. He’s fair and never asks us to do anything unethical. That’s a rarity. A lot of people around this town want us to take shortcuts on the buildings to save some money, but that isn’t our way. Plus there’s a lot of liability involved in new construction. We might cost more, but you know it’s going to be done right.” He picked up his wineglass and took a long leisurely sip. I enjoyed the sight of his long uptilted neck. “And you?” he asked, a wicked glint in his eyes when he saw me staring.
“Uh,” I said at first. “I don’t have an official job, but I do have an online jewelry business.” I figured it couldn’t hurt to tell him that. It wasn’t like he was going to run home and tell my parents anything.
“Oh? What kind of jewelry?”
“Metalwork. I’m self-trained.”
“I’d love to see some of your pieces some time.”
I smiled at him. “I’d love to show you some time.”
He was nice. And handsome. But I wasn’t sure he was soulmate material. I couldn’t shake the way Sterling annoyed me into wanting to strangle him. You would think a visceral reaction like that would happen when you met the one you were destined to be with. Not the strangling part. Just the visceral part. Chet was super cute and smart, but I’d only felt one small little zing and that was only when he started talking about breaking the rules. Rebellion must be in my blood.
But was he my soulmate? I couldn’t help but think that he wasn’t. I’d give it another chance to see. I had one more date, so the next one had to be it. If he wasn’t, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Give Portia a piece of my mind maybe.
The rest of the dinner went well. Chet didn't order anything outrageously rare or bloody which put a point for him in the positive category. Nor did he express any wacky opinions or act like he'd rather be anywhere than in the place he was.
However, I was pretty damn annoyed by the fact that I kept comparing him to Sterling when I should have put that annoying wolf out of my mind the second I walked away from him.
At the end of the night, Chet picked up the check and walked me out of the restaurant, his hand light on my back in a gentlemanly manner. I let him walk me to my car and place a sedate kiss on my cheek before he gave a little wave and walked away.
He did not ask for a second date.
I stood there for a moment watching him walk away before I sighed and got into my car.
Those cats were looking more and more like a viable option for me.
