Authors: Cynthia Dixon
“I-I’m sorry, man. I-I shouldn’t have had those shots. I didn’t know!” He stammered. Eric remained silent as he pulled away from the curb.
“I mean it. I had no idea she was your mate!” Darren said, trying to defend himself. Eric’s shot to the rearview mirror again and Darren immediately stopped talking.
“My mate or not, you need to get control over yourself. Just because you’re twenty-one now and finally able to sense your own mate doesn’t give you the right to pressure
any
woman into anything.” Eric growled. Darren winced and slumped back into his seat.
“How else am I supposed to know?” He asked childishly. Eric slammed on his breaks and whipped around in his seat to glare at Darren.
“You know the same way I knew: when your eyes meet you just feel this immediate connection. You don’t have to touch her, kiss her, or even speak to her. That one look will resonate within you and you just
know.
” He said. His words were so sharp they hit Darren with the force as if they had been shouted at him. He nodded his head and remained silent. Eric turned around and resumed driving Darren home. The rest of the ride was quiet, save for the heavy breathing coming from Eric as he tried to calm himself down. When he pulled up to the curb he locked the car doors before Darren could escape.
“You’re banned from the next five meetings. Once you can prove to me that you’ve grown up and are once again the respectful man you used to be, I’ll revoke the ban.” Eric said. Darren nodded and climbed out of the car when Eric unlocked the doors. Eric let out a sigh once he was alone and rested his head on the steering wheel. He should have gone right up to Denise the moment he saw her. He shouldn’t have waited, playing his little game to see if she would come to him. Now, his cousin might have screwed everything up for him.
No, she’s your mate, you’ve still got a shot.
He told himself.
You just have to make it count
.
***
“Wait… what?” Jennifer asked, falling out of her warrior pose to stare openmouthed at Denise. Denise glanced up at her and gave her an angry look.
“Shh! We are in class, don’t raise your voice like that or you’ll get us kicked out.” Denise whispered furiously. Jennifer gave the instructor a guilty look and resumed her yoga pose.
“I’m sorry. I just wasn’t prepared to hear you say that man-bun nearly attacked you but you were save by the gorgeous mystery man who then asked you on a date!” Jennifer said, her disbelief still evident. Denise shook her head and took in a deep breath.
“I still don’t believe it myself. A part of me wonders if it was all some sleep-deprived hallucination.” Denise said, letting out her breath slowly. Jennifer nodded and pursed her lips.
“So… are you going to go?” She asked. Denise glanced over at her friend and couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips.
“He called me this morning—we’re going to Linguini’s at seven.” She said, barely able to contain the giddiness in her voice. Jennifer opened her mouth and took a deep breath in ready to squeal, but one look from the surly instructor made her release the breath slowly and silently.
“That’s so exciting! Do you want back-up or anything? Gerald and I can conveniently get a reservation for the same time.” Jennifer offered helpfully. Denise laughed and shook her head.
“No, I’ll be fine. I’m not worried about him.” She said. It was true, too. Even under the circumstances that they finally had their introduction, she wasn’t afraid of him. The moment she heard Eric’s voice stop Darren, she was instantly filled with a sense of safety and security. She somehow knew that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.
“Alright, but if you change your mind just let us know.” Jennifer said. Denise nodded and changed positions. Her mind drifted off, remembering the sound of his deep powerful voice and something inside her stirred. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something very important about this date.
***
Denise climbed out of her car and gave her arms a little shake to try and dispel some of the nervous energy she had building up.
It’s just a date,
she told herself, walking into the restaurant. She spotted him immediately and her heart stopped. He stood up from the table wearing a nice, green button-down shirt and black slacks. His shaggy hair was still unruly and framed his face like a mane which just made her heart pound.
It’s just a date with the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen who also happens to be an incredible gentleman, that’s all…
she mentally corrected herself.
“Denise, it’s wonderful to see you again. You look beautiful.” He said, pulling out her chair for her. His eyes quickly scanned her up and down before he resumed his seat across from her. His appreciative glance made her flush with heat and she smiled back at him.
I’ll have to thank Jennifer for choosing the red dress, it seems she was right again.
She thought.
“Thank you. I’m glad you wanted to do this.” She said, her nerves returning. Eric smiled at her and nodded.
“Absolutely. Like I said, I want to get to know you better.” He said. The waiter chose that moment to come over and Eric ordered them a bottle of wine.
“So why are you so intrigued by me?” Denise asked, leaning forward on her elbows. Eric grinned at her and took a sip of his wine.
“Because you’re intriguing. I caught sight of you early on last night, and I wish I had spoken to you earlier but I was too captivated by you and I enjoy people watching. You’d be surprised what you can learn about a person before you even meet them.” He said. Denise blushed and leaned back in her chair. No one had ever been captivated by her before.
“I love to people watch, too. So, what did you learn about me?” She asked, teasingly. Eric chuckled and leaned forward toward her.
“I learned that you like to observe but don’t shy away from interaction. You’re quite witty—judging from how many times you made your group of friends laugh. You like to be polite, but you also don’t want to give someone the wrong impression. I think you offering to pay Darren for your drink was a good indication that you weren’t really interested but didn’t want to use him to simply get free drinks either. I respect that.” Eric said. Denise’s eyebrows lifted in surprise and she took a sip of her wine.
“Wow, I’m impressed. I didn’t think people really noticed me but you noticed quite a bit.” She said. Eric grinned and leaned back in his chair comfortably.
“I wasn’t the only one. What did you learn about me from your analysis?” He asked. Denise blushed and took another sip of her wine.
“Well, I noticed that you’re rather quiet and reserved. You talked to a few of the guys you were with but didn’t really interact with anyone else—unlike your cousin who was hitting on every woman there. You are aware of your surrounds but you aren’t nervous or made uncomfortable by people. Despite your quietness, you seemed rather at ease and relaxed. You’re also one of those guys that people listen to. I never would have expected someone like Darren to get so scared of anyone.” Denise told him. Eric nodded and shrugged.
“He’s young and stupid. That doesn’t excuse his actions by any means, but it explains some his behavior.” Eric said. Denise laughed and looked down at her glass.
“Yeah, I guess. Does it explain why he wears his hair like that?” She asked, trying to move the conversation away from Darren’s behavior. She didn’t want to think about what might have happened because he was inexcusably young and stupid. Eric snorted and shook his head.
“I hope so. There’s no way that’s anything other than young stupidity. Unless, it’s a growing trend—I certainly hope not.” He said with a laugh. Denise giggled and the waiter came back to take their order. She looked over at Eric and regarded him carefully. Her nerves were still there but it was remarkable how at ease she felt with him. It was almost like they have known each other for years. She had to actively remind herself that they just met.
“So what do you do?” She asked, trying to learn more about him.
“I manage the biker shop on the other side of town. It used to be my father’s but I got it when he retired.” Eric explained. He leaned in forward and gestured for her to do the same.
“This is probably one of the only times you’ll see me dressed this nicely. I feel very strange not wearing a pair of ripped jeans.” Eric whispered. Denise laughed and leaned back in her chair.
“You didn’t have to get all fancy for me, but you do look very nice.” Denise complimented. Eric straightened proudly and squared his shoulders making her laugh again.
“What about you, what do you do?” He asked, chuckling a little. It was difficult for him to keep the small talk going. All he really wanted to do was sweep her in his arms and carry her home where she belonged with him. She was his mate, after all, but he had to remind himself that she didn’t know that and he needed to ease her into the concept of being with a lion shifter for the rest of her life.
“I am a computer programmer. It’s not terribly exciting but I like it.” She said with a shrug.
“If you like it, then it’s exciting.” He said, making Denise smile. Their food came out and they continued to get to know each other as they ate. She learned that he had two brothers and a sister, plus Darren as a cousin—of course. Most of the biker gang she had seen him with the night before was actually family.
“We like to go out and spend time together. The women do the same thing on a different week so that there’s always someone around to watch the cubs.” He said. Denise frowned at his use of the word “cub” but shrugged it off as a cute, family term.
“Well that’s really cool. I’m not very close with my family. I don’t have any siblings and my parents don’t live around here so I don’t see them very often.” Denise confided. Eric gave her a sympathetic look and nodded.
“That’s too bad.” He said. Denise shrugged.
“It’s not a big deal, I’ve got Jennifer and Gerald and they’re all the family I need.” She said with a smile. Eric chuckled and nodded.
“Based on what you’ve told me, they sound like they can be a bit of a handful.” He said. Denise laughed and nodded.
“Yes they are. I had to talk Jennifer out of making her own reservation here tonight to be my back-up. She’s so protective.” Denise said. Eric’s smile faltered a little and he looked down at the table where his finger was tracing some abstract pattern idly.
“Were you afraid you might need it?” He asked, glancing up at her eyes. He hoped his mate wasn’t afraid of him, but after Darren’s behavior he could hardly blame her. Denise smiled at him and shook her head.
“No. As strange as it sounds, I feel very comfortable and safe with you.” She told him. Eric beamed at her and she felt like she had somehow said the magic words.
“I’m glad! I feel the same about you and I hope you know I would never do anything to hurt you.” Eric told her, his eyes boring into hers. Denise’s heart raced and she gulped at the intensity in his gaze. Normally, she would have chalked what he said up as a line to get her into bed with him, but with Eric, she could tell that he was completely serious.
“I know.” She said. Eric stood up from the table and held his hand out to her to help her out of her chair.
“I don’t know if you have any other plans for the rest of the night, but would you like to come back to my place for some coffee?” Eric asked politely. Denise took a deep breath in and considered his offer. Typically, she never went home with a guy on the first date but with Eric, she really wanted to.
“Yes, I’d like that.” She said. Eric smiled and walked her to her car. He gave her his address and kissed her on the cheek. His lips felt warm and made her skin tingle on the spot where he had touched her. She watched him get into his car and tried to calm her pounding heart. She couldn’t deny her feelings for him and it scared her how strong they were all ready.
***
Eric opened the door to his apartment above the shop and let her inside. Denise took in the hard wood flooring, the sparse furniture, and overall clean appearance.
“This is nice.” She said, stepping in further so that he could close the door behind them. Eric smiled at her and began to make some coffee for them both.
“Thank you. I built it about two years ago.” He said, bringing over her cup. Denise looked at him with shock and then around the apartment again with new appreciation.
“You
built
this?” She asked. Eric nodded and took a sip of his coffee.
“Yeah, turns out I’m too lazy to commute so this was easier.” He joked. Denise laughed and took his the high ceiling and craftsmanship of the modest design.
“This is amazing.” She said, spinning around slowly. Eric watched as her red dress fanned out around her shapely legs and his heart tightened with longing. Her eyes were wide with wonder and her dark hair was left in its natural wave which was just stunning to him.
“Not as amazing as you.” He said softly. Denise turned to look at him, afraid that it was just some cheesy pick-up line like what Darren had tried. The look in his eyes told her, though, that he really meant it. Denise blushed and glanced down.
“I don’t know about that.” She said, embarrassed. Eric set his mug on the counter and walked over to her. He took the cup out of her hands and set it next to his own before turning back to her and lifting her chin so that she was looking into his eyes.