Page 35 of Surge of Storms

“So, I can get one?” Zane asks excitedly.

“You’re going to get a stomachache from all the sugar,” Granger warns.

“I won’t,” Zane whispers under his breath, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Evander sighs. “Four beers and… and a pina colada, please,” he orders, looking resolved.

Zane looks at me. “Is a pina colada what I want?”

I nod.

He squeals and claps his hands together before hugging Evander. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

One of the funniest things about Zane is that he’s so wise, a guide for all of us, and yet innocent at the same time. The juxtaposition is strange at times, but it just makes me love him more.

Evander’s cheeks turn red. “It’s fine. Just remember, Aydan was right about the man card thing. Men don’ttypicallyorder drinks like that.”

I look at Granger. He shrugs. “Now, I kind of want one.”

Laughter bubbles from my throat, and I hurry to find the waitress inside before she can put in the wrong order. I give her the new one, three beers and two pina coladas, and she doesn’t look at all bothered.

When I turn to go, I nearly run right into a tall man.

“Hi,” he greets me.

“Hi,” I say back, narrowing my eyes as I wait to see what he wants.

He flashes a wide smile that does nothing for me. “Just wanted to see if I could buy you a drink.”

Before I can answer, I hear Granger behind me. “Sorry, she’s taken.”

The man lifts a brow. “You… and him?”

I whirl to see Granger flinch from his words.

Unable to help myself, I wrap my arms around Granger and grin. “Isn’t it funny he has no idea about the giant python in your pants?”

Granger turns beat red. “Sam–”

Instead of letting him talk, I kiss him hard, letting his scent wash over me as his hands find my waist. When I finally pull away, both our bodies are practically humming, and Granger is definitely “excited,” which is hard to ignore.

“Bathroom…?” I suggest softly.

He groans. “Don’t tempt me, Sam.”

The guy is gone, settled into a seat at the end of the bar, looking miserable as he stares at us. So, I make sure to lace my fingers into Granger’s as we head back outside to our table.

“You handle him?” Evander asks casually.

Granger clears his throat. “Yeah, I handled him.”

“Good.”

I settle back into my seat between Evander and Zane.

Our drinks are brought out, much to the delight of Zane, and we have to remind him about the alcohol as he goes to town, sipping his drink in seconds, then asking for another. Aydan and Evander are grinning like mad at the ice dragon, but Granger looks concerned.

“We won’t let him go too crazy,” I tell Granger. Then I look at Zane. “You’ll be careful, right?”

---