Page 56 of Paws and Claws

After a pause that made his heart beat faster, she slipped her fingers into his. The familiar chime of the bell welcomed them as they stepped inside. The aroma of coffee and magic enveloped them, and the floating menu board reshuffled its offerings in greeting.

They slid into the corner booth, the worn leather seats creaking beneath them. Dominic couldn't help tracking her every movement as she settled in across from him, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, or how she wouldn't quite meet his eyes.

"Thank you for bailing me out," he said, his fingers curling around the warm coffee mug Nina had brought over. "I'll pay you back-"

"Really?" Tabitha cut him off, her eyes finally snapping to his. "That's what you want to talk about? The bail money?"

His lion growled at her tone, but he deserved that. "No. I want to apologize for this morning. For leaving without-"

"Without a goodbye, without so much as a 'thanks for the great time'?" she interrupted him, leaning forward. Her voice dropped dangerously, "Real classy, Sheriff."

The air was charged with tension between them. "Did it even mean anything to you?" The words came out barely a whisper. "Or was I just another notch in your belt?"

The accusation in her voice caused his lion to rear up. Dominic's hand shot across the table, capturing hers before she could pull away. "It meant everything."

He took a breath, forcing himself to continue. "I freaked out. I'm always in control, always measured, always thinking ten steps ahead. But with you..." He squeezed her hand. "With you, I act on instinct. I feel things I've never felt before. And it scared the hell out of me."

His thumb traced circles on her palm. "I should have stayed. Should have faced those feelings instead of running like a coward. I'm sorry."

Dominic watched Tabitha process his words, his lion tense and alert to her every micro-expression.

Finally, she took a deep breath. "I accept your apology."

His lion settled slightly, though he kept his grip on her hand. She hadn't pulled away yet, and he wasn't about to let go first.

"But..." She met his eyes. "You should know, I'm really bad at relationships. Like, spectacularly bad. And good relationships?" She gave a short laugh. "I wouldn't even know where to start. So I have no idea what this is between us or what it could be."

His thumb traced another circle on her palm. "I really like you." The words came out rougher than intended, his lion pushing to make their interest clear. "More than I expected to. More than I probably should, considering everything."

"But?" Her blue eyes challenged him to continue.

"But with Bruce gunning for both of us, and the Hunters still out there..." He leaned forward, his free hand coming up to brush that stubborn strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't want to rush this and ruin it. You're too important to me."

The admission hung between them, heavy with possibility. His lion purred at their closeness, at the slight catch in her breath when his fingers grazed her ear.

"Look at you being all reasonable," she teased, but her voice was soft.

Dominic watched as Nina's floating menu board rearranged itself above their heads, his lion still rumbling contentedly at having Tabitha's hand in his. The warm glow from the hanging lanterns caught the purple highlights in her hair, making his fingers itch to run through it again.

"So, partners first?" He squeezed her hand, his voice dropping to that low register that made her pulse jump. His lion preened at the reaction.

"Partners." Tabitha nodded, though her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. "At least until we take down Bruce and his Hunter friends. Then maybe we can explore... other possibilities."

His lion growled in approval at the suggestion in her tone. "Agreed. Though I reserve the right to arrest you if you break any more traffic laws."

"You can try." She smirked, pulling her hand free to wrap both around her coffee mug. "But we both know how much you enjoy the chase."

The truth of that statement hit harder than he expected. His lion had always enjoyed pursuing her, even back when she was just the town troublemaker who drove him crazy. Now that he knew how she tasted, how she felt in his arms... He cleared his throat. "Focus. Bruce first."

"Right." She took a sip of her coffee, and he definitely didn't track the movement of her throat as she swallowed. "Though I have to say, watching you try to be all professional right now is pretty entertaining."

"Tabitha." He meant it as a warning, but it came out more like a growl.

"What?" She blinked innocently. "I'm just stating facts. Your eyes keep doing that glowy thing."

Dominic forced his lion back, knowing his eyes had indeed started to shift. "You're impossible."

"That's why you like me." She grinned, then sobered. "But you're right. Partners first. Bruce and the Hunters are the priority."

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