Page 7 of Love in Unexpected Places

“It’s wonderful. I’ve never seen anything like this place. How did you find it?”

He moves to stand beside me, sliding his hand in mine. “I like to get lost when I move to a new city, see if I can find my way home without my GPS. I drove in this direction and got well and truly lost.” He chuckles, rubbing a thumb over his eyebrow. “I came inside to ask for directions and this was what was here. No one was around, but all this beautiful work kept me here, trying to look at everything. When you told me last night you just wanted to see what was out there, I figured you would like something like this. Something out of the ordinary.”

“It hasn’t been a full day, how do youknow me so well?”

Raising my hand to his lips, he kisses the back and smiles. “I’d like to know more.”

I nod, kissing his lips this time. “I’d like that.”

Dante threads our fingers together and we leave the museum, heading to our next destination. “How long are you staying? At least a week, yeah? I can show you how the full moon looks out on my boat.”

My ears perk up and I smile. “You have a boat? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“When would we have had time to talk about it?” The sly smile he gives me makes me blush. “I don’t tell many people. It’s something for me, when I need to get away. The city can be loud sometimes.” He slides behind the wheel of his car and I get in the passenger seat. “Haven’t taken anyone on it before. You’ll be my first.”

I smile the entire way to the beach, Dante holding my hand the whole way.

We don’t go to the crowded beach with all the people who want to see the creature in the water. He takes me to a beautiful cove, hidden by low hanging trees. The sand is yellow and soft under our feet, the water lapping at the shore softly.

After rolling up my pants legs, I step into the water, grinning at the horizon. “Wow. How did you findthisplace?”

Turning, I see Dante staring at me, a soft smile on his face. “Same way I did the museum. I got lost walking this time, saw a break in the trees and went exploring. And I found this. I came back more often and never ran into anyone else. I’m not sure if I’m the only that knows about it, but I know there aren’t many.” He stares out over the water with a strange look on his face, part happy, part nervous.

Grabbing his hand, I pull it to my mouth this time. “It’s lovely. Thank you for showing me.”

Dante goes back to the basket he brought out with us, opens it and pulls out a blanket. He spreads it out, sits down, then pats the space in front of him. Hurriedly, I make my way over to him, sitting with my back to his front, looking out at the water. The soft waves lulling us into silence. I enjoy it more than I would have thought possible.

It’s very rare that I want to spend my quiet moments with someone. I love my peace and my solitude, love having my own time to think about nothing and everything. I love sitting alone to think about new songs to write or how to tweak a song for a remix.

But with Dante behind me, I can think. I can enjoy my peace while feeling his warm weight behind me, keeping me centered. Being with someone in my quiet is new, but I don’t hate it. Maybe because Dante is quiet too. When I glance back at him, he looks reflective, like he’s thinking of something deep and important. A song forms in my head and I smile.

chapter four

DANTE

August and I spend the week together and it’s amazing. I only worked two nights out of the week, but he’s sat with me during both shifts, writing away on his napkins and sending me flirty glances every now and then. He doesn’t seem bored while I work—he seems content, even with all the noise and people flirting with me.

Every evening, we go back to his room and fool around, learning each other’s bodies. But it doesn’t feel cheap. It feels real, new, fun, and interesting.

It would be cliche to say that I’ve never felt this way before. But it’s true. Being a dino shifter, I don’t trust many people. After a while, I’ll have to slip out, mostly in the middle of the night to shift, letting my Spinosaurus swim and hunt in the open water. My partner will start to ask questions and wonder where I’m going and think I’m cheating. That’s why I keep men at arm’s length. I don’t think they would be okay with me being a shifter.

Something about August strikes me as the type that wouldn’t care about my dino. He would, I don’t know,protect me? He’s already said more times than I can count that he can’t wait for the crowds to disperse so the creature can come back out and live its life.

Maybe if I showed him that it was me, he’d stay. He could be the one that I trust with my secret. It’s been a week—very quick, I know—but I already trust him. I’ve never even thought to show anyone my dino before. Makes me think that I might be on the right track with August.

The only thing holding me back is him leaving. He’s said he needs to return home a few times, but quickly says he still has time. I feel like he’s staying for me, and not the “creature” as he calls my dino. I should be offended, but I’m not because he doesn’t know what it is to give it an actual name and he says the word creature with respect in his voice.

I like that a lot.

Hell, I likehim. Or … maybe something more? Could it be love this fast? The sex is hot and August is great company, but is that enough?

My shift ends and I take August’s hand, threading it with mine as we walk to his room. When we get inside, instead of pushing him against the door and kissing him silly, I take his hand and pull him to the bedroom. I packed a bag the day I showed him around and I haven’t left since.

Maybe when he checks out, he can come and stay at my little cottage. It’s not much, but it’s home.

August raises an eyebrow but removes his shoes and climbs in bed beside me. I open my arms and he settles against me, and I drag my fingers through his hair. August hums, nuzzling closer as I rub my nails against his scalp. “That feels good,” he says in a quiet voice.

“I like making you feel good.”

---