Page 34 of Dryad, Try Again
Hearing his words, I know I’m cherry red on my cheeks.
Twenty minutes later,we wander through the halls and head to my target. The planetarium is showing an exhibit about monsters in honor of Halloween. The show is about to begin, and hardly any patrons are around. Kovi and I take a seat in the black leather chairs and allow them to recline as the lights dim.
The round ceiling changes color as digital projections fly across the screen. The announcer’s booming voice echoes through the miniature planetarium.
“Where did the Halloween Wave come from? The Organization for Monster Enhancement has been searching for these answers for decades. Just like monsters vary throughout Earth, so do the constellations…”
He goes on to narrate about the cosmos and how they relate to modern-day monster species. As we watch, I feel Kovi’s smooth hand take mine again. When I turn to look at him, he isn’t even eyeing me, choosing to instead watch the planetarium show. The glow of the satellites on his dark skin paints him in a heavenly light, literally. My heart flutters at the sight.
Every moment I spend with Kovi only makes me crave him more.
After the exhibitshow and strolling through the museum, we call it a night. “I feel so educated, so cultured!” Kovi says, and I guffaw. We’ve been holding hands on and off all evening, and his skin keeps sending sparks across my skin.
I once again open the door for him and then get in the driver’s seat. Before I can start it, he puts his hand over mine on the gear shift. “Kovi…”
I don’t even know who lunged for whom first. It’s all a blur as we reach for each other, his mouth on mine, my hands around his shoulders. He smells like the forest; I think he’s cast a dryad spell on me, because I could breathe him in forever. We kiss and kiss, and I want this date to finish the best way possible. But I need to be a gentleman and let this sexy monster take the lead.
I pull back and take a deep breath. I stroke his cheek and we both grin. “Has this been a good date?”
“The best.” He turns and gazes around at the dark of the night. “The night is still young, Mr. McGregor.”
I gulp and my eyes flick to his swollen lips. He rubs the back of my neck, and the stirrings of arousal course through me. “That it is, Mr. Sampath. What would you…?”
He snickers and rolls his eyes. “If I ask you to come back to my dorm with me so we can be private, will you say no?” He bites his lip with a wicked grin, and all my blood has shunted from my brain downward.
I quickly pull back and shift into reverse. “We gotta go,” I mutter, and Kovi laughs. I peel out of the parking lot, in a rush to get to the second half of our date.
15
KOVI
Predictably,when I walk into my suite, the TV is on. I knew I wouldn’t be lucky enough to have Blake and Seth be far away at the end of my date. I want privacy, but they’re allowed to hang out in the common room. Still, what I have planned for Tanner is going to require locked doors.
“Sup guys?” Blake says with a smug grin. At least he’s in his human form and clothed tonight.
“Hi,” I say with a deadpan tone. I pull out my keys while my date closes the suite door behind me.
Tanner sounds chipper when he says, “Hey, I’m Tanner. You must be Blake.” Blake waves at Tanner. Then, my date says, “Oh, hey Seth.”
I turn to spot Seth walk out of his room. He’s also human, clothed, and munching on a bowl of popcorn. The look of surprised delight on his face infuriates me. If he embarrasses me, I’ll shove him back in his sarcophagus and mail it to Alaska.
“Hey, Tanner!” he says with glee.
“Not a word,” I growl, pointing at him.
His smile falls, and Tanner sniggers next to me. I open the door to my room, and let him in.
“Uh, I think I’m gonna go for a night swim.” Blake gets up, shuts off the TV, and rushes out the door.
“And I’ll, uh, lifeguard you.” Seth drops the bowl and leaves just as quickly. I’m content that my two best friends are giving us the whole suite, at least for a little bit.
Seth pops his head back through the door one last time to wink at me. He gives me a thumbs up, then makes an obscene motion like he’s swallowing a popsicle. I glare at him and shift my arm branch to reach forward and slam the door.
With them gone, it’s back to business.
I lock my room door and turn around. Tanner turns on the lamplight and says, “Nice room.”
“Thanks. It’s not much, but…” I’m suddenly self-conscious of my living area. There are four books and a laptop on the requisite desk with a chair jutting out. On the bed, there’s one thin sheet over a black bedspread and pillow. It’s not the most elaborate bed setup, but I shift in my sleep sometimes—all monsters do!—so it’s easier to not have fabric to rip apart.
