Page 28 of Code Mages & Empty Pages
No drooling!
“I have a proposition for you.”
One of her eyebrows crept up. “Okay… what kind of proposition?”
I took a shaky breath. “You can’t tell me you don’t feel the tension between us. It’s not just me.” I couldn’t even form a coherent sentence anymore.
She fidgeted a little. “No, it’s not just you.”
Relief coursed through my body and calmed my nerves a bit. “Good. Because my rut’s making me climb the walls. I need some relief. And you said you needed inspiration for your book, right? Maybe we could help each other out.”
She narrowed her eyes like she was still catching up. “How, exactly?”
I cleared my throat, trying not to sound desperate. “I could, uh, help with your next book? Maybe your next MMC is a French Wolfman. Didn’t you say his name was Julien?”
She snorted. “He’s a Dragon. But it is still a nerdy office romance, so I’ll give you that.”
I groaned, grinning despite myself. “Figures. Still, if you ever need research on steamy workplace hook-ups, I know several spots at Frostfire that would be great for hookups. The server room is a classic, and the broom cupboard would be decent too. I’m just saying, for research purposes only.”
Dawn laughed for real, and the tension in the room lightened, though my pulse was still hammering. Then her expression turned serious. “Alright, assuming I said yes… We’d need ground rules.”
Nerves and anticipation tangled in my chest. “Absolutely.”
She ticked them off on her fingers. “First: if either of us wants to stop, we stop. No questions asked.”
“Agreed.” I tried not to sound too eager.
“Second: Honesty. If this gets weird, we say so. No bottling things up.”
“Yes. No drama.” I forced a steady breath, as my hungry brain caught onto the change in how she spoke.
She’s considering it.
“And third…” She hesitated. “This is just for research, and to help you with your rut. No strings attached and no expectations? We keep this out of work, and nobody else finds out.”
Dawn licked her lips. I nodded as my eyes dropped to her mouth. “Yes, it’s just pressure relief and research, no strings.”
A pause settled between us, thick with anticipation. She gave a wry half-smile. “So, colleagues with benefits?”
“Yeah.”
She exhaled softly “I need to think about it, okay?”
“Of course.” I raked a hand through my fur, desperate to keep my distance. “I’m sorry if I read your signals wrong. Rut makes it harder to see clearly.”
Dawn pressed her lips together and fidgeted some more on the spot. “You didn’t. I just need to think about it, Luc.”
“Take your time,” I managed. My voice was tight with restraint.
I spent the next hour pacing my room, every sense dialled up and my mind running wild. When the knock finally came, I almost lost my shit. I opened the door and leaned on the frame, trying to look casual.
Dawn hesitated for a second, took a steadying breath, and looked right at me. “I’m in.”
The relief was like a punch to the gut. “Are you serious?”
She nodded, almost shy. “Yeah.”
I had to be sure. I took a half-step closer, heat rising under my skin. “You really want this, Roe?”
