Page 25 of Dante
“I still haven’t seen them.”
I chuckled. “They are officially the new trio that are working at the front desk. If you ever come into the council building, one of them will check you in or out.” For the longest time, that had been Spencer’s job. Then it became Spencer and Slater’s job. But with a sudden addition of three demons at the council, it had been decided that they were best in the position of front desk. It was easy enough to have them monitored at all times, and it put all of the enforcers back in field rotation.
“I don’t think I’ll ever need to go to the council building again. I mean, there is an omega clinic that we all go to that’s not in the building.”
I nodded slowly. I would wait until after we had claimed each other to ask him to come join me for lunch sometime. Chase came at least once a week. Sometimes he brought their twins, but most of the time, he left them in the childcare center or with Egon or Konrad. I could certainly understand wanting a bit of time to just have a relaxing lunch with your mate. I would love to have Banner come to the council building and join me. But if he wasn’t ready for that, I could understand. It seemed as if time flew, and when I looked down at my plate, it was empty, and Banner only had a bite or two left on his.
“Did you want dessert?”
Banner shook his head. “I’m waiting. There are amazing cupcakes that Lewis made. I know they are amazing because I already had one. They’re so perfectly yummy. I want to get a few of them with some hot cocoa tonight.”
I smiled. “Are you ready to head out, then? It’s half past five already.”
“Is it?” Banner turned around, then looked back at me with wide eyes. “How?”
“We were busy eating and talking. Time seems to go fast when you are doing something else.”
“Let me just…” Banner stopped halfway standing and gave me a look. “Fine, I won’t put the dishes in the dishwasher.”
I shrugged. “If you insist, I’ll let you do dishes next time,” I told him. I actually wouldn’t, but that wasn’t the point. He should know by now that I was going to do the cleanup as well as the cooking. Unless he specifically wanted to cook something. But even then, I was going to take care of the dirty dishes.
“Fine. I won’t say that I live for doing dishes, because I don’t think anyone does.”
I just grinned as I helped Banner up the rest of the way from his chair. We walked the short distance to the door, where he grabbed a different coat than what he was wearing earlier. He set it on the bench before he sat and pulled off his shoes. On went some warmer-looking hiking boots, and then he slid his arms into his coat and zipped it up. He pulled out a hat with a big ball on the top of it, and if I had thought he was adorable before, when he smiled up at me, I knew I was a goner. I was kicking myself for having wasted what time I already had with him. But no more.
“Ready?” Banner asked. I nodded because there was no way I’d be able to speak just yet. “Are you going to be warm enough?”
I glanced down at my shirt and added a thick wool sweater to it. “Is that better? You have to remember, although you are a bear shifter, I’m a hellhound, and I run much hotter than you do.”
“Yes, but it’s really cold out.”
I nodded. “True. But I have fire within, and it would take many, many days out in weather much colder than here for me to be affected,” I told him as I placed my hand on the center of my chest. I was sure it could happen, but I wasn’t going to test it since that would mean I would have to spend an extended amount of time away from Banner.
“I’ll take your word for it.” Banner pulled out a pair of gloves and held them up. “I’m bundling up, though, because yes, I’m a bear shifter, but unless I’m in my fur, I’ll feel the cold temperatures.”
I couldn’t help but reach out and touch his cheek. “I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself and that you are concerned for me. I promise you, though, that I will be perfectly fine in my sweater.”
Banner nodded, and after he had both gloves on, he opened the door. I was thankful for that because I was starting to overheat. I wondered if he was going to have an issue with me hanging out in the house in short sleeves, no matter the season.
I stepped outside and sighed internally. Banner pulled the door shut, and then we started back toward Council Square, where the festival was going to take place. It was actually going to be behind the council building in the open field between it and the single enforcer housing.
“You said you would have time off,” Banner said.
“Yes. Our team has the next week off. Reinhold, I believe, is going to take some additional time to spend with his mate and their twins. Hayes mentioned something about taking his mate and their daughter to his mate’s pack in Washington.”
“I guess I never asked about your team. There are four of you?”
“Five if you include me. My team consists of me, Reinhold, Hayes, Cruz, and Alden.”
Banner nodded a few times. “Are you close to them all?”
I shrugged. “I trust them all. Reinhold has been the one that I’m closest with. He has had a lot of good advice for me about things lately.”
Banner tried to hide a smile. “Are they all mated?” Banner looked up at me. “Well, except for you?”
I shook my head. “No. Only Reinhold and Hayes are mated. Hayes and his mate are both from the same pack in Washington. I’ve met his mate a couple of times. Her name is Daisy, and they decided to name their daughter Lily. I think they like floral names or something.”
Banner smiled. “That’s cute. I was named after a comic character.”
