Scrubbing my hands over my hair—and then my face, because I need to snap out of this—I look over at Murr.

There’s a hint of amusement on his face as he sinuously gets to his feet. “Big…meat?”

“You know what? Sure.” I press my hand to my forehead. “Please tell me that’s in reference to hunting.”

A shadow falls over the roof and he flies away a moment later, and I want to throw up from the relief of it all.

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER 40

DAKOTA

If anyone notices that I’m flustered, they don’t comment on it. We make plans to go out tomorrow to look for the nomad. We work on a crossword puzzle aloud, because Aggie doesn’t like to do them on her own. I don’t even know if she likes to do them as much as she just likes to be the one barking demands for words at everyone. Murr returns, flying overhead and gently dropping a dead deer nearby, and the cats come streaming out. The rest of the afternoon is spent cooking and butchering, Rabbit medicating kittens as she grabs them, and Aggie shouting for a “five-letter word that means darkness.” Dottie pulls out knitting, which leaves me with the task of prepping the meat by myself.

Did I think that living in a bookstore was going to give me more leisure time to read and relax? I swear it’s like I’m the only adult in a ten-mile radius. But then Murr arrives in his human form, sauntering up to our parking lot firepit, and comes to stand by me. He’s wearing his loin wrap, and when our eyes meet, he doesn’t smile, but his eyes whirl that deep, rich gold that tells me exactly what he’s thinking.

And when I walk past, I could swear he inhales deeply, drinking in my scent.

I suddenly don’t mind that Aggie and Dottie are rather checked out. If they were more attentive, they’d notice that something subtle has changed between me and Murr. That when I stand near the fire, he drifts a little closer. That I catch him watching me all throughout the evening. That I can’t stop looking at him, or his big, gorgeous body.

I’ve been fine without a man for years. I’ve considered myself immune to their charms (such as they are). But Murr and his obsession with kisses is making my mind spin.

“Getting late,” Dottie comments after the sun goes down. She puts her knitting away and rubs her eyes under her glasses. “Should we set up a watch in case he comes by in the night?”

“I can take the first watch,” Aggie says. She puts away her stub of a pencil and closes her crossword book with careful hands, as if the paper is more precious than gold. “I don’t need beauty sleep. I’m naturally blessed.”

Rabbit purses her mouth, as if trying desperately not to laugh, and looks over at me.

I shake my head. “I think we’re good. Murr has better senses than all of us. If he stays in the area, we’ll be safe.”

“He’s not going anywhere,” Dottie says. “He’s too sweet on you.”

Okay, maybe they have noticed that something’s changed between us. Maybe I’m the one that’s not clued in.

Rabbit scoops up Kermit with a yawn. “I’m going to bed, then. Night, Mom. Night, Aggie. Night, Dottie. Night, Murr.”

“Nyy,” Murr repeats back, though I’m not entirely sure he knows what it means.

My daughter smiles sleepily at our group and then heads into the bookstore, “her” cat in her arms. She’s followed by at least four others, and if they all pile into the blankets with her, there won’t be any room for me…but she’ll also be the happiest kid alive. I can’t complain.

“In that case, I could use some sleep,” Aggie says, hauling herself out of the folding lawn chair she’s claimed as her own. “We put our blankets down in the same spot we were last night, but if you need us to move, we can. I know it’s your bed, Dakota.”

I shake my head. “It’s a big bookstore. I can make a new room soon enough. I’ll put away the smoked meat and bank the fire. Just leave me a pillow and a blanket and I’ll be good. I can bunk with Rabbit again.”

The others trickle off, moving slowly into the bookstore. I let the fire die down, carefully wrapping the smoked meat in packets of foil and then putting those packets into a plastic container. Without refrigeration, we have to cook the shit out of everything and hope it doesn’t spoil. Murr remains nearby in his human form, a cat in his lap and another in his arms. He doesn’t ask for word lessons but seems content to watch me put things away. Then there’s nothing else left to do, and I stretch, my hands at the small of my back. “Goodnight, then.”

“Sleep?” he asks, getting to his feet.

“Yup, time to sleep.” I glance over my shoulder at him. “I’ll see you in the morning. Are you staying nearby?” I point at the doors where he normally sleeps. “Murr sleep?”

He doesn’t shift to his dragon form, however. He follows after me when I head inside, still human.

Well now, what does this mean?

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER 41

DAKOTA

Sleeping with my daughter is out. Given that Murr is still on my heels, following me inside the building, I’m not about to go curl up with her…because what if he goes with me? I don’t think he would do anything to Rabbit, but I’m not about to put all of us into a weird situation.

So I grab the first blanket I see in Aggie and Dottie’s too-large pile of belongings and wrap it around myself, heading for the back of the store. It’s dark, so I move slowly, shuffling my feet and trying to recall where the piles of books are blocking the aisles. A cat meows nearby, answered by a soft rumble from Murr, and that tells me he’s still following me.

No dragon form tonight, then? I wonder what’s changed…then I feel silly. Of course I know what’s changed. He nibbled on my hand and gave me hot eyes. That’s what’s changed. I can shut this down and send him away, let him know I’m not interested. But…I am interested.

I want to see where this goes, even if it’s a bad idea.

After I nearly trip over a folding metal chair, I realize where I am in the store. This is near the center desk, the large round station with the old broken computers on it. This is as good a spot as any to sleep tonight. I put my hand on the desk and follow it until I find the way inside, and push another stack of books out of the way. With that, I hunker down to the floor, settling in for the night. It’s not the most comfortable spot in the store, but if I kiss Murr, at least no one will see it.

Not that kisses are the expectation, of course.

It’s…just in case of kisses.

No sooner do I have the blanket wrapped around me than someone big and warm sits down next to me. He radiates heat, and even though I wasn’t cold a moment ago, I can’t help but gravitate towards that warmth. It’s just delicious.

“Dakotah,” he says, voice softer than I’ve ever heard it. “Sleep?”

“Soon.” I should go to sleep because dawn comes quickly, but with him right here next to me in his human form, my brain is anything but tired. “What was that we did? On the roof?”

There’s a long pause, and I feel silly. He’s not understanding what I’m asking.

Oh, fuck it. I’m tired of dancing around the situation. I turn towards him, leaning in. “Hey, Murr. Wanna kith?”

His answer is immediate. “Yes.”

With a nervous thrill, I lean in closer. I can feel him moving toward me. His nose brushes against my cheek, and a moment later, his lips press against my skin.