Being(s) In Love 03 - A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate (10 page)

It complicated an already stressful situation. On a better day, Theo would have gone in to see the newcomer the way everyone else had, curious about who would be leading the town at the sheriff’s side if the newcomer chose to accept him.

“I’ve been thinking about that.” Maria hopped up to sit on the counter exactly like Violet did, knowing it annoyed Theo’s sense of
mise en place
. It proved who she had been doing her “thinking” with. Violet, and probably half the firehouse, had been discussing the situation, likely while eating lemon bars and crying. “He was in high school, Theo.”

“So was I.” Theo stiffened. He’d put the frosting on the brownies while they were too warm.

“High schoolers are not known for picking up on nuances or thinking clearly.” Maria was undeterred. Theo wondered if the others had put her up to this. “He’s also human. You know how humans can be.”

“He pretended not to remember my name,” Theo told her quietly. That had not felt good, hearing his mate guess his name, even if immediately afterward, Zeki had been truthful when he’d assumed Theo didn’t know who he was. It didn’t make sense.

“He knows your name now.” Maria leaned in to nuzzle his cheek, as encouraging as the fierce mama she’d probably be someday. “I heard he watched you through that window this morning. Come on. Those look good. Don’t waste them.”

“He’ll be able to taste… everything.” The scent of the frosting alone, unmistakable want and longing, made Theo’s mouth water even as he cringed away from it in embarrassment. “I can’t court someone who doesn’t want me.”

“He’s going to know it anyway, if he already doesn’t,” Maria reasoned, as if Theo’s impatience and hunger for his mate were something to impress Zeki instead of drive him away for a second time. “Are you so sure he doesn’t want you? One way to find out.”

If the others in the firehouse were advising he talk to Zeki, Theo couldn’t think of any other reasons not to. He wanted to see Zeki again, a yearning he’d tried to ignore until he’d ended up with ridiculous brownies he wouldn’t eat. The frosting, spread on too soon, gooey and melting over still-cooling brownies, seemed so obvious. So he allowed Maria to cover the tray in foil, and then found himself crossing the street with the tray in his hands.

He bumped into a moving car without apologizing, grateful the traffic was slow on the side street, and approached the café with his hands tight on the tray of brownies. He stepped over the hedge in a distracted way, wishing he’d thought to walk around to the front and hoping no one saw him almost walk into the bushes.

Inside, most of the chairs were empty, the wrong time of day for heavy business, but Theo’s attention went straight past the scattered customers to the counter.

Zeki was wiping down the espresso machine, half-turned to the door though someone Theo didn’t recognize was leaning against the counter and trying to get his attention. The someone, probably a tourist, already had a cup in his hand. His entire posture shouted “interest,” and he was casually, not casually, talking about the upcoming Spring Thaw and the activities there, listing them as if hoping one would capture Zeki’s attention.

Theo paused just inside the coffee shop, dry-eyed as the tourist got distracted by Zeki removing his cardigan and began exclaiming over Zeki’s tattoos, visible in more detail with Zeki now in short sleeves. Writing circled Zeki’s arms up from his wrists, although Theo didn’t know the language, or languages. The tourist reached out when Zeki went back to the machine, and Theo coughed to cover his short growl.

Zeki raised his eyes, then turned the rest of the way to face Theo. He smiled, and it was like Theo’s heart was being ripped out. Theo half expected to see it beating in the palm of Zeki’s hand. The heart of a werewolf would be a powerful addition to a spell, Theo was sure. It would bring strength as well as focus if Zeki needed it.

He reminded himself Zeki had no interest in his heart. Zeki had likely been flirting with the handsy man standing at the counter.

“I didn’t expect to see you again.” Yet Zeki spoke to Theo, and the smile stayed on his face.

Theo drifted toward it. The tourist didn’t move, but Theo could barely look at him. If Theo were Zeki’s, it might be his place to snarl and snap his teeth at the man, but Theo hadn’t the slightest idea of how to fight over a boyfriend. He didn’t even know how to have a boyfriend.

His stomach dipped and swooped as he got closer, his lungs filling with every scent the shop had to offer on top of Zeki’s walnuts and cinnamon. Zeki’s large, shining eyes traveled over him, taking in his T-shirt and suspenders and the tray in his hands, and then came up. His expression sent a shiver down Theo’s spine and put a deep ache low in his belly.

Zeki must still be in a flirtatious mood from dealing with the tourist. This must be what he looked like when he was interested in someone, when he wanted to sleep with them. He had the confidence of experience, and Theo was trembling from being in front of him. He wanted to know with a sudden and shocking fervor what Zeki’s hair smelled like, how he tasted behind his ear, if he would pet Theo in ways that would make him shudder, if Zeki would mind that Theo needed the noise of the TV to fall asleep, or if Theo could learn to sleep peacefully again with his mate next to him.

Theo’s knees went weak.

He should have asked if it was a good thing that Zeki was seeing him again, but the look in Zeki’s eyes robbed him of speech. The tourist probably didn’t have this problem. He probably hadn’t spent the last five years in mourning for a mate he’d never had. Theo met Zeki’s stare and wet his lips uncertainly.

The scent he got in return, after Zeki’s lifted eyebrows, was airy and delighted. It made Theo feel inexplicably hotter. His mouth was so dry. “I, uh.”

Zeki nodded. “Mr. Elliot’s in the office, if you need him.” Theo managed to shake his head. Zeki looked intrigued, but his scent was pleased more than anything else. “Want a latte or something? I can help you with that.” He went to the machine and then angled himself around to look at Theo. He was very pleased with himself. “How do you take it?”

Swallowing did absolutely nothing to enable Theo to speak. He watched Zeki pull down a paper cup and ended up staring at the Arabic-looking writing on the inside of his arms. The pain must have been incredible. Theo wanted to put his nose there, to lick until Zeki laughed. A sound emerged from him, too rough for a word, although another were would have understood it perfectly.

Theo was going to get hard from mild flirting.

“Theo?” His mate called him back from the verge of embarrassing himself.

“Whole milk,” Theo got out, returning Zeki’s wide smile before he could help himself. He tried more words. “No sweetener. I don’t like sugar that much.”

That was a strange thing for a baker to say. Theo also hadn’t brought any money and had no idea why he was ordering a latte. But Zeki was happy to make him one. That was his job, Theo reminded himself, yet studied every single move his mate made. He absently scratched at his nose as Zeki concentrated on preparing the milk. “You can… barista?” That was not a word.

“Yeah, I worked all through college.” Zeki didn’t appear to notice his gaffe. “My dad makes good money, but school is expensive, especially back East.”

“Yes.” Theo tried not to notice the tourist staring at him incredulously. “Right. You got your degree. Congratulations. I forgot to say that before. But you are… you’re… not staying… in town?”

“Town talking about me, huh?” Zeki rolled his shoulders. “This town likes to gossip.”

“Yes, but….” Theo frowned as he explained. “But it’s meant to be a good thing. It’s meant to let the rest of the pack, the town, know if someone needs help.”

Zeki faced him again, surprise all over his face. “Yeah,” he allowed after a bit. “That makes sense.” His smile was gradual this time, more friendly than flirty. “No one ever told me that before. Thank you.” He went on before Theo could straighten up and feel any more foolish for reacting so strongly to a simple thank you. “But it’s also plain gossip too, sometimes, isn’t it? I mean, I know things about the sheriff and someone named Littlewolf and I’ve never met either of them.”

“Ah.” There, Theo lost his words again. “There’s a good reason everyone is talking about the sheriff. His relationship affects everyone. He runs the town, in a lot of ways. He’s… nice.” Sheriff Neri was a lot of things, but “nice” wasn’t the word most people would have used. The few times the sheriff had spoken to him, Theo had struggled not to bare his throat for him on the spot. He imagined, if he hadn’t already been mated, he would have done it, like almost everyone else in town did.

“I hear he’s hotter than the pavement in August,” the tourist butted in. Zeki glanced at the man as if recalling his presence. Theo smiled again. He was brimming over with every emotion and carrying more in his hands. His legs were shaking. He leaned against the counter too, and inhaled deeply when Zeki returned to him.

“Listen, I….” Zeki paused for the tourist, his admirer he seemed to have forgotten, then came to rest on the other side of the counter in front of Theo. “Listen, the other day, what I said. I shouldn’t have—”

Theo bent his head as if examining the pastries on display. His hair fell over his face. “How have you been since high school? College was safe?” Safe wasn’t the right word, he could tell from how Zeki stopped moving. Theo tried to find the phrase that would satisfy the knot of worry in his chest that he’d lived with for five years. “Good for you?” he amended. “Fulfilling?”

“I spent all my time learning and working, trying to pick up all I could about different methods. Not much partying. I guess studying was a habit I couldn’t break.” Theo didn’t know why Zeki would sound so sheepish about all his hard work. He’d been proud the other day. “I wanted to be the best, to show people what I could be.”

“You were always smart,” Theo agreed.

Zeki’s fingers tightened on the paper cup with the latte. “I didn’t think….” He exhaled. “I didn’t know you noticed me then.”

The tourist pushed away from the counter without another word. Theo listened to him leave, the bell above the door tinkling behind him.

“I didn’t, much. Until….” Theo veered away from dangerous territory. “Do you… do you plan to use your degree in town?” He hated asking when he knew the answer. “Wolf’s Paw doesn’t have any wizards.”

Zeki snorted as he pushed a plastic lid onto the cup. “No one here wants a wizard in residence. If they did, they’d have one already. Anyway, it’s a small town. How much work could there be?”

“Oh.” Theo tucked his hair over his ear and risked a look up. “In a big city you’d get more work, I guess.”

Zeki’s attention was on Theo’s ear, and the strands of hair that immediately fell forward again. “I’m good, but I’d be one of many in a big city. I had offers, but being some corporation’s private witch seemed like a waste. Those guys don’t need my help.”

“Maybe they’d need you in Carson?” The suggestion was on the edge of pathetic. Theo raised his head and stared at the poster for the Spring Thaw up by the register. Wolf’s Paw was getting bigger and busier with all the tourism, but it still wasn’t the size of Carson. Carson had the multiplex and the community college Theo had briefly attended and a mall.

He glanced over and caught Zeki staring at the side of his face. Zeki gave a start and then pushed the cup forward, only to take it back. “Sorry. Did you want it in a glass? I thought, dressed like that, you’d be on your way to the firehouse.” For a moment his gaze lingered on the foil-covered tray Theo couldn’t seem to let go of.

“I was on my way here,” Theo murmured with complete honesty, and then had a few moments to contemplate Zeki’s startled expression and slow-building smile. The air was thick with buzzing feelings, the light scents of pleasure and wonder. Zeki seemed happy, and Theo drank that in, though he didn’t understand what he’d done to put that look on his face.

“For coffee?” Zeki’s eyelashes brushed his cheeks when he lowered his eyes, and when he brought them back up, it took Theo a while to recognize the expression in them. People had looked at him with desire before; Theo wasn’t blind, despite what Violet thought. But desire alone hadn’t been what Theo yearned for, and Theo had been able to ignore it. This was
want
. It trailed through the space between them too, leaving him unable to think.

“I didn’t bring any money.” He could have said something else, something better, but the honest admission brought a sound out of Zeki. A shocked sound, followed by a stare so heated Theo flushed to his toes. He panicked and looked away, but it didn’t matter. Zeki had that stillness about him again, as if Theo had his complete attention.

How had he ever wanted that? He had trouble breathing with that focus turned on him. It made him jittery and warm and shivery, things no story about mates ever mentioned. There had been no pamphlets on how terrifying it would feel to recognize how deeply your mate could know you.

“I’m sure you’re good for it. And if not, I know where you live.” Zeki’s teasing tone on top of everything else had Theo floundering for something to say. He thought Zeki knew that somehow, despite being human. Zeki seemed to know things about him already. The knowledge wasn’t fair when Theo knew next to nothing about him and had hungered to for years.

Zeki nodded toward the firehouse. Theo glanced at it automatically. “I… that’s not where I live all the time. I have a house too.” The statement felt too loud, like a boast. Theo wasn’t trying to impress his mate by showing off his house. He wasn’t going to be creepy. He merely wanted Zeki to know he hadn’t pined on a firehouse cot for five years. “It’s not a big house.”

Zeki nodded. “Is that where you bake?”

Theo couldn’t imagine why he was interested but liked how Zeki could look him right in the eye without effort now. He liked the pleasant coffeehouse smells already attached to him too. Zeki smelled like a dessert but not like sugar, and he seemed genuinely eager to know where Theo baked. He must have really loved the cookies.

“How do you afford that?” The question was too personal and borderline rude, and yet Theo didn’t mind because Zeki pulled away, embarrassed, then ducked his head in apology and continued. “I meant that everyone says you donate a lot of your baked goods, and even with what the firehouse must pay you, and what you get here, you must use a lot of materials. Ingredients for any spell—recipe—are expensive. You can afford to donate that much?”