Lachlan

I hadn't dated since high school.

Not really. There had been a couple of flirtations here and there along with one almost-relationship that fizzled out before it really started. I'd been lonely and feeling like settling wouldn't be so bad. I didn't know what he'd been thinking, just that he stopped calling me back and I stopped caring that he did.

Oh, there had been other men in my life, and women. Those were purely physical encounters, though, after a quick test to confirm their humanity using potions my cousins sent me. The potions used tricky ingredients to find and only lasted for a couple of days after they were brewed, so even a one- or two-night stand was usually more trouble than it was worth. Still, the fact remained that I hadn't had an actual date before Magnus in my adult life.

Maybe my dating life was doomed to take place only in Haefen, California.

I snorted at the thought and opened my text messages again, just so I could smile dopily at my conversation with Magnus. I had known he had a good time on our lunch yesterday, but I never expected to hear from him again so soon, or for him to want to go out the very next day. I liked that he wasn't playing games. So many times, I had seen people trying to make someone more interested by acting less interested, themselves, or delaying things just because they thought it would make them look better. People wanted power or to pretend they didn't care much so that when things didn't work out, they could pretend it didn't hurt.

Magnus wasn't like that.

I rinsed my face and carefully examined myself in the mirror, sighing and rolling my eyes when I found a couple of hairs I missed while shaving. I trimmed my beard every day or two since I didn't like it getting too long, but the most challenging part of maintenance was shaping it. I had gotten pretty efficient in the last few years, but I was struggling today since my hands were lightly trembling with an annoyingly potent combination of excitement and nerves.

My phone buzzed and I jumped. Thankfully the razor didn't cut me, and I gently set it back down before picking up my phone. Magnus had texted that he was here.

I didn't know what had possessed me to give him my address rather than meeting him at the restaurant, but I justified it later once I remembered that my purchase of this house would be public record, anyway. If he really wanted to find me, he could. It was solid reasoning and it made me feel better about how easily I was trusting Magnus.

Besides, if he was going to attack me, better at my home than anywhere else. Here, I had Glenna's wards to keep me safe.

I gave myself a final once-over in the mirror, straightening my shirt and tweaking a few strands of hair that weren't laying quite how I wanted them to. "Good enough," I muttered, nodding to myself.

I was acutely aware of the sensation of being watched while I exited my house and locked my door. I avoided looking at Magnus yet since I knew seeing him would only make me more nervous. I caught sight of Safiya watching me with a big grin through her window and laughed when Glenna yanked her away and waved apologetically at me. I waved back before finally striding down the driveway and locking eyes with Magnus.

That intensity was back in his eyes, sending goosebumps down my arms. His gaze was so intimate, it felt almost like a touch. I could imagine those eyes looking into mine while we...

I reached the car and took a quick moment to literally attempt to shake the errant thoughts from my mind. This was not the time.

I climbed into Magnus' car and smiled awkwardly at him.

When was the last time I had gotten in a car with a relative stranger? I honestly couldn't remember.

"You're a good driver, right?" I asked nervously.

He laughed, but I didn't feel mocked or judged. "Don't worry. I've never gotten a ticket and I haven't been in an accident in years."

Magnus started backing out of my driveway while I snapped my seatbelt into place. "So you've been in an accident?" I pressed. How could I not have asked about this before I agreed to let him drive me?

"Relax. I've been in one accident and it wasn't my fault at all. I was stopped at a red light and someone rear ended me. You're safe, Lachlan."

I instantly felt bad for my fretting. Should I be apologizing for bringing it up or thanking him for taking my questions into stride? I didn't have a chance to do either, since Magnus asked, "How was your day?"

I snorted. Next we would talk about the weather, I thought. Still, I answered him. "It was good. It looks like I have a couple of new jobs coming in."

"I think you're really brave for starting your own company like you did," Magnus surprised me by saying.

I looked over at him, afraid to believe he was being serious - who said things like that? - but it was obvious he was. His eyes met mine for just a moment and I could read his sincerity in them. When he looked away, I glanced at the speedometer and laughed. He was going five under the speed limit.

"Laugh all you want. I don't see any reason to go faster. This way, I get as much time with you as possible."

Had he really just said that? I wanted to think he was cheesy and silly, but instead, I felt myself melting at how sweet he was.

"Sorry," Magnus said. "I know how that sounds."

"It's okay," I assured him. Please don't stop saying things like that. It was too nice. "Um, how was your day?"

For the first time, I caught something dark flashing through Magnus' expression. He quickly wiped it away with a smile, but this one was much less genuine than usual. "I had a hard day at work," he said. "I think I'm in for a lot of hard days."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said quickly. Now I wished I hadn't bragged about how great my own work was going.

Magnus waved off my apology, though. He shot an appraising look my way. "Can I... can I tell you about it?" he asked hesitantly.

I don't know what made me do it. Maybe it was his vulnerability, or maybe it was the simple fact that I liked him and could tell he was upset. Whatever the reason, I reached over to the hand that rested on his lap and laced our fingers together. "Of course you can tell me about it," I assured him.

He swallowed and shook his head. "Never mind. I don't want anything to take away from our date. Forget I asked."

There he was being sweet again. "No, talk to me." He looked over for a second before looking back to the road and I rolled my eyes. "Seriously, Magnus."

He let out a breath and nodded slowly. "Okay. Just a little, and then we're going to have a really good time."

"Deal."

"Okay. So... you know I run a company. I inherited it almost two years ago, and now someone is... suing me. She claims I wasn't the rightful inheritor and is trying to depose me."

"Oh no," I gasped.

"Yeah. We're still trying to figure out how valid her claim is and how much of a battle we're facing. I think my company has my back and I haven't broken any rules, but it has me worried."

"Of course you are," I said. "How long do you think all this will take?"

Magnus shrugged. "It has to go through hearings with a special committee that doesn't meet again for over a month, so it's going to take a while."

"How awful. Are you sure you feel up to doing this tonight? I would understand if you needed some time to yourself." If something like this happened to me, I would be curled up in bed until I adjusted to the situation.

Magnus' hand tightened around mine at my suggestion. "What? No. Lachlan, looking forward to tonight is what got me through work today."

I melted all over again. If he kept this up, I'd quickly become spoiled. No one else was this much of a sweetheart.

"Enough of that," Magnus said. "Tell me something else. What are your hobbies?"

I let the topic change slide and we spent the rest of the drive getting to know each other.

I had only been to the restaurant Magnus had chosen once, with my father. He had a passion for food and liked to think he enjoyed international cuisine. It always went badly when we tried to eat foods that he wasn't used to, though. He was raised in Lebanon and came over to America as a teenager, and when he cooked, it was the food of his culture. He hadn't enjoyed our venture into Italian food at all. We had left with his plate almost completely full and he had made himself a full meal when we got home. I didn't remember much about the restaurant other than the comical expressions on my father's face as he tried to enjoy his dinner.

Tonight, I was just as distracted by my dining partner, but in a completely different way. Magnus captivated me as no one else had ever done before.

I always got ravioli at Italian restaurants, so I was finished with the menu after a quick perusal of their pasta section. Magnus was still looking over his options, so I took the opportunity to study him. In this soft lighting, he looked gentler than usual. A dimple flashed in one of his cheeks and I winced - he had caught me staring. I looked down at my hands, hating the burning heat in my cheeks that was a dead giveaway for my embarrassment. Why couldn't I just play it cool? Something about Magnus made me feel like a teenager with his first crush all over again. I felt awkward and giddy when he was around. His attention made my insides squirm and I craved the feeling of his eyes on me even though it made me feel even more nervous.

"Know what you're getting?" Magnus asked.

I nodded, grateful he wasn't going to call me out on my staring. "Cheese ravioli. You?"

Magnus wrinkled his nose playfully. "It's not dinner if there's no meat," he said. "I'm getting the chicken marsala."

Without my permission, my eyes traced the toned muscles of his arms. Was the rest of him so sculpted? "I shouldn't be surprised you have a high-protein diet," I said.

I immediately snapped my mouth shut and internally cursed my runaway mouth. Who says something like that? And had he heard the want in my voice?

Magnus' eyes glinted with pleasure and his lips turned up in a teasing smile that had me squirming. Something about his expression felt... predatory. I never thought that was a word I would apply to Magnus, not with how sweet he always was, but it was undeniable. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said. "And just to keep things even, you should know that I find you incredibly attractive."

Our waitress chose that moment to appear. Magnus gestured for me to order first and I really wished he had given me another moment to collect myself. I stuttered through my order, then focused on calming my racing heart while I surreptitiously wiped my palms on my pants.

Incredibly attractive, he had said. Just remembering it undid all of the calm I had managed to grasp. I never in my life thought I would believe a line like that, but I had a hard time not believing every word out of Magnus' mouth. His eyes were always so genuine that my skepticism melted before it could fully form.

From there, dinner was good - really good. Not just the food - though Magnus had definitely chosen the restaurant well - but the company. I almost couldn't believe I had met someone like him, someone who made me feel this way. It was so easy, being with him. Sure, I was nervous and awkward, but with anyone else those feelings would have been intensified.

The simple fact was that this didn't feel like a second date. It felt like so much more than that.

When we were back in Magnus' car, he didn't turn it on right away. He sighed and for the first time since the ride over when he told me about his work issues, he looked at me with sadness in his eyes.

My mind raced and my heart sped again, this time with real fear. That was the kind of look you never wanted to see at the end of a date. Was he about to tell me he didn't want to see me again? But why? I could have sworn he'd had a good time, too. He had been so attentive all night, so interested in everything I had to say. He had called me attractive. And there had been this look in his eyes whenever they met mine, a kind of spark. I would almost have called it affection, if it weren't way too soon for that. What had happened to put sadness in those eyes now?

A small smile that was really more like a grimace graced his lips, lips I despaired over never getting to kiss, and he said, "I don't want to take you home. I don't want this night to end."

I was so busy worrying that I almost didn't catch the meaning of his words. All of my fears and worries lifted at once, leaving me feeling light and giddy. It gave me the confidence to lean toward him, cup the back of his neck, and press my lips to his.

Magnus made a surprised noise, but he returned the kiss eagerly, not hesitating for an instant. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer against him. Magnus' tongue swept over my lips and it felt so good, I waited for him to do it again before I opened my mouth to him. Touching him was like nothing I had felt before. Every point of contact sent sparks of awareness radiating through my whole body. His tongue swept over mine and all thoughts fled from my mind as I became a creature of feeling.

When Magnus kissed me, it wasn't just a physical act. I would have sworn I could feel him. He was turned on, sure, but there was also such joy in him that I shuddered in his arms. There was a curious tugging sensation in my chest, pulling me toward him - as though I wasn't already eagerly pressing myself as close to Magnus as I could while we were still in the front seat of his car.

I ended the kiss and pulled back just far enough that I could look into Magnus' eyes. My runaway mouth opened again and I said, "Wow."

His lips quirked upward and he gave me a quick peck before answering. "Yeah, wow."

We smiled at each other before his arms loosened and I settled myself back in my seat. Magnus said, "I guess I should take you back" with obvious reluctance in his tone.

"I guess so," I agreed halfheartedly. That spot in my chest tugged toward him again and I winced. It almost hurt and I wasn't ready for this night to end. Something about that was really satisfying - it was the mark of a really good date that I felt this way.

Then again, I really wanted the chance to kiss Magnus again.

Magnus patted my thigh before he turned on his car and laughed when he couldn't see out the windows. He flicked on the defrosters and turned to me with amusement sparking in his eyes - an expression I was beginning to think was his normal, he used it so much. "This will just take a minute," he said.

I laughed with him. It really was like being in high school again. When was the last time I had fogged the car windows up with a make out session? "That's okay," I assured him. "I'm not in a hurry."

We smiled at each other for a long moment before Magnus' expression shifted to something more uncertain. "What is it?" I asked.

"I know this - what we're doing - is really new. I know it's soon for a relationship and the last thing I want is for you to feel pressured, but do you think we could at least agree on exclusivity? Not going out with anyone else while we're seeing each other?"

My heart leaped into my throat and I knew I was staring at him. He looked painfully nervous, but I struggled to find the right words.

He hadn't asked for one, but he had hinted at wanting a relationship with me. A committed relationship. Obviously, I was happy to agree to exclusivity with him, but I wanted more, too. Just like he did.

It was too soon, though. I knew that. I had met the man yesterday and even though we had already spent hours with each other, we didn't know each other yet. I didn't know what his life looked like or what my place would look like in it. He didn't know mine. I knew he was a kind, genuine person... but I didn't know him.

But I wanted to. And I badly wanted for us to reach a place where we could have a relationship. It had been a long time since I held that kind of dream and Magnus' suggestion was a good first step in that direction.

Magnus was still waiting for an answer.

"Yes," I said. "I can agree to be exclusive."

His face lit up. "Okay, good." His eyes lingered on me before they swept over the windshield, which was clear again. He gave an exaggerated sigh and said, "Let's get you home."