The truth was, Aisha would have helped him out of curiosity, but the way he’d looked at her, like he’d just found something he hadn’t expected, stopped her in her tracks.
Or maybe it had been the way her heart had fluttered, and something within her screamed that he was who she needed. Yeah. It was that damn feeling that had gotten her derailed from her own research.
She needed to help him. It wasn’t a question; it was a soul deep desire and when she failed, a part of her nearly died. Only the big, tough, stone-faced man hadn’t been angry. He’d been the opposite. Thankful even, and then he’d continued to stop by.
“What if I don’t want him knowing where I live, Aisha?”
Oh, right. She wasn’t alone. In fact, she had two men who both seemed to want her attention. When had that ever happened? Never. She’d either been so single that even her couch had put half of itself up for rent, or she’d settled for someone that she’d choose a dry piece of toast over. What was this world coming to?
“Seriously, Tan? He knows where I work. If he wanted to stalk anyone, it would be me. Not you. I’m pretty sure you aren’t his type.”
Wow. She rubbed her temple with her fingers. That might have been a little snippy, but this is what you got when she was confused, horny, and maybe a little irritated.
They continued to walk. Tan didn’t deserve to think she’d cheated, or that she had already replaced him. That’s what this was starting to feel like, though. She should have pushed Deo to stay away, only she wasn’t sure that even putting up a fight would have stopped him.
She slowed as they got closer to the house.
“Deo, can you give us a second? I need to talk to Tan. Alone.”
She blew out a breath, hoping it helped her nerves. If her dad had known that she’d find someone else, he never would have set her up in an arranged marriage. Most likely.
Or maybe he would have. He had married for love and it hadn’t worked out for him. Aisha didn’t think much of her mom. She’d left long before Aisha had even come into her magic. Her dad never seemed to get over it, but then again, he said the reason she’d left was him. Insecurity that she’d leave him, a human, for someone better.
Gah. She needed out of her head.
Glancing at the house, she focused on what would happen if she broke things off with Tan? It was her house, but he rented her basement apartment, and she enjoyed that. Who wouldn’t want a friend close by?
She pursed her lips as Deo got closer. How did she even know that without looking? Who knows? But her body was hypersensitive to him, that was clear.
“Deo, that is the opposite of giving me space,” she said.
He grunted. “I have excellent hearing. I don’t see any reason to walk away.”
Dragging in a breath of air through her nose, Aisha realized sarcasm was lost on the big guy. This was why she wasn’t married yet, or well that’s what dad had said. She was too much for any man. Only he’d found Tan and as much as her dad had loved her, he’d also made her feel like this was the best she could do.
Medium height, handsome, and not her type. Ha. Apparently, her type was out-of-her-league hot with muscles for days. Yeah. She had lofty standards for someone who didn’t feel like she fit anywhere.
Looking at Deo, she shook her head again. “Okay. Fine. I don’t care if you hear, but could you just pretend? Maybe go sniff that tree or something.”
She watched the wheels turn and if he said one more thing; she was going to lose it. Aisha couldn’t put off Tan anymore, and come to think of it, she wasn’t sure she could deal with “possessive” dragon guy either.
“Fine. I will walk over there. I don’t sniff trees, but also, I will be looking for a mate for this male. There are many females here.”
“Okay. Fine, whatever.”
Deo finally walked away, and Aisha felt like she could breathe again. When he was around, it seemed like the world revolved around him and all the air in the world was anchored to him.
But as he walked away, her mind cleared enough to focus on Tan.
“Look, Tan. I’m sorry about this. He’s a really nice guy. I’ve heard about shifters, and apparently, they get possessive. I don’t really know why, well, I mean, I can guess,” she stopped.
Tan looked around her, which wasn’t like him. He was nice, and he always felt like eye contact was the best way to communicate. Even if sometimes she had to look at his nose because the staring contest was too much.
“Tan? Look at me, I’m trying to figure out how to make-”
“Uh, Aisha?”
Rolling her eyes, she answered. “Yes, Tan?”
“I think he’s going into that house?”
“What?” She spun on her heel and her jaw dropped as she watched Deo talking to one of her slutty neighbors. She’d never said more than one word to this single woman because her tiny bikini-clad body in the front yard made Aisha want to punch her. Yeah. It was judge-y, but seriously. Why couldn’t she sunbathe in the backyard? Maybe she was nice? Honestly, Aisha never had time to figure it out. Based on that, she’d just let some strange man in her house, yeah. No. She didn't think she was the brightest.
“You’re seeing this? That your admirer knocked on that door and now he’s going in.”
Yeah. She was seeing it and her face heated. He was not going into that house. Aisha glared as she power-walked across the street, reaching the door as it clicked closed.
Knocking on the door with fervor, she might have
