Several drinks and a delicious, normal meal later, we wandered out of the restaurant, smiling. He had my hand clasped in the crook of his elbow, and I had enough drinks in me-and good conversation-to let him.
I found myself liking Beau quite a bit more than I should have. It was a mistake, through and through, but when he smiled down at me, I got a little weak in the knees and even weaker in resolve.
He was supernatural, I kept reminding myself. That meant bad news for Sara, bad news for me. He was everything I was supposed to avoid. Dating Beau meant Alliance politics I couldn't even begin to understand, mortal enemies (every supe had them), and all kinds of complications. As a human on the fringes, I knew my fair share about how their secret society operated, but there were levels that I'd never be privy to. For all I knew, the guy turned into a ravening, man-eating cougar at the full moon.
Suspicious, I glanced up at the sky. No full moon.
Everything about the setup of our date told me to run away, and run away fast. But he was charming, and funny, and incredibly sexy. He listened to everything I said with an interested look on his face. I could talk about the bizarre goings-on at Giselle's office and knew that he'd understand because he was part of the Alliance. It was seductively freeing, even more so when he chuckled at my anecdotes.
I also learned a bit about him. Beau was the eldest child of his family and had three younger brothers. His dad had died when he was eighteen, and his mother lived in California with her second husband-a were-lion. He loved his clan. He was the head of the Paranormal Alliance and owned a large security firm staffed by shifters.
He was ... nice. I liked him. I couldn't like him, though. Sara was in danger if I allowed my feelings for someone-especially a supe-to come between us. I was her shield to the world.
Lost in thought, I was quiet as we walked out of the restaurant. Neither of us spoke, but he still had my arm in his, possessive. A taxi stand was just down the street.
He started to steer me away from the taxi line and toward the restaurant's private parking lot, and my happy, almost-bubbling mood dissipated. I stopped. "I think it's time for me to head home."
"Want to go have a nightcap somewhere?" His hand slid over my shoulder.
I slid it right back off again. His hand was very warm and felt great on my bare skin, but I wouldn't let that sway me. "I'm not going to the hotel with you."
His lips quirked. "I won't lie-I would love to get you into my bed. But I was thinking more along the lines of a drink. Or coffee, if you'd rather."
Sure, and I was just whistling Dixie. "I'll pass, thanks." I pulled away and turned toward the cab stand.
When a cab pulled up, Beau opened the door.
Before I could get into it, however, he shut the door. Irritated, I slapped his arm lightly. "What are you-"
"Shhh," he said, turning back toward me. His eyes were slitted like a cat's, gleaming yellow-green and reflecting light.
I stared at him, openmouthed in surprise. His nostrils flared slightly as he sniffed the air, searching for something. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but I remembered his request for quiet and obeyed.
He blinked and the unnatural shine faded from his eyes, his pupils a regular size once more. Then he looked down at me. "Don't take the cab."
"Why?" I glanced over at the waiting taxi, unnerved.
He pulled me closer to him in a protective grasp and led me back down the sidewalk. "The cab driver smelled like ... like alcohol."
Something about his statement rang false. I remembered the way his eyes had gleamed, as if he'd been hunting prey. "Uh-huh."
