“Your loss.” Shrugging, she took a bite of steak. “Anyway, the stupid centaurs and vampires are the reason I didn’t get to buy something nice to wear.”

“You’re wearing something nice.”

Kai’s brilliant blue eyes stared at her over the top of his wine glass. There was something very deep—very primal—about the look in them.

“The bouncer let me in at least.” She smiled at him. The effect was only slightly diminished by her dropping her fork.

Kai caught it before it hit the counter. “You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Being nervous around me.”

Sera didn’t have anything to say to that, so she turned her attention to her steak instead. They sat in silence for the next few minutes while she ate and he watched her eat.

“Do you want the rest?” she finally asked. The only thing more uncomfortable than those tight pants was her full stomach pressing against those tight pants.

Kai reached for the plate as she was pulling away, and their hands brushed together. His magic flared up, gliding past hers. Its whispers were as soft as rose petals, its touch as smooth as honey.

“Sorry,” he said, pulling his magic back in. “My magic has been unruly tonight.”

She folded her hands together and tried not to think too hard about the fact that he’d apologized to her. Kai Drachenburg didn’t apologize. He commanded.

“You’re unsettled,” he said.

“Nope.”

“You are.” He slid off his stool, then extended his hand toward her. “Dance with me.”

“But we have work to do.”

“Dancing first. You need to relax.”

Without waiting for her response, he snatched her hand and led her to the dance floor. Raw and heavy, the bass buzzed against her skin. It rippled across her body, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Kai’s hands dropped to her hips, the heat of his fingers dissolving through the thin fabric of her pants, flushing through her body. Biting back a shudder, Sera set her hands on his shoulders and concentrated on matching the sway of his body.

He started off slow, his eyes watching her cautiously, as though he thought she might flee at any second. The music sped up, its melody mixing with the bass. Kai’s steps grew faster. Harder. He pulled her close, his hands pouring down her back, burning her with languid heat. His cheek brushed across hers, his breath trailing her jaw.

“You look amazing,” he whispered into her ear. His words melted against her skin, dissolving like steaming snowflakes.

“I wasn’t sure they would let me in at…” He kissed her cheek, and her words crumbled. Every inch of her tingled with magic. His magic. “You’re doing it again.”

“As I told you before, I’m having trouble keeping my magic in check.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

His lips buzzed against her cheek as he spoke. His magic poured across her body like a river of fire, sliding down every curve, climbing every peak. Sera shuddered.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, pulling back just far enough to meet her eyes.

Her body protested his absence. Her magic tugged at his, trying to draw him closer. “No.”

His blue eyes looked down at her, shining like mirrored glass. He dipped his head and kissed her. It was a light kiss, over almost as soon as it had begun. Even after his lips had left hers, his magic lingered, its teasing touch nuzzling at her restraint.

“Still ok?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Not running away?”

“Not a chance.”

“Good.”

This time when he kissed her, it wasn’t light or soft. And there wasn’t much restraint left in either of them. His lips kneaded against hers, hard and urgent, sizzling with magic. That magic dissolved into her, saturating her every pore with fire. She opened her mouth to gasp, and he slipped his tongue past her lips. His hand slid over her butt, tugging her closer. She wanted him so badly that she could hardly think straight.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he whispered into her ear.

“Yes.” She gasped as his teeth nuzzled against her neck. “But don’t we have a job to do first?”

“About that.” He traced his finger down her side. “I might have misled you a tad.”

“There’s no job?”

“Not really,” he admitted. “I asked you here so we could spend some time together.”

“So this is a date?”

“It is if you want it to be,” he said, watching for her reaction. At this very moment, he looked more vulnerable than she had ever seen him. More vulnerable than he’d looked when Finn had been draining his magic with the Priming Bangles.

“I think…” She cleared her throat. “I think I do want it to be.”

Relief spread across his face, trailed by a smile. It wasn’t his typical hard and feral smile; it was a genuinely happy one. He kissed her once more, then took her hand, leading her off the floor. They’d only made it a few steps when he stopped abruptly.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

He pulled his buzzing phone out of his pocket, frowning down at it. “Of all the times… Sorry, this will only take a moment.” His eyes panned across the screen, his frown deepening. “It appears we have to work tonight after all.”

“Oh?” she said, trying not to sound disappointed. Kai didn’t look like he was in the mood for fun anymore anyway.