Page 5 of The Last Unicorn's Mate
She glanced up and everything seemed to swim.It was a warm sensation.“What’s your name?”
“Asher.”
She held out her hand.“I’m Juniper.”
It took him a moment to reach out, but the moment their skin touched a jolt of adrenaline shot through her.His nostrils flared and she thought he was sniffing her out.Did humans do that?She thought that was only a shifter thing to do.Maybe he could smell her new laundry detergent.Now that she was free to make her own choices, she chose the good-smelling expensive stuff.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Juniper.”
She held up the glass.“Can I have another?”
He tilted his head.“If you drink another one you might have a hangover in the morning.”
“They’re bad, right?”
“Pretty much.”
“I start work tomorrow.I better not risk it.”
“If you really want to experience a hangover then come back when you don’t have to get up early the next day.”He opened his arms.“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay,” she said, smiling.“But ...do you happen to have a cigarette?”
One eyebrow went up.“You smoke?”
“No, but how do I know if I like it or not unless I try one?”
“That is a very good point.”He held up a finger.“Stay right there.”
Juni watched as he walked to the end of the bar to talk to another patron, who handed over a cigarette and lighter.Then he gestured for someone to come behind the bar.Once his employee replaced him, he walked over to her.
“We have to step outside,” he said.“Smoking isn’t allowed inside the bar.”
He headed to the door and she followed.People greeted him as he went by, and she could see everyone liked him.That boded well for him being a nice lover.
Once outside, he stepped to the side of the building then held out the cigarette and lighter.Juni took them and looked at him expectantly.
“You’re going to put the butt-end of the cigarette between your lips, hold the flame up to the tip and inhale because that will light it up.”
Juni did that but couldn’t get the lighter to work.Again, she looked up at him, waiting.
“The roller thing there, roll that and ...yep, that’s how you do it.”
Once she had that conquered, she did exactly as he instructed, but as soon as the smoke hit her lungs she started coughing.The taste was horrendous.She held both items out for him.To his credit, he didn’t do atold you so.
“I definitely don’t like this,” she said in between coughs.“People actually like smoking?”
“The nicotine is addicting.”
“Yuck,” she muttered.“Well, that’s scratched off my to-do list.”
Asher stuck both items in his pocket.“What’s this about a list?”
“Stuff I want to experience.”She cocked her head.“Do you know what happened to the man who was technically my father?”
“Technically, no.Should I say condolences?”
There was no humor in that, but she still gave a ghost of a smile.“Absolutely not.He died.Some disease.Doesn’t matter.Anyway, I swore that I was going to do all the things he never let me do.”
