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“Kenna,” he says in his deep, graveled voice when he stops just a couple of feet away, eyes searching my face. “I didn’t expect to run into you tonight.”

That makes two of us, but I’m still too tongue-tied to do more than nod in response.

Blair looks… different than he does at the Bureau.

No tie with his black suit, shirt unbuttoned at the collar. More relaxed, at ease, and about a thousand times more dangerous for my self-restraint.

And the way he’s looking at me… golden eyes running up and down my body for a moment before meeting mine again, sends a shock of desire all the way through me.

Ten seconds.

Ten fucking seconds was all it took for me to feel like I’m right back where I was on Monday, all worked up into knots over this dragon, somehow unable to wrench myself free from the intense hold his stare has on me.

And maybe Blair can see he has me, too, because his eyes sharpen and a small, knowing smile turns up the corners of his lips before he speaks again.

“Do you want to get a drink with me?”

Acutely aware all my friends are staring, a flush climbs up the back of my neck and over the curve of my cheeks.

A small, idiotic voice from somewhere dangerously close to the center of my chest shoutsyes! Yes, of course I’d like to get a drink!

Or, maybe not in my chest. Maybe that voice is somewhere decidedly lower as Blair leans a little closer to me and I get a whiff of the smoky, spicy scent that clings to him in a way that makes me think it’s not just his cologne.

I’m saved from doing or saying anything truly catastrophic by Holly’s hand on my arm.

“Kenna?” she says. “A word?”

Breaking Blair’s gaze, I let her tug me a little way down the sidewalk.

“Are you, uh, going to take him up on that offer?” she asks in a low voice.

“I’m considering it,” I whisper. “Am I an idiot?”

I expect her to be my voice of reason, to tell me no, absolutely not, under no circumstances should I let the stern, sexy dragon shifter take me out for a drink. But Holly surprises me by glancing over my shoulder at Blair, then looking back at me with a wry smile on her face.

“Well, we were planning on making some bad choices tonight.”

I might only imagine it, but I catch the slight sound of a huffed breath from where Blair’s standing a few yards away.

“And you can always call if you want to meet back up later,” Holly says. “Wes is still planning to DD.”

“I’ll make sure she gets where she’s going safely,” Blair cuts in, and I know I wasn’t imagining his last reaction. Damned dragon’s been listening to us.

I glare over my shoulder at him. “Private conversation, buddy. And I haven’t said yes yet.”

Blair just huffs another amused breath and turns to face the street, pretending like he’s not listening anymore.

I look back at Holly, and she arches a brow at me in silent challenge.

“You’re supposed to be the rational one, remember?” I whisper.

“What can I say?” she asks with a shrug. “He’s got a good aura.”

Blair chuckles, and I fight the urge to snap at him again.

“Besides,” Holly says, whispering now. “Life’s short, Kenna. Have your fun if you want to.”

There’s something a little sad about her words, and when I look at her more closely, that sadness is echoed in her expression.