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“Originally, I was trying to find a job as a pastry chef, but I haven’t even been able to get a job at a donut shop,” Mila explained.

“You’re looking for a job as a chef?" Carter asked.

“I specialize in sweets,” Mila said. “You should taste my French Napoleon. They’re my best.”

“Are those the ones with the cream between layers of flakey pastry stuff?” Rissa asked. When Mila nodded, Rissa's eyes went wide. “Marry me!”

Mila laughed when Carter made a shooing motion. “Mila doesn’t want to marry you or Anatoly or Zan. And she doesn’t need a job.”

“I might not be marrying them, but I do need the job,” Mila argued, then focused back on Rissa. “Should I go talk to Harper?”

“Let’s exchange numbers,” Rissa said, handing her a cell. “Don’t worry about the appointment we had for tomorrow. You’re a special case. I’ll make sure you end up with the right type of job.”

“Right now any job will work,” Mila said, feeling truly hopeful. She was making friends, had a full stomach, and a wonderful dog all in less than twenty-four hours!

She balanced the snoozing Babette in her lap while she entered her information into Rissa’s phone. No sooner did she hand the device back to the woman than Carter was shoving his cell at her.

“Me too!”

She did the same again but this time when she handed it back, he held it up and snapped a picture of the two of them.

“There, now I can make sure I get to see your perfect face,” he declared.

Her phone chimed so she hid her heated face behind her hair while she checked to see that both Rissa and Carter had texted her so she had their numbers too.

That’s when she noticed the time.

With a gasp she looked over her shoulder to see it was dark outside. She’d been here much longer than the four hours allowed where she’d parked!

“I have to go!” she gasped, shoving her phone in her pocket and gathering Babette in her arms before jumping off the stool.

“No,” Carter argued. “The evening is still young. Please don’t go yet.”

“Tomorrow,” she promised, then rushed away as everyone yelled goodbye to her. She called back but was much too scared about losing the van to pause for even a second longer.

Chapter 7

Carter

“Don’t follow her,” Zan said, grabbing his arm before he could chase after Mila.

“I can’t let her go out in the dark by herself,” Carter snarled, jerking his arm away. “She’s human and fragile. Anything could happen to her.”

“I agree, but wait a few minutes,” Zan said. “You’ll still be able to track her. If she thinks you’re a stalker, she might run. Humans aren’t used to how protective we can be.”

Carter’s shoulders slumped a little. “Fuck, you’re right.”

Zan snickered. “Did it hurt to admit that?”

“Shut it, cat,” Carter growled.

Zan laughed, then held out his hand. “Leave your helmet and bike keys here. We can move the Aprilia if you don’t end up coming back.” That last part was said with a wink.

Carter didn’t think he was going to get lucky enough to talk Mila into driving him home, but there was always hope so he handed them over. “Thanks.”

Zan tucked them away behind the bar as Carter stood to survey lively place as he slowly counted to twenty to give Mila a head start.

At a table in the corner of the small bar sat Mason and Skyler on one side and a vampire Carter had never met on the other. It was obvious the gargoyle and nymph were interviewing the vampire. It didn’t seem like it was going well. The vampire was scowling, and Mason looked disappointed.