Page 8 of Bewitched by the Fruit Bat King (The Bewitching Hour #3)

"Your supplier is overcharging you for those tulip bulbs," he said suddenly, making me pause mid-bite. "Dutch varieties shouldn't cost that much, even with import fees."

I narrowed my eyes. "Have you been investigating my business?"

"I know every florist's supplier in the city. Kane Industries started as a small greenhouse operation." His lips quirked. "Admittedly, that was two centuries ago, but I still oversee our botanical division personally."

"Wait—you actually know about plants? I thought you just bought companies."

"I built my empire on understanding soil composition and growth cycles before expanding into pharmaceuticals." There was almost a hint of pride in his voice. "Though these days, I mainly experiment with rare breeds in my personal greenhouse."

"You have a greenhouse?" I couldn't hide my interest. Damn it.

"Several. Currently, I'm working on stabilizing a night-blooming variety that's proven... challenging."

"Let me guess - the Black Midnight Rose? Because if you're having trouble, you're probably using the wrong phosphate balance in your fertilizer."

His eyebrows rose slightly. "Most people don't even know they exist, let alone how to grow them."

"Most people didn't spend three years trying to get them to bloom consistently." I found myself explaining my cultivation process, then caught his intent expression. "What?"

"Nothing. You're just remarkably knowledgeable about your craft."

What followed was a surprisingly passionate debate about proper growing conditions for temperamental plants.

Kane, it turned out, had strong opinions about soil pH levels, while I defended my more intuitive magical approach.

The conversation flowed easier than the wine, and I almost forgot I was dining with a vampire king who could probably buy every greenhouse in the country with his pocket change.

"You're full of surprises," he said, looking at me with an intensity that made the bond sing. "Have dinner with me again tomorrow."

It wasn't quite a question, and that streak of high-handedness made what I had to say easier. "I can't. I actually have another date tomorrow."

The temperature around us seemed to drop ten degrees. Through our bond, I felt something dark and possessive surge, like storm clouds gathering before lightning strikes. Kane's expression didn't change, but his fingers tightened on his wine glass until I heard the crystal protest.

"Another date," he repeated, his voice deceptively soft.

I thought about Bethany's eager face when she'd set up the date with Brad, how she'd promised he was perfect for me.

At the time, having a backup date had seemed like a brilliant way to prove this whole fated mate thing wrong.

Now, with Kane's carefully controlled rage pulsing through our bond, I was less sure about my life choices.

"It was arranged before... this," I gestured vaguely between us, trying to ignore how the bond practically crackled with tension. "Before the whole office incident."

"Cancel it."

The command in his voice made my spine stiffen. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." His eyes had taken on that eerie glow that reminded me exactly what he was. "Cancel. It."

"You don't get to dictate my social life just because some magical accident connected us." Even as I said it, the bond flared with something that felt suspiciously like denial from his end.

"Magical accident?" His voice was dangerously quiet now. "Is that what you think this is?"

"What else would it be? We barely know each other. You're..." I waved my hand at his general... everything, "...you. And I'm just a florist who happened to accidentally summon you."

"A florist," he repeated slowly, "who managed to breach every magical ward protecting me, break through my personal defenses, and forge a mate bond faster than anything I’ve ever heard of.

" He leaned forward, and the predatory grace of the movement made my heart stutter.

"Do you really think any of that was an accident? "

I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it. When he put it that way...

"The date stays," I said finally, proud that my voice remained steady. "I made a commitment."

Something flickered across his face too quickly to read, but through the bond I felt a complex surge of emotions: anger, possessiveness, and underneath it all, something that felt almost like... respect?

"Fine," he said after a long moment. "Keep your date." His smile showed just a hint of fang. "But know this - I don't share what's mine. And mate bond or not, I play the long game. I've had centuries of practice at getting what I want."

The way he said it sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. "I'm not yours."

"Not yet."

I was saved from having to respond to that loaded statement by the arrival of dessert, but I could feel his eyes on me for the rest of the meal. The bond hummed between us, heavy with unspoken challenges and possibilities I wasn't ready to face.

How the hell was I going to survive tomorrow's date with Brad when I could still feel Kane's possessive anger simmering through our connection?