Page 79 of Another Man’s Treasure

“Gods, I’m going to forget all about dinner if you keep that up.” I press my body tighter to his. “Shall we just skip it and go to bed?”

He laughs, a low sound that rumbles out of his throat. “This dinner? Any other dinner, I’d take you up on that. But this one’s kinda important, baby.”

I reach down and slap his ass. “Fine, fine. Let’s part for a max of thirty minutes, and I’ll see you shortly. If you get ready early, feel free to come meet me at the apartment. Maybe we’ll have time for a quickie.”

“Don’t want to rush,” he growls into my skin, biting his way down my neck to my shoulder. “Want you slowly, baby.”

I push out of his arms, because if I don’t put some separation between this cowboy and me, I’ll never find the willpower to do it. “See you in a little bit.”

His expression goes tense and focused as I back away from him, his muscles visibly tightening. It’s like being tracked and hunted, and I fucking adore it.

“Stoppp,” I hiss playfully. “We cannot be late for this dinner, and I can’t show up smelling like cum with dirt stains on my face.”

He barks out a laugh. “Good point. I’m really going, but I’ll think about you while I’m showering, baby. I’ve got time for that, at least.”

My mouth waters at the idea of that. I don’t want to miss it, but this dinner means a lot, so I force myself to tell him goodbye and head toward my apartment.

I don’t hear footsteps behind me, so I know he’s staring and watching me go. It’s so sexy knowing he’s watching my departing back. And ass. And tail. And I’m half wishing I’d kept the sexy bunny suit on.

Just under an hour later, I sail through Lizard Lick Saloon’s front door when she opens it for me. Tucking my wings tightly, I scan the crowd. Wild’s at the back, faced away from me as he shakes Emmer Sandoval’s hand. My man’s wearing tight jeans and the belt he wore the day we met, meaning he’s got the big-ass sexy buckle at the front. A buttoned jean shirt a darker shade of blue completes the package. He’s just missing a hat.

Godsdamn, he’s sexy.

Nerves fill me. It was one thing to fake a relationship without meeting the Sandovals, and it was actually fun to do that in front of Saint. But now that the Sandovals are here, it feels like so much more of a lie, despite how real it's become. But when I see everyone take their seats in the big round booth, I lift my chin.

I can do this. I can be there for him when he needs me, and this is the last thing he needs to get his dream ranch and my spa location. After this, it’s just paperwork.

Walking confidently to the booth, I stop just next to it, flashing a smile at the group. Emmer Sandoval stands and reaches for my hand, and I shake it. Behind him, a far older minotaur sits in the booth, smiling softly at us. He’s dressed to the nines in a three-piece suit with a watch chain just like Sipan’s dangling from his breast pocket.

“Hello, Mister Sandoval,” I say, reaching over the table to him.

His smile grows, and he takes my hand, giving it a quick shake back.

Willa joins us then, hugging me tightly. “I see you’ve met Oz. It’s nice to put faces and names together. I’m Willa Lane.” Looking around the table, she frowns. “We’re missing Mister Ashbourne, it seems.”

“We didn’t invite him,” says the elder Sandoval, looking between us. “We didn’t want his presence to mar this evening, since this is about finalizing a deal we’ve been working toward for the better part of a year.”

I slip onto the rounded bench next to Wilder, taking comfort when he places his enormous arm on the seat behind my head, fingertips resting possessively on the edge of my shoulder.

Emmer smiles at us. “Tell us how things are going? We really do miss this place.”

A moment stretches into two before either Wild or I can seem to find the right words to begin.

“We’ve had an interesting week,” Wild starts. “Pine Gulch herself sent us on a bit of a wild goose chase, and we’ve discovered an office of sorts underneath the Keeper’s house.”

Emmer Sandoval’s dark brows rise. “Is that so?”

Wild continues on as I debate if it was smart to share this info or not.

“Apparently it was Sipan Virian’s personal office and laboratory of sorts, and, well, the short of it is we think there’s a sort of key to the city for Pine Gulch.” He winces as he looks between the Sandoval men. “And we believe it’s located somewhere on your ranch.”

Emmer looks at his father, but the elder Sandoval breaks into a big smile and waves a wrinkled hand toward the bar. “See those cowbells hanging there above the bar?”

I’ve seen them a million times, but I’m not sure if Wilder’s learned their meaning just yet.

“One for every Keeper PG ran outta this place, every monster who wasn’t a fit. This haven is a female of many opinions, as you’ve no doubt seen.”

“This is where it all started, actually,” Willa says. “The bar tossed a clue onto our table one night, and it led us to Sipan’s lair.” She laughs. “That’s what we’ve been calling it, anyway. He seems to have been a male of…well, I think he had a sense of humor.”