Chapter 5

The night flew by, not only because her section was busy, but because she kept fixating on Roman. He was certainly good-looking by almost any woman’s standards, not to mention full of confidence—but his overtures toward her were almost boyish and definitely clumsy.

Also cute and disarming, she admitted to herself. She was less intimidated by him than she might otherwise be. I have to be careful about that. It might be his way of getting past my guard.

Well, if it was a ploy, it had certainly worked.

Her shift ended up running a little late—part of her worried about that, even though she knew his impressions of her wouldn’t matter in the long run. They couldn’t. Eventually, even if Roman weren’t one of Trevor’s men and even if they hit it off, she would have to leave San Antonio, leave Roman and his charm behind.

But she needn’t have worried. When she stepped out of the restaurant, Roman stood behind some customers waiting for their buzzers to go off to let them know they had a table ready. If it were at all possible, he was even more handsome in the moonlight.

He walked over to her, gracefully moving his arm behind her and leaning over to brush his lips lightly against her cheek. That slight contact was enough to send shivers through her. “It’s good to see you,” he said.

“Thanks for waiting. I’m sorry I’m late.”

“I’m sure you’re worth it. Where are we headed?”

“It’s kind of a ways away, so I hope you don’t mind walking a bit. It’s called the Bat Bar.”

“The Bat Bar?”

“Yeah, because of all of the Mexican Free Tailed Bats in the area.” Also a haven for bat-shifters, though she wasn’t about to tell him that. It would be more fun to see what he made of the place. “It hasn’t been open long, but it’s popular. I hope it lasts, because they have a lot of tequilas there you don’t really find often.”

They maneuvered around a small crowd of people coming from the opposite direction, and she found herself on the other side of Roman—the side where he’s missing an arm—and again wondered what had happened. Roman said he wasn’t in the military, and he seemed a little too polished to be someone in a hazardous manual trade. Maybe it had something to do with his history as a tiger-shifter? Could he have seen combat as a member of a streak? She can’t ask about it directly since he doesn’t know she’s also a tiger-shifter. I’ll have to find a way to ask about it indirectly.

“How long have you been in San Antonio?” he asked as they strolled along the rock pathway running alongside the greenish water below. The smell of the river, slightly mossy, warred with the other scents drifting out of the restaurants and bars they passed.

“Not a long time. My parents were stationed here when they passed away, so I simply haven’t left yet.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ve moved on,” she said simply, not wanting to have to provide too many details. Better not to get caught in her lies. “Did you say you used to live here, and now moved back?”

“Yes, I did. And tonight was my first chance since I returned to sit back and enjoy myself.”

“Do you have family here?” Or a streak, maybe?

“In a manner of speaking.” She raised her eyebrows and he continued speaking. “Family, yes, but my parents have also passed on. I have some…cousins, though.” That hesitation could be him figuring out how to describe the connections among members of a streak.

“Do you see them often?”

“All the time. We’re a close group.”

“I wish I had something like that,” Lana sighed. “All I have is my roommate, and she is a flight attendant, so she’s gone a lot.”

“A childhood friend?”

“No. I wish. She’s someone I met waiting tables. She’s pretty cool, though. We have a similar sense of humor, so we get along.” Enough talk about herself—she might stray into dangerous territory that way. Time to turn the conversation back around to Roman. “Are you glad to be back in San Antonio?”

“Very glad. I’ve missed it. And I’m excited about this new bar. Of course, I’ve got a head start on you, so I probably won’t be able to keep up.”

“You don’t have to worry. You joked about being a lightweight, but I really am one. I enjoy high-quality tequila. That’s why I like this place.”

They walked the distance, meandering through groups of people and along the curving sidewalk of the San Antonio River’s banks. The Bat Bar was even more packed than usual. Lana was about to suggest they go somewhere else, but then Roman exclaimed how cool it looked. The bar was in a small building, thin and tall. They made their way to the top level and Lana ordered four shots for them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lana saw Roman was about to make a toast, but she pretended not to notice. “Bottoms up,” she said, slamming her first shot. He blinked, but grinned and followed suit.

It was probably foolish to already be feeling this uninhibited. She knew that, but the more time she spent around Roman, the more she liked him.

This could be a problem, she acknowledged to herself. But I’m having so much fun.