Atticus by R.E. Butler

Chapter Eight

Atticus could count on one hand the number of dates he’d had over the years. He’d just never really felt compelled to date females he knew weren’t his soulmate. Now that he had Lori in his life and knew how sweet it was to be near the other half of his heart, he was glad there wasn’t a long list of females before her.

He reached the employee lot and left the unmarked SUV, then hurried past the security check point and texted Cael.

Are you around? I’d like to talk to you and Novi for a minute.

I just dropped her off at the security office. Meet us there.

On the way.

He reached the security office a few minutes later and found Novi and Cael in one of the offices, talking quietly. He joined them in the office and shut the door.

“Wow, you look really happy,” Novi said. “Your eyes are...well they’re gold.”

“I know, they keep changing whenever my gorilla thinks about Lori.” He scrubbed at his face and willed his gorilla to stand down, but all the creature wanted to do was beat his chest in happiness and go to Lori.

“So it’s true? You and her? We saw you yesterday eating in the park,” Novi said.

He’d been aware when the young couple had walked by the day before and had heard their conversation with his sensitive hearing. He quickly filled them in on what had transpired over the last day.

“I can’t believe she tried to run away!” Novi said. “I’m so pissed!”

“Don’t be,” Atticus said, quickly coming to her defense. “She’s just scared. She wants you to be safe.”

“Iamsafe. I wish she’d see how safe it is here.”

“I don’t think that will happen until she knows the truth of shifters,” Cael said.

“This is so frustrating,” Novi said, her shoulders slumping. “I’ve never kept anything from my mom like this before. I hate the secrecy.”

Atticus could relate.

“I’m going to take her on a date tonight.”

“Wow,” Novi said. “I can’t remember the last time she was on a date. What are you planning?”

“My first thought was to do a picnic or something in the park because that’s the safest bet, but honestly I’m trying to get her to see that she can be safe with me, so I want to take her somewhere to eat. Plus I want it to be a real date.”

Cael hummed. “You should talk to Devlin.”

Atticus’s brows lifted. “Jenni’s human soulmate?” Jenni was a lioness and worked in the park’s candy shop. Devlin was an accountant and worked for alpha wolf Joss in the finance department.

“Yeah, he knows all the fancy restaurants around. His parents like to eat out at nice places when they come visit, and Devlin has contacts with some restauranteurs from when he worked outside of the park. He could probably hook you guys up with something really spectacular.”

“I’ll talk to him, thanks.”

“You’ll have other males than just yourself there, right? To make sure you’re not being followed?” Novi asked.

Although his beast wanted to protest that he could damn well keep his soulmate safe in every possible way, he knew only a fool would be so careless as to leave anything to chance. Particularly with a male who had tracked her down repeatedly over two decades.

“That’s the plan.” He’d talk to Jupiter about arranging protection for the drive, after he talked to Devlin.

“Good. I’m really happy for you.” Novi stood up and gave him a quick hug.

He chuckled in surprise. “Thanks. Congratulate me when I can get your mom to stop thinking that she has to run every time someone gets close.”

“It’ll happen. It’s not just me that’s tired of running. She wants to put roots down too. Did you know that her sister died a few years ago? That was her last family member, the one who helped her when I was first born. She died of complications from pneumonia, and we didn’t even know she was sick. Mom had an internet alert for her sister’s name to keep tabs on her and found out she’d passed away when she read the obituary. It was one more thing that Keir took from her. From both of us.”

“I’m so sorry that happened,” Atticus said. “That male needs to be dealt with.” And hewoulddeal with him, if he ever showed up and tried to get to Lori or Novi.

After saying goodbye to the couple, he headed into the employee cafeteria and took a hidden staircase underground to where the park’s finance department had offices. He knocked on Devlin’s door and asked him for help finding a great restaurant to take Lori to for their first date.

“Man, I have just the place,” Devlin said, picking up his phone. “My old boss’s brother is the head chef at a great Italian place. It’s old school, very classy Italian food and it’s a small, intimate restaurant so security won’t be too hard to manage. Let me see what I can do. If I can’t get you guys in there tonight, I’ve got a couple other places to try.”

“Great, thank you so much.”

“You bet.”

Atticus found Jupiter, who was head of park security, in the marketplace with his soulmate, and arranged for a team to follow them to dinner in two separate vehicles as a precaution.

“We could drive you guys so you can focus on her instead of the driving,” Jupiter said.

“Tempting, but I think for this first date I’d like it to be as normal as possible.”

“Gotcha. Keep me posted on the details when you get them from Devlin, and we’ll get you covered.”

“Thanks so much.”

Atticus left the marketplace and headed to the maintenance shed to work, but the last thing he wanted to do was work. The time couldn’t pass fast enough.

* * *

“How was work?” he asked Lori as he held open the SUV’s passenger door for her.

“A little busy in the afternoon, but pretty quiet in general.”

She’d texted him when she was on her lunch break, and they’d had a nice conversation while she ate. It had killed his gorilla to be away from her all day. Now that he had her in his life, he wanted to be able to see her whenever he wanted, and he really hoped she felt the same.

“So, I’ve got a special night planned.”

“Oh?”

“Yep. We’re going to dinner at an Italian place about forty-five minutes away.”

He glanced at her when she didn’t say anything and saw how worried she looked. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, giving her knuckles a kiss. “I don’t want you to worry. I know that’s tough because you’re used to being the one who worries about everyone and everything, but I want you to trust me. Trust that I’ve got some things in place to ensure that you and I will have a great time out tonight, and that I’ll bring you home safely.”

He set their joined hands on his thigh and after a moment, she squeezed his hand. “Okay.”

He chuckled and she sucked her teeth. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

“You. Here I am, trying to impress you with a fantastic first date and you’re barely willing to give up control for a few hours and trust me.”

“I could say it’s because I don’t know you.”

“You could, but that’s not really it, is it?”

She looked entirely miffed and he thought she was adorable. “No. Dang it, stop calling me on things!”

“Never.”

“Fine,” she said. “So tell me about this magical first date place you found.”

“All I’ll tell you is that you need to dress up.”

“How dressed up?”

“Fancy. It’s a nice place. Novi said you could ask her for help picking an outfit. She’s in her and Cael’s place waiting for you.”

“You talked to Novi?”

“Of course. I wanted her to know that I was going to take good care of you tonight so she didn’t worry.”

There was a significant pause, and then Lori spoke in a low, sad voice. “Does she know that I tried to leave?”

“Yeah.”

“She’s probably pissed.”

Not as much as I was. But instead of voicing that, he said, “She understands, she just doesn’t want you to try to take off like that again. And neither do I.”

“You’re asking me to stop doing what I’ve been doing for the last twenty years. It’s not behavior I can stop in a day. I...can’t help that I’m always checking to see if I’m being followed or if someone is paying too close attention to me. I’ve survived this long, kept Novi safe all this time, because I don’t let my guard down.”

He let that roll around in his head. “But do you want to?”

“What?”

“Let your guard down. With me.”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He pulled into the parking spot in front of her apartment and turned to face her. “Tonight, I want you to trust me, okay? I want you to know that I’d never willingly put you in danger. I’ve got security handled for tonight, and I swear that you can let your guard down with me. We can just be two people on a first date, with a male hoping to make a good impression on a female he likes a whole hell of a lot.”

She breathed out a chuckle and smiled. “I can do that.”

“Your trust means the world to me.”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, and his whole body tensed. She froze there, her lips on his cheek and her warm breath fanning his skin.

And then she tilted her head and really kissed him. Pressed her soft lips to his with a low moan.

He cupped her face with his free hand and swiped his tongue along the seam of her lips and she opened for him. Their tongues touched and awareness jolted through him. He was kissing his soulmate. It was their first real kiss.

Hands down, the best first kiss ever.

He barely stifled a growl of happiness from his gorilla.

She tasted better than he thought possible, all sweet and warm like honey and sunshine.

He could’ve sat in the SUV and kissed her all night without complaint, but when she eased from the kiss, he backed off too.

Her lips were swollen and her eyes a little glazed over, and his gorilla preened like a damn peacock.

“I should go get ready, right?” she asked, her voice a little husky.

He cleared his throat and tried not to think about how hard his cock was and how much he wanted to do more than kiss. “Yep. I’ll be here to pick you up at six thirty.”

“I’ll be ready.” She put her hand on the door and then looked at him. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Not letting me run away.”

“My pleasure. Now hurry up, I have to go get ready for a hot date.”

She giggled and shook her head at him. “You’re too cute for your own good.”

He wiggled his brows. “I can’t help it. You’ll get used to it.”

“See you in a bit, Atticus.”

“You bet.”

He watched her walk up the stairs to her apartment and go inside. Then he drove to the employee lot, left the SUV, and hurried to the employee cafeteria and down into his people’s private living space. “Heard you’ve got a date,” Zane said as Atticus reached his front door.

“I do. I’d love to tell you all about it, but I have to get ready.”

“I’m happy for you, Dad.”

Atticus looked at his son and grinned. “Thanks. I can’t wait for you to meet her. But not tonight.”

“Me and Adriana are looking forward to it. It’s about time you found your soulmate. Adriana said you deserve a happily ever after.”

“Lori does too.”

“Then you’re a perfect pair. Have fun tonight.”

“I sure will.”

Atticus walked into his house feeling like he was ten feet tall. He was going on a date with his soulmate, and he couldn’t wait to see where the night took them.