Chapter Three
“Well, this is unexpected,” Rune said as we got into his car with our ice cream.
Dinner had been lovely, and I was by no means starving, but the tiny dessert plates hadn't done it for either of us. Rune had a sweet tooth like me. So we went for ice cream at my favorite shop. He got a huge cup with three scoops packed in it. No whipped cream or syrup. Just ice cream. I had done the same. He also got a brownie on the side. I went with the banana bread.
I leaned back in the leather seat, took a bite of my ice cream, and sighed. “What do you mean?”
“I'm shocked that you knew about this place, but I didn't. It looks popular too.”
“It is.” I took a bite of banana bread and groaned. Then a bite of my Persian rose ice cream and groaned more.
“Kettle corn,” he said. “They had kettle corn ice cream.”
“And Korean rice beer ice cream.” I wrinkled my nose. “I don't like beer.”
“Neither do I.”
I lifted my brows.
“What?” Rune took a bite and then exclaimed, “Holy shit!”
“Good, isn't it?”
“It's fucking phenomenal.”
“I remember when this place first opened. I used to come here every night.”
“Really?” He laughed. “Sounds as if you like ice cream as much as I do.”
“There's always room for it. It melts and just seeps around your meal, filling the cracks.”
“It helps that I have an endless appetite.”
“Me too.”
“Immortality is great, isn't it?”
“Yeah.” I smiled at him over my ice cream. “It has its moments.”
“So why were you surprised that I don't like beer?”
“Oh.” I blinked. “Cause you're a man. Men like beer.”
“And women like fruity drinks?” he shot back.
“All right. Yes, that was sexist of me. But it really seems to be true. You're the first man I've met who doesn't like beer.”
“My packmates don't like it either.” Rune took another bite, groaned, and considered this. “It must be genetic.”
“And it must be nice for you to have them.”
“What do you mean?”
“The only time I'm around someone who truly knows me is when Hermes comes to visit. Otherwise, I feel separate from the world.”
“Lonely, you mean?” he asked softly.
“Sometimes.” I waved my spoon at him. “Don't get me wrong. I love being immortal. To be able to watch this world evolve, to see what people create, and how those creations change everything—it's a great gift.”
“But you're not a part of the creation.”
“Sure I am. I benefit from all their advances. I share their joy.”
“But do you create?”
“Actually, I do. I paint.”
“Really?” His dirty-blond brows lifted. “So, you're not just a gallery owner; you're also one of the artists.”
I shrugged. “I don't sell my art.”
“Why not?” Rune smirked. “Do you suck?”
What a choice of words. They had me clearing my throat before I got distracted by naughty thoughts.
“I don't think so,” I said.
“And you should know, right?” He offered me his brownie. “Try this. It's amazing.”
I leaned over and took a bite as I held his stare. Rune's throat worked, but he didn't blink, not even when I moaned and licked my lips.
“Amazing,” I said.
“What?” he whispered.
I held back my laugh. “The brownie. It's amazing, as you said. But I already knew that.” I winked at him.
“Oh.” Rune looked down at the brownie. “Yeah.” He took a big bite and looked away.
We ate in silence for a few minutes. Then I shared my banana bread with him. That broke the strange tension.
Rune moaned in bliss while he chewed, then looked over at me. “Will you show me?”
Oh, there he went again. I'd show this man anything he wanted to see. I swallowed my bite then asked, “Show you what?”
“Your paintings.”
I chuckled. “If you wanted to come up to my apartment, you could have just said so.”
“I do.” Rune's wicked grin made an encore appearance. “But I also want to see your paintings.”
“All right. Finish your ice cream, Hound of Hades.”
He started eating faster.
I grabbed his hand. “Don't you dare disrespect that ice cream by pulling an Augustus Gloop.”
Rune burst out laughing. “You're right. This needs to be savored. I suspect that will be tonight's theme.”
The flutters returned and my heart raced. I wasn't normally a first-date-sex kinda girl. But if this night was all I was going to get with Rune, I didn't want to waste the opportunity. I had to savor, as he would.
I wanted to curse Hermes for once again getting in the way of something I wanted, but I couldn't. I wouldn't be there if not for him. So, how could I condemn him? Honestly, our arrangement was perfect. If I could only find a man who I could be myself with and who wouldn't mind the fact that I occasionally slept with someone else, my life would be perfect too.
I should have known one of the Hounds of Hades wouldn't be up for that. Dogs are possessive beasts.