Lyla and her Leprechaun

2

I made dinner for the guests, Dante staying in the kitchen to watch me work. He smiled a lot, each time I cut stuff up quickly, or moved something heavy.

"Why do you cook?" He asked once I started cleaning up.

"Because I like it, and I've done it a lot." I shrugged and looked up at him, his green eyes kept shining like they were lights.

"What is your favorite thing to make?" He moved closer, circling me again.

"Risotto with grilled steak, rare. Dessert would be a simple vanilla cake." I told him as he came to rest his hip beside me on the counter.

"Sounds sweet." He smiled and tilted his head and seemed to study me.

"What?" I asked and gulped, what did he see when he looked at me? His mate? Perfection? All my flaws? A ball and chain?

"You seem to glow." He reaches out and even as his hands almost cradled my face I basically pushed my cheek into his palm and sighed at the contact. He moved closer, his legs touching mine.

His eyes were focused on our skin touching, his hand moving from my cheek back into my scalp, pushing the scrunchy out of my hair and letting it fall to the floor.

"Nice and soft. Beautiful." I heard him muttering and I gulped and looked down to his lips, they were so close. If he kissed me now I would have no problem remembering my first ever kiss was before my first ever date.

I didn't realize I had moved my own hands to his sides until he leaned in and I tensed my hands. They curled into his suit jacket and I seemed to pull him closer even as he leaned down.

His lips touched the tip of my nose, down towards my cheek his hand had been touching before hitting the corner of my mouth.

"Breathe dearie, I can't have you passing out mid first kiss with me." He told me, backing his lips away from me and smiling at me again.

"You make me nervous." I told him and felt myself blush as he chuckled.

"Why?" He asked like he already knew the answer.

"You'd be my first everything, date, kiss..." I trailed on, letting the pause finish what I didn't want to add on.

"Well... consider me honored. Why you're nervous is natural, but just know, inexperience is only going in your favor. You'll learn you are about to have a very jealous mate. I'm protective, and possessive, and all around caveman when it comes to you. I've know you less that 24 hours and already I know if a man touches you, hugs you, shakes your hand.... he'll be a little more worse for wear if he doesn't already have a mate." He kissed my cheek, making my face flame up again.

"Well... I'll be sure to avoid bumping into anyone." I looked up and blinked and smiled softly at the mere thought of him being possessive over me.

"Now... where is your favorite place to eat when you don't have to cook?" That was a odd question I didn't have an answer for. I always cooked.

"I don't know, maybe the bar?"

"Sweetheart, on your first date we will not be in a bar. How about somewhere nice?" He asked and I shrugged. "Do you have someone at home you need to tell about me?" He asked, a small twinkle in his eye and I nodded.

"My father should be home." I wondered how well and smooth this would go, but I knew my father would be happy for me.

"Let's get you home so you can explain why you might be out late tonight." He took my hand, pulling me along and he helped me into my jacket before we left. I led him down the street. It had cooled off a lot since this morning which was great, and I felt his hand tugging me in. I let our shoulders touch all the way to my home.

I dug my keys out of my pocket and pushed the door open. He helped me out my my sweater and hung his suit jacket beside mine.

"Dad!" I shouted wondering if he was upstairs in his office or out back tending his plants.

I heard a gruff from the back and I looked back to Dante and he took my hand, giving me a smile.

"Some cat came through my garden and messed up all the seedlings!" I smiled at my dads grumble and saw him trying to save some.

"Dad..." I called and waited for him to turn around. He hummed as a response instead and I cleared my throat and he turned his head this time.

"Sorry. I'm dirty but if you don't mind." He wiped his hands as he got up and held his hand out to Dante. "How can I help you?"

"This is Dante... my mate." I saw the shock on his face before he broke out into a wide smile and he shook Dante's hand happily before pulling me in for a hug.

"I'm so happy for you honey." He kissed my temple and moved to shake Dante's hand again. "What are you?" He asked him and moved to really clean his hands off inside.

"Leprechaun and Pixie." Dante told him, smiling wide and I saw how they seemed to want to chat so I gulped.

"I'm going to go and change." I announced as we got to the kitchen in the house.

"Big date I assume?" My dad laughed and I high tailed it up the stairs, thinking about what I should wear.

I got to my room, looked around to make sure it wasn't a giant mess. I had a few clothes from this morning laying around and I picked them up quickly before going to lock my door.

I got undressed, reapplied some deodorant, grabbed a pair of stockings, and went into my closet to find a nice dress or outfit with a skirt. I saw my mid thigh black skirt was clean and pulled that on as soon as I had the black stockings pulled up without ripping them. I went looking for a nice enough shirt to pull on when instead I saw my deep green dress I had worn only once before.

I shimmied out of my skirt and pulled the green dress off the hanger before going to the mirror to see how it looked. I went to get my dressy shoes I usually wore for special occasions. my oxfords had that nice heel feel to them, but didn't give me much lift. I wouldn't be towering over Dante at all. Maybe just his height.

I went to find a clip for my hair, enough to keep it out of my face, but still down so it could cover my face and my blushes.

I smoothed down the dress, grabbed a black sweater and pulled it on as I left my room. I went down and heard hushed voices and when I made the floor creak to let them know I was coming they started to laugh and I peered around the cabinets to look at them.

"What is so funny?" I asked and they both smiled at me. Dante looking me up and down while my dad just smiled and focused on my face.

"Just sharing a story about you." My dad told me and I blushed again.

"Are we ready to go?" Dante asked me and I nodded. He set down a cup, an empty cup, I hadn't realized he had been holding when I walked in the room.

"Take care of her." I heard my dad and I sent him a smile before we were out of the room. He followed us slowly and I paused at the door, taking off and giving my dad a kiss on the cheek and whispering a 'see you later' before I trotted back to Dante.

He gave me a smile, squeezed my hand as soon as it was in his and he and I walked back towards the B&B. His car must have been parked there because as far as I could tell he wouldn't take me to the bar for the date like he said and I am sure the diner didn't look much better.

Sure enough, as soon as we were in beeping distance of the Bed and Breakfast, I heard a little chirp and saw a expensive looking car flash its lights.

He moved me into the car, smiling at me as he opened the door and then closed it behind me. I pulled the seatbelt on as he jogged around to get in.

His suit jacket was taken off before he got in, and I bit my lip thinking about how far we were going to go for dinner. I wasn't starving, but I didn't want to fall asleep on the way home if it took too long to get there and back.

I stayed in the car with him, silently, letting the radio play. He hummed to a few tunes and I watched the world go by. I hadn't really been out of our little town in years. I didn't need to. I had no time for vacations, and I had all my bills to pay on my own. I tried to save money, as much as I could.

As we got closer and closer to what I could guess is the capital of the state, he seemed to be looking around. Like he didn't even know where we were headed.

Before I could ask him he made a turn into a parking lot that had a valet basically jump out in front of the car and Dante moved to help me out before they took off with me in it. I walked beside him. He had taken my hand and woven it around his arm so we were closer than just holding hands.

We walked in, and right away I noticed how loud and noise it was. I didn't see one empty seat. I couldn't even hear what Dante was saying to the host. But the next thing I knew, he was pulling on me, sending me a giant smile, and we were guided right into the kitchen, Dante shouted someones name and I heard a cheerful gasp.

"If it isn't the Luckiest irishman I know." I saw the pregnant woman trying to get up from the seat in the corner and she moved in, kissing his cheek, then looking at me. "You must be new." I looked from her to him and he winked.

"Marina, this is my mate, Lyla." The shock on her face was enough to make me smile wide too and she seemed ready to cry happy tears.

"And you came to me?" She put her hands over her heart and she sniffed. "My darling will be so happy to serve you. He stepped out to get more groceries, we are so busy tonight. He will blame you for coming. We did not expect such a rush tonight." She shook her finger at him and I smiled slightly as he seemed sheepish.

"I asked your host for a favor, I believe he is setting it up now." While the kitchen was noisy it wasn't as bad at the floor. I watched them have a seemingly wordless conversation and then she cupped her hands to her mouth and looked at me.

"You hold on to him, he might not look it, but he is lucky." She told me and I smiled at her before looking right to him.

"It is all ready." I looked behind us where the voice had come from and saw the host, slightly out of breath, but smiling and waving us on to follow him. I followed Dante up, saw him grab two menus that looked small but I could tell from the place that this was owned by a chef that liked to create new menus all the time.

We were taken up a small stairway and then on a fire escape all the way to the roof. We got up there, the slight breeze made it beautiful. There was a little table, set up with candles, plates, napkins, and the chairs were like the ones downstairs. Dante pulled my chair out and as I sank into the seat I smiled wide.

"I will be back with the house wine if that is what you wish?" The host offered and we looked at him and I shrugged. I didn't drink, let alone know anything about wine.

"That will be wine, just a glass each, no need for a bottle." Dante told him and he smiled and left. Dante handed me the menus he had held and offered it to me. Using the minimal candle light it was hard to see all the items, but I had already noticed what I wanted.

"What sounds good to you?" He asked and I smiled softly and bit my lower lip.

"The venison stew with fried bread and grilled corn on the cob." I told him and he nodded. "How do you know these people who run the restaurant?" I asked and he smiled slowly and bit his lip.

"I have known the chef, Logan, since we were in our 20's. He met his mate maybe 30 years ago. I am guessing she finally convinced him to have kids." He told me and I nodded.

"What is he?" I asked and he smiled slowly.

"He is the last Wulver and Marina is an Ammut." I felt so worried to ask, but I wanted to know.

"What are they exactly?" I asked and he smiled.

"He's kind of like a wolf, but still stays human, and she... well basically she's a goddess of ancient Egypt that used to eat peoples hearts when they died and were horrible people. The goddess of punishment, I believe."

"And how did you meet them?" I asked and he smiled at me and that turned into a smirk.

"I knew Logan since we were 20. He is Scottish, I was from Ireland... we stuck together, and somewhere along the way we drifted, and we kept finding each other, and then a couple years ago, 2 I think, I was here, he invited me to the grand opening, and then I met her, they were already mates when I got here." He told me and seemed to think about something before leaning forwards on the table. "Had to have been more than two years ago. I was in town for Yasmin's mothers funeral. I didn't show up though."

"You knew her?" I asked and he nodded and looked away before looking back to me. "You were never in town." I told him and he shook his head.

"She was my aunt, and when I met her, she had tracked me down. I am actually older than her. She was already with child, told me about how her father wouldn't let her return. I knew what that meant, that she was on her own. I told her about the town, gave her a few millions. Told her I would visit and help her get her self situated." He seemed to get caught in a memory and I had to wonder why he never was around.

"Why didn't you?"

"I did. I helped her find a house, start her store, and then I was there for Yasmin's birth." He told me and I felt confused. How did Yazzy not know about this?

"Then what?" I knew that wasn't the end of the story.

"I went away for work, I sent money every month I was away, and one day it came back. She wrote that she didn't need any more handouts and that if I wanted to stay away I shouldn't feel guilty and keep sending money. So instead of sending money the next month I tried to come back, and she told me that I was just like my father, that I didn't know the meaning of the word Family and I was greedy, slammed the door in my face, and proceeded to ignore me until she was dying." He looked like he was so far away, and I reached across, pushing the menu from his hands and grabbed his.

"I am sorry." I rubbed the back of his hands, felt the old scars and squeezed.

"She called me when she was dying. Told me all about Yazzy and how she was in school for design. Told me how sorry she was to have pushed me away back then. I told her that I had still sent money to an account in Yasmin's name, and if she had any school debts to use it." He shrugged and wiped his face. His eyes weren't glowing green anymore, more like a deep emerald that had lost the shine. "She died two days later so I wasn't sure if Yasmin ever found out about it."

"You should talk to her. Tell her what you did." I told him, if she knew, she would welcome him with open arms and she wouldn't be nervous to have a baby, and she would love to have him around. Which would mean I could keep my job even though she wouldn't fire mem just because he was my mate. At least they would be happy, and a family.

"I will, I want to tell her before she has the baby, and give her something." He told me and I just nodded before biting my lip. "What?"

"What do you do?" I wanted to know if he was like Charlie, if he could give up his roaming around and two other houses and stay with me... or if he would be someone who travelled a lot, and would or would not take me with him.

"I own a lot of things. Restaurants, hotels, some bars and clubs. I manage a few when the managers that work there full time want a vacation, or have family things come up. Like a baby, or death, or have to go to a wedding." He shrugged and I nodded. So he would be moving around and traveling. "What do you want me to do?"

"What do you mean?" I asked and he opened his mouth to say something but the Host made his reappearance. Taking our orders, leaving the wine, and then I was left to looking at the view.

I hadn't realized I stood up until I felt his hands on my waist and his warmth standing beside me. All the little lights looked like pieces of gold. My dragon loved the high altitude and I felt the need to fly, I hadn't had the urge in years actually.

"We have all night to get to know each other... and I can already tell you are like a lot of dragons, you love the sight of gold." He whispered and I nodded slowly. "And the smell?" He asked and I nodded.

"You smelled like gold when you came in, you still do." I whispered and he nodded slowly.

"I have heard that once or twice before. And always from a Dragon or Leprechaun." He shook his finger at me and I smiled. "I don't taste like gold. I can tell you that much."

"I don't think I am going to be tempted to bite you, just curl into you and sleep like my dragon would on a pile of gold." I told him and immediately blushed from the honest truth.

"That's alright dearie. Your father said I was not allowed in your bed with the door closed until after the ceremony. But I am sure you can curl up against me in your bed with the door wide open tonight." He leaned in, kissing my heated skin again, and I had to wonder if I would get a real kiss tonight.