Authors: Annie Nicholas
Chapter Twenty-One
Angie sat at Beth’s desk once more and watched as the omega locked the door behind Eoin. She spun around to face Angie with her back pressed against the door. “You need a dress.”
Angie’s eyebrows shot up. “For what?”
“Your date with Eoin. All he’s seen you in is work clothes. It’s time to knock the dragon on his tail.”
“I own a dress.” Shifter hearing being so acute, Beth had heard their private exchange in room one earlier today.
“I’ve seen the one you own. Five times.” Beth held out her five fingers and grimaced.
“You count?” Angie pressed her hands over her mouth, but the laugh still escaped. When it came to numbers nothing got past Beth.
“It’s in my nature. Not the werewolf part, but my fashionista genes cry every time I see you in that yellow frock. If he tears that dress off your body, it would be out of mercy for the rest of us.”
“Wow, that’s brutal.” Nothing Beth said was taken to heart though. Angie knew exactly what she thought of her wardrobe. It was a subject of contention between them, but Beth came from a wealthy family who paid her credit card bills. The omega still tried to bribe her into burning all her flip-flops.
“The accounts are almost done. I can finish things between clients tomorrow.” She joined Angie behind the desk and pulled her purse out of the drawer. “My treat.”
Angie shook her head. “I don’t need your charity. I’m doing well enough to buy my own clothes.” If she didn’t eat this week.
Beth looked at her long and hard. “Honey, I heard and smelled everything that went on between you and Eoin this morning. He is determined to mate you. I’m not going to let some dress wreck tonight.”
“Eoin won’t care about what I’m wearing.” No, he was more interested in undressing her.
Beth giggled. “But you want to make him sweat before he unwraps the present.” She pulled Angie out of her chair and propelled her toward the exit. “Let’s shop ’til we drop.”
Excitement gave Angie a bounce in her step. She wanted to make Eoin breathless, and beg her to never stop. If it meant a new dress, she could suffer through an afternoon of shopping.
“Oh, and a pair of new shoes.” Beth gave her a knowing smile. Angie hated to shop for shoes. Flip-flops were her things. Beth pointed south. “There’s a nice boutique a couple blocks down from here that I’ve been wanting to check out. The dresses in the window are to die for.”
Shoes
and
a dress? Maybe she could be late on her rent. It wasn’t like there was a line of people waiting to lease her apartment or anything. Angie linked her arm with Beth’s. This could be fun if she’d let herself enjoy the moment.
An armload of dresses later, Angie stood in front of the mirror for the hundredth time. Beth was much pickier than she when it came to clothes. The black cocktail dress she modeled was simple yet somehow made her feel like a vixen. The hem fell mid-thigh and didn’t expose any of her cleavage, but the silky material flowed over her curves like liquid. It hinted at what was underneath the fabric without revealing much.
Beth whistled low and long. “This is the outfit. If things don’t work out with Eoin then I’m going to date you. Those shoes cry out
fuck me all night long
.”
“Beth.” The omega didn’t use that kind of language. Maybe some of Angie was rubbing off on her. She laughed at Beth’s blush. Angie hadn’t looked at either price tag yet. She wouldn’t let Beth pay for them and she really couldn’t afford to spend more money. But Beth was right about the outfit. This was a date with a dragon of her heart. She turned and looked over her shoulder at her reflection. Eoin seemed obsessed with her ass, the way he kept slapping it. In this dress, he wouldn’t be capable of keeping his hands off her. She sighed. This was why credit cards were invented.
Beth looked at her cell phone and gasped. “We’re going to be late.” She opened up her purse and pulled out a small makeup bag. With a few swipes of a comb, Beth cleaned up Angie’s short hair and applied some mascara and lipstick. She waved at the clerk. “She’s going to wear the dress and shoes out. Ring her up.”
Angie slowly made her way to the exit after paying, trying to forget the dollar amount.
“You look like you’re walking on a tight rope.” Beth shook her head. At this rate Angie would reach her apartment tomorrow morning.
She grimaced. “I don’t have much practice in heels.” The stilettos felt like stilts.
“It’s all in the knees and the hips. You have to pretend that they’re shock absorbers. Focus your weight on your toes, hold your head up high, look straight ahead and take long smooth strides.”
Thankfully, Beth’s car wasn’t too far. Angie made it by following her advice. She was still wobbly at her ankles but at least she didn’t have to hold out her arms for balance anymore. She got in the car and breathed a sigh of relief. She could imagine spraining her ankle tonight if she wasn’t careful.
Beth drove to Angie’s apartment. Her friend gave a chagrined smile. “Just try to stay seated as much as possible.” Beth pulled up behind a limousine parked in front of Angie’s building. “Looks like Eoin isn’t going to be pulling any of his punches.” She winked at Angie with a knowing smile. “Leave your clothes in the car. I’ll bring them to work tomorrow.”
Angie could only nod. Her palms were sweating. She’d never been in a limousine before. From the state of his castle and his clothing, she just assumed Eoin struggled financially like she did. Then again, there were all those cars in his garage. Maybe he just wasn’t as materialistic as humans. On wobbly feet, she stepped out of the car and slowly made her way to the limousine.
Beth honked before she took off.
The sudden loud noise startled Angie and almost made her fall flat on her ass. She gave Beth the bird and could almost hear her laugh.
A chauffeur jumped out of the driver’s side door and opened the back door. She peered inside and met a stranger’s curious gaze. Backing away, she blushed. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.” That had been pretty presumptuous of her and Beth to assume the limo belonged to Eoin. Awkward.
The stranger followed her out of the limousine, looming over her. Thick, dark hair and piercing black eyes were all she could focus on. Power and age oozed off him. Time slowed as he circled her with deliberate steps as if assessing her from head to toe. “Very nice.” He traced his fingertips along her neck and over her shoulder.
She shrugged him off. Her pepper spray was in her jeans pocket on the backseat of Beth’s car. The fine hairs on her nape and arms rose as she edged toward her apartment building. She didn’t need shifter abilities to know this predator wasn’t human. His movements were too smooth, his grace unnatural. She took a quick step toward the door.
He blocked her way. “I am Cedric of the Alaskan Pacific Rim clan.” He bowed and kissed her hand just as Zechariah had.
She blinked rapidly. Another fucking dragon? Was there a convention in town because this seemed out of the realm of normal?
“Do you have a title?” From her limited experience, dragons enjoyed titles and she hoped his was long. So long that it would give Eoin time to arrive. Cedric gave her the impression that
no
wasn’t in his vocabulary.
He drew closer as he rose. “I think modern shifters like to use the term alpha.”
Yes, shifters did like to use that term, but Angie hated it. “What do you want?” She backed away but he snaked his hand around her waist and kept her almost pressed to his chest.
Lowering his face near her hair, he inhaled slowly. “Yes, there it is. Unmated female.”
Her heart stopped. Was that why these dragons were showing up on her doorstep today? “I’m not in the market for a mate.”
“How cute. You think you have a choice.” His hand ran along her waist and lingered there for a moment before he retreated, giving her space. “I came to see if you were worth the effort of courting.”
“I’m already seeing Eoin. I’m not much for dating different men at the same time.”
“That’s nice. Courting has nothing to do with dating. It’s a drive bred into our cells much like breathing. Dragon instinct will end up choosing your mate, not your heart. And I like a challenge.” He strolled to the limousine and gestured for her to enter.
Something inside her stirred. This instinct wanted her to follow. She shook her head and retreated until her back hit the gritty brick of the building.
He raised his eyebrow and tilted his head as if reassessing her. “We can do this the easy way, Angie, or the hard way.”
“I’m a big fan of the hard way.” If she got in that limousine, she suspected she’d never see her home or friends again.
“So am I.” He gave her another small smile before sliding inside the vehicle and closing the door. The limo sped off, leaving her breathless and alone on the sidewalk. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been frozen there, when a silver sports car parked in front of her.
Eoin jumped out of his car and hurried to Angie. “I saw Cedric’s limousine. Did he hurt you?” He ran his hands over her arms, concern clearly in his voice. “You look so pale. Do you need to sit down?”
She shook her head and met his concerned look. “Do you know who that was?”
“Yes, Cedric was the reason why I showed up at your shop this morning. I got so caught up with Zechariah that I forgot to mention that Cedric was in the city as well.”
She rubbed her aching stomach. “They’re both here for me.” She felt numb inside. Almost as if in shock.
Eoin hung his head. “Yeah, and more will arrive as news of your presence spreads. An unmated she-dragon can cause quite an uproar among our kind.”
“But it’s your territory. They’re not supposed to trespass.”
“I wish that were true but during the courting process all bets are off, unless I fight every single male who comes to the city.” He gathered her in his arms and cradled her head against his chest. “Dragons like Zechariah are not much of a concern but Cedric is more than capable of killing me.”
“He made it sound like I didn’t have a choice when it came to courtship.”
He rubbed her back and muttered something in an unknown language. “There are a lot of stages to a courtship but the most important is the mating dance. That’s when our base animal instincts take over. What makes us sentient has very little control at that point. That’s why most of us choose to do the majority of the courtship in human form and create a relationship first before the mating dance begins. Cedric is old enough and strong enough that he could probably skip all that and just go straight to the dance.”
“Why?”
“Because females always gravitate to the strongest and most fertile of males for the future generation.” With his thumb, he lifted her chin so their gazes could meet. “Do you want to cancel our date tonight?”
She straightened her spine. “No, I’m not letting him wreck our first date.” Inside, all she wanted to do was to crawl into bed with a bag of cookies and pretend this never happened, but she doubted the bolts on her door would keep out a dragon like Cedric. She never let fear rule her life, and she wasn’t going to start now. She allowed Eoin to escort her to his car and assist her into the passenger seat. She finally noted the earth-toned formfitting suit that he wore and his upbeat purple tie and running shoes. The combo should have been a fashion disaster but Eoin pulled it off beautifully. She ran her hand over his thigh and cupped his ass. “You look nice tonight.”
The dragon’s gaze darted to her and he blushed.
He helped her with the seatbelt and brushed the back of his fingers over her nipple. It hardened at the slight touch as if seeking more. His gaze traveled to the little nub protruding through the thin material of her dress “God, I can’t wait to have you, Angie.”
She laughed long and hard. “You’re that confident?”
He rose to stand outside the car and gave her a smug grin. “Not after your bite this afternoon.” She knew he’d done that on purpose just to make her laugh and the effort was much appreciated. Cedric had really shaken her. Eoin closed the door and jumped into the driver seat. He took her out of the city to a quaint little restaurant along the river. Before he exited the car, she placed her hand over his. “Don’t they understand that I can’t shift?”
“If they looked at your aura like I did, then they’d know it’s only a matter of time before you do. All you need is a little help to figure out how to break this magical shield.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The hostess settled Eoin and Angie at a secluded table in the darkest corner of the room. Eoin pulled his chair from the other side of the table and sat next to her, sitting so their sides brushed against one another as he rested his arm on the back of her chair.
His luxurious heat enveloped her. Angie could only hope that her phobia of eating food possibly cooked by a male was gone. This would be a test. If she failed? She gave Eoin the side-eye. She’d make sure not to puke on his suit. God, it was as sexy as lingerie.
Eoin took both menus from the maître d’ and set them on the table. “I want to speak with your head chef.”
To the hostess’ credit, she didn’t even raise an eyebrow at the request. She just nodded and went to the back of the restaurant.
Angie, on the other hand, did raise her eyebrow. “What’s that all about? Most customers wait to eat before they complain.” Eoin was full of surprises. Life with him would never be boring.
“You’ll see.” Trailing his fingertips in small circles over her bare shoulder, he gave her a lazy smile. The heat of desire sparked in her lower abdomen. Dinner had better be short. She wanted to do naughty things with this dragon.
A tall woman in a white jacket approached the table. “Monsieur le Dragon, how nice to see you again.” The way her gaze narrowed as it landed on Angie gave her the impression that she was not as welcome.
“Angie, I’d like to introduce Margaret. She is the head chef, the only chef, of the restaurant. She will handle all your food. Isn’t that right, Margaret?”
“
Bien oui
, Mademoiselle. I own and run this restaurant, but I do have two sous chefs helping me.”
“Who are both female?” Eoin asked
The chef looked puzzled. “Oui.”
“Angie was skeptical of a completely female run restaurant.”
Heat flooded her cheeks, right to the tips of her ears. What was he saying? The cook would poison her now.
“May I take your order while I’m at the table?”
“We’ll take the house specials with a bottle of your finest red wine.” Eoin handed her the menus.
“Very good.” The chef nodded to Angie and left her table.
She poked Eoin in the ribs with her sharp nail. “You made her think I’m some kind of chauvinistic woman.” She playfully gave him a pinch. How did he know about her phobia? She’d never voiced it to anyone, not even Beth. How could he possibly know?
“Don’t look so concerned.” He gave her a small kiss on the tip of her nose. “I’ve never known of any unmated female capable of eating food cooked by a male.”
“I ate the meal you cooked.”
His gaze grew heated and possessive, his eyes changed to slitted dragon pupils. “Trust me, I know.”
“What does that mean?” She leaned forward, closing the gap between them.
He ran the back of his fingers over her cheek. “It means instinctually you trust me, and I would never take that for granted. Any potential mate cherishes the moment that his female of choice eats the meal he provides. It’s part of the courting process.”
She smoothed his unwrinkled jacket, looking for any excuse to touch him. So firm… “So you’re courting me now officially?” She smirked as his eyes went wide.
“I guess I am.” Eoin scratched his chin in thought. “Looking back, I guess I have been since the day we first met. It’s a very instinctual process for dragons. Just like the way that you are responding to me.”
“I would like to think I had some choice in the matter.”
“Of course, you have a choice. You could have refused my scale care or rejected my food. Or you could have chosen to get into Cedric’s limousine.” He kept her face within his hands and pressed his lips against hers in a light, chaste kiss.
Someone cleared their throat. “The appetizer.” The waiter looked at them with a weary smile and set a small plate filled with roasted vegetables and assorted cheeses in front of them. He also filled the glasses with a dark red wine and left the bottle.
“You have a thing for getting me drunk.”
He clinked the edges of their glasses. “To many more bottles to share.”
Angie enjoyed every morsel of their meal and she wasn’t plagued by any nausea. Setting her fork by her empty plate, she pushed away from the table and rubbed her full stomach. “This is the first time since I was a child that I’ve been able to eat in a restaurant.” Not to mention the best meal she’d ever had. This blew her casserole surprise out of the water.
Eoin leaned on his elbows. “I can’t express the visceral pleasure I get feeding you.”
“What about cooking for other female dragons?”
“I’ve never had the urge to feed another she-dragon.” He gave her a shy smile. “You’re my first.”
“But you didn’t know I was dragon.”
“No, I didn’t, not consciously. Instinctual drives are almost impossible to ignore. It seems the drive to court you snuck up on me subconsciously.” From the moment she’d met him, he’d been nothing but a huge flirt—all slapping her ass while opening the door for her and cooking for her half-naked. He stretched, leaning in close enough that his breath brushed her over-sensitive skin. “Let me settle the bill, and I’ll take you home.”
“By home, you mean yours?” She raised an eyebrow at him in a challenge.
He rose from his seat, straightened his suit, and gave her a knowing smile.
Eoin assisted Angie out of his car. He had parked in front of the castle’s entrance where he had left the light burning. He ran his hand over the vehicle’s hood. This was the car he found most suited Angie’s needs. “I have a gift for you.” He handed her the car keys.
She blinked at the dangling keychain. “Are you out of your mind? I don’t need a car.” She crossed her arms.
He frowned. From the movies he’d watched, it seemed women reacted differently when given a car. Eoin had expected at least a smile. “Everyone needs a car nowadays. It would make it easier to travel back and forth to the shop.” And safer. He’d breathe easier if he knew she wasn’t walking the streets by herself, especially in the evening. “It would make it easier for you to travel to my castle, as well, or to Beth’s, or shopping. Anywhere you want to go, it’s available.” He pressed the keys into her hands.
She glared at the metallic object, then at the vehicle. She chewed her bottom lip before moving her daggered stare in his direction.
He was surprised to see tears.
“I can take care of myself. I don’t need your charity.” She whipped the keys at him. If he hadn’t ducked with his supernatural speed, she would have left a dent in the middle of his forehead. When he straightened, Angie was already halfway to the road stomping wildly on her high-heels.
He ran after her, scooped her up in his arms before she broke an ankle. “I don’t know what’s going on inside your head. But the only reason I gave you this car is that I don’t like you walking alone, especially in that part of the city. That’s it. Nothing more.” He had to hold on tight as she squirmed, swinging her elbows. Then again, maybe he should worry about any idiot who tried to attack her. He chuckled. She had taken care of him in short order the first time they met.
“If I wanted a car, I would have bought one.”
He squeezed her against his chest, let her legs drop to the ground and kissed her hard.
She beat her fists against his shoulders until the hits turned into caresses and she responded with as much demand. Cradling his head, she pulled him closer, opening her mouth in invitation.
He hesitated, remembering her sharp teeth. Fuck it, living with Angie would always have an edge. It’s what drew him to her. He slid his tongue against hers, savoring her spicy flavor. Her body fit his perfectly as he ran his hands along her waist until he cupped the ass he planned to worship all night.
She withdrew from his lips and pressed her hands to his cheeks. “I’m sorry. The car is a kind gesture. I’m just very sensitive about my finances and my independence.”
“A car will give you even more independence. You wouldn’t need anyone to drive you around.” And she could come see him all the time. Every night, maybe.
She gave a small self-conscious laugh. “Sure I would. I don’t know how to drive.”
After a couple of centuries, things didn’t surprise Eoin often, but he stared at Angie with his jaw open. He didn’t know how to respond to that. He thought after the women’s rights movement that they all learned how to drive. Obviously, he’d missed something. “I could show you how.” Inside he cringed. He was never sure how Angie was going to react. It was part of her allure.
She bit her bottom lip and eyed the sports car. As if walking on a tight rope, she approached the vehicle and ran her hands over the smooth surface. “Are you sure?” With her eyes wide and still moist with unshed tears, she appeared so vulnerable.
He’d seen this side of her on the mountaintop. He suspected that she kept this part of herself well-guarded and he was one of the few people she allowed a glimpse. “Of giving you the car, yes. Of teaching you how to drive, definitely.”
There was a longing in the way she touched the vehicle. “I’ll have to think about it.”
He strode towards her, arms extended. “Angie—”
She pressed her hand over his lips to silence him.
“I didn’t say no, but you’re rushing me. It’s only our first date and you’re giving me a car.”
He kissed her palm. “I guess this isn’t a normal gift.” Maybe he should have discussed this with Viktor first. The vampire understood human dating customs better than he did.
“Would this be normal for a dragon you were courting?”
“A she-dragon would be capable of flying. She wouldn’t have a use for a car. But diamonds, on the other hand…” He gave her a sly grin. “Would you like gems instead, Angie?”
She threw her head back and laughed, flinging her arms around his neck. “Sometimes, I forget you’re not human until you say something like
would you like diamonds
so nonchalantly.”
He took a deep breath, pulling her scent into his lungs, enjoying the fragrance. “And sometimes I forget you still think of yourself as human.”
She sighed and relaxed into his arms. “I’m getting more accustomed to the idea every day, especially with strange dragons showing up on my doorstep.”
A growl rumbled in Eoin’s chest. He would have to take care of those assholes soon. If he didn’t make an example of them then others would be on their way as word spread. He wished she hadn’t brought them up. It would only put him in a foul mood.
She tugged at his hands, pulling him towards the castle. “You didn’t bring me here to discuss dragon things and cars.”
He scooped her up in his arms and carried her inside his home. One day he would like to call it their home. As they entered, a faint beeping noise was going off in a distant room. His timer. Shit. The heat flowing in his blood turned to ice. He’d forgotten to feed the fucking vampire.
He set Angie on her feet and pointed in the general direction of his bedroom. “Umm…can you wait a moment? I have to take care of something.” What would he tell her? That he forgot to feed his vampire friend chained in his dungeon? “That alarm is to remind me to—to water my plants.” He struggled to keep his face straight and not laugh at the ridiculous lie. He gave her quick peck on the cheek and a little push in the right direction, before he raced to the kitchen and pulled out a bag of blood from the fridge. God, he hoped Victor hadn’t gnawed through his arms. It was gross and messy when he did that. Taking the steps two at a time, he hurried into the dungeon and was greeted by a vicious snarl.
The vampire sat in his cell, chains slack as he leaned against the wall. He wasn’t as far gone as Eoin had feared, thank goodness. He lifted his head, eyes completely black with blood lust. “That alarm has been ringing forever.” He lifted his nose and inhaled as if smelling a sweet bouquet. “You’re with the girl.”
Eoin tossed the blood bags he’d purchased from an employee at the local blood bank.
Victor caught them midair and crouched over his meal like an animal. He tossed Eoin a challenging glare. “Are you going to stand there and watch?”
Shaking his head, Eoin backed away. He wished he knew what triggered Victor into these blood frenzies, but the vampire never wanted to discuss it. He just wanted to be kept from killing. That was something Eoin could offer him.
He pulled off his coat as he climbed the stairs and tossed it on the closest chair. Entering his bedroom, he came to a halt. It was empty.