Not His Dragon (7 page)

Chapter Eleven

A shiver of anticipation ran down Eoin’s spine at the wrath flashing from Angie’s eyes. Very few people stood their ground with him. He’d grown so accustomed to complacency that he’d become numb inside. Until now…

He hissed and pressed his snout against Angie’s lower abdomen, pushing her against the exit door. “After living for three hundred years, I think I have the right to be a little sensitive.”

She went very still. “No you don’t. Shifters all seem to think that letting their emotions rule them is a fine way to act. It’s not. A little self-control could go a long way in relationships with humans.”

Lowering his head, he viewed her stubborn, furious, beautiful face. “What do you mean?”

“This.” She pointed at him and her. “Humans don’t regularly pin each other to doors. Most of us can get a handle on our tempers before it goes that far.”

With a small snort of smoke, he pulled his head back. Was she that naïve? Maybe she really was human at the core. If she were shifter, he wouldn’t have to explain. “Being part animal means that kind of control is very difficult for us to reach. The fact that I haven’t eaten you yet is evidence that I have a better handle on this than you think. Same goes for all the other shifters you know and probably antagonize.” Eoin smiled, showing her his long sharp teeth. “Try to remember that when you have to avoid eye contact with the alpha tomorrow.”

“Ryota doesn’t have an appointment.”

“Oh, he won’t need one. Humans tend to think of shifters as people who can change shape, but we’re not. We’re at least half of that animal inside. Instinct is a huge drive and I’ve crossed a line on mutual territory.”

“Me?” She pulled her hair and growled at the night air. Something in Eoin’s gut stirred and it had nothing to do with the goat he’d had for dinner. From what she’d told him, Angie didn’t have anyone. She was alone like him. “What do I need to do to get him to leave me alone, Eoin?”

“Keep telling him no. He hasn’t begun the mating ritual with you, so you’re safe. Once it’s started it’s almost impossible to stop.” Her scent suddenly filled his head. He wanted to toss her on his back and return her to his castle where Ryota would never reach her again. With a sudden backpedal, he retreated from Angie. What the fuck?

“What is it?” She stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. For a moment, he almost had.

“Uh…” He scratched his chin and fought the illegal urge to kidnap Angie. “Don’t sleep with him again. No matter how tempting Ryota makes it seem.”

“Don’t worry. That bridge is burned.”

The vise around Eoin’s chest eased so he could breathe again. “Good.”

“I don’t plan on ever sleeping with another shifter.”

The vise squeezed twice as hard. “Be careful what you wish for.” She meant werewolves. She couldn’t mean him. The ache in his chest kept getting worse with every breath. He had to get away. Her scent filled his head until his pulse pounded through his veins. Dormant hormones would drive him mad, trying to make him mate with a human. He hadn’t been around females of his own kind for so long that his stupid body was reacting to Angie as if she were full blooded, single and ready for mounting.

He wanted to give her a present. Something tangible that would remind her of him. The need thrummed along his nerves until he took a shaky breath and removed the tiny earring from his ear. He held it between his claws. “I have a gift for you.” Earrings were the only thing he could wear when he shifted from human to dragon. The hole in his earlobe remained the same size. Light from the bare bulb glowing above her head shone onto the ruby and fractured into a rainbow of different shades of red, sparkling on the rooftop.

“What is it?” She drew closer as if unable to resist the gem’s call.

“It’s a ruby.” He lowered his hand so the gem hovered in front of her face where she could properly admire the stone.

“It’s beautiful.” The awe in her gaze transformed her from pretty to heart-stopping. On an instinctive level she sensed the magic in gems like all their kind did. It was plain on her face. She just didn’t know it yet. Eyes half-lidded and lips slightly apart, she reminded him of the wonder he had lost. Her sleepy gaze met his and for a moment it sparkled with joy.

“Do you have a favorite gem? I could bring you others.” What the what? It was if his tongue was possessed, but as soon as he made the offer the ache in his chest vanished. He wanted to lavish her with gifts.

This neighborhood left a bad taste in his mouth. Nobody
wanted
to live here so that meant Angie had no choice. He could give her those choices though. The ruby could give her the means to move out of this dangerous area.

She gave him a slow blink. “Is this a trick question? Because I’ve never given it much thought.” Her expression remained grave except for a hint of laughter in her eyes. “I guess it would be a ruby since it’s the only gem I’ve seen in the flesh.”

“Not surprising. Not many deal in such currency anymore. Hold out your hand.”

“That’s not a good idea.” Just like that, she retreated back to the door. “I can’t accept your gift.”

He held up the ruby and scrutinized the crystal. “What’s wrong with the earring?” It was top quality. No visible flaw and the color as deep as blood. His tattoo artist had been trying to buy it from Eoin for decades.

“Nothing. It’s gorgeous but I can’t accept a gift like that from a client.”

“Don’t they ever tip you?”

“Not in gems.”

“Consider this my tip for tonight’s excellent service.”

She folded her arms and stared at her feet. “About that…”

He sighed and set the earring back in his ear. Maybe he could find something else she’d like. What did modern women want? Usually the tables were turned and the females vied for his attention. The last time he’d tried wooing a female was in the eighteen hundreds. Women’s ideals had changed drastically. He’d really have to ponder this.

“Tonight was on the house. You don’t have to pay me.”

“But I want to pay you.” He rubbed his temple where it pulsed. A frustrated noise escaped him. Nothing was going according to plan. All he wanted was his scale rot taken care of and somehow that turned into him trying to—to what? Seduce her? Nah, he could have taken care of that before they’d left the castle.

Angie was more than a woman he wanted to fuck. Looking at her was like looking in a mirror except she reflected only noble things.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea if we see each other again.” She clicked the door open. “It shouldn’t be too hard for you to find my replacement. The work is tedious but not difficult.”

“No, we made a deal.” He had to stop her.

“I know and I’ve never let a customer down but you seem to want more from me than just scale care and…” She swallowed hard. “I’m finding it hard to say no.”

“This is a bad thing?” Maybe her small bits of dragon DNA were driving her to him. He restrained his grin. But wait, if she’d always thought of herself as human and was raised by humans then those instincts would be confusing. No wonder she ran from Ryota, and now him.

The only way to know was to test his theory. He angled his wings and swished them to create a gentle breeze in her direction. When his body began reacting to Angie it created pheromones. Every male dragon could produce them. They didn’t stimulate sexual interest or cloud their minds like an incubus’ pheromones, but sent a clear mating message of interest. They wouldn’t be strong since he’d just begun producing them, but if she was dragon then she’d react in some manner. He wouldn’t try this trick with most she-dragons because they would slap the snot out of him.

He released his scent slowly so it wouldn’t overwhelm her. A human wouldn’t have the sense of smell to detect what he advertised.

Angie rubbed her nose. “For me it is. The last thing I want to do—”

“Who burnt your heart so bad?” He’d find the bastard and char him to coal.

“None of your fucking business.” The passion he’d seen in her returned. She could set the world on fire with that look. Taking a deep breath, she fluttered her eyelids then sneezed. Not the cute dainty kind that most ladies attempted. This came from her gut and he half expected flames to scorch his hide. She wiped her mouth on the back of her arm. “Sorry.” Then sneezed again.

“Bless you.” Could this be a reaction to his pheromones? “Do you have allergies?” Please let her say no.

She sneezed again. “Not until now. Are you wearing cologne? There’s a weird smell.”

“No.” Technically, he wasn’t wearing it. He was producing it. What the fuck did this mean? The pounding in his head grew worse. She obviously could sense the pheromones but if he made more she might sneeze to death. He laughed. Nothing about Angie would be solved easily.

“I don’t see the humor.” She continued sneezing. “God, I gotta get out of here.” She opened the rooftop door and descended the stairs at a run.

Eoin kept the door from closing and shouted after her. “See you tomorrow.”

Chapter Twelve

Angie rubbed her eyes and yawned as she walked the quiet streets the next morning. She’d slept like a rock after taking an antihistamine and eating half a box of cereal. God, she’d been starved. She’d eaten only a peanut butter jelly sandwich today.

Today would be different. Breakfast had consisted of eggs and burnt toast, then she packed a lunch. No more fooling around with missed meals. She had a bottle of
Liquid-Plumr
in her bag with a pipe wrench in case unclogging the sink in room one became nasty. Keeping a normal routine would be today’s goal along with not having to spend what little money she had left on a real plumber. She needed a standard, customary, boring, regular day.

The only thing missing so far was coffee and that would be remedied in a moment. She climbed the stairs to the java shop, so she could grab a cup to go, when from the corner of her eye she spotted sexy in physical form leaning on her shop’s window front.

Her heart skipped a beat. Smoke drifted above his head as he blew lazy rings, as if a dragon had nothing else to do but lounge. She noted the lack of cigarette in his hands. His lean form appeared relaxed but he watched the coffee shop where she stood with intense interest.

Tingles ran over her skin in anticipation of seeing Eoin again. No, no. She’d specifically told him, and herself, he was to seek help somewhere else. Maybe he wanted a referral. She could think of a few shifters who could use the extra cash.

All of them male, of course. Her gaze traveled along his long legs. His jeans clung in all the right places. Mixing business and pleasure would lead to terrible things like broken hearts, especially when her client filled her head with wicked thoughts.

Angie wiped the thin coat of sweat from her forehead. She could better deal with Eoin in his dragon form. She entered the shop. “The usual, Margie.”

The barista gave her a welcoming smile. “Heard about the excitement at your place the other day.” She handed Angie the cup of coffee with a shot of espresso, black like Satan’s heart. “Everything okay? You look stressed. Maybe we should make that a decaf.”

Angie took a swig. “No, I’m fine. Do you have a back way I can use?”

“Sure, because people having fine days like you always need an escape route.” Margie gave her a concerned look. She’d been making Beth’s and Angie’s coffee regularly since the back-scratching shop opened. “It’s by the bathroom.”

Before Margie started asking more questions, Angie hurried and exited into the narrow alley that connected all the shops on this side of the street. Facing Eoin first thing in the morning while her head was still foggy from antihistamines seemed too unfair. He’d starred in her dreams and occupied her thoughts. Couldn’t he just give her a break?

She’d sneak in her shop, start her day and maybe he’d go away without making a scene. She was allowed to fool herself for a few more minutes.

Trash bins blocked her path though. Dump trucks couldn’t fit into the alley, so shopkeepers were expected to drag their bins closer to the road behind the java house. It was trash day and the bins made it difficult to navigate to her building.

Of course, it was trash day. She pushed through the cans, careful of what she touched and to be sure not to knock one over. Any other day this alley would be easy to walk. The only time she
needed
to use it a garbage gauntlet had formed.

From the side, she spotted a trash bag move inside the bin. Her heart rate rocketed in a flashback of the horror movie marathons. Against her better judgment, she stepped closer. There could be a doorway to another universe developing in the trash. God, she was stupid. She pushed it aside.

An orange cat jumped to the ground in a blaze of hisses and high-pitched screeching.

Angie tumbled back, knocking over one of the fullest cans and spilling her coffee. “Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck fuck.”

The cat took off, back legs churning faster than its front as it turned the corner, heading toward the street.

She kicked the closest bag and tossed her empty coffee cup against the wall. With careful steps, she traversed the rest of the gauntlet to the clear part of the alley behind her shop.

Unlocking the door, she swung it open and heard the warning beeps of the alarm system. That meant she had ten seconds to punch in the code before it went off. Why was the alarm still on? Beth usually arrived earlier to open the shop, which meant shutting off the alarm.

Angie tossed her bag on the closest chair. “Beth?” She hurried to the front of the shop to the empty receptionist desk. “Beth?” she called out louder.

The beeping responded instead of the omega. Angie sat at the desk and punched the code into the control pad. Silence filled the shop. Beth still hadn’t responded.

A flashing light on the phone caught Angie’s attention. She dialed in the appropriate numbers to access the messages and played them on speaker.

Beth’s voice played. “Angie, I’m at Ryota’s office.”

Angie rubbed her temples and glanced out the window at Eoin’s back.

“The dragon was waiting outside the shop and I didn’t want to confront him by myself. I—”

“What the fuck is going on between you and Eoin?” Ryota’s voice interrupted Beth. “I have a meeting that I can’t reschedule. Once I’m done I’ll walk Beth over.” He hung up.

Ryota’s office wasn’t far. Couldn’t he have another pack mate walk Beth? No, the alpha wanted to butt his nose in her business.

Beth had run to her alpha, as she should when frightened, but why hadn’t she called Angie’s cell? She pulled out her phone from her pocket. Dead; that’s why she hadn’t received any warnings.

She glanced at the window again and met Eoin’s gaze. Her heart beat a little bit faster.

He grinned and waved.

Those blue eyes seemed capable of seeing right through her barriers into her soul. He stripped her naked every time their stares met, and she didn’t like it. Not one bit. She tried to blink but her eyelids refused to work. She couldn’t break contact. Even though Eoin was in human form, his presence crowded her shop waiting room. “What do you want?” she shouted.

His grin became crooked and he shrugged.

Angie blew out a frustrated sigh. What did she expect? She wouldn’t be able to avoid him as she’d hoped.

Unlocking the shop’s front door, she came face to face with the gorgeous dragon. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and counted from ten. “Eoin.”

“Good morning.” The smoke drifting from his nostrils faded. He handed her a cup of coffee. “Thought you might need some after last night.”

Butterflies took over the acid boiling in her stomach and left her lightheaded. She accepted the coffee and took a sip. “Thanks.” How did he know to keep it black?

He wore a threadbare Pixie Cunt t-shirt. They were an old punk rock band that had broken up a couple years ago. She fingered the hem of his shirt. “You’ve good taste in music.” As if burned, she yanked her hand away. That would only encourage his behavior. Whenever Eoin was around all she wanted to do was touch him.

“The band wasn’t mainstream. I’m surprised you know them.” He ran his hand over his chest in a nonchalant fashion. Angie couldn’t help but notice how the motion caused the material to mold to his hard-packed pecks. Those muscles had to come from all the flying; otherwise it just wasn’t fair.

“Do I look like a mainstream girl?” She always marched to the beat of her own drum.

He traced the short strands along her hairline. “You look beautiful.”

Her lungs forgot how to work. Clearly, he was blind. People used words like cute or pretty when describing her. Hellcat on occasion, but not
that
word.

Eoin hooked a finger in the belt loop of her pants and drew her against him slowly. “Are you feeling better?”

She took a deep breath, doing her best not to gasp like a fish in a net. “I took some allergy medicine.” And dreamed all night of Eoin wearing things like whipped cream and Nutella. That’s what happened when she mixed drugs and a stomach full of sugared cereal. “I’m fine.” Being this close to Eoin made her head feel stuffed with cotton candy. All her angry scripted speech shriveled as her brain went dead and images of Eoin wearing only lamplight filled her imagination. Her throat went dry. “Must have been some weird pollen in the wind.” She sounded hoarse.

He gave her a secretive smile. “Sounds possible.”

“Eoin, what are you doing scaring my only employee away?” She tried to back away but his finger locked and she didn’t want to tear her best non-stained pants. “Is it for a referral for my replacement?” Please, let that be the reason. “I’ll need at least a day.” She didn’t sound half as confident as she wanted.

“I’m here to find out what time to pick you up tonight.”

Maybe he hadn’t heard her. She’d been in the middle of a sneezing fit. “I can’t see you anymore.”

His smile faded. “Can’t or don’t want to?”

“Why does it matter?”

“We had a deal.”

“And it’s not working out. Time to compromise. I’ll find a replacement and they can care for your scale rot.”

Eoin let go and spread out his arms to gesture at the empty street. “Good luck.”

“You scared everyone away.”

“Without even trying. All I did was lean against a window and smoke.” The depth of sadness in his voice struck her hard.

“It would help if you turned down the intimidation factor.”

“Doesn’t seem to affect you any.”

Her teeth snapped together painfully, stopping her response. He was right. She wasn’t afraid of him anymore. Things were worse. She wanted him.

He returned to his spot against the storefront window and set a cigarette in his mouth. The dragon didn’t even light it before blowing smoke. The tight muscles along his jaw popped as he blew more rings. He glanced at her. “I’ll wait right here while you make calls to find someone brave enough to replace you.”

Those last two words stung more than they should. She blinked at the sudden moisture in her eyes. “You’ll scare all my customers. None of them will enter my shop.” Her voice came out raw.

“Not my fault they’re cowards. I’m not even in dragon form.” He showed his teeth in a grim smile. “I can’t even take a decent bite.”

“I’m sure you could barbeque them,” she muttered under her breath.

“I heard that.” He took another drag from his cigarette but didn’t look in her direction.

“I can’t afford to play this game. My schedule is full and I have rent to pay.”

“So seven o’clock again?”

She set her hands on her hips and glared at the sidewalk. Beth had all the contacts. The omega would know which shifter would be desperate enough for cash to work for Eoin. Beth wouldn’t come to the shop with Eoin staked out front in that mood. He may as well be in dragon form.

“You could make three months’ rent by finishing the job.” Eoin made small rings float through a bigger one. Her nails dug into her fisted palms. He knew exactly why she didn’t want to return. Their mutual attraction would destroy her. To Eoin, she’d be a short distraction but he’d ruin her for any other man because they’d never compare.

He turned toward her still leaning against the building. “You still want me to leave?”

She hesitated then whispered, “Yes.”

He sighed. “There’s more to you than just your scent, Angie.” He pushed off the wall to leave.

Her stomach plummeted. She’d never see him again except from clips on the television. “Eoin?”

He tossed her a questioning glance over his shoulder.

“Pick me up at seven.”

“Flying or driving?”

“Driving. No trunks.”

Eoin smirked. “Never.” He strode toward her, pulling at his earlobe. “Here.” He held the ruby earring between his fingers.

“I won’t accept that.”

“Consider it a down payment.” He fingered the fake gold loop hanging in her ear and grimaced. “This is almost blasphemy.” Removing the piece of jewelry, he replaced the loop with the ruby stud. “Now you can’t break our contract.”

He knew she wouldn’t renege on their agreement; otherwise she would have done so already. Angie twirled the gem in her lobe, sensing the new weight. Words flowed from her so easily when angered, but at the slightest kind gesture they vanished.

“I’ll see you tonight.” He bent closer.

Angie held her breath.

He hovered where her neck met her shoulder and inhaled. “Still smell like she-dragon.”

Eoin couldn’t resist the urge to take a lungful of her scent. The prickly spice stung his nostrils and made his mouth water. She smelled better than two days ago, even though a trace of garbage clung to her scent. What had she been doing in the back alley?

Angie cleared her throat. “Stop that.” The offense in her voice was a lie. She didn’t make any effort to distance herself from him. If she truly wanted nothing to do with him, then she would have let him leave.

Purring, he stroked her cheek. “It’s okay to like me. I won’t be offended.” She had reacted to his pheromones last night. Not the way he’d expected, but she sensed them nonetheless. A human wouldn’t have flinched. Dragon traits ran stronger in Angie’s blood than he’d suspected. He wouldn’t test it in this manner again unless he wanted her to run away.