Dragon Protectors: Shifter Romance Collection

by Lola Gabriel

  However, there was something about the thought of her making the same realization that he had, and the ball forced into her court, that he liked. Sebastian didn’t want to suffocate, scare, or intimidate Winter. It made him feel better about her well-being to leave the power in her hands. Besides, leaving his jacket there would at least ensure he spoke to her at least one more time.

  A strange thought to grasp for him was to think that Winter wouldn’t want to speak to him again, even after the conversation that they both wanted to see each other again. Something, though, told Sebastian that when Winter woke up the next morning and had time alone with her thoughts, she would still try to explain him away. He just had to try and get her to see past the concrete parameters of logic she had set in her head.

  When his cousin, Kent, pulled up, Sebastian climbed into the passenger seat, buckled in, and slouched against the door.

  “What are you doing all the way out here?” Kent asked. Sebastian dismissed the premise of talking with a half-assed wave of his hand. His mind continued in the same thunderous roar in which it had previously been all day. He took several deep breaths through his nose to relax nerves he hadn’t been aware were tense. Sebastian’s body was sluggish, drained of every drop of energy that it had once possessed. He didn’t have much time to contemplate why he was so exhausted before he quickly fell into a slumber with help from the rhythm of the road, the hum of the engine, and thoughts of Winter.

  6

  In the days following Winter and Sebastian’s first meeting, the woman was in a complete daze. No matter what she was doing, it was like she could never quite snap out of her thoughts all the way. Even when she was talking to people, her entire focus was on something else. No, on someone else. The longer Winter tried to slip back into her normal routine, the more annoyed she grew with Sebastian; he distracted her without even being there. It was like he crept into every little thought she had, and by no fault of his own.

  After a day or so of the suspense killing her, Winter picked up the coat of Sebastian’s she had accidentally kept and carefully slipped her hand into each pocket. A couple of unsuccessful turn-ups later, she managed to find his business card. Throughout the day, she carried it around with her in her apron at work and used it as a bookmark in class until she finally made the decision to call him. Her thumb traced the embossed letters as the line rang. There wasn’t but a brief amount of the electronic tones before the other end picked up.

  “Hello?”

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, Winter forced her nervous face to conjure a smile, as if he were there to see it. “Hey, it’s Winter.”

  “I was wondering when you would call.” Winter could hear the grin in Sebastian’s voice.

  “Well, you did leave a coat with me that is probably worth more than my apartment,” she laughed lightly.

  “Ah, so this call is merely a formality?”

  “Yup. I didn’t think it would be right to keep such a luxurious, custom article of clothing,” Winter continued with her sarcastic musing.

  “How about I pick you up at six, and you can give it to me then?”

  She bit her lip to contain the excitement. “That’s fine with me.”

  “It’s a date. See you then.”

  The call had lasted less than a minute, and yet, Winter was getting a high from the explosions of emotion materializing in her core. Either she was crazy, or Sebastian had an effect on her that reacted with the very makeup of her chemistry.

  The irony of the entire situation was far from lost on her. Corey was the last person on the planet that she wanted to tell about Sebastian. He would be so smug, squealing about how right he had been and more than likely take the credit for her and Sebastian meeting.

  Truth be told, Winter somewhat wished she hadn’t met Sebastian—at least, not that early in her life. It had only been a couple days, and she already wasn’t coping well. There wasn’t room for a relationship or even an additional friend in her life. Her and Corey’s friendship had only survived due to its already well-established foundation, and he understood her goals and the drive behind them better than anyone else.

  Knowing all of this, Winter still couldn’t let Sebastian go. He was an itch she felt so deep within her that she couldn’t reach it and would do nearly anything to get to it. The rest of the day proved that to be true. Each minute felt like an hour, and becoming aware of it made her feel like a giddy schoolgirl. Something else that she didn’t like was the attraction she felt for Sebastian. Winter told herself that all she needed to do was get to the bottom of why she felt the way she did, and then she could let it go.

  Winter practically sprinted home. Despite the fact her body was exhausted from the bustle and demands of an upscale restaurant, she was wired and jittery over the evening to come. Granted, she had a long night ahead of her. One of her professors had sprung a paper on them with very short notice, and she really should have taken that evening to knock it out before bed. Since she had so hastily and excitedly agreed to the date, Winter was going to have to attempt an all-nighter to stay on her already tightly packed schedule. She should have been angrier with herself about it, but she ultimately decided that it was okay as a one-time thing. Going to social events over doing homework could not become a pattern of behavior.

  She labored over getting ready much more than she usually did. As she plucked her eyebrows and applied subtle makeup, Winter found herself wondering when she had last taken the time to get ready like this. Even though she was going on a date, and of course she wanted to look her best, it was more for herself than it was for Sebastian. She liked doing it and always felt more confident when she did. Winter knew she needed to start taking time for herself, knowing that her overall wellbeing had been slipping for a while. It all served as another way to excuse herself from her responsibilities for the evening and go out. It’d help her keep her stress levels from climbing to unthinkable heights.

  By the time six o’clock arrived, Winter sat, fully dressed and ready to go, for half an hour. At almost the exact stroke of six, her phone buzzed in her pocket; a text from Sebastian was her cue to head outside. Her stomach tied itself in tight, anxious knots with the thought of seeing him again, and she took a few deep breaths to help calm herself down. With her purse in hand, Winter walked down the three flights of stairs and out toward the parking lot. She didn’t have to scan through the cars to figure out where he was. Sebastian had pulled up to the curb, leaning against the passenger door with a long and rectangular gift box in hand.

  Winter had dressed up, and yet she still managed to fall short. Sebastian was in another suit, but this time he had on a tie, a pocket square, cufflinks, and he had buttoned a single button on the jacket.

  “Are we going to prom?” Winter called over as she closed the last bit of distance between them.

  “Not exactly,” Sebastian said with a wink. Then he briefly gave her an up and down. Winter had eventually decided on a long-sleeved maroon dress that was form-fitting around her arms and shoulders, then hung freely past her chest and finished mid-thigh. Paired with a pair of black tights and black ankle boots, Winter felt stylish but comfortable. It was the best compromise for style she could come to when she had no idea what they would be doing.

  “You look lovely,” Sebastian complimented before extending the box out in her direction. “I hope that this doesn’t make you feel weird, and… well, the best I could do was make an educated guess.” Winter was taken aback. He had gotten her a gift? And on their second date?

  “What is it?” she asked with a cocked eyebrow, very hesitantly taking the box from his hands. It weighed almost nothing at all and made no sort of noise when shuffled around.

  “A dress for tonight.”

  “For tonight?”

  Sebastian didn’t respond. Slowly, Winter’s eyes fell to the box in her hands. As she began to lift the lid, Sebastian held his hands under the box to hold it for her. Dropping the lid to the sidewalk for the time being, Winter unfolded the g
ift wrapping and pulled out a dress; the kind of dress that was so elegant yet so simple and beautifully crafted that it took your breath away upon first glance. It was robin’s egg blue, Winter’s favorite color, with a neckline off the shoulder that would hug her chest and waist before flowing past her hips and down to her knees.

  “It’s gorgeous,” she breathed, examining it for a while longer before placing it back in its box. “What’s it for, though?”

  “For you to have and own and wear whenever you like,” Sebastian explained. “Perhaps to wear for a redo of our date the other night.” When the only response from Winter was an utterly lost look, Sebastian sheepishly grinned. “I made the initiative to take you to the movies, and we ended up sitting in a freezing park, on the ground, to watch a movie you’ve already seen a dozen times. I think I have some making up to do.”

  Still not following him entirely, Winter tilted her head to one side. “Why do I need a dress for the movies?”

  Sebastian shuffled uncomfortably, clearly wanting to keep the date a surprise. However, Winter did not back down. As he let out a heavy sigh, he resorted to his already apparent nervous tick of scratching the back of his neck.

  “All right, I got us theatre tickets for tonight. I just wanted to redo the movie thing—to do it in the way you deserve.”

  Winter’s gaze fell back down to the dress, which was nothing less than designer, and could not stop her mind from attempting to calculate the cost of it and two theatre tickets. She literally could not fathom the amount. Her logical mind, which was totally separate from her emotions, was screaming red flags. It was as the rose-colored lens through which she had been seeing the entire situation had shattered.

  Why would Sebastian spend so much on a woman he had just met the other day? Granted, he did come from a wealthy family and was rich himself—but even then, why would you buy your date a dress? Winter’s emotions and logic were at war, with her emotions screaming that Sebastian had no ill-intent, whereas her logical side had seen far too many true crime shows to see that this was not normal and could be a sign of potential harm.

  For a moment, her anxiety over even talking to another person that wasn’t Corey or customers at the restaurant, and her extreme but well-placed suspicions, won. Winter picked up the lid and placed it over the box. With a firm shake of her head, she pushed it away gently. “I can’t accept this.”

  “Why not?” Sebastian questioned, his brow furrowing and his eyes widening with a sense of alarm.

  “It’s… too much,” Winter answered. When the confusion on Sebastian’s face only increased, she continued. “I know it’s not like you’re short on cash or anything, but I’m not comfortable accepting such a nice gift from someone I just met. It feels… weird.”

  Sebastian blinked rapidly and then gazed back down to the box itself. It was as if Winter could see the wheels in his head turning, understanding how the gift looked. “God, I’m sorry. I had no intent for it to come off any way. I thought that maybe you would have said no to the theatre because you weren’t dressed for the occasion or didn’t have anything. I got you one so that you didn’t have to stress. I didn’t think about the cost, I just shopped until I found one I thought you would like. I… I didn’t think it through.”

  Winter felt bad for rejecting it, already knowing that he wouldn’t purposefully offend her or make himself off-putting. “It’s okay, really. Just… no gifts for now. Deal?”

  Sebastian nodded. “Deal. So… are you okay going to the theatre?”

  “Sure,” she agreed.

  “It doesn’t need to be a formal ordeal, anyways. What are they going to do? Turn on the house lights just to point out what we’re wearing?” he chuckled, loosening his tie. Opening the back door, he tossed the box enclosing the dress onto the back seat, along with his tie and jacket. Taking off his cufflinks and sliding them into his pocket, Sebastian rolled up his sleeves and unbuttoned his shirt. Winter shouldn’t have been smiling as wide as she was right then, but damn, did her cheeks hurt. Not only was he apologizing, but he was trying to make it up to her, to help her be comfortable. “How’s that?”

  “Adorable,” she said with the same big grin, only there was also a light blush covering her cheeks.

  “Let’s get going, then.” Sebastian opened her door and waited for her to climb in before he rounded the car.

  The ride was smooth, and the tension between them evaporated with small talk and soothing jazz that played from his stereo. So easily, Winter was slipping right back into the same headspace as the one she’d been in during their time spent together downtown. Her logical side half-gnawed at her, however, constantly reminding her of the feeling she had looking at that dress. It had been a tangible reminder that they really did not know one another.

  Still, Winter was uplifted and giggling by the time they arrived at the theatre. She couldn’t remember a time when she had laughed so much with one person. It was as though she had downloaded her exact sense of humor into him. Sebastian once again rounded the car and opened her door before holding his arm out. Linked together, they moved into the admissions line.

  “I don’t think I’ve seen a play since high school,” Winter commented, growing excited about the show.

  “Really? What play did you last see?”

  “The usual low-budget, corny production of Romeo and Juliet,” she snorted. “The last play I saw by professionals was Raisin in the Sun.”

  “Heavy stuff there,” Sebastian whistled. “Such a powerful play, even more so when the actors are that next level of talented, where you get sucked into the scene.”

  “That probably goes for all plays, though.”

  Sebastian tossed his head back and forth as though debating the statement before cracking a smile. “You got me there.”

  The theatre house was stunning. The ceiling felt a mile high, the walls were champagne with artistically displayed news clippings and professional photographs taken of the actors and performances over the history of the building. The carpeting was plush and cherry red, spotless other than the patterns drawn over time from heavy foot traffic. When Winter moved to follow everyone into the entrance to the auditorium, a theatre employee approached them with a fake, professional smile plastered on his face.

  “Right this way, Mr. Tallant,” the employee said in a tone that was far too perky.

  “It’s all right, we’ll be sitting in the house seats,” Sebastian explained and gave a wave goodbye as he continued on their path. Winter shot him a questioning look, but he didn’t have to look to know it was there. “My father’s company donated quite a bit of money to the foundation that started this, so we have a private box.”

  “I see,” Winter breathed. Her logical side gnawed further, telling her that someone with such unimaginable wealth should not be so interested in her. Winter shoved those worries down, wanting to enjoy their evening.

  And did she ever. The show had been phenomenal, emotional while still having moments of much needed comedic relief. She and Sebastian held hands nearly the entire show, other than the scenes where there were tears in her eyes, and then he would put his arm around her. The actors were so great in their performances that everything going on in Winter’s life, including her extremely complex feelings surrounding Sebastian, just vanished. She had been sucked into the vacuum of the passionate performance.

  Winter and Sebastian couldn’t speak fast enough when they walked out of the theatre, pointing out all of their favorite moments and drawing conclusions to the meaning behind the premise of the play. It had been so long since Winter experienced such an engaging conversation, a conversation where she wasn’t just regurgitating the facts of her life or her feelings—one where it was an exchange of ideas about the things to which they held value in life and society. Her eyes couldn’t have had more of a twinkle in them than they did when Sebastian spoke about such ideas. He articulated his words with such elegance and wisdom that Winter, at one point, could do nothing but listen. She was completely enth
ralled by him, everything he was saying, and the way he was saying it.

  Instead of going right to the car, the two headed down the street, simply moving with the flow of traffic and winding up entering a bar with a group of other pedestrians. They were so immersed in their own world that they didn’t seem to flinch, or even acknowledge, the change of scenery. When the bartender approached, they briefly diverted from their conversation to give their orders.

  It wasn’t until Winter was raising her third glass of wine to her lips that it really connected with her just how much time had passed since they had left the theatre. How could Sebastian make time go by so fast and with such little effort? Her upcoming assignments began nipping at the back of her mind, reminding her just how much she had left of each to do and that they weren’t going to do themselves. She continued to bottle the anxiety up, and instead, she took a deep gulp of the sweet, cold red wine.

  After Winter finished a long spiel about the character dynamic between the mother and son within the play, and how it related to the real world, Sebastian was gazing at her with eyes that were more tender than usual.

  “I know we’ve agreed not to talk about family and work, but I’m just curious at this point. About the life you had before now. Is there anything you feel comfortable sharing with me?” he asked in an earnest and sensitive voice.

  Winter brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Like what?”

  Sebastian shrugged. “Anything.”

  Winter thought for a moment and couldn’t precisely pick out any one memory or fact to share. “Maybe this is the wine, but I don’t mind sharing a bit with you. As I’ve said before, I’m from a small town a few hours away. My mom and dad were high school sweethearts, and they had me when they were twenty. Thankfully, I was an only child. They divorced when I was four, and things were pretty crazy after that. My mom remarried, and remarried, and remarried again. Depending on the husband, she was either hovering over me and trying to be this strict, demanding parent who expected too much, or wasn’t around at all. The last husband she had, and very well may still be with, caused too much tension and drama. So, when Corey and I both decided to go to school out here, I tried to start fresh. I emancipated myself from my mom and stepdad, and I am putting myself through school.”