by Roxie Ray
I never asked how she got here, but I’d also never seen her car. The woman was a mystery in a tiny package.
It took nearly an hour to tell everyone goodbye. They all stopped to shake my hand, and after giving my mother a big hug goodbye, it was just me and Jace. “Well,” he said. “I better go relieve the little shit at the bar. He’s probably burned the place down by now.”
I chuckled and shook his hand, then watched as he climbed in his car and drove away.
The sun had long since set, and the moon was rising higher and higher in the sky. I walked slowly toward the house, happy to see the outside lights worked, and came on as soon as I was in range. One thing to tick off my to-do list: Checking the motion sensor lights.
As soon as I went in, I headed for the shower. Taking my time under the hot water, I thought about the flight and wondered if it would ever be possible for Skye to fly with me. Would my bite turn her? As I soaped up and rinsed off, the possibilities of what might happen once I bit her ran through my mind for the hundredth time.
It all came down to uncertainty. There was no telling what my bite would do to a human. None whatsoever.
As I toweled at my hair and stood dripping in the bathroom, my cell phone chirped in the next room. When I dried, I wrapped the towel around my waist and tied it off to go see who had texted me.
It was Jace. Skye is here at the bar with her friend Kaylee.
I picked up the phone and replied. So?
His reply came first with several emojis indicating booze and laughter. Kaylee is wild. They’re likely to get tanked. Thought you’d want to come to play bodyguard.
Seconds later, he followed up with, You enjoy playing bodyguard.
Well, he wasn’t wrong about that. I didn’t need telling twice. Without hesitation, I threw the towel and got dressed, thanking my mother for drilling neatness into me as a kid. If I hadn’t unpacked earlier, I’d be searching now for something to wear and wasting precious time.
Clad in jeans and a tee, I grabbed my leather jacket and hopped in the car.
Even though my place was a good drive outside town, I got there in no time. As soon as I walked in, I knew exactly where Skye was, at a table near the center of the room. But I purposely didn’t look over there. Instead, I headed for the bar with every cell in my body sure that Skye’s gaze was on my back.
“Thanks,” I muttered as I sidled up to the bar.
Jace chuckled and nodded toward their table. “I was right to call you; she might really be needing a bodyguard soon.”
I chanced a glance in their direction, and sure enough, Skye’s gaze was glued to me. I gave her a quick head nod, but even as fast as I looked away, I didn’t miss the line of colorful shots in front of each of them.
“They come in now and then. Sometimes they go next door.” Jace set a longneck in front of me. “I always make sure both of them get home safe when they come here.”
I picked up the beer and tipped it his way. “I owe you for that.”
He waved me off. “You’d do the same.”
As a matter of fact, he was right. I would’ve done that for any female that I came across who was too intoxicated, and most men, for that matter. But I didn’t say that. I still appreciated what he’d done all these years while I was away.
Every time I thought about my time spent in Boston and not here, I regretted them. I could’ve come home years ago. Should’ve.
As the women drank, laughed, and cut loose, I kept my distance. But it became easier to watch her as time went by because she noticed less and less. Eventually, I was able to watch Skye and her friend openly. I wasn’t sure she was able to even see the bar, much less me sitting at it.
It gave me too much time to notice the smile I’d missed seeing and the laugh I’d missed hearing. My chest ached with how much I’d missed her when I was gone and how much of our lives we missed out on. I nursed the same beer as Jace came around to check on me.
And when men began to approach, I stayed on high alert as the girls sent one guy after another on their way. I couldn’t help but be amazed and proud of how well Skye handled her liquor. She went from being out of her mind silly with her friend to sober and polite to the men, thanking them for their offers but declining. At least all the men had been respectful. I didn’t think she’d be very happy about me interfering in her girls’ night, but if push came to shove, I would’ve.
As she sent the third guy off, I remembered she was raised by her dad and the guys at the shop. More than likely, she could drink anybody here under the table. Any human, anyway.
The moment she surpassed tipsy, I jumped up and swooped in when she wobbled. Skye looked up at me with her big eyes and to my delight, grinned. She wasn’t upset. “Need a hand?” I asked.
“Well, that would be nice. I need to use the restroom.” She patted my arm and whirled, barely staying upright. I didn’t want to help her any more than she might need. She’d come here to have some fun alone, not to have me take care of her. I followed behind as close as I dared. “You’ve gotten even more handsome over the years,” she said over her shoulder. “Really grew into your nose.” Since she was sort of looking behind at me, she wasn’t watching where she was going.
I fought a laugh and put my hands on her shoulders, carefully steering her toward the bathroom. “You always told me I would.” I’d had more than one person tease me about my nose as a kid. I’d been all angles. Elbows, knees, Adam’s apple, and nose. Every time someone had upset me, Skye had been the one to calm me down.
“Here you go.” I pushed the door open for her and looked away, then stood outside the bathroom and waited. Thankfully, she made it back out without needing any assistance. When she clutched my arm, her hand was soaking wet and I smelled flowery soap. Good. She’d managed to wash up, though she’d skipped drying off. I chuckled and walked with her back to her table, where Kaylee was talking to some guy who looked like he belonged in a rock band, or maybe a biker gang. Whatever it was, he had a lot of piercings and tattoos.
“Hello,” I said as my eyebrows pinched together. The pincushion glared at me.
“Anthony,” Kaylee squealed. “This is my boyfriend, Luke. He’s taking me home.”
“You’ve been drinking?” I asked the man, and stood as tall as I could as I let my alpha magic flow off of me. The man wouldn’t know what it was, but he’d feel intimidated.
“I don’t drink.” He snarled one lip at me, but I was sure he was telling the truth.
I nodded and watched Kaylee and Skye say goodbye.
“Are you taking my girl home?” Kaylee asked me.
“I’d be glad to,” I replied.
She poked me in the chest. “Take care of her.” Skye was busy saying goodnight to the server and stuffing a bunch of cash in her apron, so she didn’t notice.
“I will. You have my word.”
Kaylee nodded and winked and walked toward the sober Luke. I watched them walk out, then put my hand on Skye’s elbow. “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”
She waved to Jace on the way out, and he gave me an exaggerated wink from behind the bar. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off over my shoulder. “What’s your address?” I asked as I opened my car door and helped Skye sit down without bumping her head. I felt like a cop helping a prisoner into the car. Chuckling, I circled to the driver’s seat.
Skye rattled off the address when I got in. “Why don’t you know where I live?”
I turned over the engine and looked at her out of the sides of my eyes, mainly focusing on the road. “Honestly?” Not that she’d remember this. I plugged the number into my GPS. “I intentionally didn’t find out. If I knew where you lived, I might’ve been tempted to drive by and see you all the time.”
She grinned at me and leaned over and slumped against the window. Her eyes slowly closed, and in seconds, she was asleep.
Good grief. She was cute and funny now, but I hoped she didn’t drink like this all the time. At our age, especially, it could lead to real
problems. When we pulled into the driveway of the house, I stopped and stared at it. We’d been riding down the road parallel to the beach on our bikes and we’d pulled over in front of this little cottage. She’d told me then, all those years ago, that she wanted to buy this house and fix it up when we were grown.
And she had. She let out an indelicate snore at that moment, and all I could do was laugh, half in happiness at how cute she was and half with sadness. I’d promised her I’d help her fix up the house. We were going to move into it as soon as we’d graduated high school.
Something else I’d missed out on. Another sharp pain hit my chest, a pang of regret.
I got Skye out of the car and tried not to get turned on as she leaned heavily on me. We walked toward the door. “Keys?” I asked.
She shook herself more awake and dug her keyring out of her purse. I hadn’t even thought to make sure she still had that. Whoops.
“Lock up when you’re inside, okay?” I watched her fumble with the key but refrained from taking it and doing it for her.
She finally got the door open, and the smell of citrus drifted out. The house was dark, too dark even for me to see, but the smell stirred up old feelings of familiarity. It smelled like her bedroom she had at her father’s house.
No way I was going inside. If I went in, I didn’t think I’d be able to talk my dragon back out. But Skye didn’t walk in. “What is it?” I asked softly.
“I wanted you to kiss me on the roof and I don’t know how to feel about it.” She cocked her head and looked up at me, her face bathed in moonlight. “I think I’m supposed to still hate you a little even though I said I wouldn’t.” Her face twisted into what she surely meant to be a mean-mug, but in her intoxicated state, it was just cute. “I’ve hardened my heart to men but there you are, messing with my head.”
“I promise, it isn’t my intent to mess with your head. I just decided what I genuinely want is you in my life in whatever capacity I can have you.” I stepped closer and touched her chin with my finger. “You’re my person, remember?” We’d always told each other that as kids after she’d watched some TV show where they were each other’s person.
I’d always wanted her to be my person, in all ways, but I’d let my family ruin it.
She smiled, a nostalgic expression, before grabbing my collar and yanking me close. I allowed her control. Just because I was alpha didn’t mean I had to be the one running things all the time.
But then she melted against me and seemed to submit. My alpha dragon totally took over and pulled her up in my arms. Her feet left the ground, and she moaned into my mouth as my tongue darted forward and claimed her mouth. It was heated, passionate, and more than I could take.
I put a stop to it before she could feel just what her kisses were doing to me, pressed against her stomach.
“Lock up,” I said, and my voice sounded more dragon than man. It was more growl. On top of that, my tattoo burned hotter than it ever had before, and higher up my arm. It was significant enough pain to make me yank up my sleeve and glance down at it in front of Skylar, though she couldn’t see it.
It had grown and was nearly from wrist to elbow now. That had to be a good sign.
“Good night,” Skylar said, on her own feet again. She stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to my jaw as I stood stiffly and tried to talk myself out of picking her up and carrying her to her bed.
I waited for the sounds of the locks engaging before stalking to my car.
I needed another shower.
And a damn good jerk-off.
11
Skylar
“Ugh.” I rolled over in bed and tried to banish my memories from my mind.
No matter what I did, my head pounded and the taste and feel of Anthony’s mouth wouldn’t leave me.
Why didn’t I drink wine last night? I never remembered what happened when I was wine drunk.
Moaning, I rolled over again and sipped water from the cup on my bedside table. I’d gotten up sometime in the night and grabbed it.
At least it was Sunday. If I’d had to get up and go to work, I would’ve been screwed.
Oh, speaking of that, I knew exactly what to do to fix my hangover. Stumbling out of bed, I shuffled into the living room and grabbed my medical kit. Twenty minutes and several attempts later, I was back in bed with an IV bag resting on a pillow above my head. I dozed while the IV rehydrated me.
It was cheating, but hell. What was the point of being a medical professional if I couldn’t take advantage of some of the perks?
When I woke again, I felt much better and the bag was nearly empty. I carefully took the IV out, disposed of everything, and slapped a waterproof bandage on my wrist.
After a shower, I felt even closer to normal, though I still couldn’t stop the constant replay of the kiss.
If I stayed home, all I’d do is focus on how turned on I’d been. The only reason I hadn’t spent all night with my vibrator was the large amount of liquor I’d had in my system. I’d passed out as soon as I hit my mattress.
Before I rethought it and settled back in bed with said vibrator, I grabbed my keys and headed out the door.
Only to remember my car was still parked in town. I’d intended to walk to Dad’s shop last night and sleep there, but when Anthony offered to take me home, all thoughts had gone out of my head.
Everything except inviting him in.
I changed up my game plan and opened the rideshare app. Ten minutes later, I was in the back seat of a woman’s car who kept giving me strange looks in the rearview mirror. “Aren’t you Skye?” she asked.
I nodded and smiled at her as nicely as I could with the last remnants of the hangover headache pounding through my head. She would’ve seen my name when she accepted the call for a ride.
“You don’t have a car?” the woman asked.
She was rather hateful. I opened my app and checked her name. Tessa Bridges. It did sound familiar. “I do,” I answered carefully, “but I left it in town last night.”
The scenery rushed by as we headed toward Main. It seemed like she was driving really fast. This was one woman that wouldn’t be getting a very good review. She was quiet for a while, so I checked email and my social media accounts.
After a few minutes, I noticed Tessa’s head move. She glanced at the GPS. “You left it at a bar? Do you drink a lot?”
“Not really,” I said absently as I went back to the email about a new drug from the hospital CEO I’d been reading. “We’ve had more girls’ nights than usual here lately, but it’s a coincidence.”
She sniffed. “I see.”
“What’s it to you, anyway?” I asked. Who was this woman to make me feel judged about how often I drank? I’d been out a few times recently, but normally it was once a month, maybe.
“I’m friends with Anthony,” she said. “I just want what’s best for him.”
Of course. Just my luck to call a rideshare and get the one person that wants to defend Anthony.
“Anthony isn’t a factor in my life,” I said. “So, whether or not I drink doesn’t affect him whatsoever.”
Thank goodness, I spotted the bar and my car in the late morning sunshine. “Here it is,” I said. “I paid on the app.”
She pulled her sedan beside mine, and I jumped out before she could say anything else. I darted around my car and got in with my phone in my hand.
Before I even turned the engine on, I texted Anthony. Who is Tessa and why is she quizzing me about how often I drink?
Once I hit send, I pulled out of the bar’s parking lot and went across the street and up the block to Dad’s shop. When I parked and checked my phone, I had a reply. What in the hell are you talking about?
I told him what had happened and grabbed my purse. His reply pinged as I got out of the car. I’m so sorry. I’ll handle it.
I’d have to ask him to give me the full story behind it later. But for now, Cooter had already spotted me. “Look what the cat dragged in!” he crowed.<
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Dad walked out from behind a big truck and grinned at me. “Come to visit your old man?”
I nodded and smiled. “Thought I’d make us Sunday dinner.” And I’d known damn well he and Cooter would be working in the garage, probably with a game on in the background. Sure enough, they had the TV mounted on the far wall on with some race cars going around and around a track. Ah, wrong sport. It was racing season.
“Come on inside,” he said. “We can finish this truck tomorrow.”
Dad and Cooter led the way into the house he’d built behind the shop. I headed toward the kitchen, but Cooter waved me off. “Go watch the race with your dad,” he said. “I already put a roast in.”
Laughing, I shook my head and plopped down. Dad had already turned the race on. “How was girls’ night?” he asked. “I expected you to stay at the apartment over the shop.”
“I got a safe ride home,” I said evasively.
“I heard that a certain someone took you home last night.” He turned his attention away from the race and fixed a glare on me. “Are you falling into his trap again? He left you heartbroken before.”
“Dad, remember we were just kids.”
His face darkened. “I don’t care. You were hurt and I won’t ever forget it.”
“Okay, I won’t either. But I have forgiven him. And you should too.”
He pushed back in his recliner and grunted. But he didn’t disagree. After a few minutes of watching the cars go round and round on the pavement, he glanced at me again. “I can’t stand to see your heart broken again. Not after Anthony and then what Bret did to you.” He inflected Bret’s name with a drop of venom.
He disliked Anthony, but he hated Bret. And I didn’t mind that he did. At least Cooter was busy in the kitchen. If he heard Bret’s name brought up, he would’ve started cussing.
“I promise I’m being careful, Dad. Nothing has happened.” I couldn’t stop the kiss from flashing through my mind again. And my damn cheeks heated up.
“Oh, ho,” Dad said triumphantly. “Then why are your cheeks red, tell me that?”