Her throat was raw from everything she’d done with him. Her body ached from all the ways he’d used her. Cash’s scent clung to her body. Her beast purred happily. Their dreams had finally come true, although not in the ways they’d expected.
It’d been a hundred times better.
Ember had done the impossible.
She’d pulled Cash back after his beast had taken over. He hadn’t even realized it’d happened at the time. It was as if a slice of time had been cut from his life. One moment, he’d been there with her, and the next she was calling out to him.
The beast reluctantly gave her what she wanted. He didn’t know how she’d been able to bend it to her will. He’d never been able to get the creature to listen to him. The two had fought over his body for years, a fight that left him weak and listless more often than not.
He watched her, slowly relaxing into the pillows of this small haven. The evidence of his climax slowly dripped down her rear and over her thighs. A primal part of him savored the sight. He’d claimed his dragon woman in more ways than one. She belonged to him, body and soul now.
Cash wasn’t sure if he was ready for such a bond, though. Ember deserved a man who could be present for her. She deserved someone who wouldn’t disappear in the middle of sex. Could he be what she needed? He wasn’t so sure.
For now, Ember seemed unbothered by the interaction between him and his beast. She tilted her head just enough to peek at him. A demure smile reached the corner of her mouth that he could see over the nest of her folded arms that she rested in. His pride swelled at the sight of such a satisfied woman.
“Let me clean you up,” he said. His voice was still gravelly from having his beast so close to the surface.
It’d driven him, told him what to say and how to please her. The beast somehow knew her more intimately than Cash.
No, not somehow. Cash knew how the beast had come across this knowledge. He’d denied it for too long. There was no other explanation, though. The beast had accepted Ember’s claims as truth and used what it had learned from her letters to please her. She’d told him what she’d wanted in every letter.
She wanted someone who could be there for her, who could hold her, who could tell her what to do. Though the context had not been the same, the beast had translated those needs into exactly what Ember needed right now.
He dropped to his knees behind her and gingerly cleaned up the mess he’d made on her skin. A soft purr emanated from her. He tossed aside the napkin and curled up beside her.
“Why here?” she asked. “This doesn’t seem very recent, so I know you didn’t start coming here when my cousin moved in.”
Cash ran a hand through Ember’s curls, careful to untangle the knots he’d made in her hair. “I used to come here a lot when I was younger. It was…”
He choked on the words that should have followed. No one knew. Cash had carried this secret with him for years and years. Only he and the monster he caged beneath his skin knew what he’d seen.
Ember twisted to look up at him. She didn’t ask anything of him. She waited, content in his arms even as silence filled the room around them. He yearned for a sound, for a song. Then, he realized there was a note in the air. It began softly, almost imperceptibly. The hum drifted and swayed with the gentle lilt of music.
Ember smiled, her wordless song easing the crackling tension that had quickly gathered in Cash’s chest. He let out a breath and sank into her.
Maybe now was the time to unpack it all, everything that he’d been forced to lay witness to. And so, Cash began. His story stumbled at first. Even he wasn’t sure quite where to start. The words were heavy and hard to get out. But, after a while, he found the right thread and followed it to that fateful end.
“I watched Quincy kill my father,” he said. “No one else knows I was there. After what I saw…there was no one else I could turn to. I couldn’t go to my mother because I was afraid Quincy would go after her, too. I couldn’t go to Gale because I didn’t want to drag his family into this. And Alice never felt like a safe haven.
“So, I came out here, to the mines. I came here whenever I couldn’t stand being around Quincy. This is where I taught myself to play guitar. It’s where I taught myself to sing. Out here, no one could judge me if I got something wrong the first time. Or the next five times.”
Ember continued humming, her eyes closed. He knew she was listening by the way she held onto him. Her grip tightened when his voice cracked. She remained there, steady as a rock. Cash could have kicked himself for what he said next.
“When did your father start losing control to his beast?”
Ember stiffened. Her song shuddered and died.
“I’m sorry. It was rude of me to ask.” Cash started to untangle himself from her.
She wouldn’t want to hold him now that he’d revealed what an idiot he was. But she held onto him. A sigh shook her whole form. A glimmer of her beast’s light flickered in her eyes before she pressed them shut, her brow furrowing.
He wanted to run his thumb over her brow and ease away the lines that he had caused. What good was he if he pushed her in all the wrong directions?
“It happened when Teagan’s mom left,” Ember said.
Like Cash had, Ember slowly unraveled a painful story. Hers, too, was filled with loneliness and the crushing burden of expectations. Though everyone expected Cash to crumple and fail, the people in Ember’s life expected her to push through for them.
Cash hoped he could take care of her so that she wouldn’t have to worry about being strong all the time, so she could have some place where she could rest. That meant finding a balance with his beast. A truce would be hard to forge, but he needed to do it.
For Ember and whatever future he might have. Because he was not his father. And he was not alone.
14
As she expected, Ember lost her job. She’d worked there for the past four years. There were regulars who asked her to make their drinks because no one else could make them quite like her. She knew exactly when to cut some of them off, too.
None of that mattered because the damages had been more than her final paycheck.
Ember wished she didn’t have to get through this day, but there was really no way around it. She had to talk to her father, whether she liked it or not. Teagan was already on her way to pick her up. Ember was grateful to have a sister in her life. Though they had their differences, they had each other’s backs.
On her way out, Ember noticed a box outside her apartment. She peeked at the address because she wasn’t sure it had been delivered to the right place, but the address was correct. Her name sat above it, as if she needed more evidence that this was, in fact, for her.
She hauled it up the stairs to her apartment and pulled the tape away. Inside the box was a familiar shape. From the packing peanuts, she pulled out a fiery red acoustic guitar. The peanuts fell away to reveal other boxes nestled inside. Her heart pounded a syncopated rhythm as she pulled them out, one after another.
Finally, after she was sure she’d unpacked everything, she found a note at the bottom of the mess.
I might have smashed the one you left at my place. This is my way of saying sorry. For that, and for everything I might have done since then.
Play it for me when we’re together again.
Cash
The familiar honk of Teagan’s ancient SUV sounded outside, but the trove of musical gifts held Ember in their orbit. She couldn’t imagine what this could have cost. It must have set him back quite a bit. How could he have spent this much on her?
It didn’t seem right. She didn’t deserve all this.
Yet, as she ran her fingers over the bright paint of her new guitar, excitement made her dance in place. This wasn’t a declaration of love, but it was really close. Music was the language they shared. Even if she wasn’t that great at it, she understood it. This, right here, was as close to an I love you as she was going to get for now.
It gave her the s
trength to get on with the day. No matter what happened now, Ember knew that her life had taken a turn for the better. She could have exactly what she dreamed of for years. No one could take it from her.
She rushed down the stairs to where Teagan awaited her. The drive wasn’t that long, but dread tried to overwhelm her several times. Ember reminded herself that she could do this.
Teagan squeezed her hand as they pulled up to the old farmhouse outside of town. Ember drew in a breath and prepared herself to fight off the wave of memories that came rushing back as soon as their old home came into view. She couldn’t go back to those times.
“Are you ready?” Teagan asked, putting her old SUV into park
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Which wasn’t ready at all, but Ember had to talk to her father now. If she didn’t, then nothing in her life would change. She would keep walking the same path, treading over the footprints she’d previously made. It was time to break away from that trodden circle.
“I’ve got your back,” Teagan said. “We’re the generation that’s supposed to bring change. Right?”
Ember sure hoped so. Baylee’s success gave her some hope, but not much. Her cousin’s relationship was still frowned upon. If Ember sought the same kind of union, there was a chance their families would step in to stop them so they wouldn’t have another Baylee and Gale situation.
They found Callum in the kitchen, eating a microwaveable breakfast burrito while leaning against the sink. At the sight of his daughters, he stilled. Clearly suspicious, he looked between them. He set aside the burrito and wiped off his hands.
“It’s nice to see the two of you. You don’t visit often.” Callum paused. “I take it this isn’t just to say hi to your pops.”
Teagan snorted derisively. Callum narrowed his eyes at her.
Before the two could start arguing, Ember cleared her throat. “We need to talk.”
Those words sucked the energy out of the room. Everyone grew quiet. Ember could barely hear anyone even draw a breath.
Callum nodded. “That’s right. We do. Marjorie has found a suitable match for you. He’s already agreed to everything. She’s having the marriage contract drawn up by the local courthouse as we speak.”
The rug had been plucked out from under Ember’s feet. She nearly toppled over upon hearing his statement. Her jaw dropped, but she couldn’t find the words to fight back. Nothing would come to her as the world fell on her head and crushed her.
Teagan stepped up. “Dad, that’s really uncalled for. You’re overreacting to all of this.”
“Everything I do is for your protection,” Callum said firmly. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do to keep the two of you safe.”
“So, you’re going to chain Ember to someone who doesn’t love her? You’re going to ban me from flying for the rest of my life? Do you realize what you’re saying?”
Ember looked to her little sister. Teagan had been grounded? When had that happened? Had Ember known about that, she would have challenged Callum’s decision. Just because Teagan wasn’t a dragon didn’t mean she couldn’t fly.
Callum gave Teagan a condescending look—an I’m your parent, so I know better look. “You’re too small to be flying with dragons, Teagan. One flap of my wings sends you spiraling. I’m not going to let you hurt yourself. The same goes for you, Ember. That man is never going to be good for you. Baylee is going to learn that the hard way, but I’m going to save you the pain.”
“Who did Marjorie pick for me?” Ember asked.
Callum stopped. He clenched his jaw, giving away a bit of hesitation that Ember had not expected. “She hasn’t told me yet.”
Marjorie Barnes was up to something. Ember could feel it in her bones. Marjorie didn’t have the same deep-seated grudge that Callum clung to. She wasn’t beholden to the Barnes legacy in any way. In fact, Marjorie fully supported Baylee’s mate bond with Gale once she realized that’s what it was.
Add that to the fact that Marjorie had bought an expensive bottle of whiskey for Cash. Her math wasn’t adding up. Ember felt like she was missing something vital to the equation.
“It doesn’t matter.” She shrugged. “There’s nothing you can do to make me follow through with this. You can’t make me pick up and leave with someone I don’t love. You can’t make me exchange vows with him, either. You should know, however, if you ever lay a finger on Cash Montoya again, then I will vanish from your life. You will never see me again.”
He rolled his eyes. “We’ve had this conversation before. You cannot form a mate bond with someone just by sending them letters. Your infatuation has tricked you.”
“And you’re an insufferable bastard of a dragon who has chased away everyone you’ve ever loved.” Ember couldn’t stop herself. Venom dripped from her tongue. She wanted it to hurt him the way he kept hurting her.
Callum shoved away from the kitchen counter. He raised a finger, clearly ready to chew her out. Ember shook her head, took Teagan by the arm, and left. Blustering, Callum followed them out the front door.
Ember reached for the passenger door handle of the SUV and paused. She turned back to her father. “Oh, and you owe me fifteen hundred dollars for the damages to the bar that fired me because of you.”
“Why won’t the two of you let me be your father?” Callum threw his hands in the air. “I know I fucked up before. I’m trying to make amends. I’m trying to protect the two of you. If you could forgive me for my failures, then you wouldn’t be clouded by your anger. You’d see that I’m doing what’s best for you.”
Best for you.
Ember hated that phrase. She hated how others tried to interfere in her life under the guise of being helpful. When people uttered that phrase, they weren’t trying to help. They were trying to control.
She almost wanted her father to start dating again, so he would mess up someone else’s life for a little while. That was a selfish thought. Ember didn’t want anyone else to have to deal with her father’s oppressive meddling habits.
Teagan and Ember got into the SUV while Callum stood and watched helplessly. Ember stared him down, daring him to try to stop them. So much for the talk they were going to have. She didn’t know how to get through to him when he kept so many barriers between them.
His daughters weren’t reckless teenagers. They were adults who needed someone to support them.
Once they were away from the view of the house, Ember turned to her sister. “He can’t keep you from flying with me, you know. You’re always welcome to be my wing-gal.”
Teagan shook her head. “You’re not flying alone anymore. Dad’s right. I can’t take the risk, especially not with people I barely know.”
Ember opened her mouth to argue, but saw that there was no changing Teagan’s mind. She could tell that it wasn’t so much about their father. Callum had put fear into her little sister. Ember only hoped that Teagan still shifted. If she kept to her human form and ignored her owl, then it would cause problems that Ember didn’t know how to fix.
Teagan had never been one to allow Ember to help her.
“Are you going to marry this guy?” Teagan asked.
“He hasn’t even said that he loves me yet.” Ember laughed. “I think that has to come before a wedding.”
“I don’t know. It seems like Barnes women are falling for Montoya men like dominoes.”
“Two women hardly seem like dominoes. Or is there something you’re not telling me? Do you fancy a Montoya man?” Ember wiggled her brows.
Teagan gave her sister an unamused look. “All the good Montoyas have been snatched up already. Besides, I don’t have time to flirt with anyone. I have two jobs now.”
Ember suspected there were multiple reasons behind Teagan’s second job. They likely had to do with the desire to avoid her family. It was a miracle that Teagan had spared this much time for her. Teagan could tell herself that she was working to save for her dream bookshop, but Ember knew better now.
All those hour
s clocked kept Teagan out of the skies. The urge to stretch her wings was always on Ember’s mind. She suspected that her sister probably felt the same but had to distract herself to abide by their father’s wishes.
They didn’t have to live by the rules of others, though.
Cash couldn’t believe himself. He could have skipped this part and gone straight to Ember. That’s what any other reasonable man would have done. Asking her father for permission wasn’t necessary.
But if Cash was going to stay, he wanted this man to like him. Not just because he was Ember’s father, but so that Cash’s beast could rest easy when Callum was around. It would go a long way toward the peace treaty Cash was trying to extend to his beast.
This constant fight wore away at Cash. He wanted Ember. He wanted a life with her, but that meant trying to find a way to exist with his beast. The creature lived to wreck everything. He had to do everything in his power to control it, even if that meant making friends with the man who’d attacked him the day before.
If this didn’t work… Cash shook his head and set aside his fear for a moment.
You’re going about this all wrong, the beast growled.
Cash ran a hand through his hair and tugged, hoping a bit of pain would settle the beast inside him. The dragon needed music—or the dull thud of a fist connecting with someone’s face. Cash would have liked to settle for the first, but he had the feeling that this would end with the second whether he liked it or not.
The door flew open before he could knock.
Kill him, the beast whispered.
Cash swayed on his feet, stricken by the sudden rush of fury overtaking him.
“Are you going to listen to me this time?” Callum asked before his eyes focused on Cash.
Callum’s upper lip curled at the sight of a Montoya. Cash wanted to say right back at you, but that wasn’t how he would get his mate’s father to like him. This was already a precarious situation. Cash told his beast to get ready to fly. His shoulders itched like the wings might burst out of him at any moment.
A Song of Destiny (Great Plains Dragon Feud Book 2) Page 10