“You’re the adorable one, Anna,” he says, apparently reading my mind as he reaches up a hand to push a stray lock of my hair behind my ear.
“I like your outfit,” I say. It’s still a marvel sometimes to see him without tubes in his neck. And even though his hair sometimes gets black at the tips, as it is now, it just makes me smile throughout my whole being to see him strong and happy.
He scoffs. “I completely forgot to get a proper costume. I’ve been busy helping Rainier and the others set things up. Thankfully, I got a little help.”
“You’re welcome by the way,” Lee says, striding toward us, the long white lab coat he’s wearing flowing behind him while he holds a clipboard in one hand. Coupled with the stethoscope around his neck and the pen behind his ear, he’s basically the sexiest doctor I’ve ever seen.
A dragon doctor. What a delightful thought.
“After spending my human existence as a lawyer, I figured why not dress up as the human profession that better suits my dragon?” He leans forward, and Seth instinctively moves back, giving Lee room to lean down and place a soft, romantic kiss on my lips. His black hair that glimmers with blue is much longer now, coming down to his chin and past his neck, giving him an even more beautiful appearance than he already had.
Even the soft brush of his lips melts me to my toes, the memory of that first kiss in the library precious to me.
The kiss that started it all.
Lee pulls back, giving me a second to admire the way his white shirt and long slacks hug his muscles. To our left, I hear the sound of a pot lid clanking, and I turn just in time to see Rainier coming up as well, his silver eyes partially hidden by hilariously round glasses that are equal parts nerdy and sexy at the same time.
I instantly recognize the long, black cloak and striped scarf around his neck and giggle as I realize that Rainier as a wizard makes a ridiculous amount of sense.
He grins, and I know he can hear my thoughts as he pulls an authentic-looking wooden wand out of a pocket and mutters some sort of gibberish incantation while he waves it. Behind him, a cupcake lifts off of a plate on the table behind him, and it floats toward me magically.
How did he know wizards were one of my favorite things?
“For you, my love,” Rainier says, and I pluck the cupcake out of the air, noting the orange frosting decorated with black sprinkles to look like a jack-o’-lantern.
“That’s not a spell. It’s just your telekinesis,” Seth says.
“Wait until you try the love potion I’ve been brewing, and you just might change your mind,” Rainier says with a knowing smile. Seth sniffs the air at the same moment I do, and the cinnamon and cloves mixed with sweet apple cider makes my mouth water. “In the meantime, try the cupcake. I put more than a little magic into that as well,” he says with a wink and a nod.
I do, taking a bite that is half frosting, half chocolate cake, and the flavors explode in my mouth with sweet deliciousness. Before I can even finish licking the frosting off my lips, Rainier leans down and flicks his tongue at the side of my mouth, catching a small morsel, which he devours as I feel him devour me with his eyes.
“Mouthwatering,” he says.
“The cupcake?” I ask, knees a little shaky from all the attention.
The others laugh, and I take another bite, munching happily while Rainier turns to go back to the stove. Even with the bulky cloak and scarf, the outfit can’t hide his sexy butt and long, taut body.
“Where are the others?” I ask between mouthfuls as Seth wanders over to harass Rainier for a taste of the cider.
“Van is on a call with the Shifter Reclamation Project, I think,” Lee says, cocking a hip and looking every bit the walking fantasy of a medical professional he’s pretending to be. “Byron is on the deck, finishing dinner. And Griffin is…”
“Rainier, where’s the rest of my costume?” A loud bellow echoes through the house, sending everyone’s glances toward the hallway and a shiver of excitement down my spine.
I look over at Rainier, who is already grinning mischievously. A moment later, stomping feet get louder until Griffin appears at the entrance to the kitchen.
He’s wearing thick tan pants with wide red suspenders that go over his broad, sculpted shoulders. On his head, he’s wearing a bright fireman’s hat, and he has big black boots that make his already-imposing height even greater. But other than that, he’s completely shirtless, sculpted pecs moving up and down as he casts a suspicious glare in Rainier’s direction.
Seth looks up at Griffin and laughs so hard he buckles over, holding a hand to his stomach.
“I laid it all out for you on the bed,” Rainier says flatly, stirring the cider as if nothing is wrong at all. “After all, you asked me to find you something, and when I suggested a firefighter, you liked the idea.”
Griffin folds his arms, making the muscles there bunch up, and all of the sudden, my outfit is all too tight, the fabric clinging to my chest and hips and shoulders almost constricting me. My breath feels hotter, harder to inhale and exhale as I take in the sight of him.
“Sexy firefighter costume. I like it,” Lee comments unabashedly.
Griffin glares at Rainier and is about to say something to his partner when he glances over at me, and his gray-blue eyes go wide with shock and arousal. For what feels like a full minute, he just checks me out so hard it makes my pulse accelerate.
The stiletto heels are a little too much, and as I take a step toward him, I stumble on the hard, tiled floor of the kitchen.
Griffin is there in an instant, arms wrapped around me, trapping me against his smooth skin and firm strength. “You okay?” he asks, voice husky.
I feel like I’ve died and gone to sexy heaven with him holding me like this.
“I’m fine. Just…” I trail off, having difficulty finding words.
“I’d be angrier at Rainier for this, but the way you’re looking at me, I think I’ve already changed my mind.”
“You can thank me later,” Rainier says with a wave, and it amazes me just how good of partners they are for each other.
All of the dragons really. Van and Byron, Seth and Lee too. And even when the need arises, they can work in different pairs as well, all of them unified and friends and living together in the same household.
And all still just as in love with me as the first day we arrived.
Griffin’s lips crash over mine in a searing, all-encompassing kiss that burns down to my core, and it just feels like me and him for a moment as everything melts away around us. His scent mixes with the cider, and I reach up to hold his auburn hair that’s the color of fall as his tongue slides into my mouth and entwines with mine for a moment.
I feel Lee behind me, whispering into my ear, his hard body pressed to me.
“As tempting as you are right now, my dear, I think the others are waiting,” Lee whispers, finger teasing the shell of my ear before he pulls away and Griffin looks down at me like I’m his whole world.
A moment later, I’m whisked up into his arms, and he carries me outside as cool air washes over me, helping calm my racing heart for a second.
Beside the pool, the oversized table we have for outdoor eating is already covered with dinner and other snacks. Behind us, Lee and the others are bringing out the rest of dinner with them, and Rainier is carrying a cauldron that is bubbling with white smoke that’s probably just from dry ice but is atmospheric regardless.
It’s then that I spot Byron, who’s standing in front of the grill, wearing an outfit that’s the last thing I would have ever imagined, flipping steaks.
Griffin sets me down, and I run up to Byron on much more stable feet now that the chilly air has set my senses back to normal. The sky is already dark above us, and the full moon is heavy over the horizon. The pool is lit by red lights, casting an eerie, thematic glow over our party.
Up close, I can see just how absurdly detailed the Victorian-style duke’s outfit is. From his expertly folded cravat to the blue
and black silk overcoat and the waistcoat with gold buttons all the way down to his fitted trousers and polished black riding boots, the costume is something I would have expected to see on the set of a perfectly reenacted historical drama, not at a Halloween party. The kind of outfit I imagine seeing some pompous, wealthy, seductively handsome regent wearing on the night of the biggest ball in London.
Then again, when Byron goes in on something, he tends to go all the way.
I’ve always loved that about him.
“I knew you’d like it,” he says with that winning grin. His gold hair, which is slicked and styled to make him even more rakishly handsome, catches glints of orange from the party lights, and he pokes a steak and sets it onto a plate at his side without ever breaking eye contact with me.
I can’t help noticing that the thin material of his pants clings to his thighs, doing little to hide something even more mouthwatering than the steak on the plate that he’s picked up and is currently holding.
Halloween is officially my favorite holiday forever. Maybe we should make every day Halloween…
“God, you’re cute when you’re horny.” Byron leans over me, every bit the handsome duke on the inside as he is on the outside. “And you are just too delicious for words.” He tilts up my chin with his free hand, appraising me with his heated, commanding golden gaze.
Someone “ahems” loudly behind us, and I suddenly remember we’re not alone.
Man, I can’t wait to see him strip out of that outfit as soon as the evening’s done.
All of the dragons really.
I make my way to the table, Byron behind me, and I sit sandwiched between Griffin and Seth with Rainier, Byron, and Lee opposite me, all of them looking hungrier for me than for dinner.
I get the same feeling, and I have to clench my legs together just to hold back some of the tension that’s been building inside me since the second I stepped out of my room.
“So Van’s not out yet?” Byron asks as he sets out a steak for everyone. The table is absolutely packed with snacks and treats, enough for three feasts, and everyone reaches around, grabbing this and that and handing me a plate
“No. It seemed pretty urgent, something about one of the hybrid dragons and his new mate,” Lee replies. “The SRP has been needing Van’s visions more and more lately.”
“Hmph, hybrid dragons. Nothing beats the original,” Griffin mutters, taking a big bite of steak. Outside, the pale moonlight makes his tanned, taut skin look even more kissable, and I chomp into a pumpkin-shaped cookie just to distract myself.
I’ll definitely have him hold on to that firefighter outfit for a long time. Maybe make him walk around the house in it…
Seth coughs on a bite of something but holds up a hand to show he’s all right.
“All in all, it seems like we’ve had fewer missions in general, though, doesn’t it?” Rainier asks.
“Maybe things are finally stabilizing in the shifter world. That would be nice for a change,” Lee responds.
“More time with our mate, that’s all I can think of,” Griffin chimes in. “How did your video call with Gayle go this morning?”
“It went well. She’s dating someone now, and they’re talking about getting married. I’m really excited for her.” Of course, she almost saw me in bed with two hot guys this morning when she called, but I’m still keeping the whole “I’m in love with six sexy dragon shifters” thing close to the chest.
“Making a life of her own. She has a great sister in you, Anna,” Rainier says.
“Dibs on being Anna’s date to the wedding.” Griffin slaps his hand on the table, drawing surprised and annoyed glances from the other men. “When there’s a wedding.” He stares back as if challenging them.
“I think that’s still a long way off. After all, normal people need to take a long time to get to know each other,” I explain, glad that I’m already settled and happy in the stellar life I get to share with each of my dragons. “I think we can cross that road when we get there,” I add, and the others all seem to calm.
“You’re right. Whatever you want, Anna,” Griffin says, smiling at me earnestly now. I can still feel the surge of possessiveness lingering, but it’s radically different than things were a year ago, even more so when compared to how things were back in the Blur.
Griffin learning to cooperate, Van being the undisputed leader, Rainier being more open with his emotions, and Byron being more willing to see others’ viewpoints.
I’m still so smitten with them I can barely contain my happiness sometimes.
We continue to eat as the dragons talk about their latest missions or the hobbies they’ve been working on and the rest of our plans for the fall as the moon rises higher in the sky. And for a few seconds, I’m just caught up in the moment, the sights and smells and experience of living with these men for more than a year now.
“So what other things do humans do to celebrate Halloween?” Lee asks, interrupting my reverie.
“Aside from dress up as sexy firemen?” Seth asks with a mischievous glance at Griffin.
Griffin grimaces as he adjusts the thick suspenders, pulling one up over his shoulder that had been hanging loosely to the side.
“Hm…” I think for a moment. “Well, there’s pumpkin carving.” I count off with one finger.
“I got the materials for that if we’d like to do that later,” Rainier chimes in.
“There’s trick-or-treating, but that’s more for kids and families. We also usually do things like swap scary stories or watch a horror movie.”
“As if anything in those movies could be scarier than six dragons,” Byron says proudly.
“What sorts of stories do humans tell each other?” Seth asks, curious.
“I guess that depends on the person.” While I explain more, the others are getting up, tossing finished plates into a pile, and moving some of the snacks off the table and heading toward the fire pit we have off to the side of the house, which is already blazing and warm. Griffin takes my hand, helping me to one of the comfy chairs, and he pulls a blanket out from a cupboard and wraps it over my shoulders, sitting on the ground at the foot of the chair next to me.
“So what scary stories do you know, Anna?” Byron asks, the red from the fire making his gaze glow like molten gold across from me, outfit still crisp and tailored and making me wonder who he went to and how much he paid in order to get something so custom-looking in so short a time.
I sigh. “I really can’t remember any of them. I vaguely recall the story of ‘The Viper,” but that’s more silly than scary.”
“What’s it about?” Lee asks.
I shake my head, trying to recall the fuzzy details from some childhood campout long ago. “Um… something about a viper who appears at people’s windows and scares them. The joke is that he’s not some infamous murderer, but just a window washer. All I can remember is the punchline, ‘I am the viper, and I’ve come to vipe yer vindows!’ Something like that.”
Blank stares all around.
Rainier is the first to grin, though, clearly the only one who got anything from my extremely patchy retelling of an already cringeworthy tale.
“So it’s because he sounds like a vampire that people think he’s scary. I get it,” Rainier says, looking comfy in his cloak as he pushes his circle-shaped glasses up his nose.
“How did you manage to figure that out?” Byron says, eyes raking over every inch of my legs that are exposed by my short skirt.
“I’m good at extrapolation.”
At my feet, Griffin is sitting lazily against the chair like some overprotective beast relaxing but still entirely dangerous. Next to me, there’s a little table set up with all the treats everyone has been working on all day, and each dragon has me try a bite of what they made just for me and the rest of us to share.
And in each bite, I can taste their love, their devotion. The unbreakable connection we all share.
I reach a hand forward and rake my nails over Grif
fin’s scalp, and he emits a low, satisfied growl as he cranes his neck back to give me better access.
“Oh, oh, I have a scary story to share,” Seth snaps his fingers.
“One that doesn’t involve black dragon poison?” Byron jealously eyes the hand I have on Griffin’s head. I make a mental note to give him one of these head scratches later.
“This is even better. A tale I heard from some old man in the Blur who has passed this story down for generations. The legend of the sea monster’s curse.” Seth stands, green eyes glowing emerald as he spreads one hand outward dramatically, bandages hanging more loosely around his arms and body than they were earlier in the night.
“Long ago, when water dragons patrolled the oceans, there was one creature that even they feared… the mythical sea monster!” Seth is in full-on storyteller mode, pacing around the fire and speaking with the sort of charisma that belies his beautiful looks.
But in a way, it makes sense. After all, the black dragon of their group was always more than a little special.
Griffin groans lightly as my hand teases a certain spot, and even though Rainier and Byron and Lee seem enthralled by Seth’s storytelling, I suddenly remember I forgot to grab the chocolate popcorn I made with Rainier yesterday.
That, and I think I need to get a breath of fresh air before Griffin’s satisfied sounds make me even hotter than I already am.
I stand up, and everyone pauses, asking me if I need something or how they can help.
“It’s fine, just grabbing the caramel popcorn I made yesterday. I’ll be right back. Every good story needs popcorn, right?” I say, setting down the blanket as Griffin looks up at me, ready to get up at my word.
But I wave him off, wanting to let him stay relaxed and secretly happy to avoid any tales of deep-sea monsters because open water has always scared me a little bit.
So instead, I make my way back to the house, careful to watch my step because I know if I trip, five dragons will be rushing to my side faster than someone can finish saying “Halloween-related injury.” Seth’s voice, which has started to speak with a pirate drawl, can still be heard across the yard as I slide the glass door open and peek into the kitchen, which is now dark.
Bad Dragons: Special Edition Complete Series Page 50