“You’re so goddamn beautiful,” he said, his eyes searching hers. Molly ducked her head in shame. No one had ever called her beautiful. Why would they? With her crazy red hair and unusual green eyes, she wasn’t exactly what one normally thought of when they thought of traditional beauty. But Zane wouldn’t let her look away. He caught her chin in his hand and drew it back, looking into her eyes.
“I mean it,” he said in an earnest voice. “You’re beautiful.”
Molly’s blush deepened. He really meant it. She tried to respond, but before she could he had moved his mouth to cover her bare nipples. The electricity that flooded her was almost too much to take, and she let out a moan as he nibbled, chewed, and bit her hard, sensitive nubs. He reached his hands down to her leggings, hooking his thumb in the hem of both her leggings and panties, and pushing them both down without ever taking his mouth from her breasts. Molly wriggled and helped him with his task of removing her pants. Moments later, she was completely naked in front of him, her body trembling with the anticipation of what was to come. She could feel herself growing wet between her legs as her body readied itself for him, pleading for him to fully take her.
Zane let out a low growl of appreciation, then reached to pull off his own shirt. Molly drank in the sight of his torso. His broad chest and shoulders gave way to a perfectly sculpted six pack, which tapered into a perfect muscular “V” that disappeared below the hem of his jeans.
She wanted to see the rest of that “V.” Feeling unusually bold, Molly quickly reached for the button on Zane’s jeans. Using deft, skilled fingers, she unfastened the button and slid the zipper down, then pushed the jeans down around his ankles, where he stepped out of them. All that was left between her and his massive erection were his tight, black briefs. Molly could see the outline of his dick as it pressed against the briefs, longing to be set free. She smiled, then reached for the hem of the briefs to quickly push them down and off as well. There they stood, completely naked in front of each other, both panting and filled with desire. They paused for just a moment, as if to drink in the moment. Both of them were filled with a sense of wonder. This is not how Molly thought the morning was going to go, but she couldn’t have asked for a better surprise. Shivering, more from anticipation than from a chill, she looked into Zane’s eyes and gave him a shy smile.
The next thing she knew, he had lifted her up onto the island. She lay there on the cool granite as a dusty cloud of flour rose from where she had landed. Her cookbooks and a bag of flour fell to the floor with a loud thud as Zane climbed up, too. Moments later, another cloud of flour dust rose from the floor below them where the bag of flour had exploded. Molly giggled, then sneezed. Zane cracked a smile, too, then leaned over to nuzzle her nose.
“Sorry, I owe you a bag of flour. Maybe two,” he said.
“Two? I think only one bag fell,” Molly said.
“Well, there are no guarantees that we won’t knock over another before we’re done here,” Zane said. Then he closed his eyes and let out a long, loud roar. The sound was beautiful and chilling, and Molly felt her heart beating faster in response. The next thing she knew, he was inside her, and her whole world was turned upside down again.
He was large—larger than anything she’d ever felt before. His rock hard erection filled her, pushing against her inner walls and sending tremors of pleasure through her that were unbelievably intense. She had the strange sensation that she was falling through fire, but it wasn’t painful. It was exhilarating. She closed her eyes and let out a loud moan, which only encouraged Zane to thrust faster. Molly could feel her juices surrounding his dick. They were both sticky, sweaty, and on fire.
A tingling, electric sensation started building in Molly’s core. She moaned as it grew stronger and stronger, and she tried to hold back as long as she could. But she couldn’t hold back for long. Moments later, in another burst of heat and electricity, she let her release come. Wave after wave of heat pulsed across her body as her muscles spasmed and she held onto Zane for dear life. Even the countertop below her no longer felt cold. Everything was burning up in the best way possible. Zane let out another roar, and then stiffened as he gave one last, long thrust into Molly’s body. His body started pulsing, too, as he found his release and joined her in a moment of ultimate ecstasy.
For several long moments after the moment had subsided, Zane and Molly lay there together, wrapped in each other’s arms on the flour-covered counter. Finally, Zane looked over at her and smiled, his expression full of satisfaction and wonder.
“I know you’ll think I’m crazy for saying this, but I love you, Molly. My little weirdo,” Zane said.
Molly smiled back at him. “I love you, too. Weirdo.”
Zane threw his head back and laughed, and Molly felt her heart warming all over again. She knew deep down that she’d finally found someone who understood her. Somehow, she knew that she’d found someone who was the same kind of different as her.
Chapter Twelve
The next few weeks felt like a dream. Molly continued to perform at the Hometown Bar, and one of the local coffee shops asked her to come in and perform on a regular basis as well. Not only did they let her put a tip jar up, but they actually paid her a set fee for her time as well. Molly was watching her bank account grow once again. As she slowly began to rebuild her savings, she breathed a little easier. Her house was safe. No one was going to be taking it away from her anytime soon. And, if things kept going the way they were, she’d be able to buy another car soon. She still missed her little black car that had been repossessed, but she tried not to dwell on that. Things were looking up for her financially, and she was grateful for that.
And, of course, she had a new man to be thankful for as well. She still had to pinch herself to believe that everything with Zane was not just a dream. She had quickly been invited into his inner circle. His brothers, Theo and Drake, had welcomed her with open arms. Even Max, Theo’s best friend, had been happy to have her around. Cassie was ecstatic about the new relationship, and Theo’s wife, Maddie, was happy to have another woman around as well. Molly kept waiting for something to go wrong. She’d never been surrounded by this much happiness before. But, as the weeks went on, she began to truly believe that for the first time in her life, things were actually going her way. The townspeople seemed to love her show, she had a handsome boyfriend, and she had friends.
But just when she started to relax, her old fears came back to haunt her. It was an early evening in April, and Molly was walking home from a magic show, because Zane had been called to take care of an emergency electrical problem at the local library. Molly didn’t mind walking, truly. The weather was balmy, and she was in good spirits after another wonderful show. Her good spirits, however, were about to take a turn for the worse. About a mile away from her house, a large, red SUV slowly pulled up next to her. She looked over, a little nervous that a vehicle was pulling up so close to her. As she looked up she saw one of the more loud-spoken men in Persimmon Springs leaning out of the passenger window and laughing.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the town witch,” he said, spitting out the word witch as though it was poison on his tongue.
Molly looked the other way and kept walking, although she could feel her blood starting to boil. She’d been called a witch before, and she hated the way people sneered at her when they said the word. She actually didn’t have anything against witches, if they did exist. But the way people accused her of being one smacked of darkness and evil, and Molly didn’t think she was either of those things. Her magic shows were about fun, innocence, and sparkle. They were all about allowing people to suspend disbelief and enjoy a world of enchantment.
“What’s the matter, witch? Afraid of being called out for being who you really are?” the driver of the vehicle said. The woman was blonde and stick thin, and the men in town were always pining after her. Molly felt tears stinging her eyes. She had tried her best to be kind to these people. She’d left cookies on their vehic
les, even though she knew many of them hated her. She tried to remind herself as she walked that kindness was a reward in itself, and that it didn’t matter how people responded. But her silence only angered the couple in the SUV further and they came to a screeching halt in front of her, then jumped out of the vehicle.
Molly felt her heart clench in fear as they started walking toward her, laughing and sneering and pointing at her bag of “witch’s tricks,” as they called it. Were they going to ruin her magic equipment? Molly clutched the bag tighter. This stuff was expensive, and she was just starting to get back on her feet financially. She felt terror rising in her throat as the man reached out to try to grab the bag. She screamed no and tried to back up, causing her to trip over her own feet and fall onto her ass. This brought a round of raucous laughter from the couple, and they started to lunge toward her again. Molly’s tears were spilling over now, and she felt so stupid for ever thinking that people in town accepted her.
The man opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could get the words out, he was interrupted by a loud roar. The woman looked up, startled, and then screamed. Before Molly could even turn around to see what had scared them, she felt a rush of wind like you might expect to feel from the propeller of a helicopter. When she heard the roar again, she instantly knew. It was Zane.
She turned around, and there he was, flying in full dragon form. He was gigantic, and his scales looked even more brilliant in the setting sunlight than they had in Molly’s kitchen a few weeks ago. Every movement of his body produced a rainbow of shimmering, iridescent beauty. His long tail swished back and forth like a cat’s when it was on the hunt, and his giant wings beat against the air, sending a rush of wind down at Molly and her attackers. Zane’s piercing eyes were the same in dragon or human form, but they looked even more impressive when set in his magnificent dragon head. His dragon arms and feet ended in sharp, fearsome claws, and he flexed them in anger as he fixed his gaze on the couple who had been teasing Molly only moments before.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still as the woman screamed and the man gaped, open-mouthed. Then, Zane let a long, warning stream of fire loose from his mouth, filling the air with heat and smoke. The attackers found their feet, then turned to run back to the SUV, which they rushed to climb into. Zane hovered in midair as the SUV peeled away, waiting until it was out of sight to come to a soft landing on the grass next to Molly. He looked at her with concern, nuzzling her face with his dragon nose. Seemingly satisfied that she wasn’t hurt, he let out a huff. Then, in a flash of power and light, he shifted back into human form. Molly was knocked backwards once again as she watched Zane’s dragon body morph back into human form. He was completely naked, which took her by surprise. It had never occurred to her that when a person shifted they would lose their clothes, but it made sense.
“Are you okay?” Zane asked coming over to help Molly up from the ground. She blinked up at him and nodded, trying to blink away the tears. She felt so ashamed.
“I’m fine. I just feel like an idiot for thinking that people around here were finally starting to accept me.”
Zane let out a long sigh. “People love you, Molly. They can’t get enough of your shows. In fact, I was on my way home to tell you that the librarian asked me if I thought you’d be willing to do a show for the kids’ program at the library. As a volunteer of course, but it would probably be a good way to break into the children’s party market like you want to.”
“Really?” Molly asked, trying to sniff away her tears. “She really wants me to come do a show?”
“Yes, really,” Zane said. “Persimmon Springs as a whole has fallen in love with you. Don’t let a few bad eggs ruin your fun. Those two jerks are so full of themselves that they’re liable to blow up at any moment. But that’s not how most people around here are. People have really given you a chance, Molly. So chin up, okay?”
Molly nodded slowly. “Alright,” she said, wiping away the last of her tears. “I have to say, it was pretty impressive to see you in full dragon form. I think you scared the living daylights out of those two bullies.”
Zane laughed. “Yeah, I doubt they’ll bother you again. Although I am worried about word getting out in town that I’m a dragon.”
“No one knows it was you,” Molly said. “And I doubt anyone would believe them if they told anyone else they saw a dragon with me. People would probably laugh them off and say they got fooled by one of my magic tricks.”
“Maybe so,” Zane said. “Although I have to say people might not laugh off the fact that I’m standing here naked on the side of the road.”
“Oh!” Molly said. “Let me loan you one of my robes.”
She reached into her bag and pulled out one of her magician’s robes. It was a little short on Zane, but at least it kept him from being completely naked. Molly grinned at him as she assessed how the robe fit him.
“You don’t look too bad in that robe,” she said. “Sure you don’t want to join my show? Your magic trick could be turning into a dragon.”
Zane laughed and rolled his eyes. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”
They walked the rest of the way together, watching the last bit of the sun disappear behind the horizon. The days were slowly getting longer, and Molly loved the extra sunshine.
“How did you know where I was, or that I was in danger?” Molly asked as they rounded the corner to her house. Zane gave her a sideways glance.
“In the shifter world, we have what we call ‘lifemates,’” he said. “It’s someone whom you’re destined to be with, kind of like a soul mate. When someone is your lifemate, you’re deeply connected to them, and you can feel when something is wrong.”
“So, I’m your lifemate?” Molly asked.
Zane smiled down at her and then drew her into his arms. “Yes,” he said. “I believe with all of my heart that you are. And I hope you feel the same, and will stay with me for life.”
Molly snuggled her head into his chest, feeling happy and at peace. What did it matter if a few people made fun of her? She had Zane, and that was all that mattered. Besides, he was right. The town as a whole had come to accept her over the last few weeks. She might even be able to land a few birthday party gigs, if she was lucky.
Molly breathed in deeply, finding comfort in Zane’s familiar, woodsy scent. Then she looked up at him with a smile.
“For life,” she said. And she meant it.
Chapter Thirteen
Zane waited nervously near the back of the children’s area in the local library. Molly had finished her show here over half an hour ago, but the mothers were still waiting in line to talk to Molly. At Zane’s urging, Molly had made a small flyer advertising her birthday party services, and had announced at the end that she was available to do shows at parties. He’d told her that she couldn’t be afraid to tell people that she wanted to do shows. Who would hire her if they didn’t know she was available for shows? Still, Zane had worried that she would be upset if no one wanted a show. But his worry had been unnecessary. Half the town wanted to book a party with her.
Zane smiled. He was so proud of Molly. She had really come out of her shell over the last month. She’d gone from always worrying about what people would think of her, to not caring because she knew she was happy with herself. Zane admired her for that, and he constantly reminded himself that he shouldn’t feel ashamed of being part dragon. He was working on it. After his dad had died when he was a young boy, he’d been afraid of people finding out he was a dragon. He’d seen too many people persecuted and hurt for being shifters, and he didn’t want a life like that. But he’d been around long enough now to know that we don’t always get the lives we would have chosen for ourselves. All we can do is make the best of what we’re given.
Now, he was making the best of his time with Molly. Sasha was a distant memory, and Zane was happier than ever that things hadn’t worked out with her. Being with Molly made him realize how wrong Sasha had been for him. Molly made him smile e
very day, and, as another bonus, the IRS audit he’d been worried about had been completed quickly and with relatively little hassle. Things were looking up for Zane.
Molly hadn’t been in his life for very long, but he already felt that she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. And he wanted to find a way to show her how much he cared about her, and believed in her, so he’d planned a special surprise for her. A surprise that he had planned to show her after the library show today…but now that the show was over and it was nearly time to go home, he was beginning to second guess himself. He hoped that she would like the surprise, and not be offended by it. In any case, it was too late to turn back now. He’d already set everything into motion.
When the last mother had finished talking to Molly, Molly came over to him with a smile. “I’ve already got a waiting list for parties,” she said.
She was breathless with excitement, and her eyes were sparkling. Her hair, which she spent so much time worrying about, was hanging in wild curls around her face, and she didn’t seem to mind. Zane smiled. Molly was truly, finally, becoming comfortable in her own skin. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a quick kiss.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said. “And now, I have something to show you. Are you ready to go?”
She nodded, and her face took on a curious expression. “What do you want to show me?” she asked.
Lone Star Magic (Shifters in the Heart of Texas Book 3) Page 8