It was ridiculous, but still, she couldn’t deny her reaction. And she didn’t care why his voice had that effect on her, as long as she wasn’t completely frozen with fear anyone. Desperately wanting to see the men, she took a moment to make sure her dragon wasn’t near the surface, and slowly lifted her gaze.
Her eyes landed on the old man first, and no matter how much she wanted to look at the other one—whether it was to assess his threat status or to see the face that came with the calming voice, she wasn’t sure—she wasn’t able to tear her gaze away from him.
The old man tightened his mouth and turned his suspicious gaze her way one more time, and then turned and left the room. Breathing a sigh of relief at his departure, she finally turned her eyes to the other man.
“Sorry about that,” he said in that butter-smooth voice that had just a hint of gravel as he turned to face her. “My grandfather’s not good with people.” Pausing, the side of his mouth curled up as his eyes twinkled. “Actually, he’s pretty damned awful. He’s not usually allowed up front, but I wasn’t expecting anyone and asked him to listen for the door while I ran out for a moment.”
Olivia swallowed hard, trying to absorb his words, but she felt stunned—and frozen again. But it was for completely different reasons this time. This man was gorgeous. Tanned skin, dark brown hair and eyes nearly the same color. His jaw was covered with scruff, but it didn’t look unkempt on him.
It looked sexy.
The realization startled her so much that she dropped her eyes again for a moment, staring at the floor. Did she really just think he was sexy? She hadn’t imagined that she could feel like that about a man—not this soon after the horror Fernandez and his guards put her through.
Yet she did. And she wasn’t sure she liked that at all.
Realizing she wasn’t acting the slightest bit normal, she slowly raised her eyes again, taking in how tall he was, how his t-shirt hugged his muscular chest and broad shoulders. Sheesh, he was huge.
Swallowing hard, she met his eyes and tried to find her voice, but there was nothing there. All ability to speak had vanished. She just hoped it came back before she made even more of a fool of herself.
A wrinkle formed on his brow as his little half smile faded, and he searched her eyes. “Are you okay? I hope he didn’t make you nervous or afraid. He’s gruff, but he’s all bark and no bite, I promise.”
She raised her eyebrow. Gruff? She could think of a better word for it, but she thought it might be a little rude to say it to his face.
“I’m fine,” she finally managed to croak. Her voice sounded horrible, but at least she found her words. Clearing her throat, she hoped they came out more legibly this time. “I was just a little startled, is all. I’m sorry, should I have made an appointment to come in?”
His half smile returned as he shook his head. “Normally I suggest it if Pops is going to be around, but since you’re already here, what do you need? I have the time and he won’t come out here again.”
His dark brown eyes were twinkling again, and combined with his little smile, they invited her to smile back. So she did, but just a small one. It was all she could manage, since the nerves in her belly had turned to butterflies.
What the hell was wrong with her?
Really? He’s hot. I’d think something was wrong with you if you didn’t react to him.
She mentally rolled her eyes at her dragon, but she felt her smile tug up just a bit higher. Her animal was always saying ridiculous things that made her laugh. It was part of the reason her imprisonment had been so damned hard.
She’d come to rely on her dragon to always have a sarcastic, off the wall remark to cheer her up when she was down. But the suppressant Fernandez’s men had given her meant she couldn’t reach her. There’s been no one to save her from her spiraling thoughts and emotions but herself, and she’d been no help at all.
She really had missed her crazy dragon.
I missed you too, human. More than you might know. But quit thinking about me and talk to that delicious eye candy standing right in front of you. Only an idiot wouldn’t want to bask in his glorious presence, and you’re no idiot. Her dragon paused, and Olivia could practically feel her thinking. Unless you’ve recently turned into one. People do change, you know. C’mon, human. Don’t turn out to be a major disappointment.
She snorted, quickly turning it into a cough as the man’s eyebrows raised. God, he was going to think she was crazy—crazier than her dragon was. He’d asked her how he could help her, and she just zoned off and then snorted out of nowhere—on top of all the other ways she’d acted weird since he walked in.
“Sorry. I was just thinking about something. I wanted to see if your company could handle a renovation on a home, and when you might have time to fit it in. I’m Olivia Foreman, by the way.”
His smile—that gorgeous, gorgeous smile—widened just a bit as he reached out a hand. “Cody Aaron.”
She reached out to shake his hand, absentmindedly thinking about how his last name meant he, or his family, owned the company. But the moment her fingers touched his, every cell in her body stood at attention as a bolt of electricity raced through her, raising the hair on her arms.
Her lips parted slightly as she stared at him with wide eyes, but she was frozen again. What the hell had that been? And why couldn’t she seem to let go of his hand?
That, my dear Olivia, is attraction. True attraction—not that puny stuff you felt for those boys back home. This is the real deal with a real man. Stop freaking out and just enjoy the ride.
And for once, her dragon wasn’t being sarcastic or trying to be funny. She was serious. The question was, could Olivia actually let go and enjoy this—whatever this was?
She honestly had no idea.
Chapter 3
Cody
Why was his blood on fire?
Cody Aaron dragged his gaze away from Olivia’s, glancing down at their hands. What was meant to be a quick handshake was spinning out into a timeless moment, and neither one of them seemed inclined to end it.
He swallowed hard as his blood seemed to boil hotter, and then met her eyes again. Her beautiful green eyes. Hell, what he was saying? She was absolutely gorgeous. Every inch of her.
Her hair was a silky, silvery blonde waterfall that didn’t end until it touched her waist. She had long black lashes surrounding her moss green eyes, high cheekbones, and sculpted pink lips. She was probably about average height, but next to his tall frame, she seemed petite.
And her curves… there was no hiding them behind the softly clinging fabric of her t-shirt and the snug jeans outlining her hips and thighs. He was dying to get a glimpse of her from behind.
Yeah, he wanted to check out her ass. What could he say? He was a man, and she was a beautiful woman. It was natural, and he made no apologies.
A bang came from the workshop, startling Olivia. She yanked her hand from his, looking flustered. Had she felt the same thing he had?
The thought was definitely an intriguing one.
She pushed her hair back, revealing a slight flush to her cheeks. Her fingers bumped into her glasses, and they lingered there as a slight frown appeared between her brows. It was almost like she’d forgotten they were there.
Her eyes met his, and she let her hand drop as she cleared her throat. Another charge of electricity raced over his skin as their gazes met, and this time it was his brow that wrinkled. Both at the charge in the air, arching between them—at least he thought she felt it too—and at the slight silvery blue iridescence in her green eyes.
Shaking his head, he blinked, and when he looked again, it was gone. He must have imagined it. A thought occurred to him, and he leaned in slightly as he inhaled while trying not to show what he was doing.
Her fresh scent came to him, with no hint of fur or feathers. She wasn’t a shifter then. Yeah, he must have been imagining it. But now he had her scent in his nose—a blend of sunshine and wildflowers—and a growl ripped up his thr
oat.
He quickly swallowed it down, hoping she hadn’t heard it, but she looked to be lost in her thoughts. Something she seemed to do often.
He’d only just met her, but he already felt drawn to her. And it wasn’t just how captivating her looks were. She was a little odd, a little quirky, but he found himself liking it.
And wanting to know more about her. Everything about her, really.
Realizing it was his turn to speak, he shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on the conversation. “Is it a full reno? How big is the house?”
“Yes, it’s a full reno. The house is in pretty rough shape. It’s a big brick farmhouse, and it has five bedrooms and three bathrooms.”
Something niggled at his mind, and he cocked his head as he thought. “Is it the old Warren farmhouse? Out on Route 9, close to the lake?”
Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. Was that suspicion in her bright green gaze? “How did you know?”
The corner of his mouth turned up as he shrugged. “I’ve lived here my whole life. I’ve pretty much roamed over the entire area. Plus, I know everyone who lives here, but I don’t know you. And I also know that house sold earlier this year. I just put two and two together.”
Her shoulders relaxed as she nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. It’s a small town.”
She had no idea just how small and tightknit it really was. “Yep. And yeah, that house needs a lot of work. I’m surprised you lived in it for so long in the condition it’s in.”
“Me too, honestly. I guess we just needed some time and space to ourselves first.”
We? Was she married? She was a beautiful woman, so he shouldn’t be surprised. But what really surprised him was the wave of displeasure that coursed through him. Why did he care so much? He’d met women he thought he could be interested in who were already taken, but he always shrugged it off and moved on.
But with Olivia, he found himself hating the idea that she was unavailable.
“We?” Shit, he hadn’t meant to let that slip out. But now that it had, he needed to know the answer. Now.
Hesitating, she bit down on her bottom lip before nodding. “Yeah, me, my sister, and some of our friends.”
The relief Cody felt nearly overwhelmed his instant curiosity over her living situation. He told himself not to press her for more details, but he couldn’t seem to keep his questions to himself.
“You and your friends just randomly picked a nothing little town in Montana to move to? That must have been an adventure.”
Her shoulders tensed slightly, but then she blew out a breath and relaxed a bit as she gave him a tiny smile. “Yeah. It has been. And I think we just really needed a place where we could start over, without the everyday stress we were under before.”
A million more questions popped up in his mind, but he locked them away. He’d already delved into her personal life far more than he ever did with customers. And he didn’t want her to think he was interrogating her.
Maybe, if she hired them, he could ease into asking her all the things he wanted to know.
“So, um, do you have time to fit in a full reno like that anytime soon?” she asked softly, gripping her purse tightly enough that her knuckles turned white.
Was she nervous that he wouldn’t have time—or that he would?
“Actually, my main crew just finished up our latest job yesterday. And our other will be done next week. I can come out and take a look at the house tomorrow morning and then work up an estimate. If you decide to hire us, the main crew will get started right away. I’ll put the other crew on the job when theirs is over too, but I’ll have to pull them off again in about two weeks.”
Pursing her lips, she nodded slowly, her eyes darting to the swinging doors behind him. “Your grandfather…” Trailing off, her eyes flicked back to him as she hesitated. Clearing her throat, she continued, her voice so low it was almost a whisper. “Don’t take this wrong, but he won’t be there, will he?”
A chuckle worked its way out of him as he shook his head. “No, he never goes to job sites anymore. When he’s here at the shop, he’s always working in the back. My little sister usually mans the front desk, but she couldn’t come today. Today was an unfortunate anomaly, and you were just the unlucky person who happened to walk in while I was running an errand.”
Her smile turned a little sad around the edges, and he could physically see her trying to resurrect it. The struggle tugged at his heart, and he shuffled his feet uncomfortably—something he never did.
What was it about her that pulled at him like this?
He didn’t know. What he did know was that he wanted to find out—and he was going to do everything in his power to do just that.
“It’s par for the course,” she replied with a little shrug. “My luck hasn’t been very good lately. What time can you be there in the morning?”
He wanted to follow up on her comment about luck, but he bit his questions back. It wasn’t the time. Some of the wariness in her gaze had faded the longer they spoke, but it was still there, and something told him not to push her.
“Will ten work?”
“Yeah. I guess I don’t need to give you the address,” she said, her smile turning more natural, even reaching her eyes a tiny bit as he chuckled and shook his head. “I’ll see you then. It was nice meeting you, Cody.”
“You too, Olivia.”
She gave him one last smile before turning to walk out. He wanted to rush over and open the door for her, but he knew that might put him on creep status. That was the last thing he wanted.
For some reason, earning her trust suddenly became the most important thing in the world to him. And he wasn’t going to do anything that might make her wary of him.
Still, he couldn’t stop his eyes from dropping to her ass as she walked out. Damn, she filled out those jeans even better than he’d imagined.
He watched as she walked to her truck, but he made himself turn away then. Mind whirling with thoughts, he walked into the workshop, still consumed by her.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
Cody looked for his grandfather at his gravelly words and found him sanding an old rocking chair. Exhaling, he shoved his hand through his hair as he made his way over to his workbench.
“Done what, Pops?”
“Agreed to go out there for an estimate tomorrow. You’re not even sure just how much work that house is, but you practically already agreed to do the job. That was foolish. Call and cancel. Or just don’t show up.”
“Why would I turn down a perfectly good job? I know that house needs a massive overhaul, but isn’t that what we’re here for? It’s a paycheck, and a damned good one.”
Pops snorted. “Like we need the money. You need to turn this one down,” he insisted, his gaze still locked on the rocker as he worked. “She’s a stranger. We don’t know anything about her or her people. Or the friends she says are living in that deathtrap with her.”
Mouth tightening, he dropped the hammer he’d picked up, ignoring the thud as it hit the table. Turning, he faced his grandfather, crossing his arms as he frowned.
“Is that what this is about? She’s a stranger? You keep insisting that there’s a threat around us, that we keep to ourselves and those we know. But I’ve yet to see anything remotely suspicious or threatening. And now you think an innocent human woman, and a small one at that, is somehow going to hurt us?”
An incredulous laugh escaped Cody’s throat after he said the words. The whole notion felt ludicrous. He’d just met her, but he couldn’t see Olivia hurting a fly, let alone an actual human being.
Pops shook his head, glancing at him with disappointment in his eyes. “You’re too trusting, boy, and it’s going to get you killed. Hell, not just you. Everyone who trusts you to lead, too. Just because she’s a small human woman, that doesn’t mean she’s not out to do harm.”
“And you’re too cynical and suspicious to realize not everyone is out to get us.”
&nb
sp; “It’s coming, Cody. I feel it. You need to cancel and stay away from her.”
The thought of staying away from her caused a rumble to rise up in his chest. He didn’t even try to stop it, he just let it go until it slowed to a growl and faded away. And as he looked at his grandfather, his frustration seeped out of him, replaced by sadness… and something much like pity.
He and Pops had never seen eye to eye. Hell, that was the understatement of the century. They disagreed on nearly everything, and their arguments were so explosive that it nearly tore them all apart.
But in that moment, his grandfather didn’t look like the powerful leader with a dominating, oftentimes abrasive, personality he’d always been. He looked like an old man who’d grown so suspicious and distrusting that he thought an innocent, tiny human woman could hurt them.
“You’re attracted to her, aren’t you?” Pops asked, his voice gravelly with age, his attention still on the chair he was sanding.
“That’s irrelevant.”
Finally putting down the sandpaper, Pops turned to face him, his eyes shrewdly assessing his face. “It’s not. You’re willing to put all of us—hell, the whole town—at jeopardy because you’re lusting over a strange woman.”
“That’s not it at all. This is big job for the company, so we should take it. And being a stranger doesn’t make her dangerous.” Pausing, Cody’s eyes narrowed as he stared at his grandfather. “That’s really what this is about, isn’t it? You think being attracted to her means I’ll fall for her, and the agenda you keep pushing on me will fall apart. All your plans will have been for nothing and you can’t stand that, even though I’ve already told you I want nothing to do with them. That’s really why you want me to turn down this job.”
“You’re wrong, boy. We should be focusing on protecting ourselves and this town. But I won’t lie and say the thought never crossed my mind. You don’t need to get attached to her. It’s pointless.”
“Pops, what part of I want nothing to do with your plans do you not understand? It’s never going to happen, so just drop it.”
Finding Faith (Return 0f The Dragons Book 1) Page 3