Rocor (Dragons of Kratak Book 5)

by Ruth Anne Scott

  Josie looked a little disappointed, her red lips forming a perfect pout. She'd probably already had the colors picked out for our wedding. No matter what I told Josie or how many times I said it, she insisted it was time for me to start dating again.

  Her brunette hair fell around her face in soft tendrils. She had one of those trendy bobs, and it always looked amazing, while my hair was long, wavy, and looked a hot mess tonight. The club was warm. There were a lot of bodies in it, and our air conditioner could only do so much. Josie was still staring at Liam's husband, as if trying to determine whether this was another lie or another excuse for me not to date a suitable bachelor.

  “Cross my heart, Jo,” I said with a laugh. “Cross my heart and swear to die.”

  “Well that's a shame, I guess. They do make an odd couple...”

  “Married, Josie. Happily, I might add.”

  Josie shook her head and looked across the room, her eyes bright again. She was on the lookout.

  “I'm not interested,” I said.

  “How do you know you're not interested until you know what I'm up to?”

  “Because I always know what you're up to, and as I've told you countless times, I'm not ready to start dating again.”

  “It's been a year, Paige.”

  “Not ready,” I said, holding my hand up to stop her from talking and called over my shoulder. “And not having this conversation.”

  I walked away, heading toward the bar. I didn't drink while working, so I grabbed a bottle of water instead. Leaning against the counter, I watched as Josie made the rounds, checking in on some of the guests and mingling. She was a natural social butterfly and truly enjoyed chatting people up. She flirted without even realizing it, and the way men looked at her – well, I could see her power from across the room and the effect it had on people, especially the men.

  I had never been all that great with men. Sure, I was attractive enough and happy with my appearance – minus a few minor imperfections I'd tweak if I could. But wasn't that true for everyone? Hell, I bet even supermodels or women like Josie would change a few things about themselves if they could.

  But overall, I was happy in my own skin. It had taken some time and years of therapy, but I could look in the mirror and like what I saw. Men seemed attracted to me, though I usually pushed them away. Josie, on the other hand, could draw any man to her in a heartbeat, even though she had Mr. Right already.

  Josie was loyal to a fault and never intended to lead men on. It just happened naturally. And yet, she seemed shocked by it every single time. Even worse though, she'd use her natural charm to get men to talk to me. Which was something that never worked out too well – not for the men or for me. It was partly because I wasn't interested, but mostly because I wasn't Josie.

  Josie strolled over to me at the bar, placing a glass in the sink next to me before turning to me with a smile. “There's someone over there who'd like to meet you.”

  Rolling my eyes, I found myself laughing. I'd called it. “Yeah? Why am I not surprised?”

  “Because you're hot as hell and men adore you, Paige.”

  “Nah, they adore you,” I said. “You just lead them over to me after you reject them and break their hearts.”

  “So not true,” she said, her mouth wide. Josie put her hands on her hips and stared at me. “Okay, so maybe I did reject him, but once he saw you, he was smitten.”

  “Doesn't matter. I'm not interested.”

  “He's a lawyer, so you have something in common.”

  “Even less interested now.”

  “Come on, Paige,” Josie whined. “He's not one of those stick-up-his-ass type lawyers, I promise. It's something environmental, I think.”

  “You picked all this up from the 2 minutes you were speaking to him?” I raised an eyebrow at my friend and smiled playfully.

  Josie mumbled to herself, “I'm good at reading people. I told you Shane was a dick, didn't I?”

  Hearing my ex's name sent shivers down my spine and made me clench my jaw. “Please, don't bring Shane into this.”

  Closing my eyes, I tried to put any thoughts of my ex away. When we met, Shane was everything I wanted in a man. I'd been fooled by his charisma and his kindness. Josie told me he was an asshole after meeting him once, but I didn't see it. He was always so sweet and romantic, at first.

  But all of that had been a façade – an illusion – hiding a narcissist underneath it all. And like any good narcissist, he turned against me in short order. Once he'd had me hooked, he'd torn me apart, inside and out.

  “I'm sorry, Paige. I didn't mean to–”

  I held my hand up to stop her from speaking. “Please, let's just drop it.”

  Josie was quiet for a few seconds, but I knew what she was thinking. The wheels in her head were still turning, and she wouldn't rest until I met this man.

  But I had to shut her down before it got out of control. “Just because you found your white knight doesn't mean I need to find mine.”

  Chapter Ten: Baz

  I sat at a table near the rear of the establishment and observed. The man on stage had identified himself as Liam Michaels, and I had been captivated by his music. There was so much power and emotion in his words, and I couldn't help but be moved.

  “What can I get you, hon?”

  I looked up into the face of a young, blonde, human woman. She was tall and had wonderful proportions. She seemed to possess strength, and yet a delicate femininity as well. In human parlance, she was what they would have called ‘hot.’

  “Finally getting around to reviewing my information, are you?” Anjol said. “Of course, it took an attractive woman to get you to do it. Why am I not surprised?”

  I cleared my throat. “I'm sorry, get me?”

  The woman looked at me like I was an idiot. And perhaps I was.

  “Yeah, you know, to drink?” she said. “There's a two drink minimum here, so if you're going to take up a table, you gotta drink, hon.”

  “I'm sorry,” I said. “I am not from around here. It's my first time in this establishment.”

  The woman gave me a smile that seemed to be filled with warmth and sincerity. “That's okay, sweetie,” she said. “But I do need to ask you to place an order. I really don't want to see you get kicked out of here.”

  “No, that would be disagreeable,” I said.

  “Order a cosmopolitan. In fact, order two.”

  Anjol's voice carried a hint of amusement which tipped me off that he was making me look like the idiot I already felt like. But given that I had no idea what else to do, I did as he suggested.

  “Cosmos?” the woman asked, raising an eyebrow.

  I nodded. “Yes. Absolutely. I cannot get enough of them.”

  “Ummm – okay,” she said. “Be right back with them then.”

  I was surprised to find that cosmopolitans were actually quite delicious. Nowhere near as delicious as that cupcake, but very good in their own right. I sat at the table I'd occupied, ordering one after the other, listening to a succession of musicians grace the stage. Some were better than others, but all of them played music that touched me in some way. It was a profound and thrilling experience.

  But when a woman with dark hair, fair skin, and had what human men would call ‘generous curves’ took the stage, I was mesmerized. She was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen in my life. The lights from the stage made her skin seem to glow, and her eyes were the most vivid shade of green – a color that reminded me of my favorite river back home.

  “Thank you all for coming to the Tavern tonight,” she said to the crowd who cheered and called her name – Paige. “I just want to say thank you to all of you for making our first year here an amazing experience. The Tavern is strong and continues to grow because of our amazing artists, and because of all of you. You all may not know this, but you're helping me live my dream, and I can't thank you all enough for that.”

  The crowd erupted into cheers and the woman on stage – Paige �
�� smiled brightly. My gaze was riveted to her, and I couldn't seem to force myself to look away.

  “Now, I know I'm not even in the same league as some of our amazing artists tonight. But I opened this place specifically so I could do what I'm about to do.”

  There was laughter among the crowd, and even more cheering. All of the humans I saw looked at her warmly as if they knew and liked her on a personal level. It was an interesting dynamic to see, to say the least.

  “So if you'll all indulge me for a few minutes,” Paige continued, “I'd like to do a song or two for you as well.”

  The men behind her, each with an instrument of their own, began to play, and the lights in the chamber all dimmed. A single spear of light locked on to her, highlighting her, and I was thankful it did. She was absolutely exquisite.

  And when she began to sing, she was so much more. I sat at the edge of my seat, completely entranced by her. Paige was amazing, and the power she conveyed through her music made her that much more so.

  As I watched her, I knew that I was going to have to meet her.

  Chapter Eleven: Paige

  I came off stage to thunderous applause and felt the heat creeping in at the edges of my face. I didn't sing for the applause or the attention. I sang because it filled an emotional need within me. But hearing others respond so favorably to it, how could I not be both excited and humbled by that?

  But during my set, I'd almost stumbled through a song after seeing him. He was sitting near the back of the Tavern, his eyes locked on mine and he seemed to hang onto every word I sang. He was, for lack of a better word, amazing.

  Even from across the room, he'd caught my attention. His skin iridescent – pale white with a cool tone to it. Though he sat beneath lighting that had been dimmed, he seemed to glow. His skin appeared almost blue, but that wasn't possible. Not at all.

  His hair, on the other hand, was a stark contrast to his paleness. Rich and black, almost blue-black. It was sleek, silky, and long. I normally didn't like long hair on men, but on him, it was a nice touch. It made him look regal as opposed to looking like a scruffy, wannabe rebel.

  “Wow, look at him,” Josie whispered as she sidled up next to me at the bar.

  She stared at the man, too, and her eyes transfixed on him as he walked toward us. There was something about the way he held himself and the way he dressed that told me he wasn't from around here. The Mahogany Tavern was a laid back, casual place. Most people wore nice pants and shirts. The ladies might wear skirts and dresses, but nothing too formal. It was meant to be relaxing, fun, and with just a hint of sophistication added into the mix.

  But the stranger's clothing choice made him look as if he were on his way to a wedding, or maybe even a funeral. He was wearing a form-fitting suit that appeared tailored to his body perfectly – all black with only a dark blue bow tie. Yes, a bow tie. It almost made him look like James Bond, if James Bond wore blue bow ties and was pale as a ghost.

  Now, he was walking toward us, his eyes locked on mine.

  “He's coming over here,” Josie cooed. “Looks like someone has a fan.”

  “Shut up,” I mumbled, not intending to be rude. My skin was flushed and I could feel it burning.

  “I'm just going to go over here, maybe get a little something to drink,” Josie said with an approving wink.

  The man stepped up beside me, and I turned toward the bar, leaning against it. He looked at me for a moment and then mirrored my behavior.

  “I'm sorry if I am bothering you,” the man said, speaking slowly and with an accent I couldn't quite place. “I was mesmerized by your voice and just had to introduce myself. My name is Baz.”

  He reached out his hand, offering it to me. He actually wanted to shake my hand. Outside of business, who even did that anymore?

  “Thank you, Baz,” I said, staring down at his hand and making no move to take it. Eventually, seeing that I wasn't going to take it, he dropped his hand down to his side. “I appreciate that, but really, I'm not in the mood to chat–”

  “What's your name?” he asked me bluntly, obviously not taking the hint. “I must know your name. The people in the crowd said it is Paige. Is that your real name?”

  Must? “It's Paige,” I said.

  “Paige,” he said softly, as if mulling over the word, perfecting it with his foreign tongue. “Paige. What an intriguing name that is.”

  “Intriguing?”

  Baz's face fell, and he looked like I'd smacked him. Seeing the sudden sadness on his face made me cringe. Maybe English wasn't his first language, and there I was being an asshole.

  “This is where you will want to compliment her,” Anjol said inside Baz’s head.

  “About time you showed up,” I replied to Anjol. “I could use some help.”

  “Access your files on human mating rituals.”

  I called them up from my biosuit and quickly reviewed as much as I could. I quickly settled on something that sounded – friendly. Pleasant even.”

  “Sorry, I just meant – ummm – well, it's a pretty name for a pretty woman, that's all.”

  “Okay, Baz,” I said, pushing myself away from the bar. “Listen, I appreciate your compliments toward my music and all that. I really do. But I'm not up to chatting with strange men tonight. Or really any night, so if you don't mind–”

  I started to walk away, but he grabbed my hand. At first, I was pissed. I couldn't believe he was touching me! But as I met his gaze, I could see that he was trying to figure me out. He looked like a puppy who'd been kicked, but couldn't figure out why.

  Sure, I was under no obligation to keep talking to him or even feel bad about it. But something in his eyes and the way he looked at me kept me standing there. Instead of smacking him, as I felt like doing for grabbing me, I asked him a question.

  “Where are you from, Baz?” I asked. “Because in our country, we don't touch women without their permission.”

  Again, there was the look of shock and hurt on his face as he stepped away from me, putting some distance between himself and me.

  “I'm so, so sorry, Paige, I had not intended to – I'm not from around here, you see.”

  “I can tell,” I said. Baz gave me a look of confusion again, prompting me to be clear. “The accent, being overdressed for such a casual place.”

  And your appearance, I might add. But that might come off as offensive. Or at the very least, insensitive. After all, he didn't look Caucasian, but he was too pale to be anything but white. His race was undefined, as was his accent. I was left puzzled, wanting to know more, yet also wanting to get the hell away from this handsome stranger who clearly had eyes for me.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I'm not sure if I should get you a restraining order,” Josie said. “Or start picking out wedding china for you.”

  I grinned. For the sixth straight night, the stranger who called himself Baz was in the audience. Though I knew that I was at least part of the reason for his consecutive night streak, I also believed that he had a fondness for the music being played. No matter who was on stage, his attention remained fixed on them, and he soaked up every last bit of their music, seeming to be absolutely mesmerized by it.

  So while some might think it stalkerish or creepy that he was in my club night after night after night, I knew that it was because he genuinely loved the music being put out. I'd actually spoken to him a little bit each night and knew that he was far from creepy. He was just a foreign guy in a new land, trying to figure it all out. Though he could sometimes come off as having a little more machismo than I would have cared for, I couldn't deny that there was a gentle sweetness to him as well.

  “You might want to have both in the queue,” I laughed.

  She raised an eyebrow and looked at me. “Oh really now?”

  I looked over at her and saw that I'd probably put ideas into her head that didn't need to be there.

  “No, I was kidding,” I said.

  “Are you sure?” Josie asked. “Because y
ou've spent some quality time with him–”

  “Ha,” I said, cutting her off as I grabbed a bottle of water from behind the bar and cracked it open. “I've spoken to him a few times here at the club.”

  Josie took a drink from her own bottle of water before she spoke again. “In your world, multiple conversations with a guy almost qualifies as a relationship.”

  I gave her the finger but couldn't stop myself from laughing. “Screw you.”

  Josie shrugged. “Just callin' it like I see it.”

  “Yeah? And what is it you're seeing with that magic eye of yours?”

  Josie looked from Baz to me, then back to Baz, and back to me again. I intentionally faced away from him to avoid looking at him. The last thing I wanted to do in that moment was encourage her or him. I looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

  “I'm thinking that maybe, our favorite little foreigner is melting the heart of the ice queen,” Josie said.

  I shook my head and laughed. Josie was persistent; I had to give her that. Mikayla Wilkens finished up on stage. She was young at just twenty-two years old, but she was definitely an up and comer. She had a voice that could make the angels cry, a natural talent on multiple instruments, and she wrote some of the most eloquent and emotionally-pure songs around.

  “I'm just saying,” Josie continued, “he seems like a nice guy. Odd and quirky as hell, but nice. And he's the first man I've seen you interact with in a really, really long time that didn't end up with him running out of the club like you'd just threatened to cut his balls off with a spoon.”

  “And your point is?”

  “That maybe – just maybe – there's something to the idea that he might actually unlock something inside of you. Or at least, that maybe you're intrigued enough by him to keep seeing him.”

  “Seeing him?” I laughed. “He comes into my bar. He's a paying customer. What am I supposed to do?”

  Josie laughed. “Send him packing like every other guy who steps in here with the idea of talking to you. The fact that you don't – maybe it's something to think about.”

  “Or maybe it's not,” I said.

  “Well, figure it out quick, hon,” she said. “Your white knight is coming over to see you again.”