by Crymsyn Hart
“I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk. I’m sorry about the question. Please, can’t we have lunch?” Wyeth released her and backed away when he noticed the manager was preparing to come over. “Savanna, please.”
She rubbed her wrist and sat back down. The waitress came over and took their orders after she wiped the table down to sop up the rest of the water. Wyeth waited for her to leave so that he could focus on Savanna. Seeing her steamed turned him on, and he couldn’t wait to see what she would be like in the sack. He ran his fingers over his waistband, adjusted it to make room for his thickening cock, and moved the napkin over it so that no one would notice the bump in his pants.
“Why did you ask me that?” Savanna demanded.
“I’m sorry. It just slipped out. I was thinking about ...I was thinking about asking you out on a date. I left and he stayed. I know it’s none...”
She pursued her lips and gripped her fork. He waited for her to stab him the way she had skewered Drake. Savanna set the fork down and rearranged her silverware. “You’re right. It’s not. Damn it, Wyeth. We don’t know one another. I didn’t even know it was you when I attacked Drake. I just wanted him to stop hitting whoever was at the door so the cops wouldn’t come. That’d be all I’d need.”
“You don’t find me attractive?” He sat back in the chair and felt a little bit deflated.
Savanna rolled her eyes. “Men. Why does it always come back to sex?”
He smiled and leaned a little further over the table, taking her hand in his. He flipped it over and trailed his finger over one of the lines on her palm. Savanna jumped, but she didn’t pull her hand away. He liked her soft skin. “Because it’s the way we’re built. But you didn’t answer my question. Do you find me as good-looking as you do Drake?”
“That wasn’t your question. You wanted to know if I thought you were attractive. Stop fishing for information.”
The server came back with their meals. Savanna had ordered a sandwich, and he had gotten a burger. He plucked the bun off, added a bit more ketchup, and then plopped the side of slaw on top of the meat. Wyeth gripped the hamburger in both hands and was about to take a bite when Savanna started laughing.
“What?” He eyed her.
“You’re really going to fit that ginormous thing into your mouth.”
Wyeth grinned and instead of answering, he wrapped his mouth around the burger. He took a large bite and savored the mixture of flavors. Savanna laughed as though the questions between them had flown away. “It’s good.”
“I take it that you like it.”
“Are you still mad at me for asking you about Drake?” he asked.
“No. It was an unexpected question, considering you came to my house to date my roommate. Rumors around town are that you kinda go more for the slimmer blondes than my type. I’m not the skinniest person in the world, but anyway.”
He knew about the rumors. “All that’s true. And maybe before this happened, I never would’ve taken a second glance in your direction. But something happened that night at your apartment. He was touching you, and you were touching him. All three of us were connected. When I went to catch you, there was this zap of something... a jolt, I don’t know, but I felt something pass between us. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. It’s crazy.”
She nearly froze and set her sandwich back down on her plate. Her expression grew serious. “Yes. I felt something too, but with everything that went on that night—I don’t know. I want to talk to him about things. I need to be sure of what we saw. And yes, I continue to feel this crazy attraction, connection, whatever it is between us. The longer I’m around you, the closer I am, the more it affects me.”
She rubbed her temples. He suspected in this moment he was either going to lose her or she would answer him. Wyeth had never felt such a flutter of butterflies in his stomach about asking someone out. He never had that problem before, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. This is ridiculous. I’m never like this.
“Does that mean you’re willing to go out on a date with me?” Wyeth asked.
“Why is it so important I go out with you? A month ago you never knew I existed, and I can bet you a million dollars that you never would’ve asked me, either.”
“That’s not...”
She held up her finger and wagged it at him. “Don’t lie to me, Wyeth. I’m not an idiot.”
He never would have blinked at her if she walked by, probably would have made some snide comment about her weight if his crew were around. “You’re right. I never would’ve batted an eye at you if none of this happened, but it did. And now I am. What do you say?”
“How about we finish lunch first and make plans to see Drake, because I want to see exactly what he’s going to tell you? Once we finish that, then we can figure out what, or if, anything is between us except this crazy thing that occurred the other night.”
Wyeth took another bite of his burger. It sounded reasonable, more reasonable than coming off like an ass and blurting out questions like he had already done and already screwed up their relationship beyond repair. “Okay.”
“Okay.”
* * * *
Savanna walked beside Wyeth after a frustrating lunch. Even though the food was good, she wasn’t sure what to say to him after he had asked her out on a date. They were linked in a manner she didn’t understand. Her guides didn’t have any answers for her either, just to say that great and terrible things were coming, and she had to be aware of the signs. Savanna knew one thing: the woman who had possessed her, and the mist dragon, were all tied together. And that Drake’s kiss lingered in her dreams. The way it did on the lips when she thought about it.
“You never did answer my question. Do you find me more attractive than Drake?” Wyeth asked as they stood before her shop.
“Why are you being so insistent? I’m not comfortable comparing you to him. I don’t like doing that ...” Wyeth cut her off when he stepped in, touched her cheek, and pressed his lips to hers. Her world stopped as he moved closer, until their bodies were pressed together and his kiss grew a little bit more insistent. She tasted the burger and the ketchup on his mouth. She melted into his embrace as he flicked his tongue across her lips. He was taller than her, but not as tall as Drake. Wyeth kissed her in a way that wasn’t as covetous as Drake had done the other night.
Savanna touched his arm, feeling the muscles underneath his shirt. The thread flared to life between them. Flashes of him working at jobs blew through her mind and another of him standing over his father’s grave. When he looked up, Drake stood in the background. She pushed the barrage of images away and focused on his kiss and how his body molded to hers. It was nice to be in strong, warm arms. It was also nice to be in Drake’s arms. It didn’t matter he was from somewhere else or some other lifeform. It should bother her. It should make her run.
Wyeth pulled away from the kiss, leaving her craving more of him. He curled a strand of her hair around her ear and laughed. “I don’t know what it is, but you’re right. I probably would’ve said something unforgiveable about you if my crew was around, too. Now though, I couldn’t imagine doing that. Won’t you go out with me? I can cook dinner tonight, and we can go to the lighthouse to bother Drake.”
“Wyeth, I don’t know. We don’t know one another.”
“You didn’t know Drake, and you invited him over to your house for dinner. What’s the difference?”
She threw her arms up in exasperation. “I invited him to my house to say thank you for pulling me off those rocks. I would have died if he hadn’t.”
“I took you home,” he confessed.
Did he have the audacity to just say that? “You might have gotten me in the car and started to bring me home. Then I told you about my job, and you made fun of me.”
“I know, and I apologized. I’m sorry about that. I didn’t believe in psychics until the other night. I didn’t believe in a lot of things. I didn’t believe there could be an us.” He took
her hands and stared into her eyes. She saw the sincerity reflected there, because he truly believed in what he said.
“I—”
“Okay. Dinner. And then we can go talk to Drake.”
“Yes.” He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them. “How’s eight sound?”
“Fine. Nothing with shrimp or mushrooms, though.”
“You don’t like shrimp?”
“No. I’m allergic to them. Not a good sight if I eat them.”
The lines deepened around his eyes and he nodded. “I think I can swing that.” He released her hands and brushed his lips across hers one more time. “I’ll see you later.” He whispered next to her ear, sending chills down her spine as his hand trailed over her side and touched her breast. She sucked in a quick breath. Wyeth winked at her and walked away.
Savanna slipped back inside of her small store. One of the wealthiest men in the town, maybe even in the state, had asked her out, and she had said yes. If Chastity found out, she would have kittens, and living with her would spiral down into an even worse nightmare than what it already was. She spent the rest of the day doing her readings and tidying up the shop. When she got home her roommate wasn’t home. Savanna pulled out half of her clothes from the closet onto the bed and finally decided on a dress she hadn’t worn in a while. It was dark blue with a rounded neck, so it showed the top of her breasts. She pinned her hair up, dashed on a little bit of makeup, and found a pair of sapphire earrings. When she was done, she glanced in the mirror. She wasn’t either of the men’s type, but she wanted both of them.
They were attractive. What she was feeling was lust. Being in lust was better than the nothing she had for the past couple of years. Love? Well she wasn’t sure if that was something in the cards for her.
Heading out the door, she met Chastity coming back in with another man in tow. He was dressed in a leather jacket and had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. “Oh, how sweet. You’re going out again?”
Savanna nodded. “Yeah.”
“Dinner with the man who beat up my date?” she sneered.
“No. With someone else. Hey, Chastity’s date, no smoking in the apartment. Got it?”
“Whatever. Fine,” he croaked.
Chastity giggled.
Savanna grabbed her roommate’s arm. “I mean it. He smokes in the house, you’re out. Got it? I’m tired of your shit.”
“You can’t kick me out! You need me to pay the rent.”
“Yes, I can. You’re subletting the place from me, and it’s in the lease. So deal with it.” Savanna clutched her purse and went down to her car. She drove to Wyeth’s house, surprised the gate was open with no intercom or security guard. As she drove up with the lighthouse in the background, she couldn’t help but feel a little like she was being shoved into a horror movie where the fog would roll in off the sea. Within its misty banks would be vaporous monsters that would eat her. The tower light, guarding the rocks, illuminated the solitary piece of land. The same way that Drake was.
The loneliness inside of her was the same that he had, too. Savanna climbed out of the car and went to the front door, feeling very inadequate. She turned back, about to return to her car, when she saw Drake approaching the house.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” He didn’t look at her. There was a restless energy about him that she had seen the other night, but it was more than that. It seemed that he was in a hurry. He wanted to flee, and yet, that other part of him wanted to stay. And deep within her, she wanted to comfort that part of him. Reading the different parts of him was exhausting.
He stood next to her while she knocked. The silence between them stretched as she waited for Wyeth. Savanna tried not to notice Drake, but it was tough, considering what had transpired between them and the fact that he was a beefcake. “So, the other night. You kissed me.”
“I did.”
“Is that something you do all the time? Kissing strange girls you’ve just met?”
Drake’s gaze traveled down her face and settled on her breasts before it moved back up again to her eyes. “Was that a problem? You didn’t seem to mind.”
“That’s not the point. You told me and Wyeth something that you don’t tell anyone else, and then you do that and walk out. You’re an enigma, and because of all of this three of us are connected on some strange level now.”
“Is that what you think?”
“Don’t start playing test the psychic. I’m not up for it tonight.” She crossed her hands over her chest and stared at him. It took everything in her, because when it came to men she was never the straightforward one in the relationship. She gritted her teeth, because she sensed the very thread between them pulling tighter, making her crave to be closer to him. It hadn’t been so bad before when Savanna was away from him. Now that they were feet apart, she yearned to rub along his body and smell his musky scent. She closed her eyes and took in a few breaths as the cool night air caressed her.
“I wasn’t testing you,” Drake said, his voice inexplicably closer to her than before.
Savanna opened her eyes, and he was inches from her. It took all her willpower not to throw her arms around him. “Then what the hell were you doing?”
“Truth?”
“I’d hope so. I-I would appreciate it after everything that happened.”
“After I left your apartment, I came back to the lighthouse and started packing. I got halfway packed, but I couldn’t banish you from my mind.” Drake rested his hand on the wall, trapping her between him and the wall. He stared at her with the intensity of a hunter that had found its prey and was waiting for her to bolt. “I did everything I could to push you from my thoughts. Let’s face it, you’re not my type for a human woman. I’ve had many, and don’t think that your size deters me, because it doesn’t.”
“Yeah. I get it. You don’t like buxom beauties or fat chicks. I’ve heard it before.”
“You asked for the truth. Nevertheless my thoughts returned to your lips and how you felt against me, and the heat that we had shared. You speak to the beast inside of me. I needed time to sort things out. I didn’t know if I could leave, and then I sensed you had come here. I had to come see you.” He captured her lips in a hungry kiss that curled her toes and made her moan.
“Hey, Savanna...” Wyeth called. The place where Drake had kissed turned into air. She heard one of them cry out in pain. When she opened her eyes, Wyeth was the one on top of Drake this time, hitting him.
“Dear Lord, not again,” she muttered. “This is getting ridiculous.” Men did not fight over her. “Guys, enough!” She tried to grab onto Wyeth’s arm, but he pushed her off. She landed on her ass, which hurt, and then she heard a rip where her dress tore up the side. Hot tears of frustration and anger lined her eyes. She stood up, and her anger consumed her. The heat of it made her so warm that she was sweating. A fire sparked inside of her. It glowed within her mind. She reached out her hand, as the energy needed a way to escape because she could not contain it within her. If she even tried, she would burn up. Savanna focused it down her left arm. A grapefruit sized fire ball appeared and landed next to Drake’s head.
Both of them stopped fighting.
All the energy drained from her. Dots appeared on the edge of her vision. Savanna sank to the ground. Wyeth slung a hand around her waist, and Drake came to her other side until she was suspended between them. They walked her inside and set her on a chair. The cool air helped clear her senses. Drake knelt before her, patting her hand. Wyeth returned with a glass of water and held it to her lips so she could take a sip. As she swallowed it, feeling parched and wrung out, she was able to concentrate.
“How did you do that?” Drake asked. His voice was filled with awe.
“Do what? Shoot fire out of my hand? How the fuck should I know?” She turned to Wyeth. “Really? You had to jump on him and start fighting.”
He was taken aback and his face paled. “He was kissing you and...”
“I don’t care if
I was being kissed by a shark...okay, well, not a shark, but you get the idea, my lips don’t belong to you. This is all too fucked up even for me.” She started to get up but fell back down into the seat, feeling defeated and tired.
Drake put a hand on her knee. Another strong jolt went through her and brought her back to her senses. She was under his spell no matter how much she fought it. It was definitely stronger when he touched her, and it seemed that everything was right in the world. “I think I have an answer for what’s been plaguing the three of us. I hate to admit it, but it is the only explanation that can fit.”
“What is it, oh wise one?” Wyeth said, sarcasm dripping from every word.
“Give it a rest. If he can clarify some things then I want to know. The longer I’m with either of you, the more this weird attraction I have grows for the both of you. And it’s not natural.”
“You’re right. It’s not natural for a human. You aren’t built that way. The same way that you were able to channel my dragon fire. That is something that only happens between dragons and their mates or sometimes dragons and their spellcasters. At least that is what I have been told, they can share power. It must have been a fluke. It is the way that this world has impacted me. It would not surprise me that everything is topsy-turvy.”
It took Savanna a minute to process what he had imparted to them. “So you’re telling me that a witch can tap into a dragon’s fire and channel it?”
Drake explained. “Yes. They are able to share magic, and the human can use the dragon fire for short periods of time. Some dragons thought it was beneath them to join with a spellcaster. The ones who did said they felt a pull toward that human as if another part of their soul had been found. And they followed that link until it brought them to the person, no matter how far away. I think you tapped into that power. I don’t know how, but you linked with me. Maybe it’s the same way that I am bonded to Wyeth.”
“The other night when you grabbed me, and then I touched her, something passed between the three of us. I can’t get Savanna out of my head. And, no offense, I don’t fantasize about having sex with another dude, but I do sense this link,” Wyeth admitted.