ROMANCE: SHAPESHIFTER ROMANCE: Dragon Baller's Bride (Dragon Shifter Alpha Male Romance) (Paranormal Romantic Suspense)

by Summer Cooper

  Her biggest concern was cooking, but right as she had walked back into the kitchen to see if there were any cookbooks, the movers arrived and she knew she had to get unpacked. It was clear Adam expected her to keep her rooms somewhat organized as well and that he wanted her to unpack, so as soon as everything was moved in she started doing exactly that. Her bedroom was large, with a King size bed and small sitting area. The walk-in closet could hold more clothes than she could ever dream of having, while the bathroom had both a shower and a Jacuzzi tub that she was fairly certain she’d use a lot. It didn’t take her long to unpack everything and once she had everything where she wanted it to be, she once again made her way out into the kitchen. She hoped Adam wasn’t home yet and she could read the instruction manuals for the appliances before he returned, but right as she walked into the kitchen so did he.

  “I got Chinese, I hope you don’t mind?”

  “Chinese sounds wonderful,” Beth replied with a smile. “I’d say I’d get the plates but I have not yet located those.”

  Adam laughed and Beth found herself really liking his laugh. It was warm and truly sounded happy, instead of fake and forced. He easily walked over to a cabinet and got two plates out before opening a drawer for silverware. She mentally memorized the location, knowing she’d use it a lot and not wanting to open every cabinet every time she needed something. Adam opened all the containers and she noticed he had gotten a variety of things, likely just because he didn’t know what she would like, and she instantly spotted her favorite which was sweet & sour chicken.

  Dinner was eaten in silence, with neither of them having much to say. Beth was too shy to truly talk to him and she wasn’t sure why he wasn’t saying anything either but she supposed he was used to the silence. Easily helping to clean up, which only took a minute since he had a dishwasher; Beth looked around looking a little bit lost. She wasn’t sure what she was expected to do with the rest of her evening, now that they’d eaten. She was certain he had things to do however so in an attempt to not make things awkward she thanked him for dinner and made her way to her rooms. She had a few books she hadn’t read yet and supposed she could read those while she still had the time. She had no doubt in her mind that she would get busier soon, having to keep up with this entire house and Adam’s meals.

  Chapter Three

  Beth had woken up early in an attempt to explore the kitchen before she actually had to prepare breakfast for Adam. He had left her a list of things he had bought, and from it she could easily see what he had for each meal. While his lunches varied, his breakfast often consisted of bacon, eggs and toast-- and the only thing she knew how to make was toast. That was, if you didn’t count cereal.

  She quickly went to work getting ready to prepare breakfast before Adam came downstairs. Pulling out her trusty, but outdated iPhone, she pulled up some You Tube videos and followed along. First she cracked several eggs into a large pan that had been preheated and watched as they began to cook. It looked so good so far. Next, she placed several strips of bacon into another heating pan. She wasn’t sure how much Adam liked to eat, so she used the entire package of bacon. Adam was an elite athlete, so she figured he ate a lot of food, even though nowadays he probably wasn’t training the way he used to since he was retired. He still kept in great shape though and muscles like his had to be well fed.

  She wasn’t sure how Adam liked his eggs, but she preferred hers over medium so she just guessed that it would be ok to do that. It went better with toast because she loved to dip her toast in the yolk. She wondered if he did the same. She let the bacon cook until it was crispy, but not overly crispy, again guessing as to how he liked it. She followed the same procedure with the toast. Sitting everything down on the table, she was very proud of herself. She hadn’t burnt anything and it all looked really good, causing her stomach to rumble, which she took as a good sign.

  She noticed the coffee maker was automatic and it looked like Adam had set it up the night before and programmed it to turn on at a specific time. She quietly thanked him for remembering because she had totally forgotten about the coffee until now, when it started to smell really good. She located the cups and poured a few cups of coffee and grabbed some creamer from the fridge. She noticed that Adam had several different flavors. She was going to sample a few this morning, that was for sure. She definitely appreciated that Adam was a coffee lover like herself. It was important to start the day off right and she was never able to get fully awake without getting her coffee into her in the morning.

  She finished the breakfast preparations with a couple of glasses of orange juice, thankful that Adam bought pulp free. Pulp was just disgusting and she couldn’t for the life of her understand how anyone drank juice with pulp in it.

  Just then Adam came bouncing into the room. He was freshly showered and wearing some fancy, yet casual clothes. He appeared to have been up for a while.

  “Hey, that looks great," Adam said sitting down to his place at the table. Beth decided it was ok for her to do the same.

  “Thanks,” Beth said. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yea, I slept fine. I just got back from my morning workout. It always works up an appetite. I’m glad to see you made a lot of food.”

  “I wasn’t sure how much to make,” Beth said.

  “You did perfect. I eat a lot, but not as much as I used to.”

  “Really? That sounds like a fun job; getting to eat a lot of food every day and not get fat,” Beth said.

  “It became a job, actually. When you have to spend three hours in the gym and five hours on the training field every day, and then you have to eat every three hours—it gets to be a chore. I’m happy now to just eat normally, but I also have to make sure I don’t overdo it or I will get fat. I can’t tell you how many guys I see who are retired and two years later they are carrying around a thirty pound spare tire.”

  “Ouch.”

  “How was your room? Did you sleep comfortably?” Adam asked sipping the coffee.

  “Yes, it’s great. It may be the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in.”

  “’I’m glad to hear that,” Adam said.

  They chatted about some mundane things over the rest of breakfast, although Adam didn’t really talk that much. He was a man who really loved his food. He scarfed the bacon and eggs down quickly and gulped up several cups of coffee and juice in the process.

  Beth only finished about half of her plate and she was stuffed. She was used to grabbing a few pop tarts and heading out the door, but she could definitely get used to this sort of food every morning, even if she was the one cooking it. She actually found she didn’t mind preparing the food and the breakfast had actually been really easy.

  Adam excused himself after breakfast. He had some errands in town to run. Beth didn’t pry but she wondered what sort of errands he had to take care of and why he didn’t have a bunch of people to do that for him. She was beginning to see that Adam was a very take charge kind of guy and while he had hired help for a variety of menial tasks, he was also a man who liked to deal with things head on.

  She admired that and found the passion he exhibited as being very sexy. Beth didn’t want to admit it because it felt wrong in many ways, and that may have been why it was so exciting, but she was having strong feelings of attraction for Adam. He was so strong, bold, and confident. It was his take charge attitude that just made her melt. He was dominant without being controlling and weird like a lot of men were. He just didn’t have the ego or the childlike neediness that most men she had been around exhibited.

  She wasn’t sure she should be feeling this way, and she was going to do her best to bury it.

  Chapter Four

  Beth sat down on the fancy living room sofa, plopped her feet up, and let out a huge sigh. The beautiful mansion had been far dirtier than it had appeared upon initial inspection and she had cleaned the entire downstairs today. She would do the upstairs tomorrow, but for now she was going to take a few minutes to rest. She f
igured she had a little while before she would have to fix dinner for Adam and she hoped that he wasn’t going to be home for a while. There was almost nothing that was going to make her want to move from this spot.

  Then she heard Adam walking downstairs. She wasn’t even aware that he was home. The house was so huge that it was like one big maze. She doubted that Adam had even been in every room, but she guessed she would learn them all as she cleaned everything.

  “Wow, somebody looks tired,” Adam said.

  “I’m ok. Want me to get dinner started?” Beth said.

  “I have a better idea; how about I take you out for dinner?” Adam asked.

  Beth had to do a double take. She wasn’t sure she had heard him right.

  “What?” Beth asked.

  “You’ve worked so hard cleaning this house today, and I know how dirty it was since it’s been awhile, so I was thinking I’d take you out for dinner tonight. What do you think? Are you up for it?”

  “Wow that would be great. Thanks!” Beth said.

  “No problem. Now go upstairs and get changed. I’m taking you someplace fancy.”

  “Fancy? Wow, I don’t know I’ve ever really been anywhere like that,” Beth said, immediately regretting that she didn’t know when to shut up.

  “It’s a nice place. You will love it.”

  “I’m not sure I have anything to wear to some place like that—“ Beth began.

  Adam held up his hand cutting her off. He gave her a sly grin.

  “It will be fine. Trust me.”

  When Beth walked into her room she saw what the grin was about; lying on her bed was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Adam had bought this for her? She wasn’t sure what to think. He had asked her out for a fancy dinner and now he was buying her dresses. Was he just being sweet because it was her first week or was there something else going on?

  She decided that right now she didn’t care. The dress fit perfectly and when she walked downstairs Adam smiled approvingly. The man had excellent taste and he had even picked out the perfect size. She wasn’t sure if that was sexy or creepy. There was often a fine line, she decided.

  Her first fine dining experience at a five star restaurant was perfect. The food and the atmosphere had placed a smile on her face that would take weeks to come off. It was all a bit too much to take in and she found herself just succumbing to the overwhelming sensations that were all around her, assaulting her senses.

  The conversation between her and Adam was so easy and relaxed. She found out about his growing up and then his evolution into one of the greatest footballers to play the game and his reasons for leaving the game behind. She admired that he wanted to give back and work in either broadcasting or coaching. He had even expressed an interest in starting up his own line of sporting goods, plus he had several endorsement deals lined up for the near future. She loved to hear him talk about all of his plans and the passion and excitement in his voice. It made her excited for him and she hoped that she would be able to witness much of this since she was now living with him.

  He had even asked her about herself. She had been a little shy about revealing the details of her less than stellar life and especially her past, but he listened intently and gave advice to her in a very non-judgmental way. She really appreciated that. He was such a great listener. It felt amazing to really relax and open up with someone, even if it did take a huge risk and leap of faith on her part. She was very glad that she did it in the end. It helped her connect with him and he seemed to be really connecting with her as well.

  Beth’s feelings for Adam were intensifying and she had to admit to herself that she was starting to fall a bit for him. She told herself it was silly. He was her employer and besides his status and prestige were far above her or anything she would ever accomplish. Why in the world would he be interested in her? It was a nice little fantasy, but she tried to keep a level head and chalked it all up to a nice dinner with a new friend.

  But that night when they returned to the house they decided to hang out in the huge living room for a while, even though it was getting late and she felt like she was ready to drop. Adam insisted and poured them both a few drinks while they listened to some romantic music. They talked more about their individual plans for the future.

  At some point in the evening, Adam abruptly stood up and extended his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her into a dance, allowing the romantic sounds to fill the air. Beth was not sure what was going on or why, but she was enjoying the feeling of letting go. It was freeing and the romance that was filling the air was a new sensation to her. She understood at that moment that she had never really been romanced before and it took her a while to understand it was happening to her right then. She had to question it several times to herself.

  At the end of the evening as she was starting up the stairs to her room, Adam surprised her once again by grabbing her hand and pulling her close. He looked deeply into her eyes and kissed her softly on the lips. Then he let her hand go, smiled at her sweetly, and walked away.

  Beth stood there for several seconds before climbing the stairs and moving towards her bedroom. She realized that her life was about to change.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning at breakfast Adam was his usual chipper self. He made small talk with her and asked her if she’d had a good time the night before.

  “Yea, it was great,” Beth said.

  “I told you that restaurant was the bomb," Adam said.

  Beth had to laugh. She loved the way he talked.

  “It was pretty special,” Beth said.

  She was wondering if they should talk about the kiss and what it meant. Did it mean anything? Would he fire her if she asked too many questions about it? Was she just reading too much into things? He was a really passionate guy and maybe he had just gotten caught up in the moment.

  Beth tried to concentrate on her work, which for the most part involved cleaning the upstairs and the bathrooms. It was mind numbing work, which allowed her mind to wander and it kept drifting to the thoughts of the previous evening. The uncertainty of things was really nagging at her and the more they did the more she realized the intensity of the feelings she was starting to have for Adam. She tried to force them down because she didn’t want it to interfere with their working relationship, especially if he didn’t feel the same way. Given Adam’s status he was probably used to women flaunting over him and kissing one of them didn’t have to mean anything at all. It was just a friendly gesture to him. She wasn’t sure and the more she tried to convince herself the more confused she became.

  She took a small break from cleaning to make Adam’s lunch. She checked the menu that he had prepared and began to fix the food. He wanted ten ounces of cod with two cups of rice and one cup of steamed veggies. She put the rice in the rice maker, which made things so much easier, the cod in the oven, and a steamer bag of frozen veggies in the microwave. It was getting easier and she was starting to learn shortcuts to making good food without killing yourself. Thank God for YouTube.

  Lunch conversation was about the same as breakfast and though it was killing her to not talk about the kiss, she held her lips sealed. She wasn’t going to break on this. She had decided to leave the ball in his court on the matter and just see what happened. It was kind of a curious thing actually and she was enjoying the not knowing, even though at the same time it felt like it was tearing her apart. She realized that Adam was a mysterious guy and it was part of this mystery that added to his charisma and charm. If she started prodding and acting clingy then it would not end well. She figured he would turn her down gently and possibly fire her so that things wouldn’t be weird.

  That night after dinner she had just finished taking a shower when there was a knock at her door. She quickly dried off and put on her bath robe. She was a bit nervous opening the door, but she tried to hide it. The thought that all that separated her naked body from Adam was a small robe belt, which could be undone with the flick of a
finger, swirled in her mind. That would have been pretty hot, she thought. She entertained a brief fantasy of Adam just removing the robe and ravaging her body.

  She opened the door and Adam stood there, shirtless in a pair of silk pajama pants. His body was ripped and muscular, but not bulky. He had a lean athletic look still and his washboard abs glistened in the light. He looked as if he had just stepped out of the shower also.

  “Hey, I wanted to ask you what your plans were for the weekend,” Adam said.

  Beth thought a moment and realized that she did indeed have the next two days off.

  “No plans. Why?”

  “Have you ever been on a four-wheeler?” Adam asked flashing that sly and devilish grin at her that continued to make her heart melt.

  * * *

  Beth screamed loudly as the trees whipped past her face. She was on a four-wheeler several yards behind Adam ripping through the woods about thirty miles outside of town. She had heard of people coming up here and riding, but she had never considered doing it herself at all. Beth had never felt like much of a thrill seeker and she was learning that Adam was. He loved everything that seemed to put his life in danger. It was an odd thing to her, but she had to admit that even though she was terrified, she was having a blast. It was such a thrill to have the wind ripping through her hair and to feel this magnificent machine under her, hitting every bump and nuance of the ground and feeling it reverberate through the machine between her legs. It was actually kind of sexual and she felt naughty for thinking this, but she was having too much fun to care.

  She had started out riding slowly until she got the hang of it, but she quickly picked it up and at Adam’s encouragement she had joined him on riding The Course, as it was called. It was almost an obstacle course. The trail was comprised of several hills and bumps that threatened to throw her off the four-wheeler and near constant twists and turns through heavily wooded areas with just enough of a trail forged to fit the four-wheeler through. Adam was appreciating that she was willing to throw caution to the wind and try anything fun.