She just needed a little push first.
They finished The Course and Adam gave her a high five and a hug. She loved the way he felt against her and she caught the gleam in his eye when he stared at her, again flashing that devilish smile.
They decided to grab some lunch and then headed home. They had taken Adam’s new Ferrari today. Another first for Beth; she had always wanted to ride in a fancy sports car, but she had never even had the guts to test drive one. She always figured the dealer would take one look at her and tell her to get lost. It wasn’t like you could just test drive a $250,000 car. Apparently there were rules.
That evening they decided to spend time at the house watching some movies on Netflix. She had never seen the show Breaking Bad, but it had been all the rage a few years ago and it was Adam’s favorite show. He wanted her to watch it so she gave in and much to her surprise she became totally hooked on it right away. It had been a long time since a show had grabbed her and pulled her into it that quickly.
Halfway through the third episode, Adam pulled her close to him and kissed her sweetly on the lips. It had taken her totally by surprise and she had almost pulled away at first out of surprise, but once his lips touched hers she instantly fell into the sweetness of it.
“Wow, that was nice,” Adam said.
“Yeah, it was,” Beth replied.
“I want to take you to LA with me for the week,” Adam said.
“What?” Beth exclaimed.
“Have you ever been?”
“No, but I’ve always wanted to.”
Christian, even though he could afford it, had refused to take her anywhere. He was such a sleaze.
“Great, then it’s settled. I have a little business to attend to, but most of the week will be totally free.”
“I can’t believe you are asking me to go. What about my work?”
“Well, I asked your boss if you could have the week off and he said yes. He must be a really cool guy,” Adam teased.
Beth laughed as she snuggled closer to him.
* * *
They arrived in LA the next evening. The weather was beautiful and Beth marveled at the sights she saw just traveling from the airport to the hotel. She had never really seen the ocean before and the beautiful sandy beaches that lined the coast were breathtaking.
After they settled into the hotel and unpacked they decided to do some sightseeing. Adam had been in LA many times before and he made an excellent tour guide. First they stopped at the Hard Rock Café and grabbed some lunch. Beth was enamored with the wonderful artifacts and the atmosphere of the place. She had always heard it was the coolest place to visit and she was glad that the hype was true.
Then it was on to Hollywood. Adam had hired a driver and a car to take them anywhere they wanted to go for the week. Beth wasn’t even going to ask how much that cost, but the car was exquisitely awesome. It was a brand new SUV, which Beth actually preferred to the limo because a limo just drew too much attention. Adam seemed to echo her sentiments on the subject as well.
They visited Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and took several pictures. Beth had always dreamt of visiting somewhere like this and it was even better in person. They then spent hours walking up and down the strip looking at the stars on the walk of fame. Beth figured Adam had to be getting annoyed by her suggesting he take her picture after every other actor’s name that she came to. It was just a mind trip for her to realize that so many of these people had been standing right there to commemorate their achievements. Beth had always been a bit of a film buff, so Hollywood was the greatest place on Earth in her eyes.
They spent the rest of the afternoon going in and out of every souvenir shop that they came to. Beth couldn’t believe how much cool stuff Adam was buying her. It was so sweet, but she also felt bad about it. Although he insisted, she felt a bit like she was being a loafer. That wasn’t her nature and she wasn’t used to people buying her things, but at the same time it felt really nice to be taken care of.
They ended the evening hanging out at the hotel room. Adam had reserved the biggest room in the place. It even had a bowling alley in the middle of the room. She had never seen anything like this before. She didn’t even like bowling, but she and Adam decided not to waste it since it was there.
Adam proved to be excellent at bowling too. She was starting to think that he was good at everything. He never seemed to lose no matter what he did. She found it to be both irresistible and strange. He was almost too perfect, but she was sure that if she waited long enough she would find at least one small flaw that would make him seem more human.
Every guy had a rough edge somewhere.
They finished off the day relaxing in the Jacuzzi in the room. It was a large eight person Jacuzzi. Beth loved the extra space and she was glad that she had brought her swim suit. It was a two piece thong set, but she figured that Adam would enjoy it. She felt odd at first being so exposed to him, but she also felt that she should up the ante and take a few risks as well.
Adam sat across from her smiling and sipping a beer. He had not spoken for a few minutes. He appeared to be mulling something over in his mind. It was like he wanted to say something to her, but he wasn’t sure exactly how to go about it. The curiosity was killing her, so she had to ask.
“What is on your mind?”
“Is it that obvious?” Adam asked.
“Yes. You look like you have something really gnawing on your noggin. It’s ok, just blurt it out. Don’t be shy, now,” Beth teased.
Adam laughed.
“Well, ok I guess I will. You and I have been spending a lot of time together and I think you know I really like you and I believe you really like me too.”
“Yes, I feel the same way,” Beth said. She could not stop the smile spreading over her face. It felt so good to finally acknowledge the elephant in the room. She had so much she wanted to say to him. She was tired of holding her feelings back.
“Great, because I see us having a real future together. I know it feels sudden, and I don’t want to rush anything, but I have never felt as much of a connection to someone like this. Maybe I’m crazy, but that is how I feel.”
“I know what you are saying. I don’t think you are crazy. I have strong feelings for you, too.”
Adam leaned close to her and put his arm around her, pulling her close.
“I want to tell you something that I have never told anyone, and you may not believe me, but I’ll show you if I have to. Like I said, I see a future for us and I don’t want to have any secrets.”
“It’s ok. Adam, you can tell me anything.”
Adam took a deep breath.
“I’m a dragon shifter.”
Beth let the words ring in her ears for several seconds trying to fully understand their meaning.
“You’re a what?”
“I’m a dragon shifter.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Beth replied.
“Shifters are real. I belong to a race of humans who are able to shift into other animals and creatures. I am able to shift into a dragon.”
“Are you joking? This is absurd.”
“Like I said, I didn’t think you would believe me.”
“Well, you thought right. I’m not sure what you are trying to pull—“
Suddenly Adam grabbed her and in an instant lifted her up and a split second later they were in the bedroom.
“Jesus!” Beth said. “How did you do that?”
“Just a few basic movements, at ten times human speed.”
“I don’t understand what is going on.”
“I know. That’s why I’m going to show you.”
A few minutes later they were on the roof of the hotel. Beth was terrified of heights and refused to go near the edge. She felt like something bad was about to happen and she knew that all of this was against her better judgment. She took several deep breaths. She was glad she had put on her sweats and her hoody. The evening had grown chilly, and a mild breeze blew across
the roof.
“What are we doing up here?” Beth asked.
“The only way for you to truly grasp what I am is for me to show you.”
Adam took off his clothes. He was now standing bare naked several feet in front of her on the roof. This was the first time she had seen him naked and a million thoughts were whirring through her mind. His body was amazing and she had to fight the instinct to check out his crotch.
“Are you crazy?” She asked.
Adam didn’t answer her. Suddenly his body began to convulse. She thought he might be having a seizure, but she quickly saw that something else was happening. His skin began to peel away from his face as large wings leapt off of his back. His bones moved, lengthened, shortened, and contorted creating a new creature that she had never seen before.
The whole process took less than ten seconds. She hardly had time to react to it, but standing before her now was a ten foot tall dragon. Adam was no longer there.
Beth’s whole body was numb with terror and shock. What had just happened? Where did Adam go? Was that him? She found her feet were glued to the rooftop and she was unable to move. It was all too much to take. She had never expected in her wildest dreams to see something like this happening right in front of her face. Dragons were real. People turned into them. She kept repeating the idea over and over in her mind hoping that one of these times it was actually going to gel and make rational sense. It wasn’t happening.
“Adam?” Beth croaked.
“Yes, Beth it is me.”
Beth stumbled back. She had not really expected Adam to answer and hearing his voice coming from the mouth of a dragon was mind blowing in another way.
“Oh, my God!”
“It’s ok. Don’t be afraid. I’m still me. This is who I am.”
“How did this happen to you?”
“I was born this way. It runs in families. There aren’t many shifters left in the world, but I am one of them.”
Beth walked closer to him to inspect the dragon up close. She hated to stare at him like he was a carnival freak or something, but this was the most insane thing she had ever seen and she had to touch it up close. She ran her hands along the dragon’s arms, feeling the roughness of the skin, and then she felt the wings. They were made out of fleshy material and kind of reminded her of the wings of a bat.
“This is amazing,” Beth said.
“Are you glad that you know?” Adam asked.
“Yes. It means a lot that you chose to share this with me.”
“Want to go for a ride?” Adam asked.
Beth smiled.
* * *
Adam picked her up and held her close to him as he flew over the city. From that high up Beth could see city lights stretching out for miles in all directions. It was mind altering to know how huge the city of LA really was. It was like its own galaxy and it almost seemed to have its own set of rules. The air felt wonderful blowing through her hair and brushing her face as she snuggled up to Adam’s warmness. Even as a dragon he still felt like Adam.
As a little girl she had often dreamt of what it would be like to fly above the clouds and now she was actually doing it. The déjà vu of it all was surreal. Everything looked exactly how she had always pictured it but it was even more vivid because she was actually there. In her dreams it always seemed somehow two dimensional, as if she was watching it on a great big screen. It had been incredible but now it was so much more. Her dreams and fantasies had only hinted at the possibilities.
Adam went slowly at first, just gliding over the outskirts of the city and then flying along the ocean shore. The beaches looked so peaceful at night, watching the water meet the shoreline. It was so captivating that Beth took some snapshots of it in her mind. She would never forget this. She probably wouldn’t have to, actually. Adam had confided in her this huge secret because he cared deeply about her. He said he had not told anyone this secret before, which meant that he saw a long term future for the two of them. The whole thing sounded too good to be true and it was also a bit frightening. There was still so much she didn’t know about Adam; he was so mysterious, but the fact that he had divulged the most important secret of his life to her meant that he was an open book only to her. It made her feel special and privileged. It made her feel loved.
Afterwards Adam landed back on the hotel roof with Beth. She was still awestruck by this magnificent looking creature standing in front of her, but in a few seconds he shifted back and he was Adam again. Beth wrapped her arms around him and the two embraced each other, enjoying the moment that only the two of them could share.
Chapter Six
Beth had never been so nervous.
She was walking down the aisle in front of two hundred people on the biggest day of her life. If she’d had a stick she would have poked herself several times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, but staring down the long aisle, Adam was waiting for her.
It had been a month since their trip to LA where Adam had exposed himself to her as a dragon shifter and it had been the most amazing month she had ever known. Falling in love was not like what she had expected it would be or what she had come to know from romance novels and chick flicks; it was much more than that. She felt it was probably different for everybody because nobody ever told you how it really felt or how it happened to them. Beth felt that she had one of the most unique experiences of anyone around on the subject of romance.
During the past month Adam and her had shared every meal together, she had been cooking less and less. It was eventually kind of decided that she did not really work there anymore. She was Adam’s live-in girlfriend. Then she had become his live-in fiancée.
Adam had proposed in the most romantic place on Earth. He had flown her to Paris where they spent several days sightseeing and indulging in all of the fun things that Paris had to offer. To Beth everything she saw in Paris was something romantic. She wasn’t sure how much of that was in her mind and how much was just Paris, but she had soaked up everything out of the place that she could. It was a dream come true and she kept asking herself how she had gotten so lucky.
Then on their last night there, they were enjoying a beautiful walk along the streets of Paris when suddenly Adam dropped to his knees, right in front of the Eiffel Tower and proposed to her. It was the most romantic thing she could have imagined.
They decided they wanted to get married quickly. Adam and Beth both decided that they hated the idea of a long drawn out engagement, but this meant that they had a month to plan a wedding. Of course Adam had hired the best wedding planner in town to dream up the perfect wedding. Beth was relieved because for a moment she thought that the whole thing was going to be on her shoulders.
Adam told her right from the start that she could have any kind of wedding she wanted and that he didn’t care if he had much input in that particular thing, unless she wanted him to. She had valued any idea he had and they had compromised on small things that they couldn’t totally agree on. Adam was just the perfect guy because he was so strong and secure in himself that he didn’t get hung up on being right. If he knew he was right about something he simply ordered it to be that way and didn’t ask. When he did that it was easy to tell that he knew what he was talking about and it was easy to follow his lead.
Now here she was walking down the aisle. As nervous as she was walking down the aisle, standing in front of Adam now everything in the world seemed perfect and she had no stitch of fear within her. She felt as safe as she had ever felt in her life and as certain as she had ever been about anything. Here and now she was ready to start her new life.
She glanced over at her niece, Daphne. She had been the most adorable flower girl. Her eyes drifted over to Thomas, the ring bearer who was completely bored out of his mind. She didn’t blame the kid, but she knew one day he would be in Adam’s shoes about to make the biggest decision of his life. She hoped he was as certain as she was.
The ceremony was quick and to the point, which was the way she liked it. She�
�d had a blast being admired in the beautiful wedding gown that Adam had bought her, but it was also the most uncomfortable thing she had ever put on. After wearing it for an hour, she was ready to be out of the thing and let her hair down to party. They both got dressed into something more comfortable and rode to the reception.
The reception was the biggest party by far that she had ever been to and probably ever would be, or at least until one of Adam’s wealthy friends got married. His best buddy, Anthony, had been married twice already and was only twenty-five. He was ridiculous and judging by the way he was flirting with all of the bridesmaids he would be getting married again soon. She guessed for some people marriage was just a habit.
Beth loved all of the adulation that she was being given from all of her friends and family and also from all of the people that she didn’t even know. She kept staring at the huge table full of gifts that awaited them later. How in the world were they going to open all of that stuff?
The end of the evening came with the first dance of the newlyweds. Beth was a little nervous about this because she was not the best dancer, but Adam guided her through it and she realized that everyone was so in awe of the true love they were seeing between the two of them that they didn’t care if she tripped or fell. She could have probably goofed up any which way that did not end up with her naked and they would have been ok with it. It was the romance that people loved to see; that was why people went to weddings to begin with.
After the wedding as they were being driven to the airport in their limo on their way to London for the first leg of their honeymoon, Adam told Beth how much he loved her.
“Beth, I vow to do everything in my power to give you the kind of life that you deserve and be the kind of man that you deserve. I love you more than anybody could love someone.”
ROMANCE: SHAPESHIFTER ROMANCE: Dragon Baller's Bride (Dragon Shifter Alpha Male Romance) (Paranormal Romantic Suspense) Page 3