by Amelia Jade
“Phenomenal.”
“Wondrous.” He grinned as she didn’t reply at first, her eyes focusing elsewhere.
But when she spoke all sense of victory vanished. “Nope, you lose. You already said wonderful.”
“That’s not the same word!” he protested, but she was shaking her head at him.
“It’s got the same root word of wonder. Thus, you lose.”
“This is so not fair.” He was complaining and he knew it. So did Aimee, and he felt frustrated by her once more. How was it that she, a fragile little human—though he would never say that to her face, he was smarter than that—could continue to get the best of him? He would emerge victorious somehow, and without cheating. He’d vowed not to do that from the moment he met her, and so far he’d resisted any temptation to use every method he had at his disposal.
“Welcome to dating,” she teased, then before he could pull away she leaned in, kissed him on the cheek, and pushed past him, heading into her bedroom. “I have some things I need to do today, but I’ll give you a quick rundown on how to use my laptop, and you can start to do your own research on everything you’ve missed.”
His mouth worked as he tried to process just what exactly it was she’d said, but nothing was making sense. What was a laptop?
Settling on to the couch, he decided he would try a new tactic with Aimee. Something radical, and completely out of nowhere, that he hoped would drive her crazy in a positive way. And quite possibly the last thing she would expect from him.
Patience.
Chapter Fourteen
Aimee
“Pinch me,” she whispered as they walked in to the Liftbridge, Drake’s Crossing’s most exclusive restaurant.
Fingers slid down her lower back and tweaked her rear. Swifter than she could react his hand closed around her waist and prevented her from turning to look at him, holding her tight as they were escorted to their table.
“That,” she ground out while keeping a smile on her face, “was not what I meant. You are taking advantage of the situation.”
“Welcome to dating,” he rumbled, pulling the chair out and waiting until she’d adjusted her new dress to push it in.
Despite all the looks being sent their way and her desire to try and maintain a polite, happy façade, she felt her mouth fall open. “Did you really just use my own line against me?”
“Yes.”
She waited for him to hit her with a one-liner, but he didn’t, instead settling in and asking the waiter for a taste of both a red and a white, to see what might attract her attention. Frowning, she forced herself to keep her elbows off the table. It was hard. The desire to rest her chin on her hands while she studied the person in front of her was immense.
It had been like that ever since she’d returned from having lunch with Brian. Just a normal, relaxing, day-off lunch. She hadn’t talked about Rhys or anything of the sort. Instead, she simply wanted to hang out with her oldest friend, mentor, and boss, and see if he noticed anything amiss about her. When she’d asked him at the end, he’d said no, she seemed normal, and wanted to know why. Aimee had shrugged it off and headed out before he could ask any more questions.
When she’d walked into her apartment, Rhys has been gone, and all that was left on her laptop was a note, telling her that he’d return to pick her up, and to be ready on time. All the note had said besides that was a request to wear a specific formal dress that she’d picked up the day before. It had made her smile, because she remembered the way he’d stared at her when she emerged from the dressing room.
His eyes had been hungry and full of desire, locked on to her like a lion stalking its prey. She’d never felt so beautiful and wanted than in that minute. Aimee had relived that moment in her mind many times over the rest of the day, and now she had found out that Rhys had been doing the same. It made her tingle to know he thought of her in the dress.
So she’d worn it without hesitation, despite the high slit and backless aspect to it, both of which were things she never wore. But for Rhys, she was willing. Because he’d asked. Not demanded or ordered. But asked.
He is changing before my very eyes. I’ll show the world the good in him yet.
Many of the looks being directed their way were at her, but a good many more were going Rhys’s way. She had to be honest, it wasn’t surprising. He looked good. After disappearing from her place he must have gone and gotten a haircut. Short and forward swept with product to keep it up, he cut sharp lines everywhere from his hair, to his facial structure, to the fit of his suit. The material was a dark, satiny black, with white pinstriping up and down it. A classic look with an ultramodern twist because of the material. A white shirt and black bowtie completed the ensemble.
“You look good,” she repeated as they waited for a drink, which didn’t appear to be too long in coming. Rhys, it seemed, had set a lot of this up beforehand. “You’ve been busy.”
He smiled. “I was told I needed to do things properly. I’m not about going halfway and leaving the job unfinished.”
“The job?”
“Of courting you properly,” he explained. “You are a worthy woman, Aimee Florette. Worthy of a great many things. The least I can do is lavish proper amounts of attention on you.
“Well, if you insist,” she said, hating how arrogant the words sounded coming out of her. Why was it so bad that she wanted to let herself be pampered by him?
Because everything is moving so fast. Maybe even too fast. You need to slow things down, take your time and make sure this is the right move.
Which was true. But it was hard when he looked so hot. All the other women in the restaurant were staring. Either at him with total awe and drool pooling in their mouths, or at her with utter jealousy.
Aimee smiled broadly, letting them see that she didn’t care. For once in her life she was going to be the center of attention. Let the men stare, she had underwear covering her crotch and pasties over her nipples in case the dress slid off her shoulders. The front didn’t plunge overly low, but there was no way to wear a real bra with it, so she had to improvise. Nothing was going to show, and she wasn’t used to so much male attention at once. It was quite flattering.
“I do insist. I have a lot to make up for.”
She frowned. “You do?”
“Did the limousine ride steal your memory of our first introduction to each other?” he teased gently.
“No,” she said wistfully. “But it sure as hell tried.”
Yeah, he’d hired a limo for them as well. Amidst everything she’d almost forgotten that. He, a dragon, with no knowledge of society, had somehow gotten his haircut, found a perfectly tailored suit, hired a limo driver, and prearranged for the best table and service at the best restaurant in town.
“Is this a setup?” she asked, suddenly suspicious. “Am I on a game show?”
Rhys shook his head. “A what?”
Nobody could fake that cluelessness. It’s impossible. Too many times he’s just reacted to what I’ve said in bizarre ways. It can’t be an act.
“Never mind,” she said with a wave. “How did you come up with all of this though? You don’t know about any of this. At all.”
He smiled. “You left me with the laptop and basic knowledge of how to use the internet.”
“But I was only gone for three hours!”
“I can read. Fast. Do you have any idea how easy it is to catch up on a lot of the world in three hours with the internet and a good brain?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. What I’m curious about is how you do?”
He blinked. “You showed me how to use the…oh. Ha ha ha Aimee. Very funny.”
She was giggling. “Thanks, I thought so! But seriously, you learned how to do all this in three hours?”
“That’s going to have to remain my secret,” he said with a mischievous smile.
“I don’t recall giving you permission to become the mysterious one here,” she said, picking up the white wine the waiter had poured while
just out of earshot and was now bringing over.
It was delicious, dry, and with just a hint of sweetness. She was no wine connoisseur, and that was all the evaluation it got from her, but it was enough. The waiter filled her glass and then withdrew after leaving Rhys with the same.
“I’m both not human and am from another time,” he said dryly. “How is it that I’m not the mysterious one?”
“Because I’m the woman,” she said sternly. “And even sleepy dragons should know better than to try and upstage us.”
He chuckled, a deep, pleasing noise that made her grin. She liked happy Rhys. That, she decided, was his human name. Rhys. When the other side of him appeared, the angry, scaly, fire-breathing side, she would refer to him as Rhyolite.
“We’re not known for knowing better,” he admitted.
It was her turn to laugh.
“Do you have any family?” he asked suddenly.
She blinked rapidly, buying time as her scattered thoughts all came back to her. “Sorry, was not expecting that question,” she said with a smile before answering. “Yes, I do. My parents are still together. They live a few hours down south, closer to the warmer weather. My little sister is doing a second, or maybe third, graduate degree at a university on the East Coast, about as far away as she could get.”
“That’s school?” he asked, sounding puzzled.
“Right. Yes. High-level schooling, in several different disciplines. Takes a lot of drive and focus.”
Rhys smiled. “I can see where she got that from.”
“We both got it from our father. He was in the military.” She shrugged, as if that said it all. “Anyway, I’ve been curious about asking you the same, though I didn’t want to bring up any unpleasant memories. I’ve been dying to know more about dragon culture and life.”
“Treasure.”
She paused with her drink halfway to her mouth. “What?”
“You want to know about our culture? Treasure.” He took a sip from his glass, finishing it off in the process. “There aren’t that many of us, you need to understand. Our family units are tight, until we’re ready to go off on our own. But for those first two decades or so, I spent it almost exclusively with my parents, learning how to fly and to harness my powers. After that though, I left to seek out my own territory, treasure, and eventually a mate and some offspring.”
Aimee leaned back. “Have you ever seen your parents since?”
“Every so often. After I was chased off by the purple dragon from my homeland I went to them for advice before striking out again.”
“Oh. What about children? Do you have any of those?”
He shook his head. “No, need a partner for that. Even with dragons it takes two of us. Plus we’re slow to have kids. A pair will often have a child or two, then go decades or centuries before having more.”
“Interesting. I’d never thought about it like that before. Do you find new mates then as well?”
“No.”
The single word came out like a gunshot at the same time his fist hit the table, catching the attention of some of the other nearby diners as well, earning them a fresh round of stares.
“No,” he repeated in a much lower voice, unclenching his hand. “I’m sorry. But when I find my mate, it will be a permanent thing. I will not find someone new.”
Aimee indicated her understanding. “Don’t worry about it. We all get passionate about something. Nothing to be embarrassed about finding your other half.”
Rhys gave her a look she couldn’t interpret. “Indeed. Nothing embarrassing at all.”
Heart racing, Aimee continued to meet his eyes. Was it just her, or had the tension ratcheted up a few more levels? Maybe it was the heat. The manager must have turned the heat on inside, that’s why everything felt so tight all of a sudden. Looking around, she signaled for the waiter to come over, hoping that her motions weren’t as panicked as they felt.
What was going on? Where had the unexplained escalation come from? Her entire body was reacting as if his proclamation was a turn-on that she should be reacting to.
Nervously swallowing another sip of her refilled glass, Aimee wondered if she was going to make it through dinner.
Chapter Fifteen
Aimee
“Thank you for a wonderful evening, even if the limousine did break down, forcing us to walk through the snow, ruining my new shoes.” He held his hand in hers as they exited the elevator and turned down the hallway.
She didn’t recall at what point they’d graduated to doing so full-time, but it didn’t matter now as he walked her up to her door. His fingers were linked through hers, and it felt natural.
Rhys stopped her several steps shy of the door itself, holding her hand while standing awkwardly in the hallway of her rundown apartment building. If this wasn’t romance, she didn’t know what was! Low lighting courtesy of cheap bulbs, paint peeling in spots all over, and the lovely scent of well-used carpet threatening to overpower both her perfume and his cologne.
He was wearing cologne, she’d discovered at one point. The smell had rushed into her nostrils and forced her to double dip, sniffing deep as she smiled happily at the pleasant aroma.
Rhys was looking around as well. “This isn’t quite what I wanted,” he admitted. “Does it smell to you?”
She grinned. “Yeah, it always does.” Leaning in, she inhaled through her nose. “But that helps keep it out.”
“But how long does it last?”
Aimee crinkled her nose. “Not as long as I want? Thankfully though I have unlimited refills.”
Swaying closer to him, she went to test his cologne again. Rhys was ready for her though, and even as her eyes naturally closed she felt his free hand slip under her jaw and tilt her head backward. She froze in shock at the smoothness of the move, which allowed him to kiss her.
Electricity burst through her core the instant his lips touched hers.
“Ow!” she yelped, pulling back. “That hurt!”
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, his upper lip twitching as well. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
She’d hoped for sparks between them whenever they kissed, but she hadn’t meant literally! The static buildup was terrible, and had just ruined an incredibly romantic moment.
“Did that hurt?” he asked, stepping closer.
She nodded. “It wasn’t pleasant.”
“This part of the evening is quickly going from delightful to disaster, isn’t it?”
Aimee couldn’t stop the smile from reappearing on her face. “Yeah, you’re bombing it, and bombing it bad, to be honest. But like, in a good way.”
He made a face. “How is ending the night on one sour note after another doing so in a good way?”
“Because none of it is really your fault? You didn’t break the car, and you did offer to carry me. I’m just too stubborn, and the dress would reveal far too much. Plus I chose to live here, and it’s winter—static shock happens.”
“Is there any way I can make it up to you?” he asked, looked strained as his masterfully orchestrated evening fell apart around him.
Aimee decided to take pity on him and give him another chance.
“You can kiss it all better?” she suggested, looking up at him through her eyelashes as she tapped her lower lip gently, letting it curl over into a little pout.
Rhys’s grin could have lit up the shadowy hallway it was so bright. For just that instant he was no longer the big, bad, scary dragon shifter with ultra composure and terrifying power. Instead he was just a guy who had been granted a second chance with a girl he was interested in.
Aimee didn’t know it then, but she would look back on that moment as the instant that she fell in love with him.
Right then and there though she was too busy trying to figure out a way to breathe as Rhys finally kissed her, and nothing went wrong. She arched as he moved into her, his strong hands on her back, fingers splayed wide across her exposed skin as he held her tight. Soft, fu
ll lips pressed into her, his stubbled beard rubbing gently across her chin as their mouths moved in time.
The only electricity she felt now was the constant tingle of excitement that was growing in her center, threatening to spill out to the rest of her body. Thudding sounded in her ears as her heart sped up, pumping blood through her body. She felt her cheeks burn slightly with a reddish flush as their kiss deepened in the middle of her hallway.
Behind them a bulb fizzled and blinked, but neither noticed, they were so thoroughly enraptured with each other.
Rhys’s hand slid lower and he suddenly pulled her close without warning, the last inches of space between them evaporating as they pressed together. She could feel the satin of his black suit as it rubbed against her exposed skin, goosebumps rising as her skin tightened at its softness.
After what seemed like an eternity later he pulled away. His blue eyes were still locked firmly upon her, even as he slipped one hand down her side to grab her hand, holding it out between them as the gap grew from nothing to nearly a foot.
“Thank you for the evening,” he said formally. “I had an excellent time. Perhaps we can do it again relatively soon?”
Holy shit. Was he pulling back and not trying to force himself on her? It certainly seemed that way.
“I would like that,” she told him, trying to ignore the desires that had awakened at his kiss, thinking it would be too soon to give in to them. He was giving her an out, and she should take it!
“Good.” He lifted her hand to his mouth, pressing his lips to the back of it in a manner that made the hairs on her arm stand on end.
Aimee smiled and walked the last few steps to her door under his watchful eye, the two of them trading repeated glances as she opened it. She hesitated before closing the door, but eventually she let it click shut while she rested the back of her head against the wall.
It was getting harder for her to resist inviting him. Of course, maybe he was waiting for her to do so, since as far as she was aware, he was staying with her. It would be really awkward of her to just lock him out if that were the case.