by Tully Belle
3
The vibrations from the train rumbled underneath Caran’s seat. She looked out of the window, watching the buildings fade from tall city towers to suburbia. Soon the houses would become more sparse and eventually only appear occasionally as they travelled deeper into the countryside.
She hadn’t been back to Greenslopes County in years. She wondered if it would be the same with its small town nosiness and lack of anything to do. Not that it mattered. She’d only be here for a few days and this wasn’t a social call. Her assignment was to find one of the members of Dragonspark. Anyone would do, and it wouldn’t be hard to find someone from the group in the hotel bar. Locals laid low, new people always stuck out.
The problem wasn’t finding someone; it was hiding who she was. It wouldn’t be safe for anyone to know that she was a member of Princess, nor could she risk bumping into anyone that she used to know. She must avoid both.
Caran pulled her cell phone from her bag and scrolled through her old messages. She paused before she opened the one she was looking for. It was from Dean, over a year ago now. She pressed it open, already knowing what it would say. She’d read that message so many times since then. See you at eight. Don’t be late. Ha. Ha. D. x. It was the last message she would ever get from him.
She quickly closed the message and looked back out of the window. She had over an hour before she reached her stop, then another half an hour ride out to the hotel. There’d be plenty of time to get ready, even though she had a lot to do before she would make an appearance. It could be a long night.
Was she ready for it? Well, it didn’t really matter if she was. This was her assignment and if she was to move forward in life, it had to be done. It was just how it was. Besides, it had been a long time since she’d spent time with anyone other than the members of Princess. Tessa might be right, it could be fun and just what she needed, even if they were members of Dragonspark.
She wondered about the type of person who joined a group like that. How they could live with themselves knowing the bad things that dragons had done? How did they justify it? She couldn’t understand it. Maybe spending time with one of them would give her some clarity.
The hotel room was everything she expected it to be. Dated decor that included a mustard yellow bedspread, a wallpaper border featuring bright sunflowers, and tan carpet worn at the entrance of the room from past visitors. It was nothing like her room at Princess, which was white, clean and modern.
It didn’t matter, it was private and it had a bed. It was all she needed to get the job done.
Caran opened her suitcase and unzipped the padded bag, pulling out the small thin layer of skin colored silicone. She took the silicone and a small vial of glue into the bathroom and laid them on the counter.
Removing her long sleeved top she looked at herself in the mirror. She was thinner than she used to be when she lived here. Fitter. Stronger. She wasn’t the same girl that left for medical school in the city and never came back.
She pivoted, her gaze focused on the tattoo on her shoulder blade. It was the size of a nickel. Thin grey lines that entwined into an intricate delicate pattern of lace and jewels. The mark of Princess. The only thing she lacked was the symbols of rank that would be inked lower on her shoulder once she was promoted.
Caran painted the glue over the tattooed area and waited for it to become tacky before applying the fake skin cover. It matched her own skin color and once she’d smoothed it down, pressing it into place it looked like she’d never had the mark at all. There were no edges, no thinning that you could see through. It looked real enough to pass as her flesh. The only way she could tell that it wasn’t her own skin was that there was no sensations as she ran her fingers over it.
It would be painful to remove, she knew that, having had to wear the skin before, but it was necessary.
About anyone recognizing her, she doubted it. Her hair had grown long now, different from the boyish pixie cut she used to have, and it was darker, gone was the boring mousey brown, now it was a rich dark chocolate color. Only her mother would know her, and there was no way Anne Rivers would spend an evening at the Greenslopes hotel. No, nobody would recognize her and that would be to her advantage.
She added makeup and combed out her hair. The dress she’d wear would show off her trim figure, skimming over her hips, and flirting low at her cleavage. Highly impractical of course, but if she was to get information there was only two ways to do that. Seduce or threaten. She’d try the former first. There would be plenty of time for the latter once she got her victim alone.
It was past eight. Probably too early to go down, but Caran was full of nervous energy, itching to at least see who from Dragonspark would show. Perhaps she could make her way down, scope out the room, and grab something to eat before choosing a target. Taking her purse and phone with her, she locked the door and made her way downstairs.
As soon as Caran stepped inside the bar she stopped short. Her heart leaped into her throat.
Ash Dragonspark, chief commander of the Dragonspark group, was sitting on a stool at the bar. She recognized him straight away from the photographs she’d seen of him and his brothers. Ash Dragonspark! She hadn’t expected anyone of his rank to be here. She blinked as she stared at him. He was a lot better looking in person, his dark hair cut shorter from the photo she’d seen of him, and he had the beginnings of a beard cradling his strong jaw. What was he doing here?
“Another one,” he shouted, holding his glass up and laughing as someone beside him chinked their glass against his. The bartender came over and handed Ash and his two friends another beer each. Ash brought the amber liquid to his lips and took a long drawn drink until it was half empty.
“Would you prefer to sit at the bar or table?” asked a women wearing a half apron. Caran hadn’t noticed her approach.
“Bar,” said Caran. She didn’t wait for a reply as she made her way to an empty stool a few seats from where Ash was sitting. She lifted her finger and ordered a glass of champagne from the bartender. If she could pull off seducing the commander himself, then that was worth celebrating.
4
“Who is she?” Ash asked.
Patrick, the bartender, had worked in the town four years. If anyone could answer that question, he could. “I’ve never seen her before. I’ll check at reception to see if she’s a guest, Daisy might know her story.”
“Go,” said Ash. He glanced back at the sultry brunette who was ignoring everyone as she scrolled through her phone. Every so often she’d take a sip of her champagne, now mostly gone, barely taking her gaze away from the screen. Whatever was on that phone couldn’t be more interesting than what he could show her. He’d make sure of that.
While he waited for Patrick to return, he admired the view. Her long legs crossed at the ankle, the silky fabric of the blue dress she was wearing that clung to her smoking hot body, and her full red lips that were begging to be kissed. A jolt of desire went straight to his cock and he felt it harden against his jeans. He hadn’t had sex in, hmm, how long was it now? At least three months.
Tonight was about celebrating getting a job worth a million dollars, it wouldn’t hurt if that celebrating extended to taking this gorgeous woman upstairs and pleasuring the heck out of her.
Patrick returned and handed Ash a slip of paper. He unfolded it. Caran Rivers. Room 147. Rivers? He scratched the stubble on his chin wondering if she had anything to do with Anne, the woman who’d just hired them. She’d mentioned before that she had a daughter, didn’t she? He tucked the paper into his jeans pocket as he examined the brunette’s face looking for similarities.
As he was doing so, she glanced up at him and smiled. “Hi,” she said casually.
“Checking the sports score?” he asked.
She wrinkled her cute forehead in confusion. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You were engrossed in your phone,” he shrugged nonchalantly as he glanced down at her hand. “The only times people do that in this bar is to either check sc
ores or try to score.”
She grinned. “Oh, right, no. Just seeing what there was to do around here.”
“Are you staying in town long?”
“No. I’m only here a few days at most. I got in this afternoon.”
“Looks like you need a guide to show you around, although it’s fairly small, there’s not much to see.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” She smiled again, and Ash’s dick twitched.
“Ash.” He moved seats so he was sitting next to her, reaching out his hand for her to shake. She took it, her soft hand warm in his.
“No last name?” she asked, as she pulled her hand away.
“Then you don’t know who I am?”
She looked him up and down, purposefully slowly as she lingered over the hard parts of his body. “Should I? Everyone else seems to know you, perhaps I should ask them. Are you a local celebrity or something?”
“Not quite. I help people with their problems.”
“A local do-gooder.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
“My name’s Caran.” She grinned again. “No last name either.”
“Then we have a lot in common. What are you drinking?”
“Champagne. Well I was.” She downed the last drop of her drink, her tongue snaking out to lick around the rim of the glass. “I’m empty.”
“Can’t have that. We’ll both celebrate.” Ash raised his hand to Patrick. “Two champagnes.” Patrick nodded as he prepared the drinks. Champagne wasn’t his favorite, but right now he’d drink anything to impress this gorgeous brunette.
“Oh, what are you drinking to?” she inquired.
“A lucrative job that’s landed in my lap. We should make out very well from it.”
“We?”
“My brother’s and I. We have a … business together.”
Patrick placed the two drinks in front of them. Caran held the glass delicately, her fingers trailing up and down the thick stem in a way that was driving him crazy. “You’re lucky. I’m a single child, I don’t have any siblings.”
“Parents live around here?”
She hesitated, eyeing him carefully before answering. “I don’t know anyone here. Maybe I do need a guide to show me around, being that I’m on my own, that is.”
Oh yeah, that was his cue alright. “Why don’t we start the tour now.”
“Now?”
Ash took his drink and downed the sparkling liquor in one gulp. He placed the glass down, challenging her to do the same.
Caran raised an eyebrow, took her drink and did it too. One gulp. That impressed him. He’d never seen a woman down a whole glass of champagne like that without spluttering from the bubbles. She stood up. “Where’s the first stop, guide?”
“Upstairs.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I’ve already seen the bedrooms, they aren’t all that interesting.”
“You haven’t chosen the right room then.” Ash took her hand and led her out of the bar to the reception desk. The receptionist glanced up at them as they approached the desk. “Daisy, give me my room, you know the one I want, the usual,” said Ash.
“For two this time?” The receptionist looked on her screen, not at them.
“You have a usual? Don’t you have a house?” she asked. She was hesitating, which meant he had to slow things down if he was to heat things up.
He cocked his head to the side. “Actually I wouldn’t describe where I live a house, but yeah, I come here sometimes alone, to think.”
“Planning on doing a lot of thinking tonight, are you?” She teased.
The receptionist handed him a keycard. Ash winked at Caran. “Shall we?” He hooked his arm at the elbow expecting her to take it.
“I don’t know yet, I expected a proper tour, not an invitation back to your bedroom. You’re presuming a lot.”
“I think you’ll like what you see. Just come take a look, if it’s not to your taste, then you can leave.”
“So I can leave any time I like?”
“Of course.”
“Now I have to see this room and what’s so special about it.” Caran shook her head dramatically as she hooked her elbow in his, moving closer to his body. “It better be worth it,” she said, her voice drawing softer.
“Oh, it will be,” said Ash. “I’ll make sure of it.”
5
The elevator reached the top floor and opened into a well-lit hallway. Caran’s heart hammered against her chest. She was supposed to be here, it was her assignment, yet it was all happening so quickly that she didn’t know how to feel about it.
She wondered which room Ash was taking her to and what he would expect to happen. It surprised her when he led her past the rooms to the end of the corridor to a sign that read, Roof Access.
Ash swiped the card and opened the door. She didn’t know the Greenslopes Hotel had anything up there.
The stairwell was not as well lit as the hallway, but there was still enough light to watch her footing as she made her way up the concrete treads. At the top was a second door. Ash moved past her and swiped his card again.
Caran walked out onto the roof. There wasn’t much to see. A small electrical shed in the middle of the roof blocking the view to the other side. The floor was painted dark black, yet because it was open to the sky, had leaves and dust scattered over it. Other than that, it was just pipes and a satellite dish.
“This is what you wanted me to see?” she asked, wrinkling her forehead. It wasn’t what she expected at all.
“Come on,” he said. He took her hand and walked past the electrical shed. On the other side of it was a day bed covered by a small wooden gazebo. That was it. No table, no lights, nothing but the bed and its cover.
“You sleep out here?”
“Sometimes,” he said. “Mostly I come to get away from everyone.” He walked over to the edge of the building, resting his hand on the waist height brick wall. “This is why I like it.”
Caran followed him to the edge and looked out. She had always known that the hotel was at the edge of the town, but didn’t realize that it had such a view. From this vantage point she could see most of the town’s buildings and houses. You could even see some of the farms that were further away. A large full moon and thousands of tiny pinhole stars lit the surroundings in a soft ethereal glow. She’d forgotten how far you could see out here. Your vision didn't travel far in the city. Even on a clear night, the stars where never as bright as they were here.
“I get it now,” she said.
Ash moved closer and caressed her arm with the back of his fingers. It sent a tingle up her skin. “It’s good, but there are places that far surpass this view. We aren’t high enough to see everything the County has to offer.”
Caran turned. “You’re talking about the mountains. Do you go there?”
“Sometimes.” He moved in front of her and stoked her cheek. “Do you mind if I kiss you?”
She didn’t answer, since she wasn’t sure how she wanted this to proceed. She turned her head back to the view. “I haven’t decided,” she answered honestly.
“I have to work for it?” He grinned an amused smile and stepped back, studying her more closely. Clearly, he hadn’t be rejected for many kisses. It made sense, he was exceptionally handsome, but surely he’d met women who’d wanted to take it slower before.
Except that wasn’t what she was here for. This wasn’t a date, it was a job, and that meant she had to act differently to how she would in real life. If kissing him would get the information then she’d have to do it. Possibly more. Probably more. Caran crossed over to the bed and sat down, feeling the firmness of the mattress underneath. “I’ve been to the mountains once,” she said.
Ash came and sat next to her. He lay down, looking up to the star lit sky. “You’re not scared of heights?”
“No,” she said. “I went there looking for dragons. I couldn’t find them though.” She held her breath waiting for his response.
> Ash rolled over and rested on his elbow. “You were looking for dragons?” He narrowed his eyes and was studying her again. “Why?”
“I’d heard about them when I was younger. I wanted to see them with my own eyes, rather than just in a photo or on television.”
“Most people don’t go searching for them, they’re afraid.”
“I’m not,” said Caran.
“They’re dangerous.”
She wasn’t going to get information this way, not that she expected that she would. Still it didn’t hurt to try. Caran moved closer, she ran her fingers over the collar to Ash’s shirt. “I told you, I’m not scared of them. Have you ever seen one in real life?” She trailed her fingers lower to the top button before bringing it back to his chin, feeling the stubble against her finger tips.
“I have,” said Ash. He pulled her down to him, kissing her, this time not waiting for her to say yes. His strong lips took her by surprise. She hadn’t expected such a confident first kiss. She melted into it easily. He reached around to the back of her neck and held her to him, the urgency of his kiss becoming intoxicating. It wasn’t bad at all. She could do this.
Caran closed her eyes, letting herself get taken away by the moment. It had been a long time since she’d experienced a kiss like this. Why shouldn’t she enjoy it?
Ash pulled away. His eyes glazed, so she didn’t expect it when he got off the bed and walked back over to the edge of the building without trying to take things further.
She followed him, placing her hand on his shoulder feeling the strong muscles beneath his shirt. “You were right, the tour has been interesting,” she said. “Is it over already?” She couldn’t risk that. She hadn't come far enough yet.
“Over?” He grinned. “That depends on what else you want to see. The town isn’t that big.”
Caran gently bit her bottom lip and stepped forward, steeling herself about what she was going to do next. “I’m certain there are a lot more things you could show me,” she purred with the most seductive voice she could muster. She sat on the half wall perimeter and pulled him toward her. This wasn’t a time to be shy. She had a mission.