“What’s the latest on the kidnappers? Do the police have them in custody??
“Yep. Didn’t take them long to find Wingate either. Both of them are blubbering about being attacked by a dragon. Of course, the cops think they’re either crazy or were high on drugs last night. Still, I don’t like that they’re running their mouths.”
“Nobody takes them seriously.” She fiddled with the hem of the top sheet. “Is the third guy—Nate—is he . . .”
His face bore grim satisfaction. “Dead as the proverbial doornail.”
Despite the fire and hot tea, a chill raced down her spine. “I didn’t mean to kill him.”
“If you hadn’t, you and Daphne would both be dead. I’m sure of it. They’d never take a chance on either of you identifying them after the ransom was exchanged.” He squeezed her hand. “Speaking of Nathan Albright, the police will drop by in an hour for your statement.”
She nodded brusquely, withdrew her hand from his, and set the teacup and croissant on the tray. “Of course. High time I get up and dress. Thanks for staying with me last night, but it’s time you went home. Your girls need you.”
“We can go after the police are finished with their business.”
Tansy stood. “I’ll go shower . . . wait a minute. We?”
“Daphne and Ruby insist. They want to personally thank you.”
It hadn’t been his idea. “Ah, I see. Well, there’s no need,” she declared in her crisp-as-celery voice. All this show of gratitude made her uncomfortable. Drake owed her nothing.
He quirked a brow. “Something wrong?”
“There’s no need for a fuss. I did what anyone would do in the same situation.”
“I disagree. What you did was extraordinary and I’m forever in your debt. Without you—”
“—Just stop. Enough with the gratitude.” She held up a hand and tried to school her features into a mask of calm professionalism. A little hard to do in a silly pink flannel shift. Very hard to do when you—so foolishly—wanted more. Tansy cleared her throat. “If you’ll excuse me,” she murmured, turning away from him.
“Whoa, hold on there.” Drake tugged the sleeve of her gown and drew her into him.
Tansy stood stiffly, arms by her side, unwilling to make a fool of herself. He’d broken her heart all those years ago, and it had taken years to let go of the disappointment, the hurt. Even now, all she wanted was to lean into his broad chest, have his arms wrap around her. She inhaled his familiar scent of warm amber mixed with something exotic—an ancient smell like burnt peat or sandalwood musk—so unique to Drake. She remembered all those nights of lying in bed with him, falling asleep with that scent lulling her to pleasant dreams.
He cupped her chin and tipped it so that she was forced to look into his eyes. Those dark, glittering eyes held tenderness and concern. “I’ve managed to offend you somehow,” he said gruffly. “I’m sorry.”
She was being an ass. Not his fault that she wanted more. Tansy pasted on a fake smile and took a step back, holding out a hand for a friendly handshake. “Glad I could help. Your daughters are lovely. Maybe we could all meet in a week or so for dinner if that’s what they’d like.”
He stared at her outstretched hand with arched brows and then his gaze shifted back to her face. “What’s this?”
“Goodbye,” she answered brightly. “I need to dress before the police arrive. So . . .”
“Why do I get the feeling when you say goodbye, that you mean goodbye forever?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We’ll see each other occasionally.” She took a deep breath and dropped her hand. “I’m glad we’re going to be friends, Drake. I didn’t like the way it ended before.”
“About that,” he cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable. “I jumped to a lot of conclusions when you told me you were a witch. Friends and family warned me not to trust a witch, that you’d only use me to try and steal my magic, or even worse, expose my secret to others.”
“I would never do that.”
“I know that now, years too late. What can I say? I realize now that I made a colossal mistake. Not only did I let others poison my mind against you, I even had the arrogance to demand you break from your coven.”
“You were adamant that cutting ties with my coven was the only way to prove my love and loyalty.”
“No one should have to choose between a lover and their family.”
“True. But the blame isn’t all yours to bear.” The truth of her confession clarified what had long been in her heart.
“Yes, it is. If only—”
Tansy laid a hand on his chest. “Hear me out. I agree, you should never have asked it of me. You were arrogant and mistrustful. But I was no angel. I had my own ambitions as a young girl. I wanted to gain skill and power, no matter the cost. I wouldn’t even listen to you when you tried to apologize later.”
“That day you slammed in the door in my face . . . well, let’s just say I’ve never forgotten how that felt.”
His admission pinched her heart. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “If I could do it all over again, that’s not the way I’d choose to handle the situation.”
Drake gently drew her close and leaned his head down on top of hers. His warm breath heated her scalp—and regions further south. Her thighs tightened in response.
He drew back and regarded her soberly. “Did you mean it earlier when you said you wanted us to be friends?”
“Of course.” That, and so much more. But what was truly in his heart?
He nodded, his face revealing no emotion. “Guess I’ll be on my way then. Your prescription’s on the kitchen counter.”
He turned and walked out the door. Tansy felt a roaring in her ears as she surveyed the empty bedroom. Is this what she wanted the rest of her life—to live alone with regrets? Yeah, her pride would be intact, but pride only got you so far during the long, lonely nights.
“Wait!” She rushed to the hallway where he turned and faced her in surprise.
“Don’t go,” she breathed.
Hope flickered in his dark eyes. “Does this mean what I think it does?”
“Yes.” The single syllable came out in a whisper. Tansy licked her dry lips. “When Everett died all those years ago, I thought my life was over. That I’d never find happiness again.”
“Oh, honey.”
The sympathy in his eyes nearly undid her, and she wanted nothing more than to seek immediate comfort in his arms. But she had to speak her mind, she wanted Drake to understand.
“What I’m trying to say is, that for too many years, I retreated from everyone, even my own coven. I realize now that I was trying to protect myself from more pain. But in the end, it did me more harm than good.”
She managed a feeble smile. “I’ve grown stubborn in my ways. But if you’re willing to give it a try, I’d love to be with you again.”
There. She’d said it. Pride be damned.
“Grown stubborn?” he said with a mischievous grin. “You always were.”
“I’m even more so now,” she warned.
He slowly stepped toward her. “I can handle that, if you can handle a still somewhat arrogant man who’s a bit out of his league raising twin sixteen-year-old girls.”
“Somewhat arrogant?” She chuckled even as tears streamed down her cheeks. “A bit out of your league?”
Drake laid his hands on her shoulders, fire dancing in his eyes. “You’ve been warned.”
His lips were on hers, gentle for a heartbeat, and then hot and pressing. Tansy flung her arms around his neck, and their tongues danced in a long ago remembered melody. Suddenly, his arm was beneath her thighs and he swept her up, never breaking the kiss as he carried her to the bedroom.
Gently, he laid her on the bed and made quick work of pulling off his jeans and t-shirt and boxers.
Firelight glowed on his skin and she drank in the sight of his muscled, aroused body. Aroused for her. His eyes smoldered when she
sat up and quickly pulled the pink gown over her head. A niggle of worry unexpectedly skittered through her mind. She wasn’t a young twenty-something anymore. For Goddess’ sake, she’d had a child and her body bore that proof.
Tansy lifted her chin. She wouldn’t be ashamed. Everett had been her miracle, the light in a long darkness and she had no regrets.
They stared at each other but a moment and then he was on her, his weight delightfully pressing down on top of her own naked flesh. His overheated skin practically sizzled, his dragon nature close to the surface in passion. The man literally was hot—and she loved every flaming minute of the sweltering contact.
It seemed like forever since she’d been with him this way. Her hands ran down his back, remembering the feel of Drake’s long, lean body, every dip and groove where lower back met the curve of hard ass.
He shifted to her side, running his hands up and down the length of her inner thighs. His mouth found and suckled her nipples. A bolt of fiery need licked her core. Tansy cupped his erection and reveled in his sharp exhale of breath, a hiss that heightened her own passion. Later, they could tease each other in extended foreplay, but for right this moment, she needed Drake inside her. Tansy hooked one leg over his waist and pressed against his erection. “Now,” she rasped.
Drake needed no further encouragement. In one thrust, he was inside her. Spasms of need, pleasure mixed with urgency, consumed Tansy. Vaguely, she was aware of the crackling fire, the music of their moans, his scent of sandalwood and peat, but her world had narrowed to the rhythm of his thrusts until—at last—she finally came in an exquisite release of tension. Drake soon followed, his muscles rippling beneath her touch.
Afterward, he held her, bestowing kisses on her forehead and running his fingers through her disheveled hair. A sudden regret scraped her heart. All these years, they’d been apart . . . she swallowed hard. But they’d both had their own journeys to live before they were ready to come together again. The future was what mattered.
“Hey, are you okay?” he breathed, brushing a tangle of hair from her face.
She nodded, her throat burning with a thousand words of love yet unspoken. But for now, she opted for a simple explanation. “I’ve missed you.”
Drake abruptly rose from the bed and gathered his jeans from the floor. Tansy raised up on one elbow, dismay pulsating through her former contentment. Had she scared him off? Was he leaving her so soon?
“There it is,” he muttered, digging something out of his pocket.
“What are you looking for?” she asked, mystified and a bit miffed.
“This.” He held the Heart of Courage ruby in his palm. It glowed in his hand, the crimson rays bright as fire. Drake sat beside her on the bed. “I want you to have it.”
Tansy sat up, shaking her head. “No. It’s too valuable. And not just because it’s worth a fortune. I know it enhances your dragon power. Why would you give it away?”
“Because you’re more valuable to me than any amount of money or power.” He took her hand and pressed the ruby into her palm. “I love you, Tansy.”
She broke down then. A full out blubber of a cry that reddened her nose and eyes and had her sniffling. “You . . . you trust me that much? Are you sure about this?”
“I trust you with my life. After last night, how could I not?”
Tansy threw herself in his arms and held tight through another storm of tears. Good goddess, when had she become such a blithering mass of emotion? Drake had burned down every last reserve and doubt she’d harbored for more years than she’d like to recount.
He pulled her away a few inches. “I’m waiting.”
“For what?” she asked, cocking her head to the side and studying the amusement in his eyes.
“It’s customary for the woman to say I love you back.”
She gave a shaky laugh and pushed at his shoulder. “You know how I feel about you.”
The amusement in his eyes flickered out, replaced by a shadow of vulnerability. “I’d still like to hear the words.”
How adorable was he? Her powerful dragon needed and loved her as much as she did him.
“I love you, Drake,” she assured him. “Always.”
A loud pop sounded from the fireplace and a log fell, setting off a shower of sparks—as if the universe itself had signaled its approval of their love.
Epilogue
Two months later
Drake leaned against the mantel, watching as Tansy leafed through the pile of security job applications on his desk.
“Maybe,” she muttered, placing a sheet of paper on a small stack. Her nose crinkled as she lifted the next application. “Definitely not,” she pronounced, tossing it in the trash.
The huge ruby solitaire on her left ring finger glittered under the chandelier. Immense pride and satisfaction washed through him. His eyes drifted to the lighted glass cabinet where the Heart of Courage ruby glowed in its usual place. After much banter, they’d finally reached a compromise. Tansy wouldn’t accept the huge gem, but she’d consented to an engagement ring forged from one of the ruby’s facets.
“Ah, here’s a good one,” she said, waving an application in the air. “Come take a look and see what you think.”
If she thought the candidate was deserving, that was good enough for him, but he walked over and made a show of glancing through the man’s credentials . . . wait, what?
Tansy quirked a brow. “Surely you don’t have a problem that she’s female?”
“No, of course not. We’ll invite her in for an interview.” He returned the application to Tansy and their fingers brushed, shooting a tingle up his arm. If she often noted that his skin was hot to the touch, he’d always noticed her skin emitted a faint charge. And now that she wore a chip from his ruby, that electrical charge had intensified. The woman radiated magic and power.
“I predict this applicant will impress you. Maybe enough that you’ll immediately hire her as your security supervisor.”
Remembering his former supervisor, Charlie, his jaw clenched. He couldn’t afford to mistrust the wrong man—or woman—ever again.
“If you say so,” he rasped.
Tansy winked at him. “Sometimes I wonder if you asked me to marry you just so I can vet your employees.”
“You’ve discovered my evil secret,” he joked.
She returned to the papers and he watched her, enjoying the sight. After a few minutes, Tansy laid her hand atop the pile of papers and looked up, her head tilted to one side.
“What is it?”
“I’m going to check on Daphne.”
A frisson of fear shot through his gut. “What’s wrong?”
Tansy laid a hand on his arm. “Nothing major. But I have the feeling something isn’t quite right.”
He let out a deep breath. One day his fear for his daughters would return to a more normal, pre-kidnapping level, but he had a long way to go. He followed her out of the office and down the hall to the twin’s room. Daphne sat in front of a vanity table, blinking back tears.
“Want to hold Squiggles?” Ruby asked, depositing the hamster in Daphne’s lap. But even her beloved pet didn’t staunch the sudden tears that spilled down Daphne’s cheeks.
Damn it. What had happened now? His daughter had actually recouped remarkably well following the kidnapping. The counselor had warned him though that she might have difficult days ahead, a sort of delayed reaction. Drake bit his tongue to keep from demanding an explanation. After all, hadn’t he vowed to be more patient—a more sensitive, understanding parent?
It was killing him.
“Are you okay, Daphne?” he barked out, wincing at his authoritarian voice. He cleared his throat, aiming for a more compassionate tone. “Would you like to, um, talk about what’s bothering you?”
“My-my hair,” she sobbed.
What the hell? Her hair? And here he’d been imagining she was re-experiencing trauma.
Tansy strode across the room and stood behind the seated Daphne. �
��Your new cut becomes you though, hon. I thought you liked it.”
“Its . . . okay. But I want it to be long again. Like Ruby’s.”
Ruby and Tansy exchanged a perplexed look. What had brought this on?
“I bet Tansy can help,” Ruby said thrusting out her hands, palms down, for Daphne to inspect. “Look what she did for my nails.”
Daphne cast Tansy an imploring look.
Tansy laid her hands on Daphne’s shoulders. “Let’s see what I can do. But how about a little experiment first?”
At Daphne’s quick nod, Tansy ran her fingers through Daphne’s bobbed cut, weaving streaks of lavender and pink highlights in his daughter’s red hair.
“Ooh, that’s so pretty,” Daphne cooed.
“Mermaid hair!” Ruby shrieked. “I want it too.”
He met Tansy’s eyes in the mirrored reflection. “What do you think Drake?” she asked.
He hated it. But if candy-colored hair made Daphne happy . . . well, he was in training to learn not to sweat the small stuff, right? The twins regarded him beseechingly.
“Please?” Ruby squeaked.
He gave a brisk nod and Tansy set to work. Drake leaned against the doorframe, watching his girls and his fiancée. Until now, he hadn’t even realized how barren and isolated his existence had been living alone so many years in a secluded mountain estate, needlessly collecting gems and growing his stock portfolio to increase his wealth.
He’d been lost without even knowing it. Now, he couldn’t even imagine life without his true wealth, his heart, his love.
The End
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