The Dragon's Charm (Elemental Dragons Book 4)

by Emilia Hartley

  “Ah.” His frown told Jo that this wasn’t going to be good news. “You might have to rearrange that.”

  “Why’s that? How long is this going to take?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “We have to send off for a part. It’ll take a couple of days to get here but we can work on the rest of your car while we wait. The best estimate I can give you is five days.”

  Jo stared at him, everything falling apart in one moment. “Five days? I have to be in Dornwich tomorrow. I have to prepare before I meet my client the next day!” She was babbling now, her frustration bubbling over. “What am I supposed to do now, huh? Phone my boss and tell him that some bears wrecked my car, and now I have to wait to get it repaired? Tell him to put off my very respectable client for three more days, until I can get there?”

  “I’m sorry.” He could smell the tears in her eyes a moment before she started crying.

  “What am I supposed to do?” she sobbed, burying her face in her hands. “First the car trip, the motels, the bears and now this?” Jo knew she was completely going to pieces in front of a burly mechanic, but she wasn’t able to keep it together any longer. “Everything is going wrong. It’s like the universe is against me!”

  Nick didn’t know what to say, his urge to protect her pushing him to act. Without warning, his teeth bared, before he managed to get his bear back under control. What are you doing? “I….” Trailing off, Nick took a step closer, his hand lifting to reach for her shoulder.

  Giving herself a stern telling off, Jo managed to pull herself together "Sorry," she sniffed, missing his expression completely as he dropped his hand back down. Getting to her feet, Jo wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You just don't understand what kind of a time I've been having. I'd best go call my boss."

  “She didn’t take it well, then?”

  Nick growled. “What do you think?”

  “I think she cried all over you and then left the office to go phone her boss!”

  "Wonderful." Clearly, his brother had been putting his keen hearing to good use and he could probably smell the salt from her tears lingering in the air. "I don't know what to do."

  “Do?” Tom looked at him peculiarly. “There’s nothing for you to do other than to fix her car. What else are you talking about?”

  Careful. “Nothing. I’m just not used to crying women.” Struggling to deal with his own strange emotions, Nick forced his instincts back down, walking over to the desk to phone the company in the next town. It didn’t take long to make the call and place the order, his eyes watching Jo as she paced back and forth outside the office. Her cell phone was pressed to her ear and she looked frustrated.

  “It’s ordered, Tom.”

  “Good. How long?”

  "A couple of days at the earliest. It was the best they could do. This isn't fair to her, though, Tom. We did that to her car."

  His brother shrugged. “So? She doesn’t know that.”

  “Yeah, but I do. I feel responsible. We shouldn’t charge her for our time.”

  “You mean, work for free?”

  "Yes, for free. She can pay for the parts, but that's it. No overpricing, and we won't charge anything for labor." He shot a look at his brother. "It's only fair."

  Tom grumbled for a moment but eventually relented. After all, their play fighting in the woods has been the reason for the damage to Jo’s car. “Guess you’re right. I’ll go get started.”

  CHAPTER 4

  “Like I said, Brian, it’s not exactly my fault!” Jo blew out a long breath, already irritated and beginning to get angry. “Well, you tell me how two bears coming out of the wood and attacking my car is somehow my responsibility!”

  Brian's voice was loud in her ear, his high-pitched, fake British accent ramping up her frustration levels as he complained and whined.

  “Yes, I’m getting it fixed! It’s a small town, I – ”

  Pulling the phone from her ear, Jo stared at it for a second before hanging up. She'd had enough. Brian knew the situation now and knew she'd be late for the client so it was his responsibility to go sort it out. That wasn't her job and she wasn't going to put up with his idiotic voice complaining and criticizing her over and over. Ignoring the immediate worry that knotted her stomach, she tipped her chin up and closed her eyes. “He can’t fire me for hanging up on him,” she told herself.

  After letting the cold wind cool her adrenaline for a few minutes, Jo walked back into the office, knowing that she’d made a complete fool of herself in front of Nick. First, she’d cried all over him and then he’d probably seen her practically yelling down the phone. “Sorry,” she muttered, as she walked back in. “Boss is a bit of an idiot.”

  Nick tried to smile, seeing that she was completely miserable. Guilt prodded him as he came out from behind the counter. “That’s okay. Listen, we’ve just ordered the part we need, it’ll be arriving in a couple of days. I’m sorry we can’t do it any sooner for you. You’ve obviously got a lot going on.”

  Jo’s eyes met his. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

  Yes, it is. “We’ll keep it as cheap as we can for you. Parts only.”

  “I’m sorry, what did you say?” Jo sat forward a little, watching him intently.

  The corner of Nick’s mouth lifted. “We’ll be charging you for parts only.”

  There was a brightness in his eyes that she couldn’t quite place and Jo wasn’t sure she liked it. Nobody had been generous to her in a long time, and she’d never expect a mechanic to do something like this. “Why?” Not that she was going to pass up the offer but it didn’t seem right.

  Nick shrugged. “It’s what we do round these parts. You’ve had a difficult time of it and we’re happy to work for free. Call it a good deed, or that ‘random act of kindness’ stuff that’s going around!”

  Jo didn’t know what to say, blinking a couple of times. “That’s incredibly kind of you.”

  “Not at all,” he replied. “Glad to help.”

  Tom walked in, wiping his hands on a rag. “Has Nick told you the damage?”

  “Yes, he has. Although I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your generosity!”

  “No problem.” Walking behind the desk, Tom shared a look with Nick that Jo didn’t quite catch. Something was passing between them, something she couldn’t understand.

  Choosing to ignore it, she got to her feet, wondering where she could get a room for a few nights. “Is there a place in town I can stay?”

  The brothers glanced at each other and Jo’s stomach tightened in worry.

  “No, there’s not.”

  “Nothing?” Jo stared at Nick in disbelief. “There’s got to be somewhere!”

  Tom shook his head. “Sorry. We’re a small town! Not much here and nobody tends to stop by.”

  “Then where am I going to stay?”

  Glancing at his brother, Nick got the message loud and clear. Don’t even think about it.

  He frowned at Tom. She’s got nowhere else. “Well, we do have a cabin you could use.”

  “A cabin?” Jo frowned. She certainly wasn’t going to stay overnight with two strange men in their cabin in the woods! “No, thank you. I’m quite sure you both need your space.”

  Nick chuckled, a grin spreading across his face. "We don't live there if that's what you're worried about! We rent it out now and again, mostly to people we know who want a vacation. Otherwise, it's our weekend cabin," He could feel Tom's glare boring into his back, but ignored him completely. Naming his price, he saw her eyebrows lift. "From the sounds of things, your boss isn't exactly the nicest man in the world –"

  “You’ve got that right,” Jo muttered, seeing the spark of laughter in Nick’s eyes.

  “So, we’d be more than happy to help you with decent accommodation. Why not treat it as a vacation? Might make you feel better.”

  Jo frowned. She didn't really have a choice since there was nowhere else to stay. "Is it far?"

  “No,” he confirme
d. “Just a mile up the road. It’s warm, dry and stocked with supplies. You’ll have the only key and no-one will disturb you, promise.”

  “Fine,” she sighed. “Then I accept.” She didn’t mean to come across as ungrateful, but things just seemed to be going from bad to worse. Now she was staying in some kind of cabin where there was probably animal skins and all sorts lying about. Looking at the two of them, she suspected they were hunters. They had the muscles for it and were almost stealthy in the way they moved around. Hunters. Definitely.

  “Great,” Tom muttered, refusing to even glance up from his paperwork. “We’ve got a lot to do on your car, though, so what we’ll do is give you our phone number just in case of emergencies.”

  “I’ll give you mine,” Nick interrupted. “And I’ll have to drive you. Unless you’d prefer to walk, it is only a mile.”

  Jo thought for a minute, before shaking her head. “Doubt I could walk there,” she replied, shivering at the thought of walking a mile in the wind with all her luggage.

  “Then I’ll drive you.”

  “Thanks,” she murmured. “I’d appreciate it.”

  Turning around to find her purse, Jo shook her head to herself. “A strange man wants to take me out to his cabin in the woods and I’m not immediately saying no,” she muttered under her breath. She knew that she had her personal alarm in her pocket that would connect to 911 if she pressed it. If she wanted somewhere to stay tonight, then she’d have to take her chances with Nick.

  Nick pushed himself away from the wall, trying not to grin. His ears had picked up every word she’d said and he’d found it difficult not to chuckle. “I’ll just bring the car round and load your stuff in. We can go straight away.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, smiling at him.

  His breath caught in his chest as he stared. Her smile completely transformed her, making her absolutely stunning. His bear seemed to like it too, a satisfied sound rattling through his chest. Without another word, he walked out of the office and outside to the car, knowing that she was watching him leave.

  Nick walked away, breathing hard. What are you doing? You can’t have a human staying so close. You can’t go anywhere near her!

  “What are you thinking?” Tom hissed, as they walked over to her car. “She can’t stay in the cabin, Nick!”

  “She’ll be fine.”

  “It’s not that I’m worried about,” Tom replied, his eyes dark. “You know why that’s dangerous! The pack -”

  “The pack haven’t been seen for ages.”

  “That doesn’t mean they won’t come back! She can’t stay there, Nick.”

  Nick growled, turning on his brother as his muscles tensed. “What other plan have you got then, Tom? We caused the damage, we need to sort that out for her. Where else should she stay?”

  “I don’t know why that’s our problem!” Tom replied, battling down his urge to leap at Nick, to force the change. That was how they usually sorted out their arguments, but they couldn’t do it now. Not when Jo was around.

  Nick rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. That's one of the stupidest things you've ever said, Tom." He began to walk away, only for Tom to grab his arm. His jaw clenched. The urge, the need, to let the bear rip from his skin, was growing almost too strong to resist. A roar crawled up his throat but he refused to let it escape. "Walk away, Tom." His brother's eyes only narrowed, his breath frosting the air. His eyes began to glow, a warning that the change was about to happen. "I said, you need to walk away,” Nick growled, his teeth clenched. “We'll sort this later."

  Shoving Nick hard, Tom turned around and walked into the garage. He didn’t want a human anywhere near their cabin. It was dangerous, not just for her. “You’re making a mistake,” he called, over his shoulder, his words disappearing into the wind.

  No, I’m not. There was more to Jo than even Nick wanted to admit, but the instinct he had to protect her, from almost the moment she’d walked in, had only grown. More than that, he wanted her. He’d never been one for a ‘one night stand’ but already he was thinking about her in his bed. What are you doing? Humans are off-limits.

  She was human, he was not. Shifters like him didn’t go near fragile little humans. It was too dangerous, just like Tom said but he couldn’t get her out of his mind. The way tears had pooled in her eyes, her hair falling around her face - vulnerable and soft. He wasn’t used to that. He was used to strength and power and she was the exact opposite. When she’d phoned her boss, he’d wanted nothing more than to rip the guy to shreds, even though he didn’t even know him. Something’s wrong with you, Nick. You need to stay away from her!

  But he knew he wouldn’t.

  CHAPTER 5

  “I’m getting in a car with a stranger, going to a cabin that I’m not even sure exists,” Jo muttered, pacing back and forth in the office. “What’s come over you? You’re not usually this stupid!” Talking to herself wasn’t helping her to calm down in the slightest. What if he turned out to be some kind of killer and she ended up as one of those ‘missing person’ posters?

  A car drew up and Nick got out, beckoning her over. Trying to smile, and pushing down the anxiety that was rising in her chest, Jo left the office and walked over to him. At least he was smiling.

  “Do you want me to put your things in the car?”

  “Oh, yeah. That would be great. Thank you.” Jo couldn’t help but watch as he quickly and easily hefted her bags from one car trunk to the other. His muscles rippled, reminding her, oddly, of the way the bear’s fur had moved as it had walked away. He was showing the same kind of strength, she supposed, dropping her gaze just as he caught hers. Rubbing her arms with icy hands, the wind whipping through her hair, she wondered how he managed to be so unaffected by the cold. Perhaps she was just extra tired. Regardless, he certainly gave off a particularly masculine vibe and that was something she could appreciate.

  “You’re not cold?”

  Cursing his stupidity for being so unaware, he fumbled for an excuse. “I’m used to it, I guess.” He shook his head to himself, frustrated.

  “Right,” she mumbled, tugging her coat a little tighter.

  Seeing her shiver, Nick tipped his head towards the door, a slightly feral grin playing around his mouth. “Why don’t you just get in?”

  “Good idea.” Climbing into the front seat, Jo caught sight of Tom watching them from the workshop, looking slightly frustrated.

  “I hope it’s all right for me to stay at the cabin,” she ventured, as they drove away. “I’m not putting you guys out or anything.”

  “No, not at all. We’re happy to be able to give you the place,” he lied.

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  Nick couldn’t help but sense her wariness, seeing her slightly widened eyes and quick breathing. She was basically trusting two complete strangers, so he could understand her caution. He tried not to let the way she smelled affect his senses, forcing his eyes back on the road. Jasmine and lavender. “So, what are you planning to do in Dornwich, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Not at all,” Jo replied, still trying to calm her nerves. “I work for an Art Gallery. I have to meet a client, to try and convince him that we’re the best gallery to display his work.”

  “Where is it?”

  “It’s called Liberty Art. It’s in Thorpes.” She saw his mouth drop open in surprise. “Yes, I know. My boss likes to cut expenses in any way he can!”

  “But that’s a three-day drive at least! Couldn’t he just have paid for a flight?”

  She shrugged. “Apparently driving and staying in old motels was cheaper.”

  “It can’t have been by much!” he exclaimed, driving down a slightly bumpier road.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Nick blew out a long breath, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. "I reckon your boss should start treating his employees a little better," he growled, his lip curling. The bear started to growl, but he forced it to be silent.

  Jo glanced at him, su
rprised at the fierce expression on his face and the steely glint in his eyes. His frustration for her, over how she was being treated, made her feel almost glad that she’d hung up on Brian. She did deserve better, didn’t she? "Maybe I will treat this as a vacation after all," she muttered.

  "That sounds good to me." Settling the bear's fury, telling it that they couldn’t do anything to her boss, Nick concentrated on the road. Pulling up to the small cabin, he caught Jo's quiet ‘thank goodness'. He grinned, relieved that his anger was gone and the bear quiet. "Turns out I'm not a serial killer after all."

  “I wasn’t thinking that,” she retorted, the redness in her cheeks giving her lie away almost immediately.

  He said nothing, just flashed her another wide grin before turning off the ignition and getting out of the car.

  The cabin was certainly rustic. Encircled by trees on three sides and a clear view of the road on the fourth side, it was entirely surrounded by beautiful sights, sounds, and smells. Jo took in a huge breath, appreciating the scent of pine. "This looks amazing."

  “It’s not much,” he commented, handing her the key. “But it does us on the weekends, when we want…a few days away from town. Please, go on up. I’ll get your bags.”

  Taking the key from him, Jo tried not to feel the electricity that shot up her arm as their fingers brushed. Climbing the three short wooden steps, she unlocked the door and make her way inside.

  The sight made her catch her breath. The log cabin was absolutely stunning. The first level had comfortable sofas and chairs surrounding a fire, and on the other side sat a table, chairs and almost an entire kitchen! Walking a little further in, Jo discovered a tiny reading corner, partially hidden by an entire wooden cabinet of books. I wouldn’t have thought they’d be readers, she thought to herself. Climbing the wooden staircase to the second level, she spotted two beds in two small rooms, with a bathroom in the middle. The entire cabin was both practical and beautiful. She hadn’t expected anything like this!

  “What do you think?” Nick’s voice echoed through the cabin and she came down the stairs to greet him. His eyes flared as he watched her stunned expression, her eyes filled with surprise. He liked that she was happy.