by Emma Nichols
“Please, I cook so we can live, but I do it well.” The wine was already hitting me. No longer trusting my balance, I took a few steps, sat hard on the loveseat, and curled up in the corner.
“You’re looking sleepy,” he noted minutes later as I finished devouring every bit of the food.
My chin was propped up on my elbow. “Yup. Sure am.”
“Perfect time for that massage.” He helped me up and walked me over to the bed. “Why don’t you lay on your stomach so I can work some of the knots out of your back?”
The man had a point. I basically flopped face first onto the mattress. “Okay, work your magic,” I mumbled even as he began to knead my shoulders.
“Is this good?” He paused. “Not too hard?”
I snickered. “Sadly, too soft.”
“And she insults my manhood.” Blaise sighed. “I must like you. No one else would get away with that.” He leaned low and kissed my neck.
“This is nice.” I giggled. “But there’s still no way I’m falling asleep.”
7
Blaise
“What are you going to do with her?” Fredo asked as he came in to pick up our dishes. At least that was the excuse he used to gain entry to my room yet again. I didn’t believe that nosy man for one minute. There was no doubt in my mind; he wanted to make sure I wasn’t fucking Maggie.
“I’m not moving her, if that’s what you’re asking.” I’d been stretched out on the loveseat watching her sleep, my thoughts in a million places. Finally, I stood. “Do you want to stay with her, or at least check in on her?”
His eyes narrowed. “Where are you going?”
“Do I suddenly answer to you, Fredo?” I growled.
“No, sir.” His shoulders drooped. “It’s just that…”
“Have I ever brought a woman here?” I glared at him.
“No, sir.” Fredo tilted his head. “You never have anyone here.”
“Exactly. I can’t very well…be true to myself with guests.” I huffed and began pacing. The wind was calling to me. This was probably my last chance before the full moon. “I’m going. Please don’t leave her alone. I’ll wait to leave until you return.”
This time, he didn’t even respond. Fredo merely nodded, but his disappointment was obvious. I had no words to make him understand. While his family had been servants to ours for many years, the keepers of our secret, he could never understand the burden of being both dragon and human. He could never possibly comprehend the pull of the flying, but neither could I understand the pull I felt toward Maggie. Nothing my father had told me while growing up had prepared me for this. I squatted on the floor near her head and brushed her hair out of her face. “You’re so beautiful,” I murmured. Her eyelids fluttered open in response. “Rest,” I urged as I rubbed her back.
Maggie nodded almost imperceptibly before curling up on her side. I stood and pulled the bedding around her. This was the best I could do, even though I’d have preferred to wrap my body around her instead. With a sigh, I stood and moved to the balcony. The moist night air coated my skin. I’d waited long enough. Fredo would be back any minute. I stretched, then began to hastily undress. Since he was already upset with me, I took the extra time to fold my clothes and pile them neatly on the chair by the patio. I lined up my shoes and tucked them under the same chair. Satisfied, I stepped up onto the bistro stool, then up onto the railing. When I heard the sound of the door handle turning, I knew it was time. I spread my arms and stared up at the sky before allowing myself to fall head first down the cliff. I enjoyed the sensation for a split second before I shifted. Flexing my leathery wings, I began to pound the air harder and harder, raising higher and higher into the sky. I missed the days when I could spit fire into the air. For a dragon, this was as satisfying as burping, removing the growing and often painful gas bubble. Sadly, this close to so many major cities, I’d risk exposure. There was always someone watching. Hell, there were probably satellite images of me.
I flew above the cloud cover, listening carefully for aircraft, enjoying the feeling of soaring through the night sky. Unfortunately, no matter what I tried, nothing shook the sorrow I carried deep within. Hundreds of years with no mate had taken their toll. I’d taken to telling myself I didn’t care. Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it much lately, until Maggie. There was definitely a pull. Even now, I ached to go back to her. Would I even know if we were meant to be, if she was made for me? I released a puff of smoke, which was about as satisfying as masturbating and stopping just before I blew my load.
Making a sharp turn, I raced back to my home. As I tore through the sky, I had to admit I felt better the closer I came to the place. Finally, I dropped down onto the balcony, shifting as I landed. Fredo had exited the room the second he saw me. I stared at the bed, a smile playing on my lips until I realized Maggie was smiling back at me. I swallowed hard, trying to figure out how to play this off.
“You’re here,” she slurred.
I grinned. And there it was: alcohol. I’d never loved wine so much in all my life. “Maggie, you should rest.” Then I remembered I was standing before her completely naked and ducked into the bathroom to retrieve my robe.
“Whatcha doing?” She leaned hard on the wall behind me while I secured the robe.
My mind raced. What was I doing? I couldn’t very well say I’d decided to come back early from my evening flight so I could see her. Naked. What did people do naked? Besides that. I tapped my forehead. Shower? No. My muscles were screaming. “I was about to go in the hot tub,” I lied.
“Oooohhh, I love hot tubs.” Maggie grinned while squinting at me.
I frowned. “What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“They hurt. So bright,” she mumbled.
“I’m not sure you should be going in a hot tub right now, Mags.” I slammed my mouth shut. What? Now I was giving her nicknames? Fuck.
“Mags. I like that.” She shoved off the wall and catapulted herself into my arms. “Almost as much as I like hot tubs.”
The offer, and there was definitely an offer, was incredibly enticing. I couldn’t think of a better way to end my day than by curling up with Maggie in a hot tub. And we’d have to curl up together. Right now, she was a drowning risk. Damn, she was practically a breathing risk.
“I have a better idea. I’ll grab some pajama pants and tuck you into bed.” I walked her out to the bed. “Wait here for me.” Then I disappeared inside my closet. Did I even own pajama pants? I pulled on a pair of boxer briefs I found in my drawer, then I scoured the closet. I’d have to get Fredo on this pajama pant thing. In the meantime, I found some athletic shorts I sometimes wore when I went jogging and tugged them on. Maggie was awfully quiet. Drunks and toddlers required the same amount of supervision. And when they were quiet, they were probably getting into trouble. Peeking into the room, I discovered Maggie was right where I left her, only now she was completely naked. Immediately, every drop of blood in my body seemed to be rushing to my cock and if I didn’t do something fast, there’d be no hiding my erection.
“Maggie, what are you doing?” I rushed to her side to keep her from toppling over.
Her lower lip curled out. “You said you’d tuck me into bed.” She raised both arms above her head. “I’m ready!” She glanced at my shorts and grinned. “Looks like you are too.” Then she leaned back onto the bed and somehow managed to scoot all the way on by leveraging the nightstand.
I shook my head. I had to hand it to her. She was remarkably agile. “Okay, let’s go tuck you into your bed.”
She shook her head. “Here,” Maggie whispered.
“Mags, mio dolci amore, be reasonable. Your father will kill me. I’ll suffer the wrath of Fredo. No one wants that, right?” I clasped my hands in front of my chest, imploring her to consider the consequences.
She rolled over and looked at me. “Am I really your sweet love?”
I could tell my response was important to her. Placating her would be easy in her condition, but I
wanted no lies between us. “You could be,” I admitted.
Her eyes widened and somehow, she managed to rally and scamper up to the head of the bed. Seconds later, Maggie wriggled under the covers and leaned back on the pillows. “There,” she murmured. “One day, I’d like to be your tesoro.”
I grinned. “You’d be a special kind of treasure for sure.”
“Just lay with me, please.”
One look into those gorgeous green eyes and I was a goner. Without responding, I climbed onto the bed, laid down on top of the covers, and held open my arms to her. Almost immediately, she melted against my side and laid her head on my chest. I pressed my lips against her forehead. “Sleep, principessa.”
Maggie
The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when I suddenly jerked awake. My head was pounding and I had to pee so badly my bladder felt like it would explode. Still, I was so comfortable, I didn’t want to move. Wait…why was I so comfortable? My bed had a spring that was poking through and a mattress topper to make do. I wiggled slightly and a hand tightened around my body. I froze, ready to panic at any moment. I slowly opened my eyes to scan my surroundings and gasped as I realized I was naked and in bed with Blaise. After closer inspection, I realized he was on the covers and wearing shorts. Did that really count? So, apparently I’m stupid and shameless when I’m drunk, which he finds to be utterly unappealing. I mean, if he was attracted to me, wouldn’t he have at least slipped under the sheets with me? My face warmed, a sign I was blushing. And this time, when my eyes filled with tears, I fought to hide shame, not rage or sorrow. How could I face him today?
Sliding out of his grasp an inch at a time, I crawled under the covers until I was able to drop to the floor head first, my arms barely hitting the carpet before my face. I was not graceful in the least, but with a hangover, I was clumsy as hell. Tiptoeing around the room, I found my clothes. I also realized at some point while I was unconscious, Fredo had been here. The tray was gone. My face was completely on fire as I gathered my clothes and raced to my bedroom. Once inside, I closed the door and locked it. I didn’t want to see anyone, maybe ever again. This was too much humiliation for me to handle.
Dropping everything on the floor near my suitcase, I stumbled to the bathroom, blinded by tears. Once I peed, I decided to go back to bed. That’s when I saw it. Fredo had left me ibuprofen and a glass of water on my nightstand. I swallowed both, then crawled under the covers. Taking care of Blaise was his job. Anything he did for me felt over the top and completely undeserved. I sniffled some as I finally drifted off to sleep.
When I woke again, hours later, I found a table and chair set up near my fireplace. There was a covered tray on it. Glancing around the room, I saw my door was still locked. I frowned as I climbed out of bed to examine everything. I pulled off the top and found a white rose, which made me smile. Then I realized the rest of the tray was essentially brunch. Huge thick buttered slices of toast, pancakes and syrup, scrambled eggs, a fresh fruit cup, and a huge mug of tea. Everything was still warm. Despite, the shame, I still had to eat. I was hungry, but my stomach felt unsettled. I wanted to devour every bit of this, but I suspected it would go badly. So, I picked at my food.
In the middle of it, Fredo hopped the wall to my private patio and let himself in through the French doors. “And now I may never sleep again.” I sighed.
“Miss Maggie, of course I have a key to all the doors in the house, just like Mr. Draco.” He nodded and I realized I hadn’t exactly thought this through.
“And while I can understand why you wouldn’t want to see him at the moment, surely that doesn’t apply to me?” His brows rose.
I swallowed the bite of toast in my mouth. Right now, it tasted like sawdust and went down like a brick. “I drank too much, threw myself at him, and…you know. You saw!” I wrapped my arms around my body. “In a matter of hours, I managed to completely humiliate myself in front of the one person who’s trying to help us.” I shook my head.
“Miss, do you think your behavior will change that?” He frowned.
I stared at him and shrugged. “What I understand about men could fit in a thimble,” I grumbled.
“Well, let me tell you it won’t. He’s an honorable man. I’ve known him my whole life.” Fredo jumped a little and deflected. “So, don’t worry. Can I get you anything else?”
My brow furrowed as I tried to process what he said. “Did you mean you’ve known him his whole life? The other way around…makes no sense.”
“Yes, well, I misspoke. Forgive me.” He bowed his head.
I stood. “Fredo, I literally showed my ass last night and you seem to still like me well enough.” I grinned. “Thank you for the food, the water, the ibuprofen…the list is long.” I gave him a hug, which made him stiffen in obvious discomfort while I giggled.
“Does this mean you’re feeling better?” He pursed his lips and I suspected that might be as close as he came to a smile.
“Yes.” I sank down on the bed.
“Lunch is at one. I look forward to seeing you then.” He nodded and began to back out of the room.
I shook my head fervently. “Oh, no. I’m not going out there until he’s gone.” I jerked my thumb toward Blaise’s wing.
His shoulders sank. “Miss, you do realize it’s Saturday, right? Mr. Draco will be working from home today.”
I rubbed my face with both hands. “Of course he is.”
“May I at least use the door next time I deliver food?” Fredo’s brow rose.
“Yes, Fredo. Thank you.” Then I threw myself back on the bed to think.
8
Blaise
“If she doesn’t eat with me, she doesn’t eat,” I growled at Fredo while we argued in the kitchen.
“She’s ashamed, sir. She claims she literally showed her ass.” He stared at me, but even that reeked of disapproval.
I stiffened. “She did. So what? I didn’t do anything.” I raked a hand through my hair. “I merely held her all night. How am I suddenly the bad guy?”
“I believe, sir, she’s embarrassed and also feeling a tad rejected.” Fredo moved to the sink to wash lettuce for the salad.
“And if I’d have laid a hand on her, I’d be some kind of villain. I’m not that guy to begin with and most definitely not with her. She’s…different.” I huffed.
“How so, sir?” he asked absently.
“Maggie isn’t drawn to me.” My face broke into a lopsided smile.
“Need I remind you, she was naked?” Fredo groaned.
I leaned hard on the island, coming within inches of his face. “No, you needn’t. That was alcohol. Trust me. The rest of the time she’s completely immune to me.” I dropped down onto my elbows. “I want to see her.”
“Well, she doesn’t want to see you,” he reminded me.
“Maybe she does and she doesn’t know it yet.” I stood up and grinned. “I’ll bring her lunch.”
He frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, sir.”
“Well, luckily, my decisions aren’t based on your thoughts. Make it a tray for two.” I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. This was the right thing to do, I knew it. I moved to the opposite corner of the kitchen and stared out the window, across the courtyard to Maggie’s room. She wasn’t out on her patio and I couldn’t see her from my vantage point. “Fredo,” I began quietly.
“Yes, Mr. Draco.” There was an air of annoyance in his voice.
Leaning my back against the counter, I stuffed my hands in my pocket. “I think Maggie’s the one.”
“The one?” His brows rose.
I rubbed my mid-section where the strange feeling grew more pronounced by the hour. “Yeah. I’m thinking she might be made for me. There are all these little signs.” My voice cracked, the words practically stuck in my throat. Dragons were known for their courage and bravery. Now, I was neither brave nor courageous. The thought of Maggie being my mate had me both fearful and hopeful. After all, our one weakness was our mat
e. All these hundreds of years, I’d felt practically immortal. Maggie would change everything.
“Wouldn’t that be a good thing, sir? After all these years, you could have a family.” Fredo stopped working to give me his full attention.
“I already have Mishal.” I shrugged as I tried to pretend finding my mate was no big deal.
“Yes, and he’s almost never around. When he is, you two bicker like children.” He rolled his eyes. “A happy home filled with the pitter-patter of tiny feet could be a nice change.”
“Maggie does have small feet,” I mused while scratching my chin.
Fredo shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Oh, I know what you meant,” I grumbled.
“Then you know the importance of continuing your blood line. And if Maggie is the one, having your children matters to her too.” When I began to scratch again, he suddenly gestured to my face. “May I ask why you stopped shaving? It’s clearly annoying you.”
I shrugged. “Maggie likes it. I just need some time to get used to it.”
“Oh, sir…” He coughed a few times and I was convinced he did so to cover his laughter.
“Something funny, Alfredo?” I glared at him.
He practically shook from his effort to hold the laughter in. “No, sir,” he gritted out as he hastily finished assembling the tray. There were two sandwiches, potato salad, a plate of cookies, and two drinks. “Take it.” Fredo pushed the tray toward me, then rushed from the room and ducked into the pantry where he erupted in laughter.
By the time he returned, I was tapping impatiently on the counter. “Better?”
He dabbed at his eyes. “Much, sir.”
I held out my hand. “Keys.”
Fredo fished them from his pocket, then dropped them into my palm. “Will you be going over the wall?” His head tilted.
I snorted. “No, I plan to go through the bedroom door.” Then I picked up the tray and stalked toward Maggie’s hiding spot. When I reached the door, I knocked lightly a few times.