6
“Luc? Luc?” she asked for the third time as she tried to pull her handsome date’s focus back to her.
She still couldn’t believe she was here with him, his attention all on her in a way that was so foreign and pleasant she was afraid to even hope it was real.
Would she wake up tomorrow and find out it was all just a dream?
His body looked amazing in a slim tee shirt that fit his biceps perfectly and showed off large, square pecs and rippling abs. It was light blue, enhancing his eyes, not that they needed any enhancement.
And then there was how amazing his ass looked in his jeans. She resisted the urge to fan her face as she remembered watching him at the counter. She’d been so excited for her date that she’d forgotten to take meds again, so she’d had to take them here. Oddly, forgetting her meds seemed to be happening more and more lately.
She wasn’t sure why. Maybe hot dudes were a natural form of painkiller.
She giggled at the thought and looked over to see Luc still glaring at the group in the corner, so she sighed and nudged his arm again. “Luc?”
“What?” he asked, not looking at her.
“Are you okay?”
His entire demeanor had changed when he’d seen the group of guys enter the parlor. They looked a little rough, but this place wasn’t in the nicest part of town. It was set up like a fifties diner and served things other than ice cream, so it wasn’t that unusual for a group of guys to be grabbing food.
But Luc didn’t seem to get that. If he’d been a cat, he’d have had his hackles up. He looked even bigger than usual as he stared over at the group in the corner.
“Hey,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “What on earth is bothering you?”
He pulled his eyes away from the group and glared at the table. “Disgusting men.” He shook his head. “Humans are disgusting.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Their thoughts,” he said.
There he went again, implying he could read minds or something. “How would you know what they’re thinking?”
For a moment, he looked confused. Then he shook his head. “I’m a man, aren’t I? I know what men are thinking.” He rolled his full lips together, then took a deep breath and relaxed a little. “But I’m being rude. I’m sorry.”
“Come on,” she said, taking his hand between hers and warming it. It felt so cold. “Don’t worry about them. Tell me more about you.”
“Okay,” he said hesitantly, clearly trying to resist looking back at the group.
“Why do you have a dragon as your avatar on your phone?”
“A friend put that in for me,” he said. “I didn’t pick it.”
“Aw,” she said. “I love dragons.”
“Yeah, you said that. Why?”
“I play games online sometimes. And read fantasy books. Dragons are always the best characters.”
He laughed. “Are they? How so?”
“Super strong,” she said. “Usually badass and cool with great powers.”
“Hm,” he said. “Are they?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Do you play any games? Wait, no, I forgot. You don’t even use your phone. Stupid question. So what do you do in your free time?”
He bit his lip. It was full and slightly pink, and she wanted to be the one biting him. “I don’t do really anything right now.”
“That’s a shame,” she said. “So many fun things to do. So before you moved, what did you do for a living?”
He thought about it. “Security, I guess.”
“How so?”
“I was a bodyguard, maybe?”
That made sense with his tall build. “Why did you stop?”
“I was fired.”
“Why?” she asked.
He leaned closer to her in the booth and pulled her against him. “Don’t worry about it.”
She pushed away. “No, I will worry about it. You’re so vague about everything you tell me. What about your family?”
“Dead,” he said.
“Right,” she said. “Of course. So you can’t tell me where you lived before or what you specifically did or anything about your family, other than they’re dead.”
He ran a hand through his sun-streaked, dark-blond hair. “I can tell you anything else, though.”
“Why did your friend put a dragon as an avatar?” she asked. “I assumed you were a gamer or something.”
He shrugged his massive shoulders. “I don’t know. You’d have to ask her.”
She sighed, leaning over her ice cream bowl. “Sometimes I feel like you’re so distant. And then you kiss me, and I feel so close. Like I know you. None of this makes any sense.”
“You’re telling me,” he said.
“Why?” she asked. “I’m an open book to you. Everything should make sense to you. You’re the one in control.”
“What is your family like?” he asked.
“Splintered,” she said. “My dad divorced my mom when I was young. He made a new family with another wife. My mom and I aren’t that close. She had to work a lot while I was growing up. I’m closer to my sister, but she lives overseas with her army husband. So I guess I’m pretty much alone.” She smiled sadly. “See? I’m an open book.”
“Then why do you hide your pain?” he asked as blatant as the nose on her face.
Her jaw dropped slightly in shock. Had she been that obvious? No one ever really noticed. “I… I guess I’m just used to it.”
He folded his arms. “What happened?”
“I’m not sure it’s any of your business,” she said. “But I was in an accident.”
“A car accident?” he asked.
She nodded.
“So nothing like Bastien?”
“No.” She confirmed. “I’m not dying, if that’s what you’re worrying about.”
He frowned. “I just… can sense your pain. Usually people don’t hide it.”
She raised an eyebrow. “How would you know if they were?”
He shrugged, looking over at the group for a moment before turning back to her. “I just can sometimes.”
“Sometimes, but not all the time,” she said.
“I think that’s one of the things that draws me to you,” he said. “Your constant positivity. It’s such a mystery to someone like me, who can’t seem to let go of anything bad that happens.”
“I guess I just choose to be happy. To see the good things in life,” she said.
“How did it happen?” he asked.
“I was hit by a drunk driver,” she said. “Ten years ago. It kind of… ended everything back then. But I found a new life. It wasn’t all bad.”
His expression went dark. “So someone hurt you, probably nearly killed you, because they were stupid.”
Was it her imagination or had the air gone colder by a few degrees? Possibly just the ice cream inside her, she guessed. “Luc, it was a long time ago.”
“How do you just forget it?”
“I don’t forget,” she said. “I just don’t let it ruin me.” She sighed.
“I knew when it happened, I had two choices. To be incredibly unhappy and angry at the unfairness of it, or to be happy I still had my life.”
“But it shouldn’t have happened,” he said.
“You can say that about a lot of things in life,” she said. “Like Bastien’s cancer or my parent’s divorce or the shootings on the news. But in the end, there are so many good things in life that make it worthwhile.”
“Like what?” he asked, folding his arms and leaning on the table. His eyes were starting to wander back to the other table again, so she had to distract him.
“Sunny days. Cute animals. Knowing you’re making a difference in the world.” She took a bite. “Delicious ice cream. Good company.” She looked into his eyes. “Sexy guys.”
That got a smile out of him. “Think I’m sexy, huh?”
“Yeah,” she said. “And a good date.”
He
grinned, but his eyes wandered to the corner again.
“Maybe we should go,” she said. “It seems like you’re getting antsy.”
“I just don’t have a high opinion of people. I don’t trust them around things that are precious to me.”
Her heart fluttered like paper in the wind. She was precious to him? She tried to remember what they were talking about. Oh, right. Assuming the worst. “If other humans are worrying you, then let’s just get away from them.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I was just hoping they would leave first. I don’t like how they are thinking—I mean, looking at you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Luc. Guys don’t think of me like that.”
“Yes, they do,” he said, sounding oddly sure about it as he took her hand and helped her out of the booth, leading her outside.
He let go of her hand to put his arm around her and draw her close to him, and she luxuriated in the warmth of his body in the cool night air.
She heard male voices and realized the group from the diner was following them.
Had Luc been right to be paranoid?
Luc’s face was stern, but he kept his pace calm, his energy reserved. They were nearly to the car when she felt a hand on her arm, jerking her away from him. She was shoved against the side of the car and turned to see a large man in a leather jacket looking down at her.
Two others were in front of Luc, blocking his way to her. “Wallet,” the guy demanded, holding out his palm.
Luc shook his head. “No. Get out of here.” He looked over at her to make sure she was okay.
She bit her lip and looked at Luc. Why was he resisting? “Luc…”
The guy in front of her reached out to touch her face, and she flinched back just as he went flying out from in front of her. Luc was there, almost as if he’d teleported, and the guys who’d been blocking him a moment ago seemed confused.
“How’d he do that?” one muttered.
“So fast,” the other said.
Luc folded his arms. Hallie could feel his rigid strength in front of her and knew he wasn’t going to let anything happen.
“I wouldn’t try that again if I were you,” Luc said darkly, trying to maintain his cool but seething with rage.
For too long, Luc had to hear the grotesque thoughts these men had been sharing, the unspeakable things they had casually considered about the woman he was feeling more protective of every minute.
And to top it off, they had come out here and were now attempting to steal from them like common robbers.
Sometimes humans really were the worst.
For a moment, the man he’d stepped in front of flinched at Luc’s size. But then, emboldened by his buddies coming up to join him, he took a step forward.
“Threats, huh?” he said with a smirk. “Maybe we oughta teach this guy to be more polite.”
“Yeah, and to share his girl,” another said from behind.
That was it.
Instantly, Luc grabbed the man in front of him by the collar and jerked him up in the air, letting him dangle like a rag doll. He sent a vicious glare at his buddies who were now trying to back up as their leader struggled in his grip.
Then he took a step forward, aimed, and launched the man at them, sending him flying through the air and knocking the others over as they grunted from the impact.
Humans like this didn’t threaten him at all. All they threatened was a world where he could protect humans, bond with humans, trust humans.
And he hated them for it.
“Bastards. You’ll regret ever even thinking about her like that,” he said, his voice chilling, his breath getting colder and icier with each passing second.
Without hesitation, he strode forward to the men as they scrambled to get up off the ground. He kicked hard into one man’s gut, so hard the man slid backward and rammed into a nearby brick wall, knocking him unconscious.
Seeing the imminent danger, the remaining guys clambered to their feet. Upon getting up, one tried to retaliate, swinging a wild fist at Luc, but he just side-stepped effortlessly, the punch almost slow motion compared to his reflexes.
He then countered with a jab across the man’s face, the force of it throwing him to the side as a crunch resounded off the nearby cars and building in the parking lot, the sound of it not the least unsatisfying.
He was losing himself again; he could feel it. But he wanted to punish them, both for what they had tried to do and what they’d been picturing in their minds.
But as he fought, he could sense Hallie watching, could sense her worry and fear, and that pulled him back slightly from the icy mental ledge he was dangling over.
By now, the last man had risen to his feet and was reaching behind him to pull out something. Luc whirled around and grabbed the man’s hand, which was gripping a gun.
For a second, Luc just stared at the weapon, leaving it pointed skyward. Then in one quick motion, he ripped it free from the man’s grasp and crushed it in his grip like a soda can, letting the pieces clatter to the ground.
When the ringleader saw he was clearly outmatched and his lackeys were incapacitated, he showed his true colors, jerking his hand free and trying to run for the street. But Luc snagged him by his leather jacket and hauled him off the ground, holding him by the neck as the man struggled fruitlessly against his unwavering dragon strength.
Luc could sense the coldness in him growing colder. Could see himself unleashing his dragon breath on the thug, freezing him solid so he couldn’t hurt anyone again.
But he could also feel another part to him, one that was slowly waking up, telling him to let go.
It was hard, though. The strength of his restraining collar was weakened when a human was in danger, giving him access to more of his power. It was hard to contain all of that iciness.
By now, the man’s face was turning red as he tried to claw and kick and free himself from Luc’s grasp. Finally, he calmed the raging beast inside him long enough to toss the man away to a nearby dumpster. With enough force to make him think twice about his life of crime, but certainly not enough to end him.
He turned back Hallie, still watching in amazement, and felt warmth coursing through him again. She was safe; that was all that mattered.
This time, he hadn’t lost everything.
He walked to her and put his arms around her, sinking into her embrace for just a second. She hugged him back, giving comfort, but then he pulled back, realizing they needed to get out of there before anyone else came along.
“I’m sorry for all that. Let’s get you back home,” he said.
Her eyes were still wide with shock as he guided her toward her door. “I mean, but what just happened? The gun, and you…” She shook her head. “That was amazing, but I’m so confused.”
“Later,” he said as he helped her in, then came back around to his door.
But as he did, he saw the ringleader charging toward him one last time, a knife in his hand.
Dammit, why did humans make it impossible to show mercy?
Instantly, the dragon inside him kicked into action, and he felt power surge through him as he focused on the attacker and breathed.
The man immediately froze in place, knife in hand, his body still as a statue, cold as ice.
Luc walked close to the man, hearing his shallow breaths as he tried to move but was unable to.
“You’re lucky she’s here, or I would have frozen you until every cell in your body exploded.” He made sure the man could hear him, while Hallie could not.
Then Luc turned, got in the car, and drove off, leaving the frozen man with time to thaw and reconsider his life choices.
7
Hallie couldn’t believe what she’d just seen.
Luc. Quiet, mild-mannered Luc, who sometimes seemed he was from a different planet, tossing three men all over the place.
It was like he was bowling with human bodies.
He’d crushed a gun as if it were made of Styrofoam. Sudden
ly, he wasn’t just odd because of his weird social habits and manner of speaking.
Now he seemed almost alien. Especially the way he’d made that last guy go completely still. It was otherworldly.
She and Luc definitely needed to have a talk.
Still, he’d defended her. That gave her a warm, contented feeling. Like no matter what was weird about him, she was safe. Like she wasn’t wrong to trust him.
The drive was quiet, because she could sense he needed to calm down. She did as well.
When they pulled up in front of her small house in her small, quiet neighborhood, she got out the same time he did and came around. He put his arm out again, and she took it, leading him up the front steps.
“Want to come in?” she asked.
He nodded silently. In the light of her porch, his blond hair was mussed, there were lines around his eyes, and he didn’t look at all ready to leave her.
She turned on the lights as she showed him into her home. They walked into her modestly furnished but clean living room, and she gestured for him to take the biggest couch. He did and then just stared at her, looking more than ever like a huge, confused alien in human form.
“We have to talk about what just happened,” she said. “There’s no way I can just believe you’re normal.”
He shrugged. “Think what you want.”
“Do you mean that?” she asked, irritated. She folded her arms. “Are you seriously going to pretend I didn’t see what I just saw?”
He looked up at her, heat in his blue eyes. “I protected you. That’s all that should matter. And I’ll do it again and again if I have to. I’ll see it as a privilege.”
“But…” She fought back a blush. “I mean, I’m grateful you protected us. But you… the gun… the guys…”
“What about them?” he asked stubbornly.
She came over to join him on the couch. “Humans don’t crush guns with their bare hands or knock people over like bowling pins.”
“Was that like bowling?” he asked flatly, leaning back in the chair. “If so, I kind of liked it.”
“I didn’t,” she said. “We were in danger.”
“I didn’t like that part,” he said. “What I liked was the way they flew away from you. The way I could protect you and keep them from touching you. Punish them for thinking bout you.”
Sapphire Dragon (Awakened Dragons Book 2) Page 5