by Tami Lund
“Uh huh. You do realize I practically control your life, right?”
“Nope. You make my life look prettier than it really is. I do whatever the hell I want, and you make sure the local gossipmongers don’t run with it. That’s our relationship. Well, and now you’re going to show me how to raise my daughter.”
“What makes you think I know anything more than you do about raising a kid?”
“Because you—”
“If you want me to continue on as your PR manager, you will not say what I think you are about to say.”
“You can’t quit. You just moved in.”
“I’ve been here for five minutes, so that doesn’t constitute ‘moving in.’”
“What would you do if you weren’t my PR manager?”
That was a damn good question. What would she do? Her entire existence was wrapped up in this job. Of course, she knew that wasn’t healthy, but Talia Tatsuya didn’t believe in failure, and keeping Gabe looking good to the rest of the colony was far more than a forty-hour-a-week job.
“Join another colony,” she blurted, lest he think she actually needed him. Or this job. “Take on the task of making their reeve look good. It can’t possibly be any worse than my current boss.”
“Touché,” he said, grinning like a damn fool. “Anyway, I was going to say, you know everything. And if you don’t know something, you make it your business to find out. That’s why you’re better at this child-rearing gig than I am.”
She couldn’t argue his point.
“So anyway, about this kid. My kid. And our living arrangements. Will she be okay in there by herself?” He glanced over his shoulder at the partially open door to the entertainment room.
Talia walked over to peek into the dimly lit room. Ruby was curled up on the couch, staring intently at the animated figures on the screen that covered an entire wall. It was quite possible she’d never seen a Disney movie until now.
“Yeah, I think she’ll be okay for a minute.”
“Good. Let’s go upstairs. I want to show you my bedroom.”
With his hand wrapped around her elbow, Gabe started to lead her toward the staircase. Talia dug in her heels, which wasn’t very effective considering she wore flip-flops and stood on a sleek ceramic tile floor.
“No way. I am not going to your bedroom. I am not going to be another notch in your bedpost, mister. No. Absolutely—”
He cocked his head and stared at her. It took long seconds for her to realize he wasn’t hitting on her. Not even remotely. There was no flirtation in his tone, no coyness, no huskiness, none of the telltale signs she’d witnessed plenty enough times while he made his moves on his next entirely willing victim.
“Er…” She felt her face flame, was powerless against the sign of embarrassment.
Gabe grinned and crossed his arms, deliberately flexing his rather impressive pecs. “Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.”
“Me thinks the lady knows you all too well,” she retorted. “Now, what’s in your bedroom that I need to see?”
“My giant four-poster bed. Specially made with bedposts that are perfect for tying someone up.”
Ugh.
He chuckled. “Come on.” With a wave of his hand, he took the stairs three at a time, his long, powerful legs eating up the distance while Talia had to practically jog to keep up.
Hanging a left, he strode down the hall, his leather flip-flops slapping the wooden floor with each step. That was another thing about Gabe she sometimes wished she could fix: He dressed like a California surfer. Not at all fitting for the leader of one of the largest dragon colonies in North America. How in the world were other reeves supposed to take him seriously when he looked like a college student? A buff frat boy, but still.
“There’s a counsel meeting next week,” she said, following him into a bedroom that was the size of a small house. The centerpiece, a four-poster bed, did indeed have thick pillars at each corner that would be perfect for tying someone up while another someone tormented them with a feather. Or perhaps one of those soft, leather riding crops.
Gods, what was wrong with her? Okay, yeah, her sex life had been hovering on the brink of extinction since Gabe became reeve and she’d decided to make it her life’s mission to attempt to mold him into the sort of leader they needed for this colony. Hey, she liked to fix people, and he most definitely needed mending.
But fantasies involving anything having to do with Gabe went far beyond any and all hard limits she set for herself.
Maybe she needed to cut back her hours. Go out a little more frequently. Attempt to get back into the dating game. Because thinking about tying Gabe up so she could have her wicked way… No. Just no.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said, striding to the middle of the room and turning to face her, hands on hips, looking like a warrior general, if she could get past the tight T-shirt and baggy shorts. “Tell me what I’m supposed to cover and I’ll do it. But don’t tell me until like ten minutes before, okay? I don’t want to forget whatever the hell I’m supposed to report.”
She rolled her eyes. He grinned.
“You know what I like about you, Talia?”
“I can hardly wait to hear.”
“Well, you’re hot, but that’s not what I like about you. In fact, that would be annoying if I weren’t getting laid on the regular. Because then I might be interested in trying to hook up with you, and you strike me as someone who isn’t into one-night stands.”
“You’d be right on that count.”
“Plus, you’re kind of feisty, which makes me think I might be interested in more than just one night, and we both know that’s a big, fat no in my book.”
Feisty? That one deserved another giant eye roll. “Yes, I am fully aware of your intention to never sleep with the same woman twice.”
“So, anyway, what I like about you is your ability to talk back to me.”
“Er…”
“But not today. No talking back while I explain the ground rules.”
“There are ground rules? For what?”
“You living here.”
“Hey, I didn’t ask—”
He lifted a finger, cutting her off. “No talking back.”
She snapped her mouth closed and crossed her arms. A wisp of smoke curled from one of her nostrils and drifted toward the ceiling.
“There we go. Okay, so, here’s my bedroom.” He waved his arm in an arc and then ushered her back out into the hall. “And these are bedrooms all along here. You need to decide which one we should put Ruby in, taking into consideration the possibility that I might bring home a screamer on occasion.”
Talia’s mouth opened and closed a bunch of times before she found her voice. “You’re kidding me, right?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want her to hear that. My kid’s world and what my dick and I do at night are not going to associate with each other. Besides, I don’t want the idea that she might hear to screw with my mojo while I’m in the middle of—”
“Stop.” Talia lifted her hand, palm facing out. “Just stop. Let me give you some ground rules, Gabe.”
He arched one sleek black brow.
“Ruby is your child. That makes you her father. Which means you are now a role model. You need to start acting like the kind of adult you want her to become.”
He wrinkled his nose and looked at her like she was a specimen under a microscope. “My parents didn’t do that for me.”
“Which is precisely why you should do it for her. So she doesn’t become like you.”
“Ouch.” After a small pause, he asked, “So what are you saying?”
“No screamers here. Not so long as she’s living under your roof.” Or me. No way could she handle being in the vicinity while Gabe hooked up with some no-name woman, whether she could actually hear them or not.
“No screamers. So if they’re loud, I gotta go to their house or a hotel or something.”
“No staying out all night. You have a
child waiting at home now.”
“I don’t need all night. Just a couple hours.”
She gnashed her teeth. “Gabe, I don’t think you’re understanding me. You are going to have to curb your one-night stand habit. You need to focus on your child. On developing a relationship with her. On helping her adjust to living here. Even though her previous life was a terrible one, I still ripped her from the only home she ever knew. She’s bound to have adjustment issues.”
“That’s why you moved in.”
Talia shook her head. “I am not raising your daughter for you.”
“No, but you can help.”
“I can. And I will. But I, too, have conditions. If you bring a woman here—or if you stay out all night instead of coming home to your daughter—I’m leaving.”
“When you say leaving…?”
She stabbed at his chest with her pointer finger. “Don’t push me, Gabe.”
He stood so still, it was like he was frozen for long seconds, until his lips curled into a scowl and he snapped, “Fine.” Then he slapped her hand away before whirling around and heading down the hall. “By the way, that’s your room.”
He pointed at the one next to his. And then he stalked down the stairs.
Great. Just great.
Chapter 3
Saturday night and Gabe was home. With two females, yeah, but one was his kid. And the other was Talia Tatsuya. And sure, she was hot; okay, she was smokin’ with all that thick dark hair and those fiery green eyes, breasts that looked like they were the perfect handful each, those narrow hips.
Fuck, he was giving himself a hard-on. Which was weird, because he wasn’t attracted to his PR manager. Hell, half the time he didn’t even like her. She was always the voice of reason, a Goody-Two-Shoes, and he didn’t want to be good. He wanted to do whatever the hell he wanted, the rest of the colony be damned.
Or do whoever the hell he wanted. Which, apparently, was against the rules, according to Talia. Who died and made her reeve, anyway? As a matter of fact, no one did.
They were parked on the brown suede couch in the entertainment room, watching the third animated movie of the day, Gabe on one side with Ruby in the middle and Talia seated next to her, her long legs stretched out, her bare feet crossed at the ankles and resting on the coffee table. His were doing the same. If he leaned his foot to the right, he’d brush hers. Weird that he kind of wanted to. Mostly just to harass her.
Ruby sat cross-legged, her elbows on her knees, leaning forward, watching the characters in Tangled dash around on the screen. It was kind of cute how enthralled she was, especially when she burst out giggling like she’d done countless times already tonight.
“You want more pizza?” he asked the kid. There were three slices remaining in the box next to his left leg. Pepperoni because that’s what Ruby liked. Personally, he liked his piled with everything under the sun and then some. There was this place down in Louisiana that served a Sweep the Kitchen pizza. Eleven different toppings—so good. So much better than plain old pepperoni.
“No thanks,” the little girl said, the epitome of politeness. Talia probably taught her that already. No way she figured that out while living with the Rojo dragons.
He wanted to ask about her life, what she’d been through, maybe even what her mom was like, but Talia had warned him not to. “Give her time,” she said. “Kids process things differently than adults.” No idea how she knew that, but Talia hadn’t failed him yet.
He drained his beer and stared at the empty bottle. What the hell was he doing? Forget Ruby, he needed to process. This was a lot to take in, even if he saw the silver lining of a guaranteed heir without actually having to take a mate.
He needed space. He needed to go out, to cut loose.
He wanted to fly.
“I’ll be back,” he said, placing his empty bottle on the coffee table and standing, sliding his feet into his flip-flops. Before Talia could open her mouth to criticize him or tell him he couldn’t go, he added, “I just need to spread my wings for a minute.”
As he strode toward the door, he heard Ruby say, “Is he going to turn into a dragon?”
“I think so,” Talia responded.
“Cool. Can I watch?”
He cringed. Flying was the one thing he did solo. Unless they were going into battle, which hadn’t actually happened in his lifetime, he preferred to keep this aspect of his life to himself.
Well, to be honest, he kept practically everything to himself. Except his dick, but that guy was clearly not connected to his heart, which was under lock and key.
Not surprising, Ruby was fascinated by the shift. It took only one parent to pass down the ability to turn into the majestic, scaly creatures, so his daughter was definitely a dragon, but she probably hadn’t had her first shift yet. It likely wouldn’t happen for a few more years, until adolescence. As if kids that age didn’t have enough going on with all those crazy hormones surging through their bodies, they also had to make sure they were in an appropriate place when the urge to change forms overcame them for the first time.
Gabe remembered being a young kid, watching the older dragons shift. He’d been endlessly fascinated, hiding in the shadows on the roof of a storage shed—how the hell he’d managed to get up there time and time again without falling and breaking his neck was a mystery—watching warrior training, which involved shifting into dragon form and basically beating the shit out of each other until somebody cried mercy.
The fighting wasn’t what enthralled him; it was the way they beat their wings furiously for a few minutes and then spread them wide, gliding along with the wind, looking more free than anything else he’d ever experienced. He couldn’t wait to feel that free.
Funny how now that he was the head of all those dragons, he had never felt more confined in his life.
“How about if I take you?” Talia said. “We’ll let Gabe, er, I mean, your dad, do his thing, and I’ll take you out back and shift for you. How’s that sound?”
Was Talia doing this because she knew how he felt? He’d never told her about his desire to shift and fly alone. But then again, he’d not told her a lot of things that she always managed to figure out. The woman was too damn intuitive sometimes.
Ruby clapped her hands and scrambled off the couch, so he headed through the foyer toward the kitchen, snagging a bottle of water and downing it on his way out the back door. Kicking off his flip-flops, he jumped from the porch to the grass and hit the ground running.
Three strides in, the magic took over. It shimmered down his back, tracing his spine, almost sexual as it tickled his skin. His face elongated, forming a snout covered with silver scales, while his eyes widened and narrowed, the irises turning into little more than silver slits. Horns sprouted from his head, curling toward his back, which was bubbling and twisting as his body grew, getting larger, longer, more serpentine. Wings emerged from his shoulder blades, growing and stretching until they were ten feet wide, fully extended.
He was still running as his wings flapped, lifting him from the ground, propelling him into the sky before he was even fully formed. He let out a breath, shooting fire at nothing at all, and headed for the clouds, bursting through them at top speed, water droplets clinging to his leathery skin until he soared higher and the wind whisked it all away.
This was his freedom. Up here, high above the clouds, doing nothing but flying in circles and arcs, he could leave his worries behind, if only for brief moments in time. Up here, he could dream uninterrupted. Imagine his life if things were…different. If his mother and father hadn’t abandoned him. If he’d grown up like a normal dragon, in a household with an actual parent—or even two. Where sitting down to dinner together was routine. A household where he could look at the patriarch and think, This is what I want to be when I grow up.
Those were all pipe dreams, of course. He was an adult now, so no one was going to summon him to dinner and there wasn’t anyone to emulate.
What the hell had the Eld
ers been thinking, to choose him as reeve? Five years in and he still wasn’t confident in his ability to run a dragon colony. If not for Talia, he’d have crashed and burned a long time ago. Quite possibly literally, given his propensity to attempt to win some sort of trophy for hard partying.
He insisted that lifestyle was satisfying, even though he knew damn well getting wasted and sleeping with endless, nameless women and shirking his duties as reeve was not really who he wanted to be.
But he’d been that person for so long, he didn’t know how to change.
He burst through the clouds again, emerging beneath them in time to see the shimmer of magic swell around her as Talia shifted for Ruby’s enjoyment. He flew in lazy circles, watching as she turned into a dragon as well, smaller than his own form but no less impressive.
Ruby, small as a doll from this height, clapped her hands and bounced on her feet, calling out encouragement as Talia did first a front and then a backward flip before soaring down to the ground and turning back to the sky at the last moment.
Gabe held his breath. Something poured through his system, a magic he had never experienced before. It urged him to fly lower, which was weird. He flew alone, always had.
What the fuck was going on in his head?
Talia remained in flight for a few more minutes and then landed next to Ruby, who ran up to her, not afraid in the least, and gave her dragon form a hug. He was nose-diving before he realized what was happening, his dragon insisting, for some damn reason, on joining them.
When he landed next to her, Talia arched one scaly eyebrow while Ruby rushed over and patted his chest. “I love dragons,” she declared, and he snorted, fire bursting from his nostrils and hitting the ground a foot from the little girl.
Talia roared and bumped him with her head, a stern look on her dragon face.
It was an accident, he thought.
You almost fried your own daughter.
Gabe whipped around to stare at Talia, who had an equally shocked look on her own snout. He shook his head, motioning—shift back!—and then he did just that, quickly magicking his clothing back on before Ruby got an eyeful of the type of body parts she’d better not see until she was at least thirty. If then.