Ranger Drew

by Meg Ripley

  He should have left the building and gotten as far away as he could like he had the night before. It hadn’t mattered, though. He’d flown halfway around the country and it hadn’t been enough.

  It made no sense to him. She was beautiful and kind, and there was so much more to her than met the eye; of that he was certain. But to have him so completely mesmerized, and not only him, but the beast inside him as well? He’d always been keenly aware that no woman had ever appealed to the dragon, only to the man, and yet every atom of him wanted Hope. How was that even possible? And more importantly, how would he rein it in?

  He heard her footsteps at the bottom of the stairs. He knew it was her; he could smell her, he could sense her, and he knew her footsteps from every other set in the building. It was his last chance to escape; to protect her from himself. The moment he saw her, he knew it would be over. He would lose whatever tentative grasp he had over his being and he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from taking everything she was offering and more.

  But he didn’t move. He stood there as her footsteps came closer, and he waited. Digging his fingers into the palms of his hands, his knuckles turned white as he fought to keep himself in place, at least long enough for her to descend from the stairs.

  Hope stepped onto the carpeted floor of the lounge and looked up. She froze, her eyes meeting his, and the icy blue fire overwhelmed him. He strode toward her, covering the distance in three steps.

  “Hope, I can’t wait…” he told her, his voice a tortured whisper as he lunged for her, wrapping his hands around her arms, pulling her close. If he could at least get her away from the balcony’s edge, he could save her from being taken right there in front of everyone. His mouth covered hers as he moved, not gently, but demanding entrance.

  He reached the side of the lounge, putting them at least a few feet away from the balcony’s edge. He didn’t know if it would block the view entirely, but it would have to be enough. He pulled away from her mouth, moving lower, tasting her neck and the upper swells of her breasts, then grabbed the braid holding her dress in place with one hand, tearing it loose. Hope gasped, but she didn’t pull away.

  He grabbed the neckline and yanked it downward, exposing her ample breasts; the sight of her made his mouth water while the fire threatened to rage out of control deep inside him. He leaned in, cupping her breasts while he coaxed one of their firm peaks into his mouth with his full lips and tongue. He sucked gently at first, but Cade needed more. He sucked harder and she whimpered; it wasn’t a sound of pain, but rather pleasure, and her head rolled back as a quiet moan escaped her lips.

  “I want more, Hope. I want all of you,” he whispered against her breast.

  She nodded quickly, but she didn’t have to. He could hear the accelerated beat of her heart and her quickened breath. It was a symphonic melody to his ears, even if it meant she was crazy. She should be running as far and as fast as she could. Instead, she reached for him, her hands grasping his shoulders while her hips thrust toward him. Her hands started to roam, gliding down the onyx buttons of his tuxedo shirt. No. God, no, he wasn’t ready for that. He grabbed her wrists quickly, halting her movement.

  “Stop, Hope. Not yet.” He barely had any control as it was. But she didn’t want to be stopped. Her fingers continued to rub against him and the fire inside him spread outward, threatening to consume him. Fuck, she had no idea what she was doing, but he was playing with fire, and damn it, she was the one who was going to get burned.

  In one, swift movement, he captured both her wrists in one hand and lifted them above her head, pinning her arms against the wall behind her.

  “Cade, please…” she whispered, struggling against his hold.

  “It’s too dangerous, Hope. Let me do this my way.”

  She looked at him perplexed, “I want you, Cade. I want…” She didn’t finish the sentence but she did stop resisting.

  With her hands subdued, he hooked his fingers in the top of her gown with his free hand and pulled downward hard. The dress slipped over her hips, to her thighs, and then fell to the floor.

  She hadn’t been wearing anything under the dress. She was nude except for her heels, and he could already see her arousal glistening on her thighs. The beast inside threatened to overwhelm him; it wanted to possess her as much as he did. If he tried to draw this out, he would terrify her along with the rest of the hotel, but he needed one more thing—and just a few seconds.

  He dropped to his knees and spread her legs roughly. He wanted to taste the wetness on her thighs, but there wasn’t time. He lunged for her instead, gliding his tongue along her slit just once before he thrust his tongue into her, tasting her at her source. With her hands unfettered, she reached for him again, tugging at the fabric of his shirt as her moans grew louder.

  No more. He couldn’t deny both sides of him; what he wanted and keep the dragon in check at the same time. He stood, yanking off his shirt while its buttons flew in every direction. She reached out, grazing her fingers along the planes of his chest, but he had her hands quickly, yanking them above her head like he had before.

  Cade unzipped his pants with his other hand and his cock stood at attention. He throbbed painfully for her, but not for long. He lifted her off the ground with his free arm and settled her over top of him. Without a moment’s hesitation, he lowered her down onto his dick, plunging in to the hilt in one, swift thrust. She moaned loudly and sent the beast into a frenzy. She was so damn tight, but he couldn’t wait for her to adjust to his size. He withdrew and drove in again, pulling her down hard on him. Nothing had ever felt so incredible.

  He wedged her up against the wall, pressing her breasts hard against his chest. Tightening his grip on her wrists, he thrust deep into her, over and over again. Her moans grew louder. Soon, the whole banquet hall would know what they were up to, but he didn’t care.

  “Cade, please, I need to…” she whispered, and he noticed she was pulling against the hand that held her wrists.

  There was no point in denying her now. He’d tried to hold back, to take it slow for her, but he’d failed. The only small comfort he could take was in knowing he’d at least kept the dragon in check, despite the way he’d wanted to shift and have her in a way that wasn’t humanly possible.

  He released her hands, and she moved frantically across his body, grazing down his back, up his arms. Everywhere she touched, her fingers fueled the fire. He increased his pace, fucking her harder…faster… Every time he drove into her, he felt joined to her, connected in a way he’d never felt with anyone. It was the closest to heaven he would ever get.

  Her fingers dug into his shoulders, hard enough that he was quite certain she drew blood. The tiny, sharp sensations fanned the flames. Holding onto her tightly with one arm, he reached between them and quickly found her engorged clit. She lunged for his shoulder, pressing her mouth hard against him, digging in with her teeth to stifle her screams.

  She was so close he could feel it. With her legs around his waist, she moved with him, but not for long. He felt her whole body contract, her hips bucking hard against him as she toppled over the edge, biting down on his shoulder to keep from crying out, and it was more than he could take. She spasmed hard around him, sending him over the edge. He fought the roar that rose up in his chest as he found his release deep inside her.

  As he came back down to Earth, he slipped out and lowered her to the ground gently. Already he felt the loss, as if being sheathed in her was precisely where he was meant to be. Then he looked at her, and though the aftermath of her climax still shone in her eyes, he saw beyond it. Pale purple and blue bruises marred the skin of her upper arms; that’s where he’d grabbed her the moment she’d come up the stairs. The same type of bruises wrapped around her wrists where he’d held her restrained. His mouth had covered hers with so much fervor, her lips were swollen and red, and everywhere he’d touched, he’d left the imprints of his fingers on her skin.

  “Hope, I’m so sorry. I should never have let thi
s happen.”

  “You’re sorry?” She looked perplexed.

  “I didn’t mean to…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence, and right then, suddenly it didn’t matter. Victor’s footsteps approached from across the hall at the same time Cade sensed his presence.

  “You never meant for this to happen,” she whispered dejectedly.

  She’d misinterpreted what he’d said, but he couldn’t focus on that now. He’d been so caught up in her he hadn’t even noticed that Victor had returned to the building. He’d come through the hotel’s front doors at least a few minutes prior which meant he’d heard everything. Even if he hadn’t heard her smothered screams of passion, Victor could smell her, the seductive scent that was already threatening to drive him to distraction. “Hope, Victor’s coming. Please, get dressed quickly.”

  She turned her head and her brow furrowed as she listened intently for what he heard, not knowing her senses couldn’t possibly be as fine-tuned as his own. But it didn’t matter. What was important was getting her dressed and getting her out of there. If it looked like nothing more had taken place than a hasty coupling with his latest plaything, there was some chance it wouldn’t raise Victor’s suspicions.

  “Hope, get dressed,” he told her, more forcefully than he’d intended as he straightened his pants and zipped his fly.

  She remained a tableau of hurt and humiliation for a brief moment, but then she sprung to action, slipping into the dress at her feet. It wasn’t until the gown covered her body that he remembered tearing its woven strap right off the dress. Her firm breasts seemed to hold the fabric in place though, and it would have to be enough because Victor had begun his ascent up the stairs.

  “Why don’t you go get me a drink, Darling, and I’ll be right down.” He spoke casually, despite the way his words seemed to strike her no different than a physical blow. He just hoped his words didn’t serve to bring out the fiery tempest in her. Then again, if she stormed away from him, it could serve to allay Victor’s suspicion, even if it meant she’d likely never speak to him again. If it kept her safe, then what did it matter what he lost.

  It wasn’t that he gave a damn what the man thought, but he knew Victor’s hatred for humankind all too well. Cade should have done away with him centuries ago, but he knew the reason Victor hated them. One of them—one woman—had wounded him irreparably. Ever since, Victor had taken it upon himself to rid the world of every human threat, every witch, man and woman he felt had the capacity to wield power over a dragon.

  She looked up at him once more, but it wasn’t the fiery tempest he saw in her eyes; it was a wounded girl. He’d seen the girl just briefly back on the beach when she’d spoken of her mother. And now, he’d hurt her; far more than his overzealous grip on her flesh had. She turned away without another word and strode past him.

  “Miss Winter, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Victor announced as he rounded the top of the stairs.

  “You, as well, Mr. Weathersby. If you’ll excuse me.” She pushed past him, starting down the steps and out of sight.

  “What the hell were you doing with that girl?” Victor whispered vehemently just seconds later.

  “I don’t think that’s any of your business, Victor.” Cade shoved all thoughts of her as far away as he could and conjured an inner calm, knowing the exterior façade wouldn’t fool him.

  “I saw the way you looked at her. You’re going to risk yourself for some pathetic, working class floozy? You’d be jeopardizing everything, and you know it.”

  “I’m not risking anything.”

  “You can’t be with her, Cade. She’s beneath you; she’ll never be worthy of you.”

  “I know that, Victor. Despite what you think you saw, do you really believe someone like her could be anything more than a passing amusement? She’s a refreshing change from the usual bimbos who warm my bed, and nothing more.”

  He cringed inwardly at the wretched lie. Hope hadn’t left the reception hall. She hadn’t even left the staircase. She heard every word he said, and no doubt, she believed every word of it. He could hear her footsteps just then, finishing their descent down the stairs and hurrying across the reception hall.

  “Bimbos are good, Cade. They’re safe and they know their place. The woman you were just fucking is nothing but trouble. I could smell it a mile away. I understand your appetite for her, I really do. Her scent is intoxicating.” Victor breathed in deep, inhaling Hope’s scent still lingering in the air.

  It took Cade every bit of restraint he could muster to bite back the roar that rose in his throat. White hot rage pulsated through his veins and he saw red as he fought the urge to rip the man limb from limb. Even without his heightened senses, he would have been able to see the way Victor was responding to Hope’s scent. He’d never experienced this kind of possessiveness before, but it was coursing through his veins at full throttle.

  “Leave, Victor. Get the hell out of my hotel and don’t come back until you’ve come to your senses.”

  The man stared at him for a moment, but said nothing else. He left without another word, strolling casually across the lounge and down the stairs.

  He should have gone after him, but he was fighting with every fiber of his body to stop the shift the dragon so desperately wanted. So, he stood there, breathing in and breathing out. Minutes passed, but it wasn’t enough. Victor had incited a fury he’d never felt before; so intense, that he wondered if any amount of time would ever be enough to calm the enraged dragon that threatened to take over.

  Chapter 7

  The room around her spun wildly.

  “…nothing more than a passing amusement…”

  “…she’ll never be worthy of you…”

  The words echoed in her head. Cade hadn’t objected to a single word Victor had said. He’d agreed with him, and she now felt like an absolute fool.

  She’d tiptoed down the remainder of the steps, and hurried through the banquet hall and out the hotel’s front doors as fast as she could. No doubt, people stared after her, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t possibly feel any more humiliated. She never should have gone to that stupid dinner. What had she been thinking? The infamous Cade Stryker, the man who had a different high-profile beauty on his arm every week had suddenly found something profound with a lowly magician’s assistant? No, she’d been nothing more than an amusement to him—he’d said the words himself.

  The worst part was she had believed him; she’d sensed that he had felt the same inexplicable need for her. But that was ludicrous. It had been nothing more than a ploy her mind had played on her to bend her to its will.

  She strode along the busy Vegas streets, alight with neon signs and flashing lights now that the sun had set. She walked blindly, paying no attention to the turns her feet made or the direction she was heading. She just walked, and she continued until she didn’t recognize the scenery that surrounded her. If it weren’t for Lexi, she wouldn’t stop. She’d continue walking until she’d left the city—and Cade Stryker—far behind her.

  “Ava,” a man’s voice called out from a sleek, red car that pulled up next to her.

  It wasn’t Cade’s voice; he hadn’t come after her. Of course he hadn’t. He had no more use for her. She recognized the voice though and it sent a shiver down her spine. Why the mere sound of the man bothered her so thoroughly, she didn’t know.

  “Ava, please,” he called louder as he stopped the car and hopped out of the driver’s seat of the Aston Martin One-77.

  “Please go away, Mr. Weathersby.” She wasn’t in the mood to chat, especially not with yet another man who felt she was little more than pond scum.

  “I fear you overheard my conversation with Cade, and I do apologize. I feel the need to offer you an explanation. If you’ll just listen to me…” He fell in line next to her, keeping up with her pace.

  “I believe you’ve said more than enough.” No doubt, he intended to regale her with his heartfelt concern for his friend; for Cade�
�s reputation and whatever else being seen with her could destroy. He’d tell her that it was unfair of society to be so judgmental, but it was the way of the world, nevertheless.

  “It’s true that I encouraged him to stay away from you, playing into his ego and status, but it wasn’t for him that I felt concerned.”

  “Is that so?” The man was a terrible liar. She could see right through his lie. In fact, she could not only see it, but sense it. Some part of her could feel the falseness in his words. It was strange though, because it was the same part of her that had been so drawn to Cade. Why she trusted that part of her after being proven so wrong was irrational, but she did—despite the way she’d dismissed that ‘sense’ as nothing more than a mind-trick a moment before.

  “I’m warning you, Ava. Cade is not all he appears to be. There is another side to him, of which I’m sure you have already been given a glimpse,” he nodded to the bruises on her arms. “You would be wise to keep your distance.”

  She looked down at her arms and her hands moved automatically to cover the bruises she saw there. She hadn’t even noticed they were there, but memories of what put them there flooded her veins. “And why do you say that, Victor? To protect me from him, or to protect him from a poor, pathetic magician’s assistant?”

  He looked at her, but didn’t say a word. He was breathing deeply and the glint in his golden eyes set her even more on edge. She picked up her pace, wanting to get away from him even more than she had a moment before.

  “What you are doesn’t concern me, Ava. What difference would it make to me if my friend gets himself involved with a rich woman or a poor woman? I only worry about what will remain of you when he can no longer keep his darker side in check in your presence.”

  Lies—every word he spoke was a lie. “I appreciate your concern, but I’ve been looking out for myself for a very long time.”