Panties, Calamities and Hungry Creatures (Grimstone Island)

by Rochelle Pearson

  “Glad to meet you.” Adrian went for another handshake, but Lucas blinked at it.

  “I’m not touching that.” He pointed.

  “Lucas, play nice,” I warned, a low growl followed.

  Lucas assessed Adrian, who wasn’t bothered in the least, waiting for Lucas to be done—Oh, wait that’s how I feel.

  “Fine. My apologies, kind sir.” Lucas saluted. “Kokoa is like my baby sister—”

  “We’re the same age, doofus.”

  “As I was saying, I expect you to be an absolute gentleman with an appropriate behavior around and towards her at all times.” Lucas squeezed my shoulder. “If neither happens, I intend to let Piper do the ass kicking because apparently I’m useless with my legs.”

  Being a good sport, Adrian listened intently to the bullshit.

  I was the one who should have been given the talk. After seeing how delicious he looked in a black suit, that emphasized his auburn hair and copper eyes, I didn’t have any sort of intent to act appropriate.

  Yasmin came to my rescue and unlatched Lucas’s hold. “Kokoa is a big girl. She can handle herself.” She directed this to Gavin, too. Some might have mistaken his relaxed posture as defining his current attitude. Look at the vamp’s blood red eyes darken, pupils vibrating, and you could tell he was not relaxed. I winked at him, and, thankfully, his eyes brightened a little.

  “Well, this all has been nice,” I said, tugging Adrian to the door. I snatched my clutch off a side table. “We’d best get going.”

  “Ten o clock!” Gavin reminded me, though he aimed it at the dragon, who nodded politely.

  “Don’t wait up!” I turned, missing any reaction, and hauled ass to the—holy shit—silver Rolls Royce. To hell with my beat up, two-seater Jeep. It’s a dusty pretzel cluster next to his glazed Royce pastry.

  Adrian chuckled at my blatant shock. “Never ridden in one before, darling?”

  We walked closer, feet crunching on the graveled ground. He held the passenger door open and I hesitantly crept closer, as if the luxurious machine might come alive and reject my sitting in it.

  The inside was decked out in cream seats and shiny dashboard doodads, emitting essences of the fancy-schmancy life. Ridden, stood next to, gazed upon, smelled, you name it, it had never been done. Finally realizing this wasn’t an illusion, I slid in.

  And froze.

  Adrian laughed under his breath again and clicked in the seat belt for me. I should have done it myself, but little ol’ nutjob me froze, afraid I’d get fingerprints on something.

  That left the hot dragon, pun intended, to come very close. He still hovered an inch in front of me after I was buckled in and smiled wickedly.

  “I’m glad to have taken your Rolls virginity.”

  It was starting, everyone. The countdown to a nuclear horny explosion had officially been turned on.

  As I watched him close the door, walk around to the driver’s side and smoothly slide in—it was only a matter of pussy tingling moments till shit was going down. Hell, I didn’t care how that seemed to common folk.

  It was going to happen.

  Adrian revved the engine. Light tremors hummed through my body. Not because of the car. One heated glance from him, and I knew he knew it too.

  Chapter Six

  Piper

  “Come on, come on, come on—leave already...” Piper muttered impatiently, clenching and unclenching her fists.

  Taillights and engine purr faded to nothing. Swallowed in darkness, Adrian and Kokoa were gone. Piper swiveled from her position at the front window and faced her comrades. Everyone waited around the living room.

  Arianna was vibrating. An evil smirk plastered on Heidi’s face. Lucas shifted on either foot, from excitement as well. Or failing restraint from being so close to Yasmin.

  Not an issue to handle with his merboy tukus now. Piper had bigger fish to fry.

  “They’re gone,” she announced.

  At that, everyone sprang into the first phase of the plan. They stood in a single file line in front of Heidi. The witch waved her wand, and hot pink glitter showered upon Onyx, who stood at the helm.

  Piper couldn’t hold in the laughter. Neither could everyone else after Heidi worked her magic on her boyfriend.

  “It’s like he’s a different person,” Lucas said in awe.

  “You’re really working that fedora, Onyx.” Arianna clapped, and bounced in place.

  “The power of disguise,” Piper mused. She felt a surge of energy rocket her system that prickled her pointed ears. She inhaled the usual magic that surrounded the panther shifter—it was muted, next to nothing.

  Onyx wasn’t himself anymore. Virtually undetectable.

  This is gonna work, she thought, watching more glitter showers pour onto Gavin. The vampire now had a goatee.

  His support on the plan wasn’t surprising. A plan devised after she left Skully’s that morning.

  Piper loved her bestie Kokoa to death and expected some hate might fly her way. That is, if the group got caught. But it would be worth it.

  Stating the obvious: movie night was a total sham.

  Piper needed to see for herself if this Adrian guy intended to receive the Friends’ Seal of Approval Badge. Regardless he was Ari’s brother. And even though Arianna had nothing bad to say about him, the twin was simply along for the ride to partake in mayhem, and that was a check plus, plus in Piper’s book.

  While Kokoa assumed the majority of them were all hunky-dory, in actuality, they didn’t know much about Adrian, besides stuff from public hearsay and little courtesy bits here and there from Arianna—she wasn’t entirely privy of everything about her brother. Including his private life with women. Gavin’s brief business dealings, which were absolutely nothing social, as he had stated earlier, left nothing more to go on either.

  So, a little recon—incognito style—shall shed some much needed light for Piper.

  “Check out these threads!” Lucas smoothed his new pinstripe suit. His naturally light blonde hair was slicked back, and now brown. A newly placed giant nose consumed most of his face. And thick satyr horns curled at his temples and hairy hooves replaced once clumsy feet. “What is this? Egyptian cotton? I’m so snazzy.” He winked at Yasmin, who wasn’t in her typical laid-back style anymore, either.

  Silver sequins really brought out her complexion, but the new hair was a bit of an eyesore.

  “Wanna touch me?” Lucas asked, wiggling his brows. “Oops, I mean, wanna touch the suit?”

  “Don’t make me rip off that ugly-ass nose,” Yasmin growled, showing slim feline fangs.

  Lucas moaned, almost swooning. “So you do wanna touch me.”

  Good Goddess, those two had better not hack the plan to pieces, or they’d definitely be screwed.

  Piper stepped forward, allowing Heidi to unleash tickling glitter and—feathers?

  Oh, boy. It was now in the Gods’ hands of how tonight would turn out.

  Chapter Seven

  There were several dozen topics that could’ve been brought up during the silent ride through the Forest of Vida—which I and most of Grimstone’s population inhabit. Dense, tall trees thrive throughout it, providing many cubbyhole areas where cabins sat such as the one me, Piper and Lucas live in. Some contain clusters of such, creating cozy neighborhoods.

  Pause.

  You see? All of this could easily have been voiced aloud to fill the tension-infused air and yet, I was just staring out the window doing the same scenery rundown in my head for the millionth time, since I passed it every damn day.

  Conversation was difficult, due to the breezy tendrils of lust wafting from my driver and onto me. You could ask where he lives. Isn’t that the point of this date?

  Ugh. I cringed. I already knew he lived in an upscale penthouse in the ever-so-lavish Occult Condos on the outskirts of Hallow Circle, the practical town square. I knew of his family history, as I did the rest of the island founder members, given I’m a descendant of one, as well.r />
  What about something else basic?

  All right. I cleared my throat and asked, “Soooo, what’s your middle name?” My clear vision in the dark caught his brow raise.

  “Neal,” he answered.

  I nodded, chewing on that tidbit. Adrian Neal Galzra. “That’s a nice name.”

  “Thank you.” The corner of his mouth turned up, producing a tiny dimple I hadn’t noticed.

  Stop staring at his mouth. I jerked my head to face forward. The luminescent clock on the dashboard ticked five minutes passed, as I stared.

  I spoke again. “Would you like to know my middle—”

  “It’s Tammy.”

  “Of course, you already knew that.” Named after my second older sister. Sighing, I sunk lower. Him having knowledge of this, and no doubt of my security species number (comparable to the human’s social security) and bra size, wasn’t something to freak out about. Lizard dude had his claws in many pies. On the night of my birthday he’d outright stated, “This island becomes very small in the position I am in. I’m privy to a lot of information... about everyone.” Not surprising. His whole governing family did. And possibly other people if they tried hard enough. It’s gossip central in the Hallow Circle.

  After he’d said that, I thought it was a warning, or an implication that I was hiding something—I really wasn’t. Unless he’d found out about my gummy bear stash taped underneath a loose floorboard in my room. Other than that, I was basically an open book. But he’d gone on to say I essentially guarded something no man has ever gotten from me.

  Discount the ol’ virginity. That left the building once Henry Sparks, a fire elemental warlock, lit up my world in the broken bunk of his dad’s RV in junior high.

  That poor shag rug. Scorch marks the cause of its sad ending.

  Instead, I deduced Adrian was referring to my heart. That mush was too poetically sweet and not my style, so I’d let it go.

  He’ll learn my heart is greedier than my stomach. Shockingly. Hence my snuggle buddies: Jonathan and Gavin.

  The silence was thick, though not uncomfortable, I’d say, or in the least awkward. It was more like we were patiently waiting for something. To get to the restaurant? Or for that nuclear countdown to get to single digits already?

  “Are you hungry?” I asked.

  Adrian smiled broadly. “Ravenous.” It came out in a whisper, dripping in innuendo. I gulped and gripped my dress material. Here I go again, shedding my wolf skin to become a sheep. A sheep alone with a starving dragon.

  The moon guided us closer to the forest exit, its pure blue-white light beamed onto the dirt road. On either side, blanketed in darkness, stood oak trees. If I’d wanted to peek, I’d have seen a few lone people or couples strolling through the woods. Nocturnal life exposing themselves. Instead, I didn’t look. In fact, since I’d last spoken, I’d made it a bold habit to keep glancing at the predator maneuvering the car.

  He was doing the same.

  It was easy to tell, because his copper irises blazed inside the dark interior, casting in my direction every seven seconds. Yes, I counted. It’s a good thing supernaturals are great at multitasking or we’d have been up a tree, among the many who find themselves in an embarrassing one-car accident.

  Gods, I’m going crazy. My wolf was on all fours, pacing.

  Waiting.

  Wanting.

  A spark of excitement pinged on all sides inside my stomach like a pinball machine. Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars had said he’d felt a great disturbance in the Force. Well, I was experiencing Great Horniness in my Force.

  Eyes shifted left, our gazes met yet again. An audible, sharp gasp escaped me. He responded with a low growl, resonating deep in his chest. This was getting to be overwhelming, but in a good way, if that made sense.

  Hell, I wasn’t entirely sane anyway.

  The air was sugarcoated in desire, as was the heavy stare Adrian made no effort to control. It clung to our exposed skin and clothing like mist.

  Sexual magic—a pull I’d felt once we finally came face-to-face—by no means repellent. Nor nonconsensual. I was very aware of our being within inches of each other, and what that was doing to my body. My brain was clear—there was no denying I wanted this man.

  My fangs tingled, extending. I vibrated and made the mistake of uncrossing my legs. Adrian hissed, sensing my arousal, and gripped the steering wheel tighter. It creaked under his grip. We passed a lonesome street lamp and orange light briefly poured in, highlighting the dragon’s clenched jaw.

  A dragon’s near break of control.

  Lucky for him, I was already gone.

  “Pull over.” The words barely left my lips, before the car jerked to the side of the road into an alcove under trees, cast in deep shadow. The turn off for Vida was still several kilometers away but I wasn’t exactly eager to get there just yet.

  Simultaneously, we unbuckled our seatbelts. Then I was half across the console, my right leg stretched out to hook over his hip, which he had twisted forward. In a fiery crash, our mouths ignited against each other. Nothing slow. Nothing lightly sensual. No, I fucked Adrian with my lips in rough fashion, just as he did me. He lapped the roof of my mouth with his tongue, nipping and tugging. He delved deep, making me whimper and moan, slanting our conjoined state, opening us wider, and he groaned louder.

  I trembled, plastered against his warm planes. His hands held the nape of my neck and cupped the thigh closest to him, boldly dragging higher till it reached my panties’ edge.

  Do you see my infinity towards smokin’ men? Dragon Dude lit my skin on fire.

  Not literally. Close to, though. My blood boiled, beautifully. So, good, so fucking amazingly hot. Heavy pants filled the car space. I had no chance to express verbally, well, anything, since we refused, in an unspoken agreement, to part our lips. Gripping his sexy square jaw in place, I tried crawling further onto him.

  A strap snagged my shoe.

  Damn seatbelt.

  No way would I let something ruin this moment. I jerked the caught leg but ended up hitting my knee against the middle console. I needed to set course for his lap, damn it!

  The annoyance wrapped higher up my calf.

  A frustrated grunt came out, prompting Adrian to pause. “Kokoa,” he breathed.

  “Hush, I’m trying to rock your world.” I released his pretty face to quickly free my leg. “Just excuse the delay.” Everything protested to ignore the interference—my pussy that was wet, my fangs that ached, and my wolf that howled.

  Adrian chuckled softly. “Not this time, darling. I predict another catastrophe if you are on top of me again.”

  “Aw, you know me so well.” I giggled, then shut my trap upon replaying his words and really getting a good look at him. Mussed hair added to the maddeningly gorgeous appearance he owned. A slow, predator-like grin spread wide, revealing double fangs—a pair on the top and a pair on the bottom. Copper turned fire-orange eyes flickered. Struck frozen, I followed his raised hand. His fingers snapped and suddenly my vision blurred in a green haze. That’s certainly familiar.

  What makes the previous time, where I’d been transported in the green cloud box and dropped on my ass across the island, differ from now? Adrian’s serpent sorcery blinked me out of the passenger seat and spread me flat on the backseat—and with a very happy Galzra on top—happy, according to the bulge pressed against my stomach.

  “Hi,” I said, meekly.

  “Hello.” He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. His movements were so gentle, even with a muscled body striding mine. He wasn’t overbearing. So gentle, despite his dominating actions.

  Okay, let’s get a fast firm grip here, folks.

  Was this gonna happen? In the backseat of a Rolls Royce on the side of the road? An addition to the list of things I’d never done with this car. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done the bump and grind in worse places. And yes, it’ll definitely beat Henry Sparks’ hijacked recreational vehicle.

  Yet, reality persistently
tapped my shoulder.

  But hold on now, learning his middle name counted for something, right?

  It does?

  Okay, then. Reasoning can shut the hell up.

  Chapter Eight

  “I can practically hear your thoughts,” Adrian stated, shifting slightly, revealing space between.

  Automatically I pulled him back down. “Oh, yeah?” I paused and made a point to hook my leg over his hip, proving actions and thoughts don’t always align. I earned a lovely growl. Yeah, no one knows what goes on in my head, buddy.

  Most times, even I don’t.

  “We can stop.” He whispered the vile suggestion.

  “No,” Leaning up, I continued the heated kiss we’d started. He broke, sighing. Eyebrows pinched together, he buried his face in the crook of my neck, leaving tasty trails of kisses and small bites. My breasts were cupped and squeezed. I arched into the greedy touch.

  “Soft. You’re perfect.” He said.

  Let me point out to the invisible viewing audience, Adrian’s voice, speech, whatever sounds he unleashes are so damn sexy. Deep and husky. He could talk for endless hours about how human civilization was cultivated and I’d explode in my undies a thousand times over again.

  I didn’t even try to tap down a wave of loud moans. What I craved was obvious. If Adrian couldn’t tell, then the not so subtle pelvic thrust grinding on his lap would give him a clue. He held me firm at the waist and reared up, looking delicious—and very hungry.

  “We have reservations and I intend to make tonight right,” he declared in a soft tone. The movement to inch up my dress, and his fully erect cock pressing against me contradicted his notion to do anything else, though.

  “I’ll cooperate. No drinking anything I’d never heard of before,” I promised with a knowing grin. That list is short, by the way. I’m an enthusiast. “And no passing out on your dick.”

  “I won’t allow to it happen again.” He smiled, then became serious. “First...” He raised the hem of my cocktail dress. Cool air caressed my now exposed wet panty clad mound, cascading shivers down my spine.