by Sky Winters
“You must live nearby,” she told him.
“I was out in the country,” he said, leaning in closer to speak quietly. “I flew here. I’m really fast.”
“And yet you’re perfectly dressed,” she countered, not sure if he was kidding or why her head was now swimming with whatever divine scent it was he was wearing.
“I have a spot,” he told her.
“Of course,” she replied.
A lot of people “had a spot” where they stashed clothes for emergencies or convenience. Usually, it was a grab bag in a tree in the woods or some vacant space somewhere, though. His shirt seemed perfectly pressed. He was a lot more put together than she had expected someone who worked in construction to be. Then again, she guessed owning a construction company was a bit different than being one of the workers.
“What’s your poison?” he asked, pointing toward her glass.
“Oh, just ginger ale.”
“Non-drinker?”
“I had a few while I was waiting for my friend. I didn’t want to get too out of hand.”
“Responsible,” he commented, waving down the server and speaking to her. Adriana didn’t miss the way she fawned on him. It seemed he had an effect on other women, as well. “Can we get another ginger ale for the lady and I’ll have a beer. You have any Guinness on tap?”
“We do. I’ll get those right over to you,” she said with a little giggle before sashaying away.
Much to his credit, he didn’t linger on her curves as she disappeared toward the bar, and she was definitely jiggly as well as giggly. Instead, he immediately turned back to Adriana, leaning back against the cool leather of the booth and making eye contact. She could feel the wetness between her legs. Jesus. He was temptation personified.
“So, Adriana. Do you have another name to go with the first one?” he asked.
“Lee,” she replied.
It wasn’t exactly a lie. Her middle name was Lee, and he hadn’t specified a last name. Not that she could have given him her last name anyway. She was known among the various pack communities, but they only recognized her byline, not her face. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be an issue to just say she was a journalist. Journalists need love too, but you’d be hard-pressed to find an Omega working in a position like hers.
“How about you?” she asked, realizing she might have come off as being a bit curt with her answer.
“Me? Dane Johnson, DJ to my friends.”
“Which do you prefer?”
“Honestly? Dane. DJ sounds like someone’s punk little brother,” he laughed.
“And are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Someone’s punk little brother.”
“Actually, no. I’m an only child now.”
“Now?”
“Well, I had a brother, but he isn’t with us anymore.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she replied.
“It’s okay. How about you?”
“Oh, me too. I mean, an only child. I never had a sibling,” she replied, annoyed that she was stumbling over her words. Was it him or the martinis?
“Really? That sounds unusual for an Omega.”
Adriana realized, too late, that she’d slipped up. Omegas were known for their large litters, and it was rare to find one who was a single birth.
“My grandmother was human,” she replied. “I guess it throws off the whole large litter thing.”
At least that much was true, but it was possible that she shouldn’t have told him. Now, she’d painted herself as a substandard Omega. In truth, it was a blessing. Not only was she a Beta like her mother, but she’d inherited the ability to multi-shift like her half-human father. Because of the generational gap, though, she was limited as to which animals she could become.
“Wow. You don’t find many shifters here with humans in their mix. That’s unusual,” he said.
Unusual. He was being polite. He thought she was a freak. She was almost relieved when the giggly waitress with the massive cleavage returned. She paused, mid-thought. What was wrong with her? She didn’t usually care whether someone found her interesting or not. With him, there seemed to be some underlying desperation to make a good impression.
He barely nodded at the girl, instead picking up the beer she sat down and taking a sip of it while looking at Adriana with that completely disarming gaze of his. She made every effort not to squirm in her seat as she met his eyes with her own.
“What is it that you do, Adriana? Do you work? Go to school? Your profile didn’t say much about that other than you are an administrative assistant. Is that full time or just on the way to something else?”
“No, I just work as an administrative assistant. You know, make copies, get coffee, data entry. Boring stuff,” she told him. “And you? You own a small construction business?”
“Yes. Turner and Hood over in Cobalt County. I bought it when they went bankrupt a few years ago. I felt bad for them, but they made some serious errors in judgment. The bank repossessed, and I got it when it went up for auction the following year. I left the name out of respect for their families. They were well known in the area and friends to my clan.”
That was interesting. Adriana knew all about Turner and Hood. They’d lost their company because they got mixed up in drugs and gambling. They were tied up with some bad people, and there had been a bit of flack about money owed to certain individuals who thought they should have handed them the company before the bank got their hands on it. She had thought some big development company had bought it.
“Hopefully, it’s recovered from being in such dire straits,” she said.
“Oh, yes. Whole new ballgame now.”
“That’s good then. Didn’t they build that complex over by the Stanfield River?”
“Yes, we did,” he replied.
He said it with such pride, and yet, she didn’t think it was anything to be prideful about. They’d done a lot of unnecessary damage to the ecosystem.
“I’m surprised that a dragon handled that project,” she said, unable to hold back her thoughts.
“You think we should have left it alone?”
“Yes, I do. You displaced thousands of reptiles when you disturbed their natural habitat.”
“Are you saying I should feel some sort of kinship with a bunch of lizards and snakes? Dragons are not reptiles. I would think that you . . . wait, I just realized that your profile never mentioned what kind of shifter you are, so perhaps you are unfamiliar with dragons. What is your animal?”
“Which one?” she said, meeting his gaze defiantly.
“Ah, I see. Your human DNA gives you a choice. How interesting.”
“To answer your implied question, I can shift into a dragon, and I am familiar with them as my mother is a dragon too. I can also shift into any mammal, small or large. I was referring to your disregard for nature, in general.”
Much to her surprise, he laughed.
“You’re a bit of a fireball, aren’t you? Listen, I have to go. I told you I have something going on in the morning,” he said, picking up his beer and draining the last of it. “I’m glad we had a moment to meet. I’ll message you when I get a chance.”
“Sure,” she replied, feigning a smile that she was quite sure came off more as a smirk.
He chuckled and stood up, dropping some cash on the table for their drinks.
“Goodnight, Adriana Lee.”
“Goodnight, Dane Johnson.”
She watched as he walked across the bar and out the front doors, her brows screwed together in a puzzled expression. The server walked back over, looking disappointed that he was gone.
“Can I get you anything else?”
Adriana looked up at her and sighed.
“Yeah. How about a plate of those big-ass loaded nachos you serve and a margarita?”
“I take it he isn’t coming back,” the server said, seeming empathetic.
“You take it right,” Adriana told her. “Put the
drinks and food on my bill and take the cash he left for yourself.”
“Lovely. Thank you.”
Adriana leaned back and closed her eyes. She was going to have to do better. Acting like an Omega was hard.
CHAPTER SIX
Dane
Dane chuckled as he walked back to his apartment. It was only about four blocks from the bar where he had met the very interesting Adriana Lee. She was different from any Omega he’d ever met before. They were usually demurer and accommodating. Instead, she was inquisitive and enthusiastic about things that concerned her. He’d see her again, but he had to get home before the evening fog lifted.
Why he’d felt the need to fly back just to have a quick meeting with her was beyond him, but he had felt a pull toward her. She was even more attractive than her picture—definitely lived up to the reputations attributed to most redheads. All fire and ice.
Sweeping past the doorman, he made his way to the elevator and up to the penthouse, letting himself in and stripping down to nothing before making his way up the staircase that led to his roof garden. There, he shifted and took to the sky again. He’d hated to leave so quickly but knew the fog was due to lift soon. He needed to get up above it and out of the city before that happened or he’d be taking the long way back and stuck with two cars up at what he liked to refer to as his hideaway.
He was looking forward to curling up in his old bed and getting a good night’s sleep, but it wasn’t going to happen. Instead, he was met with lights and sirens as he approached. What the fuck was happening now?
As he grew closer, he realized that the workshop was on fire, and the place was surrounded by cops and firemen from the human side of town based on their trucks. With the exception of meeting a hot redhead, this day was turning out to be really shitty. Thinking quickly, he landed in the woods behind the house and pulled a bag out of a tree there, slipping into the exercise clothes inside.
He ran through the side path to where it joined the river and began slowly jogging up that until he was back at the house, a bit sweaty and looking as if he’d been out for a run. Hopefully, that would be enough to explain why his car was there but he wasn’t and how he had no idea his workshop was on fire, though the last part was completely true.
“What is going on here?” he shouted as he approached, headed toward the workshop.
“Whoa, hold on. Stay back. Are you Mr. Jenson? Is this your place?”
“Yes. What’s happened?”
“Don’t know. We were hoping you could tell us.”
“No. I went for a run, and it was fine when I left.”
“Well, the fire marshal will want to ask you some more questions once they’ve got this thing put out and he’s had a chance to determine a cause. Unless he has a problem, we won’t need anything from you.”
“I can tell you now that I didn’t set my own workshop on fire.”
“Why would you think we are considering that you might have?” he said, a single eyebrow raised.
“I’m just making sure you know that upfront.”
“Good to know,” he replied.
Dane stood watching quietly as the firemen pumped water from the massive truck. He’d seen them down at the river filling it dozens of times in the past when he still lived out here. Of course, he’d never thought he’d need them to come put out anything, but at least it was the workshop and not the house. Still, he was puzzled as to how it could be fine for so long, other than the damage he had found, and all of a sudden go up like this. Had he sparked something when he had gone in there earlier?
It took the better part of two hours to put it out with all the woodworking chemicals he had stored out there. They must have really sent it up even more than what he was seeing when he had arrived. When they were finally done, they began filing out. The workshop was gone. It had burned completely to the ground before they could put it out. They’d only kept pushing water to make sure it stayed out.
“Well, Mr. Jensen, not much I can see out here tonight. Your building is taped off with police tape. Keep in mind that it is treated as a potential crime scene until I’ve investigated it and do not cross the line.”
“Got it. Thanks,” Dane told him.
“I’ll be back at daylight to do my investigation. No need for you to be out here if you have things to do. You’ll hear from me when I’m done.”
“I’ll be here. I’ll stay out of your way.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Dane watched as he climbed back into his truck and pulled away, tossing up his hand in a gesture of departure as he turned around and headed back out the driveway. Dane looked at the black ruins of his workshop and groaned. He was tempted to look around but knew it would only make him appear guilty of something. Instead, he went into the house, wrinkling his nose up at the smell of charred wood coming from next door. It was going to take more than a day or two for that to air out.
He considered just going back to the city, but it was late, and he was tired. Instead, he showered and went to bed. At least he could sleep in if he wanted now. He’d intended to get up early and go get the supplies he needed to repair the workshop, but that was out now. Instead, he’d just wait until it was clear for him to rebuild, though it was heartbreaking to lose the place he and his father had worked side by side in during his childhood and a good portion of his adult life.
It had been therapeutic, building one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture out there. Even when his father had achieved success with the company that now belonged to Dane, he’d continued to live out here in their old house and work with his hands. You’d have never known he was a multi-millionaire when he died, just as you’d not know Dane had inherited that money after his parents lost their lives. He didn’t feel like a rich man. He felt like the same old Dane Jensen he had always been.
Tomorrow, he would get up, see what the fire marshal had to say, and then see about clearing away the debris so he could rebuild.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Adriana
Adriana woke up feeling like someone who stayed out too late and overindulged. Thank God she didn’t have to get up early. Instead, she rolled over and buried her face into her pillow. Why had she drunk so much last night? It wasn’t like her at all, but she’d just felt the need for release. As much as she liked to pretend she was a badass and that the incident with Parquo hadn’t bothered her, the truth was that it had.
He had taken something from her. Her sense of anonymity. Most people couldn’t tell you what a writer looked like to save their own lives. They were names behind a style of writing their readers enjoyed, and that was good enough for them. While social media had brought faces to the forefront that would have remained in the shadows before, she did her best to keep a low profile due to the nature of her articles.
She operated under a shield, or so she thought until he turned up in her office and cornered her. It made her realize that she wasn’t so hard to find, after all. In fact, it had been incredibly easy for him to find her and accost her. She’d have to reconsider how she put herself out there in the future, so maybe this dating piece wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Yvette had perhaps known she needed to regroup a bit before tackling another hard-hitting article that might endanger her in such a way.
So, that was it then. Here she was doing some fluff piece on a dating app. So far, she’d been on one bad date, stood up by one, and insulted a third. It was too bad too. Dane Johnson looked like someone she could really enjoy doing some thorough research into. The way he owned the room told her that he was always in charge. It might not be something she was interested in as far as dating went, but the bedroom was a different matter. She had no doubt that he knew his way around every button of hers he could find to push.
She closed her eyes and envisioned what he must look like, fresh out of the shower, wearing nothing but a towel. He might be a dragon, but he moved like a big cat—his long legs striding with the pride only a big cat displayed. Some of her best moments had been spent in th
e form of a cat, from the smallest house cat to the fastest cheetah racing through the jungles on a holiday to Africa.
Shifting was one of the greatest joys in life and being in the throes of ecstasy with a man who possessed the confidence the Alpha males of her kind did was beyond amazing. She might not care much for what they had to say outside the bedroom, but when they shed their clothes and took control in private moments, you couldn’t ask for much more as a woman.
Dane Johnson might have only spent a fleeting time with her, but he had left an impression behind. He was a bit cocky, but not so much that she loathed him. He was articulate but not condescending and he looked at her in a way that would melt butter. She could only imagine what those soft, full lips of his might feel like on her skin.
She closed her eyes and let her mind wander, along with her hands. Her fingers slipped over her skin like butterflies flitting about. Her skin was heated, eager to be touched. It had been a while since she’d given in to her physical urges with anyone, even herself. Now, she craved the sweet release of orgasm.
Her fingers continued to slip across her body, drifting downward to her breasts and slowly circling her nipples until they were hardened into tiny little buds that ached to be suckled. What that must feel like with him. One hand continued teasing a single nipple as her other drifted down across her stomach and between her legs.
She felt a jolt of excitement as she found her clit and began to massage it. Having gone without for so long made even her own touch that much more powerful. She imagined it was his hand arousing her, pushing her to the edge as she slowly milked it back and forth, feeling it harden between her fingers. The ache pulsated through her center as she slipped further down, sliding her perfectly manicured nails along the wet folds of her pussy. She was soaked and getting wetter just thinking about what it would feel like to be with him.
A moan escaped her lips as she slipped two fingers inside, pushing them into her hungry void and slipping them free again before bringing them to her lips to taste her juices. She squirmed between the sheets as she finger fucked herself into a frenzy, alternating between fast and slow movements until she could barely hold back anymore. She was so close, but not quite able to push herself over the precipice.