by Juniper Hart
“I took the risk,” he replied.
“I could’ve refused,” she told him with a sharp tone.
She was flushed from the experience, but she had explicitly told him to stay away from her. He had ignored her.
“You’re worth the risk.” He held out a hand for her. “I know you don’t remember me. I’m trying to understand that. All that I’m asking is that you give me a chance to win your heart back. Will you give me that chance? One night. That’s all I’m asking.”
She studied him. All her logic was telling her to stay away from him. He was dangerous. He was a stranger. He was probably crazy. But on a deeper level, her heart was telling her to take his hand and go all in. After a moment of consideration, she reached out her hand and took his. His hand was warm, strong, and cradled hers lovingly.
“One night,” she said. “Prove everything to me.”
“Everything,” he promised, putting his other hand on top of hers. “Everything.”
“You better not turn into a dragon again.”
“I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep us safe.”
“What about me?”
“I have a gun in my bag,” he replied. “I brought it for you.”
“The last gun didn’t do much against the orcs,” she protested.
“It’s a different kind of gun.”
He led them towards their hotel room. She caught the number of a room that they passed: 2716. They were on the twenty-seventh floor of the monumental building. Twenty-seven was also her lucky number, so she was pretty happy about that. He slid the card into the key reader and it blinked green before he pushed open their hotel room door.
Sarah had always associated hotel rooms with low qualities of living. They were just temporary residences. The ones she’d stayed in were usually cheap ones, so they didn’t have any amenities or anything better than a tiny shower and a bed.
This hotel was different. She spotted a full bar, a king-size bed adorned with decorative pillows, and an expansive bathroom. There was even a large jacuzzi bathtub she couldn’t wait to use. To top it all off, a decadent balcony waited outside.
She put her hands to cover her mouth. “Oh, wow…”
“Do you like it?” he moved to the bed. “The view is amazing.”
“It’s beautiful!”
She wandered over to the window, looking at the city. Part of her worried about someone watching them through the windows from one of the nearby buildings, but then noticed a sliding curtain ran across the curved glass wall. She drew the curtain shut. They were concealed from the rest of the world. Whoever had shot that arrow at her would have killed her back at her own apartment. She didn’t want to give them a good shot at either her or Ember.
When she turned around, Ember was naked and rooting through his bags. He had a beautiful geometric design tattooed over his right shoulder. Her theories about his body was completely right—lean and powerful.
Sarah turned away, embarrassed. “Well, you don’t waste any time, do you?”
“What do you mean?” The meaning behind her comment seemed to dawn on him. “You’ve seen it all before anyway,” he said with a shrug.
“Well, not for a thousand years, according to you.” Her cheeks were burning.
“Well, I’m going to take a shower. Of course, you are welcome to join me,” he said as he headed to the bathroom.
“I’m good, thanks,” laughed Sarah.
She could hear him laugh as the water turned on.
“I could sue you for indecency,” she called after him.
He peeked his head outside of the bathroom door. “I’ve been around much too long to worry about your laws. I’m not saying I’m above the law, but, well, yes, I am above the law. Besides, I saw your flushed cheeks—you liked what you saw.”
She opened her mouth to come up with the perfect comeback, but was silent. She wanted to be offended, but the man, or dragon, or whatever he was supposed to be, was absolutely right.
“Hey, if you want food,” he called from the shower, “there’s a menu by the bed.”
Sarah plopped down on the large, cozy bed and immediately sank into it as if it were made just for her.
I could get used to this, she thought.
She felt soothed by the rain outside and the sound of the shower running. Comfortable. Protected. The air was set at just the right temperature. No huge scary creatures were attacking them. They were safe, for the moment.
She knew there would come a time when she was scared again, but in that moment, she was determined to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Her body was exhausted and she fought to keep her eyes opened.
6
“Hey,” Ember said. “You’re hogging the bed.”
Suddenly, she realized that she had fallen asleep without her permission. She opened her eyes to see Ember looking at her.
“Are you wearing pants?” she asked, almost afraid to look.
“You asked me to.”
“That’s not an answer.”
He lifted a leg. He was wearing linen pants. She shifted up into a small mountain of pillows. “Sorry. I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep.”
“I’m supposed to be spending this time to convince you I’m telling you the truth,” he reminded. “That was the agreement, remember?”
She blinked sleep out of her eyes. “Can you put on a shirt at least?”
He grinned. “I’ll put on a shirt if you stay awake to ask me all the questions you might have.”
“Deal.”
He pulled on the rest of his sleep wear, which was evidently just the counterpart to the pants. “Are you going to shower?”
“I was going to.” She scooted over to part of the bed, making a pillow barricade to keep them apart. “But this bed is pretty tempting… and I don’t have any clothes.”
“There are robes in the bathroom,” he said while gesturing to the bathroom.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Then, yes, I will shower in a minute.”
Ember sat down on the other side of the pillow wall. “So, I imagine you have some questions for me?”
She did have some questions for him. She had a whole list, but her brain wasn’t fully working. She had never been good at waking up quickly. It took her a solid fifteen minutes to get her brain up and running. There was no doubt she had questions. All she had to do was remember them.
Until she could think of them, she just bluffed. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Take your time. Are you hungry?”
“Not really…”
She looked up at the fan swirling overhead. “Here’s a question for you. What happens if Roland catches me?”
“We both die.”
“Why you?”
“I’ll die before I see him hurt you.”
She glanced over at him. He wasn’t looking at her. He was staring up at the ceiling. She couldn’t see his body under his shirt, but she remembered the tattoo on his shoulder. “I like your tattoo.”
“That’s good. You didn’t like it the first time we met.”
“How did you and I supposedly meet so long ago?”
“Just like normal humans, I guess. I was passing through your village and I saw you. Immediately, I knew you were the one. I just came up and talked to you. I didn’t break my genetics to you immediately. I got to know you first.”
“Huh. So,” she said. “I saw the orcs already. What shot at me in my apartment? That arrow?”
“Probably a goblin,” he replied. “Doesn’t really matter. That was a steel bolt. I know, I know. Why use a bolt when you can use a gun? Goblins…” he tried to think of a good way to say it. “They’re not the smartest things. They’re big into tradition.”
She was starting to pull out of her sleep mode. “I’m going to drill you on me. If you and I were really married, you’d know these things about me.”
He put his hands behind his head. “Drill away.”
�
��What’s my favorite color?”
“Red.”
“Am I a leftie?’
“Ambidextrous.”
“Republican or democrat?”
“Neither. You hate politics.”
She frowned. “Huh. What’s my brother’s name?”
He laughed. “You don’t have a brother.”
“I don’t get how you would know that,” she protested. “My brother, if I ever had one, wouldn’t reincarnate with me!”
He was laughing. “I found that out when I tracked you down in this life. It has nothing to do with the past.”
She tried to summon the energy to get up. She finally found it deep within herself and lunged up, wandering over to the bathroom. She needed to clear her mind, and nothing did that better than washing her face. It would take off the last random bits of her makeup that had survived the rain. She looked in the mirror and grimaced. Mascara was smeared below her eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me I look terrible?”
“You don’t. Not to me,” he said as he came in stood in the bathroom doorway.
“Well, aren’t you the sweet talker?” she said, mockingly. “I bet you talk to all the girls like that.”
“Oh, all of them,” he replied sarcastically. “Same routine every time.”
She turned on the water and let it warm up before splashing it on her face. “So, what’s your secret to getting women? A pill? Some sort of mind technique you read on the internet somewhere?”
He came up behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Well, first, I tell her the truth.”
She recognized his arm but didn’t move it off. “Truth, huh? Interesting.”
“Then, I tell her how much I love her,” he told her. “And how I want to keep her safe and happy for all of eternity.”
He moved up closer, almost as though asking her permission. When she didn’t reject him, he nuzzled up against her, running a hand along her lean thigh.
She felt a shudder move through her body from head to toe at his touch. “So, what do you do next?”
He brushed a hand by her hip, gliding his fingers just past the hem of her panties under her jeans. He was playing with her. “I hold her close to show her how special and beautiful she is in my eyes.”
She held in a moan. “I’d say you’re doing good so far.”
“I’m glad,” he replied smoothly.
He slid a hand under her shirt, across her belly button, and up between her supple breasts. Sarah unbuttoned her blouse and slipped it off, as he reached behind her and unclipped her bra before kissing her neck.
Her eyes were open and her heart was thumping in her chest loud enough that she was slightly worried he could hear it. “This doesn’t mean I believe you,” she murmured.
“I’ll take it.”
He pulled his pajamas off, leaving his muscular body in front of her with washboard abs and bronze skin. She glanced down at his manhood. Her eyes widened in surprise at his immense size. She started worrying about fitting him inside of her.
“I’ll be gentle,” he assured her with those enchanted orange eyes and a playful smile.
He kissed her passionately on the lips, massaging her back sensuously with his powerful hands. She reached down to his groin and took his member into her hand, stroking it gently and feeling him grow.
He let out a deep groan.
He slipped her jeans and panties down and pushed them off to the side onto the smooth, chilled floor. Her legs were bare and smooth. Her blood was pumping loudly, her breath coming quickly.
“You’re my everything,” he breathed into her ear.
She kneeled down in front of the shifter, and took the tip of his cock into her mouth before slowly settling her mouth over him, inch by inch.
He sighed as she expertly used her tongue to apply pressure while her fingers wrapped around the base of his cock to intensify his pleasure.
Ember guided her up from her knees.
“Tonight is all about you,” he cooed in her ear.
She liked the sound of that.
Ember then lifted her onto the cold, granite countertop. Goosebumps formed over her body from the cold, hard surface against her bare ass.
Ember kissed her fervently before inserting a finger into her slit, moving it back and forth while gently massaging her pink bud with his thumb. His gentle motions sent shivers through her body as she felt the intensity from his touch begin to grow.
Her nectar trickled from her core as she found Ember irresistible.
“Take me, Ember,” Sarah cried out, not wanting to wait any longer to feel him inside of her.
He pushed his rod between her legs into the center of her femininity. An audible gasp passed her lips from the sensation of him filling her. Sarah grabbed onto his hips, guiding his every movement as he moved in and out of her repeatedly.
His hand reached up to her chest and he slowly massaged her breast, taking special care with her nipple, which he pinched gingerly between his thumb and index fingers.
Shudders pulsated through her body as the movements grew faster. She was on the brink of climax when lifted her from the counter effortlessly and pushed her back up against the wall. He thrust into her harder and harder until his powerful body tensed and they both were sent over the edge in unison.
Ember continued to hold Sarah in place with his head resting against her shoulder as she basked in the waves of pleasure undulating throughout her body.
She felt small and vulnerable in his grip, but somehow protected and cared for at the same time. She looked up at him. He brushed a lock of her hair out of her eyes, looking down at her lovingly.
“I love you,” he told her. “I’ve loved you for one-thousand years, and I’ll cherish every moment with you for a thousand more.”
She felt warmth blossom inside her chest. “You’re not real. You can’t be real. There aren’t actually men like you.”
“I’m not a man,” he replied gently.
She looked into his eyes. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but she found it. He winked at her and set her down on her own two feet.
She watched his tattoo as he pulled on his pants. “So, what’s the story behind the tattoo?”
“It’s the symbol of fire from a civilization long since forgotten,” he replied.
“So how old are you?”
He mused it around. “I don’t know...”
“You don’t know? How can you not know that?”
“I just haven’t kept track. If I really thought about it, I would say I am about five-thousand years old.”
She breathed out. “Wow. The stories you must have…”
“I’ve got a few,” he said. “Mostly, I’ve lived a good life, but I’ve been around long enough to see the wicked side of humanity. That’s one thing that never changes.”
“That’s kind of a downer,” Sarah said while scrunching her eyebrows together.
A look of concern came over his face. “Uh-oh. Put your clothes on and hurry.”
She hesitated, trying to read his expression. “Why?”
“Now.” He snorted smoke. His throat started to warm up. “We’re not alone. I can smell drakes.”
“Drakes?” she tried to pull her jeans on and almost slipped. She caught herself before she fell, but it was a close call. “What the hell are drakes?”
“Big, nasty monsters you really don’t want to meet in a dark alley,” he replied, pushing open the door to the main hotel room. “Take my word for it.”
“I will.” She pulled her shirt and followed him to the balcony before she realized she forgot her bra. “Freaking son of—” She turned back to retrieve her bra, but he grabbed her hand and hurried out towards the window.
“Stay there,” he ordered.
He looked through his bags and pulled out a chrome handgun. He tossed it to her. She fumbled with it before catching it.
“Is this loaded?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“You tosse
d me a loaded handgun?”
With that, someone, or something, started pounding on their hotel room door. Whatever it was loud and big. The door held for a second or two before it busted down. The creature on the other side looked like a pit bull, if pit bulls were horse-sized with twin jutting fangs that dripped thick saliva.
“Holy shit! What the hell is that?”
7
Ember turned towards the beast and opened his mouth. A torrent of fire roared from his glowing throat into the beast. The fire hit what Sarah assumed was a drake, engulfing a chair in flames.
Ember coughed, spitting molten flame. “Open the door,” he ordered while motioning to the sliding glass door of the balcony.
Then, he hit the beast with a second round of flames.
She froze up for a moment before running over to the balcony to try to open the door, but turned to see if she was in immediate danger. The beast romped around attempting to maim, decapitate, or otherwise harm Ember. It was similar to the orcs from her place, but stronger and faster. Also, somehow less stupid. Instead of talking or giving Ember a moment to think, the drake pounced on him like a cat chasing a mouse. It was all Ember could do to barely stay ahead of him.
She tried to open the door again, but it wouldn’t budge.
“It’s stuck!” Her fingers were shaking from the adrenaline.
“Well, open it!” Ember breathed another flame at the drake and then ducked as the beast jumped over him. The drake landed on the bed and got caught in the blankets, giving Sarah more time to open the door. As the beast scrambled out, it resorted to using its steak-knife claws to dig into the mattress and get that big body moving.
After realizing that door wasn’t going to budge, she grabbed a nearby chair and used it to shatter the door around the locked area. At least that was the plan. What really happened was she wrapped her hands around the chair and heaved. The chair whirled through the air and smashed up against the glass. The door shuddered pathetically and that chair fell to the hotel floor.
“Try a little harder,” Ember suggested as he caught his breath.
She was vaguely aware of some orcs lumbering into the room, ducking underneath the door frame with the same nasty bats as before. Her heart jumped into her throat and she fumbled with the gun, partially wondering if it really was loaded and if it had the safety on. She aimed at the lock and pulled the trigger.