Dragon's Surrogate (Shifter Surrogate Service Book 1) by Sky Winters (21)

 

Chapter 5

 

We left the diner in a rush and went for a walk around a nearby park. The air helped clear my head, but his hand in mine felt too comfortable; too familiar. The problem with that? Nicholas was a one-night stand guy. I couldn’t allow myself to attach myself to that kind of guy again. I don’t think my emotions could handle another blow if I did that again.

We walked in silence for a few more minutes and I was okay with it. Talking was too hard. This was easy.

Our walk had taken us to a quieter corner of the park that overlooked a lake. Nicholas pulled me down onto the grass next to him. Our legs touched and just that minor contact sent my heart beating out of my chest. I wouldn’t tell Mia, but I had been thinking about Nicholas for the whole two weeks before she pulled the contact trigger for me. Staring at his stupid profile picture, I daydreamed a little. That’s why I had a few messaging close calls, but the rational part of my brain kept butting in and shutting me down.

Now here he was in the flesh. No daydreaming necessary. And I was totally wussing out.

Nicholas nudged me with his shoulder. “You okay, Nicole?”

“Yeah. I’m a little nervous.” Yeah, nerves. No big deal.

“Don’t be. I’ll take care of you. I’m a big vicious bear, remember?” he bared his teeth in a dorky sneer.

That earned him a giggle.

“You’re so beautiful, Nicole. You’re even prettier when you smile.” He stroked one long finger along my jaw.

“I bet you say that to all the girls.”

Nicholas chuckled. “That’s where you’re wrong, babe.”

Babe?

His face lowered to mine and in a heartbeat, our lips met. I melted into him. Every stupid promise I made to myself dissolved with his touch and I was his. Our mouths moved together as Nicholas took the lead. I hardly noticed when his hand tangled into the hair at the nape of my neck, drawing me in closer. My breasts brushed against his arm, that light touch drawing my nipples to attention. Oh God, I wanted him.

He pulled away, leaving me breathless. “You want to sleepover tonight?”

I rested my forehead against his. “Oh yeah, let’s go.”

…

Nicholas’s apartment was only a ten-minute cab ride away and we could hardly keep our hands to ourselves. We kissed and giggled like teenagers in the backseat and probably drove the cabbie crazy.

His apartment was on the fourth floor and the elevator ride was one big grope-fest. By the time the doors opened to let us out, Nicholas could barely walk and I had to tuck a breast back in. We couldn’t get enough of each other and couldn’t get to his bedroom fast enough.

With a quick turn of a key we tumbled into Nicholas’s kitchen and we were back on each other. I backed him up to the door and pressed my body up against his. Soft and malleable against hard and lean. Mostly hard; so deliciously hard. I slithered my hands up his shirt to feel the soft covering of hair on his chest and stomach. I had to have it on me immediately.

He stopped me. I wanted to take the lead and he wasn’t about to let me do that. “Get your sweet ass in my bedroom,” he growled.

I looked around the space behind me and couldn’t figure out which door the bed was behind; one, two, or three. “Um…”

Nicholas sighed and tossed me over his shoulder and carried me, fireman style, through door number two to his bedroom. A plush, king-sized bed greeted us when we crossed the threshold. He tossed me down and it swallowed me up. This bed was such an upgrade from the slab of cushioned concrete I slept on every night. I was shopping for a new mattress just before I lost my job so that had to be put on hold. I might have to steal Nicholas’s away from him when he wasn’t looking.

Nicholas crawled up between my legs, pushing the soft fabric up as he went, exposing my legs inch by inch until the entire skirt was rucked up around my waist. He lowered his pelvis until it ground against mine as he leaned into to kiss me again. I gripped his biceps as he rolled his hips against me. The press of his cock, the touch of his lips, and the brush of his stubble against my skin, was almost too much. I was already wet and would likely come if the breeze shifted.

His kisses traced a line along my jawline and down my neck. He hooked a finger in the neckline of my dress and pulled it away, exposing my breast. The first flick of his tongue on my nipple sent shockwaves through my body. I was already so lit up from just making out, he wasn’t going to have to work that hard to get me off, so with each suck, lick, and nibble as he headed south I was in serious danger.

“Oh my god!” I fisted his hair in my hands as he worked his magic on me below the belt. The orgasm built fast and I was coming before I could register what was happening. I’m pretty sure I moaned loud enough for the neighbors to hear, but I didn’t care. No man had ever taken the kind of time and care to make sure I was fully satisfied and we hadn’t even got into the sex part yet.

Nicholas reared up and pulled his shirt off.

“Oh shut up! You’ve got to be kidding me!”

He looked down at his body in confusion. “What? Is something wrong?”

“Wrong? No there’s nothing wrong. Everything about this,” I gestured to his ridiculously hot body, “is perfect. How are you real?”

Nicholas chucked his t-shirt across the room and fell back to the bed on his hands. “Trust me,” he said as he pressed himself against me again, “I’m real.”

The mischievous twinkle in his eye brought me back to attention. Oh yeah, he’s real.

He scooted back far enough to get his jeans unfastened and I couldn’t wait. I sat up and shimmied the tight fabric off his hips, freeing the most exciting part of him of all. Without the confines of the denim, he bobbed to life and I had to have him them. To hell with waiting. I grabbed his neck and pulled him down on top of me and grabbed his ass. Lifting my hips to meet his, I guided him inside me. The rigid thickness of him culled sounds out of me I didn’t know I was capable of. Nicholas hooked an arm under the small of my back and thrust. The head of him stroked over my g-spot; I couldn’t believe he’d found it. The sensation was so different, but no less welcome than having my clit played with.

I scrunched the sheets in my fists as the first delicious wave crashed around me. “Nicholas.” His name slipped from my lips, egging him on. Moved a little faster, rolling his hips to brush against my clit. “Fuck!” I cried as I came a second time, pulsing around him and driving him closer.

He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. I watched with amusement as his face screwed up and his body went stiff as he spilled himself inside of me. He collapsed on top of me and I wrapped my arms around him. I held him to me as we caught our breath. The warmth of his body felt nice. Until it was too much. “Holy shit! You’re a furnace, Nicholas!”

He rolled off of me, and on to his side. I adjusted my top to cover back up. I didn’t like how vulnerable my nakedness made me.

“I like that you didn’t wear underwear. What are you doing?” He stilled my hands with his.

“I’m not sure.” I just finished having this man’s face between my legs and screaming his name to the neighbors. Why so shy now? He was fully nude and clearly comfortable with every inch of himself.

“Come on,” he grabbed my wrist, “I think a shower will help.”

He led me to the master bath and turned the shower knob. He pushed the straps off my shoulders and my dress fell to my feet. He caressed the skin along my collarbone. “You’re a beautiful woman, Nicole,” he tipped my chin up and placed a gentle kiss on my lips, “There is no need to be shy around me. The water’s hot. Let’s get in.”

He could have been playful and tried to lighten the mood, but he chose not to. Instead he went the tender route. He brushed my hair off my shoulders and massaged a sweet smelling soap into the knots. Once my insecurity crept back in, everything that had relaxed under his hands tensed right back up and then some. How could a man who looked like he was plucked from a firefighter calendar be attracted to someone like me? I didn’t want to be a Mary Sue about it, but as a size sixteen, I don’t often attract the attention of guys like him. In fact, I don’t think I ever did. I settled for whatever I could get and that’s how I wound up in this mess.

“Mmm, Nicholas. That feels so good.” He used the soap to rub well-lubed circles into my upper back. Coupled with the hot water, I eased back into reality.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, but I’m curious. What just happened?”

No man wants to listen to a woman’s insecurities and I didn’t want to sound like I was fishing for compliments. “Nothing major. Just sort of an after sex crash. Endorphins go up and then come down kind of thing.”

“Fair enough.”

Bless him, he didn’t pry. I silently thanked him for that. His soapy hand slipped down my front and between my legs, cleaning off the remains of our bedroom romp. He pressed himself up against my back, poking me in the ass. It would seem a cleanup wasn’t all he had on his mind.

Chapter 6

 

Morning came. Now what? I had spent the night with Nicholas – at his insistence – and while it was nice, I wasn’t sure about the leaving etiquette. Sneaking out would be simple, clean, and easy, but made feel dirty just thinking about it. Acknowledging the fact that Nicholas had spent most of the night inside me would be difficult, but felt more like the right thing to do. Whichever I chose, I’d have to cut and run soon. I didn’t want to risk getting pulled in deeper. I could see myself liking Nicholas… a lot.

I felt the touch of a pair of lips on my neck. “Good morning, beautiful.”

I giggled and writhed as he rubbed his stubbly cheek against my neck. “Quit it! That tickles.”

He pulled me more on my back and kissed me on the lips instead. “Time to get up.”

I nodded and propped myself up on my elbows. While he bounded out of bed with the energy of a new puppy, getting up was slow going for me. He tested and worked muscles last night that I didn’t even know I had.

I eventually heaved myself out of bed and slipped my dress back on. I twisted my hair into a knot and slipped my sandals back on. I was ready to go home and get some coffee.

I sauntered out to the kitchen where Nicholas was busy pulling out mugs and arranging breakfast paraphernalia. “Whatcha doing?”

“I’m starving. Would you like some breakfast? I’m making pancakes.”

Tempting, but that was another step down a road I didn’t need to go. “That sounds lovely, but no thank you. I need to get home.” I padded over and kissed him on the cheek. “Last night was wonderful. Thank you.”

As I turned to leave, Nicholas hooked me around the waist, drawing me closer again. He planted his lips on mine and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was staking his claim. “Are you sure I can’t get you to stay?”

If I stayed for breakfast, I might stay forever. “No. It’s sweet, but I need to get going.” I stroked his cheek, a gesture that seemed to seal my goodbye and left. Once his door closed behind me, I picked up a little speed to the elevator. I had to outrun my urge to stay and I wouldn’t be safe from it until I was on the elevator with the doors sealed behind me. That’s when I let out the breath I had been holding. I survived my first one-night stand.

….

“How did it go?” Mia asked.

I met Mia for lunch three days later. She called me and I knew she wouldn’t be satisfied until I told her everything.

“The other night was the most amazing, satisfying, liberating night of my life. That man made me feel things I didn’t know my body was capable of and I came so much I was almost in pain.”

“But it’s the best kind of pain, right? Like the kind where you kind of like it?”

I nodded. “Oh yeah. I needed that. And I will admit that you were right, sex with a shifter is something that should be shouted from the rooftops.”

“Alright!” We high-fived like frat boys. “So, when are you going to see him again?”

See him again? “Um, I’m not. He was definitely a doer, not a dater.”

Mia tilted her head and studied me. “Did he say that or did you?”

“Well, his profile made that clear. He said he didn’t want anything long term. You saw that for yourself, remember?”

“Yeah. I just wanted to make sure that that was how all of this was going to play out.”

“Let’s put it this way,” I paused and sipped my coffee, “I spent the night, but left without breakfast.”

Mia shrugged. “Okay.”

Okay? What the hell did that mean? “Just okay? I feel like you have something else to say.”

“It’s just, I know how you can be and you have a tendency to get attached and I want to make sure you don’t get hurt.”

Wait, what? “Hang on. You were the one who pushed me to do this – against my will might I add – and now you remember that I tend to get attached?” I shook my head. “You hurt my brain sometimes, Mia. I’ll be fine. I knew what Nicholas was before seeing him so I knew what I needed to do to come out unscathed.” Mostly unscathed, anyway. I’d be thinking about my one night with Nicholas for awhile.

“So now that you got that out of your system, what are you going to do next? He perked your mood up quite a bit.” Our server dropped our food and Mia shoveled a heaping spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth.

“I’m going to spend the afternoon fluffing my resume and hunting on job boards. I’ll do some cold call hunting on Monday. With all the agencies in Chicago, the odds are one will hire me.”

“That’s good! I know how much you love working. I think you’re insane for it, but you’ll be much happier being productive.”

“I think so too. Hopefully, it won’t take me too long to get a job.” All I’ve wanted to do since losing my job is shop and that will burn through my savings very quickly, no matter how careful I spent.

“I’m curious. What sort of shifter did Nicholas say he was?”

Why did she have to bring the conversation back around to him? “Bear. Why?”

“No reason. Jason told me that each species behaves differently. Wolves are the most likely to settle down. With Nicholas being bear, this one-night stand thing might be possible.”

“Great. I would really like to stop talking about this now.” I was at the point where I felt like I was being clobbered over the head with the Nicholas thing.

“Sure, whatever you want. So let me tell you about what Jason’s been up to.”

 

Chapter 7

 

I did it. I managed to land a job within a week of starting my job search and my life had quickly settled back to normal. And a bonus, I got a ten thousand dollar a year pay bump with bonus incentives. I was so lucky to get fired.

I had settled into my busy work my second week on the job when my phone was hit with a random alert. It was from ComeShift. I had received a few inquiries from different guys, but since I never responded they started tapering off. I had thought about deactivating my account, but didn’t get around to it. I was about ready to just swipe away the alert when I saw the name: Nicholas Berry.

Holy shit.

I had all but pushed him from my mind in all the craziness of starting a new job. I was too tired most nights to think about watching Property Brothers let alone a person. My stomach flipped and I bit my lip, swiping the alert open.

 

I’ve been thinking about you. How have you been? I’d like to see you again.

 

 

Thinking about me. Oh boy. “Nope.” I powered my phone off and tossed it in my desk drawer so I wouldn’t be tempted. I wasn’t going to do this to myself again. As long as I reminded myself about how emotionally wrecked I was after the last several “relationships” and that I need me time, I could make it.

I had to focus on my work. I managed to get through the next hour without too much trouble, but that was the point my nerves became too much. It was a mad dash, but I made it to the bathroom before my stomach upended itself. I rested my head on the icy porcelain to cool my heated skin. I knew the anxiety would try to kill me eventually. I guess it was my time.

After cleaning myself up and rinsing my mouth out. I ventured back to my office, my stomach still churning. I made a mental note to call my doctor about a Xanax prescription if this kept on.

I was now at the point of distraction where I couldn’t focus on my work. I signed off for an early lunch and decided to take a walk. I needed air and a chance to clear my head. I popped my head into my boss’s office to see if she needed anything. “I’m going on a coffee run. You want anything?”

She didn’t even look away from her computer. “Yes. An Americano please. Skim milk.” She looked away from her screen then. “I also wanted to let you know that you’re doing really well here, Nicole. Keep up the good work.” She smiled broadly at me then set back to her work.

“Thank you!” I chirped before popping out and leaving. My stomach still felt off and my heartbeat was still a little high, but I felt better just being outside.

I decided to take the scenic route to the café around a nearby park. There was a woody area that was pretty to look at and I loved the smell of the pine trees. They cut through the permanent smog smell.

There was another, muskier smell that caught my attention as I moved along the sidewalk. I paused and peeked between the trees, the scent growing stronger as I poked my head into the wood. “That is so weird.” I mumbled to myself.

I whipped my head around as I heard the snap of branches off to my left. A pair of small glittering black eyes met mine and sent me screaming back the way I came. My four inch heels didn’t slow me down one bit.

I hauled ass the last four blocks to the café. I couldn’t get away from the woods fast enough. Catching my breath after that sucked so bad.

I placed my order as soon as I could speak again, and as I waited a thought occurred to me. “No. It couldn’t be him, could it?”

The barista handed me my drinks and food over the counter and after saying thank you, I headed back to the woods. The musky scent still lingered when I got back so I thought I might have a chance. “Nicholas?” Bears in the heart of Chicago just didn’t happen. “Nicholas, if you’re still here you can come out.”

A branch snapped behind me. I whirled around to see what it was when a handsome man appeared between the trees. “Hey, baby.”

“Was that you before?”

“It was me.” He smiled sheepishly at his shoes.

“Why were you a bear? It wasn’t the best choice if you wanted to hide. The only bears around here are the shitty football team.”

“I know. But when I didn’t hear from you I wanted to see what you were up to, but didn’t want to seem like a stalker. This is the only time I’ve done this I swear.”

Earnestness was clear in his big brown eyes. I believed him. In a weird way I thought it was kind of sweet. If he had made it a habit, I would have run away again.

“I thought you only wanted a fling? Didn’t we do that?”

“I thought that’s what I wanted to, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I want to date you, Nicole. I think we could be more than one night of sex. Although the sex was spectacular.”

My cheeks heated. Did that mean I was good in bed? I wouldn’t know, no one’s ever told me before. “You really want to see how this goes?”

Nicholas furrowed his brow. “Why wouldn’t I?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Because you’re you and I’m not anywhere in that league.” How’s your foot taste, Nicole?

“What’s wrong with wanting to date you? I don’t see anything wrong with that. You’re a beautiful woman and judging by your dress and the fact that you walked out of an office building, I’m guessing you work.”

“Yeah, but you don’t know me.”

“Uh, isn’t that the point of dating?”

I supposed he had a point. “Well, yeah. But, but-“He closed in and kissed me, successfully cutting off any idiotic excuse I had. I didn’t have anything worthwhile anyway. I wanted him. Why not give him a shot?

I pulled away when I remembered I was technically supposed to be working. “Okay. Let’s do this, but I have to get back. I’m too new to push the lunch break time.” I went in for one more not so quick kiss and took off. I’d make plans with him later, but for now I had one Americano for a very understanding executive cooling in my hand.

….

I had plans with Nicholas for Saturday night after his gig, but first I needed to get in a little girl time with Mia. I was so excited I was going to explode if I didn’t get to tell her.

I popped the wine cork to let the red breathe just in time for a rapid-fire knock at my door. I opened the door to find Mia grinning like an idiot.

“You got a shifter boyfriend.” She sing-songed.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Not yet anyway. “It’s only our second date.”

“Semantics. Tell me everything.”

We found our way back to the kitchen where I poured out the wine into my huge globe glasses. I passed Mia hers and gave mine a swirl and a sniff. I jerked the glass away from my face. “Does this wine smell bad to you?”

Mia gave her glass a sniff and shook her head.

I took a cautious sniff and spit the wine out in the sink. It was too late. I swallowed a little bit and my stomach gave a lurch. “Fuck.” I sprinted for the bathroom with Mia hot on my heels. She held my hair back as I emptied my guts. By the time I was done I was sweaty and exhausted. “Sorry. I hope I’m not getting sick. Lately, some smells just turn my stomach.”

“Huh.” Mia wet down and wrung out a washcloth and squatted down to clean me up. “Smells are making you sick? You aren’t pregnant are you?”

I chuckled and waved her off. “I think I’m getting sick. You have to have sex to get pregnant remember.”

“I remember that you have had sex in the last month, but clearly you forgot. Did you use protection?”

I froze. I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t give a second thought to using protection. “Fuck! No, Mia, I didn’t even think about it! I’m so fucking stupid!” I fought back the tears, but they were coming too fast.

“Hey, relax. Let’s get you a test and find out for sure first before you freak out. No use getting bent out of shape until you know for sure, okay.”

I wiped my eyes and nodded. She had a point, but I already knew. The test would only confirm it for me.

Mia ran down to the corner drugstore for me. I was too out of sorts to go with her and frankly it was embarrassing. I know it shouldn’t be, but there was a part of me that was a little ashamed that I let this happen.

She was back in what seemed like no time at all. She tossed me a water and opened the test for me. “The directions say five seconds. Go take care of business.”

I timed everything correctly and after the longest five minutes of my life, we had our answer. The magical pink plus sign had bloomed in the results window. “Whoa. Mia, I’m pregnant. But we only had sex once!” One night, but what was the difference?

“Did you miss that day in health class? That’s all it takes.” She must have seen my face fall because she immediately dropped the smartassery. “What are you going to do?”

Sob for starters. The tears came hot and fast. I would need a minute before I could answer her. I had sex with a man I didn’t know on one night and now I was knocked up. That was a big pill to swallow.

I finally caught my breath enough to answer, “I’m not sure. I have to tell Nicholas. He should know about this.”

“Right, but it’s still early.”

“Mia! Starting a relationship with a secret is not the best choice. Especially one this big.” And this secret was a real loo loo. “No. I’ll see him on Saturday. I’ll tell him then.”

 

Chapter 8

 

Saturday came a lot slower than I had hoped. The rest of my work week dragged under the weight of this new knowledge of my pregnancy. Never mind the fact that the symptoms were quickly popping up at the pace of about one a day. The nausea stuck around and brought its buddies fatigue and breast pain. I didn’t realize how painful my breast area was until I was getting ready and just the brush of my tank top made me suck in air through my teeth.

I powered through and just crossed my fingers that nobody bumped into me while I was in the crowd.

Once again, Nicholas had a ticket put aside for me, but instead of taking up residence near the stage, I sat comfortably at the bar and tried not to nod off during their set. I caught Nicholas scanning the crowd for me, but I was too far back for him to see me. I hope he didn’t think I stood him up. The downturned corners of his mouth told me exactly that and that was like a punch in the gut. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I was even more anxious now for the set to wrap up so I could meet him at the merch table.

When the singer announced the final song, I moseyed over to their table to make sure I was there and waiting for Nicholas when the band arrived. I wouldn’t want him to be a sourpuss for no reason.

Four minutes later I saw Nicholas toss his guitar to his tech and sprint off the stage. I guess that meant no encore. My phone vibrated with a message from Nicholas. I told him I was here and waiting for him. I hoped he hurried up before other fans got here because I couldn’t wait one more second for him to mingle. I needed to talk to him. Granted, this wasn’t the best venue to do that, but I couldn’t wait for a better one.

Nicholas appeared out of the shadows and I threw my arms around him. This pulled his ear down close enough for me to whisper, “We need to talk, now.”

He nodded and led me away to a quiet backstage area. “What’s wrong.”

“I wouldn’t say anything was wrong, per se.” his eyes widened slightly. “Why don’t we sit down.” I nudged him over to the couch and perched myself on the edge. I didn’t know what any of those stains were, but I didn’t want to sit anywhere near them.

“Nicole, you’re freaking me out now. What’s up?”

“I just found out some interesting news a couple of days ago. Turns out that I am pregnant.” I plastered on the brightest, Stepford smile I could muster.

“Pregnant? Are you sure?”

“Well the home test said yes and I have an appointment next week with my doctor to confirm it, but since the sticks are ninety-nine percent accurate, it’s safe to say that yes, I’m pregnant.” I didn’t like the serious look on his face.

He stood up and paced around the room. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell the wheels were turning in his head. “Nicholas, now you’re freaking me out. Say something please.”

He stopped and dropped to his knees in front of me. “I’m not going to lie, this is a huge shock, but I’m okay with this.”

“Oh!” My eyes widened. I wasn’t expecting that answer from him.

“I am. I mean, the timing isn’t ideal, but I want us to work out. Nine months is a fair amount of time to get it right before a baby comes right?”

His optimism cheered me right up. I hoped it wasn’t misguided, but if he’s all in, then so was I. “Yeah. Nine months is a good start. Although, I probably won’t be myself for most of it so try not to judge me too harshly.”

“Don’t worry about that,” he said as he grabbed my hand, “bears are tough.”

THE END

Dragon’s Mate for Life

“I thought you understood.”

“Understood what?  That you are an asshole?”

“Look, Julie, I didn’t sign up for raising some other guy’s kid.  This was just supposed to be fun and well, it’s just not anymore.”

“So, that is how you go through life then?  Fucking your way through it without commitment of any sort?”

“I told you from the beginning that I didn’t want to get serious.”

“Right, and then you invited me home to meet your parents.  What the fuck was that about?”

“I just needed them to think I was in a solid relationship with someone down to Earth.  That’s all it was.”

“That’s not what you said when you took me there.  How can you be such a complete dick?”

“You wouldn’t have come if I had told you the truth, or you would have been too transparent about the fact that it was a sham between us.  I needed you to believe it as much as they did.”

“How can you be so flippant?  We’ve been dating for weeks.  You let me believe that you had changed your mind about not becoming serious.  I introduced you to my daughter for cripe’s sake!  I never do that with casual dates.  She’s been through enough just losing her father.  Fuck you, Simon.  Get out of my house!”

“Gladly.  I don’t have time for needy, clingy bitches.”

It was all Laura could do not to kick him square in the ass, leaving a dirty footprint from her running shoes on the backside of his expensive Italian suit.  Fucking lawyers, dicks in court, dicks in life.  She should have known better than to get involved with one.

“Cynthia, I just can’t do this.  It’s a pain in the ass.  I’d rather be alone,” Laura told her best friend on the phone later.

“You’re trying too hard, Laura.  Let your hair down a little and just go out on some casual dates and get laid.  Don’t tell them you have a kid at all unless they seem interested in that sort of thing.”

“I’m not going to do that.  Katie is very important in my life, and if a man doesn’t want to have anything to do with her, he’s just not for me.  Fuck dating.  I’m deleting my profile from Tindr.  I’m sorry I ever let you talk me into that shit.”

“Oh, come one.  Tindr isn’t that bad.  I’ve met some really nice guys on it.”

“You don’t have a kid, Cynthia.  I didn’t mention her on my profile because I didn’t want to draw in the pedophiles, but once I tell those that I’ve talked to about meeting, most of them just disappear.  They don’t even have the decency to make up an excuse.”

“But not all of them have.”

“No.  The ones that haven’t either just figure they’ll fuck the hot single mom and then disappear.  Or worse, they have their own brood and a crazy ex-wife.  Then, there are the ones that are still married.  It’s just a bunch of losers looking to get laid.  I would rather be alone.”

“Look, I’ve got an idea.  Have you tried the ComeShift site?”

“ComeShift?”

“Yeah.  It’s a new dating app I tried a while back.  It is dating site for shifters to find mates.”

“Shifters?  You mean like animal shifters?  You are yanking my chain, right?”

“No, not at all.  I met a wolf shifter on there.  God, he was hot and fantastic in bed, but he got way too possessive and I had to break it off.  You might be looking for someone willing to commit, but I don’t have any time for all that shit right now.  I have a career to manage, not some guy’s kitchen.”

“I don’t think getting mixed up with some paranormal freak is the answer, Cynthia.”

“Just something to think about.  You should at least give it a shot.  Shifters aren’t like other men.  They are naturally protective, with family instincts, and some of them mate for life when they find the right person.  You find one that you click with, and Katie won’t be an issue for him at all.  He’ll embrace her right along with you.”

“All the same. I think I’ll pass.”

“Suit yourself.  You just never know.  Anyway, I’ve got to go.  I’ve a client meeting in five and I need to figure out what I’m going to say to him.  His product blows and I’ve got to put together a fucking amazing ad to try to sell the shit.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Gonna need it.  Bye.”

“Bye.”

I ended the call and tossed my phone on the sofa.  It was almost two thirty and I had to go pick up Katie from school.  I walked out of my home office and made my way to the car to head downtown, still thinking about my lack of a love life.  Why was it so hard?  I was attractive, smart, owned my own business, house and car.  My only baggage was being a widow with a child and I seemed to be the only one that didn’t see it as such.

When my husband had died a few years earlier, my world had felt like it had come to an end.  Katie was only two years old.  He and I were only twenty-four, a lifetime ahead of us.  We had been high school sweethearts, gone off to college together, and graduated shortly before Katie was born.  I had gotten pregnant during our senior year, and we had married beneath an old oak tree that stood in the middle of campus, just us, a minister and throngs of excited strangers that gathered around us to cheer on our nuptials as they passed by to go to class.

I never regretted not having a big wedding.  I had loved the simplicity and atmosphere our impromptu marriage had possessed.  Josh never even proposed to me in a traditional sense.  We had awakened one morning when I was almost seven months along and the baby was kicking wildly.  With his hand on my stomach as little alien feet made a spectacle of it, he looked at me and smiled.

“Let’s get married today.”

“Don’t be silly.  How can we possibly just go get married?  There is a waiting period.”

“Not if you can prove you have been living together already as a couple.  I think we have that covered,” he laughed.

“Are you sure?”

“Ridiculous question!  I’ve been sure since we were fifteen years old.  I wanted to wait until we graduated, but I don’t want our baby coming into the world illegitimately.  Let’s give her proper parentage.”

“How do you know it is a girl?  We told them not to tell us.”

“I know because I wished for a little girl as beautiful as her mother.”

“Charmer.”

“As long as it is still working on you.”

So, they went to the courthouse and got a license, hiring a student from the seminary college who had gotten an ordainment to perform ceremonies from one of those cheesy online sites while he completed his formal education.  It was legal and that was all that mattered.  The students that gathered had all cheered and clapped once they were pronounced man and wife, tossing assorted things like pencil erasers, sunflower seeds they had in their packs and even shreds of paper they had ripped up while waiting for the final vows.

Two years later, they had sat in the doctor’s office listening to the bad news.  Josh had been blacking out and had bouts of confusion that were getting worse.  It was a tumor at the base of his brain, growing and inoperable.  Laura thought it had been the worst day of her life, but she was wrong.  The worst days were still to come as she watched his deterioration, a time bomb sitting lodged in his head. 

Pulling up in front of the school, she shook off the memory of those final days and wiped a tear that had managed its way down her face away.  Waiting in the line with all of the other parents, she spotted Katie talking with one of her new friends on the lawn.  When it came her turn to pull up to the curb, they were both waiting there for her.

“Mom, mom.  This is Hank.  He’s so cool!”

“Nice to meet you, Hank.  Let’s go, Katie.  We’re holding up the line.”

“Okay, Mom.  Bye, Hank!”

“Bye, Katie.  Bye, Mrs. Stewart.”

Laura smiled at him and waved as she pulled away from the curb.  She hated being called Mrs. Stewart.  It reminded her of all the things she had just tried to shut out of her mind so that she could put on a happy face for her daughter.

“Mom, guess what?”

“What?”

“Hank’s father can turn into a bear.”

“You’re kidding.”

Laura marveled at how the conversation just magically paralleled with the one she had been having earlier with Cynthia.  Since when had it become so acceptable to be a shifter?  Up until recently, it all seemed like a myth to most people, but in the past year or so more and more people were coming out and admitting their abilities.  Instead of the usual fear of the unknown, people seemed to find it more fascinating than freakish, and were actively supporting the movement not to keep it a dirty family secret.

“Yeah.  Isn’t that great!  Hank will be able to turn into a bear one day too, but not yet.  He said he is too little.  Kindergarteners can’t be bears.”

“Thank goodness for that.  Can you imagine the chaos at recess?”

Katie giggled and looked out the window and thought about that for a moment before turning back to her mother.

“What about me?  Will I be able to turn into anything when I get out of kindergarten?”

“Just a beautiful young woman one day.”

“That doesn’t sound like that much fun.  You are beautiful and you don’t have any fun,” Katie scowled.

Laura looked at her thoughtfully.  She was terribly perceptive for such a young girl.  It occurred to her that her daughter was right, though she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do about it. 

“I have fun with you.”

“I have fun with you too, Mom.”

They drove the rest of the way home in silence.  Katie scurried up to her room to play while Laura returned to her office to finish her work for the day.  It was their usual routine.  Laura’s work as a freelance graphic designer afforded her the flexibility to accommodate Katie’s transport to and from school, but she sometimes had to work while Katie was at home to keep up the eight-hour work day.  At five, she would knock off for the day and they would make dinner together or get a bite elsewhere.  Tonight was pizza night and they would order in and watch a movie together.

“What will it be?”

“Frozen!”

“How many times have we seen that now?”

“A bazillion!”

“Sounds right.  Okay.  You get it started.  That’s the doorbell.  Pizza is here.”

As usual, Katie fell asleep before the movie was done and had to be carried up to bed.  Laura tucked her in and went back downstairs, intent on getting some more work done.  Instead, she found herself checking out the site that Cynthia had mentioned.  Looking through the profiles, she was fascinated to see how attractive the men were.  It wasn’t your usual lot of lazy, self-important jerks she had become accustomed to.

“Why the fuck not?” she mumbled to herself, clicking on the link for ComeShift to sign up and set up a profile.  After going through the process, she closed her browser and went back to work for a bit, putting it out of her mind as she finished up her work.  Finishing the project she had been working on, she went to the kitchen for a glass of wine and sat on the sofa watching Frozen without even registering it.  Her mind was a million miles away, lost in thought.  Life was lonely.  She didn’t want to be sad.  Not for herself and not for Katie, but she was, and it was getting worse she was afraid.

She picked up her tablet from the coffee table and downloaded the come shift app she had used on her computer to it.  No messages.  Even shifters weren’t interested it seemed.  Opening her email, she saw that she had to confirm her email address before her profile would be active on the site.  She hesitated, instead going back to the app and looking around a little more.  She opened a browser window and began looking around at the different types of shifters, and recent articles on how hard it had been for many of them to be open about themselves.

“Everyone has their problems, I guess,” she said to the room around her, shutting off the tablet and heading to bed.

The following morning, she went about her usual routine, getting breakfast ready and Katie up and off to school.  Settling back in at home afterwards, she began to work, opening her mail to check for anything from clients she might need to answer.  There was the confirmation email from the shifter site still waiting for her.  Opening it, she clicked on the activation link, closed her email and went back to work.  Before she knew it, time to go get Katie had arrived and she was rushing out the door to retrieve her.

Sitting in the line of parents waiting their turn to pick up children, she picked up her phone and glanced at it.  The email notification was on and she opened it to see what it was, expecting more of the usual spam that seemed to make its way to her despite her best efforts to keep it out.  Instead it was a message sent through the ComeShift app relay.  She read it, surprised to receive such a quick response from anyone.

His name was Sebastian, and he was a dragon shifter.  According to his profile, he was a local firefighter.  His pictures revealed a man who was tall and fit, the classically dark and handsome type with wavy black hair and perfect white teeth.  He didn’t seem too pushy or forward, just letting her know that he had liked her profile and picture, and asking if she’d like to meet for a drink to see if they might hit it off.

It was today’s dating test.  Men never invited you to dinner or a movie right off the bat.  They invited you for coffee or a drink, something quick that diminished how much time they would be forced to spend with you if you turned out to be a real loser in their eyes.  At first, it had been a turn off to her that men approached modern dating this way, but after a few incidents with people she couldn’t get away from fast enough, it had become a perfectly acceptable thing to her, as well.

Might as well just get it all out there right off the bat she thought, sending him back a message telling him that she could meet him for coffee, but it would have to be during the daytime while her daughter was in school.  It was her usual response and she found that many times, there was no follow up from the other end.  Despite what Cynthia had said, she didn’t expect it this time either.  A guy that looked like this Sebastian fellow could choose whomever he wanted, it wasn’t likely he’d be interested in a single mother.

It was a surprise when, later that evening, she received an email back from him telling her that daytime was great.  He was off the next day and wanted to know if she could meet him maybe after she dropped her daughter at school.  After a bit of back and forth, she agreed to meet him at the Cuppa This, a local coffee and tea shop not far from Katie’s school.

Walking into the shop the next morning, she felt incredibly nervous.  Usually, she was so used to these things turning out poorly that it didn’t faze her, but there was something different about this one.  Whether it was because he wasn’t put off by a child, the fact that he was a shifter or just that he was so hot, she couldn’t be sure, but she felt like every nerve ending was on fire.

“Laura?”

She turned and found herself staring at the broad chest of the most gorgeous man she had seen for quite a while.  He towered above her, which was saying a lot since she was five nine and wearing heels.  Glancing to one side, she could see other women in the shop looking at him with a certain longing, but he seemed oblivious to the attention.

“Sebastian?”

“Yes.  I’m glad you came.  I was afraid you wouldn’t.”

“Why?”

“First, let’s find a seat somewhere before they are all gone.  This place is filling up fast.  I’ll order us some coffee and maybe a treat?  What would you like?”

“Just black coffee and maybe a blueberry scone if they are fresh.”

“Simple enough.  Be right back.”

She breathed a sigh of relief and looked around for a seat, finding one in a far corner that had just been vacated.  Sitting down, she waited anxious for him to return, which he did a short time later, with two cups of black coffee and two blueberry scones.  Were they that much alike or was he just trying to seem like it? 

“So, back to your question,” he said.  “I find that a lot of women are interested in dating shifters, but when it comes right down to it, they back down.”

“I see.  I have the same problem with men who find out I have a child.”

“Never crossed my mind.  Kids are great.  What is your daughter’s name?”

“Katie.”

“How old is she?”

“Five, just started kindergarten this year.”

“Not to be too nosey right off the bat, but I find that some men have issues with Mommy dating someone new and I like to know what I’m getting into up front.  How long have you been divorced?”

“I’m not divorced.”

His eyebrows were raised noticeably before I could finish the sentence. I could almost see him deciding if he would make an excuse or just bolt for the door.

“I’m widowed.  My husband died a few years ago.”

“You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“No,” I said, laughing a little, despite the dark nature of his joke.

“Good to know.  In that case, I’m very sorry for your and Katie’s loss.”

“Thanks.  And you?  Ever been married?  Any kids?”

“Never married, no kids that I’m aware of,” he smiled.

I found myself liking him immediately.  He had a somewhat macabre sense of humor, but it seemed to suit him well.  It was almost charming.  We talked a bit more about Katie and my work, then his phone began buzzing loudly.  He pulled it out of his pocket and grimaced at the screen.

“I hate to cut this short, Laura, but I have to go.  Work.”

“Oh, I thought you were off today.”

“I was.  Getting called in.  I’m very sorry.”

“It’s okay.  Thanks for the coffee and scone.”

“Anytime.  I’ll be in touch.”

“Sure.  Good luck with work.”

She watched as he got up and hurried out the door.  Work, my ass, she thought.  That was nothing more than the classic phone a friend move.  Shifters might be new to the open dating scene, but they were obviously familiar with the practice of having someone text or call you to provide an excuse for immediate departure.  What had she done wrong?  Was he lying about being okay with her having a child or had she just talked too much about her?

“Fuck my life,” she muttered, getting up from the table and walking out of the shop.  Back at home, she opened up the shifter app and deleted her profile.  Meeting strangers on the internet was not the answer.  She wasn’t sure what was, but she was beginning to understand why so many women that are widowed are widowed for life.  Maybe you only got one chance to get things right and when you get it right the first time, that is just all there is for you.

Several days passed and she heard nothing from him.  Typical.  Rather than dwelling on it, she decided to just build a life on her own with Katie.  She would just be another one of those lifelong widows and learn to adjust to it.  A week went by during which she signed up for a Mommy and me cooking class, a yoga class and a book club.  It would keep her busy.

“You have to get back out there,” Cynthia said on the phone the following Saturday morning.

“I’m just tired, Cynthia.  I can’t take one more bad date, or one more rejection.  You should have seen how fast that firefighter ran the first chance he got.”

“Maybe he really got called into work.”

“Yeah and maybe Zac Efron is going to call and propose to me tomorrow.”

“I’m just saying that maybe you are making too much of it.  Things happen.”

“Well, I’m sure they do, but the fact remains that I’ve heard nothing from him since then, so I’d say that speaks for itself.”

“Perhaps so.  Anyway, what are you doing this weekend?”

“The usual.  Nothing.”

“If you aren’t going to look online, then you at least need to get out and mingle.  How are you ever going to meet anyone if you aren’t even trying?”

“I think you miss the point.  I don’t want to try.  I’ve given up.”

“I tell you what.  How about you call your mom, and send Katie over to her house for the weekend.  You and I will go out tonight.  Girl’s night out and sleep in on Sunday.”

“Tempting, but I don’t think so.”

“Ah, come one, Laura.  Let your hair down a little.  No men to impress on a date, just two girls out of the town.  You know you wanna!”

“Okay.  I’ll go, but no fix ups.  If I even think you’ve dragged me out to try to hook me up with some guy that happens to be there, I’m leaving.”

“Would I do a thing like that?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, you’re right, but I won’t this time.  I promise.”

Katie was excited about spending the weekend with her grandparents.  They always spoiled her rotten and Laura got her back all hopped up on sweets and sodas, but it was a small price to pay for having a break to just not have to think about anything for a while.  She dropped her off and headed back home, taking her time to pamper herself in the tub and wash her hair.  Getting ready, she found that she was looking forward to a no pressure night out to just have fun.

 

“Isn’t this place great?” Cynthia shouted over the loud music that played in the club.

“It’s okay.  Pretty lively, I guess.”

“What you need is a few drinks and some dancing.  Come on.”

Cynthia grabbed her hand and led her over to the bar, ordering them each a Pink Tussle, which was really nothing more than vodka and pink grapefruit juice.  It was strong and hit the spot right away.  Cynthia found them a table near the dance floor and they settled in, ordering another round of drinks from the waitress a short time later.

“Would you like to dance?”

The voice sounded familiar, even before Laura turned to look at him.  Cynthia gawked for a moment before a quick nod encouraging her to go, but that wasn’t going to happen.

“I don’t think so.  Thanks for asking.”

“You’re mad at me.”

“I’m not mad.  We just didn’t hit it off and you couldn’t just say that.  You made an excuse and ran off, then never called,” she told him.

Sebastian looked at her and grinned, irritating her a little bit more.  How smarmy he seemed, so unlike how he had come across in the coffee shop when they first met.  She watched as he rolled up his sleeve and showed her a scar on his forearm.

“Four alarm fire in the Empress Hotel downtown.  I got a bit of a flesh wound that had to be tended to, but was otherwise okay.  I would have called you, but you never gave me your number and you closed your ComeShift account, so I couldn’t contact you through there.  It doesn’t reveal the email address through their relay system.  I didn’t know your address or your last name to even look you up.  I tried.”

Laura looked at him blankly, not sure how to respond.  It had never occurred to her that he really did have a work call, or that she hadn’t given him a way to get in contact with her after their first meeting.  Now, she felt like a complete idiot.

“It’s okay, Laura.  In your shoes, I would have probably thought the same thing.  In fact, I did.  I assumed that you didn’t give me a way to get in touch because you didn’t want me to do so.  Then, I saw you here and just thought, what the hell?  All you can say is no and confirm what I was thinking already.”

Laura was still speechless, but fortunately, Cynthia was not.  She jumped right in and picked up the conversation in her own abrupt fashion, practically pushing Laura out of her chair and on top of Sebastian in the process.

“She is an idiot.  She would love to dance.”

Sebastian flashed another broad smile at Cynthia and winked, taking Laura’s hand and leading her out onto the floor just as the music switched from an upbeat dance tune to something slow and almost erotic.  Taking advantage of the opportunity to be close, they pressed against one another as they swayed back and forth to the music that surrounded them.  One dance led to two and before she knew it, they were completely lost in one another.

“Oh, God. I forgot all about Cynthia.  I guess I need to get back to the table.”

“I don’t think she really misses you that much,” he replied, nodding toward a nearby corner of the dance floor where Cynthia was practically wrapped around a very nice looking man.

“Looks that way,” Laura laughed.

“I do think I could use a drink though. I’m completely parched. I could spit fire.”

“Not really funny.”

“Sure it is.  You are laughing.”

“Okay, maybe a bit.”

Sebastian smiled and kissed her softly on the lips before leading her off the floor and to the table.  They ordered a couple of drinks and began talking as much as they could over the noise of the club around them.  Laura had to admit that she was glad she had run into him here.  Otherwise, she would have gone on thinking he just didn’t like her and ran off like a coward.

“Where is Katie?”

Laura smiled broadly, impressed that he had remembered her daughter’s name after all this time. 

“She is spending the weekend with her grandparents.”

“Ah, giving Mommy a little time to let her hair down then.”

“Something like that.  Cynthia dragged me out.”

“Yeah, I’m here at a stag party for one of my brothers, but I ditched them when I saw you across the room.”

“Oh no.  You should get back.  How often does a brother get married, after all?”

“Four times if they are this one,” he laughed.

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope.  Not at all.  The last one was the stripper from the second marriage.  It lasted a week.”

“That’s horrible.  I thought you shifter types were sort of one girl kind of dragons.”

“Stereotyping us?”

“Maybe.”

“It’s actually pretty accurate, but my brother isn’t a shifter.  He’s adopted.  Found him on our doorstep when he was a baby.”

“You did not.”

“I’m fucking serious.  I was six years old and on my way out to play.  Opened the door and there was a naked baby in a box full of newspapers.  He looked like someone had just given birth and stuffed him in there, dropped him off.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Best day of his life.  Look what a great brother the little bastard got.”

“If you do say so yourself.  Do you have other siblings?”

“No.  Some dragon shifters are cursed with an inability to have more than one child.  I think that is why my parents didn’t hesitate to take him in.  It was there chance to have more than one kid.”

“Are your parents still alive?”

“Yes.  Still like a couple of teenagers in love.  You will like them a lot.”

Laura was a little caught off guard by the statement, but felt good about the fact that he didn’t seem to have any qualms with introducing her to them at some point.  It was a good sign that he was not like his brother and, more importantly, not like any of the other losers she had dated in recent months.

“Laura, you okay here?” Cynthia interjected, standing behind her with the same guy from earlier still wrapped around her waist.

“Grand.”

“Mind if I scoot out of here then?”

Laura looked from Cynthia to the guy behind her and nodded, understanding completely.  If she asked her to stay, she could, but if she was content with the way things were panning out with Sebastian, it was time for her to head out for a more private party.  Laura nodded her head and Cynthia smiled, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.  It was nice to meet you, Sebastian.”

“You too.  Have fun,” he teased.  She returned the wink he had given her earlier and disappeared among the crowd.

“Well, it is just us now then.  What do you say we get out of here too?  We can go for a nice walk along the boardwalk and talk without having to shout at one another.”

“Sounds very nice,” she said, a bit nervous about being alone with him, but feeling safe somehow.

“Come on.  Let me say goodbye to the boys and we will go.”

Laura followed him up to the glass encased VIP room on an upper balcony and stood outside as he told his brother goodbye.  He had invited her to come in and meet them, but one look at the strippers inside and she declined politely.  She noted that Sebastian didn’t give either of them a second glance while he was inside and made a hasty exit. 

“They look like they were having fun.”

“I’m sure they were.  Not exactly my idea of a good time.”

“And what is your idea of a good time?”

“Honestly?  I rush into burning buildings for a living and sometimes I have to shift to protect myself or others.  When I’m not doing ridiculous stuff like that, it’s nice just to kick back and be a bit more serene.”

“Makes perfect sense.”

They walked and talked for hours.  It wasn’t hard to see that not only was Sebastian gorgeous, but he was well read and intelligent, well spoken.  He expressed an interest not only in her, but in what she did for a living and in Katie.  He seemed far too perfect, which was the only thing that concerned her.  How could someone be so right?  Was it possible that it really could happen twice?

“I’d love to see some of your work sometimes.”

“How about now?” Laura found herself asking.  It was almost three in the morning and she knew it was bold inviting him to her house, but she didn’t seem to be able to resist.

“Sure.  Let’s grab a cab and head over,” he replied.

Laura felt nervous as the cab pulled up to the curb of her house.  She had never brought a man here, and wasn’t sure why she was doing so today.  Plus, she hadn’t had sex in the three years since Josh had died.  She had refused to get too involved with anyone until she had dated them a while and just hadn’t managed to maintain a relationship long enough for it to get to that point.  Still, there was something about Sebastian that she couldn’t resist, and she found that she wanted him in a way she hadn’t desired anyone for a long time.

“These are amazing!” Sebastian said as they made their way into the house and to her work studio.  He was looking through the portfolio she used to show new clients some of the work she had created for others and seemed genuinely impressed.

“It’s a living,” she replied, standing close enough to him that their arms brushed against one another.

“You are far too modest.  It’s beautiful work.”

“Thank you.”

He leaned in and kissed her, nothing pushy or demanding, just a soft kiss.  Pulling away, he looked at her softly and brushed a long lock of her blonde hair away from her face.  It felt nice to be touched so intimately.  It wasn’t like some of the dates she had gone on where they pawed roughly at her at the end of the night.  This was gentle, but intense in a way that couldn’t be denied.

“You have the most amazing blue eyes.  They are positively captivating,” he told her.

“Thank you, again.”

“I should go.  It’s late and I’ve seen you home okay.  I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

“I don’t mind if you stay a while longer.”

“Are you sure?”

“Very sure.”

His hand cupped her face, pulling her to him again, drinking her in.  He kissed her deeply, his tongue exploring her mouth lazily as if he was in no hurry in the world, just enjoying her.  She returned his kiss eagerly, the passion between them rapidly growing until she felt nothing but a deep ache for him to be inside of her.

His body pushed forward against hers, pinning her petite frame to a nearby wall, lifting her until his mouth was even with her breasts.  He held her there with his hips, tearing open her cotton shift with one hand and pushing her bra to kiss her breasts, alternately licking and biting at her hardened nipples.  She could feel the moisture between her legs as her panties grew wet with her desire, and then he was ripping them free, exposing her to him. 

Reaching around for her calves, he pulled her legs around him, wrapping her about his waist as he unbuttoned his jeans and let them fall to the floor.  He entered her with one hard stroke, forcing a cry from her lips before she bit it, enjoying the way his hard cock felt inside of her.  His lips fell on hers again, her breasts pressed against his chest as he fucked her slowly and deliberately against the wall.  Her moans filled the room as he took her, giving her all of him as her legs quaked with a series of orgasms, each more explosive than the previous one.

“Don’t stop.  I love how your pussy tightens around my cock when you cum.  It feels amazing.  I want you to cum until you can’t anymore,” he growled in her ear, his cock still plummeting into her center deeply, his pace increasing until she shuddered once again with another climax.

“Fuck me, Sebastian. Oh, God.  I’m cumming again,” she managed to sputter as she exploded all around his cock again.

“That’s a good girl,” he said, ramming into her roughly.  She cried out loudly as he pierced her center, his primal instincts taking hold as he fucked her unmercifully.  It felt incredible to just be fucked without abandon, and she found herself cumming again before he finally joined her, his hips pushing heavily against hers as he detonated heavily.  He leaned against her for a moment before pulling away and easing her now quite wobbly legs back down on the floor.  She loved the way it felt having his juices drip down her thighs as she stood there in front of him.

“Well, you can go home now,” she told him nonchalantly, reaching for what was left of her dress and pulling it around her.

Sebastian looked shocked and almost offended, until she broke out in a wide grin and kissed him on the cheek.

“You know I’m kidding.  How about we get some sleep?”

“I can’t believe you got me like that.  You sure it is okay for me to stay?  What about Katie?”

“Won’t be back until tomorrow night.”

“Oh, I should be tired of you by then anyway.”

“Ya think?  We’ll see about that.”

Climbing into bed, Sebastian wrapped himself around her as she pressed her back against him.  They fell asleep quickly, but awoke right as dawn was breaking for another round of amazing sex that left her both exhausted and wanting more.  His effect on her was absolutely amazing. 

After a shower, they made their way to the kitchen for a quick breakfast of bagels and eggs.  Laura didn’t usually eat breakfast, but found that she was ravenous after the long night and morning of sex.  It wasn’t all she was ravenous for, as the breakfast quickly ended in a return to bed to fuck like bunnies the rest of the morning and half of the afternoon, with short breaks to nap here and there.

“I’m going to have to get going soon.  I have to run some errands and then pick up Katie at six.  Can I take you home?”

“That would be great. I actually don’t live far, a little over a mile over in Crestview Estates.”

“Wow, that is really close.”

“Yes.  I would ordinarily just walk it, but I seem to be a bit weak from the excessive loss of fluids recently.”

“You and me both.  I’m still a bit weak.  I actually feel a bit fuzzy headed still.”

“I must have done something right then.  How about this time you give me your number so I can call you? Otherwise, I have to look like a stalker by just showing up here or wander to clubs until I run into you again.”

“Far enough.  Let me grab you one of my cards from the studio.  It has my number and email address on it.”

“Perfect, just like you.”

After a very heated parting kiss in my car as I pulled up to the curb of his house, I was ready to just go inside with him and forget all the errands.  Spending more of our day naked in bed sounded like a better option in that moment, but as he got out of the car, a slight pain hit me and I struggled to recoup before he noticed my grimace.  I didn’t want him to think I was some sort of medical disaster waiting to happen. 

“I have a twenty-four-hour shift tomorrow, so I won’t be able to see you, but I will text you here and there to let you know I’m thinking about you.”

“I’m looking forward to it already.”

He smiled and blew me a fake kiss before turning and making his way up the walkway to the house.  I pulled away just as another pain surged through my center.  Perhaps it was just some sort of muscle spasm from the strenuous sexual workout over the weekend.  I went about my errands and then to pick up Katie, just bearing the intermittent pains as they hit.  Maybe I even pulled something.  Despite the pain, the thought almost made me smile at the fact that it was completely worth the injury.  Even if I never saw him again, I don’t think I would regret what a fantastic time I had experienced with him.

By the following morning, the pain had subsided a bit, but was replaced with an overwhelming sense of nausea.  A virus was the last thing that I needed.  I did my best to steer clear of kissing or hugging Katie as I got her ready for school.  Bad enough that I had whatever this was without her getting it.  I managed to drop her off at school and then rushed back home to lay down, feeling a bit like death warmed over.  Not even the sweet messages from Sebastian could make me feel better.  By noon, I was in agony and called my mother to pick up Katie from school so I could go to the doctor.

I sat looking at him with my mouth open once he had finished his examination and sat down to talk with me.  The news was the last thing I expected and didn’t make sense.

“How can you even tell so soon?”

“Well, it’s really not that soon.  From the looks of it, I’d say that you are at least three weeks along.”

“No.  That is impossible.  I can’t be three weeks pregnant.”

“Sometimes the tests can be unreliable, but even from the physical exam, I’d say that is an accurate estimate.  I’ve been doing this a very long time, Laura.  Still, I’m a general practitioner.  Make an appointment with an obstetrician and let them confirm everything.  They’ll do an ultrasound and give you a more accurate due date than I can.”

“Okay, Dr. Townsend.  Thank you.”

She walked out of the office, stunned.  No way could she be three weeks pregnant.  Sebastian was the only one she had slept with in years and that was just yesterday.  She dialed her OB/GYN’s office and made an appointment.  Their first available was in a week.  It would have to do.  When Sebastian messaged again, she ignored it.  Being lighthearted just wasn’t on the agenda for her right now.  She asked her Mom to keep Katie for the night, dropping off some clothes for school tomorrow, turned off her cell phone and went to bed.

“What’s wrong?”

Laura had barely turned her phone back on when she received the text message from Sebastian.  It wasn’t his fault that she didn’t feel well or was it?  Could she really be pregnant and sick so fast?  This was all just crazy.

“I’m just not feeling well.  Some sort of virus, I’m sure.”

The phone rang and she looked at it, noting his number.  She took a deep sigh and answered it.  It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk to him, she just wasn’t sure what she should say or not say right now.  She answered it and tried to sound much more cheerful than she felt.

“I’m coming over.  I’ll bring you some juice and some soup for later.  What else do you need?  Do you need me to take Katie to school for you?  I just got off work, but I can be there in less than a half hour.”

“Wait, whoa.  Slow down.  I’m fine.  I don’t need you to rush over or anything.”

“I want to, Laura.  If you are sick, I’m coming to check on you.  I’m an EMT.  You might need mouth to mouth or something.”

“Tempting, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t want to do that today.”

“We’ll see.  I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

He didn’t give her a chance to argue further before he said goodbye.  She sighed heavily.  What was she going to say to him about this?  Probably best just not to say anything beyond thinking she had a virus.  She would wait to see what the OBGYN had to say before she decided what to do. 

Another child.  What was she going to do with another child?  Josh’s life insurance had paid off the house and left her a bit of savings.  She had a good job, but would obviously have some down time after the birth of another child.  There wasn’t even a consideration to ask Sebastian to support the child.  She barely knew him.  How could she ask him to take care of a child he had fathered with a one-night stand?

When the doorbell rang, she was reluctant to open it.  She still felt and, no doubt, looked horrible and had what felt like the weight of the world on her shoulders.  Pulling it open, she found Sebastian smiling down at her, two large brown sacks in his arms.

“Oh, babe. You look horrible.”

“Thanks.  That is what every woman wants to hear.”

“I’m sorry.  That did come out sounding a bit bad, didn’t it?  You’re beautiful even when you are sweaty and pale.  That should be a comfort.”

“Yeah, that is much better,” she said sarcastically.

“I brought you some different kinds of juices, some ice cream, some fresh soup from the deli and a variety of over the counter meds for stomach ailments.  I didn’t want to get too personal and ask what your exact symptoms were, so I picked a little of everything up.”

“Thank you.  You really didn’t have to do all that.”

“I wanted to help.  Where is Katie?  Do I need to take her to school?”

“No.  I took her to my Mom’s house yesterday and she took her to school this morning.”

“Good.  It doesn’t seem that you’re in any condition for it.”

As the day progressed, Sebastian didn’t show any sign of letting her stay by herself.  He waited on her hand and foot, keeping a close eye on her throughout the day.  Falling asleep for a while, she felt relieved to just get some rest.  When she awoke, she found Sebastian pacing back and forth, looking very concerned.  Glancing downward, she could see that her stomach was very distended.

“Have you been to the doctor?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes,” she said, deciding not to lie.

“What did he tell you?”

“He said that I’m pregnant.”

“That would be an accurate assessment.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t believe him.  I wanted to wait until a regular obstetrician confirmed it next week.”

“You don’t need a regular obstetrician.  I’m going to take you to my family doctor.”

“Sebastian, it’s okay.  It’s probably just a false positive or something.  No way could I give a positive pregnancy reading the very next day and I haven’t been with anyone else for a very long time.  The crazy family practice doctor told me I was at least three weeks along.”

“You are thinking about this as if this baby is human.  He’s not.  He’s a dragon shifter.”

“What?  What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that shifter babies develop at an alarming rate compared to human babies.  He would appear, you would appear, to be much farther along based on human criteria.”

“So, what then.  I’m three weeks along in one day, so that means that I’ll be full term in what?  About thirteen or fourteen weeks?”

“No.  Dragon babies develop faster, but they have about a six-month gestation period.  So, you’ll appear fairly normal in the pregnancy itself.  People will just think you have been pregnant for longer than you actually have.”

“I don’t know if I want to go through with this.  I had no intention of having another child, especially not one with a relative stranger.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Of course I do.  This is a nightmare.”

“It’s not a nightmare, and I don’t think you really believe that.  You are just scared.  I won’t leave you, Laura.  This is my baby too.  Dragon shifters can only procreate once and then, only with the one they are meant to spend their lives with.  Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”

“Yes.  You are saying that you can’t have another child and that you will stay with me in order to make sure I have this one.”

“No, Laura.  I’m saying we were destined for one another.  Perhaps it will take you longer to believe that, but I felt it when I met you.  I just didn’t want to accept it.  I was frightened by it, but now this.  I know now that it is all true.  We belong together.  Tell me that you at least feel enough for me to give us a chance, to give our child a chance.”

“I do feel something for you.  I can’t explain it, but I’m drawn to you like I’ve not been drawn to anyone for a long time.”

“Then we are going to my family doctor to make sure you get the proper care for such a special child and we will handle this as it comes.  Okay?”

“Okay.”

A part of her felt relief.  Perhaps this was how things were meant to be, after all.  She dressed and went to the doctor with Sebastian.  It turned out to be a secluded cabin like office in the middle of nowhere, the doctor looking more like an old shaman of some sort than a certified doctor.

“Where did you go to school?” she asked as he examined her, eliciting a smile.

“Harvard, Received my diploma in 1917.”

“I’m sorry.  I must have misunderstood.  1977?”

“No.  1917.”

Laura looked at Sebastian quizzically and he nodded his head with a slow smile.  How old was this doctor she wondered.

“Dr. Bledsoe has been practicing medicine for a very long time.  He probably even has a few instruments that aren’t rusty.  He’s old as shit.”

“Listen here, boy.  I brought you into this world.  I won’t be bothered about taking you back out of it,” the doctor replied dryly.

“Don’t worry, Laura.  I assure you that he is a very good doctor and the only one you will find that can provide for your special needs.”

“Here drink this,” the doctor told her, handing her some vile smelling chalky liquid.  She did as he said and felt an immediate relief from the nausea and cramps.  Perhaps he knew his stuff after all.  She would have to trust him, whether she wanted to or not.

A few days later, life seemed almost normal again.  The doctor had sent a bottle of the medicine he had given her home and told her to keep taking it as needed until the sickness and pain subsided.  She had begun to wear loose clothing to cover up her growing bump, but would have to begin to tell people soon about the baby.  Sebastian was by her side constantly except for when he had to work.  Today he was on another twenty-four-hour shift, and she was taking Katie to the park.  It was time to break the news to her that she was going to be a sister and, to her surprise, her daughter was incredibly excited about it.  She felt pretty good about things.

Then, the next day, everything fell apart in a matter of moments.  She was making dinner and watching the news.  A report came on that there was a major fire in the downtown area.  A high rise that had been condemned and was set ablaze by someone unknown had collapsed, trapping several local firefighters in the blaze.  Her heart pounded, practically exiting her chest as her phone began to ring.

“Laura?  Laura Stewart?”

“Yes.  Is he okay?” 

She didn’t have time for formalities, she felt exactly like she had on a similar day a few years prior.  There was no doubt that this call concerned Sebastian and she needed to know the worst right now, no matter what it might be.

“This is Chief Isaacs.  You are listed as a contact in case of emergency.  We don’t know Sebastian’s condition at present, but we are notifying family members that we are doing everything we can to bring him and the others out safely.  We’ll be in touch.”

“Thank you, Chief,” she replied, her voice shaky and almost inaudible.

Hours passed during which she had no updates except for the news that unfolded on the television as she watched with increasing horror.  Could she really lose him so quickly? Why was this happening to her again?  Was there some sort of curse that would cost her every man she ever loved?  The thought startled her as she realized that she did, in fact love him.  Already, he had become someone she didn’t want to live without.  Tears fell down her face as she imagined the worse.

The news tore away from the collapsed, smoking building while a reporter spoke about the situation at hand and Laura just wanted to scream at the screen.  She needed to see what was going on.  Her nerves were completely on edge as her phone rang again, a raspy, rough voice on the other end.

“I’m okay, Laura.  I’m okay.”

“Sebastian?  Where are you?  I can hardly hear you?”

“I’m under the building, but I’m fine.”

“Sebastian!  Oh my God!”

“Just trust me.  Remember what I am.  Remember who I am.  I’m safe.  I’ll be safe until they can get to me.  I have to go.”

Laura felt like she was talking to a ghost from beyond.  Hours passed during which she continued to watch the news as they kept following unfolding events.  A crane was brought in and large sections of the building began to be pulled carefully away, digging deep into the center of the building until a large section could be seen apparently heaving upward, something pushing it out from within.  It took a moment, but she suddenly realized what it was.

“Sebastian,” she breathed into the living room around her, a sudden calm coming over her.

She watched as the large wings emerged, pushing the rubble away and shielding the men beneath the huge dragon wings.  A smile crossed her face.  Of course.  During all this time, she had forgotten the most notable thing about the man she had fallen in love with.  He was a dragon shifter.  She watched as he stood, larger than life, above the men who now climbed from the debris that surrounded them and made their way toward the waiting ambulances sent to their aid.

The reporter chatted excitedly as the large beast waited for the last of them to clear it’s wing span and then rose up, pushing the last of the crushed building up and away from its huge frame.  Then it rose into the air, taking flight rather than shifting back to human form.  There was speculation as to whether the dragon had caused the fire, but then one of the fireman was lucid enough to speak to the reporter.

“No.  He saved us.  He saved us all.  The beams were falling.  One fell on him, across his back, across his head and we thought he was dead.  The next thing we knew he was shifting and pushing everything up and away from us.  It was too heavy for him to lift, all the levels down on top of us, but he kept enough of it up to make sure we were sheltered from it until crews could make it down there.  He’s a true hero.”

The report died out as she heard a loud thud in the front yard and ran to the door, just in time to see the huge creature standing on her front lawn.  It was surreal watching as he changed back into a man, not any man, but the one that she would spend the rest of her life with.  Running out the door, she threw her arms around him, tossing the throw from her sofa around his naked form as she helped him into the house.  He was weak, that was obvious.

“Sebastian, why did you come here?  Why didn’t you stay and get medical attention?”

“I’m fine.  They can’t help me.  I just need to rest.”

“The man, the other firefighter.  He said you were crushed by beams.  That they thought you were dead.”

“I was.”

“What?  What do you mean you were?  I was so afraid I had lost you!”

“You’ll never lose me, Laura.  I may have forgotten to mention that, like a cat, I have nine lives.  I still have seven left.  Oh, and my kind lives to be well over a hundred years old.  You’re stuck with me for a very long time to come.”

Laura smiled at him and helped him to the bathroom to get cleaned up.  Then, they turned in for the night, laying curled up together peacefully.  Somewhere in the night, his weakness passed and she was once again reminded why she found him so completely irresistible as his erection pressed into her.

“I can’t believe you want to have sex.  Not only did you die today, but look at me.  I swear I’ve turned into a whale just in the course of twenty-four hours,” she said, pointing at the size of her growing belly.

“Oh stop.  That is just getting me more excited,” he said, slipping into her from one side and pumping his cock deep inside of her.

Everything felt perfect as he slipped in and out of her swollen pink folds, aching for more of him with each stroke.  He felt perfect, like he always did, but there was something different now, a closeness that she hadn’t felt before.  His hands cupped her swollen breasts as he pushed into her, deeply, wantonly making love to her in a way that made her want to cry with joy.  This was what had been missing from her life for far too long.  This kind of passion, this kind of devotion.

“I love you, Laura,” he whispered into her ear softly.

“I love you too,” she replied, pushing back against him as her body quaked, shattering into an orgasm that almost left her breathless. 

“Oh no, I am not done with you yet” he roared, as he turned her over onto her back and pulled up her legs vertically around him. His eyes glowed orange, and he thrust his long perfect cock more deeply into her than ever before. Her screams of pain quickly turned into screams of pleausre as his cock began widening and vibrating inside of her.

Sebastian didn’t let up, quickly bringing her to several more climaxes before he exploded, filling her with the same seed that had already given life to the next generation of dragon shifters.  Their child would carry on his family name into the next century.  She could already imagine him with their child, doing normal things like playing catch in the backyard or teaching him to ride his first bike.  No doubt there would be dragon training that would feel completely foreign to her, as well. 

Whatever was to be would be fine with her.  This all felt so incredibly right, like it was exactly where she was supposed to be, and he was exactly who she was supposed to be with.  How she had gotten so incredibly lucky was beyond her, but there was no doubt that she was exactly that.  Everything felt so right now.  So perfect.  Sebastian was the most incredible man she could have ever hoped to find to spend the rest of her life with and she knew now that they would grow old and gray together.

He kissed her lips with an almost featherlike caress of his own as she snuggled into the crook of his arm and fell asleep.  The morning sun ushered in the next day in only a matter of hours and they climbed out of bed, ready to face the rest of their lives and whatever it might bring.  Dressing and walking into the living room, she was astounded at what she was seeing out the front windows.  As it turned out, that was a throng of reporters on their front lawn, eager to talk to the hero of yesterday.

“How did they find you here?” she asked in wonder, looking at the mass of them outside, their vans lining the street and their cameramen scattered all over the front lawn.

“I’m sure a neighbor ratted me out.  Kind of hard to miss a huge dragon landing on the sidewalk out there.  I guess I should have shifted and taken the car back here.  I was just in a hurry and wanted to get to you as quickly as possible, to let you know I was okay.”

Laura nodded and smiled, realizing just how much her life was about to change in a world filled with heroes and dragons.  Then they opened the door.

 

Dating Two Dragons

Chapter 1

The firefighter’s ball in Austin, Texas was one of the most intensely planned and organized fete’s in the city. Each detail from the venue down to the silverware and table linens was always organized to perfection.

Everyone who was anyone descended on the Crowne Plaza Hotel dressed to the nines in their black-tie finery, ready to mingle and be noticed. The annual event had always been a themed fundraiser for either a scholarship fund, or an inner city school project, this year was a Casino Night to benefit the Fallen Heroes fund. The charity directly impacted the widows and children of fallen firefighters and police officers in the Austin area. Slot machines, blackjack tables, and roulette wheels had been set up around the ballroom. A poker tournament was being held in a separate room with a one hundred dollar buy-in with one hundred per cent of the money received being donated.

Anna Nash was not one of the beautiful or wealthy people invited to the ball. Considering the cost of entry alone was five hundred dollars a plate for non-firefighters, Anna couldn’t afford to attend even if she had the opportunity. What she could do, was earn a scant fifty bucks for waiting tables and filling water glasses at the event. With any luck, she could schmooze a few tips out of the patrons.

The catering company she worked for, Park Ave. Caterers, had been hired to provide the food and beverage menus for the first time ever in the thirteen years since the ball’s inception. Her excitable and very Greek boss, Melina Tsangarelis, was naturally ecstatic at the idea of so much exposure; and for such a good cause. Melina had had Anna rolling dolmades and mixing marinades for several hundred whole chickens all week in prep for the event.

After a long week of prep and back breaking work, at last it was ten minutes until go time. Melina had assembled her entire team of twenty in the kitchen for the pep talk to end all pep talks. “Okay, everybody! We have worked hard all week for tonight. There are going to be a lot of people out there, most of them haven’t ever tried our food before so this is our chance to make a lasting impression on each and every one of them. So with that, let’s go out there and have fun. Oh, and don’t screw it up!”

Anna joined in for the “ready break” moment, but she found it hard to be enthusiastic about such an exciting and heartwarming moment. Not three days ago, she had been dumped by her boyfriend of nearly two years. She found it tough to muster up any feeling of “Go Team!” when her heart had been shattered into a million pieces.

Pete had called her Wednesday night that week to ask if she wanted to meet him for breakfast the next morning. “Anna, I need to discuss something with you and it’s super important that I see you in person.”

“Of course. I don’t have to be at work until eleven so breakfast is perfect.”

“Great, See you tomorrow.”

Pete had hung up before Anna could tell him she loved him, but he sounded like he was in a hurry so that was no big deal. Her hands shook as she set her phone down and her heart raced. Was this it? After two years together and six months of her dropping hints, Pete was finally going to propose! She jumped up and down on her second hand couch whooping and clapping with the excitement of finally taking the next step with the love of her life. She called her mother and her best friend that night to tell them the good news.

She had no idea how far off base her thought process was and hard it would be to rescind the good news.

Pete had chosen a crowded public place to drop the hammer on their relationship. A smart move on his part, because while Anna could shed a tear or two, she was forced to mind her manners.

“Anna, I wanted to say that the last two years with you have been great. I’ve had a really good time, haven’t you?”

Anna beamed at him over her bacon and egg plate. “Absolutely. This has been the best two years of my life!”

A frown tugged at the corners of Pete’s mouth. While her response was nice, her enthusiasm made what he was about to do, that much harder. “I’m glad, but I think it’s time we go our separate ways. I– I’ve met somebody else.”

Anna pressed her lips together and gritted her teeth. Through sheer force of will, she avoided blinking because she was about to cry. “But, why? Who did you meet?”

Pete sighed and scrubbed his face. “Don’t worry about any of that. Listen, I said what I needed to say.” He threw a ten-dollar bill on the table. “I need to be going now. Take care, Anna.”

He had left his now ex-girlfriend gaping at him from a window booth and on the verge of tears. The entire break up only took minutes; they hadn’t even had their meal before Pete pulled the trigger. Anna had barely made it out of the diner before breaking down into crippling sobs.

She shook her head and put aside the memory. Anna knew she wouldn’t survive the night if kept thinking about Pete and with her boss under so much pressure, she couldn’t afford to test the limits of Melina’s patience tonight.

“Do I have time for a quick bathroom break before everyone starts trickling in?” Anna asked.

Melina finished rolling up the sleeves of her chef’s coat and checked her watch. “You have five minutes, Anna. Go ahead.”

Anna dashed across the hall to the restroom. It was time for her own kind of pep talk in order to be able to work without going to pieces. It was one thing to push a memory aside, it was another to be able to keep it out.

After locking the door behind her, she stood in front of the mirror and adjusted her black uniform vest and bowtie. With black tie rules in place, Melina was adamant about no tattoos showing at the event. Anna had spent an hour that afternoon being extra liberal with the cover up on her neck. She had a black dragon that started at her neck, and snaked its way down her arm to just past her elbow. While the tattoo wasn’t massive, the head was about as big as her two thumbs stacked on top of each other, in some collared shirts, the spikes on his head would show. “No hint of lizard anywhere.” She pulled a pink lip gloss from her pocket to reapply. She liked how full her lips were and did whatever she could to play them up.

It was her eyes that needed little more than a coat of mascara for enhancement. Her father had always called her doll eyes; a nickname she grew to love as she got older, but as a teenager, it made her self-conscious because it only drew attention to the fact that her brown eyes were slightly too large for her face. Since recently coloring her naturally blonde hair a deep walnut, her eyes only stood out more. She loved how unique she looked.

With one last tug on her vest and a tightening of her stubby ponytail, she was ready for battle.

 

Chapter 2

The night was moving along at a steady clip. Each course at dinner transitioned smoothly to the next and before Anna knew it, the entrée was over and she could take a minute to rest her feet. She skated through the kitchen, plucking a couple of leftover shrimp from an untouched cocktail setup. Hopefully, the few bites she would get out of them would quiet the growling beast in her belly; at least until her shift was over at midnight.

She checked her phone on her way out of the kitchen. “Ten-thirty, already? Hot damn!” The knowledge that she was so close to the end put a huge smile on her face. Anna wandered toward the lobby and the vending machines. The handful of shrimp were fine, but what she wanted was a Coke to keep her energy humming.

The welcoming glow of the soda machine held the promise of all things sugary, caffeinated, and good in the world. Anna pulled a handful of singles from her apron pocket and fed two into the machine. Her mouth was practically watering as she punched in the code. Then the bottle got stuck. “No! Awe, man!” She cursed as she kicked the base of the machine. Not a smart move.

“Here, let me help.” A masculine baritone offered. With two whacks of his fist on the front, the bottle dropped.

Anna gratefully retrieved her liquid ambrosia. “Thank you for Fonzie-ing that for me.” She looked up into the face of her hero and had lost all ability to speak. At nearly six feet tall, it wasn’t often that somebody made Anna feel small, but the man in front of her dwarfed her by half a foot and had the kind of broad shoulders and slim waist that carried a suit really well. Or in this case a tux.

“You’re welcome, miss?”

“Uh,” Oh, hell! What’s my name? “Nash. My name is Anna Nash.”

“Well Anna Nash, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” His wide mouth stretched into a gorgeous smile that carried all the way to his pale blue eyes. “I’m Sonny Adams. I work for Station 1. Judging by the get up, you work for the catering company that’s here tonight?”

Instead of the usual Texas drawl, Sonny’ s voice had a tinge of a lilt, Irish or Welsh, maybe? “You guessed correctly, Sonny. Is that short for something?”

He chuckled and leaned against the vending machine. “Yeah, Morrison. My parents were huge Doors fans. Still are as a matter of fact. They thought it would be cute to name their son after a dead rock star.”

“Ah. Well, I need to be going now, Sonny; my break’s over. It was nice to meet you.” Anna sucked in a deep breath and walked away. She hadn’t ever seen a man so beautiful before.

“Anna, hang on. Let me walk you back,” Sonny offered.

Anna continued down the hallway while Sonny caught up. “Sure, but don’t you have a date to get back to?”

“Yeah, but she can wait. She’s probably fixing her makeup or gossiping with the other wives or something.”

Other wives? “So you’re married then?”

Sonny screwed up his face. “Oh hell no. Lily wishes we were, but that definitely will not happen. I refuse to even commit to being exclusive to her. I have some tastes that I’m not willing to give up for a relationship. Most women are fine with it early on, but don’t want me to keep up my habits after going exclusive.”

What sorts of habits? Judging by the way his eyes smoldered, they had to be something fun. Anna stopped in the hall and shook her head. “Let me get this straight, then. You’re basically stringing along some poor woman who thinks someday you’ll magically want to commit. For what?”

Sonny shrugged and put on that panty-dropping grin again. “She’s reliable. If I don’t find someone more interesting for the night, I can always call Lily. She’s always willing to go the extra mile for me”

Anna’s stomach went from butterflies to nausea. “And she’s okay with being your old reliable?” Sonny shrugged. Anna’s ears got hot. The flippant way he handled this other woman’s feelings didn’t sit well with her. “Lily isn’t a dog, she’s a human being. You are so gross!” With a curt wave Anna took off down the hall. “Take care, Sonny.”

She could feel his eyes on her as she pushed through the swinging door to the kitchen. Sonny was sexy and obviously honest, which she could appreciate on some twisted level. He hadn’t bothered trying to hide the fact that he was with a date, or that he was a wicked slut, but Anna just couldn’t be okay with a guy who treated women no different than a toy. To play with someone only until something shiny and new crossed their path, was not how to treat people.

She jumped right back into her work without another thought about Sonny Adams. There was too much to do to close up kitchen service to worry about the handsome and promiscuous firefighter. Besides, the ball had been teeming with more than its fair share of heroic eye candy.

Anna grabbed a bus bucket and headed for the dining room. If she hurried, she’d be able to get the tables cleared and sanitized and she’d get out no later than twelve-oh-one.

“So what time do you get out of here?” Sonny’s velvety voice teased at her most intimate places as he spoke.

Anna had to remind herself that Sonny was a cad of the highest order and she needed to stay as far away from him as possible. “That is none of your business.” Don’t look him in the eye. She maneuvered around him with her bus tub, only giving Sonny the view of her backside.

Sonny followed close behind with his hands in his pockets. The round, tempting ass of Miss Anna was quite the view, but he was eager to catch the view sans clothes. She was just the type Brandon looked for too.

As he followed Anna around the ballroom, he shot off a quick text to his best friend and fellow firefighter, Brandon Kofax. They had been close since they were kids and shared everything, including their women.

“Is there a reason you’re following me, Mr. Adams? I can see if we’re hiring if you like?” She bent low over a table to grab a couple of wine glasses. Just because she had no intention of taking the handsome firefighter home, did not mean she couldn’t have a little bit of fun with him.

Sonny slid into a chair in front of her and put his head in his hands. “Come out with me after work.”

Anna straightened up and put her fist on her hip. “I already told you no.”