Today was a new day. A new day to convince Janet to be with him. A new day to go pester his twin.
A new day to get on his motorcycle and let the wind carry away all his problems.
Chapter 11
When Janet’s friends called her to come out to a club with them that night, she decided that since her foot was good enough to fit into a flat, she would go.
She needed to be out with her girls again.
Xander still hadn’t come back. Not that Janet blamed him.
Things were still really awkward.
It was part of her reason for escaping to the club.
Which was ironic, since when she showed up, she walked in with her friends to see him sitting at the bar, talking casually with a man about as big as him.
Together, they seemed to take up all the air in the room.
The other man was tall and pale with dark hair that fell to his shoulders. She couldn’t see anything else about him because he was facing away from her.
Across from him, Xander’s eyes rose to hers and then widened in surprise.
The look he gave her then said very clearly, What are you doing here?
She shook her head at him, heading out onto the dance floor with her friends.
She didn’t owe him any explanation.
“Janet,” Layla whined. “You have to introduce us to your friend. He’s so hot.”
Yes, he had been. She could still feel his mouth on her—
“I got dibs,” Angie said. “If she ever decides to share.”
Janet snorted. “He’s not mine. I don’t need to share him.”
“Then is he free game?” Layla asked, looking over at him.
Xander had turned back to the man with him and seemed to be trying to get him to take a drink.
The other man was scowling, but as Xander pestered him, she saw the other man fight back a smile.
Xander just had a way of getting people to warm up to him.
She turned her attention back to the floor, wishing she had handled the morning better. She didn’t want to tell Layla he was available, even if it was true.
“I don’t know his deal,” Janet said. “He’s just someone my friend knows.”
There, that should shut up their questions for a moment.
As Janet got into the music, dancing with her friends and trying to ignore the occasional feel of Xander’s eyes on her, she let all her troubles float away to the beat.
Her foot wasn’t that sore anymore, protected by her shoe, and her friends had stopped being man hungry and were simply dancing by her side, enjoying the music.
As song after song went by, Janet felt her thoughts keep returning to Xander.
Focus, Janet.
But somehow, the lights flashing around the club, the loud music, the endless sea of bouncing faces… after a night at home with Xander, laughing and playing, it all felt a bit empty.
She glanced over at Xander and saw him staring at her fiercely, and as her body heated, she had to avert her eyes.
No matter what, she wasn’t ready.
Not ready to give her heart to him. Not ready to trust any man with her feelings. Not ready to give up on a lifetime of playing it safe by being alone and depending only on herself.
She had no idea what would happen when the night was over. She didn’t even know if he would come back to the house.
Perhaps he would say the whole thing was a mistake. That he didn’t want to stay with her anymore.
It was hard not to worry that he’d run now that she was conquered.
“Janet, dance with me,” Layla said, pretty cheeks flushed as she grabbed Janet’s hands and spun in a circle. “You look too stressed out.”
So she danced with her friend, enjoying the playful moves of the smaller woman, and tried to ignore the fact that every time she looked at Xander, he looked like he wanted to set things on fire.
* * *
“So that is your mate,” Taylor said, maybe the first words he’d said all night.
“Yeah.” Xander let out a huff of relief, setting down his beer. There wasn’t enough alcohol in the world to deal with a silent dragon and his mate on the dance floor.
Then again, they weren’t exclusive, he thought bitterly.
Okay, maybe I better cut off the alcohol, he thought, trying to count up how many he’d already gotten.
As a dragon, it was hard to actually get drunk, but Xander was definitely trying.
Just for a moment, he wanted not to think.
Not to think about her soft skin. Her amazing hair. The way she blushed and tried to pretend she didn’t want him, then melted in his arms.
Her strength. The way she was there for everyone. The way everyone seemed drawn to her because she was capable and kind and—
Taylor let out a grunt next to him, gesturing with his beer toward the dance floor, pointing something out to Xander.
Xander’s jaw clenched as he saw a man approaching Janet, smiling cheerfully. “Right. I should…” He trailed off. “We aren’t exclusive.”
He glared at Janet, ruffling when Taylor let out a snort that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
But by the time Xander turned to look at him, the quiet dragon was already staring straight ahead, face calm and vacant as usual.
There was something that scared Xander about Taylor’s deep blue eyes. Like there was something missing there. Something that might not ever be brought back.
What had happened to this dragon?
Xander kept his eyes on Janet, watching as she lifted a hand, shaking her head at the man across from her.
Good, Xander thought. Now walk away.
The man looked frustrated and turned to go but then turned back to say something to Janet, jabbing a finger in her face.
Xander was halfway off his stool, ready to take the man’s head off, when Janet gave the man a shove, sending him backward and into a nearby bouncer who’d been crossing the floor.
When the bouncer looked down at the man, he put up his hands and backed away, shaking his head at Janet.
Janet smiled smugly, then went back to dancing with her friends.
“Strong,” Taylor said, looking impressed as he chugged his beer again.
Xander nodded, still a little pissed that he hadn’t been the one to intervene. Still, the man hadn’t done anything to hurt her, and the problem was over. “Yeah, she is.”
“Tall,” Taylor said.
Xander narrowed his eyes at him, not really liking that Taylor had suddenly found his wordy side and it was about Xander’s mate. “Sure.”
Taylor shrugged and turned back to the bar, gesturing for another beer. The bartender handed it to him skeptically, clearly trying to see if he was drunk, but Taylor looked completely lucid. When he had his beer, he immediately started drinking again.
Xander didn’t know why he had to be jealous of even women, as yet another co-worker latched onto Janet’s curvy form. When she laughed, Xander wanted to capture the sound and replay it over and over.
He wanted to be the only one to make her laugh.
“I’m going to the bathroom. Can you keep an eye out?” Xander asked Taylor, who nodded, sipping his beer.
Xander made his way to the bathroom, trying to get the image of his stubborn mate out of his head.
After everything that had happened today, how were things going to go when he got home?
He blinked, realizing he now thought of Janet’s place as home, despite only spending two nights there.
The thought of going back to Tristan and Kelsie, watching them act out the perfect form of monogamy while whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears… that would be hell.
He’d just have to make up with Janet, he thought, washing his hands as he left the bathroom to head back out into the club.
He pushed through the crowd, frowning when he realized Janet was sitting at the bar, fairly close to Taylor, and blushing.
His hands tightened into fists as the dragon inside h
im started roaring.
* * *
Janet didn’t think she’d ever met anyone like Xander’s friend, Taylor.
The quiet man had said only his name and extended his hand when she’d come over to say hi and asked him where Xander was.
As she waited for her soft drink, she could feel the big man watching her, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes as if deep in thought.
He had a five-o’clock shadow that matched his thick black hair and thick black brows that arched dramatically.
He turned back to watch the dance floor as she got her drink, and she turned on her stool to face the same direction, sipping it.
When he suddenly pinned her with a glare, she had to resist the urge to wither. Like Xander, he was just huge and intimidating.
Unlike Xander, he didn’t do strange things to her heart. Or her body.
“Xander is nice,” he said gruffly.
She sucked in her cheek. “I suppose that’s one way to describe him.” Outlandish. Rude. Sexy. Enraging. All of those worked as well.
“You like him?” Taylor asked in that flat, low voice.
“Yes.” She glanced in the direction of the bathroom, wondering when he’d be back.
After only a day apart, she missed seeing his ridiculously handsome face and hearing his stupid jokes.
Taylor chuckled, though she had no idea why. He raised a dark eyebrow. “Why not exclusive?”
A deep flush covered her face as Taylor studied her with those perplexingly haunting blue eyes. Eyes that held a depth that spoke of sadness. “That’s none of your business.”
“You like him,” Taylor said again.
“Maybe,” she said stubbornly, not willing to admit her feelings to herself, let alone this stranger. “I could like a lot of people.”
He hefted himself off the stool and faced her, putting one hand on either side of her on the bar. “How about me?”
She looked up at him, and if she wasn’t imagining it, there was just the slightest hint of smugness on his face at the way she pulled away from him. “I…” She let out a sigh of defeat as she shook her head. “No.”
Taylor sat back on his stool, looking complacent as he lifted his beer to his lips. His eyes held the slightest twinkle as they glanced sideways at her. “You like him.”
She huffed, angry that this verbally constipated behemoth could read her so easily. But really, as she saw Xander come out of the bathroom, looking around to see where she was, she had to admit she was a little bit grateful to just admit it to herself, if no one else.
She really did like him.
She didn’t know how far her feelings extended beyond that because she’d never even liked someone that way before. But she knew he was special.
God, even the thought of it made her want to choke. It made her feel so dependent, so vulnerable. So—
Her thoughts went blank as she watched Xander striding up to them, zipping up his leather jacket as his vivid blue eyes looked from her to Taylor.
Surely, he didn’t think…
He put a hand on the bar next to her, closing the distance to be right next to her faster than she even could have imagined. “Am I interrupting something?”
She shook her head slowly, forcing a smile onto her bright-red face. “No, Taylor and I here were just getting acquainted,” she said pleasantly. “Xander, about this morning, I—”
“We’re leaving,” he said sharply. “Now.”
She raised her eyes to him. “You can’t just—”
“I need to talk to you. In private,” he said, glaring down at her. There was an energy to him she hadn’t seen before. He was tense. Crackling at the edges. Not bothering with the polite, pleasant façade he usually put on.
So why did she kind of like it?
His gaze was possessive, anger radiating off of him. It made his impressive size seem that much more impressive. “Please, Janet. It’s important.”
“All right.” She stood, extending a hand to Taylor, feeling Xander glaring at both of them.
A wide grin spread over Taylor’s face as he shook her hand gently, watching Xander look near exploding.
“That’s enough,” Xander said, taking her hand and pulling her along with him so fast she could barely catch her breath.
He didn’t let up until they were outside by his bike, cool air all around them.
“What is wrong with you?” She let out a sigh. “I know I didn’t handle things well this morning, but—”
“Put this on,” he said, handing her the helmet.
“But—”
“Put. It. On,” he said softly in a voice that tickled forbidden parts of her soul.
Damn, boy.
As she put the helmet on and climbed on the bike behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, she had to admit it was nice to just touch him.
She’d text her work friends that she’d gotten home safely later.
Xander started the bike, and it rumbled beneath them, bespeaking raw power. He checked that her hands were around his waist and nodded, walking the bike to the place where he could turn and pull out.
When he got an opening, he pulled the throttle, and Janet gasped and held on as a thrilling wave of pleasure moved through her.
Despite the tension building between them, she had a feeling the night would only get better.
Chapter 12
Before Jan knew it, they were back at her apartment, Xander striding into her place and pacing as she shut the door behind them.
“You said we needed to talk,” Janet said, setting aside her keys and taking her shoes off, trying to ignore the sense of nervous anticipation inside her. “What’s this about specifically?”
Xander ran a hand through his thick blond hair, mussing it as he looked away for a moment. But when he turned to face her, his gaze nearly pinned her in place, blue eyes blazing with frustration.
“What was that back at the bar?” he asked, brows furrowed.
“What was what?”
“You and Taylor. I saw you blushing, saw your reaction to him.”
Janet nearly laughed. “He’s your friend. We were just talking.”
Xander stopped pacing long enough to glare at her. “It looked like flirting.”
She blinked, unsure why he was so jealous. “Xander…”
“I know,” he said, frustrated, tugging his hand through his hair again. “I know what you said this morning and that you think I have no right, but I know there’s something between us, even if you want to deny it.”
She sighed, and her hands tightened into fists at her sides. “I know there’s something between us.”
“Then why did you push me away this morning? Why do you always have to push me away?” He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it. “I don’t want to see other people, Janet. I only want to see you.”
She stared at him blankly, feeling confused but frankly a little flattered.
She hadn’t expected him to get so worked up over her. She’d thought him a player. Someone who didn’t take feelings seriously.
She realized now she hadn’t been fair. And even though it was terrifying, from here on out, she would try to be fair to him. Try to treat him as if he wasn’t going to hurt her.
Which was hard.
Xander glared, keeping his eyes pinned on hers. God, that color. Jan felt her body responding to his attention, warming under his gaze.
He turned abruptly, walking over to the end table by her couch to pick up a book. He waved at her frustratedly. “You live in these books, Janet. You want a hero? He’s here. It’s me. What can this guy do that I can’t?”
She snorted. “Well, for one thing, that one scene where he—”
Xander’s blue eyes were ice cold. “I can do that.”
She flushed violently, trying not to think about it. “But—”
His lip curled up on one side in a sneer. “Easy.”
Janet gulped, nervous and turned on at the same time to be called out so directly. He chal
lenged her right from the start. She did like that about him.
All her life, she’d kept men at arm’s length, satisfied simply to enjoy her fantasies and the privacy of her own self-satisfaction.
Xander was breaking the rules.
And Janet didn’t want him to stop.
“If you want me to run away so badly, why do your eyes keep begging me not to go?”
She felt pinned to her spot, her heart beating wildly, trapped against emotions she’d promised herself she’d never feel.
“I refuse to hide what I feel any longer just because you’re afraid of something real.” As he spoke, he moved closer, the book falling to the side as he loomed over her like a real-life Greek statue, all muscles and sculpted angles and ferocious sexual tension. They were nearly chest to chest now.
“I’m not afraid.” She lied, her last defense against him. God, even now her fingers were itching to touch him.
“Liar.” Xander’s lips turned up slowly as he watched her reaction. “You’re so afraid that you can’t think straight. But I know what you want.”
She blinked, feeling heat pool at the apex of her legs, which were shaking. “What do I want?”
“I guess you don’t remember last night,” he said. “No, you were lucid. We both know that. Maybe you don’t want to remember. Should I show you?”
“Show me what?” Her words were breathless, her whole body tensed for his next movement.
He leaned in against her ear. “What you’re begging for with those pretty green eyes.”
She gasped, and he pulled back from her, wide shoulders bunching as he folded his arms.
“Or tell me you don’t want this. Tell me you don’t want me, and I’ll walk out that door right now.” A muscle flexed at the side of his jaw, and his blue eyes glittered dangerously. “But if you tell me to stay, I’m going to pleasure you senseless. Because I only want you, Janet.”
Janet stared up at him helplessly, core tight with need, fingers tingling, throat dry as her mind went wild with fantasies that only starred the man in front of her.
There was no one else she wanted either.
Dragon Meets Girl: Forgotten Dragons Book 2 Page 7
