Damaged Daddy Dragon

by Leela Ash

  Inwardly, he recoiled. The last thing he wanted to do right now was be stuck in a tiny, dingy hotel room. He needed to let off some steam. This place was so small, it was unlikely they would have anywhere adequate for him to do that, but a good workout would do wonders for him.

  As if through some force of fate, Apollo paused. Across the street, there were two signs. One was huge, in deep maroon letters. “Greendale Gym.” Below it, a little to the right, a much smaller sign in yellow lettering said, “Quinn’s.” What was that? Some kind of juice bar? He could use a drink.

  He glanced at his watch. The men weren’t going to be there until tomorrow anyway. He had a little time.

  With a heavy sigh, Apollo crossed the street quickly, eager to get on a weight bench. If they even had one. Judging from the rest of the town, Apollo didn’t expect much. Still, it was worth a try. So, he headed for the gym, hoping something there might be able to help him find the release he was looking for.

  3.

  Quinn was exhausted. Fortunately, class was over, and she was ready to head home. It seemed, no matter how hard she worked, there was always more to do. And the people in her class, despite their good intentions, progressed at a frustratingly slow pace.

  She wanted to help them reach their highest potential, but it seemed they only practiced both the physical and the spiritual aspects of yoga in the classroom and forget about it once they were outside and living their daily lives.

  She couldn’t blame them. This town could suck the life out of you. Still, she wished there was some way she might be able to help them take home the most important principals of yoga, so they might manage to find greater peace of mind and make faster progress with some of the more advanced poses.

  It was almost definitely a selfish desire on Quinn’s part. But it got repetitive doing simple beginner poses day after day, even though they had been working together for going on three years. Sure, the class had the routine down by now, but they didn’t seem able or willing to advance.

  After every class, just to challenge herself a little bit, Quinn had to do a short session by herself to feel like she had accomplished something in her body and spirit.

  While being a teacher could be its own reward, it wasn’t really the life Quinn had envisioned for herself. There wasn’t a whole lot of excitement in doing the same things over and over and over. And while those in her class might be open to her alternative way of thinking, for the most part, they just didn’t have the same connection with the more intangible spiritual benefits of the practice.

  “Hot yoga lady!”

  Quinn grimaced in irritation as the bell to her studio door jingled and revealed the thugs that usually only harassed her from the other side of the window. They were sure getting bold now. Her sign very clearly said, “Closed.”

  One of the men walked over to a table full of pamphlets and smacked them off the table. She thought about calling security, but she was on rocky terms with the people who owned the gym.

  Because she was renting their space, they often tried to impose odd rules on her that she knew were probably illegal, such as saying it was to be her job to clean the locker rooms should the janitor call in sick, or things like that, as a supposed “stipulation of her contract.” No matter how many times she went over that contract, she hadn’t seen any of those rules. But she didn’t want to lose her position there. It was the only good thing about Greendale.

  “Are you here to sign up for classes?” Quinn asked, trying to keep her tone as even as possible as she continued into her next pose.

  “That depends. Are you going to show me how to use my body?”

  He made a vulgar hip movement, and Quinn rolled her eyes.

  “Please leave my classroom,” she said, trying to maintain her calm. She was really starting to hate these guys.

  Isaac caught her eye and grinned.

  “This isn’t your classroom. You’re just renting it.”

  He sauntered over to her and stood behind her, then put his hands on her hips.

  She froze.

  “Don’t touch me!”

  “Or what? I remember you liking this.”

  “Isaac, leave!”

  But his grip tightened around her waist and the others began to move in, howling with laughter and encouraging him.

  She felt a sudden, strange pulse of energy, completely unlike anything she had experienced before, and the door to her studio once again banged open.

  “What’s going on in here?”

  But the man standing there seemed to have already answered his own question, before it was fully out of his mouth, because his dark eyes narrowed, and his mouth set in a firm line as he headed straight for Isaac.

  “Didn’t your father ever teach you how to treat a woman?” he snarled, knocking Isaac easily away from Quinn by his shoulder. Isaac fell to the floor in a lump, and his lackeys howled with laughter. Quinn scurried away from the middle of the chaos and put her back against the wall, eyes darting for the door. She could make a break for it. Maybe calling security wouldn’t be so bad.

  But whoever this man was, he was already handling it. His dark, shoulder-length hair gave his appearance an almost animalistic look as he rounded up the group of assholes and herded them to the door. They were fighting him all the way, and when Isaac swung around and punched the guy in the stomach, the man retaliated and struck Isaac hard in the face. He fell back into his lackeys, dazed.

  “I don’t know what the hell has gotten into you all but take it somewhere else. And if I see you giving her a hard time again, you’re going to get a lot worse than this. Understand?”

  Isaac finally managed to stand, and he headed toward Quinn.

  “It’s none of your business if I want to visit my ex-girlfriend, dude.”

  Before Apollo could respond, Quinn had already roundhouse kicked Isaac in the face. He stumbled backward in a daze, before turning around and heading out the door.

  “Ouch. Guess you should probably take a raincheck.”

  Isaac and the others skulked out, without acknowledging the man’s words. When they were gone, the strange energy Quinn had felt suddenly seemed overwhelming, and she dared to gaze at the stranger.

  He was tall, with godly muscles and a serious expression. His face, despite its firm, calculating look, was gorgeous. She had never even dreamed of seeing a man like this in Greendale. He stuck out like a beautiful sore thumb. He lifted a brow at her, and Quinn blushed. She had been staring.

  “Thank you,” she managed, hoping to cover up her blatant attraction. Surely, he was used to it by now, and probably found it less than flattering. But there was nothing she could do about it at this point. Attracted to him, she was.

  “Yeah. Are you heading out?”

  Quinn nodded.

  “All right. I’m going to escort you.”

  Quinn furrowed her brow. “You really don’t have to do that.”

  “You don’t think those assholes are going to want to follow you out of here? Now their pride is wounded on top of it. They’re far more likely to make a move. It could be dangerous.”

  Quinn sighed. “Fine. You can escort me. I don’t live too far from here.”

  This seemed to ease some of the tension in the man’s features. “Good.”

  They lingered in a heavy silence for a moment before Quinn tried to find her bubbly social side again. This was a stranger. Someone she had never met before. Someone who might have the potential to surprise her the way he had by getting those assholes out of her studio.

  “I’m Quinn. What’s your name?”

  The man was busy glancing around the studio and didn’t bother to make eye contact with her when he answered. “Apollo.”

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Apollo. Did you come in to sign up for a class?”

  The handsome man’s face almost broke into a smile as he scoffed. His dark eyes were settled on a space on the wall above her head. Why wouldn’t he look at her?

  She quickly got her a
nswer when his eyes finally met hers and a hot surge of electricity coursed through her body. His gaze was firm upon her, as if he were acknowledging the sensation and mulling over the fact that she had seemed to experience the same thing.

  “Come on, let’s get moving,” Apollo said gruffly.

  Either he was an impatient man or simply the kind who wasn’t satisfied unless he was making progress. He probably had better things to do than walk home with some damsel in distress wearing yoga leggings. The thought almost made her laugh out loud, and Apollo’s brow quirked once more. But he didn’t pursue it. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked to the doorway. “Come on.”

  Quinn followed his lead, secretly studying him as he made his way through the gym and out to the sidewalk. He looked almost pained as he glanced up and down the street, taking in the lackluster scenery. She couldn’t blame him. This place was a drag.

  “Which way?”

  “Right,” Quinn said. And then, as they began walking, “You’re new here, aren’t you?”

  Apollo gave a slow nod. He didn’t seem particularly eager to reveal too much about himself. Strong silent type? She could get behind that. Or on top of it…

  She shook the thought away. In all seriousness, she was so sick of the type of men she found in Greendale. They were selfish, entitled, and obnoxious. None of the experiences she’d had dating had been good, and she was sick of trying. It seemed there was nothing left for her there in terms of romantic prospects. She had given up on dating a long time ago. Particularly, after her shit with Isaac.

  “Are you staying nearby?”

  Regardless of her firm stance against dating, there was still something compelling about Apollo. She couldn’t stop herself from asking questions. There was something different about him. Strange.

  Her mind wandered back to the bizarre energy she had felt when he burst into the studio to help her. Yes, there was definitely something strange.

  “Oh! You have a tattoo!”

  Apollo glanced over his shoulder at her and then looked at his bicep. He shrugged lightly. “Yeah.”

  Quinn mulled the tattoo over quietly as they walked. A circlet tattoo on his bicep of the Ouroboros. The snake eating its own tail. Except, instead of a snake, it looked a bit more like a dragon.

  It resonated deeply with her. For one thing, the Ouroboros was a spiritual symbol. She had learned all about it during her difficult time in high school, when she was trying to figure out what she believed in. Most of the values she had been taught were all well and good, but she had a feeling there was more out there than just that. And somehow, seeing Apollo with that tattoo reminded her of that belief, and she felt a strong, powerful conviction that maybe this man was somehow linked to that mystical truth she was always seeking.

  It was a strange, alluring thing to notice, and to be drawn to it was only natural. Every now and then, she liked to think she saw signs of this or that and believed fully in the power of omens and energies. So, what did that tattoo say about Apollo? Was he as strange as he acted? Was he strange for a reason? Would she ever be close enough to him to find out more?

  It was an intricate piece. A dragon. She had always been drawn to dragons. There was just something about them that made her feel comfortable. Nostalgic, almost. But that was silly.

  “It’s nice,” she said simply.

  “Thank you,” Apollo said. He paused a moment. “That was impressive, you know. With the kick.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Is that a yoga move? If it is, I might reconsider.”

  Quinn laughed. “Not exactly, but it helps to keep in shape. In a town like this, you never know.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  They finally made it to Quinn’s place, and she stopped, smiling at Apollo warmly. “I appreciate you making sure I made it home safely,” she said.

  He met her eyes, and Quinn nearly lost her breath. What was this incredible tension between them? It was so strong that it was almost off-putting. And yet, she was intrigued by it.

  He seemed eager not to acknowledge it and looked away from her almost as soon as he met her gaze. His expression looked bored. Almost agitated. Did he resent her for taking him away from the gym or something?

  “It’s no problem. Let me know if those guys bother you again.”

  “Thanks,” Quinn said softly. There was another agonizing silence between them before she spoke again.

  “You seem tense, Apollo.”

  His gaze snapped to her once more, a wry smile playing his lips.

  “Yep.”

  “I’m sorry if my situation contributed to that.”

  Apollo shook his head quickly. “Nah. It was nice to beat someone’s ass. If anything, it helped.”

  Quinn couldn’t help but laugh, despite the fact the statement was dripping with alpha energy. She usually couldn’t stand it, but there they were, coexisting, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I know something that might help more. Beating people’s asses isn’t always the most reliable form of stress reduction.”

  Apollo arched a brow at her, and Quinn swallowed hard. God, he was handsome.

  “Yoga,” she managed. “You really should consider coming to my class one day.”

  Apollo rolled his eyes, his lips turned in a handsome but rueful smile. “Yoga isn’t really my thing.”

  “Yoga can be anybody’s thing!”

  “Not mine.”

  “Have you tried it?”

  Apollo pursed his lips at her as if to say, “Does it look like I’m the kind of guy to try yoga?” Quinn grinned despite herself.

  “That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try. If you’re stressed out enough that a perfect stranger can tell, maybe you should consider doing something about it.”

  “I did!”

  “Besides beating people up!”

  Apollo finally allowed himself to ease into a smile, and Quinn felt like it may have been the biggest victory she had ever won.

  “See? Look how much better you look when you’re relaxed.”

  She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. But Apollo didn’t seem surprised by the revelation that she found him attractive. In fact, he didn’t seem to think much of it one way or another. He just gazed at her steadily.

  “Why don’t you take my card. I should get inside. I have some work to do for my parents. They own a little bed and breakfast that’s in dire need of repairs, so I spend most evenings over there helping my dad fix the place up.”

  “You stay busy,” Apollo said, taking the card from Quinn once she managed to dig it out of her purse.

  “I really do,” Quinn agreed. “Anyway, give me a call sometime. You know, if you need a session or something.”

  “Or something,” Apollo said, tucking the card into his back pocket. “Thanks.”

  He turned to leave, and Quinn’s eyes lingered, once again, on the tattoo on his arm.

  “Hey, thanks again,” she called after him.

  “It was nothing,” Apollo said, glancing at her. “Stay out of trouble.”

  “I’ll try.”

  Quinn went inside and inhaled deeply. Holy shit. She had never had an interaction that intense with anybody before.

  But she couldn’t linger too long on it. She had to get ready to leave. And no matter how attractive he was, one thing was clear. He was far too alpha for her, and no good could come of that. That was just the way it had to be.

  4.

  Apollo blinked as he walked away from Quinn. What in the hell was that? He had never had that kind of reaction to a woman before. Every time they looked at each other, it seemed like the dragon within him was ready to burst out of its captivity and show itself. Why?

  Not only that but that girl was cute. Not in your traditional, “Oh, I want to tear her clothes off and have my way with her” kind of cute either. She was wholesome. Solid, somehow.

  Well, she had seemed pretty down to Earth until she started talking about yoga. Who in their right
mind wanted to bend over in a tiny room full of other people in tight clothes for hours at a time and claim it was relaxing? In Apollo’s experience, that kind of thing could easily turn out to be the opposite of relaxing…

  But that was the last thing on his mind right now. Despite the emphasis that was being made on finding mates for the sake of the mission, he would never be able to trust a woman again. Not after what had happened with Heidi.

  Ugh. Heidi. She was supposed to have been the love of his life. She was the mother of his child. And yet, she was as absent as they came and seemed to have no consideration for anyone else. How was he supposed to love someone who couldn’t love him back? Who couldn’t even love her own child enough to stick around?

  Sure, there had been times when it had seemed like she was a great mother. Like she had their daughter’s best interests genuinely at heart. But those moments were so very rare that they might as well have not been there at all.

  Then there was the matter of her safety. Heidi knew that Apollo’s work was rough and dangerous. She was a dragon shifter herself. She knew exactly what he was up against. And yet, she had still chosen to put herself before their family and take off, leaving their daughter at home alone, for hours, before Apollo got back from his mission and found her note.

  “I couldn’t take it,” she had said. “I had to go. I know, one day, you might understand, but until then, take care of her.”

  As if he needed Heidi to tell him to take care of his child. As if he hadn’t been there for her every day since she had been born and wouldn’t be there until the day one of them died. He was going to protect her, no matter what. With or without Heidi.

  Who even knew where she had ended up? It almost would have been easier for him to accept if he knew she had been cheating on him or wanted to be with somebody else. At least, then, he would know she was capable of some sort of passion. He had gotten with her for all the wrong reasons. He had been blinded by his own feelings, to the point that he hadn’t even considered whether any of hers were genuine.