Dragon Released (Reclaimed Dragons Book 1)

by Terry Bolryder

  “Me neither,” he said, stepping back to give her room as she felt herself flush violently.

  “So… breakfast.”

  He grinned. “Right.”

  As they cooked together, Jo realized no one had ever shown as much interest in her career as Dallin was. He loved being in the kitchen, learning, spending time with her.

  It was all becoming almost too easy. She felt a small twinge in her heart at the thought that she might be falling too far, too fast.

  But it passed quickly, and she managed to get back in the moment, just cooking with her dragon.

  Jo had to suppress a giggle more than once as she showed him how to crack the eggs without smashing them into bits and taught him how to mix the proper ratios of everything and how to move the eggs around the pan so they wouldn’t burn.

  All along, they laughed and shared furtive glances as they worked together, making a perfect breakfast by the time they were done and the morning light outside was already warming into noonday.

  As they sat down to eat, Jo could feel the same heat between them that had flared into much more yesterday. She ignored it, going for small talk instead.

  “So how did you sleep?” She smiled over at him.

  Dallin, who’d taken a huge bite of his eggs, looked to the side as he chewed, his expression unreadable. “Well enough. You?”

  “Great,” she replied, feeling the tension in the air ratchet up a little. Did he have second thoughts about what they’d done? “Just great.”

  They ate in relative silence for several more minutes. And when Dallin finished, he offered to clean up like usual.

  Watching him as he scrubbed and cursed whenever something wouldn’t come off, huge shoulders hunched over the sink, Jo couldn’t help feeling tenderness and maybe even something more washing over her, making her worries and the tension inside her melt.

  After all, they were just taking it day by day. Who knew where this was going?

  She was still enjoying every minute.

  “So what do you have planned for today? Do you have any baking videos you’re making? I’m more than willing to help, though if there’s a way to block Ian from watching, we should make that happen,” he said as he toweled off his hands, coming back into the dining area.

  “Nope. I’d like to take Puggles to the dog park, but otherwise, I’m free the whole day.”

  “I’ll be coming to protect you. And Puggles as well.”

  She smiled at that. At this point, she was just used to having him around. “Is there anything you’d like to do?”

  Dallin just paused, looking surprised, though at what, she had no clue.

  “Or maybe there wasn’t anything you thought of doing,” she said. “After all, I don’t know how long you’ve even been amongst humans.”

  He pulled her into his side with a long, muscular arm, looking down at her. “Long enough to know who my favorite human is.”

  She flushed, grinning. “Thanks, but that didn’t answer my question.”

  He glanced away, looking somewhere far past the white walls of her home. “I hadn’t even thought about it. The idea of moving freely wherever I want to go… it’s a new one.”

  “What?” She couldn’t hide her shock. The Dallin she knew took no prisoners, acted first, and asked questions later. It seemed to her that he went everywhere he wanted to go.

  “Being with you, even with this collar on, is the first time I’ve had any real freedom to consider recreation.”

  “How so?”

  He laughed somewhat bitterly. “It’s a long story. One I’d rather not explain at the moment. But all I can say is that in the past, I was chained to my ideals. Ultraviolet and I focused only on revenge. After so long, I don’t know if I would ever be fit for a normal life. Or what that would even look like.”

  She looked around her. “Something like this.” She smiled, ignoring the twinge in her heart at hearing some of what he’d been through. “So where would you like to go?”

  He thought for a moment, then suddenly snapped his fingers, an idea flashing across his face. He went to the cupboard, pulling out a bag of special jellybeans Jo used for recipes and the occasional midnight snack.

  “What about taking a tour of this place, here?” he asked, pointing to the package.

  “The Tasty Times factory?”

  “Yes, I saw it on the back of these when I was holding them for you the other day.”

  “You mean stealing them,” she teased.

  He shook his head. “No, just holding them.” He grinned. “I’d rather see you enjoy them than me. But I wouldn’t mind seeing how they were made. How human machinery works in general.”

  “All right,” she said, laughing. “But I should warn you that’s really more a field trip for grade school kids.”

  “I don’t care,” Dallin said, shaking his head. “If I can uncover the secrets behind their cooking, then maybe I’ll be able to replicate their recipes at home.”

  She wasn’t going to tell him that making candy was, in ways, a lot more complicated than baking cakes, but he’d figure that out soon enough. “Or we can just pick up some of their jellybeans while we’re there.”

  He nodded. “Good idea since this is your last bag. Wouldn’t want you to run out.”

  It oddly touched her how much he’d noticed about her in such a short time.

  He gave her a small smile that seemed to light up her heart as he headed to his room to presumably shower and get ready.

  Damn, after this, she didn’t know what she’d do without a dragon in her life.

  16

  After a short trip to the dog park, where Dallin had eyed every other dog Puggles interacted with like they were suspicious and not to be trusted, they dropped the tired pug back at home and made the quick drive to the Tasty Times Candy Factory.

  To Jo’s amusement, they arrived there for the early afternoon tour time just as a school bus loaded with kids did, and by the time they’d gone inside and paid for their tickets, the smallish waiting area was full of boisterous third graders.

  Jo could never have guessed how amusing the sight of a glowering Dallin towering over a bunch of raucous children could be.

  “Ms. Grant, is that man an ogre?” one small boy asked his teacher, staring up at Dallin, who stared back with an implacably neutral face.

  “I’m not, tiny human. They were banished by the fae long ago,” he said, arms folded.

  “My mommy says people with too much muscles are overcon… overcontensading,” a blond girl next to him said with a nod.

  “Can you lift a car?” another asked.

  “My dad could beat you up,” another boy said, shaking his fist.

  “I would certainly like to see him try,” Dallin replied gruffly.

  “Okay, kids, let’s try not to bother the other guests. They’re just here to enjoy the tour too,” Ms. Grant, a woman in her thirties with kind eyes, said, attempting to corral the kids as the tour started.

  Jo, who’d been next to Dallin, watching and trying to suppress her laughter, put an arm around him as a middle-aged worker opened the doors and started a rote speech about the history of the factory and how it was founded in the early 1900s.

  In no time at all, the tour was over, filtering the group into the gift shop at the entrance of the factory. Kids went this way and that, eager to get their hands on whatever treats they could.

  Dallin, insistent on his initial mission, loaded up bags of treats like he was getting supplies for an apocalypse. He knew what flavors she liked and went for some of those as well.

  Meanwhile, she looked around for new flavors to use in her videos.

  “Ridiculous,” Dallin said when he found a shelf with large, hand-size gummy dragons in green and red and blue. “I need some.” He shoved them into one of his bags.

  They were about to leave, planning to find lunch somewhere at the wharf down the street, when they overheard several kids talking in low, mean voices in the far corner of the gift sh
op where none of the adults were watching.

  “Two quarters and three dimes? Ha, lame. You can’t even get a jawbreaker with that,” they heard one kid say snidely.

  “That’s because his parents are poor.” Another chimed in.

  They peered over a tall pile of boxed chocolates to see a small group of kids surrounding an even smaller boy with glasses who had his hand outstretched, proudly displaying some loose change.

  “I’ve been saving it for a month. It’s all I’ve got,” the tiny boy exclaimed.

  “Ha. I’m going to buy an extra bag just so I can eat it in front of you.” Another bully chimed in just as one of them slapped the change away from the boy’s hand, the loose coins clinking to the ground.

  Jo felt Dallin brace next to her, and before she knew it, he was walking up to the kids sternly, arms folded.

  “Ogres don’t normally eat children. But I’m willing to make an exception for bullies,” he growled, making the tiny group all look up at once.

  Their faces paled, and the kids dispersed in every direction, leaving just the one boy with glasses who stood there frozen in fear.

  Dallin’s expression softened immediately, though, and he leaned down on his haunches, gingerly picking up a quarter and holding it out.

  “What’s your name?” Dallin asked, expression softer than perhaps she’d ever seen before.

  The kid, whose wide eyes were only enlarged by the powerful prescription he wore, just glanced from the quarter to Dallin.

  “S-s-s-Sam,” he said nervously.

  “This belongs to you I think,” Dallin said, and Sam held out his hand as Dallin dropped the coin into it. “Here, let me help.”

  Jo just watched, unable to keep her heart from melting as she watched her dragon protector, who seemed unable to resist protecting everyone around him.

  Even little kids from bullies.

  “Is this everything?” Dallin asked when all the coins were gathered.

  “Yeah, but the other kids are right. I don’t even have enough for a jawbreaker,” Sam said, defeated.

  “Well, I’m not sure if this is enough. You’re right,” Dallin said quietly, still taller than the boy even as he sat back on his heels as low as he could possibly go.

  In spite of his wide shoulders and incredible bulk, Jo was honestly a bit shocked at how gentle he appeared in that moment.

  “It just so happens I need… two quarters and three dimes for my collection of human currency at home.” Dallin turned around for a second, grabbing one of the shopping bags he’d set down on the ground before scaring the bullies away. “And I got too many gummy dragons by accident. Do you want to trade?”

  The kid just eyed the bag full of candy then the change suspiciously. “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “Bullying doesn’t make sense, but people still do it, right?”

  “I guess so…”

  “I’m really not going to eat all of these,” Dallin offered, “and I need someone to take them off my hands. Maybe I should go ask if—”

  “It’s a deal,” the kid blurted out excitedly. “But no take-backs.” He handed the coins over gingerly, and Dallin handed him the bag.

  Dallin just grinned. “I couldn’t possibly do that now that I have these precious quarters.”

  Sam just eyed the bag’s contents hungrily. “Thanks, Mr…”

  “Dragon. Mr. Dragon,” Dallin replied with a wave of his hand.

  Sam’s face cocked to the side. “That’s a weird name.” Then he realized that might be rude. “Thanks for helping me with the meanies.”

  Dallin’s face tightened slightly, though Jo only barely caught it. “Sometimes people are like that, and we can’t always stop it. But as long as you’re strong here,”—Dallin tapped his own chest over his heart—“then there’s nothing anyone else can say or do to that can truly hurt you. Make sense?”

  Sam nodded thoughtfully just as Ms. Grant came around the corner.

  “Sam, the bus is about to leave,” she called as Dallin stood up and moved back, hands on his hips.

  “Okay. See you later, Mr. Dragon,” Sam said with a wave, adjusting his glasses and holding the bag tightly to his side as he followed the teacher out of the gift shop.

  Jo, who’d just watched the whole exchange, gave him what she knew was a smitten smile.

  “What’s that look on your face?” Dallin asked, oddly guarded.

  She came up and wrapped her arms around him. “Nothing. Just watching Mr. Dragon be super adorable.”

  His cheeks flamed bright red, and he looked to the side, scoffing. “It wasn’t anything special. Also, ‘Mr. Dragon’ better not become a thing.”

  Jo grinned even wider, loving how he seemed to be attempting to somehow distract from how utterly adorable he’d been a moment ago. “Well, how about lunch, Sir Dragon, defeater of bullies and gifter of gummies?”

  Dallin rolled his eyes, though there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth as he picked up their bags with one hand and took her hand with his other. “That sounds even worse. Like I’m some knight or something. Anyone who knows me would agree that I’m the furthest thing from that.”

  “Whatever you say,” Jo said, soaking in sunlight as they made their way down the street toward a delicious sandwich shop she’d visited before.

  To her, he was a knight. But she didn’t know if she would ever be able to help him see that.

  17

  They walked down the wharf to a small restaurant with a net hanging outside over a sign that had plastic crabs decorating it.

  It advertised ocean-view dining, which had sounded nice to Jo.

  Dallin was still feeling a little off-kilter after what had happened at the factory.

  He just wasn’t used to showing someone his soft side like that.

  The truth was he had always liked children.

  But seeing Jo look at him with a soft expression in her brown eyes, like she was getting the wrong idea about him, bothered him slightly.

  He wasn’t a hero or a sweetheart or any of what she thought.

  He was just a good protector who was probably falling for the woman in his charge even though he had no right to.

  The waiter walked them through a restaurant that smelled of seafood and out onto the back where a long porch extended out into a dock with tables on it.

  It rocked slightly, unsettling Dallin.

  “Is this okay?” The waiter set down their menus and smiled politely.

  “Looks great,” Jo said, looking around her at the sea, which was gently rolling beneath them.

  Dallin looked beyond her to the sunset, where rays of silver flew across the sky and the sun was shaded by misty gray streaks of clouds.

  The waiter waited for an acknowledgment from Dallin, but Dallin simply scowled.

  “We’ll let you know when we’ve figured out what we want to order,” Jo said, smiling at the waiter.

  “When you’re ready, then,” the waiter said, walking away.

  Ready, Dallin thought. Ready for what?

  For this kind of domesticity, he thought, watching Jo smile at him with the sunset behind her, casting rays like a halo behind her beautiful face.

  He’d been okay with their friendship. The sexy moments. Even his growing feelings. But the way she looked at him, like he was so much better than he was in reality, worried him.

  “Jo,” he said, opening his menu just so he could get choosing something over with. “There are some things I need to tell you.”

  “Don’t look so stressed,” she said, looking through her own menu. “We’re having a fun day out in the human world, remember?”

  He took a deep breath and let the ocean breeze wash over him.

  The ocean was purple in the fae world, past the Blur, but here it was a grayish blue-green.

  It grounded him, reminded him that everything that had happened, everything he was, was far away now.

  He was just here with Jo.

  But that was part of the prob
lem.

  “What’s wrong?” She closed her menu, apparently already sure about what she wanted.

  “I just… There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he said.

  She folded her hands together and smiled. “Well, I’d love to know more. Did you decide what you wanted?”

  He sighed. “I’m sure all of it will pale in comparison to your cooking, but I’ll order whatever steak the waiter says is biggest.”

  She laughed. “Must take a lot to feed that big body.” She flushed, and Dallin wondered if she was imagining what he was.

  The moment his big body had been on top of her plush, curvy one, both of them lost in passion.

  He wanted that again. Badly.

  But first…

  “It does,” he said.

  “Good thing you got assigned to protect a chef, then,” she said. “I think I’m up to the task.”

  “I’m just lucky to taste your cooking,” he said, loving the way she flushed and sort of puffed up, tucking her brown hair behind her ear, whenever he complimented her cooking.

  Damn, she was perfect. Sweet. Innocent. Kind. Hardworking.

  He was falling harder for her every day.

  “I guess we’re both lucky,” she said. “After all, I would have been toast twice by now.”

  He shook his head. “No, the last three were after me.”

  She sighed. “I’m still glad to have you around.”

  “Jo, when I’m done protecting you…”

  Jo went quiet, her full lips pressing into a line as she stared at the table, then looked out at the ocean around them. “I don’t want to talk about the future.” She waved a hand. “I know you’re super hot, and—”

  “This isn’t about that,” he said. “I’ve told you you’re gorgeous to me.”

  “And you’re super strong and a dragon, and I’m a human or a beacon or whatever, and—”

  “You’re too good for me, Jo,” Dallin said. “Look, I felt something from you the moment I met you. It only got stronger from there. I’m attracted to you and I really like you, but I’m worried you’re getting the wrong idea.”