by Roxie Ray
The Dragon’s Choice
Bluewater Dragons: Book 3
Roxie Ray
Contents
1. Kaylee
2. Porter
3. Kaylee
4. Porter
5. Kaylee
6. Porter
7. Kaylee
8. Porter
9. Kaylee
10. Porter
11. Kaylee
12. Porter
13. Kaylee
14. Porter
15. Kaylee
16. Porter
17. Kaylee
18. Porter
19. Kaylee
20. Porter
21. Kaylee
22. Porter
23. Kaylee
24. Wayne
The Dragon’s Chance
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The Dragon’s Choice
1
Kaylee
“Ah, damn.” I’d hooked up my corset unevenly. With a sigh, I unhooked it all and restarted. It was streaming night, and I’d finished my regular subscriber session.
I liked to do a VIP stream once in a while. It gave the subscribers with the gold package on my site a little something extra and a reason to keep paying the big bucks. My corset matched the rest of the outfit, a hot red Santa thing complete with red thigh-highs.
My VIP money went into an account solely for the down payment on my house and to purchase my dream car. And I was really damn close.
I pulled the red stockings over my toes and slid them up my legs, enjoying the feel of the silky material. After two years of online streams, my VIP following was impressive, if I said so myself. I consistently broke records for being the top earner on the website.
Hey, it was good to have goals, right? I turned on the live stream and watched my followers sign on before I went on-screen. My laptop, on my desk off to the side, displayed the background for my stream. I’d pulled out my fire backdrop and changed my bedspread to a cozy buffalo plaid. Everything was ready, but I liked to give it a few minutes, just in case there were any stragglers. The subscribers all knew it and were usually pretty relaxed about it, especially as I chatted with them beforehand.
A gift came through. Gifts on my site were worth a couple bucks each. My subscribers and VIPs bought them and with a single click could send gifts to their favorite performers.
Then we could cash them in for seventy-five cents on the dollar. It was a bit of a rip-off on top of the money the website company already took for my subscribers, but it was better to let them have their part than to try to deal with doing it all on my own.
There were way too many rules and regulations to have to keep up with to launch this myself. No, thanks. My job consisted of two or three nights of giving myself a big, exaggerated orgasm. I worked an average of ten hours a week, not counting the time I spent shopping—new outfits, new backdrops, new props. But that part was fun and didn’t feel like work, so I didn’t count it.
I chatted for a few more minutes, flirting and trying to be coy and get them a little bit revved up. I moved from the laptop into the view of the camera and talked to them for a minute before I got started.
This was old hat by now, and if I was honest, was starting to be a little rote. It wasn’t the thrilling night of excitement and forbidden dangers that it used to be. It was sort of like a job now.
I wasn’t complaining, not at all. This was still a million times preferable to what I would’ve been doing—probably a night clerk at the gas station or something. Before I started all this, it wasn’t like I had any marketable skills or anything.
But I’d learned a thing or two that I hoped I could use later, when I’d had enough of porn. This wouldn’t be my job forever.
The night went really well. I went on extra-long because the subscribers started throwing out gifts. Eventually, I’d had to dip into my stash of rarely used toys, because their gifts warranted a bit of a reward.
And with that, I didn’t have to wait until after my next VIP stream to buy my car. I had enough for both my dream car and my down payment. As I shut down my laptop, sitting naked except for my silk robe, I sighed and leaned back.
Two years. After two years of this work, my dreams were coming true. Once my house was paid off, I could start the steps to transitioning into another career, something that was more feasible long-term.
After a shower and a quick cleanup of my studio space, I climbed into my actual bed—I didn’t sleep in the bed I streamed on—and looked through decorating magazines until I fell asleep with a big smile on my face. I’d done it.
The next morning, I cashed out and transferred my earnings to my bank account, paying the extra fee for an instant transfer. No sense in having my hard-earned money out there in limbo.
After double-checking the money was already there, I switched to a messaging app and opened a group text with my two best friends.
Had a good night last night. Can I buy brunch?
They both replied quickly that they were available, so I bounded from bed to get ready with my heart light. How lucky was I? I could drop everything and go to eat with my best friends because I wasn’t tied down with a conventional job. Not everyone was as blessed as me.
I didn’t want to take it for granted. With a spring in my step, I walked out of my apartment and up the street. The morning was cold and bright, a little warmer than I’d expected. We generally stayed below freezing in December, here in Bluewater Coast, but it was damn near forty out here. I even loosened my scarf for the walk.
When I strolled up the boarding house steps, I sucked in a deep, energetic breath and opened the door.
The small dining room was off to the right, and all the tables were full. I hadn’t thought to get a reservation, but we were lucky. Skye and Bri were already at a table and they waved me over.
Miss Olivia’s Table was the most popular Sunday brunch location in Bluewater, but mostly for little old ladies or girls’ tea parties.
What most people didn’t realize was how delicious Miss Olivia’s mimosas were. If word got out, we’d never get another brunch table again. “Hey, ladies,” I said as I pulled out my chair. “I see you ordered my mimosa for me.”
Skye winked and sipped hers. “I got here first and put in our order.”
Miss Olivia herself came over to take our order. “Hello, girls.” She smiled fondly at us. Skye and I had been coming here for years and when we grew closer to Bri, we had included her, naturally. Now occasionally her sister came along, too. “Would you like the pastry platter?”
“You know us well, Miss O,” Bri said. “That sounds great.”
Miss Olivia winked at us and tottered back toward her kitchen to get our order.
“So,” Skye said as she sipped her drink. “Good night?”
I beamed. “I have enough.”
Briana raised her eyebrows. “For the car?”
Leaning forward, I glanced around to make sure nobody was listening in on my conversation about my money. “And the down payment on the house. I can’t believe it.”
Skye whistled through her teeth. “Whoa. That is a good night.”
The chair squeaked on the hardwood floor as I wiggled my butt, too excited to keep still. “Can you believe it?”
Bri and Skye exchanged a glance. “We’re so happy for you,” Skye said.
Uh-oh. Something was up with them. “Great. But if you’re so happy, what’s with that look you just gave each other?” I asked as I reached for my mimosa. I took a sip as I waited for one of them to sp
ill it.
“Oh, no—” Skye reached for the glass as the liquid hit my taste buds. “That’s mine.”
“Blech.” I stared down at the glass. “This is just orange juice.” Now that I’d tasted it, it was noticeably more orange than mine and Bri’s. “Why no champagne in it?”
She shrugged and raised her eyebrows. “No reason. Just didn’t want alcohol this morning.”
Miss Olivia interrupted us with fresh glasses as a young woman carried a platter behind her. Once she set it down, I realized it was her granddaughter, named after her. “Hey, Livvie,” I said brightly. “You back in town?”
Livvie ducked her head and nodded. “Yeah, just graduated.”
Miss Olivia put her arm around her granddaughter proudly. “She just graduated culinary school.”
They went to take care of another table, leaving us with our yummies and alcohol, well, and OJ for Skye. “So, what was with the strangeness before Miss O brought our food?” I asked and picked a bear claw from the plate. “You two are acting all stiff and weird.”
Bri sighed. “Jace told us you had a sort of altercation with his brother.”
Oh, geez. I should’ve known he’d get his panties in a twist about that. “It was hardly an altercation.”
They stared at me, waiting for an explanation.
“You know I don’t date. I mean, not seriously. I go on dates. I have fun. But I don’t get serious. Two of the guys I’ve been seeing…” I held up a finger to clarify. “And they both knew the deal before we went on our first date. But two of them showed up at Jace’s that night and were hassling me. Both of them, trying to make me choose.” I blew out a breath and took a long sip of my drink. And I made sure it wasn’t Skye’s this time. “As if that would ever happen. And they got heated, a few shoves and a punch or two. Really not a big deal.”
“What happened with Jace’s brother?” Bri asked. “It sounded kinda bad.”
I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt a little. “Porter was abrasive. Kind of rude, and it rubbed me the wrong way. He acted like he was too good to talk to me because of the line of work I’m in. I offered to let him buy me a drink. I wanted the distraction, but he looked at me like I was the scum on the bottom of his shoe.” And he’d turned me down. He’d turned me down. That didn’t happen. Ever.
Bri grimaced and Skye’s eyes widened.
“What?” I exclaimed.
“Jace and Anthony tell the story slightly differently,” Skye said in a soft voice. “According to them, you were kind of out of control.”
I sat back and stared at my friends, unsure of myself. I’d had a bit to drink that night, and I knew I got pretty bitchy when I was drinking. “Both of them said that?” I didn’t want to admit that my ego had taken a pretty big hit when Porter hadn’t wanted to get to know me. The snob.
My friends nodded in unison. “Sorry,” Bri said. “We’re worried about you, though. You’ve been kinda out of control for a while now. We’ve been trying to figure out a way to bring it up to you.”
Irritation bubbled up my chest. They’d been talking about me behind my back? But no, these were my best friends. They wouldn’t have said anything maliciously. If they talked about me, it was with good intentions. At least I could trust that in this world. “I may have been a bit wild recently,” I conceded. “This isn’t like an intervention, is it?”
“No,” Briana exclaimed.
“Not at all. We just want you to know if anything is bothering you to make you feel like you’re a little off the rails, we’re here for you. Also, you drink too much.” Skye pursed her lips with a humorous expression on her face, as if she was holding back a giggle.
No wonder she was about to laugh. She’d said it as I gulped down the rest of my first mimosa. “Now you tell me,” I said with a chuckle as I wiped dribbling juice off my chin. “Thanks.”
Briana reached over and grabbed my hand. “We love you, Kaylee. We just want you to know we’re here for you.” She cleared her throat. “One more thing.”
I arched an eyebrow at her. “You need a kidney?”
She snorted and shook her head. “No, but what I don’t need is some drama between my best friend and Jace’s brother. You don’t do love, Kay. And I think he does. I don’t need a big hullabaloo between you and my future family.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. She was projecting, but still. I did have a tendency to go through men like tissue paper. “I guess I can keep my hands to myself,” I said. “For your sake.”
Eh, I understood. There was no reason to get mad at my friend for knowing me too damn well. “Can we go back to my happy news now?” I asked with my glass held high. “To new cars!”
“And houses,” Skye said.
“And strong, capable women,” Bri concluded.
We clinked glasses, then dug into our pastries after a long sip of mimosa.
It was good to be me.
If that were true, why was it so hard to shake the incident between Porter and me? I sipped my mimosa and convinced myself he was nothing. Nobody.
And not good enough for the likes of Kaylee Price.
2
Porter
Setting the newspaper on the table, I sighed. I’d checked every online site I could find already. Apparently, my brother was right. Houses in Bluewater Coast were slim pickings. It wasn’t so much a population boom in the area as it was people settling in and then not moving. Surely something would come open soon, though. I really wanted to get my stuff out of storage.
It wasn’t that I was picky. I would’ve taken pretty much anything, considering I could always resell when the right house for me came on the market. But living in this tiny apartment sucked. I’d done a month-to-month lease on Main Street, just down from Jace’s apartment over the bar.
My home back in California had been great. It was on clan land, and I’d had plenty of room to spread out as well as room for the future, whatever that held. It had sold fast to another family in the clan who wanted to move onto clan land. I’d hired a clan-based moving company to pack it all up and bring it here to Bluewater, a long drive I was glad I hadn’t had to do myself.
For my next home, I wanted big and airy. I liked wide open spaces and preferred most rooms to be big enough to accommodate my dragon, if the need came up, and that meant lots of floor space. It was rare to need to shift indoors, but if for some reason it happened, it would’ve been nice to not take out the walls or ceiling. Or squish most of the furniture.
My move to Bluewater was sudden. I couldn’t afford to be picky at first. This loft was only temporary, a place to crash while I finalized all the details of my move. But mostly things were finished, loose ends tied up and all the I’s dotted and T’s crossed.
Hell, I’d barely had time to unpack the few things I’d brought with me here to the loft. The rest of my belongings had been delivered straight to a large storage unit, waiting for me to figure out my shit. At least it was nearby. I’d taken a couple of days to organize it all so if I needed something from inside the boxes—well labeled; they’d done a great job—it wasn’t too difficult to get to them.
Ugh. To be honest it was a huge pain in the ass. I tried to be optimistic as a person. Glass half full. Some days, it was freaking hard and I didn’t manage it.
Forcing myself to think positively, I left the paper and grabbed my gym bag. As a dragon, I was naturally fit and burned a lot of calories without trying, but a good workout soothed my dragon in between flights and shifts. Joining a gym was always one of the first things I did any time I moved. This one was like all the others I’d ever used. It would do just fine.
And it made me feel less exposed. This wasn’t my clan yet. Flying with them was going to take some getting used to, even though my brother was an integral part of what I hoped would be my new, lifelong clan. It helped that Anthony seemed like he was going to be easy to get along with as a clan Alpha.
I’d been born an alpha myself but leading a clan had never been something I’d even conside
red. I loved having my freedom to come and go, have whatever job and hours I wanted. Outside of being available if my clan needed me, my life was my own, with the added perks of being a dragon shifter.
My phone beeped with an email as I bounded down the inside staircase. I unlocked it as I came out onto the sidewalk outside. It was from Gilbert, Gilbert, and Fell, a firm I’d been considering taking a job interview with. I’d finally agreed to one and they’d emailed me with the date and time. It was a bit of a long drive to their offices, but the pay made up for it.
With a spring in my step, I made my way down Main Street toward the only gym in town. As it was the single option, it was busy all the time, even on a Sunday afternoon.
I didn’t mind, though. After changing, I plugged in my earbuds and hopped on the stair stepper for some cardio. It was easy to up the intensity without it being obvious how difficult I had it set.
The only thing about gym workouts was being careful not to go so fast or so hard that it became noticeable I was faster and stronger than pretty much everyone else.
It took some time for me to burn enough energy to sweat, but I worked myself up a good bit to feel the burn. The weight of other people’s gazes tickled the back of my neck, but that was normal. As long as they didn’t notice what I had the equipment set to, it was all good.
Stares were going to happen. I had a great body. It was just a fact, like having a nose on my face. Human men got envious and wanted to grill me on my routines and nutrition. The women were… persistent, at times. Sometimes they just admired the view. Nothing wrong with that.
