by Dahlia Rose
He heard Daisye’s sultry laugh and rolled his eyes. Those two were in a constant state of honeymoon bliss and it was getting nauseating.
“If you could hold off on getting your noodle wet for a few moments, I thought you’d like to know that I was attacked by a Shen a few nights ago,” Raul said dryly.
“I’m going to the study.” Raul heard Hawke say in a serious tone and heard him kiss Daisye. “Be back soon, darling. Okay, tell me everything, Raul, and why are you waiting until now to contact me?”
“Because I have everything under control. I was coming back to the Wisconsin house when I was intercepted by one of them. Got me in the shoulder and collar bone, and dislocated my shoulder,” Raul explained.
“How badly were you injured?” Hawke asked.
“Fixed and healing. A human female was in the woods on an archeology dig when she came along with a gun. The Shen left promising retribution of course,” he answered with a chuckle. “She shot the abomination in the shoulder.”
“Tell me you have her with you now,” Hawke demanded.
His tone instantly made Raul angry. Sometimes they treated him like a child, probably because the rest of the dragons were older. He had as much fighting skill as the rest of them and no woman to cloud his judgment with emotions thrown into the mix.
“I am not stupid, Hawke,” he said between gritted teeth. “I know the Shen dog has her scent. She is downstairs sleeping and has been under my protection for the last few days. And before you say anything, she is downstairs not because I didn’t offer her a comfortable room, but because she wanted to hear the rain while she slept and be close to the fireplace.”
Hawke sighed. “I know you are not stupid, Raul. If you were, you would not be one of the twelve of the court. You are young—”
“Yet have fought alongside you more than once,” Raul cut him off. “I would not take her life as any less important than another’s. Kalv came back after a hundred years and you acted like he never left. Give me the same courtesy to know I can do the job of being one of the twelve or petition Orin to have me replaced.”
“It would never come to that, Raul. I would fight alongside you any day and trust you with my life,” Hawke replied firmly. “I am sorry I offended you. I still remember walking away from your father’s house with you in my arms.”
“He didn’t leave. Let’s call it as it is, Hawke. He let love kill him; he couldn’t see past my mother’s death and didn’t even consider the child they created in the turmoil of his grief,” Raul bit out.
“You are too hard on him. When you fall in love—”
“Trust me. I won’t be doing that, so we’re fine.” Raul deftly changed the conversation. “So I believe that the Shen may have a cell in this area.”
“You could be right. There has to be a central base that they are working out of, where the king is being protected.”
“Some king, letting his subjects die and makes no appearance,” Raul said harshly. “If it was on Paladin that he hid we’d have rooted him out already, yes?”
Hawke growled. “That is why he chose this realm. I wish we would have found him as a hatchling and crushed him. The Shen hid him from our eyes well. Keep your eyes open, Raul. I’ll contact the others in this realm in case you need us.”
“Understood.”
“So tell me of this human female who shot the Shen.” Raul heard the underlying humor in Hawke’s voice.
“Don’t even think about it, Hawke,” Raul warned. “Her name is Raven. Her intelligence surpasses any other human female I have ever met. She is finishing up her thesis, and she is a crack shot with a rifle.”
“I didn’t say a word, except you do sing her praises rather well,” his friend teased. “But of course there is nothing there.”
“I think she has a warrior heart and mind, nothing more,” Raul replied. “I shall speak to you later.”
“Take care, Raul, and if necessary, call us. We will be there,” Hawke said. “I am going back to the warmth of my woman’s arms.”
Raul rolled his eyes. “When will this all wear off, and you act like a normal dragon again?”
“I hope it never does. You’ll find out what I mean when you bond and mate,” Hawke replied.
“I plan to avoid that like it’s the plague,” Raul said stubbornly.
“Sometimes it catches you when you least expect it,” Hawke said with humor in his voice again. “Goodbye, Raul.”
Raul barely grunted. He was certainly not going to fall for Raven even though he was already attracted to her. A grin crossed his face. He was known for being a ladies’ man. They could have a good time with no commitment. Besides, Raven struck him as a contemporary woman who wouldn’t want a serious relationship holding her back from her career. He would broach the subject of their attraction later in the day after they both had rested. Why not enjoy each other while he kept her safe? Raul showered to ease the ache in his shoulder before falling asleep with an assured smile on his face.
Chapter Four
“What did you say to me?” Raven asked Raul as she sat at the kitchen counter eating dinner later that evening.
When she woke up it was well after five in the afternoon and the skies had opened up into a steady rain. Her question made his smile falter and she was glad to see that because what he had just proposed to her made her hands tingle with the want to slap him in the face. In fact, she might just go ahead and do it because her temper was rising from simmer to boil.
“Did you need me to repeat my words?” he questioned.
How could someone with such a sexy voice and handsome face be so stupid when it comes to women?
“Yes, repeat it, please, because I think I may have misunderstood you,” Raven said. She pushed her omelet aside and rested her hand on the marble countertop. Breakfast for dinner was her favorite, but, unfortunately, she had just lost her appetite.
He raised an eyebrow at her and then flashed her what she assumed was his lady-killer smile before speaking. “You, Raven, are one of the most attractive females I have seen in a while. In fact, my dreams were filled with images of your ebony skin. I want to take you to my bed. I am a formidable lover as I assume you must be as well. We should enjoy each other.”
“And then when this is all over we shake hands and go our separate ways?” Raven asked between gritted teeth while trying to control her breathing.
“Yes, but with fond memories of each other. We’d be friends, of course,” Raul replied.
“Let me ask you a question. Does this work with dragon women?”
He looked at her with surprise. “What do you mean?”
She waved her hand at him. “This whole spiel about enjoying each other and being friends that you just spewed out.”
“The women on Paladin are more old fashioned in their beliefs, but there are some who vie for my attention,” he boasted. “But you are a contemporary woman of this world, so we can act on our attraction without commitment.”
Forget slap, Raven wanted to punch his lights out. She stood, the stool scraping angrily on the slate tiling. She counted in her head as her anger seethed. She breathed out slowly before looking at him. Even so, when she spoke, her anger took hold. She walked up to him and poked him in the chest, noticing how firm his body felt but not caring at this point.
“How dare you, you insufferable pompous pig!” she raged. “You want to fuck me without commitment, no flowers and not even a romantic dinner as pretense. I’m just supposed to hop into your bed and get with the banging. So the women in your realm get to be old fashioned and courted while, what, we humans deserve to be fucked sideways without lubricant? I have signed expensive contracts for student loans that gave me more warm and fuzzy feelings than what you just offered.”
“But, Raven—”
She sliced her hand through the air furiously and cut him off. “Oh, no, you don’t. I don’t want to hear another word.” She waved her hands in front of her body. “You see this, all this chocolate goodness y
ou say you’ve been dreaming of? That’s all it’s going to be, buddy, a dream, because I want a house, a picket fence, two or three kids and a freaking cat when I lay down with a man. You? Trust me, you took all that away with a few sentences. I don’t want any part of your suggestion.”
Raven pressed her body against his and grabbed his face. She stood on her tiptoes and locked lips with him, putting all her anger into the kiss. The attraction she felt towards him also poured into the kiss. Raul groaned and turned, pressing her against the fridge. She heard something topple from the counter. Their movements were rough and forceful. She opened her mouth and he buried his tongue inside and the passion of their kiss fueled her anger even more. Something that felt this good shouldn’t come from a man who had the romantic common sense of an amoeba. Raven pushed him away roughly, panting from the exertion of trying to move his body and the sensations his kiss elicited. He tried to reach out for her, but she slapped his hand away viciously before backing away towards the door.
“I may be only twenty-three in human years, Raul, but I don’t think people kiss and feel like that too often,” Raven said. “But, unfortunately for you, that’s the last you’ll ever feel of it because there is no way you’re getting anywhere with the wham, bam, thank you, ma’am attitude.”
She stepped out of the kitchen and made her way upstairs, intent on going to her room and staying there for the rest of the night. On her way, though, she heard a phone ringing and followed the sound. Raven walked into what she assumed was the master bedroom. She could yell down the stairs to him to come answer his phone, but didn't want to deal with him again, so, instead, Raven flipped it open.
“Hello.”
“You must be Raven. I am looking for Raul,” the voice said.
“Oh, you mean the douche downstairs,” she snapped. “Who is this anyway?”
“I am one of his dragon brothers of the court. My name is Hawke.” The voice sounded amused. “And why is Raul, how you say, a douche?”
“Who called my sweet Raul names?” she heard a feminine voice in the background angrily ask.
“Who’s that?” Raven asked. Maybe one of his bed buddies. Maybe the woman at the other end of the line likes his way of hitting on women, but Raven was not amused.
“That’s my wife Daisye. She has a fondness for our Raul,” Hawke explained and then said to his wife, “I’m trying to garner why he has been called an insulting name, darling.”
“Well, he is,” Raven replied. “You would not believe what he said to me. I don’t know what dragons are taught about romance, but he has no couth.”
“May I put you on speaker phone, Raven?” Hawke asked politely.
“Sure, why not?” she answered. She didn’t know if she liked this Daisye, but, whatever, she didn’t know any of them at all, so who cared?
“You’re on. Now, tell us how Raul has managed to anger you so?” Hawke said.
Raven went on to explain Raul’s proposal and what happened from there, but leaving out their kiss, of course. By the end of the story, Hawke was roaring with laughter and Daisye kept saying, in her Southern twang, “Oh, dear.” She was just going to ask Hawke how long he planned to laugh when Raul walked into the room. He opened his mouth, she assumed, to ask what she was doing in his room, but didn’t give him the chance. Raven handed him the phone with his friend’s laughter still echoing across the line. “It’s for you.” Walking out, she made her way down the hall to her room and slammed the door, walking straight for the spacious adjoining bathroom. She undressed and stepped under the pulsating jets of the shower spray and sighed in delight. While the house’s owner was a buffoon, the hot spray knew exactly how to treat her and massaged her body from four different directions.
Dragon, who knew? Maybe he thought women’s feelings didn’t matter. Well, he sure as hell is wrong when it comes to me. Raven washed her body with renewed fury.
She stayed in the shower until the skin of her hands became wrinkled and the hot water started to run out. She found a pair of jeans, a blue sweater and her comfortable boots in her suitcase. Even though she had intended on hiding out in her room for the rest of the night, she decided she would not allow him to have such control over her. With only the briefest of hesitations, Raven paused at the door. Her stomach gave a low rumble, reminding her that she had left her meal only partially eaten when he made his demented offer. Ice cream was on the agenda and then a good book. She turned around and grabbed her e-reader from the pocket of her suitcase before heading downstairs. Thankfully, there was no sign of Raul as she made her way through the living room, but as her attention was caught by the brilliant sunset through the massive windows, she collided against his massive chest just as she walked into the kitchen.
Raven stepped back and eyed him warily. “You really do seem to just appear out of nowhere. I thought you were upstairs?”
“I was, but after my conversation with Hawke, I came to your room to talk, but heard the shower going and came downstairs.” Raul replied. “Why did you tell them of my offer?”
Raven shot him daggers with her eyes. “Hey, when you say brainless things like that, you get what you get.”
“Daisye chastised me while Hawke laughed. I have no doubt my exploits will be the talk of the court,” Raul said.
“Again, you get what you get,” she answered mildly. “Now, are you going to let me pass? I want some ice cream.”
“That’s not a good dinner,” he pointed out.
“I’m a grown woman. I can eat cookies for breakfast if I want.” Raven knew she sounded snippy, but she didn’t care.
“I will let you pass in a moment. I would like to apologize for my callous proposal,” Raul said softly.
“Why? Because you were ordered to?”
His eyes flashed fire in the depth of his emerald gaze. “No one orders me to do anything. I saw the error of my way as soon as the words left my lips.”
“What I can’t understand is why you would even ask something like that. You seem intelligent enough,” Raven replied.
Raul’s lips quirked in a smile as he inclined his head. “Thank you, I think. I just don’t want any emotional attachment. I see how it hinders people. I don’t want that in my life.”
“Really?” She put her hands on her hips. “I believe it strengthens a person when they find that someone who is their soul mate.”
“That is where we differ. I see my brothers lose focus because of their mates. My own father…” He shook his head. “Never mind. Again, you have my sincerest apology. I’ll let you pass so you can find what you’re looking for.”
Raven stepped closer and cupped his cheek. “This is a test. If there is no attraction between us, then your offer would’ve been a moot point anyway.”
“I think we already assessed there is fire between us,” Raul smiled.
“That was fueled by anger. I choose not to be mad at you anymore,” Raven said with a casualness that she certainly didn’t feel. The thought of him kissing her again already made her moist between her legs.
Before Raul could say another word, she pressed her lips against his. Raven, again, had to stand on her tiptoes to reach him, but that didn’t last long because he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up, and took the kiss deeper. Uh-oh, she thought as fire roared through her veins, forget chemistry. This is a full-on nuclear meltdown. She’d been with only two men in her life, never sexually, but dated long term. Their touch and kiss never felt like this. She could never give herself to them because she believed in something, something pure in sharing herself with only one man. Yet this man elicited feelings in her that could not be denied. She didn’t want to stop. But I have to. I have to, she thought wildly. His lips were firm and supple while his body felt like granite against hers. “Open up for me. Let me taste you again,” he said huskily and Raven complied. His tongue furrowed into her mouth and she marveled at his taste. The kiss seemed to last for minutes until she pushed away. Raven raised her hand for him to back off when he took
a step towards her to pull her back into his arms.
“That was…” Raven searched for a word. Explosive. Amazing. Throw-me-down-and-take-my-clothes-off good. Nope, she didn’t want to use any of those. “That was something.”
“It could be more than that. I want to make love to you,” Raul said huskily.
She shook her head. “That was a bad idea and it wouldn’t be love, would it, Raul? It would be you using my body for sexual gratification, but what would I get out of it? I want something you don’t want: commitment. That was the last kiss. I can’t be that person to share myself without love in return.”
He looked at her for a long time and then nodded. “I have to go on patrol, so you will be here alone. Do not worry. You will be safe here.”
“Are you healed enough to do that? I mean, it was just a few days ago you had a bite and a dislocated shoulder.” Raven bit her lip worriedly.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m one hundred percent healed,” Raul replied.
“May I…” Raven hesitated. “Can I see you change? If it won’t make you uncomfortable, that is.”
This time he grinned. “Having a beautiful woman watch me get naked… Why would I be embarrassed about that?”
Raven rolled her eyes. “Do you take anything seriously?”
The grin left his lips. “I take many things seriously—your safety being foremost. But, yes, you can watch my transformation. We are friends after all, correct?”
“Yes, and nothing more,” Raven said firmly. She wondered who she was trying to convince more, him or herself.
“Then come.”
Raven followed him through the kitchen. He disappeared through a door she didn’t notice was there before. A few moments later, he came out in a terrycloth bathrobe and was barefoot. She trailed behind him as he made his way out the kitchen door, which led to a large backyard. The lawn was lush and green. Raven could see water droplets clinging to the blades of grass from the recent rain and could feel how fresh and clean the air was. She looked out across the yard, seeing the tips of the pine trees where the back yard ended at the jagged cliff. Her attention came back to Raul when he slipped the bathrobe from his shoulders.
