“Don’t tell me you’re giving up. Not after all this time.”
“She’s like no other woman I’ve ever encountered. Oh yeah, and she threw me out of her house this morning.”
“The mighty Angus allowed a woman to throw him into the streets?” Bjorn chuckled before taking a swig of his coffee. “C’mon, man, I know you better than that. You come from a long line of powerful dragon lords. Where’s your fight? The dragons my ancestors accompanied would never take no for an answer.”
Angus snorted his disapproval before pounding his fist on his desk. “They never met Julia. She doesn’t appear to have a submissive bone in her body.”
Bjorn shoved a hand in his pants pocket while shifting his weight from one foot to another. “Ah, so that’s where the problem lies. You and Julia don’t see eye to eye. You wanted a feisty Fire Mate; now you’ve got her. Only thing is, you don’t know what to do with her.”
“Of course I know what to do with her, smart ass! We’re just not compatible like I thought we were.” In agitation, Angus whipped his laptop from a black leather bag and attached it to the docking station. “There’s nothing between us—except sex.”
Bjorn sat down in the black leather chair in front of Angus’s desk. “Are you quite certain?”
“I can get sex anywhere, anytime I want, only I choose not to,” Angus admitted while propping both elbows on his desk and holding his head in the palms of his hands. “She wanted me. She’s in heat, and I’ve caught glimpses of her thoughts.” He shook his head and glanced over at Bjorn. “I’m in her head, she’s in mine, and it’s driving me fucking crazy!”
Bjorn raked his hands through his hair. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what else did you do?”
“I went to her house last night, extremely late.” Angus admitted with a scowl. “The urge—so strong. Couldn’t fight it any longer. Don’t know how I’ve gotten through all this time.”
“Uh-huh.” Bjorn crossed his arms. “How late was it? Did you bring her flowers?”
Angus’s eyebrows furrowed. “What? Um, it was sometime after midnight, and, no, I didn’t bring flowers.”
“Dude, you just committed the ultimate sin. Has it ever occurred to you that while your mate is indeed a dragon, she was born and raised in the human realm her entire life?”
Angus blinked before staring at Bjorn like a deer caught in headlights. “Huh?”
Bjorn’s hand connected to his forehead. “Oh, bloody fucking hell, man! Really, Angus?”
“What? What the hell did I do now?”
“That’s my point. You did absolutely nothing. Have you tried asking her out to dinner?” Bjorn put his coffee cup down and paced back and forth. “You know, a little music and some candlelight always set the mood. Perhaps a dozen roses, a romantic letter, maybe even some chocolates? Perhaps a carriage ride in the park?” Bjorn held his arms out before shaking his head. “Good, old-fashioned romance. It’s what every red-blooded American woman craves.”
“Pfft!” Angus spat. “She’s my mate, Bjorn!”
His old friend laughed hard. “No wonder she kicked your ass out! You both struggle for dominance. It’s not all on you, but perhaps if you showed her a little tenderness, a little genuine interest, she’d wouldn’t be such a hard-ass. Court the woman, for God’s sake!”
“Tenderness?” Angus rose and growled. “I’ve shown her tenderness! I’ve bought her lunch in the past. I, I . . . ”
“You’ve bought the entire office lunch. What the hell is that?”
He thought to himself for a few seconds and smiled. “I made the first move today, right here in my office.”
Bjorn’s look was questioning. “What did you do, man? You came onto her?”
“Well, yeah.”
“What happened?”
“She was against my desk, facing the wall. I stroked her arm and pressed myself against her backside. She spun around, grabbed my dick, and told me to kneel before her.” Angus crossed his arms. “I insisted it was she who should have dropped to her knees.”
Bjorn’s hand connected with his forehead, and he whistled. “Yeah, you fucked up big time.”
“I allowed my libido to control my thinking. Yeah, I know.”
He looked at Bjorn, who was holding his hand to his ear. “Okay, um-hmm, tell me more, oh Master of Romance and Seduction. Tell me what would possibly make Julia fall head over heels for you, especially with the way you’ve been treating her in this deadly dance for dominance.”
Angus blinked for a few moments and leaned back in his leather chair while recalling how hostile Julia had become when he spoke of claiming her. He knew he’d messed things up earlier today in the office, but he simply couldn’t help himself. The determination to dominate her was apparently winning.
“Oh yeah, and you definitely need to stop with the twisting of the face. It doesn’t suit you. My friend, you need to change.”
“Okay, how do I begin? Where do I begin?”
“Women love poetry. Oh, and from now on, choose your words wisely. Instead of claiming Julia, you need to—come on, say it with me—”
“I have no clue of what you’re talking about,” Angus admitted.
“Oh, God, man. Once again! Court! You need to court the woman. Romance her! Make her want to spend the rest of eternity with you. In other words, turn over a new leaf.”
“Okay.” Angus rose to his feet, heavy in thought. “Perhaps I can do this.”
Bjorn patted him on the back. “Of course you can. You can do anything you put your mind to; you know it.”
“Poetry, maybe even a nice song. I heard an interesting love song on the radio this morning. Perhaps I could sing it to her?”
Bjorn rolled his eyes before interrupting. “Don’t do that. Please, scratch poetry and singing off the list or you’ll be spending eternity by yourself for sure. Trust me.”
Angus shrugged. “You know I’m no good at this kind of thing.”
“That’s okay; this is why I’m your Protector. Times have changed since the days of your father, and his father before him. Fire Mates raised in this world are different from those existing in Pyreer.”
Angus frowned as he gave Bjorn’s advice some thought. “I’m beginning to think you’re right. I thought I had all the answers on how to woo my mate, but apparently I don’t. She hates me now, I think.”
Bjorn shook his head and smiled. “No, she doesn’t. You just need to be a little gentle where she’s concerned. Now, today when she comes in talk to her. Ask her how her day is going. Also ask her if she needs any help with anything. Ask her to lunch. Go out, sit down, and talk to her for a change. No demands, no expectations. Just enjoy her company.”
Angus nodded. “I’ve always enjoyed her company.”
“Work doesn’t count. While you both have worked on projects closely, there hasn’t been any time for small talk.”
“You’re absolutely correct. We’ve worked so hard on meeting deadlines that I’ve paid little to no attention to her at all.”
“Perhaps give her a nice, inexpensive, simple gift of appreciation. Once you two are an item, shower her with all the diamonds, pearls, and rubies you want. Don’t thrust Pyreer down her throat. Wait until she approaches you for answers. She will; you know it. If you continue to be overbearing, she’ll discover her inner dragon and toast your balls. You need to stop being such a prick.”
Angus’s eyes narrowed, and he hissed at Bjorn.
“Sometimes you’re a prick.” Bjorn corrected himself. “Okay, not letting you bully me with the dragon eyes. You’re a prick, plain and simple, because you’re lonely and unhappiness is poisoning your soul. Keep it up, and you’ll die alone and brokenhearted. Is that what you want?”
“No.”
Bjorn shook his head slowly. “If you want to fight for Julia, you need to do it now, before it’s too late for the both of you.” Bjorn patted Angus on the shoulder before leaving the office. “You gonna be okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be just fine.” A bit of
impatience swept over his body at the thought of courting his mate. Did he really have the time to do all of this? The dragon within him resisted, making him realize just how hard it would be to follow the advice Bjorn had given him.
* * * *
Julia arrived at the office and sent up a silent prayer of thanks since Angus’s door was closed. Just as she had sat down in her chair, his door flew open and Bjorn exited.
“How are you today, my dear?” Bjorn asked.
“Good, just good,” Julia said with a fake smile.
“Good.” He glanced over at Angus as he came out of his office. “Okay, everyone have a good day,” he said with a smile before going to his office and closing the door.
“Hi, Angus,” she said quickly before turning on her computer.
“Good morning,” Angus said solemnly as he scratched his head and averted his eyes. “You look nice today. Do you have a few moments to spare?”
She couldn’t understand why Angus was acting so strangely, but she wanted to be civil. The birthmark began to vibrate in his presence, and her heart danced. Something within her wished to submit to him, but she also wished to continue the struggle, establish dominance, so to speak.
“Care to go out to lunch today?”
“I’m sorry, I have a tight schedule today.” She looked at him as his jaw tightened and that muscle began to twitch. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t. She expected him to argue and was surprised when he didn’t.
“Perhaps we can work on these together, another time. Please, I’d like to take you to lunch today.”
She was at a loss for words. Angus had actually said please. That word had never been in his vocabulary before, why the sudden change now? She looked at him and immediately felt a twang of pity for him. He appeared to be genuine and wasn’t his usually demanding self. This side of him was refreshing. What the hell. She deserved to be taken to lunch.
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch. Can’t a boss treat his employee to lunch without the third degree?” He smiled and shoved his hands in the pockets of his slacks.
She smiled. “Okay. Why not?”
“Noon.”
“Fine, we’ll leave at noon.”
Chapter Five
“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Angus pulled out her chair so she could sit down, and then he sat directly across from her at the table outside the little bistro on Main Street.
Julia smiled. “Yes, it is. I’ve always loved springtime,” she replied while unfolding the white cloth napkin and placing it in her lap. She listened to the sweet sounds of birds chirping and admired the little pink and white blossoms of the cherry trees adorning each side of the streets.
A warm breeze caressed her skin and swept through her hair, eliciting a relaxed sigh from her lips. To top it all off, she was in the presence of a man who appeared to worship the very ground she walked on. If this was a dream or a fantasy, she never wanted it to end.
Although nervous, she was determined not to let her feelings get in the way. She had questions and hoped Angus was still willing to provide answers where appropriate, but before she could speak, he began to talk.
“Look, Julia. I owe you an apology. I was wrong to come over so late this morning. I should have shown you more respect than I did. Please forgive me.”
“I don’t have any complaints with our sexual relationship.” She gasped and wished she’d chosen her words more carefully. Were they in a relationship? Did Angus consider her his woman? Was it right to consider them to be in any type of relationship, or was it all just sex to him? “What I meant to say is—” Julia suddenly lost her nerve to speak. She wished to confide in him about her origins—and his.
“Take your time, sweetling. I know you have so many questions about everything.”
She nodded in agreement before sipping ice-cold water the waiter had brought them. “What was going through your mind? I mean, you always seem to change so much. I don’t know how to take you sometimes.” Julia began talking so fast. “Was last night just sex?” She needed to know.
He placed a hand over hers and looked her in the eyes. “You and I—we have a connection, something that most people may never experience in their lifetime. It wasn’t just sex, not to me. I wanted you to wake up and make you see what a beautiful gift you are.”
She leaned in and spoke in a low voice. “So, I am your Fire Mate?”
“Yes. You know in your heart it is true. You should know I don’t want to just claim you and make you feel like you were nothing but property to me. You’ll be my companion every step of the way.”
Wrinkling her face, Julia sat back in her chair comfortably. “That was a turnoff for me because you seemed to be pushing me into something that—at the time—I hadn’t quite come to terms with.”
“I apologize for that. It is the way of the Connricualen Dragon.”
“Apology accepted. But you’ll need to explain what the hell a Connricualen Dragon is.”
Angus held his head back and laughed out loud before clapping his hands in amusement. “Oh, Julia. I love how you express yourself.”
“Are you making fun of me, Angus McNamara?” She placed her hand on her hip and wagged a finger at him before snickering. “I know, I usually have some strange-ass expressions on my face. Anyway, how is it that dragons really exist?”
Angus chuckled. “Not strange, darling. Unique. That’s what I love about you. To answer your question, Connricualen Dragons hail from what is now known as Scotland. My species has existed since 793 A.D. We were hunted by a small clan of humans that swore they’d put an end to our existence. Fortunately for us, a band of kind humans came to our aid.
“For that, my ancestors gifted them with the power of immortality. To this day we call them Protectors.” He smiled as she listened in awe.
“You should know that Bjorn is my Protector. You see, we must remain hidden from humans. Should I give up my place in this world, my company goes to Bjorn.”
“No wonder he speaks so highly of you.”
“Oh, really?”
“He’s given me advice about you on many an occasion.”
Angus nodded. “Yes, I’ve confided in him about you as well. He speaks very highly of you and held no punches when telling me how badly I behaved when it came to your happiness.”
Julia laughed. “Like Bjorn said, we are so much alike.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth.” Angus paused before continuing. “I don’t think you’ll like what I’m about to tell you.”
“Please, don’t hold anything back. I want to know everything,” she insisted.
“Well, my species is known for claiming their mates in a most unorthodox way—whether they’re ready or not,” he admitted.
“Sorta like a caveman Neanderthal son of a bitch.”
He hesitated and scratched his head in a nervous fashion before answering her. “Yes; if that’s how you can relate to it.”
“Well, what about the female dragons? Why do they just lay there and take it?”
He nodded before taking a swig of soda. “Most female dragons are very submissive, especially during their first heat.”
“Well, that explains a lot,” she muttered. “So . . . you thought I was going to just let you do and say anything you wanted. Like you said, you don’t take orders, you give them.”
“You don’t know how I wish I could take those words back.”
A surge of anger swept through her. “Let’s get one thing straight. I am not at your disposal, nor will I ever allow you to do anything you please to me. I’m a woman with emotional and physical needs, and I don’t want to be taken for granted,” she snapped.
“I’m not trying to take you for granted. I’m trying to change for both our sakes. You need to know that.”
“Good. I’m glad we cleared that up.”
“The closer we are, the stronger your dragon becomes. Don’t be pissed, but you will probably submit to me when you least expe
ct it.”
Julia crossed her arms. “Don’t think so. I don’t submit to any man.”
“I’ve noticed. You keep fighting it. Perhaps you’re right.” Angus relaxed before exhaling slowly while realizing that stifling his true nature would not be so easy. He wanted to jump her, make her see things his way. At least his dragon did.
“Okay, so . . . why do so many dragons choose to remain in this world? Why did you choose to live here?”
“Like myself, many come to seek out their mate—that is, when they can’t be found in Pyreer.” His eyes narrowed. “I traveled to the human realm years ago in search of you. I could never sense your presence in our realm. For years, I ran my company posing as a human. Then, one day when I’d all but given up hope, you crossed my path.”
Julia squinted her eyes. “How long have you lived here—in our world?”
“For many centuries—off and on.”
“How old are you?”
Angus chuckled. “You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try me.”
“To be exact, I’m five hundred ninety-nine years old.”
Julia snickered. “So you’ll be six hundred at the end of June. You know, you’re on that cusp, a cross between Gemini and Cancer. That could be why you’re so damned moody.”
“So you think I’m moody?”
She watched with a smile on her face when Angus nodded in agreement and held a solemn look on his face. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear she’d bruised his feelings just now, so she decided to change the subject.
“Oh, damn, man! I’m only thirty-five. Talk about robbing the cradle.”
He laughed with her until a strange expression on her face captured his attention. “What’s wrong?”
“How many females have you been with?”
“Julia.” Another look of discomfort crossed his face. “Must we go there?”
“Yes, we must.”
“I’ve had numerous lovers over the centuries.”
“Oh,” was all she could say before lowering her gaze to the table. “In search of your mate, I’d gather.”
Claiming Julia Page 5
