by S. E. Smith
Perhaps we did die in the explosion, he whispered to his dragon as it rolled over in ecstasy.
“I take it you like the stew?” Edna laughed.
Christoff’s eyes popped open and he slowly pulled the spoon out of his mouth. A rueful smile curved his lips and he nodded. He waited for Edna to take another bite before he spooned a second serving into his mouth. This time, he kept his eyes focused on her.
“So, Christoff, tell me how you ended up on my mountain,” Edna said after they had eaten most of the meal.
Christoff frowned and shook his head. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I was trapped in the cave. The mountain was about to erupt. I felt it draw in its last breath before it did, then….”
Edna leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, staring at him. He could see the worry and confusion in her eyes. He tried to remember the last few seconds in the cave, but all he remembered were the presents the younglings had left him. His eyes swept up in panic and he started to rise from his chair. He sank back down when his symbiot, sensing his distress and the reason for it, came into the small dining area with his leather satchel in its mouth.
Christoff reached for it, affectionately running his hand over the symbiot’s head in appreciation. Placing the bag in his lap, he carefully opened the top. Inside, he could see his father's old shirt that he used to protect his precious memories of them. He knew that the carving knife and his mother’s locket were inside it. On top, though, was the glass dome the two little girls had given him. He carefully pulled it out.
“The younglings,” he started to say before his throat closed at the memory of their tender words. Drawing in a deep breath, he held the glass dome out to her. “They came to the mountain to find me.”
Edna reached over and took the dome. He saw her eyes widen before she looked back at him. Her lips parted and tears filled her eyes as she gazed back and forth between it and him.
“This is Abby’s work. I would know it anywhere,” she whispered as a tear slid silently down her cheek. “Why did they come to find you?”
“They told me they wanted to be my friend so that I would not steal their Christmas,” Christoff replied quietly, staring at the dome. “It has snow and on the bottom if you turn the small knob it will play music.”
Edna smiled and nodded. He watched anxiously as she turned it over and twisted the small knob. The air was immediately filled with the song that Edna knew. His gaze jerked up when she began singing along with the melody. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard next to his mother’s voice.
Edna gave a self-conscious laugh and brushed her hand across her damp cheek. Christoff rose out of his chair and walked around the table. He knelt by her chair and touched her cheek. His fingers spread across her soft skin, marveling at it.
“Who are you?” he asked with a confused frown. “My dragon says you are my mate. My symbiot has claimed you as well. And I…,” he looked up into her beautiful eyes with a look of uncertainty.
“And you…?” Edna asked in a slightly breathless voice.
Christoff’s eyes darkened to a deep gold as he leaned forward. “I find I can’t keep my hands off you,” he murmured, leaning forward to press his lips against her parted ones.
He marveled at the feel of her. This was the first time he had ever kissed a woman in all his long centuries of life. Oh, he had kissed his mother on her cheek, but he had never had an opportunity to kiss a female before, not like this. A burning ignited deep inside him. His body throbbed, making him ache with an awareness that he had been alone for far too long.
A silent curse escaped him when he felt his dragon pushing at him. Pulling back, he balanced himself for a moment on his heels before standing and stepping back. He needed to get control of himself. This was crazy! How he could even think that a woman such as Edna would be attracted to an old dragon like himself, one far past his prime, made him grimace.
“I…,” he started to say.
Edna rose out of her seat and stepped toward him with a raised eyebrow. He clamped his lips together in a tight line when he saw the look of warning in her green eyes. Some instinct told him he had better not finish his sentence.
“So help me, if you say you regret kissing me, I’ll pop you on the head with this globe,” she hissed in warning.
Christoff’s eyes widened in surprise before a delighted grin curved his lips. He shook his head. Reaching out, he took the globe from her hand before raising her fingers to his lips. Pressing a kiss to them, he stared into her eyes.
“I have no regret kissing you, Edna. In fact, I claim you as my true mate,” he stated with a feeling of satisfaction. “You are now mine.”
Chapter Six
Later that evening, Christoff knelt by the fireplace. He carefully arranged a few more pieces of wood on the fire. After dinner, he had helped Edna clean up the kitchen. His gaze flickered to the bedroom on the right before moving to the one on the left.
You let me bite, we no sleep in small bedroom no more, his dragon growled, pacing back and forth inside him.
What if I don’t know what to do? What if we frighten her? What if…, Christoff grimaced when his dragon fell backwards, laughing.
I know what to do, his dragon assured him. You let me bite, you will know too.
She was very firm when she said that was our room, Christoff retorted.
We be even firmer, his dragon snorted. I horny.
You think I’m not? Christoff growled back.
“Are you alright?” Edna asked.
Christoff muttered a silent curse at his dragon when his dragon growled that “No, they were not alright! They were extremely horny.” Rising to his feet, a dark scowl crossed his face when he realized that if he turned around, Edna would be able to see the answer for herself. With a sigh of resignation, he turned to where she was standing in the hallway leading to the bathroom.
“I wish to share your bed tonight,” Christoff said, wincing. “That was not what I meant to say.”
Edna’s eyes widened, her lips parted, and a rosy blush swept through her cheeks before she burst out laughing. Walking forward, she laid the towels in her arms down on the end table and stepped up to Christoff. Sliding her hands up his chest, she rested them on his shoulders to steady herself so that she could press a brief, hot kiss to his lips.
“I think that is the sweetest thing I have ever heard, but the answer is still no,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’ve known you for approximately four hours. I think we need a few more before we decide if we should share a bed.”
A flash of pain swept across Christoff’s face before it cleared and a grin replaced it. She hadn’t said “no”, just that they needed a few more hours. By his calculations, that meant until it was bedtime. He could wait a few more hours.
You can, I can’t, his dragon groaned. I wants her now!
Remember how father used to tease mother? Christoff replied as a plan of action formed in his mind. He would brush his hands along her and give her kisses. By night, we could hear them. Mother could not resist father.
You better be right, his dragon complained. If not, I no kiss. I bite!
If this does not work, you can bite, Christoff finally agreed.
“Christoff?” Edna called out, drawing him back to the present.
Christoff blinked and frowned when he saw that Edna was now by the front door to the cabin. His fists clenched when he saw she was reaching for her coat. His gaze flickered to the window. The snow was falling heavily now and there were already several inches of it on the window sill.
“Where are you going?” he demanded, taking a step forward. “The snow is falling and it is cold outside.”
Edna chuckled and fastened her coat. “I know it’s snowing, and yes, that means it is cold outside. I just want to check on Gloria before bedtime and Bo needs to go out once more before it gets too dark.”
“I will go with you,” Christoff informed her with a frown. “Who is Gloria?”
Edna paused and looked at him. He could see a flash of indecision in her eyes. He wondered if she was having second thoughts for a moment before he pushed it away. She had kissed him this time. He could still feel her warmth against his lips.
“You’ll need a jacket. I think Jack left his here the last time he was up. I think it might fit you,” she said.
“Who is Jack?” Christoff asked with a scowl. “I will fight him for you.”
Edna paused by the door to a small closet off to the side and looked at him in amusement. Shaking her head, she opened the door and reached inside, pulling out a long, black coat. Shutting the door, she walked over to him and held it out.
“Jack is my son-in-law,” Edna explained with a twinkle in her eye. “He would probably faint if you told him that you were going to fight him. Jack is good in a courtroom, but he is definitely more of a lover than a fighter. Hanson and I had one daughter, Shelly. I couldn’t have any more after her. I started hemorrhaging and had to have a hysterectomy. Shelly and Jack only have one daughter, as well. My granddaughter, Crystal, is thirteen now.”
Christoff reached for the coat, sniffing it. The scent of the man clung to it, but there were also other scents, too. They were softer, more delicate. He tried the coat on, surprised that it fit. His hands slid into the pockets and he discovered a pair of gloves and a hat. The gloves were too small, but he could wear the hat.
“Your mate was this Hanson?” he asked in a gruff voice as a feeling of jealousy washed through him.
He glanced down at Edna when she stepped closer to him. A small, sad smile curved her lips. She touched his arm, waiting for him to look into her eyes.
“He was my first love, my friend, my companion for many wonderful years and I will never regret having him in my life. It took me a few years to accept that he was gone and never coming back. We both made a promise to each other that if one of us died, we would grab life by the balls and live it to the fullest. I forgot that for a little while in my grief, but not any longer,” she explained.
Christoff reached up and ran his fingers along her cheek. A sudden devilish grin curved his lips as he slid his hand around to her nape. Bending his head, he paused for a brief second.
“I think living life to the fullest would include me sharing your bed tonight,” he murmured before he captured her lips.
Edna melted in his arms as he drew her up against his body. He deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth with an instinct born of need. A soft moan escaped her and he reveled in triumph when her hands slid up to tangle in his hair.
Several minutes later, they were both breathless. The only thing stopping them from losing themselves in the heat of passion was Bo’s persistent whining. Christoff glared down at the Golden Retriever and grimaced.
“You pick a fine time to insist on going out,” he muttered to the impatient dog. “The snow and cold weather better not dampen her desire,” he warned.
Edna’s laughter filled the cabin as she pulled on her woolen cap, scarf, and gloves. She gave Bo an affectionate pat on the head and glanced mischievously over her shoulder. Her lips and cheeks both a beautiful shade of red.
“If I get cold, I think I know someone who wouldn’t mind warming me up,” she teased, opening the front door so both Bo and Christoff’s symbiot could escape out into the freezing weather. “Brrr! I think I’m definitely going to need some warming up tonight.”
The grin on Christoff’s face grew until a huge smile lit his face. Laughing, he stepped out and closed the door of the cabin. Grabbing Edna’s hand, he closed his larger one around it.
“I can think of nothing better that I would like to do,” he replied. “Now, tell me who this Gloria is.”
Chapter Seven
Edna couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so much. Her gaze followed Christoff as he played with Bo and his symbiot. She decided she needed to come up with a name for the creature. Another laugh escaped her when the symbiot turned to look at her as if knowing she was thinking about it and Bo tackled it, causing it to roll in the snow. Her eyes widened when it stood up and shook. Snow flew outward, coating Christoff and Bo. Tiny sparkles of ice crystals clung to its body.
“Spark,” she murmured. “I’ll call you Spark.”
Warmth swept through her from the twin golden bracelets she wore, showing her that the symbiot was very pleased with its new name. Deciding that the three of them were having way too much fun, she bent to scoop up a handful of snow and formed a nice little snowball. Taking aim, she threw it, striking Christoff in the chest. A soft squeak escaped her when he turned in surprise.
“Oh, dear,” Edna whispered, realizing that she might just have started something she wasn’t sure how to finish if the heat in his eyes was anything to go by. “Christoff…,” she started to say, backing up.
A soft gasp escaped her when her foot caught in the snow and she started to fall. She found herself wrapped in Christoff’s arms before she could hit the ground. He rolled with her so that he was lying in the snow, not her.
“You must be careful,” he whispered, gazing up at her.
“How did you move so fast?” she asked in wonder.
Christoff’s expression grew serious. “I am not as fast as others of my kind,” he admitted, turning his head to look at where his symbiot and Bo chased each other. “I am… smaller compared to other males of my species.”
He turned back to look at Edna when she gently cupped his cheek. His breath caught in his throat when she bent her head to brush a tender kiss across his lips before raising her head to look at him again. There was a look of uncertainty in her gaze, but also something else, a tenderness that warmed his soul.
“I think you are perfect the way you are,” Edna whispered, gazing down at him with a serious expression. “I’ve never liked men who were really tall. It is hard when every time you want to talk to them you have to look up. It gives you a crick in the neck. It’s also harder to kiss them.”
Christoff’s gaze moved to her lips. “Do you try to kiss many of them?” he murmured.
“Only one, and he’s just right,” Edna replied, bending her head again.
She sighed as they kissed. They had kissed more in the past few hours than she had in the past six years! She felt like a horny teenager instead of a mature mother and grandmother. A moan escaped followed by a startled squeak when a very, very cold nose touched her cheek. Raising her head, she turned to glare at Bo.
“I swear you have the worst timing, Bo,” she muttered before she remembered where they were. A look of dismay crossed her face as she realized that Christoff’s backside was probably a Popsicle by now. “Oh, Christoff, you must be frozen.”
He chuckled and slid his hand down to her hips, pressing up with his so she could feel him. Her lips parted in an ‘O’. Well, at least that part of him wasn’t cold.
“I think Bo is ready to go back inside,” he said in a husky voice, grimacing when Bo tried to lick him. “The snow is falling harder and my dragon can sense a storm coming.”
She didn’t question how his dragon could sense a the upcoming storm, she just trusted that it could. Scooting down him, she blushed when her hand dipped below his waist and she could feel the evidence of his desire still pressing against his pants. Rising, she held her hand out to him.
He rolled to his feet, grasping her outstretched hand once he was standing. Pulling her closer, he bent and swept her up into his arms. He ignored her protests as he stepped through the thickening layer of snow.
“I can walk,” she protested. “I’ve lived in this area for years and can walk through a bit of snow.”
He shrugged. “I want to carry you,” he said. “I like you in my arms.”
Edna bit back the desire to release a childish sigh of exasperation and roll her eyes at him. Instead, she relaxed back against his warmth. A sudden thought caused her to frown.
“You feel so warm,” she said as he stepped up onto the porch.
Christoff bent h
is knees so he could open the door. He paused long enough to let his symbiot and Bo enter before he stepped in and closed it behind him. Only when they were standing in the warmth of the cabin did he set her back onto her feet.
“My dragon keeps me warm,” he admitted. “I am also used to living high in the mountains.”
Edna pulled her cap and gloves off, then unbuttoned her coat. She smiled her thanks when Christoff stepped around her to help her take it off. He hung it on the peg by the door before removing his coat.
“I tell you what,” she said, walking across the living room. “You put more pellets in the stove and another log on the fire and I’ll make us some hot chocolate and warm up some pie. Then, you can tell me about your mountain and I’ll tell you about mine.”
Christoff’s expression clouded and a small pout pulled at his bottom lip, making him appear younger than his years. The twinkle in his eyes didn’t hurt that image either, Edna thought as she turned away. If she wasn’t careful, she would end up back in his arms and something told her the next time that happened, it wouldn’t matter that they had only known each other for a few hours.
No, we’ll be in the bedroom – together before the night is over if he keeps looking at me the way he is, she thought with amusement.
Walking into the kitchen, she pulled a small pot out and retrieved the milk. Within minutes, she was carrying a tray back into the living room with two steaming mugs of fresh hot chocolate and two pieces of apple pie with whipped cream, one slightly larger than the other, carefully balanced on the decorative platter. She bent and set the tray on the oval coffee table. Her eyes glittered with amusement when she saw Bo and Spark curled up on Bo’s large doggy bed. Bo was passed out from all his playing and it looked like Spark wasn’t far behind the Golden.
