by Haley Weir
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s clear that you’ve been hurt before,” Dorian said. “And you’ll always remember me as the jerk who kept you waiting. But I feel something here between us. Something I’ve never felt before and it scares me more than the fires ever could. You aren’t the only one who is afraid of getting hurt, Jenny.”
She wrapped her fingers around the wrist of the hand that stroked her face, but she didn’t pull it away. “I heard you’re in love with someone,” Jenny whispered. “And I can’t be the other woman. Like you said, I’ve been hurt before and I won’t do that to someone else. Not even for you.”
Dorian shook his head. “There isn’t anyone else.”
Jenny laughed humorlessly. “Brock told Sapphire that you’ve been in love with a woman long before I came to town, that you weren’t interested in dating because of her.”
The laughter that sprang forth from Dorian was much more genuine that hers had been, but he pulled back before she thought he had laughed at her. “For the past seven years, I’ve had dreams about a red-haired woman that consumed my thoughts. I couldn’t sleep at night. Brock made fun of me for it. I thought I would never meet that woman because there was no way she could be real, so I went through the Kodiak Dating Agency to try and find love.”
Jenny just watched his face as he spoke and part of him wanted her to look further down and realize just how much her closeness affected him.
“When I saw you standing on that stage, I knew you had to be her. But based on our discussion, I knew that telling you that night wasn’t an option because you would think I was making some sort of play, but it’s true. You can ask any of my friends…it was just a dream girl who turned out to be my perfect match.” Dorian wasn’t sure if Jenny believed him or not, but she bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes.
He was envious of those pearly-white teeth, for he wanted to be the one to nibble on the plump flesh of her lips. Dorian waited for Jenny to open her eyes, but what he saw there stole his breath away. She climbed on top of him and straddled his waist. He gasped when her mouth brushed against his, but growled deep in his chest as he deepened it. Dorian wanted to let her set the pace, but his instincts told him to pleasure her in any way possible.
His hands slipped around her waist and the curves of her body fit into his contours perfectly. Never had he imagined that the night would end with a warm, feminine scent deafening his senses or feeling the comfort of her embrace. Jenny slid her tongue into his mouth and Dorian flipped her over, lowering her back to the cushions of the couch. Her hips rolled and he saw stars behind his eyelids.
Jenny made Dorian feel anxious in a good way. If he was afraid of messing things up with her, then it meant he cared. She clawed at the tattered clothing on his back and Dorian lifted up long enough to tear it completely from his body. Her hands roamed his chest and abs with an appreciative glimmer in her emerald eyes. He descended upon her once more, kissing her neck and ears until she was just as breathless as he was.
Dorian felt Jenny tremble when his erection brushed her belly. He held still, not wanting to frighten her, but she reached down and stroked him through the fabric of his pants. Though the man thought it was too soon, the inhuman instincts that warred within him caused Dorian thrust against her hand. She moaned sweetly and he realized he didn’t want her to please him. He wanted to watch her come apart.
His fingers danced over her belly and slipped down the front of her yoga pants. “May I?” Dorian asked. Jenny nodded her head eagerly, riding the passion that throbbed between them. He caressed her folds the very second he licked a stripe up her neck and nibbled her ear. Jenny’s back arched beneath him as his fingers found the center of her desire. She squeezed her thighs around his hips and it felt better than any dream ever could. He pulled his hand free and sucked his fingers into his mouth, letting her flavor explode on his tongue.
Jenny watched him with lust-hazed eyes and kissed his way down her neck as his skillful hands tugged her pants down her legs and tossed them aside. Dorian was used to women who shied away from his cerulean gaze, but Jenny opened for him beautifully. He stretched his long body over her couch and placed her legs over his shoulders. Dorian laced their fingers together to satisfy his craving.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Her thighs trembled and her hands scrambled for purchase on the couch, unable to hold his hand anymore. She needed to dig her nails into the fabric by her sides and toss her head back in ecstasy. Large hands caressed her body and hurled her over a proverbial cliff until she crashed back onto the cushions. Jenny pushed Dorian away and curled into a ball, but he wouldn’t let her get away. He pulled her back into his lap and pulled her hair from the bun on top of her head.
The beautiful things he whispered in her ear made her want to run, but the warmth of his body made her feel like she could stay in his arms forever. His lips on her shoulder kept Jenny from floating away. She reached for his belt, but he grasped her hands and shook his head. “That’s not what this was about. You told me that I had to prove to you with my actions that I’m different and that’s what I intend to do. This was about giving you pleasure, Jenny.”
“Am…am I not good enough?”
Dorian pressed her hand to his erection and hissed, “Never doubt my desire to be inside of you, but not now. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the night.” She leaned forward and kissed his lips. It was bold, but she needed to feel connected with him for some reason. Dorian stood up and carried her into the bathroom and set her down in the shower.
Jenny turned on the spray and he peeled his jeans off, revealing powerful thighs and toned calves to her hungry gaze. She drank him in with her eyes, taking in the sight of his sculpted abdomen and barrel chest. Wide shoulders pushed through the door and caused the tight space of the shower seem impossibly small. He ducked down and kissed her forehead.
The soaps in her shower were embarrassingly feminine. Jenny blushed and grabbed the least offensive, but he said, “I would love to be covered in your scent.” Her eyes shot up to his intense gaze and lathered his chest. The fine dusting of hair there was a testament to his unbridled masculinity. Her nails grazed him lightly and his eyes darkened. If it weren’t for his insistence, Jenny would have taken care of the erection straining toward his stomach.
Black suds slithered down the drain as she washed him from head to toe. Dorian lathered his hands and cleaned her in turn. She tried not to cling to him and feel his body brushing all over her. He seemed to love washing her hair, so Jenny closed her eyes and enjoyed the pampering. When the water turned cold, they stepped out and wrapped themselves in towels. Jenny handed him a fresh toothbrush and they brushed their teeth side by side in the mirror.
It was then that reality decided to creep into the sanctuary that had been weaved around them. Things had gone way too far too quickly. They only met a week ago and already they existed in a dense cloud of ease and domestic bliss? Dorian must have sensed her panic, for he placed his hand on her shoulder. “It only means what you want it to mean. We can slow down and take this slow like we planned or…” he lowered his hand and looked down at the tile on the bathroom floor. “Or we can walk away.”
He was giving her the power to hurt him, Jenny realized. But did she want to? Just one look into his blue eyes and her fate was sealed. She came up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. Just a light press of her lips, nothing more than that, but it felt like the kiss to change her life. “Lets see where this goes.”
Dorian smiled openly and her knees buckled a little, but he was happy to hold her up. It was unfair how attractive he was, surely there were more women vying for his attention. “Are you sure there’s no one else? No one’s chasing after you?”
“I didn’t say there wasn’t anyone interested. I just said there wasn’t anyone for me,” he clarified. “I’m always taken at face value. People tell me I’m good looking, but there’s more to me, I swear there is. It’s just that no one seems willing to look deep enough
to see it. So, why bother? You didn’t fall for the charm and the smile.”
“I did, but there’s always more beneath the surface.”
They cleaned up the bathroom and Jenny put what remained of his clothes in the wash. She led him upstairs to the bedroom with the pizza and wine in hand to have a little picnic on the bed. He took a glance around her room, but didn’t seem interested. In fact, Jenny noticed that Dorian didn’t particularly seem keen to look at anything but her.
He ate most of the pizza and took the time to complain about her corsets. “You look absolutely stunning, but they are so constricting. I love your body. You are a very sexy woman and I find myself wanting to tear that corset off of you. Just be comfortable.”
“I’m so used to adjusting myself to fit the standards of who I’m dating. Zach, my ex, hated the clothes that I wear,” she said. “It wasn’t until we broke up recently that I had the courage to change back to what made me happy. I’m not comfortable in corsets, but they make me look better in clothes.”
“Do whatever makes you happy. At the end of the day, that’s all I want for you. Whether you allow me to stay in your life or not, I only wish you the best.”
***
Dorian couldn’t remember a time when he had slept so well. He woke with a pillow pressed to his chest, but warmth plastered against his back. It was amusing that such a feminine flower like Jenny wanted to be the big spoon when they cuddled. Even when their phones went off simultaneously, she snuggled closer to him. He didn’t want to talk to Brock just yet, but Dorian recognized the signs of a diva when he saw them. So, he reached over and answered it for her. “Jenny Owen’s phone.”
“Oh my god!”
He pulled the phone away from his ear as bombardments of questions were hurled at him. Dorian waited until the voice on the other end fell silent. “Sapphire, what did I tell you about screaming in my ear?” he asked. What he hadn’t expected was her anger once she found out it was him.
“You cheating bastard! Does your other redhead know you spent the night in my friend’s bed?” she screeched. “I never took you for the type, Dor.”
“Seriously? It really hurts that you think I would do something like that. You know I’m not that guy, Saph. The redhead is Jenny, it always was. You believe in soulmates, right? Well, I dreamed about her long before I ever met her. She’s the one.”
“The one? Like the one, the one you spend happily ever after with?”
“If she lets me.”
More screaming caused Jenny to stir beside him, so he tucked the phone into the crook of his neck until Sapphire settled down. “Are you finished?”
“Nope! I’m gonna let you get back to your naughty time and call Brock. He’s got a lot of explaining to do. Have fun, Dor!”
He hung up and set the phone back on the stand. A slice of pizza caught his eye and he snagged it off the box. When he looked over at Jenny, she was staring at him as if he had been caught doing something naughty. “What?” he asked through a mouthful of pizza. “I saved you a piece. I usually don’t share food.”
She laughed a little and he noticed that her face had gone rosy.
“You look beautiful in the morning,” Dorian said, just to see the color deepen. “What’s up? Everything alright?”
“What you said to Saph, I just…really don’t know what to do with the information. Soulmates? Happily ever after? Come on, you can’t really believe in that stuff.”
“I didn’t.”
“Didn’t?” she prodded. “As in past-tense?”
“Exactly. How else would you explain me dreaming about you every day for the past several years and then you pop up in this town? How do you explain our off-the-charts compatibility and the feelings we’ve already experienced together?” He questioned. Jenny shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. His eyes caught the motion and heat spread through his body.
“Look at you,” she scuffed. “I can’t do anything without you getting that expression on your face.”
“What expression?” Dorian asked innocuously.
“You look like you want to eat me alive.” She crawled over to him and came so close that her lips nearly touched his. Dorian held his breath, but she didn’t close the distance. He moved forward, but she leaned down to take a bite out of his slice of pizza instead. At his sullen face, she fell back on the bed and snickered wickedly.
“Tease,” he grumbled.
Jenny climbed out of bed, letting the towel drop as her hips swayed. “I think I like the sort of power this gives me,” she purred. Dorian stared openly, admiring every detail of her beauty so that she could see just how much he yearned for her. Jenny toyed with her hair, knowing it drove him made, but he tried to remain calm.
And he was nearly successful until she tossed a look over her shoulder and said, “Maybe next time, I’ll return the favor.” Jenny took her time putting on her panties, garters, belts, corset, and stockings.
Dorian nearly swallowed his tongue, causing him to choke on his pizza. Jenny Owens was a dangerous woman when she was confident, but two could play that game. He stood up as well, but Dorian had ditched his towel sometime in the night. He walked past her and grabbed his jeans from the dryer, pulling them on, but letting them hang loosely on his hips. She watched his every move and he loved it.
Though he hated being objectified, something possessed him to lean his back against the wall and strike a model-worthy pose for his admirer. She bit her lip and he couldn’t hold back any longer. Dorian grabbed two handfuls of her glorious bottom and lifted her off her feet into his kiss. She giggled happily and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he legs came around his waist.
“I’ve never been picked up before,” she said once the kiss broke. Dorian didn’t make any move to set her down, perfectly content to hold her.
“Those fools before me don’t know what they were missing. I’m honored that you let me hold you like this and kiss you and feed you and drink wine in your bed…” He was shut up by another searing kiss that reached into his soul and imprinted her image there. It was a feeling that soothed the ever-present restlessness he had felt since his first change. It was as if Jenny had banished all of the darkness and brought him to the light.
CHAPTER NINE
“This is Jenny Owens. I can’t get to the phone right now. Please leave your name and number along with a brief message after the beep.”
“I’m not gonna beg you, Jenny, but I’m also not going to go through this anymore. The message is loud and clear. We had fun, but you’re not interested. Don’t worry, I’m used to this part.” He hung up the phone and tucked it into his back pocket. Dorian worked tirelessly through the week, but he kept in contact with Jenny. He left voicemails and called her every day. The problem was that she never responded. There was a fine line between being coldhearted and not having a heart at all.
He replayed the last night he had with Jenny in his mind, but couldn’t come up with any reason why she would shut him out the way she did. Dorian had given her plenty of opportunities to end things between them or slow down, but she hadn’t taken any of them. She avoided him whenever he saw her in public and hadn’t been back to her house since they walked out together that day. Dorian didn’t know what he had done wrong, but he would have liked for her to talk to him about it.
The bell above the door at Books & Baubles chimed to signal his entrance. It was the first time he had ever stepped foot inside the bookstore since it opened. The woman behind the counter didn’t even look up from her book when she greeted him. “Hello. Can I help you find anything in particular?” she asked politely with a pair of circular glasses perched at the end of her nose.
“Yes, actually.”
The woman finally set her book aside and smiled in his direction. Dorian read her nametag and realized she was one of Jenny’s friends. “I was wondering if you’ve seen Jenny Owens. I’ve been looking for her so I could leave a message.”
“Oh, yeah. I see Jenny every day. What
sort of message?”
“Can you let her know that Dorian Chandler isn’t available to be her rebound any longer?” He asked, holding the same level of politeness as the woman named Destiny. Dorian didn’t wait for her response and just muttered, “Thank you, have a nice day.” The door to the bookshop closed behind him and so did his heart. He expected better from someone who had her heart broken in the past.
She could have told him that she didn’t want to go any further, that their last night together had gone too far, but she hadn’t. Jenny did exactly what she had feared he would have done. She fed him pretty words and tossed him aside the moment things got too heavy. But he was no one’s fool.
Dorian drove angrily toward the fire station, but instead of going up to the bunkhouse, he made his way to the gym. He spent hours on the punching bag until he hit it so hard that it flew off the chain and hit the far wall. Dorian paced across the floor as he tried not to shift in the middle of town. Brock opened the door and shoved him into a corner. “Are you out of your mind? You know that kind of physical activity can be a trigger. Do you want Michael to kill us both?”
“She’s gone.”
“What do you mean she’s gone?” Brock asked.
“Jenny. She’s been avoiding me all week. At first I thought she was just busy coming up with new songs to perform or hanging out with her friends, but there was nothing,” Dorian rasped. “I got worried, so I checked in at the lounge and they said everything was alright. Every day I reached out and tried to talk to her, to see what I had done wrong, but she ignored me.”
“Damn, man. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. No one could be more sorry than I am.” Dorian pulled away from the corner and took a seat on one of the benches. “I hope she finds whatever she’s looking for. Whoever gets to love Jenny will be the luckiest guy in the world.”
“Come on, Dorian. This isn’t like you, man. You fight for the girl. I’m the one who always gives up, not you. Go find her and make her talk to you.”
