by Rinelle Grey
The cab was waiting for them.
To make up for the fact that she’d enjoyed holding Verrian’s arm so much, Lisa suggested, “You sit in the front, Verrian.”
Verrian didn’t argue. Lisa missed his presence a little, but most of her time on the short drive was filled up with chatting with Olivia to stop her panicking.
When they picked up Kevin, he hadn’t changed. He was still wearing the same clothes Lisa had seen him in at work earlier in the day. His eyes widened when he saw Olivia. He almost tripped over the door frame as he climbed in next to her.
“Sorry, I didn’t have time to change.” His voice stammered a little. “I had to stay back, it’s backup night.”
“That’s okay,” Olivia said immediately. She hesitated for a long moment, then put her hand on Kevin’s knee. “You look great just the way you are.”
Both of them blushed in unison.
Lisa couldn’t bear to watch them.
She supposed Kevin’s bumbling innocence could be kind of cute, if you liked that kind of thing.
Olivia apparently did.
Lisa liked her men with more confidence. And she had to admit, maybe a dash of risk and danger—it did add to the excitement.
Her eyes went back to Verrian, wishing a little that he was sitting beside her, rather than next to the driver.
He didn’t seem fazed. “So, are you from around here?” he asked the taxi driver.
Lisa bit her lip. It would be better if Verrian kept quiet. There was less chance of their cover being blown if he did.
The taxi driver didn’t know that though. “Yeah, lived here all my life. You?”
“It’s my first visit,” Verrian replied. “I’m from the country, so all this is pretty new.”
Lisa relaxed. It really didn’t matter what Verrian said after that. They could just blame it on him being from the country. Everyone knew things were different there.
She half listened to Verrian and the taxi driver chatting all the way. She was surprised at how well Verrian was handling it, actually. If she hadn’t known he was a dragon who knew nothing about humans, then she could easily have believed that he was just a country lad, enjoying the thrill of the big smoke for the first time.
Listening to Verrian helped distract her from Olivia and Kevin sitting beside her. Their conversation was far more awkward. Both of them cautiously feeling each other out. That part of meeting new guys wasn’t much fun. Much easier to skip it and jump straight into bed.
That thought just reminded her that she and Verrian had done just that. Another thought she didn’t really want to be thinking right now.
It was a relief when they pulled up in front of the tavern.
As they walked in, the music washed over Lisa, chasing away any lingering feelings of discomfort. It was upbeat and catchy. Well worth the trip.
She should have known Verrian’s taste in music would be impeccable.
A waiter showed them to a table, and Lisa ordered for both her and Verrian. He didn’t object. In fact, his eyes were trained on the band, on a slightly raised stage at the front of the room. There was a space clear of tables in front of the stage, in case anyone wanted to dance, but it was empty this early in the night.
Pity. That would have passed the time while they waited for their food.
Lisa didn’t normally dance at this kind of thing. She left it to the middle-aged couples celebrating their anniversary with a rare child free night. But tonight, her temperature rose a notch at the thought of dancing with Verrian.
Why couldn’t some of those child free couples get up and dance, so she didn’t feel far too self-conscious to make the move?
“How do people get to be in bands like that?”
Verrian’s question startled her out of her thoughts. She felt a moment’s stab of disappointment that he wasn’t thinking about her as much as she was thinking about him, then it was swamped by a concern that Olivia and Kevin would think his question strange.
They were too busy staring at each other to even notice.
In reality, even she wasn’t sure of the exact answer. So she gave a shrug. “A couple of friends play music in someone’s garage, then at parties or something, then end up here.”
Verrian nodded thoughtfully.
He looked far too interested. What was he thinking?
Chapter 30
The music swirled around Verrian, catching him up in its sound and rhythm.
It was so different to the music he was used to. Dragon music was wonderful, but it was nothing like this.
He couldn’t drag his eyes away from the three men up on stage. How were they making those sounds? The objects they held in their hands obviously had something to do with it, their hands moved in time with the notes, but Verrian wasn’t completely sure how they were creating the music.
He wanted to go up there and ask them, to experiment with their music makers.
But he knew without being told that interrupting them would be rude. No one disturbed a performance like this.
So instead he sat back and enjoyed it.
Slowly, he became aware of a tingle across his skin. His eyes flicked from the band, across to Lisa, only to realise she was staring at him. Her eyes were dark and filled with desire and her lips parted slightly and twisted into an almost smile.
When she saw him looking at her, her smile widened, and her cheeks flushed. Apparently it wasn’t the music that was getting her excited.
The heat flooding Verrian’s body was as instantaneous as the change in his focus.
Why had he talked her into coming out? If he hadn’t, then they’d still be at her home right now.
Alone.
There would be nothing stopping him taking a step closer to her and kissing those deep red lips. Nothing to get in the way of running his hands over her smooth curves and pulling down a corner of the inadequately supported top. His temperature kicked up a notch. The beat of the music thumped through his body, drowning out any objections he might have thought of.
How had he managed to keep his hands off her for two days now? It seemed impossible. He wasn’t even sure how he was going to stop himself kissing her until they returned home.
He’d wanted to come out so much, and now he wanted to go straight back. Verrian made himself take a deep breath. He was perfectly capable of waiting. In fact, the wait would just make the result all the sweeter.
He’d be going home with Lisa tonight, there was no doubt of that. He could wait.
Probably.
As the music swelled, nearing its peak, it hit Verrian that he was enjoying his taste of human life. The constant movement, the busyness, the very beat of the city fitted his personality. Here with Lisa, far away from his family and his responsibilities, he felt invigorated and alive.
If he mated with Lisa, he could stay here.
Maybe even join a band.
Verrian gave himself a shake. That was crazy talk. He’d only known Lisa for a couple of days. Even if she was amazing, he wasn’t ready to get mated. And wanting to get mated to experience more of the human world wasn’t fair on either of them.
More importantly, he couldn’t sit here in safety and indulge in these sort of dreams when his family was facing Ultrima on their own. They needed him.
This was just a temporary stop, and he needed to remember that.
Even if it was fun.
“Steak and salad?”
Verrian looked up at the waiter hovering near his elbow, a plate in each hand. He wasn’t quite sure what the man was asking.
“Yes, please,” Lisa said quickly. “One here and one there.”
The man put a steaming plate in front of Verrian, and the scent of perfectly cooked meat made his stomach growl loudly.
It would be so easy to get used to this life.
If it wasn’t for the fact that his family needed him, he might be tempted. He couldn’t afford to let himself lose sight of them. They were far more important than creature comforts.
But right now, there was nothing else he could do, so he might as well enjoy his time here.
So he ate the delicious food, listened to the beautiful music, and feasted his eyes on Lisa.
Olivia and Kevin were caught up in their own world, not even noticing Lisa and Verrian anymore. Their heads were together and their voices were low as they talked. Verrian was pretty sure they were holding hands under the table.
They weren’t concerned about being magically bonded if they slept together. Things were so simple for humans. There would be nothing wrong in indulging in this obsession with Lisa for a few weeks if he wasn’t risking being trapped forever.
Verrian bit back a sigh. Why was he feeling so bad when he was having a wonderful night? Good food, lovely music, and great company. He watched Lisa as she ordered more food, and leaned back in her chair, sipping on a drink.
While they were here, he could pretend that they were going home to bed together.
“So, who’s game to come up and join us?”
The man on stage, one of the band members, looked out at the crowd.
What did they mean?
Verrian looked over at Lisa, who made a face. “You didn’t tell me it was karaoke night.”
There was that strange word again. “What’s karaoke night?” Verrian asked.
Lisa gave a laugh. “People sing. Random people from the crowd. Sometimes it’s pretty bad.”
Verrian looked around, but no one seemed to be volunteering. In fact, they were all avoiding looking at the band member who called out.
The man on stage tried again. “Come on, there must be someone out there game enough to break the ice.”
He stared straight at Verrian. “How about you?”
Him? Verrian’s heart thumped in his chest. Not from performance nerves, he had no fear of performing in front of a crowd, but was it safe? He glanced over at Lisa.
She gave a slight laugh. “Sure. Go on. Might as well have something pleasant to listen to.”
That was all the encouragement he needed. He pushed back his chair and stood up, and the band member smiled at him. “We have a volunteer,” he called out loudly.
Everyone turned to look at Verrian. Many of them wore sceptical expressions, similar to the one Lisa had displayed. Many of them changed when they saw him.
Someone near the back of the crowd clapped, then others joined in.
Verrian walked up to the stage, enjoying the feel of many eyes on him. He psyched himself up, getting ready to put on a real performance.
The band member held out a hand, and Verrian took it, even though he didn’t need help to jump up onto the stage.
“What’s your name?” the man asked, then held out a long object towards Verrian.
That threw him. For a moment, his mind was blank. Lisa had called him Ryan in front of Rita, but tonight she’d introduced him to Olivia as Verrian. Best to stick with that, since Olivia and Kevin were watching along with everyone else.
“Verrian,” he said loudly, then just managed to hold back a jump as the sound was magnified. It must be the strange device doing it. Another of the human’s technologies. He made sure to remember it. Talk quieter into this device.
“Well then, Verrian, what would you like to sing?”
Now Verrian was glad he’d spent time listening to music all afternoon. He could pick something that the human might know.
But what?
He stared around at the crowd. What sort of song would these people appreciate? What would they respond to?
At almost every table sat a couple. Some paid little attention to him, like Olivia and Kevin, who’d gone back to staring at each other shyly. Some almost seemed distant. One or two were staring more at their phones than each other.
His eyes fell on Lisa, watching him with that look. Half proud, half scared. All need.
A love song. For all these people who needed some passion in their lives. That was one he could certainly sing with feeling right now. He pulled his eyes away from Lisa, and gave the song name to the man, who grinned. “An excellent choice.”
He handed the sound magnification device to Verrian, then stepped back, making a few signals to his other band members.
The music started up, the rhythm strong enough that Verrian couldn’t help tapping his foot in time, measuring the beat, waiting for his moment.
He’d only listened to this song once, there had been so many choices he’d moved on to more and more songs, so he almost missed his moment. But there it was.
Verrian opened his mouth and let his voice join in with the music, mingling with it in the way only music could. His voice joined with the melody, and he was part of it, in the middle of it, joining with the band in complete harmony.
All around him, the audience sat up and paid attention. People looked up from their phones, their dinner, and their distraction. One or two stared at him with jaws dropped.
He saw a man reach across the table to take the hand of his mate, and for a moment, Verrian sang the song for them alone. The woman’s eyes misted up, and she leaned over and kissed her mate.
As he focused on singing for one couple at a time, it hit him. He was doing it. He was focusing his sound, just as he’d been trying and failing to do earlier. This time, he wasn’t using magic, but the concept of manipulating the sound was the same.
He’d been trying to control and direct the sound waves and where they were going, instead of focusing on the target, and directing his sound towards them.
Who would have expected that going out and having fun could solve his problem better than staying home and studying would have?
Feeling grateful for the experience, Verrian wanted to share some of his joy with everyone in the room. He sung for each and every one of the couples, including Olivia and Kevin, letting his music touch each of them.
Finally, he came to Lisa. He stared at her for a moment, as the music swelled through a pause in the vocals, his heart thudding.
As the music picked up again, Verrian took a deep breath. He stared at Lisa, and let all the emotion he didn’t dare give to her in words or touch shine through in his voice alone.
He let the words of the song, not his words, but the words of someone he’d never met, say the things he didn’t dare put into his own words. Didn’t even dare admit to himself
Didn’t dare let himself feel.
Chapter 31
Lisa had heard Verrian sing before. She knew his voice was beautiful.
Even when he was sitting in the back of her car without any musical accompaniment, he’d sounded like a rock star. Now, with the backing of a full band, the sound carried throughout the room, and his crooning voice had her just about melting in her seat.
When he stared at her like that, his eyes so intense and burning, it was as though he was singing for her alone.
As though he meant the words of love that sounded almost trite when the song was sung by anyone else.
As though he were making a declaration.
She couldn’t pull her eyes away. Couldn’t even hear the warnings that she was sure her brain was screaming.
She didn’t even care.
If they weren’t in a room full of people right now, she’d jump up on that stage and demand he make good on those promises he was singing, to kiss her forever.
As it was, she let her eyes tell him.
Hopefully he was getting the message.
The song ended, the music fading out, and for a moment, everyone was silent.
Then applause rang out, enthusiastic and loud.
That broke the spell. Lisa stared around at the crowd, who hadn’t been nearly this enthusiastic about the band’s normal singing. A few of them shot jealous stares in her direction, but most were too busy staring at their partners to even notice her.
The lead singer took the microphone back from Verrian and smiled out at the crowd. “Well, that’s a far more enthusiastic response than we usually get. Maybe we’ll have to get you back to sing again, near
the end of the night, hey mate?”
Lisa couldn’t hear Verrian’s response in the enthusiastic encouragement from the crowd.
She couldn’t help smiling. Looked like she might be here all night, but she couldn’t find it in herself to mind.
Verrian nodded to the singer, then he jumped back down from the stage and walked across to her.
He had to pause every few metres as people reached out to shake his hand or give him a high five, or even just tell him how great he’d been. She did see a few women noticing him this time, but they all turned back to their own partners after only an appreciative glance.
Then he was past the last table, with nothing between him and her.
Everything else faded into the background.
All she could think of was him. How gorgeous he was, how talented, how special.
How amazing it would feel to let herself love him.
She could have this life. It was here, standing right in front of her.
Smiling at her even, with an uncertain, hopeful smile.
Except it wasn’t that simple.
It never was, was it? Hundreds of kilometres away in Mungaloo, where she’s sworn never to go again, he had a family who needed him. Not to mention an ancient enemy who wouldn’t hesitate to kill her as readily as it killed him.
And he was a dragon.
That last bit should have added to the appeal, and it did, but at the same time it also gave her pause.
It was the one reason she wasn’t throwing herself at him without hesitation.
Some of it was because, well, he had enemies. Very dangerous enemies.
But it wasn’t just that.
If he wasn’t a dragon, then she wouldn’t have had to worry about whether this was forever or not. She could take each day as it came, and if she felt like still being with him, she could, knowing she could leave at any moment.
Dragons weren’t so simple.
Certainly not this one.
Taurian she’d been able to admire from a distance. Yeah, he was gorgeous, and yeah, she’d thought she wanted to sleep with him, but he’d never made her heart do somersaults like Verrian did. He’d never made her smile back at him as she was now, even as her mind was cataloguing all her doubts about this action.
