by Starla Night
Her heart revved. Adrenaline pulsed through her body, filling her with adventure. She flung her arms around his shoulders. “We’re flying!”
“Yes.” His answer hissed dangerously close to hear sensitive earlobe.
Ooh. She vibrated with heat.
He landed in the middle of a rooftop bar decorated with festive Christmas lights. Patrons in thick coats huddled under heaters. They gaped and sloshed drinks. He floated to a stand-up table. “Your quick meal.”
“We can sit,” she said. “If…”
He slid his hot gaze across her. Molten alien green lava. Matching heat flared in her center. “If?”
“If you’re eating with me.”
Peridot’s gaze hardened and cooled. He looked over her shoulder at the bar patrons.
Karmel had pushed too far. “I know you like your protein paste, but—”
“I don’t like it.”
He kept one arm around her waist, snugging her to him, as though at any moment he might take off again, and he crossed into the rooftop restaurant. He wove through the long line to the busy hostess station. The restaurant was trendy and expensive, glowing white and aqua, like the inside of a snow globe. A trio of nicely dressed young men greeted them warmly and managed the line.
“We are changing our reservation.” Peridot shared his name, and they came to attention. “She wants to sit.”
“Your table is almost ready,” one promised with a dazzling smile. “Just one moment. I’ll take your coats.”
She gave hers. They hung it on an electronic coat rack.
Everyone was whispering and looked at them like they were royalty.
Cutting to the front of the line at a trendy rooftop restaurant in a new dress? She felt like royalty. Peridot acted as though he were used to this attention and kept her possessively close.
Another wave of heat flushed through her.
She squeezed his arm.
He leaned over the back of her neck. His index finger slid from her nape to her collar. Harder shivers tingled from his touch. Her nipples tightened.
She forced herself to breathe. “Flipping my tag?”
“No.”
No? Then, what was he doing?
She looked up at him.
His gaze smoldered. He was a dragon and a billionaire, but he was first a male. Heat flushed through her body, awakening her pores. She was all female and melty for him.
He fixed on her lips.
She parted them.
His nostrils flared.
Sensuous heat filled the space between them. He was so good-looking. And he was staring at her like a predator reeling in a very willing prey.
She sucked in a deep breath and leaned into his embrace.
“This way.” Their host smiled and extended his arm. “Your table is ready.”
She stepped forward.
Peridot hung back.
His unguarded expression closed with a snap. He was himself again — implacable, stern, and frigid.
What had just passed between them?
Chapter Six
Karmel was hungry. Peridot must feed her.
The waiter led them to a booth and described the Christmas set. Karmel listened brightly asking excited questions.
Peridot could not take his eyes off her. His senses tuned to high alert. Her laughter caressed his ears. Her scent curled around his cock. Her smile tugged, hard.
“And so I’ll take your drink order now,” the waiter finished.
Karmel picked up their drinks menu, blanched, and closed it again quickly. “I’ll have water.”
“The couples Christmas set comes with a dessert glass of ice wine.”
“Oh. Uh…”
The moment they had walked into the restaurant, his control had snapped.
She wore his dress. Colors and fabric he had chosen. His offering she had accepted.
His chest squeezed.
Strange.
He wanted to give her more things. Send tailors to her house, throw out her dangerous outfits, and clothe her only in dresses that made her smile shine as she had outside the restaurant.
Because now that smile faded. “I don’t need the whole set. A salad is fine. Your cheapest salad.”
Karmel rejected his food?
The waiter spoke easily. “For salad dressing, we have—”
“Wait.” Peridot stopped the waiter. “You do not want the Christmas set?”
She waved one hand awkwardly. “I don’t need it.”
He had misunderstood. She said she liked him beneath the restaurant, but humans liked many things.
She did not want him to feed her. She did not wish to become his mate.
His mate!
Why should he think such a thing? Of course she did not want to become his mate. He could not provide a single acceptable meal. How could she trust him to provide anything more important?
“I have chosen the wrong restaurant.” He rose. “We will leave.”
“No!” She clutched the table. “I’m sure everything is delicious.”
“But you will not eat it.”
“Well, I just … I don’t need to be served on crystal. I’m a ‘takeout Chinese’ kind of gal.”
He should have done more research. “I apologize. We will get your desired takeout Chinese.”
“Oh no, I want to try the set. I’ve dreamed of it. Just like I dreamed of owning a new—” She broke off and hugged her COACH bag to her gowned chest. “But I don’t deserve… I mean, it’s too much for someone like me. I don’t need crystal and chocolate and… Look. You should get the set.”
“I am satisfied with protein paste, Karmel. I have no desire to subject myself to human flavors.”
“Subject yourself? You have no idea what you’re missing.”
“And I have no desire to know. But I have promised to ‘eat with you.’ So we will eat together here or elsewhere. You decide.”
She clenched her fists, sucked in a deep breath, and then dropped her hands and scooted deeper into the booth. “I will have the set, thank you very much. And the chilled, spiced cider.”
“Very good.” The waiter, who had frozen during their argument, now returned to life. “And you, sir?”
“The same.” Peridot resumed his seat.
“No, I’ll give you a taste. You should get something different.” Karmel turned to the waiter. “How about the Cranberry Martini?”
The waiter confirmed with Peridot and left their table.
“That way, you can try more flavors and figure out which drink you like better,” Karmel said.
Again, the strange feeling—like sweating, but in his belly—made him move his weight in the booth. “Do you really care what I like?”
“Yes. Of course I do. And I want to help you figure out what you like even if you’re not a fan of alcohol.”
“Alcohol is wasted on dragons. We metabolize it too fast. Drink a whole bottle, feel mild heartburn and no buzz.”
“What matters is whether you like the flavor, so it’s not a waste.”
“Why do you not accept that argument for the set menu?”
She frowned at the tabletop. “I don’t know.”
And now he was antagonizing her.
He hadn’t been able to control himself at the entrance. He’d reached out and stroked a finger across her pink skin from the intoxicating mass of curls to the collar of her dress.
She’d looked back at him with surprise. Her plump, coral lips had parted. She had leaned closer to ask a question.
He wanted to touch her again.
But she was upset. With him.
Of course she was.
He must have imagined the flash of heat in her eyes and the eager warmth in her smile.
“Here are drinks.” The waiter slid their icy glasses onto coasters and revealed the main tray with a flourish. “And your appetizer course: pan-seared green beans wrapped in Black Forest prosciutto, cornmeal blini bites topped with lemon-ricotta and Pacific Northwest smo
ked salmon, and brie-stuffed apricots studded with candied pecans and drizzled with local wildflower honey.”
They were arranged into a sleigh. The long beans were the skates, the blinis formed the body of the sled, and the apricots were the reindeer linked to the blinis by golden honey reins.
Karmel covered her mouth. “That’s amazing!”
“Enjoy.” The waiter bowed and retreated.
She unfolded the thick teal napkin over her lap and lifted her glass. Cranberry-and-pine-filled ice cubes clinked in the sweet cider. “Cheers.”
He lifted his martini glass and clinked hers. “Cheers.”
She sipped her icy cider, excitement flushing her cheeks. He mirrored her, sipping the burning alcohol. Sweet-tart flavors caressed his tongue. Smooth, dangerous. He could drink gallons.
“Do you like it?” she asked eagerly.
His chest twinged. “Yes.”
“Good. Here, try mine.” She set her glass in front of him and smoothed her bodice.
He wanted to possess her, to touch her through the fabric. To be the fabric cupping her.
But that was a mistake.
“Try the appetizers.” She bit into the crispy bacon-wrapped beans and closed her eyes. “Mm. Oh my god. This is heaven.”
He needed to yank her over the table, thrust his tongue down her throat, and make her moan with the same bliss.
“Here. Give me your plate.” She dragged his small plate close and served him one of each. “I can’t wait to hear what you think.”
He crunched, crisped, chewed his way through the sweet, savory, expertly spiced food. “You have eaten these foods before.”
“No. I mean, they’re takes on traditional foods, but they’re … wow.”
Each bite was a sledgehammer to his control. The ice around feelings was cracking and any second the flood would rage through his veins.
Humans kissed on the mouth. He had thought it strange when Syen did that with his human female. But now, after consuming this tasty food with unique flavors, Peridot hungered for more sensations.
He craved to press every part of him against Karmel. His mouth, his skin. His tongue, his teeth.
“Here’s your second course.” The waiter exchanged their empty appetizer dish for a main course. “Pumpkin risotto on a bed of roasted kale with brined turkey filets and black truffles.”
Scoops of pumpkin risotto shaped two orange snow people. The other ingredients formed their top hats and scarves and shared parasol.
Again, Karmel squealed. “So adorable!”
“Thank you.” The waiter left them.
“I’ll never forget this my whole life.” She swiped at her damp eyes and once again served him and urged him to eat. “Um, how are you enjoying the food? Are the flavors okay?”
“Yes.”
“What’s your favorite so far?”
His chest made the squinching feeling again. “Why do you pursue my preferences?”
“Because you’re impossible to read.” She flashed him a damp smile, sniffed, and took a big bite of turkey mixed with risotto. “Mmm. Oh. This is amazing. I didn’t know turkey could taste like this.”
“Turkey is a traditional Christmas meat.”
“Yeah, but my grandma could only cook dessert. Her turkeys were so dry you could have used the drum sticks for sand paper. My parents always grabbed Chinese on the way home.”
Ah. “That is why you preferred nostalgic Chinese to this new experience.”
“I don’t know about prefer. It’s just what I’m used to. And anyway, there are tons of ‘traditional’ holiday foods I’ve never had.”
“Truly?”
“Sure. I’ve never had ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire.’ How do those taste? I’d like to know.” She bit into the black truffles and closed her eyes again. “Mmm. Did you try the mushrooms? They’re like bacon cooked in butter. Except a mushroom.”
“Yes, I tried one.”
Her eyes snapped open. She chewed and swallowed. “So, did you like it?”
“Why do you continue to ask me this?”
“Because I’m trying to figure out what you like.”
Squiggle. Again.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? I want to get to know you.”
“I am a typical dragon.”
“Well, I don’t know any typical dragons.”
“You know Syenite.”
“Yeah. You’re both hard to read, but he’s relaxed a lot since he started dating Eva, and he eats human food all the time. I’m trying to get to know you.”
“Why?”
She tilted her head. “Why not?”
“There is nothing to know. My presence is not distinguished. I am dull.”
“You are not dull.”
His chest squinched and a strange heat filled his heart at the same time. “Some have said so.”
“Like who?”
“It was a reason my ex gave for breaking our engagement.”
She stopped chewing.
“I kept our appointments. Only visited when requested. Left the requisite gifts.”
“Your ex broke up with you because you were too responsible?”
“There was an accident.”
He rested his palms on the smooth table. Karmel sometimes made him forget that he was disgraced. He had no right to court her or dream of being her mate. She deserved to know.
“The morning of our wedding, Star Sapphire wished to lava ski. I did not believe we had enough time to visit the volcanoes and greet arriving dignitaries. She called the wedding off and dared me to chase after her. I did. She disabled her ship’s safety system to exceed the maximum speed. I did not. She crashed.”
Karmel pressed her hand to her heart. “Was she okay?”
“She was fine. Our ships are hardy even when they fail.”
“Thank goodness. So, you were there to save her?”
“Yes. When she emerged from the wreckage, my unruffled presence made her furious. She confirmed her decision to end the engagement. Keeping my safety system operating proved I was predictable and passionless.”
“It didn’t prove you were smart?”
“I was not smart. She was testing me. Star Sapphire wanted her mate to show his loyalty by putting himself and his possessions at risk. Although we are both aristocrats, her family was wealthier than mine. I refused to risk. I failed her test.”
And then he had been disgraced. No other female would consider a male who had displeased his bride on her wedding day.
“My mother assigned the Olivine family fortune to my next brother and exiled me from the estate.”
“I heard something but that’s worse than I thought.” Karmel’s brow wrinkled with sympathy. “And then you came here.”
“The usual fate of a disgraced aristocrat is to join the Colony Wars. However, I was exiled so suddenly I could not collect any possessions to purchase an officer’s commission. The Colony Wars are brutal and officers survive longer than a few weeks.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Weeks!”
“Usually. Sard Carnelian reached out before I enlisted, so, I owe him my life. That is why I will answer his research question about the spirit of Christmas. I gave him my vow.”
“Yes! Right. The ‘Christmas spirit.’” She rubbed her hands together. “Decorations didn’t get him into the Christmas spirit.”
“He has already acquired decorations. Apparently, they do not demonstrate his Christmas spirit.”
She rubbed her temples. “Okay. Think. He has to show his Christmas spirit … Oh! Does he have a nativity scene?”
“Nativity scene?”
“The baby in the manger. It’s a sweet story even if you’re not religious. Do you know it?”
“Yes. Two parents did not schedule a human birthing suite and so they appropriated an animal feeding trough in an exterior shed. The baby grew into a prophet and so his parents’ bad planning is celebrated.”
“That … huh.” She coughed. �
��Wow. Remind me to get the dragon alien perspective on the Festival of Lights. And Kwanzaa.”
“I will research those. When would you like to be reminded?”
“Er, later.”
He opened his mouth to ask her to be specific.
She cut him off. “The nativity does not celebrate bad planning. It’s about charity. Mary and Joseph were escaping persecution. The inns were full but the last innkeeper wanted to help. His barn wasn’t a five-star hotel, but it was enough. Don’t you think it’s a nice story about coming together as a community and helping the less fortunate?”
Her answer made sense. “I do not know if Sard has a nativity. I will ask.”
“He might need more than a display.” She tapped the tine of her fork on the edge of her plate. “The true spirit of Christmas is giving back. Helping the community. Like my cookie exchange. We’re going to have decorations and caroling and treats, but ultimately we’re raising money for ‘Home for the Howlidays’ because everybody deserves to find the place where they belong.”
“Sard has rescued many disgraced dragons,” Peridot growled, loyal. “He is the most charitable dragon in this sector.”
“Then it can’t be that.” She leaned back. “I’ll keep thinking.”
He called Sard to report. His boss acknowledged his new theory with an irritated growl. “I will acquire this ‘nativity’ object and present it to my contact tomorrow. If you’re wrong, Peridot, you’re on the first shipping cruiser off Earth.”
“Sir,” he said tightly and ended his call.
Karmel was apparently still thinking. She yawned and stretched.
Her beautiful breasts swelled beneath the winter sunset coloring of his dress. The hint of aureole pushed up through her bra.
His cock hardened.
Star Sapphire had been right. He had refused to risk anything for her. He had been proper, careful, distant. In Karmel’s words, ‘perfect.’ He had not wished Star Sapphire to know him. She might have disliked what she learned.
His strategy had failed. Star Sapphire had rejected him anyway.
Today, he’d spent hours with Karmel. She had pried into his life, into his past. Into his desires. She’d refused to keep her distance. She’d shared her observations fearlessly. She’d asked him what he liked.
No one ever asked him what he liked.
