by Audrey Storm
When she was alone in bed he invaded her thoughts and she wished that she could have shaken him from her mind. But she kept living in the past, in that night when they had been sitting together at the bar, lost in each other’s eyes. The memory of romance and intimacy warmed her, and her mind continually wandered down the path of what might have been. She wasn't sure whether she believed in destiny or not, but she had the uncanny feeling that somewhere in the cosmos there was another version of her that had said yes, and she could only imagine that that version was happier, because she was miserable.
It was becoming an untenable situation. She had remained true to her promise not to use Tinder after Liam, but it only meant that she had nobody to focus her mind on. She'd tried spending time in coffee shops and bars but she felt awkward going there alone, and it wasn't like in the movies where hundreds of pretty single people were hanging about, and every time she came home feeling defeated. So, on one dark night when insomnia had struck she pulled out her phone and opened the app. When she did she felt a gnawing sadness inside, a guilt, a shame, but she ignored it because there was no other refuge for her, and she wanted to feel as though she was at least taking some sort of action into improving her way of life, even if it hadn't worked out so far.
At first she played the game, and swiped right and left, until it came up with a flashing circle, telling her that there were no other men in her area. She smiled grimly, it would figure that she had gone through every eligible man in the city and not found anyone who excited her...anyone but Liam. She scrolled to her messages, her throat tightening for she was afraid that Liam had found someone else, and she felt a strange sort of relief when she saw that he was still on there, yet she was also filled with regret as well.
When she clicked on his profile she saw that he had been online not too long ago, so he was still searching, although part of her did wonder whether he was looking at her profile the same way that she was looking at his, and if he had been plagued by thoughts of her too. But that ship had sailed. She wanted something simple. Something normal. She went back to her other matches and looked through them, just in case she had missed anyone. There were a few people that actually seemed to want a conversation, but none of them had intrigued her in the same way as Liam had. Still, she replied to their messages in the hope that something would click.
It wasn't long before one of them replied, and she was soon engaged in a conversation, yet every time her phone buzzed she didn't feel the same thrill as she had felt with Liam. In some ways it felt disingenuous to this man, for he would always be second best to Liam, but she told herself that she was being silly and in person it would be different. All she had to do was meet someone she was incredibly attracted to and it would all work out. Nothing could have been simpler...right?
Chapter 13
When Tony suggested meeting Jenna took a long time to reply to the message, unsure if she wanted to put herself through the stress of meeting someone again. In the end she decided to be honest and told him that she had been through a rough time of it and was getting a bit tired with being let down, but he said that she would never know anything different, and just because everyone else hadn't worked out it didn't mean the next thing wouldn't. Jenna was bored and lonely and he made sense, so they arranged to meet, another evening date.
The moon was full and Jenna knew that Liam must have been out in the city somewhere, for this was his time to play. She wondered what they would have been doing together had she taken him up on his offer, but then she met Tony and she put Liam out of her mind, or at least tried to. They met at a pleasant bar and had a pleasant time. It was clear to her that Tony was interested, it was in the way he leaned forward, and always tried to make a double-entendre out of everything. He paid for everything even when she insisted that she would get a round. He was well-dressed and well-mannered—charming, even—and he had that smoothness that gave her the sense he had been on many dates. Any other time she would probably have enjoyed herself but there was something about the evening that was odd.
She found herself looking beyond the confines of her own body. She floated up and looked down at herself on this date, and it struck her as so shallow and foolish, that they were both taking part in this dance but there was no real emotion involved and it would end up like everything else always ended up. He was in the middle of saying something when she burst out laughing.
“I'm sorry,” she said, “but I just...doesn't this strike you as absurd? We all go on this merry-go-round hoping to find someone that we click with, but we're always looking to the next date, and it all has to be perfect. What's wrong with just accepting someone for who they are?”
“Um...nothing? I'm not sure where you're going with this.”
“I'm sorry, I don't think I'm ready to date right now. I think I need to sort myself out first and figure out what I really want. It was nice to meet you Tony, and good luck in your search,” she said, and got up to leave. Tony protested and followed her out of the bar, but she ignored him and walked off.
Yet he persisted, calling after her, and his words soon turned abusive. She heard him run to catch her up and she tried to outpace him, but there were no cabs around and before she knew it he was upon her, grabbing her bag.
“I'm going to get something out of this night,” he said, and dragged her to an alley where they were out of eyesight. She tried to scream, but as soon as she opened her mouth his hand clamped around it, suffocating her. He wrested her purse away from her and pushed her against the wall. The air was driven from her lungs. He looked through her purse and cursed when he saw how little money she had.
“I'm going to get something out of tonight,” he growled, and walked towards her menacingly. Jenna cowered against the wall, hoping for a miracle. She tried to scream but she was so frightened that it only came out as a squeak, and as his feet crushed gravel she closed her eyes and turned her face to the wall, hoping that it would all be over quickly.
Then, she heard a swooping sound. Tony cursed, before his surprised words were cut short by an uppercut. Jenna heard him sprawling over the ground. She twisted her head and saw Liam standing over Tony, picking the frail body up as if it weighed nothing and then bringing it crashing down to the floor. Tony's eyes were groggy and glassy and blood trickled out of his mouth. Liam kicked him in the stomach, hair flying forward, and Tony doubled over, clutching his stomach. Liam was about to stamp on him when he turned and caught Jenna's eyes. He stood there, panting, and brushed the hair away from his face. Then, he rushed over to Jenna and cradled her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly as he carried her away from the alley, into the safety of his car.
Chapter 14
“You're safe now,” he said, caressing her forehead. Jenna was laying in bed smiling weakly at Liam.
“How did you know I was there?” she asked. Liam rose from the bed and turned his back to her.
“I am ashamed to admit it but I have been following you. I know it's not right but I couldn't stop thinking about you. So many times I wanted to reach out to you, but I stopped myself. I hoped that if you thought about it more you would change your mind and come back to me, but I wanted you to do so of your own volition. But when I saw what he was planning I knew I had to intervene. It reminded me of something a long time ago...there was another person I cared about.”
“You'll have to tell me about them sometime,” Jenna said. Liam turned around and knelt down, clasping his hands around Jenna's.
“I know what I told you must have taken you by surprise but I have been waiting for so long and when I met you I knew that you were the one I had been waiting for. Forgive me for rushing you. I should have given you time to process things. I fear that all this time alone has made me forget that other people do not think in the same manner as I do. Can we go back to the end of our first date and replay it, this time without me telling you what I truly am?”
Jenna examined him, a thousand thoughts going through her mind. For an un
dead creature there was so much passion in his voice, and from the look in his eyes when he had rescued her from Tony she would have argued anyone who said that he didn't have a soul. In that moment she knew that he was the one for her, no matter whether he was a man or a vampire or something else. But more than that, she didn't want to feel the fear again, she only wanted to feel him beside her. She smiled coyly at him and then leaned forward, plucking a kiss from his lips. It became longer and deeper and she pulled down the sheets, making room for him. He slid in beside her and their hands roamed about each other’s bodies, exploring forbidden places and giggling softly. His chilled hands made her tingle as he cupped her breasts and squeezed, teasing the hardened nipples by twisting and massaging them. Their tongues danced together and she pushed her hips into his, feeling the bulge in his pants harden.
They stripped each other of their clothes and started to stroke each other, she curled her fingers around his shaft and pulled the tight skin up and down, enjoying the feeling of his body tense under her control, and in turn he played with her, making her gasp and shudder. Their naked bodies pressed against each other, melting into each other, their lips were locked and she buried himself in his neck, tasting him and breathing in his ethereal scent. It was strange when she left a trail of kisses and didn't feel a beating heart, but she gazed up at him with wide eyes and she knew that he loved her. She slid over his body, her blonde hair falling over his chest, as she lowered herself on his erection, feeling the thick girth stretch her lips. When it was inside she leaned back and his hands came up to play with her full, round breasts. Her hands lay at her side and she started to rock back and forth, guiding the rhythm of his hips, and her mind popped with orgasmic delight.
Liam's hands fell to her hips and squeezed tightly as he took more control and started thrusting harder and deeper, bringing Jenna falling forward. Her breasts pressed against his chest and his hands grabbed her ass, getting stronger and harder and bringing her closer to that sweet climax. Her breath washed over him and her hair splayed out over his face. He blew it away and then she felt his kisses on her neck.
“You're mine,” he said, and she delighted in those words. Her eyes squeezed shut as pleasure sang through her body, and then she felt the sharp tips of his fangs sting her skin, and the warm flow of blood poured out as her body convulsed with ecstasy.
“I love you,” she said, and those were the last words she uttered before she was reborn.
THE END
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A Mate for the Billionaire Dragon
A Mate for the Billionaire Dragon
Chapter 1
It was just another Monday at the office.
Already I had fended off three mid-level executives who wanted my boss’s time. I’d responded to a dozen emails, answered a half-dozen phone calls, and been asked about my weekend more times than I could count. Of course, I had little to report. I never had much to say when it came to that. Whenever the other girls from the office gathered together around the coffee maker and gossiped about their parties and dates and nights at the club, I’d stand there and smile and nod. I might even inject the occasional giggle. But I had nothing to share.
All this, and it was only 10:30.
Of course, Jonathan wasn’t yet in for the day. He demanded that I be seated behind my computer monitor by 8am at the very latest, yet he never walked through the door before 11. Just one of the perks of being a billionaire CEO, I thought wryly.
“He in yet?” I looked up from the pile of paperwork on my desk to find Taylor, one of the biggest butt kissers I’d ever known. Somebody must have told him back in business school that he needed to be the first person in the boss’s office every morning if he ever wanted to get ahead. Little did he know that Jonathan was hardly impressed with his ardor.
“Not yet,” I replied, smiling brightly. “It’s still early for him, don’t forget.”
He leaned against the doorframe to my little office. “How was your weekend?” he asked.
“Boring,” I laughed, glancing through the papers on my desk. “Laundry, movies, some wine. In my jammies.” I smiled up at him again, and he frowned good-naturedly.
“That’s it?” he asked, a look of disbelief on his face. “I can’t believe you didn’t have plans for something exciting.”
I bristled inwardly. I told myself, as I always did in situations like this, that he wasn’t trying to make fun of me. Those days were long past.
“Nah, that’s pretty much how I roll. I’m a homebody.” I shrugged. “How about you?”
“A friend of mine just opened a restaurant in town, so there was a party there to celebrate on Friday night,” he told me. “I played handball with some friends, went out for sushi for another friend’s birthday, watched the game at my brother’s house yesterday.” He rattled off these facts like it was nothing, and I guessed to him—or anybody with a social life—it wouldn’t have seemed like a big deal. To me, however, the queen of binge-watching Netflix in her pajamas, it sounded like a full, interesting weekend. I couldn’t help feeling a stab of envy.
“Do me a favor? Give me a call when he gets in?” Taylor walked away, leaving me feeling even lower than I already had.
I told myself to focus on my work, but the question of whether or not Taylor had been teasing me wouldn’t leave my head. I told myself, again and again, that just because the kids in the schoolyard had been cruel to me throughout my youth, and just because I didn’t date very much because my self-esteem was low, didn’t mean that everybody saw me as somebody to make fun of. Being plus-sized wasn’t a death sentence in adulthood the way it was in childhood.
I heard a familiar voice coming down the hall. As always, Jonathan was calling out instructions for me long before he even reached my office. I was expected to be waiting for him, notepad in hand; lucky for me, my notepad was nearby. Always.
“…then call the Schwartzes and tell them I won’t be able to make it to the Hamptons this weekend; they’ll understand. Have the house in Malibu opened up for me, I’m flying in on Wednesday evening and will be there for a week. Make sure the plane is ready. Call Lola and thank her for the invitation to the gala at the Met, but I’ll be out of town. She’ll have to find somebody else to show off on her arm. Don’t tell her that part, of course.”
“Of course,” I murmured as I trotted along behind him, the two of us walking into his office. I remembered a time when the floor-to-ceiling windows along two walls of the room took my breath away; actually, they still did, leaving half of Manhattan at my feet. I also remembered a time when Jonathan Harding intimidated me. Actually, he still did.
One of the city’s, if not the world’s most powerful and influential billionaires, my boss owned much of the hottest real estate on the East coast. He could snap his fingers and get just about anything he wanted. This included having an entire household and staff up and running in two days, and having his private plane gassed up and ready to go.
He turned to face me and handed me his coat. “That’s a nice color on you,” he said, distractedly. I couldn’t help feeling warm all over. He had that effect on me.
I smoothed my free hand over my deep purple sheath dress and reminded myself to buy a few more pieces in this color. I couldn’t imagine that he thought I looked pretty, not really; I’d seen the sorts of women he spent his time with. If I added all four of his latest ex-girlfriends together they wouldn’t add up to my size 18.
“I cleaned up your inbox, and I’m nearly finished with those contracts you gave me on Friday evening,” I reported.
He glanced up at me from the chair behind his mahogany desk. “Already?” he asked, one eyebrow raised. “You were on your way out the door when I handed them to you. Don’t tell me you spent the entire weekend on them,” he said.
I shrugged, playing it off as though it was little concern. “I wanted to start the week off with as fresh a sta
rt as possible,” I said. “Besides, you know me. I work too much anyway.”
I was rewarded with one of his half-smiles, one corner of his mouth going up. “That’s why you’re still my assistant after all this time,” he reminded me. “What’s it been? Three years? You broke the record around two-and-a-half years ago.”
Three years, two months and three weeks, I thought to myself. But who was counting?
I went back to my office—a much smaller office than the one I’d just left, of course. But seeing as how it served as the gateway to the CEO of Harding Enterprises, it was likely the second most important office in the building.
It also had the best view. Yes, Jonathan’s office might have had the windows. But I had the view of Jonathan. From my desk, when our doors were open, I could see straight into his office; he was seated at his own desk, going over the revised contracts I’d handed over.
He wasn’t here often; much of his time was spent all over the world, making deals and attending major events. But when he was here it felt like the sun was finally shining. I made it a point to dress, do my hair and apply my makeup in a way that pleased him. Of course, I was certain that he’d never pay attention to me, not in the way I wished he would. But I couldn’t help wanting to present my best version of myself whenever he was around.
