by Eden Robins
Vlad narrowed his eyes, looking closely at her. “Sabrina?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Vlad’s eyes dimmed and returned to normal. He signaled the men around him and they stood down, relaxing their stances. But still, they all watched her warily. Deciding not to waste any time, Sabrina closed her eyes, tilted her head back and raised forearms toward the ceiling. She blocked everything else out except for her power. Calling it to her, her body began to hum and heat up. She gathered the energy into her, compressed it and took hold. Her body shook and bowed forward as she shifted, shrunk and transformed.
She became human once more. Or at least almost human.
She slowly lowered her arms and relaxed her body. Opening her eyes, she looked around her. Something was wrong. Vlad and his friends were looking at her with shock and something else in their eyes. Eric was striding toward her with an angry look on his face.
“Querida, you forget yourself,” her mother said quietly as she hurried to her side and covered her with a nearby tablecloth.
“Wh-what do you mean?” Sabrina asked, still slightly dazed from the transformation.
“Your clothes?” her mother said, looking pointedly down where the tablecloth covered her.
Oh no!
Sabrina followed her mother’s gaze. She wore absolutely nothing underneath the tablecloth. A blush crept up her cheeks and her face grew hot. She just wanted to crawl under a rock and hide. How could she have forgotten that the she always lost her clothes during the transformation?
Chapter Seventeen
Eric had a hard time swallowing. Hell, he could barely breathe. He felt like the breath had been knocked right out of him. The sight of Sabrina’s beautiful body, glowing with energy, surrounded by a firework of magic, had been incredible. Face tilted toward the skies, arms raised, she’d looked like an offering to the Gods of old.
He had never seen Sabrina completely undressed like this. So natural, so free, so proud of the powerful female she was. Inhibitions gone, she held herself open and ready for the world. And as his body sprang to life, he realized how ready for her he was. That was when it registered. He was not the only male in the room springing to life.
Jealousy filled Eric as he angrily stalked toward Sabrina. Vlad, Malcolm, Jason and Christian were having a hard time keeping their eyes from Sabrina’s luscious body. And who could blame them? She was practically humming with power and beauty. Was she actually glowing? He noticed the cuts she had gotten from Magnus were all but healed. Fast healing while in dragon form was known to be nothing less than miraculous.
Eric frowned and gritted his teeth as he got closer to her.
Mine!
He growled the word over and over in his mind as he glared at Vlad and the others. They had no right to look at his woman. She was his, only his. And damn it, he was going to have her if it was the last thing he did. Dragon or no dragon, Sabrina belonged to him.
Helaina threw the tablecloth over her daughter just as she reached them. Sabrina looked at her mother, then her eyes widened and her mouth made a perfect “O” as she realized the true extent of her undress. When she raised her eyes again and found him standing next to her, her face turned a dark shade of pink.
His body grew painfully hard. Her blushes turned him on even more. They always had. Her simple beauty was only enhanced by it.
He held his hand out to her.
“Come with me, Sabrina.”
Sabrina gazed into his eyes without moving, without speaking.
“Come with me, gatita,” his voice softened, lowered, as his love for her almost overwhelmed him. “Don’t think about it. Don’t try to understand it. Just come with me.”
Something in his expression or voice must have registered with her. Sabrina’s face softened and she gave him a little smile before taking one hand and placing it in his.
He gave her hand a little squeeze and smiled. “Thank you for your trust. I will never betray it again. I promise you that.”
Helaina called to them as he began leading Sabrina away. “Eric, Sabrina, where are you two going?”
“Sabrina and I have something to settle, Helaina. It’s been a long time coming. And it won’t wait.”
Manuel started toward them, his face red and angry. “You will not—”
He stopped mid-sentence as Helaina gently grasped his arm.
“No, mi amor. Those two have much to discuss. Let them go. They need to settle this thing between them one way or another, once and for all.”
“You can’t be serious,” Manuel said, eyes wide with disbelief. “We can’t just let them leave. There’s a mess to clean up, Helaina. And our daughter has just been through a horrible ordeal.”
“Yes she has, Manuel. And she needs to get through it the way that works best for her. And I feel she knows her own needs better than us, wouldn’t you agree?” Helaina asked. “And as far as the mess here… We will deal with the remaining guests, send them home, then sit down and talk with Mr. Maksimovitch. I’m sure he’s interested in what happened here. Isn’t that right, Mr. Maksimovitch?” Helaina called out to Vlad.
Eric couldn’t help but admire Sabrina’s mother as she stood her ground. She was in a room filled with an overload of testosterone but she handled things calmly, with pride, dignity and grace. Now he knew who Sabrina took after. Her mother had taught her daughter well.
Eric glanced at Vlad and stopped before passing by. “I won’t bend on this, Vlad. Sabrina and I have to settle this once and for all.”
Vlad studied Eric, searching his eyes for something, then gave a curt nod of his head before turning to face Helaina.
He smiled pleasantly at Sabrina’s parents.
“That’s absolutely correct, Mrs. Reyes. We will deal with your errant council members then sit down and have a long talk while Eric and Sabrina sort out their issues. But tomorrow,” Vlad said, turning his intense gaze back to Eric. The smile slipped away and his eyes grew serious. “Eric, Sabrina and I will have a nice long talk. Are we clear on this, Eric?”
Eric nodded his head. “Absolutely, Vlad. As soon as Sabrina and I settle our issues we’ll come talk with you.”
“Is this how you feel also, Sabrina?” Vlad asked.
Sabrina nodded her head. “Yes. This discussion has been a long time coming,” she said, glancing at Eric. “And it’s way past due.”
And with that Eric led Sabrina out of the room without another word. He didn’t look at Malcolm, Christian or Jason. He didn’t notice the rest of the people in the room who cleared a path for them as they walked. Everything else, everyone else, had disappeared. It was only he and Sabrina now. That was all that mattered.
He walked her out of her parents’ house and to her car.
It wasn’t until after they were in her car and driving that she spoke again.
“Where are we going?”
“My place.”
“Oh,” Sabrina’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’ve never been to your house.”
They stopped at a red light and Eric looked at Sabrina. Really studied her for a minute. She looked incredibly beautiful. The tablecloth was wrapped under her arms like a sleeveless dress, her skin glowed, her hair was tousled and her eyes sleepy. She looked like a woman who had just been made love to very thoroughly.
That wasn’t a reality yet but if he had anything to do with it, it would be—very, very soon.
“I know you haven’t. I think it’s time you saw it, don’t you?”
She nodded her head. “Yes, but I have no clothes.”
“You won’t need them,” he said, enjoying Sabrina’s surprised gasp.
“I won’t?” she asked quietly.
“Definitely not,” he assured her with a very masculine smile, taking her hand in his.
Sabrina’s eyes darkened then. Even in the dim light he could see the desire filling them. A horn blowing behind them made him realize the light had changed. Eric pulled forward. They spent the remainder of the ride to his home in silence
, each lost in their own thoughts.
Sabrina felt tingly all over. The feel of Eric’s hand holding hers was sending warm flushes throughout her body.
She tried not to let the excitement and anticipation overwhelm her. She tried to concentrate on what had happened earlier, on the pain, the fear and the anger. But it was no use. And the minute Eric began running his fingers over and between hers she was lost.
They drove to the Paradise Valley area, not far from her parents’ Scottsdale home. Large, sprawling estates with well-manicured grass lawns became the norm. This area, nicknamed “PV” by the locals, was known for its magnificent and often extravagant homes. Many movie stars, professional athletes and rock singers had homes in this area, set far back from the main roads, camouflaged by trees and oleander hedges and gated off by large stone walls. They turned down one tree-lined street and stopped at a huge gate. Eric pushed a button on the opener he had in his pocket and the gate swung open.
“Dragon slaying pay pretty well?” Sabrina asked mockingly.
Eric chuckled low in his throat. The sound of it sent more tingles up and down her body. Note to self, she thought, don’t make Eric laugh unless she wanted to get really turned on.
“It pays the bills,” he said, giving her a cocky smile. “That and living for so long does have its benefits.
“I can see that,” she said, forgetting their lighthearted banter as she took in the size of the mausoleum he lived in. “You must have one hell of an electric bill.”
Eric smiled gently at her. “It’s just my home, Sabrina. Nothing more, nothing less.”
He pulled the car to the front of the house and parked.
She waited while he got out of the car and came around to her side to open her door. She had known men who had done gentlemanly things for her when they first started dating, then after a short time stopped. She had always been disappointed with that, knowing that the men hadn’t been genuine in the first place, or they would have kept up the behavior.
Eric had never stopped being a gentleman.
Opening the car door, he held his hand out to her again. And again she put her hand, and her trust, in him. She prayed in her heart with everything that she was that her trust was well placed this time around. She couldn’t take the pain.
Not again.
Not now.
Not after everything they had been through together, all the misunderstanding, miscommunication and pain. The time apart, the time together, it had become agony. At a primal level, like an animal avoiding pain, she wanted to walk away and save herself from the harm that could be inflicted on her.
That survival instinct grew strong inside her as Eric led her into his home. He opened the giant wooden front doors then turned to her. He waited patiently without saying a word, just watching her with hungry, intense eyes. Like a predator waiting for its prey.
The urge to flee grew strong, but then her dragon took over, as did her heart. She needed to face this like she did all situations in her life. She needed to walk forward, step over that edge into the unknown and face what life had in store for her. She could handle it, no matter what it was. She was a strong woman.
She was dragon.
Trying to calm the wild beating of her heart, Sabrina raised her chin and met Eric’s gaze with her own proud one. Walking past him, she ignored the lingering scent of his cologne. Trying not to gasp in surprise, she took in her surroundings. His house was incredible. And so different from what she had imagined.
The simplicity of it struck her first. His house was very large, with vaulted, domed ceilings. The corners of his expansive entranceway were rounded instead of angled. She absolutely loved that. She was a round person, preferring that to the sharp angles many had in their homes. The fact that Eric felt the same, considering his dark and violent life, surprised her. His décor was Asian-inspired with just a few items, giving a clean, uncluttered yet pronounced statement. “Let’s sit in the study,” Eric suggested, motioning her toward another set of doors off to the right.
“Okay,” she said with a tentative smile and a nod.
Eric returned her smile, but his looked somewhat forced and tense. Maybe coming to his house hadn’t been such a good idea. Houses tended to give clues to peoples’ personalities. Maybe he had just realized that.
As she followed his direction to the other room, Sabrina acknowledged one thing immediately. His house gave much away. This man knew what he wanted in his life. Clean, simple and direct. No clutter, no baggage, no complications.
Unfortunately, that was what her life was all about. Especially now. Especially after what had happened tonight. She was no longer just a member of the dragon community. Things had changed, and she had a feeling “complication” was about to become her middle name.
Eric’s study was decorated in the same simple style as the entranceway, except for one difference. One entire wall of the large study was a built-in bookshelf. And it was filled with books. Sabrina couldn’t help but smile at that. She loved to read and was glad Eric felt the same.
“Have a seat, Sabrina,” Eric said, motioning toward the couch. “Would you like something to drink?”
Sabrina sat down.
“No thanks,” she said shaking her head. “I’m fine.”
“Okay, then let’s get right to it,” Eric said, sitting down beside her.
Suddenly Sabrina was nervous. Her heart sped up again as Eric took one of her hands in his and caught her gaze.
“Look at me, Sabrina.”
Eric’s eyes held so much it almost hurt to look into their golden depths. She realized in that moment, he was letting her see into his soul. She lost the ability to breathe. As she stared deeply into his eyes, she fell into him. There was no other word for it. She fell in and started drowning in everything she saw. Pain, anger and incredible sadness. It overwhelmed her. But she saw so much more. She saw love, desire and hope. The last surprised her and made her gasp.
Hope.
Hope for what? What did this man, this man she loved with everything she was, hope for?
“What do you want from me, Eric?” The breathless whisper left her lips before she even realized she was going to say anything. She wanted to snatch it back. She wanted to pretend she had never said the words. They asked too much and they risked her heart in a way that was frightening.
Nothing like jumping over the edge without a parachute.
Eric smiled. But it wasn’t a happy smile. It was a sad smile, filled with regrets and pain.
“What do I want?” he repeated. “Not too much, gatita. Just rainbows and summer days.”
“Rainbows and summer days?” Sabrina asked, confused.
What did he mean?
He slowly nodded his head. “Yes. My life has been darkness and violence for too long. When I first met you, you left a distinct impression on me, and it was all I could think about. To me you were and always have been rainbows and endless summer days. I always felt that we were too different, that it would never work out. That I didn’t deserve that, or you,” Eric explained. “I had to end things between us. You made me start feeling things, you made me feel hope for something more in a world where I had always felt hopeless. And yet you held part of yourself back. I could feel that. You weren’t showing me all of you and that set off alarms in my head. I was falling hard for you, hoping for things that in my mind I didn’t deserve, and you weren’t one hundred percent with me. That’s why I left you, Sabrina. But know one thing, gatita. A day hasn’t gone by since then that I haven’t thought about you. And now I realize what a big mistake I made walking away from you.”
Sabrina felt dizzy. She felt that overwhelming flush that flowed over her body when she’d just received really bad or really good news. She was glad she was sitting because she didn’t think her legs would support her even if she wanted them to.
“What’s changed now?” she asked, again in little more than a whisper. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer. She wasn’t sure she was goi
ng to like it. She wasn’t sure it was going to be the right reason. “Why did you suddenly come to this epiphany?”
“I could say that death has a way of changing one’s perspective,” he said with a wry grin. “Especially for someone who is virtually immortal, but that was only part of it. From the first minute I saw you again, I knew. I may not have acknowledged it but I knew that I had made a mistake. I knew I had given up something and someone very special. I tried to deny it but it was a losing battle. Then, as I lay on the ground bleeding back at your parents’ house, the world around me growing dim, you screaming my name, I knew the truth with an unwavering clarity.”
“And what truth was that?” Sabrina asked, fear catching in her throat. She wanted to hear this, but she didn’t. She wanted Eric so much that it scared her, yet she didn’t want to feel the pain again. She didn’t think she could survive that again.
“That I love you,” Eric said in a voice strong and true. “That I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want my rainbows and summer days. I want your beauty, your strength, your intelligence and your kindness. I want you, Sabrina, all of you.
Those words pierced her heart. They ran straight through the protective cover she had worked so hard to erect and maintain against Eric. He knew who and what she was, but it didn’t matter. He loved her. He wanted her for all she was.
Now just one question remained. Did she want him? Did she love him? Eric was a slayer. He had killed many of her kind over the years. It had been and still was his mission in life. How could she be a leader to her kind if she were with him? It wasn’t possible, was it?
Sadness must have shown in her eyes, because Eric leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. His warm, strong arms surrounding her comforted her.
“Don’t be sad, gatita,” Eric whispered softly against her ear, tickling it with his breath.
Shivers of awareness ran up and down Sabrina’s spine. He pulled her closer, so she was pressed against him. His hard chest, strong arms and the lingering scent of his enticing cologne sent her libido skyrocketing. She clung to him, not wanting the moment to end.
