Dragon Waves: A Shifters in Love Fun & Flirty Romance (Dragon Island Hideaway Book 2)

by Rinelle Grey

  He suspected that the smile he gave her was far too intimate, but she didn’t pause or hesitate.

  “Hey,” she said softly.

  “Hey.” He looked down at her, struggling against the impulse to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Not a date, he reminded himself. Even if it had been, a kiss this early broke most human social conventions for a first date.

  “Let’s find a table,” he made himself say instead.

  Audrey looked around the room ruefully. “I think we may be too late.”

  Hayrian glanced around too and realised she might be right. There wasn’t an empty table in the room. Luckily, that was a problem he could solve. “Let’s see what we can do.” He took her elbow—that was allowed, right? —and he gently guided her towards the counter, trying not to let his body react too strongly to her closeness.

  What was up with him? It had been a long time since he’d felt this way about a woman. If he ever had.

  But there was something about her. Innocent but not naive. Quiet but not shy. Controlled but, he suspected, deep down she was bold and adventurous—if she let herself be.

  He wanted to know her. To see beneath her calm exterior. That possibility teased at him, setting his heart fluttering.

  He focused on Kim behind the counter, who was staring at him. “Hi, Kim,” he said with a smile. “Can we get a table on the veranda?”

  She looked at him for a moment, then at Audrey. Then she shook her head in amusement. “I’ll see what I can do. Do you want to order?”

  Hayrian handed Audrey a menu while Kim disappeared out the back.

  Audrey didn’t look at it though. Instead she arched an eyebrow. “Are you a favourite around here?”

  He could see immediately what she was thinking, and perhaps Kim’s look had encouraged that impression. Maybe it had been meant to. Kim had certainly seen him go on more than a few dates here. She had no idea that this was different.

  “Well, my parents do own the resort, so that does entitle me to some preferential treatment,” he said with a grin. “It has to be good for something, right?”

  She was staring at him, obviously adjusting her perception again. “Your… parents own the resort?” she asked, her voice a little faint. “They own this whole island?”

  Kim came back then, and Hayrian really didn’t feel like having this conversation in front of her, so he just said, “How about we order and talk about it over dinner?”

  His diversion worked. She stared at him only a moment longer before turning her attention to the menu and ordering a steak and chips.

  Hayrian ordered the same, and then steered her out the side door to a small sectioned off area of the balcony. The outside light cast a soft glow, enough to illuminate the table, but not enough to detract from the view. The moon was rising over the water, creating a glittering path across the ocean. The sound of the crashing waves was distant, but it called to him, as always.

  But not as much as Audrey’s indrawn breath. “Not a date, hey?” she muttered under her breath.

  “What, I can’t offer you a moonlight dinner without it being a date?” Hayrian responded immediately.

  Audrey stared at him shrewdly. “Are you really not thinking of this as a date?”

  He searched her face, trying to guess how she wanted him to answer. Was she open to the idea?

  Her expression was slightly suspicious, but also, he caught a glimpse of longing in her eyes. Her scent hinted at nervousness but also desire.

  He took a deep breath and took a risk. “I’m trying not to,” he said honestly.

  For a moment, her expression didn’t change, and he wondered if he’d said the wrong thing. Then she just laughed and moved towards the table. “Keep trying,” she said dryly.

  Hayrian was happy with that. He hadn’t expected anything more. He was just glad she hadn’t outright rejected him. Or fled.

  He sat down opposite her and poured himself a glass of water. “There has to be some advantages to being the resort owner’s son,” he said, returning the conversation to its earlier topic.

  “What, to balance out having to deal with toilet blockages?” Audrey teased, pouring herself a glass.

  Hayrian laughed. “Exactly. I see you understand.”

  She shook her head in amusement. “So, I forgot to ask, did you fix it, or should I be concerned. I suppose I would have noticed by now if you hadn’t.”

  He waved a hand. “All sorted. I worked a little of my magic, and it all cleared.”

  He couldn’t help himself. He found it vaguely amusing that the human joke was completely true in his case. He was just sad that she didn’t know it.

  She laughed though, her face lighting up, causing his heart to leap as high as it did when he dove under the waves in dragon form. Somehow, it was almost the same joy, and that confused him. He glanced down at the glass of water, pretending it was somehow fascinating.

  When he looked up again, she was still staring at him. “What are you after?” she asked, her voice quiet. “Why did you ask me out?”

  Hayrian shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “I just… I wanted to get to know you better. No strings attached, I promise.”

  She looked startled at that, like a possum caught in the torch light. As though she didn’t quite know how to respond.

  Luckily, their food arrived at exactly that moment, and the awkwardness faded in the presence of the waiter. When he was gone, they both started eating, and Hayrian was careful not to return to the same conversation. Not yet, anyway. Give her time to think about it.

  “My parents don’t own the whole island,” he said in between mouthfuls. “A lot of it is national park and can’t be developed at all. But we’re the only ones who can build here, and we do care for the parklands, so in some ways, it feels like it’s all ours.”

  His diversion worked. Audrey stared at him, her eyes wide. “So you grew up here?”

  Hayrian nodded. “I’ve lived here all my life. Only left once or twice, to be honest. I’ve never found any place I’d rather be than right here.”

  She stared out over the water and nodded slowly. “I can see why.”

  Her comment warmed his heart. He was glad she liked this place as much as he did. It felt right. “It is beautiful,” he said softly.

  Only he wasn’t looking out at the view, he was staring at her.

  She caught him, her eyes meeting his, just as he finished the sentence, and she blushed. For just a second, he saw an answering flash of interest in her eyes, and then it was gone. “That’s not appropriate for a dinner that isn’t a date,” she said in reprimand. Her lips were tight, but not in anger, in an attempt not to smile.

  “Sorry, ma’am,” Hayrian said apologetically. “I said I’d try, but it’s so damn hard not to flirt with you.”

  The smile won then, and she even gave a soft laugh. “If this were another time, and I was here for a different reason, I just might be tempted.”

  “Well, why don’t we pretend it is?” he suggested.

  He was pushing things, he knew that, even after he’d decided not to. When he’d agreed not to. But he just couldn’t help himself.

  Everything about her tempted him.

  Chapter 8

  Audrey stared at Hayden, his suggestion hanging in the air between them. He’d said it jokingly, but she suspected that he wouldn’t take any answer she gave that way. He’d only done that to give her an easy way to back out.

  She’d never felt like this about anyone before, not even Mark. Their relationship had been based on a mutual respect for each other, or she’d thought it had been. But his actions at the wedding had made it clear that the respect hadn’t been mutual at all. Mark had certainly seemed to think her personality suited his goals, but he hadn’t even begun to return her feelings, whatever they actually had been.

  She’d thought she was in love with him, but not once had he sent her heart racing, or her pulse beating faster just by looking at her. She’d never felt this flash
of warmth when he touched her.

  Not the way she felt with Hayden.

  She couldn’t help feeling a little guilty about that. Had she been using Mark as much as he’d been using her? Had she just imagined she was in love with him? Or had she nearly married him without really knowing what love was?

  Was this the way he felt when he was with Louise?

  That thought made her squirm a little. She didn’t want to think about him with Louise. No matter how he’d felt, they’d made a commitment to each other. One she, at least, had taken very seriously. That was the difference between them.

  But deep down, she couldn’t help feeling a little relieved that he hadn’t loved her. If he had, she would have married him. She might have gone her whole life not even knowing what she was missing.

  Not that she was naive enough to think this was love either. How could it be? She’d only met Hayden two days ago. Love didn’t happen that fast.

  She still knew so little about him, as evidenced by the fact that she’d had no idea his parents owned the resort. No, this wasn’t love, it was physical attraction, that was all. A very strong, overwhelming physical attraction, and she needed to be careful about assuming it meant anything more than that.

  But right now, didn’t that make things safer? Thinking she’d fallen in love so soon after leaving Mark would be foolish, but indulging in a brief, holiday affair, one that was purely physical, well, that would probably be healing, right? That’s what Eliana had implied.

  Audrey knew it was crazy to think about modelling her own behaviour on Eliana’s suggestions, especially considering her friend’s bad track record with relationships, but then again, whatever other issues she’d had, Eliana always seemed to have fun.

  Fun was something that had been severely lacking in Audrey’s life since she’d met Mark. Something she’d given up in favour of being a sensible, responsible adult. She’d just assumed that the two couldn’t coexist.

  And yet, Hayden seemed to find it possible. He seemed to love life like Eliana did, yet shirk none of his responsibilities, if his plumbing escapades were anything to go by.

  And right now, he was staring at her patiently, hopefully, and with a boatload of desire.

  What harm was there in a little flirting and maybe even a little kissing?

  Before she could change her mind, or let responsibility creep back in, she said softly, “Maybe we could.”

  His eyes lit up at that, glowing in the moonlight somehow, even though the moon was clearly behind him. He reached across the table and put his hand over hers. “I’d like that.”

  Warmth spread up her arm, setting fire to her whole body. A sensible voice in the back of her mind whispered that this was too dangerous. That the rewards couldn’t possibly be worth the risk. But Audrey ignored it. Right now, she had the dubiously advantage of having little to lose. And besides, that voice had spoiled her fun for far too long. She was on holiday, she might as well take advantage of it.

  In a week, she’d have to return to the city, find a job, an apartment, and all those normal, grown up things. But just for this one week, or the remaining five days anyway, she could let herself do something just for her. Something she wanted.

  Something she needed.

  Hayden gave her hand a squeeze, and then released it and returned to eating. Despite being happy with her decision, Audrey felt a little relieved that he was taking things slow. She was stepping outside of her comfort zone, and even though she knew this was a good thing, it was harder than she’d expected.

  So she focused on eating and on the gorgeous view, both out on the beach and here at the table in front of her.

  “So, as you may have noticed, things are pretty hectic around here at the moment with my parents away,” Hayden said, giving her a smile. “But I’m sure we can find time to have some fun. What other plans did you have on your holiday?”

  Audrey considered her options. Jet skiing had been more enjoyable than she’d expected, so she probably should try some of the other activities on offer if she was serious about finding out what she found fun. The trouble was, she had no idea where to start.

  “Any recommendations?” she asked him.

  He considered her question thoughtfully, his head tilted to one side as he chewed his steak and swallowed. “You should definitely see the reef, that’s a given. There are glass bottom boat tours daily. Unfortunately, our best tour guide is away for a few more days,” he gave a grin at that, as though the statement was somehow amusing, “so it might be worth waiting.”

  “He’s that good?” Audrey asked curiously.

  “She,” Hayden corrected. “And yeah, she’s a marine biologist with a passion for the reef. She’s well worth listening to.”

  Somehow, his comment turned her stomach. There was a familiarity to his words that she couldn’t put her finger on, and his praise sounded far too much like Mark’s comments about Louise. He’d gone on and on about her qualifications too. All to hide the fact that he was in bed with her.

  She pushed her food away, suddenly losing her appetite. “I should go,” she said. “Eliana will be wondering where I am.”

  She rose to leave, but Hayden caught her wrist before she could leave the table. “Did I say something wrong?”

  His expression was so earnest that Audrey found herself wavering.

  Hayden frowned, probably going over what he’d just said. His face cleared after a few moments. “Was it about Zara? The marine biologist?”

  Audrey could feel her own face giving it away. It didn’t help that he spoke of the woman by her first name. That indicated some level of intimacy, didn’t it? She pulled back, shaking her head, trying to deny it. Her reaction was crazy—she knew that. But she couldn’t help it.

  “Oh, Audrey. I’m sorry. It never occurred to me…” Hayden broke off. He rose from his seat and came around the table, still holding her wrist. “Look,” he tried again. “Zara is a childhood friend. And she’s in a relationship with my brother. They’re having a few days alone right now, that’s why she’s not available. They’re infatuated with each other. You have nothing to be worried about.”

  His words calmed her panic a little, but in some ways, they just made her feel worse. Of course he had a perfectly reasonable explanation. Of course his comment was perfectly innocent, and his interest in the woman purely platonic.

  His actions weren’t the problem. Hers were. No matter how attracted to him she was, she couldn’t bring herself to trust him.

  It was going to be a long time before she could trust anyone again. If ever.

  This was why this was a mistake. How could she even have a casual relationship if she couldn’t trust him?

  He was still holding her wrist, and she could feel her own pulse throbbing. He stared at her earnestly, waiting for an answer.

  She shook her head, her hair falling around her face. “I just… I just… couldn’t help thinking that Mark and I had planned to go see the reef, that’s all.”

  It was a pathetic lie, and Hayden didn’t look convinced. He raised an eyebrow, searching her face.

  Audrey felt like her cheeks were on fire. He was going to call her on her lie, and she was going to have to admit the truth. That for a moment, she’d thought he was involved with someone else, just because he’d praised a woman’s skills and knowledge in her field.

  But to her relief, Hayden only stared at her for a few moments before nodding and releasing her wrist. He sat down, and waved to the seat opposite him. “So no reef tour then. We need to find other things that your ex wouldn’t be in the least bit interested in, like jet skiing.”

  Audrey hesitated for a moment, staring down at him. It would be easier to just walk away. To wait a few months, maybe even a few years, before trying this again. Maybe by then some of the pain and hurt would have faded, and she could trust again.

  But for some reason, she couldn’t do it. Walking away seemed like giving up on something that had the potential to be amazing. And she’d give
n up on too many things in her life already.

  Besides, deep down, she suspected this was never going to get any easier. If she wanted to get over this fear, she was going to have to face up to it eventually. Now was as good a time as ever.

  So she made herself sit down opposite Hayden and cut another bite of steak.

  Hayden kept talking while she did, as though trying to fill in the awkward silence. “So, let me guess, if he thought jet skiing was dangerous and reckless, then I’m going to guess he wasn’t an action man. Luckily, we have a heap of action activities here. You could go on a quad bike tour, maybe a helicopter ride. Did you plan any bushwalking?”

  Audrey gave a slightly forced laugh. She had to give him points for trying, at least. “No, all of those are definitely safe,” she said.

  “Good,” Hayden said immediately. “How about we start with a helicopter flight? Tomorrow morning at eight?”

  Audrey hesitated. It wasn’t fair to let him think this was going somewhere when she wasn’t sure it was. She wasn’t even sure it could be. But he looked at her with such a sweet expression on his face that she found it hard to say no.

  “Eight,” she repeated, nodding.

  Chapter 9

  Hayrian quietly released the breath he’d been holding when Audrey agreed to meet him tomorrow, surprised at the strength of his relief. For a moment there, he’d been worried he’d scared her off with his comment about Zara. He hadn’t even thought anything of it, but he’d seen the effect it’d had on her the moment the words were out of his mouth.

  Of course she was going to be skittish. Her mate had cheated on her. Possibly with someone she trusted. He needed to tread carefully. He had no intention of hurting her the way that man had.

  Even as he thought that, he wondered why this mattered so much to him. This couldn’t ever be anything more than a brief encounter. She wasn’t going to be here for long, and even if she were, he couldn’t get into a long-term relationship right now. His brother’s relationship with Zara had caused enough trouble, and all of them had known and trusted her.