Seduction

by Laxmi Hariharan

  Indira propped her hand on her hip, seemingly not put out by Trinity’s deliberate snub.

  What was it about Neo and his dragon clan that seemed to bring out these hidden sides of her personality?

  Indira raised her shoulders then let them fall. “I only meant that you wear your heart on your sleeve. Your features are a dead giveaway.”

  Trinity angled her head.

  “And, that you are open with your feelings. It shows you are genuine.” Indira’s beautiful eyes widened.

  “Or perhaps I am just too predictable?” Trinity stiffened her shoulders.

  “Never.” Indira shook her head. “Not after the way you sent Neo racing out of here like his tail was on fire.” She tapped her stiletto-clad foot on the floor. “You’ve obviously figured a way to get under his scales. Pardon the expression.”

  Charisma flowed off the other woman in oodles. Whoever Indira picked for a mate didn’t stand a chance.

  “Are all of you siblings this good-looking?”

  “You think Neo is handsome?” Indira stared at her with frank curiosity.

  “Umm…” She chose her words with caution. “Isn’t he?”

  A shrewd glint crept into Indira’s eyes. “He’s scarred, full of himself, and his dragon is unpredictable.” She held her palms faceup and weighed them up and down as if they were scales. “Not to mention that strange double life of his that doesn’t quite fit together.” She angled her head. “Granted, some women may be attracted to that bad-boy persona of his, but you don’t seem to be the type who’d go for him.”

  “Oh?” A slow, smoldering anger curled up her spine. “What type am I?” She folded her arms over her chest and raised her chin. She and Indira were almost the same height. They were alike in many ways, both slight in build and curvy. They could become best friends or just end up hating each other’s guts.

  Indira tapped her cheek with her finger. Her nail was painted a rosy pink. “One who’s delicate but has nerves of steel. A survivor who’s been through a lot but who hasn’t let that make her cynical.” A small smile widened her perfect bow-like mouth. “One who’s persistent, who’d be loyal to a fault and do anything for a friend. Or for those she loves.”

  “Charmer.” Trinity flushed with pleasure at Indira’s words. She was probably being played, but hey, she’d take the compliment. Trinity held out her hand that time.

  “It’s in our DNA.” Indira gripped Trinity’s palm between both of hers. “When you are born into the first family of dragons of Mauritania, you need loads of charisma and all the good will you can drum up to survive. Not that Neo had it that easy…” Her voice trailed off. She gestured to the chair next to the bed. “Mind if I sit down? My feet are killing me.”

  “Yet you insist on wearing stilettos?” She eyed the woman’s footwear.

  “My ego won’t permit otherwise.” Indira dropped into the chair. She placed the bag on the floor next to it.

  Trinity sat on the bed. Their knees bumped.

  “I’m not sure if he mentioned it, but Neo didn’t grow up with us. The tsunami that swept through parts of Mauritania separated him and our other brother, Rage, from us.” Indira wrung her fingers in her lap.

  “So they were both lost from the clan?” Trinity’s heart ached for the little boys they’d been. It wasn’t easy to lose family. She knew how difficult that was.

  “Rage returned to us two months ago. We had lost all hope of finding Neo.” Indira bit her thumbnail, then, as if realizing what she was doing, she folded her hands in her lap. “It was only when he reached out to us a month ago to let us know about his performance, that we realized the five of us siblings could finally be united. Eve, Rage, Hope, and I came over to Bombay right away. We’ve spent as much time together as possible getting to know each other since.”

  “Is he different to how you remember him as a boy?” Trinity was genuinely curious about that.

  “Different and yet the same.” Indira leaned forward, her gaze steady. “He was always the most sensitive of all of us. He’s just a year older than me, so we hung out a lot together, before he was”—she swallowed—“separated. He was also the most adept at hiding his feelings because of that.” She crossed her legs. The skirt of her dress flowed around her delicate calves. “It’s not fair what happened to him.”

  “You mean being kidnapped by the Fae?” Trinity clutched at the bedspread with her fingers.

  Indira touched Trinity’s arm. “He was the only one of us who could have survived that and come out alive. When Neo’s under pressure he doesn’t snap. He bends, absorbs the pressure, and bounces back. He takes his time about it, though; he doesn’t always reveal what he’s going through. But he’s resilient. Like you.”

  Trinity soaked in everything Indira had said. “Why are you telling me all this?”

  Indira widened her lips in a smile that lit up her features. Her eyes sparkled.

  She was alluring. No man stood a chance in front of such appeal.

  “It’s a good thing Neo’s your brother, else I’d be very jealous.” Trinity flushed. “Did I just say that?” She fanned her face. “You dragons bring out a part of me I didn’t know existed.”

  “Is that what Neo does to you?” Indira’s gaze was all innocent.

  Trinity waggled a finger in front of her. “Oh no you don’t.” She fought to contain her own smirk. She didn’t quite succeed. “Did you just come here to give me the once-over?” The best way to face these dragons was to always be on the offensive, that much she had realized.

  “I came to make sure you had something to wear.” Indira handed over the bag she’d carried in with her, then rose to her feet.

  Trinity looked inside. It had a dress, underwear, a pair of open-toed sandals similar to the ones Indira had on, and even a hairband and comb. And lipstick! “Lifesaver.”

  “You’re welcome.” Indira bent down and touched her shoulder. “I am sure Neo will be thanking me, too.”

  “There’s nothing like that between us.”

  Indira’s smile faded. “I know.” She straightened.

  Uh? She didn’t like it that the other woman accepted Trinity’s words at face value. Hmm. Why did that hurt? Did she want people to know that Neo was taken? Even though she knew there was no chance of any long-term relationship between the two of them?

  “By the way, the party starts in an hour.” Indira headed for the door. She paused at the exit. “Don’t be on time.”

  “Excuse me?” Trinity stared.

  “Neo.” Indira glanced at Trinity over her shoulder. Her features had that half serious, half smirking look about them Trinity was already coming to recognize. “He’s a stickler for punctuality. He’s early even to his own concerts.”

  “Imagine that!” Trinity’s lips quirked in a smile.

  “So if you want to continue to keep him off-balance—”

  “I should turn up late.” Trinity threw the other woman a mock salute.

  Indira was encouraging her to play with Neo. It wasn’t something Trinity would have ever thought about on her own. Her pulse raced with anticipation. She may have to leave him soon, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t use the time to play a little, right?

  Indira nodded. “And avoid him. In fact, walk in with another man and make him jealous.” She ducked out.

  “Wait.” Trinity dashed after her.

  Indira knew so much more about her dragon. Trinity would be a fool if she let the other woman go that soon.

  Indira popped her head back into the room. “Need my help getting dressed?”

  17

  Neo

  He heaved the guitar over his back and stepped into the garden behind the mayor’s bungalow. The green lawn sloped down toward the beach. He could make out the white of the sand. Beyond that, the blue-green of the sea shined in the distance.

  The breeze ruffled the bougainvillea that spilled its dark-pink flowers along one side of the garden path.

  Leana walked toward him, a little girl in he
r arms. “Uncle Neo!” She held out chubby arms.

  He took her small wriggling body and lifted her up in the air. “Akasha!”

  His heart constricted as the child’s baby smell filled his lungs. He lowered her. She held on to his neck and wrapped her legs about his waist. Her small legs brushed against his guitar.

  “Are you singing?” She stared at him with eyes that were a deep blue like Mikhail’s.

  “Yep.” He brushed his chin over her soft hair. Then frowned at Leana. “She’s already speaking in complete sentences ?”

  “Not just that.” Leana beamed and held her hands out to Akasha. She immediately let go of Neo and swerved into her mother’s arms.

  Leana placed Akasha on the ground. The little girl stood upright. Leana let go and Akasha walked the few steps to Neo then clung to his legs and looked up. Her lips curved up.

  “She started walking at six months.” Leana ruffled the girl’s hair. "Mikhail and I think it’s our combined shifter-immortal genes that’s accelerating her growth." Leana yawned. “Sorry. She still doesn’t sleep through the night, though. Too much excess energy in this one.”

  “Aren’t you a bright little girl?” Pride tightened his chest. He picked up the girl and chucked her under her chin. She giggled. The sound was so pure and so innocent, that he couldn’t resist smiling back at her.

  He’d intended to spend just enough time with the mayor and her team to understand the possible reason behind the psychic disturbance that clustered around this area and wrap up the concert.

  He hadn’t quite bargained to be yanked right into a circle of friends who’d fast become a big part of his life. He was going to miss them when he left.

  He was going to miss her.

  It had been barely an hour since he’d last seen Trinity. Already it seemed like it was too long. Especially after that last surprise she’d pulled on him, when she’d tried to seduce him.

  He hadn’t quite counted on that; he hadn’t thought she’d take the initiative like that. Went to show how little he really knew about her. He couldn’t wait to uncover more of her hidden side.

  Akasha’s tiny hand gripped his chin. She pulled his face down. “Magic,” she demanded, her chin set at a stubborn angle.

  “Huh?” He frowned.

  “She means will you be performing magic for them. The kind you do on stage with the flames?” Leana laughed.

  Ah! She was referring to his fancy trick of shooting flames from his hands.

  Akasha wriggled in his arms, and he handed her back to Leana.

  She placed the child on her hip. “Thank you for doing this, Neo.” She patted his shoulder with her free hand. “Not every rockstar would give up an evening to spend it playing for kids.”

  “But Neo always had the most tender of hearts among all of us dragons.” Hope walked over to him. Her eyes shined, and her dark hair flowed in thick waves around her face. “My brother just hides it very well.” She held a baby in a sling around her chest.

  Neo peeked over the top to see a tiny head with tufts of dark hair. “He’s beautiful.”

  “This is Jett.” Hope cupped her palm around the neck of the baby.

  “And this little one is Shaya.” Aaron, her mate, strode up with the baby girl in a similar pouch nestled close to his chest.

  It was the first time Neo was meeting the couple since the birth of the twins a week ago.

  “She’s as beautiful as her mother, isn’t she?” Aaron’s gaze glittered with adoration. He slipped his arm around Hope and pulled her close to his side.

  They made such a beautiful family. Neo knew he was taking a picture in his head for the future. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted a family of his own. A unit against the world. Warmth filled his chest.

  Where were all these feelings coming from? He’d never thought of being a parent, not until he’d begun to spend time with his own clan.

  Akasha wriggled in Leana’s arms. “Daddy.” She strained to look around Leana’s shoulder.

  Neo glanced up to see Mikhail wave at them from the other side where he was surrounded by kids. He beckoned to Leana. There was a slight edge of desperation to his gesture.

  “I better go rescue my mate before the kids wear him out.” She headed off towards Mikhail.

  “Would you like to hold her?”

  Neo jerked his attention back to Aaron. Hope’s mate shrugged off the sling from around his neck and handed over the baby to Neo.

  He held the child against his chest, and a feeling of such tenderness overcame him that a lump of emotion clogged his throat.

  The baby fussed in his arms.

  “She’s missing her brother.” Hope’s voice held the confidence that came from the unerring instinct of being a mother.

  She slid off the sling from around her neck.

  Before he could protest, she had placed the second child into his other arm. As he cradled the two children, a feeling of peace flowed through him. The little girl settled down. For a few seconds he was content to simply keep the children close to him.

  Then his heart stuttered. The hair on the back of his neck prickled.

  He turned.

  18

  Trinity

  When she entered the garden, it was to find Neo with two babies in his arms. He’d shaved and put on a fresh shirt and jeans. He looked lethal and vulnerable at the same time.

  His eyes blazed at her.

  That time she was sure the thunking sound she heard was the combined beat of both their hearts.

  She sensed the need in them; his want for her was evident. But that time she also saw a yearning that was more potent than the combined weight of both their desires. It was more raw than just lust, more real than desire. It was simply so right. Her pulse thudded at her temples.

  On the psychic plane, the heart of her unicorn glowed a deep scarlet and strained to reach out to him.

  That shocked her. That had never happened before. It was as if in the hour she’d spent away from him, something inside had settled and shifted. She’d missed him. A primal excitement pulsed through her. Mixed with it was a relief at finally acknowledging the inevitable conclusion to the chemistry between them.

  Helpless against the onslaught of emotions, she took a step forward, only for an arm to slip around her waist.

  “Would you like a drink?”

  She tore her gaze away from Neo’s and looked up into the brown, sparkling eyes of the wolf shifter who’d come by to escort her to the event. Caleb was Eve’s security chief.

  Indira had asked him to fetch her, and the wolf shifter had been so charming and courteous, she’d agreed to let him accompany her to the event.

  “You sure this is going to work?” She bit her lower lip.

  Caleb grinned down at her. “That dragon male right there is all but ready to come here and tear me limb from limb. So yeah.” He leaned close as if to whisper something intimate to her. “I’d say it’s working.”

  He led her to the far end of the garden where a table had an assortment of food and soft drinks.

  “So which one would you like? The pink one or the…uh? The electric-blue one?” He sounded slightly horrified.

  She chuckled. “I might just resist and stick to water.”

  “Good choice.” He poured her a glass.

  “I’m still not sure why you agreed to do this.” She frowned, sipping the water.

  “Indira asked.” His voice trailed off. His features closed.

  “You can’t refuse her, can you?”

  He picked up a cookie and took a big bite out of it.

  She looked past him to where Indira glowered at them from across the other side of the room. “She doesn’t appear too happy either. I’d say this might just work in your favor, too.” She placed the glass back on the table.

  “Oh yeah?” Caleb frowned down at her. He polished off the rest of the cookie.

  “And on the other side there, Zach and that woman seem to be having a moment.” She flicked a glance over
his shoulder, to where a tall, good-looking woman turned on her heel and stalked off. After a second’s hesitation, Zach followed.

  Caleb made to turn.

  “No, don’t look. You’ll just draw attention to them.” She leaned in close as if they were having a small, private moment.

  “That must be Mira, the dragon shifter who Zach is training in psychic warfare.” Caleb’s arm automatically came around her shoulder to steady her.

  “It’s not the only thing he wants to train her in.” She widened her eyes.

  “Why, Trinity,” Caleb chuckled, “you have a wicked sense of humor.”

  “Not always.” Her lips drew down. “Being with all of you makes me feel secure enough to share more of who I am.”

  “You mean Neo, don’t you?” He rubbed her upper arm, in a gesture meant to soothe.

  She sensed the tension ratchet up behind her. Thunk. This time she knew it was Neo’s heart that raced.

  Or perhaps Caleb was doing it just to make Neo jealous.

  She felt his dragon stiffen on the psychic plane. No, he was definitely not happy. She’d never felt his heart beat that fast. “It’s a dangerous game, this one.”

  “Sometimes you just have to give people a nudge to push them over the edge.” Caleb’s voice was serious. He was a solid wall of strength, constant, steady.

  “You’re a good man.” She smiled up at him.

  “Perhaps you can tell Indira that.” His eyes gleamed down at her.

  “I think you should tell her yourself.” She nodded to the side.

  He followed her gaze. His shoulders tensed, and his features composed into an expressionless mask.

  Indira marched across the grass to them.

  Trinity pulled away from Caleb and walked toward where she’d last seen Neo. Only he wasn’t there.

  The sound of a guitar being strummed reached her.

  She looked around and saw him seated on a chair. A group of children and adults were clustered around him.