by Lia Davis
And, if by some twisted misfire of fate, she didn’t, he’d appeal to her decency to keep his secret and respect her wishes to move on. She was a good person, a great woman, and she’d captured his heart. He knew that with clarity now. Most of his waking thoughts revolved around her, her well-being, and how she’d fit into his family. Asher would do whatever required of him to make sure Daryl always felt safe, secure, loved and respected. His entire life looked different with her in it.
Coming close to the ground to land, Asher sent out a prayer for favor, wisdom and opportunity to capture Daryl’s heart. First thing in the morning, after he’d gotten Brock off to day camp, it would be his singular task to approach her and start the wooing.
Chapter 12
Daryl—The Guest House
The rest of the afternoon had been a bust. She’d tried to work with headphones on to drown out the fun happening at the pool without her. Her work quality sucked, and she’d managed to make no more major breakthroughs or new headway in her calculations. Opting to zone out and retreat from her life with mindless activity, she’d spent the rest of the afternoon watching videos on YouTube and doodling.
Nightfall had descended, and Daryl was still wound up from that close encounter with Asher. Shy and reserved, her less than stellar attempt at taking the offense had gotten her nowhere with him. Instead of deliberate follow through to kiss him and take no prisoners, she’d given up and wimped out at the first unexpected thing to happen. Forget about the woman she thought she was, Daryl needed to work on becoming the woman she wanted to be. The two were most definitely not one and the same. Today had shown her that there was a big gap between where she was and where she needed to be if she ever wanted to be with a man like Asher Princeton.
He was so out of her league it was pathetic. No more—that stopped now. From here on she would take the bull by the horns and be assertive. Life had to be lived, or it would pimp her. That’s what her father had always said. Here she was walking the streets of her life like a beat down bum or street walker cowering at the slightest push back. Nope, from here on, she would pimp life to the fullest and not the other way around.
Her skin was tight and constricting like she wanted to come out of it. If she could, Daryl would burst forth in a new expansion of herself. Getting out of the house seemed to be the answer for some relief. Not sleepy but needing to wind down for the night, she turned off the lights and went outside. Walking onto the back deck through the kitchen’s double French doors, she spied a few lounge chairs and made her way over to them. Daryl hadn’t been out here before, too self-conscious that someone might see her from her squatting days. Now she felt relieved to be able to move freely.
Slowing down to take it in and appreciate her surroundings, Daryl scanned this part of the backyard. The deck faced a large even grassy part of the estate that gently sloped down to the edge of a wooded area a few hundred yards away. And, all was quiet.
It was late, after eleven and she should have been sleeping, but she couldn’t get past the kiss that almost was. She’d been about to kiss Asher Princeton. Her failed attempt kept playing through her head on a repeating loop. And, she didn’t know what to make of it. Did he resent her advance? Was he upset at how she’d chickened out and fled? Or, was he as into it as she’d been?
Most likely he’d lost all respect for her. Asher Princeton was an alpha figure. And as such, he respected strength, not the show of weakness she’d displayed. It would have been better never to have tried anything than to fizzle out and run like she had. It was past time she got a backbone and stop pretending.
She’d walk the walk to match her talk and thoughts from here on out. If she was going to make something of herself and life, it started here. This life test had been failed miserably. Now, Asher probably couldn’t stomach the sight of her. Daryl hated this second-guessing herself. And, oh God, what would it be like the next time she saw him. It was barely June. How was she supposed to dodge seeing him for the entire summer?
Don’t be a chicken. Woman up. You’re a new woman—act like it. Starting tomorrow, she’d win his respect back by being the strong woman that was deep within trying to get out.
The lounge chair on the back deck welcomed her like a long-lost friend. Daryl sunk, adjusting the back to almost fully recline. The night sky was quiet and clear except for sounds of crickets and little night creatures that crawled the ground below. She threw her head back in surrender to count the stars, hoping the exercise would bring back the elusive sleepiness she craved. One good thing is that it was better sitting back here. A long stretch of grass that led to a thicket of woods was the only site that rolled out long and wide before her. No need to see the main house and be plagued by the incessant thoughts of him. She wouldn’t constantly be reminded that Asher was so close and yet so far away.
The swooshing sound of large amounts of air being displaced invaded the silent night. Daryl looked at the sky, expecting to see some bird or a flock of them, but she couldn’t make out anything. It was dark with no real light except for the sliver of a partial moon. With the lights off from inside the guest house, she realized the lights from the pool area and back of the main house must be off too. The moon was her candle in the night.
Giving in to the rhythmic sound the birds made as they passed above, her body relaxed releasing a good amount of tension. Like a perfectly timed waltz, the wind above would move lulling her in deeper. Air had always been her element. Daryl loved the wind. Her favorite time was when the wind picked up before a spring or summer rain. Some people needed water. Give her the high places of mountains and gentle winds that blew in expectation of new life, and she was in bliss.
Fireflies danced in the backyard, providing an added pleasure to the gift of wind nature was bestowing on her. It was as if Mother Nature had the exact remedy for what ailed her. Daryl propped the back of her lounger back up a few notches to watch the light show the flies put on. As the sound of wind continued to come in waves, Daryl accepted the beginnings of drowsy calm to come that had eluded her before. She snuggled into the lounger, grateful for the gift of nature of tranquility.
Then louder sounds of more wind displacement coaxed Daryl to sit up. Still unable to make out much, there was no fear that she was in danger. Then she saw it. A large shadow of a bird moved across the dimly lit ground of the backyard. Transfixed with the prospect of watching it land in the shrouded protection of stingy snatches of moonlight, she sat up. Close to the edge of the property, away from the house and nearer to the thicket of woods, a large bird—too large to be a regular one—made a vertical descent landing. The descent was much like a helicopter.
It moved in the shadows as she strained to make out its actions. Her breath held watching and waiting to catch a glimpse of what would happen next. Air, still and quiet now gave her needed oxygen as Daryl pulled in long breaths in anticipation. Sitting up with her feet planted on the deck, her attention was fully engaged. Something unique and electrifying surrounded this creature. She couldn’t tear herself away from capturing another peek at it. The excitement of seeing flight in motion turn into a landing had to be part of the appeal of bird watching. Envious of how free birds were, unencumbered by fears of height, Daryl waited and watched. Expecting the creature to either emerge out of the shadows or take flight again, she kept silent as the dead.
Her eyes played tricks on her as movement and weight caused the trees and ground to respond. She blinked, still unable to make out what it could be. Wings, wide and huge reflected off a snatch of moonlight. That couldn’t be right. Another few purposeful blinks to clear her vision and Daryl leaned in, almost hovering her chest over the lower half of the lounge chair. She too was hidden by the shadows of the house. That was part of her armor against being afraid of what might be out there in the darkness.
Deep breaths, larger and louder than the deer from the first night out here, reverberated through the air. A complex mixture of curiosity, excitement, and fear mingled to keep her planted to that lou
nge chair. Then it happened. The being took steps, advancing out of the shadows. It moved toward the main house! Too shocked to run, Daryl watched, certain her eyes didn’t deceive as a beast, tall, huge, majestic, and seductively alluring walked toward her location. Still too hard to get definitive detail, what she could make out was a hide the color of obsidian and green. And where those scales? The way they moved didn’t look or behave like feathers. Willing her eyes to adjust to better night vision, she strained to make out more.
Wings, astoundingly large and angelic folded to cover its back as it advanced. Daryl imagined them being what angelic beings’ wings would have to be like to command that much power of the air. Too overcome with excitement and awe to stop and retreat now, she dared to take in the body and head. Strong and muscular, the creature was no bird. It was a predator for sure, and… a dragon!
A hiccup, amplified by force of surprise, and the quiet, still night air escaped her and caused the being to stop. As if watching a movie thriller, it stopped and looked over to her like in the movies. There was no doubt it saw her. Even in the dimness of the moonlight, she saw large brilliant green eyes flash as it took in her sight.
Those eyes!
They were familiar and hypnotic. Fear ebbed away to be replaced by an unexplainable calm. This being was no beast. It had extreme intelligence and control. Summoning her commitment to being the woman she needed to be, Daryl stood firm ready to face whatever came next. Gone was the scared girl who’d run from a deer. Daryl was ready to face life in a new and brave way, even if her mind played tricks and projected it in the form of a dragon to help her do it. Yes, this had to be some cosmic message to help her cope.
Changing direction to come to her, the dragon lowered its massive head, as if in a posture of peace. Daryl remained steady as she stood, moving to the front of the chair. Free from the entanglement of deck furnishings, her hand lifted as if reaching out to the being. It was as if her body had a mind of its own, but the creature did not frighten her. If anything, she was mesmerized by it and magnetized to come closer.
It was cool how her mind was creative enough to help her grow and learn to deal with her life with this fantastical dream. She’d always loved dragons, and it made sense that it would come as her spirit animal. The dragon took more steps, slow, but closing the space between them. The ground vibrated ever so with each step it took under its massive weight. Wow—the ground shook. As if snapping out of a haze, it dawned on her that her dreams were never that three-dimensional.
There was no way this wasn’t real. The freaking ground was shaking. Oh God, there was a real dragon, and she was mere feet away from it!
Swallowing down the old habit loop to retreat, Daryl summoned the power of deep breathing to stay in her body and face the approaching creature head on. Nothing about this situation was usual. Towering over her, the being emitted no threat or danger vibe. This was meant to be. Wisdom and another life decision in the making happened right before her. Daryl was confident this was another crossroads of her life. Closing her eyes for a body check in, the solid clarity that she was supposed to be here at this moment kept her steadfast and unmoved.
“Who are you?” she asked, marveling at her choice of words. She hadn’t asked what it was.
Only about fifty feet away and outlined by the moonlight, the being stopped and stared as if considering her words. In a flash, a thought of Asher dashed through her. This was something he’d do. Seeds of the spectacular formed in her thoughts. This being had the same essence and familiarity as Asher. Could it be connected to him in some way?
In an active answer to her thought, the air around her sizzled and popped with energy and life. The creature began to shrink in size. Wind swept through to surround it as a torrent of activity and transformative power swirled in a seduction of otherworldly effects. Daryl could make out its head in the flurry. What had looked like a dragon’s head that boasted a thorny crown had transformed into black hair, thick and unruly. Hope sprang up that her far-flung guess might be true.
The transformation continued to swirl and crackle as the wind played a masterful part in hugging the figure tight, containing it in an ever-shrinking controlled cyclone until it was complete. Instead of a creature the size of what she could imagine a dinosaur must have been, now stood Asher Princeton, clad only in a pair of loose fitting shorts.
Daryl rushed to him before thought and reason could stop her. What had happened defied understanding, but she believed it was a sign that she’d been given a second chance to let him know how much she wanted to explore a relationship with him. It didn’t take words for her to understand that he had allowed her to see him transform. On a primal level, she got how big this was. And, everything within her clicked on that he was the one person who trusted her enough with something this powerful about himself.
“Ash—it is you!” she said, meeting him halfway as he ran to her.
Lips collided in fiery passion as Daryl pushed caution to the wind. Scents of power, passion, the outdoors, spice and citrus filled her nostrils as she held onto him. He returned her kiss, hungry and aggressive, holding nothing back. This was the Asher she’d wanted and needed. Trembling with the sheer number of stimuli and inputs coming at her, Daryl felt herself shaking and unable to stand.
Before she crashed to the ground, she was up in Asher’s arms and heading back to the deck of the guest house. He was gentle as he sat down with her in his lap on the lounge chair she’d previously occupied. Daryl clung to him as if her life depended on it.
Hunger and need, raw and unbridled, drove her as her hands roamed the expanse of his chest and arms. Tears flowed, and she felt like she was seeing him and being seen by him for the first time.
Green eyes, deep and cloudy captured hers. “You saw what I am and yet you still want me?”
His question made no sense.
“Of course, I want you. I see you Asher Princeton, and I want to be with you. Thank you for sharing this precious gift with me.”
Maybe it was the quality of light that distorted her vision, but Daryl thought she saw moisture rim his lower lashes.
“I want you to be mine forever, Daryl Livingston,” he said. “There are things about me that you still don’t know that could make you leave me. But, if you promise to give me a chance, I’ll make certain you never regret accepting me as yours.”
She had to stifle the laugh that came. “You know you sound like some romance movie right now? I’m a plain girl who needs plain speak, Asher, if you’re saying we need to do this and be together, I’m so down with that it hurts. If you’re saying, you’ve done some shit in the past that I might not like when I find out? That’s plausible, and if you’re saying that you’re in this for the long haul willing to work on it, then I’m completely ready to be in it with you. Is that what you’re getting at?”
“Fuck yeah,” he said, bringing her mouth back down to his.
Chapter 13
Daryl—Back of the Guest House
She moved to straddle Asher on the lounge chair as he schooled her on how exquisite a proper kiss could be. A bulge, hard, thick and long pressed against the inside of her thigh. Excitement and passion ignited at the sensation. Daryl had purposely waited, believing she’d know the right time and person to share herself with. This was that time, and Asher was that man.
Gone was all the petty bullshit self-doubt. He was a man; she was a woman. If it didn’t work out in the future, she’d survive. Deep down where it wouldn’t be changed or refuted, Daryl knew that. Her confidence didn’t rest on his reaction to her. Hell, she’d seen him transform from a dragon without flinching. Their relationship was built on some next-level shit, and she’d be a fool to get caught up in the mental crap that kept her from exploring what life with him could hold.
Whispering in his ear, she said, “I’m going to cuddle you so hard, dragon.”
His chuckle was low and sultry. “You sure? Don’t you want to wait until we’ve had a chance to talk about what happened?”
Daryl sat up to gain his complete attention. “I almost missed my chance to go after what I wanted earlier today. I’ve learned my lesson. Coming here to your home was an act of blind faith. Approaching your company with my energy idea was a stab in the dark. And, falling this hard for you is an exercise in exploring my fears, hangups, and shortcomings. I can’t afford to wait to live life. Nor, do I have the luxury of being uncertain. Ash, I made myself a promise and damn near vowed that if I got a second chance to kiss and show you how you make me feel, I’d go for it.” She leaned back into him and encircled his neck with her arms. “From this moment on, shut the hell up and let me enjoy my second chance. You got me?”
Her smile exploded when all he did was a nod and give her a huge grin, followed by recapturing her lips in a scorching kiss. Daryl couldn’t get enough of how hot his skin burned beneath her probing touch. Her fingertips roamed the width of his lower back that didn’t touch the lounge chair. Feeling the rush of how great he made her feel, daring pushed her to move her hands down, tracing his spine until she met with the hem of his shorts. Determined not to pull back where he was concerned, she pressed on, plunging her fingers beneath the hem to grab what she could of the start of his ass cheeks.
He moaned in her mouth at her daring touch. Daryl began to massage his ass, deep and slow in concert with how her body began to ride him. Her pussy was drenched, and she needed more of him. If she could, Daryl would press into him until they became one. Her nipples ached to be rubbed and pinched. Obeying the need, she removed a hand out of the back of his shorts to take his hand and place it on one of her throbbing nipples.
