Burn: Dragon Shifter Romance

by Ava Frost

  “Then what are you doing?”

  A pause. Then James looked his best friend in the eye and finally told the honest truth.

  “Something I should have done a long time ago,” he murmured.

  Then he was crossing the room and making his way through the crowd, gaze unwavering until she looked up again, mid-laugh. The laugh froze from her face and her eyes widened, flashing with surprise and hope – determination not to hope.

  James didn't let the thought finish in her head as he took her in his arms and kissed her in front of everyone.

  Chapter 11

  Things weren't quite as easy as Isabelle hoped.

  But then again, that was the risk that she knew she would face the moment she decided to pursue him – her father's best friend, and the man she's had feelings for, for far too long.

  Last week's kiss in front of everyone? That was definitely the beginning of something.

  Isabelle could still hear the hushed, stunned silence of the crowd the moment his lips touched hers, but none of it mattered because he was there, kissing her like he meant it and wanted it with every fiber of his being – almost like he was saying, in that low tone of his: no regrets.

  Then, in private: I'm falling for you and I don't know how to stop.

  That statement had made all the difference – made her forget her uncertainty, her fears, made her fall in such a simple moment.

  But that wasn't fully true, she knew. She didn’t fall in that exact moment.

  She'd fallen in love with him during one of their long talks, in the afternoon sun and with a book in her lap as they talked about the things that made them happy.

  No regrets.

  *******

  Isabelle’s father refused to see her – and James – after the party. So she took most of her things and left the house, giving her mother a sad goodbye and telling her she never meant to hurt the first love of her life. Isabelle always went back to that night, remembering the hurt look on her father’s face before he turned around and walked away, as if she and James didn’t exist at all.

  When she told her mother her decision to stay with James, Anna understood and simply hugged her, telling her to call if she needed anything and to give her father time for now.

  James’ place didn’t feel like home the first few days, but he was patient enough with her and didn’t pressure her, waiting until she got comfortable on her own – encouraging her to leave her little touches here and there, from her favorite books on his bedroom dresser to the food-shaped magnets in the fridge, given to her by Santiago. Every day, he would go to work and she’d be alone, keeping herself busy and distracted with her writing until she was tired. Then he’d come home, and the apartment would be brighter, even when a sad expression would be on his face from time to time.

  But she would kiss him, and kiss him again, and a spark of happiness would come back, making her happy as well.

  The day of her scheduled interview came like a fast breeze, making her nerves come back to life as she went through the grueling three-hour process. At the end of it, they promised her they would call to tell her either the good or the bad news.

  It was the best she could hope for.

  “Don’t worry about it,” James said when she came home that night. “A wise man once told me that if that newspaper doesn’t hire you, then they’re idiotic morons.”

  Isabelle grinned, knowing exactly who that wise man was. This time, it was James who kissed her to comfort her. She savored it with all her heart.

  And she slowly became comfortable.

  *******

  One week later, James made the decision to corner her father and get him to talk. Apparently, all he did was grunt before he ignored James again.

  It was a start.

  That same week, Isabelle got the much-awaited call – and it was great news, with the manager announcing that she could start in two weeks.

  Too eager and happy with the news, she pounced on James when he got home. James took one look at her expression and kissed her, telling her exactly how happy he was for her and showing it, too. They made love right then and there on the living room floor, desperate for each other like they always were. But this time, the desperation was closer to the surface, and she could feel it in his every kiss and touch.

  It drove her wild. Drove her aching for him.

  Just before James entered her, he lowered his mouth near her ear, placing a soft kiss.

  Then he murmured three words.

  “I love you.”

  Her breath left her.

  It was the first time he’d said it out loud, and it froze their moment in time.

  Her heart burst and she urged him on until he was fully inside. Then she proceeded to tell him she loved him, too – had loved him even without her realizing it, and would fight for him no matter what.

  No moment could be any more perfect, in her opinion, except for the slower loving that followed.

  She was home.

  *******

  Two weeks later, Isabelle finally had enough of not talking to her father.

  So she went back to the mansion and let herself in, straight for the dining room where she knew they were having dinner. The shocked look on Santiago’s face as she demanded to talk to Isaac was amusing, but she kept her own gaze on her father, who was staring at her in equally shocked silence. Then—

  “No,” he grumbled.

  Isabelle narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Then I’ll talk.”

  No one said a word, so she continued. “I got hired. The newspaper hired me, telling me they loved my portfolio and the articles I wrote for Indigo – and dad, I want to say thank you to you for giving me the chance. I know James was the one who was in charge during that time, but you were the one who started it. You’ve been my utmost supporter since I was a kid, and I have nothing but endless gratitude for that.”

  A small smile came from her mother’s lips as she continued eating. Santiago was now staring from his position near the fireplace, where he forgot all about the salad he was supposed to serve.

  Her father kept his gaze on his food, and Isabelle plowed on.

  The next words were going to be difficult.

  “And I know you don’t approve of me and James, dad, but I want you to understand – we never meant to hurt you. I love you and he loves you – it’s just that we care for each other, too, and we can’t help it any more than you can help the way you feel about mom. If we started it secretly, then that’s our fault – but please, don’t shut us out. We’re trying to fix our mistakes now and we really are sorry that we hurt you. I’m sorry, dad.”

  “He’s too old for you,” Isaac grumbled, then looked up to glare at her.

  Isabelle glared back. “That’s my decision to make. I happen to find him just the right age, and he happens to love me the way I am.”

  The word love lessened the glare from Isaac’s eyes, replacing it with surprise.

  “Love?”

  And just like that, Isabelle’s glare vanished as she smiled fully. “Yes. Love. And we’re fighting for it. Someday, you’re going to accept it.”

  Her mother was now openly smiling at her, and she stood up to give Isabelle a hug. Isabelle hugged her back, then looked at her father one more time.

  “I love you, dad. Nothing’s changing that. Just talk to me when you’re ready.”

  Then she left, her heart feeling a whole lot lighter.

  *******

  Months later, Isaac finally relented and visited them in James’ apartment, with only one warning to James.

  If you hurt my daughter in any way, I am going to hurt you back.

  James simply smiled and tightened his hold on her, telling Isaac not to worry about it. When her father was gone, Isabelle turned to James and returned his hug.

  “He’s going to come around,” he promised. “And everything will be okay.”

  James kissed her and placed one palm on her belly, where a precious being was starting to grow. Isabelle l
ost herself in that kiss, placing her palm on top of his.

  Yes.

  They were going to be absolutely fine.

  THE END

  Craving My Dad’s Best Friend

  Chapter 1

  Stepping out of the air conditioned airport and into the east coast summer humidity was like suddenly strapping a ten pound weight to Karen's back. Beads of sweat popped up along her hairline instantly and she breathed deeply, listening for the ever present electric hum of cicadas. It was good to be home.

  She smiled and thanked her dad when he took her luggage and flung it into the trunk of the old van.

  "I forgot how humid it is here." Karen said when she slid into the front seat.

  "Oh yeah?" her dad asked. "I don't really notice it, I guess."

  "Yeah. It's wet in Seattle, but not like this. It's so heavy." She flipped on the air conditioner as they pulled out of the airport parking lot.

  She had, just in the past week, graduated from the University of Washington. Her father had been with her in Washington for the graduation and to help her move her things back home, driving across the country with her stuff packed into the back of his van while she finished out the week at her part-time job before flying out. It was good to be back home, but she knew that she would miss the friends that she'd made at school.

  She had grown up all her life in the sleepy suburb of central New Jersey, and the chance to go to a university literally as far away as possible while remaining on the continent had been so appealing. It had been a chance for Karen to reinvent herself, from the awkward, painfully shy girl with no friends, to whoever she wanted to be. She had finally grown into her sharp features while away at college, grown out her bad haircut, gotten a tattoo on her inner arm, and pierced her nose. She learned how to speak up, and how to stand up for herself in conversations, not letting anyone and everyone speak over her at every turn. She'd learned how to turn her obsession with books into a personality trait rather than an awkward, antisocial, character flaw. People in Seattle liked her. She finally made friends. She became herself, at last.

  Christopher had been reluctant to let his daughter go to college so far away. He was a single father and his bond with his daughter was tight, having been her support through middle school when she was bullied, and high school where she continued to struggle with making friends. Not to mention the fact that, and he was a bit ashamed to admit this, he relied on her for many things. She'd always taken care of a lot of the domestic labor in the house, washing dishes and keeping things neat and clean. The thought of being alone in that house for four years had been somewhat harrowing. But when he looked at Karen now, with her newfound confidence and outgoing demeanor, he knew that it had all been well worth it.

  On one hand, Karen was excited to see how people would react to her back in her home town, but at the same time she was afraid that all of the progress she had made would fade away once she was back in her old bedroom.

  The drive from JFK airport to Somerville, New Jersey seemed impossibly long. When she finally started seeing landmarks she knew, she sat up in her seat, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Before long she was counting the turns, and seeing all the houses that she'd walked by thousands of times as a kid. When her house came into view it was such a strange feeling, like remembering a dream. Her dad had changed some things, repainting the trim on the outside of the house and planting some new flowering bushes along the side of the house, but otherwise it looked the same.

  Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw a familiar car in the driveway.

  "Is that Garret?" She asked her dad.

  "Yeah, he's helping with the upstairs bathroom remodel." he replied casually.

  "He still drives that old beater?" She asked, referencing the blue Oldsmobile in the driveway.

  Christopher laughed. "Hell yeah. It's his one true love. I think he'll be driving that thing until he dies."

  Karen laughed, but on the inside her stomach was twisting itself into knots. Garret was her dad's best friend, and through most of her childhood he had been like an uncle to her. That was, until she hit puberty and suddenly started having very non-familial feelings about the older man. Her face blushed when she remembered how hard she had crushed on him all through middle school and high school. She'd been absolutely obsessed and she knew, looking back, that it must have been so obvious to him. At the time she had thought she was being coy, but she knew better now. The thought of seeing him again was so embarrassing, but she still couldn't wish that he wasn't there.

  She wanted to impress him with how grown up she was now. She may not be the little girl with the wildly inappropriate crush anymore, but it would still feel good to turn his head, after all these years, the way she'd never been able to as a kid.

  She slung her overly stuffed backpack over her shoulder when her dad pulled into the driveway and hurried to the front door while Christopher got her luggage. She barged in, basking in the glow that was her childhood home. It looked just like she'd left it and she grinned wildly, thundering up the stairs to her bedroom.

  If she thought that the downstairs was unchanged, that was nothing compared to the time capsule that was her bedroom. The walls were painted a deep purple and lilac color, lace canopy draped over the antique-style day bed. She took it all in, the same desk lamp, the same vanity with its huge round mirror, the same dusty pink velveteen chair. She had to laugh, her dulcet voice reverberating against the hardwood floor.

  "I don't think he's even been in here once since you left." A familiar male voice said behind her.

  "Garret!" Karen cried, spinning around and running to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

  "Oof.." He laughed, picking her up off the ground and shaking her back and forth a little bit while he hugged her. "I'm sorry I missed your graduation, kiddo." He said, putting her back down.

  "That's alright. It was boring." She assured him.

  "I don't believe that." He said. He looked distracted for a moment and put his hands on her shoulders, holding her out at arm's length. "Look at you." His eyes raked over her, making goosebumps rise over her arms.

  "What is this?" He asked, touching her nose ring.

  "Do you like it?" She asked.

  He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, then smiled. "Yeah. Yes, I do. You look great."

  The compliment made her stomach do a flip. In reality, he was the one who looked great. The moment she'd laid eyes on him, she'd buried the idea that she had grown out of her childhood crush. There was just a touch of gray in his tawny hair at the temples, and his crow's feet were slightly more pronounced, but the ravages of time were being kind to him and he wore the years gracefully. He looked dignified, even as he stood there in jeans and a t-shirt, wiping what appeared to be sawdust off his hands. He looked like every girl's fantasy of the hot professor, or the sexy businessman who you just want to bend you over the desk. She mentally shook herself back to reality.

  She noticed that he was staring at her, waiting for her to respond, and she flailed for something to say. "Uh, did I hear right? Dad said you guys were remodeling the upstairs bathroom?"

  He looked relieved and nodded, gesturing for her to follow him down the hallway. "Come and see." He said.

  "It's not much to look at yet..." He prefaced as he stepped inside the large bathroom, standing to the side so she could see. The bathtub had been ripped out, leaving a large part of the raw wood floor exposed, and it looked like they were in the midst of building custom cabinets.

  "We are going to put in one of those big Jacuzzi tubs." He said "And there will be a double sink, and recessed lighting in the ceiling."

  "God, it looks great. You and dad did all this?" She asked.

  He shrugged his shoulders. "More or less. Not the electric. Your dad wanted to have it done by the time you got here but..." His voice trailed off.

  "I know he's had plans for a long time for the stuff he wanted to do with the house. Lots of updates."

  Christopher had climb
ed the stairs by now and stowed Karen's suitcase in her room. He came in behind them. "Yeah, a few weeks ago it suddenly hit me that I hadn't actually done any of the work I'd planned to do while you were away." He laughed. "Better late than never. Now let's have dinner before I pass out." Christopher patted Karen on the back and she laughed, catching Garret's eye as they all went down to the kitchen. There was something in the way he was looking at her, a certain furtive aspect to his glance that made her heart pound. She must be imagining things, she told herself.

  In the kitchen, Karen could smell her father's roast simmering away in the slow cooker. The scent was so nostalgic, and she was overcome with a feeling of warmth and happiness at being back home again. For a little while, while they gathered around the table to eat the familiar meal, Karen could forget the anxiety that she had been plagued with since before graduating about how she was going to find a job, where she was going to look for an apartment, if she would be able to start working in her field immediately or if she would have to continue being a barista. Her to-do list, now that she was out of school, was a mile long and it dogged her every step.

  Sitting at the table with her dad and Garret brought a sense of calm that she did not take for granted. As scary as it was, being thrust out into the adult world whether she was ready or not, she knew that she was loved and that she didn't have to do it alone.

  Garret tried to keep his eyes on his plate, but his gaze kept being drawn to Karen. She looked so different. Her father had visited her a couple times throughout her time at school, but it had been almost five years since he himself last saw her in anything other than photos. She had gained weight, and it was impossible not to notice how soft and womanly she now looked. It was a far cry from the child who had left after high school, who had been that kind of self-conscious thin than always seemed uncomfortable. Her skinny arms and pointy knees were always held in, as if she were trying to take up as little space as possible. Where once had been all sharpness and child-like timidity, there was now a vivacious, attractive woman.