Burn: Dragon Shifter Romance

by Ava Frost

  They laid in each other’s arms for a little while, but soon gave up the comfort of the blanket cocoon for a warm shared shower. When they were both squeaky clean, Garret brought her one of his fresh white t-shirts to throw on for the time being rather than changing back into her evening dress. He was so much taller than her that the hem of his t-shirt fell just below her bottom, but left him a gratuitous view of her thighs.

  Garret was in a state of stunned bliss. It was nearly impossible to take his eyes off of her as she floated around his kitchen, making coffee and chattering about everyday things as if nothing had happened. The scene was at once deliriously strange and laced with an incomprehensible feeling of normalcy. Despite his fears for their future, right at that moment, everything felt right.

  She sat across from him at the little dinette table, sipping coffee with him. The morning sun was so bright and cheerful that it was easy to pretend that things could carry on like this forever.

  But things are never so simple. Their little bubble of happiness was popped when Garret’s phone rang.

  “Where does your dad think you are?” Garret asked, looking down at the phone before answering.

  “I told him I was staying at a friend’s.”

  Garret answered the call. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “I’m pulling into your driveway. Is my daughter with you?”

  It was quiet enough in the room that Karen was able to hear her dad’s tight voice over the phone from where she sat. Her heart plummeted into her stomach and she and Garret shared a breathless moment where they just stared into each other's eyes, unblinking.

  Suddenly she jumped out of her chair and ran to his bedroom to rifle unceremoniously through his drawers until she found a pair of sweatpants to pull on. By the time she got back to the living room, the doorbell was ringing. Before answering it, Garret smoothed down her hair and kissed the top of her forehead.

  “You did nothing wrong, Karen.”

  “Neither did you.”

  He didn’t seem to hear her before he opened the door. Her father strode in, looking eerily calm. His eyes seemed to slip right off of Garret, who positioned himself between the father and daughter. It was as if his best friend of more than a decade wasn’t even there. He walked around Garret and took a slow, hard look at Karen. His lips tightened into a hard line.

  “Get in the car, Karen.” He said. His tone was deadly quiet.

  Karen lifted her chin defiantly. “No.”

  “Christopher, I’m sorry. I—”

  Christopher finally looked at Garret with fury like flames behind his eyes. “You do not get to speak. How dare you touch my daughter? You were like a brother to me. An uncle to her. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “Dad. Stop. He didn't do anything."

  "You're wearing his clothes!" He said in disbelief. "Just get in the car. I'm taking you home. Now. We will talk about this later."

  She opened her mouth to defy him but caught the gaze of Garret, who shook his head. "Just go, sweetheart."

  Her father's lips screwed up in anger at the epithet but said nothing, because at least Karen was moving. She breathed out through her nose and stalked to the car, leaving behind her clothes and even her shoes.

  Her father was close behind her, and he slammed the door of the car as he got in the driver's side. The ride home was thick with tension, as Karen sat with her arms crossed over her chest, feeling for all the world like a little girl who was about to be grounded for sassing her teacher at school.

  "Exactly how old do you think I am, Dad?" She finally asked as they pulled up to their own house.

  "Young enough to be sent to your room by me." He retorted dryly.

  "You have to be kidding me. You can't GROUND me. I'm an adult!"

  "I need you to be at home, but out of my sight until I figure out what I have to say to you."

  Karen was furious, but something about his tone cut her to the quick. It was his rage, an emotion he rarely expressed, but it was more than that. It was a deep disappointment.

  She did as he said. Walking up to her childhood bedroom and collapsing on the bed. It felt like lifetimes had passed since she'd been ensconced in that otherworldly morning sun with Garret. Less than twenty minutes had passed.

  She spent the whole day in her room, happy for the privacy. She tried to read but she couldn't retain any of the words. She got out her watercolors, but couldn't manage much more than splotches of color. She vacillated between anger at her father, and the situation in general, and her overall bad luck. When she was exhausted from the anger she fell into sadness. She tried to comfort herself by remembering how amazing her night had been, and how sure she was that Garret was the man for her, but it only brought into relief the hopelessness of her position.

  She listened as her father climbed the stairs and came to stand outside her bedroom door. He knocked and she stood up to let him in, glad that she had not yet changed out of Garret's clothes. It was a small defiance, but it was something.

  He stood in the middle of her room, his eyes were heavy when he looked into hers.

  "You cannot date Garret. You are far too young. I won't have you dating someone nearly as old as me. It's not right. It doesn't look right. "

  "Look right to who? What difference does age make when we are both adults? Wouldn't you rather me be with him, someone you know and trust, your friend, than some stranger who could want to hurt me?"

  "My friend?" He said, his voice raising. "No friend of mine is going to fuck my daughter. That's ridiculous. That he would even think to look at you that way makes me sick."

  "It only makes you sick because I'm your daughter! I'm not his daughter. Or his niece. Or any relation to him at all. I didn't do anything wrong. Neither did he. I'm not sorry and I won't apologize." She said. She was standing at her full height, with all the confidence of a queen, despite the fact that she was swamped in a t-shirt and sweatpants many sizes too large for her frame.

  Christopher shook his head stubbornly and left the room. She watched him go, feeling all the dissatisfaction of having come no closer to any sort of resolution. But there was nothing more to say. If he was determined to be stubborn and controlling then there was nothing she could do. At least for the time being.

  Chapter 7

  "What do you want me to do, Karen?" Garret asked. There was no hint of anger or passive aggression in his voice. It was an entirely honest question. His hands were holding both of hers and he searched her eyes, oblivious to the people walking by on the park trail where they sat together on a bench.

  “Your dad is a stubborn man. You know that as well as I do.” He continued. “He will not let me back to your house, or anywhere near him, if we continue.”

  “I know. I understand.” She said quietly. A part of her had always known that he would choose his friendship with her dad over her.

  "Do you understand?" He asked. He tipped her chin up with his forefinger. "I'm saying that that is a sacrifice I am willing to make. If you'll have me."

  Her surprise wrote itself on her features, her lips parting and her eyes lighting up, despite herself. In an instant, a cloud passed over that expression though and she lowered her face again.

  "I can't ask you to do that. I never wanted this to happen. And I knew it would but I was just so...I don't know. I want you so much." She chuckled. "I was selfish."

  "You are allowed to be selfish in these matters. We all are."

  "These matters?" She asked

  He smiled tentatively and raised her chin again, caressing her cheek softly. "You said you loved me. In my office that day. Did you mean it?"

  "Of course I did. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

  "I love you too, Karen. Surely you must know that, but I've never said it. Not in so many words. But I do. To hell with everyone else, even your father if he refuses to see the truth, I want you. I love you. I want you. And if you want me, you can have me."

  Her eyes were stinging with unshed tears and
she leaned forward to kiss him. "I don't want to hurt my dad." She said

  "He will come around. In time. I believe that. He knows me, and deep down I think he knows that I would never take advantage of you. Not even simply out of deference to him, but because it's not who I am. And he knows you too, he's just having growing pains when it comes to seeing you as a grown woman. It was difficult for me, and I'm not your dad."

  *******

  Over the next few weeks, Karen and Garret began dating. Normal dating, excepting the complication of the fact that Garret was barred from entering Karen's home and her father refused to speak to him while the relationship went on.

  It wasn't easy. Not a single member of this uncomfortable love triangle was happy with the way things were, but neither was any one of them willing to give up their position.

  Within a short amount of time, Karen was unofficially living with Garret at his house. The tension at her own home was so heavy, it was uncomfortable to live there. Her father hardly spoke to her anymore, and things were so changed that it was hard to be surrounded by all the familiar sights and sounds of home, minus the familiar warmth and love from her dad.

  Even in the sanctuary of Garret’s house, however, it was impossible for her to escape her sadness at not having her father in her life the way she was used to. Garret never spoke of his own pain at losing such a dear friend, for Karen’s sake, but she knew that he was struggling. He didn’t have to say it outright to see that.

  They tried to make it up to each other in other ways. And when they were able to put those hard thoughts aside, they were sinfully, deliriously happy together.

  Karen was living in such a world of contrasts, that she almost didn’t notice when her period was late. It had a tendency to be a bit sporadic anyway, especially surrounding her big move, but when it occurred to her that it had been almost two months since her last period, she got nervous. Without telling Garret (why bother making him nervous when it was probably nothing?) she brought home a drugstore pregnancy test one afternoon while he was away at work.

  Sitting in the clean, white tiled bathroom, with the test in her hands, she held her breath. She was so nervous that a deadly sense of calm had wrapped itself around her. She hardly breathed as the result lines started to develop.

  Pregnant.

  She stared at the test for what felt like hours. Pregnant. She was pregnant. Before she’d taken the test she’d told herself that, in the unlikely event that she was with child, she would keep it to herself until she was ready to discuss it with Garret unemotionally. But now that that unlikely event was a reality, all she could think about was how she didn’t want to be alone.

  She called him at work.

  “Hey princess. What’s up?” His voice sounded so casual. Impossibly casual.

  “Can you come home?” She asked.

  His tone changed immediately when he heard her unusually shaky voice.

  “Of course. I’m on my way. Darling, what’s wrong?”

  “I will tell you at home. I’m okay, don’t worry too much. I just need you.”

  Her admonitions not to worry fell on deaf ears. Garret excused himself to his receptionist, citing a family emergency, and fled back home as swiftly as he could, dodging lunch hour traffic. When he rushed into the house, Karen was put at ease immediately by the concern on his face. He loved her, and no matter what happened now, she knew that he would support her.

  “What happened?” He asked, grasping her shoulders and pulling her against his body in a soothing embrace. He kissed her forehead and led her to the couch to sit down. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “I’m so sorry, Garret. I know you didn’t sign up for all this. I should have been more careful. It’s all my fault, really.”

  “What’s your fault, sweetheart?” He asked, a worried smile on his face as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

  Karen took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”

  The moment seemed to hang suspended in time. Ages passed before he blinked, something ineffable changing in his shocked expression.

  "That's wonderful." He said gently.

  "You don't mean that."

  "I do. I'm shocked, of course. Though I shouldn't be. There's always the chance, regardless of precautions. But this is good news. Really."

  "I'm scared." She admitted.

  Garret wrapped his warm arms around her and rocked her gently back and forth. "I know you are. I am too. But it will be alright."

  "You're not angry, truly?" She said, tears thickening her voice as she spoke against his chest.

  "Karen, why on earth would I be angry?"

  "I want to keep it."

  He smiled and looked down at her. "I know you do. I do too. I will take care of us, and we will be happy. I know we will."

  Finally, Karen smiled. Throwing her arms around his neck she squeezed him tight, laughing a laugh that was giddy with frightened delight.

  "I have to tell my dad." She said after a few minutes.

  "We will tell him together." He assured.

  Chapter 8

  Karen could hear her pulse pounding in her head as she approached the front door of her childhood home. The house, with its wide porch and inviting flower boxes, had never looked so imposing. Garret seemed to sense her fear and his hand gripped hers a little bit tighter.

  She knocked on the door, the first time she’d ever felt the need to do so, and they waited, not very patiently, for Christopher to answer.

  When he opened the door his eyes went to Karen first and she saw just a flash of joy before he looked at Garret and his expression darkened. He moved to close the door rudely in their faces, but Karen blurted out “I’m pregnant.” Before the door could latch,

  There was a pause, and the door opened again. “Come in.” Was his gruff response.

  Karen and Garret exchanged a look and walked into the living room. They both remained standing until Christopher indicated that he wanted them so sit. When they did, Christopher remained standing. Karen felt like a young child again, as she had on the day when he had driven her home from Garret’s house.

  “What did you say?” Christopher asked after a long pause.

  “I’m pregnant.” The words sounded so strange on her tongue, but she was growing more used to saying it every time she did. It was as if just saying the words out loud made it more true.

  “You did this to her.” Her dad said, his eyes boring into Garret.

  Garret nodded. “Obviously.” His voice was thick with veiled aggression. He was trying very hard not to be angry at Christopher, Karen knew, and she returned his comforting squeeze of the hand from earlier. Garret was frustrated with Christopher for many things, but right now he was ashamed of his friend for not seeing the fear in his daughter’s eyes and doing everything he could to lessen it.

  “Dad.” Karen’s voice was weak and tears were welling up in her eyes. “I’m scared. I need you. I need you both. I always have, and now more than ever.”

  Christopher’s face softened at the broken sound of her voice, which encouraged Garret to speak. “We are on the same team, Christopher.” Christopher scoffed, but Garret continued. “I'm serious. Like it or not, we both love your daughter and we both want to protect her. I will take care of her, she will stay in my home, I will always be there for our child, every day of it’s life. But I can’t replace you. A woman needs her father. A child needs it’s grandpa.”

  “Are you getting married?” He asked after a moment.

  Garret looked at Karen and back up at Christopher. “We are having a baby.”

  “Yes, I heard that bit.”

  “What I mean is, we are having a baby together, so we will be tied together in one way or another for the rest of our lives. Whether or not that means we get married depends entirely upon whether or not Karen wants to marry me. If we do get married, it will be because we want to and we are in love, not because it’s shameful to have a baby out of wedlock and not because her daddy tells her
to.”

  The thought of marriage had hardly crossed Karen’s mind. In the rush of all this sudden change and drama, she’d thought of little else besides the physical reality that she was now growing new life within herself. But even just simply hearing the word marriage on Garret’s lips made her stomach flutter with a hitherto unrealized hope. In a moment, a million images flashed through her mind. Garret, looking gorgeous in a black suit at the end of the aisle. Herself, laced into a beautiful gown, her child toddling down in front of her spreading petals. The two of them, sharing coffee in the living room while they laugh at the antics of their child. The security of being married. The comfort of being married to a man whom she trusted with her whole life and loved more than anything in the world.