Burn: Dragon Shifter Romance

by Ava Frost

  And then, just as I was about to drift off to sleep in sadness, the slamming of the headboard against the wall resumed itself, and Ashley's moans grew louder than ever. I started to sob.

  Chapter 2

  I woke up, feeling like shit, as seemed to be the case more and more often as of late. I showered, yawning the whole time, running the risk of drowning all the while as I did so. I looked in the mirror and thought I looked like garbage, probably because I felt like garbage, and my head was still ringing, making me want to close my eyes and plop right back down into bed- this time with no daytime fucking going on inches away from my head to keep me up the entire time.

  But no, I had work to do, a crap ton of studying, and I knew that I needed to keep my priorities straight, regardless of my state of mind.

  I got dressed, and made my way downstairs to the kitchen, my notes and a textbook already in hand. Something smelled delicious, and I entered the room to see Ashley in one of Ty's overly large t-shirts, wearing it like a dress that barely came down to her knees, standing at the stove and cooking bacon and eggs, pancakes, and hash browns...

  God, it made my mouth water, and inwardly I blanched, thinking how impossible it would be for me to ever relegate myself to the fate of being a housewife, even had I wanted to.

  I couldn't cook for shit, by comparison...

  “Oh hey Kell,” Ashley smiled to me. “You want some breakfast?”

  “Um, yeah, maybe just some eggs and um... Toast, maybe?”

  “Sure thing,” she said, but Ty intervened on my behalf.

  “Aw, come on, you've got to at least try her bacon... God, the way that girl can cook...”

  Ashley grinned at her husband, and I had to say, compared to the usual her I saw, this extra cheery, husband on leave version of her brought to mind the demeanor of a damn Stepford wife. But, of course, I needed to remain thankful for all that these two had done for me, and it was wrong of me to begrudge them their happiness just because I was jealous- that was, after all, what Ty had once done to me, and I knew full well what a dick move that could be to a sibling.

  I breathed in heavily, trying to keep from revealing my inner tension. “Oh, alright, then... Sounds delicious... And is there any coffee made? I can get it myself, I could really use some...”

  I sat down at the table next to Tyrone, opening up my textbook and taking a generous swig of coffee.

  “So, Kelly, did you sleep okay last night? I hope we didn't keep you up or anything...”

  I nearly spit my coffee out, and forced myself to smile innocently at him. “No, it was- no, I slept fine, thank you,” I said, flashing a toothy grin. God, it was like he wanted me to know that he and Ashley had had sex, as if anyone within a ten mile radius hadn't heard them going at it all night. I don't think he really thought anything about it, and judging from the look they exchanged after he asked, it was probably more of a cheeky little wink to Ashley than it was meant for me.

  I tried to lose myself in my textbook, but the legalese littering the page twisted and blurred before my eyes. It seemed like something that no amount of coffee could fix.

  “So what are you going to get into today, big sis?” asked Ty, interrupting me from getting into the very thing I was getting into for the day.

  “Oh, just studying... Same old thing.”

  “Aw, you should take a break. I can already tell you're working yourself too hard. Go out or something...”

  “I'll think about it,” I said, annoyed at the suggestion, but smiling at him being considerate of my emotional well-being. “What are you up to?” I asked, mostly to be polite.

  “Well, Ashley and I are going out to grab lunch at that new restaurant across town in a while, and I'm taking her to the jewelers after that,” he said, and Ashley temporarily turned to face him, giving him a joyous smile. God, she was insufferable like this... “And then in the afternoon I'm going to meet an old buddy of mine. You remember Danny, don't you?”

  I froze at this, my pencil going a little bit slack between my fingers.

  “Oh, Danny? Yeah... Yeah, I think I remember him,” I said, and my palms felt suddenly sweaty.

  “Well, he's in town for a few days. He kind of went through a bit of a rough patch recently. He got cut from the army due to some... Behavioral problems, I guess, and he's just sort of been flitting around since then until recently. I think he's finally got his act together, though, which is a relief, considering how close the two of us were during school.”

  “Oh, well, yes that is good,” I said, continuing to stare at my textbook and sip my coffee, but now I had more on my mind than I ever. “I hope you two have a nice time,” I added, my throat dry despite having just taken a sip from my mug.

  “Yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine. I was actually meaning to tell you earlier, he's actually going to be staying here for a couple of days. When he heard I was on leave, he wanted to swing by and see me, and since we have the spare bedroom downstairs, I thought we could save him the cost of a hotel...”

  This news, honestly, floored me. I couldn't even manage to muster up a response to hearing it, my lips seeming incapable of forming into words.

  Holy hell...

  Yes, I sure as hell remembered Danny, quite vividly in fact. And once Ty and Ashley were gone for the day, I spent the entire morning and afternoon dwelling on my memories of him, and on the intense crush I'd harbored for so very long, that had never really gone away completely, I now realized.

  Danny had always been a bad boy... He was everything I told myself I was working against in my pursuit of a career as a lawyer. He broke rules, he shirked discipline, he made fun of teachers, he picked on other kids... And that was all just in high school.

  And yet it was against my own best judgment that I thought with mixed feelings of him at the time, knowing how bad of an influence he was on my brother, spurring his apathy and his bad behavior. Knowing that he was an entitled little shit who thought he could do whatever the hell he wanted.

  Yet nonetheless, at eighteen, I was mesmerized by him in every way. I burned for the days when he came over to the house to play video games with Ty, and I always made sure to make more trips than I needed to past Ty's room, just to be seen by his guest.

  It was almost masochistic in some ways... Because always I would subject myself to Danny's smartass comments, and I would get pissed off at them. I would hear my brother talk about how he fooled around with multiple girls at a time, and what an unhealthy attitude he shamelessly harbored toward the opposite sex. He even got Ty into drugs for a very brief period, immediately preceding the aforementioned talking to that my father gave him to straighten him out.

  Frankly it came as a surprise to me when I found out Danny was joining the army with Ty, but it wasn't at all surprising when I found out he got kicked out. I didn't know how much I believed being told that he'd gotten his life back on track since then, and I wondered to what possible extent that could be true- perhaps Ty was just exaggerating for the benefit of his friend.

  Way back when, it was very, very much a love hate relationship that I'd felt toward Danny, knowing that, of all the people in the world, I sure as hell shouldn't be craving an arrogant bad boy like him. But then he would flash me that charming, devilish smile of his. And I would get wet just thinking about his strong, muscular body, well-maintained despite his general demeanor of not giving a damn about things. His easygoing manner, which seemed to convince naïve and gullible girls such as myself that sex with him was an inevitability, nothing to be afraid or ashamed of, and we should just let it happen. And God, the thought of his white skin grinding up against my smooth, ebony flesh as he pushed his way inside me, thrilling me as I'd never been thrilled...

  It was a distraction I fell prey to with far too great a frequency at the time, and though Danny had largely disappeared from my life when he and Ty went their separate ways, I realized now, with the immediate prospect of his return at hand, that the underlying attraction had never really dissipated- and I neede
d it, once again, like I needed a hole in my head.

  I spent the day, as I'd said I would, trying to study, but the words continued to elude and evade me. There was just no point in this, I could tell, with Danny looming large in my mind, making my skin crawl and my thighs tremble.

  I was taking a break, going to the kitchen for a glass of water, when I heard a loud rumble outside, signaling his arrival, and I knew pretty instantly that that was who it was. Of course, he'd pulled up into the driveway on a motorcycle, revving up the engine as Ty and Ashley pulled up in their SUV beside him.

  Some things about people just never really changed...

  They stepped inside, and I didn't flee quick enough to avoid having to make introductions right there on the spot.

  “Oh hey Kelly! We're back,” said Ty. “You remember Danny, don't you?”

  I swallowed hard, a bit in shock as I peered into the eyes of a man I thought I might never see again. It was, undeniably, the same old Danny, and the mixed emotions I'd come to expect from seeing him caused a knot to form in my chest. But I couldn't help but think, as his usual wicked smile spread slow and devilish across his lips, that the bad boy nature he'd once exhibited had become rather more refined with age, less ridiculous. Now, it was more dark and brooding than it was outlandish and attention-seeking, and the change, I thought was a sexy one.

  And what was more, I could tell, as I looked into his eyes, the attraction I'd once felt for him had clearly been reciprocated way back when, and apparently, judging by his expression, he still felt it rather significantly to this day.

  “Kelly... It's great to see you again. You're looking absolutely beautiful, as always,” he said. He took my hand just a little too tightly, and I could feel my hand all clammy and slack in his grip, like all the bones had gone out of it. His, by contrast, was warm and thick, powerful, possessive...

  My nostrils flared, in a fashion that was depraved and animalistic.

  “It's great to see you too, Danny,” I said, coming back to my senses, and promptly once he'd released me from his grip, I made my way back in the direction of my room. I could practically feel his gaze burning against my ass as I made my way down the hall for the stairs, and without even having the visual proof of his gawking, I felt both offended and aroused by the inward certainty that he'd been imagining me with no clothes on...

  I stayed in my room studying until dinner, thanking God for the excuse of having a test coming up despite its presence looming larger and larger with my inability to focus. Eventually, though, I was called down to eat around eight in the evening, dreading the prospect of having to sit around eating in that man's presence for the next hour.

  Immediately, when I came into the kitchen, Danny's eyes fell upon me, burning into me, and I swallowed hard, sweat prickling along the back of my neck.

  We were having spaghetti for dinner, and it looked delicious- though not nearly as delicious as Danny...

  I took my seat at the table, trying to ignore the burning of Danny's frequent glances, and I felt secretly relieved as Tyrone asked us to close our eyes, and bow our heads in prayer to give thanks for the meal.

  “Our father who art in heaven,” he began, “Hallowed be thy name. We thank you for this meal, and for bringing us together, to be here, and...”

  My heart was throbbing in my ears the entire damn time. My apologies to God, but prayer was the last thing on my mind, save perhaps a prayer for deliverance from the temptations of the devil, who I honestly believed in that moment happened to be sitting right next to me, making me think all sorts of impure thoughts.

  And then, as though simply to drive that point home, I felt the pressing of a foot up against my ankle, lightly at first, and causing my eyes to go wide. It was, of course, Danny, tapping my leg so lightly that it might yet have been an accident. But he was looking into my eyes now, studying my reaction, and paying as little attention to Tyrone's prayer as I was.

  My expression didn't change, except that maybe I began to look more fearful at the prospect of succumbing to temptation, and little innocent lines began to crease around my lips, between my eyebrows...

  Encouraged, then, as he was by my response, be slid his leg further up against me, putting his foot between my ankles and continuing to rub- it was, I have to admit, reminiscent of intercourse...

  I tried not to think about this... Tried not to let the thoughts overtake me, as they were already doing quite plainly. Taking things one step at a time, I closed my eyes, and tried to launch myself back into the prayer. But all I could really focus on was the rubbing of his leg up against me, the pleasure I felt in reaction to his touch, the goosebumps erupting wildly across my skin.

  The wetness between my thighs...

  By the time Tyrone had said his last “Amen,” Danny had pulled away from me, and was smiling at me with a sort of forged innocence that made me want to lunge across the table and kiss his stupid mouth.

  God, how the hell was I going to survive the duration of his stay?

  Chapter 3

  The incident at dinner was hardly the only of its kind. Over the next couple of days, I tried, my absolute damnedest, to put Danny out of my mind and to focus solely on my studies, knowing how imperative it was that I not let myself fall prey to him and his seductive, bad boy ways- and yet I knew, even as I attempted it, that I would fail miserably.

  Any time the two of us happened to be in a room together, the sexual tension became unbearable. The long, heated stares. The unspoken longing for one another, my increasing inability to resist putting my hands all over him.

  And then, God, there was the night when I accidentally walked in on him in the bathroom, naked, soaking wet, after just having taken a shower. I shrieked, wanting to chastise him for not locking the goddamn door, yet I found myself unable to look away. I was astonished by the dripping of the water from his white flesh, the tattoos twisting all across his powerful body- not to mention, the fact that his sizable, penis began to grow hard and long in response to my seeing it, my eyes transfixed on the magnificent sight.

  He smiled at me, and for once actually seemed to feel a bit awkward about it himself, and I hurried to slam the door shut, and disappear up the stairs, sobbing in my room with embarrassment and sexual repression...

  Plus, Ty and Ashley decided to fuck again that night, and I was left more tortured than ever as I tried not to think about screwing Danny.

  I couldn't let this happen to me... I couldn't throw away my neutrality, my good sense, and fall victim to the love 'em and leave 'em attitude of some sleazy little nobody like Danny...

  But then one night, when I couldn't sleep, I made the mistake of going downstairs. Not to Danny's room, obviously, though I did stare long and hard at the door as I stepped past it.

  No, rather I decided that it was imperative that I get some fresh air, and accordingly I stepped out on the front porch, needing to breathe.

  I nearly shrieked, however, at the sight of Danny sitting there, staring off into the distance, the glowing red tip of a cigarette acting like a torch in the blackness of night.

  “Jesus!” I shrieked, gripping my chest.

  “No, it's just me,” he said, and I could see him grinning by the cigarette's light.

  “What are you doing out here?” I asked, trying to catch my breath, and suddenly feeling more fluent around him than I had the entire duration of his visit.

  He shrugged. “Couldn't sleep. Needed a light. You want one?” he asked, extending his pack to me, and I waved him away.

  “I couldn't sleep either,” I said, my nerves gently settling back down despite the immediate sexual tension of the situation. At least he wasn't a night prowler, or a serial killer or something...

  “Well, at least we're not-sleeping together now,” he said, and I could feel the improper intent behind his words, making me burn for him, making me feel that, at last, it was time for me to put my foot down, draw the line.

  “Look,” I said, “I don't know what you think this is...
What you think there might be, between the two of us... But... But... But I have no time for... I mean, I'm not interested in... In...”

  Without missing a beat, as I was still trying to compose my thoughts into something cohesive, he interrupted me. “You sure seemed to display a hell of a lot of interest in the bathroom the other night...” he said, and I could feel myself tensing up.

  I began to breathe hard, irate, my nostrils flaring. I gritted my teeth, and balled my hands into fists, and just then I could have punched him in the fucking face.

  But instead, I kissed him...

  In an intense, roaring wave of passion, I flung my face forward toward his, aligned my mouth with his, and the two of us tasted one another. Our lips melted together, warm, wet, delectable. The skin pushed and sloshed and twisted, we put our tongues in one another's mouths, and he put his hands on me, pulling my ass into him.

  I could feel him hardening up against me, that cock I'd seen in the bathroom making its first warm contact with my body, making me feel like I could dissolve into a puddle, and making me wonder what the hell was stopping me from doing so.

  I pulled away from him, still sitting on his lap. Panting, my breasts heaving as I tried to still my dizzy head... I couldn't tell what the hell had just overtaken me, what had possessed me to do such a thing, and why, oh why, I couldn't stop myself from continuing.

  I almost did, too. I almost proclaimed it a huge mistake, and stormed off.

  But I was hypnotized by his eyes, gazing deep and longingly into him. He had his hand pushed up beneath my night gown, slid beneath the tight fabric of my panties, claws digging firmly into the flesh of my buttocks.

  “Come on...” he whispered into me. “Let's go to my room...”

  And I didn't say no, either...

  Everything I had, everything I loved, and everything I'd worked for presently hung in the balance. And yet I was casting it away with the same brazen attitude I'd initially had in pursuing it. Not giving a damn anymore, needing this bad boy's cock, needing him to pound my pussy and to ravish my tits, to make me feel alive and wanted, and full of the excitement I'd been missing out on for so long in sacrifice for the life I sought for myself.