Burn: Dragon Shifter Romance

by Ava Frost

She whistles when she sees me. “Hot mama! I knew that dress would look killer on you. Now that you have the dress, you need heels, your hair to be done, and a few accessories. After that, the night can begin!”

  “Where do you plan on taking me looking like a cheap hooker?” I ask, throwing myself on her bed as I stare at the ceiling. “Please don’t tell me we’re going to some stupid frat guy’s party.”

  Macey throws a pair of four-inch heels on the bed next to me, which I’m guessing are meant for me to wear, then goes over to her dresser and starts looking for something. “We’re not going to a frat party and you do not look like a cheap hooker. You look like a classy one.” Her comment makes me laugh. “And we’re going to Jaxon’s place.”

  I crinkle my nose. “Who?”

  Macey rolls her eyes. “Figures you wouldn’t know the hottest guy in our school.” She grins at me affectionately, letting me know she’s not judging me, just finds my lack of boy knowledge cute. “Jaxon McKenzie is hot, rich, successful, and is sex on a stick. He would be the perfect guy to help you get over Trevor, but I’m not going to throw you to him. He intimates even me with his hotness and his sinful eyes.” She pretends to fan herself. “Anyway, he’s having a party down the street and since he owns his own house, he invited a bunch of people over for a party. Tonight we will find the perfect solution to your problem.” She gestures for me to sit up, and when I do, she attacks my hair, trying to make it do something besides lay flat.

  “And what is this solution, oh wise one?”

  Macey smirks and stops playing with my hair, seeming satisfied with the results she achieved. “Honey, everyone knows the best way to get over a guy is to get underneath another one.” My eyes pop open in shock and my jaw drops. She’s not serious…is she? She nods her head, answering my unspoken question. “That’s right. Tonight you, Mia Watson, the twenty-year-old virgin, is going to lose her V-card to some random guy and show Trevor you do not need him!”

  I shake my head frantically, not liking this idea at all. “But I—”

  Macey shoots daggers at me. “No. You over think things too much, Mia. Tonight I want you to drink, dance, flirt, and for god’s sake, no talking about school!” She pulls me up and grabs her purse from her dresser. Before I know it, we’re outside and Macey is locking the front door. “Here,” she shoves the pair of heels she showed me earlier into my arms. “Put them on.”

  “But I can’t walk in heels, Macey.” I grumble out, but put them on anyway. It’s either put them on, or walk bare-foot to this guy’s house. And since I didn’t have a chance to grab my keys, I can’t go back inside and grab a pair of flats, which I’m guessing was intentionally done by Macey.

  At least I’m not in my room wallowing in self-misery.

  Macey scoffs at my earlier comment. “They aren’t meant to be comfortable, Mia. The heels are meant to get us laid. And trust me, wearing those, you’ll be doing the horizontal dance by the end of the night.”

  I roll my eyes, not believing a thing she says. I’m, despite her protests, not going to sleep with some random man tonight. I’m a good girl, and good girls don’t sleep with guys they just met—especially not after a break-up.

  I wish someone told me that bad boys didn’t understand those rules.

  Chapter 3

  Jaxon

  Who is that girl who just walked into my house? And why the hell have I’ve never talked to her before?

  My eyes follow the stunning girl in question as she makes her way meekly into my kitchen. I stop listening to the annoying kid talking to me—Trevor; I think his name is—in favor of watching the girl.

  She’s a knockout, with hair as dark as the night, and skin as pale as the moon. But it’s her eyes that have me captured in their trap. Her eyes are pale blue, like the sky during a clear day, and for some reason, I can’t help but stare at them.

  “I wouldn’t set my interest on her, if I were you.” Trevor says, breaking me out of my trance. I give him an inquiring expression and he smiles smugly. “Been there, done that. Or rather, didn’t get a chance to.” He shrugs and takes a drink of his beer. “She’s not someone you’d be interested in, man. She’s too stuck-up.”

  Rage builds up in me, which I don’t expect, and I have to fight back the urge to punch this dick-wad in the face. There’s no way this idiot, who wears polo shirts and khakis, knows a girl like that. She’s a knockout while I’d like to knock him out.

  “Whatever man. I’ll go after any girl I want. I don’t need your advice, but thanks.” I down the rest of my beer and hand it to him, expecting him to take the empty bottle from me, and he does. I nod my head at the raven-haired beauty. “Ever talk shit about her again and I’ll break your teeth. Understand, pretty-boy?” Trevor grinds his teeth, wanting to say something to me, but thinks better of it and nods.

  I stride for the girl who has stolen my attention, planning on asking her to give it back, when Stacey steps in front of me, stopping me in the steps cold. I take a deep breath and sigh. “What do you want, Stacey? I’m busy right now.”

  Stacey eyes the girl and fists her hands to her side. Damn. She’s pissed. “I can see that, Jaxon. Moving on to another girl now that you’re done with me? Are you going to fuck her like you fucked me?” she shoves at my chest, clearly drunk by the way her body is swaying.

  Glancing at the girl one more time, I grab Stacey into a firefighters hold and take her to one of my best friends, Gil. Gil sees me approaching with Stacey and frowns. “Not again, man.” He groans and puts down the soda he has been drinking. “Dude, you need to find a girl who can hold her damn liquor.”

  “She’s not my girl, Gil. You know this.” I transfer her over to him and level him with a stern look. “Get her home safely and no funny business. You know where she lives, where she hides her house keys, and if she makes a pass at you, you know not to entertain her.”

  Gil sighs, but nods his head in agreement. Since Gil is the only person in my group who doesn’t drink and whom I trust, I tend to always have him drive the drunken girls, or guys, home during the party. He acts like he hates doing this, but Gil has a big heart and would rather help others than party.

  “Thanks man. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some business I need to attend to.” I walk away and enter the kitchen a couple of minutes later. I gaze around for the girl, but she’s no longer here. Damn it! Where can she be? “Hey, Benny!” I yell at another friend of mine and he stops talking to the blonde babe at the kitchen’s island.

  “Yeah?” he asks, winking at the blonde who in turns giggles. Gosh, I hate gigglers.

  “I’m looking for a girl who was just here. She has black hair, pale skin, and insanely sinful blue eyes? Ring any bells?”

  Giggles is the one to answer me. “Oh my God! Are you talking about Mia? She has on a blue dress that matches her eyes and a pair of nude heels? Appeared to want to hide under a table as soon as she entered the house?” The girl questions and I nod my head at every detail she describes. The girl giggles again, dear god, and jumps off the island, coming towards me until she’s invading my space. “This is perfect!”

  I raise my eyebrows at her comment, confused. “What is perfect?”

  “You are!” she exclaims like I’m an idiot for not understanding what she’s saying. How much did she have to drink? The girl points upwards and grins. “Mia went upstairs to find a quiet place to hide.”

  My lip curls in amusement and I chuckle. “Um, she realizes what happens in bedrooms at parties, right?” the girl laughs and shakes her head. Interesting. So Mia is innocent and shy. Not my type, but with the way she looks, I don’t really give a shit right now. I want her and I intend to have her. “I’ll go check on her upstairs then. To make sure she’s okay and not running scared.”

  The girl nods her head, her smile never leaving her face. “Maybe you can loosen her up? I heard you could be a lot of; um…” she glances down at my groin and giggles. “…fun.”

  I laugh my ass off and Benny shoots me an e
vil glare. I get the picture and start to head out the kitchen. “Have fun you two kids. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  I jog up the stairs and enter the first bedroom, slamming it promptly when I see two people moving suggestively on the bed. Couples are using the next two rooms and I’m exasperated when I get to my bedroom, the last room down the hall, and try to open the door. Only, this door isn’t open like the others were. It’s locked.

  “Hello?” I knock on the door, but no one answers. “Mia? Are you in there?”

  I hear light footsteps approach the door, and then the angel speaks, “Who is that?”

  Her voice is enchanting and I want to hear her speak again. “It’s Jaxon. I own this house.” She doesn’t respond back to me. “Um, do you mind opening the door? This is my room and I wanted to get something inside but, oddly enough, the door is locked.” I imagine Mia blushing behind the door and smile. I bet her face flushes beautifully. Still, I get no response, just silence. “Please, Mia?”

  I hear her sigh from the other side and then she opens the door. Her blue doe eyes meet mine, making my heart skip a beat, and I offer her a wave. A. Fucking. Wave. “Hi.” I say, shoving my hands into my pockets, nerves suddenly taking over me. Mia keeps glancing behind herself, as if debating whether she should hide back in the room or leave. “You don’t have to go back out there if you don’t want to.” Her eyes fly back up to mine and her face heats up. I was right; she’s a fucking knockout when she blushes. “You can stay in my room, but I would like it if I could join you?”

  Mia’s face turns darker and she shakes her head rapidly. “I don’t…you know, do that.” She mutters out, not meeting my eyes as she gestures to the rooms across from us where couples are currently having sex. “I’m going to go now. Bye, Jaxon.”

  I might have let her go, if she hadn’t said my name, but now I can’t get the sound of my name on her lips out of my head. She’s not going anywhere. She’s mine and she’ll realize that soon.

  “Wait!” I grab her arm as she tries to pass by me, stopping her from making her escape. “I didn’t mean we had to do anything but talk, although, I’ll be lying if I said I didn’t want you.” I say the words as I stare intently into her eyes. She attempts to avoid eye contact, but she can’t seem to look away from me anymore than I can from her. “I just want to talk, Mia. If it’ll make you feel better, we’ll leave the door open slightly so you know I’m not going to try something you aren’t comfortable with.”

  Mia thinks over my offer and, shockingly, she nods her head and walks back into my room. I watch her radiant ass swish side-to-side as she does, with no shame, and tell my dick to stand down before he scares her off and we lose any chance we have with her.

  We sit down on the floor and Mia plays with her fingers, obviously nervous. “Do you have water in there?” she asks, nodding towards the mini-fridge at the side of my king-sized bed.

  I shake my head and get up to open the fridge. “I have beer and Jack Daniels.”

  Mia’s eyebrows furrow at me. “Jack, what?”

  I grin and grab the bottle from the fridge, along with two shot glasses. Placing them in front of Mia, I sit across from her and pour a small amount of the drink into a shot glass and offer it to her. She eyes it cautiously. “It’s whiskey.”

  Mia takes the drink and sniffs it. God, can she be more adorable? “Does it taste good?”

  I shrug my shoulders. “I like it, it’s my drink of choice, but I can’t tell you if you’ll like it or not.” She eyes the drink and I chuckle. “Just try it. I dare you.”

  My dare seems to trigger something in her because the next thing I know, Mia is downing the drink, glaring at me as she does. Besides a cough, she takes the drink like a champ. Like I needed another reason to want her.

  “Tastes like ass.” She blurts out, seeming to surprise herself.

  I snicker at her comment. “Well, at least you know now you don’t like it.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t like it.” She says, twisting her shot glass in her hand. “It has an odd charm to it.” She passes me the glass back.

  “So,” I start off, tired of the silence. “Do you find me attractive?”

  Mia blushes and clears her throat. “That’s an odd question.”

  “Yup. But I want to know.” She doesn’t respond and I sigh. It’s back to the silence again. I eye the glasses on the floor and an idea comes to me. “Let’s play a game, Mia.”

  She hesitates for a moment, but responds back, “What kind of game?”

  “It’s an easy game, don’t worry.” I fill both our glasses up again as I talk. “Truth or dare. If there’s a dare or truth we don’t want to answer, we have to take a shot.”

  She gives me an outraged expression. “I’m not playing that with you! Especially not alone with alcohol.”

  “Scared?” I ask, knowing taunting her will make her want to challenge me, like earlier with the dare.

  She narrows her eyes but nods slowly. “Fine. But no funny business.”

  I cough back a laugh and incline my head. “Sure.” I’ll play nice, for now. “You’ll go first then. Truth, or dare.”

  Mia bites her lip and I know before she speaks what she’s going to say, “Truth.”

  Knew it.

  “Okay,” I pretend to think of a question, but I already have one planned. “Do you find me attractive?”

  Mia laughs, despite the frustration I see in her eyes. “Seriously? How did I know you’d ask me that?” she picks up the glass off the floor and downs the drink. Licking her lips seductively, she gazes at me from under her eyelashes. The vixen. “Your turn. Truth, or dare?”

  Five shots later, three of which were hers, and we’re completely wasted. I drank earlier and combined with these shots, I know I need to stop drinking while I still have some good judgment. “No more shots. We’re completely drunk.”

  Mia giggles and hiccups, making me crack up. She’s so much more laid back when she’s been drinking. She was so reserved when she was sober, due to her seeming to over think everything, and now she’s a completely different person. She’s letting me in and even told me a few truths about herself, like her favorite color is red, she loves kittens, and she’s still deeply afraid of the dark.

  I’m starting to feel something for Mia that I’ve never felt for a girl before—affection. I like this girl, a lot, and I don’t want to hurt her, so I’m going to end this game and send her home.

  “One more turn and then we’ll stop.” Mia says and since she’s not slurring her words yet, I allow it. “Truth, or dare?” she asks me.

  “Truth.” I answer.

  Mia chews on her lips, seeming unsure. “Do you—” she pauses and shakes her head. “Forget it.”

  “Ask the question, Mia.” I encourage, knowing that whatever she was going to ask is important to her.

  She averts her gaze. “Why did you really come up here?”

  I’m taken aback by the question, but answer truthfully. “Because I had no choice. From the moment I saw you enter my home, I wanted to know you. To find out why you hid when you’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. No,” I say, grabbing her chin when she tries to lower her gaze from mine. When her eyes are meeting mine, I smile softly and caress her cheek. “You, Mia, are beautiful. And I’m not just saying that. I don’t say anything unless I mean it. And I mean every word I said. You’re enchanting and I want to know more.” Mia smiles softly and leans her face into my hand. I gather my courage and ask her, “Truth, or dare?”

  Mia doesn’t hesitate with her reply this time. “Dare.”

  My heart begins thundering in my chest and I tilt her head back, slightly, bringing my face closer to hers until only a breath separates us. “Kiss me.” It isn’t a question, it’s a demand. And luckily for me, Mia answers willingly.

  Our lips connect and I will never be the same.

  Chapter 4

  Mia

  Kissing Jaxon is magical and terrifying.

  I
’ve never felt the raw passion, the connection, and the absolute lust when kissing a guy before—not even when I kissed Trevor. I’ve always thought that I was the issue in our relationship and that I was a prude who couldn’t give herself completely to her boyfriend, but kissing Jaxon now, I know that’s not the case.

  I was just waiting for the right moment with the right guy.

  Jaxon surprises me when he leans away from me, breaking the kiss. He’s breathing heavily and I can see from the vein pulsing on the side of his head that he’s losing control, but I don’t mind. I want him to touch me. I want to touch him. I reach out to pull Jaxon’s lips back to mine, but he pulls away, making a pained sound.

  He opens his gorgeous brown eyes and studies me with an apologetic expression on his face. “Mia, this is as far as I take this tonight.”

  I’m puzzled by his words and oddly hurt. “But…don’t you want me?”

  Jaxon laughs and caresses my cheek. “Baby, I want you, trust me.” He must see that I don’t believe his words because he sighs and grabs my hand in his, bringing it down to his very excited and stiff member. Shocking myself, I grab him through his jeans and squeeze slightly, intrigued. He groans and pulls my hand away. Jaxon’s eyes pierce mine and I can see the lust in his eyes. “Mia…please, don’t make this more difficult for me. I’m hanging on by a thread as it is.”

  “Then don’t stop yourself.” I whisper, feeling brave with a man for the first time in my life. I know it’s the alcohol making me bold, but I know I’m not drunk. I want Jaxon. And I want to give my body over to him, if only for a night. Jaxon makes me feel alive and his personality, although different than mine, speaks to my soul. I grab his hand this time and place it on my left breast, closing his hand with mine so he’s squeezing my breast with just the right amount of pressure to make me moan. I glance up at Jaxon and bite my lip, unsure now. “Touch me, Jaxon. I want you to.”

  Jaxon’s breathing is more labored and his eyes darken. “Mia, you’ve been drinking a lot. I can’t take you and not know if you really want me, or it’s just the alcohol talking. I don’t want you to regret this decision in the morning.”