by Sky Winters
Moving her other hand downward, she began stroking her clit again, moving her fingers up and down the tiny length of it until she was jerking and bucking against it. She slipped the two fingers of her opposite hand inside again, curling them slightly to massage her g-spot. Her moans filled the quiet of her room as her hips flailed about, the combination of stroking her clit and her ill-attended g-spot finally sending her into spasms of climax that caused her to cry out with their force.
She imagined that he wouldn’t let her settle for just one and continued her manipulations until she was all but screamed out in ecstasy as her body racked and exploded until she had nothing left to give and collapsed in an exhausted but mostly content pile on the bed.
It wasn’t exactly what she needed. If he were really here, she could only imagine what he’d feel like driving in and out of her with what she imagined to be impressive equipment. She needed to be fucked in the worst way and was surprised to realize that she’d been without for so long that she’d forgotten to even be sexual with herself.
She sighed and climbed out of bed, going to shower and try to get her mind on something else. It would do her no good to walk around feeling like a horny teen all day, and if she did happen to see him again, it would be hard to focus on her assignment rather than his physique or the way his full lips moved when he spoke.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Dane
“It looks like lightning hit your workshop,” the fire marshal said, looking at his clipboard
“Lightning?” Dane repeated.
“Best guess, really. The impact seems to have struck the roof and set some of the chemicals you had stored out there alight.”
“In the back corner?”
The fire marshal looked up at him with a single raised eyebrow.
“Yes.”
“There was a hole back there. I found it when I came in yesterday. I don’t know how it happened.”
“Sounds a bit strange that you’d have a hole right where lightning shot through to start a fire.”
“I agree, but I don’t know how either thing happened.”
“Well, there is no evidence of arson, and I can’t account for freak accidents, so I’m going to just write it up as suspected causation by the elements and call it a day. If you’re insured, you should be able to file a claim with no problem. You’ll get no flak from us.”
“Thanks. I’m sure it is, as part of the property. I’ll check into it.”
“Might want to consider rebuilding elsewhere if one corner of it is a lightning magnet.”
“I will.”
Dane turned back to the blackened pile of wood and tin as the man left and sighed. He went into the house and retrieved his cell phone, calling for a large dumpster to be brought out later in the week. Most people would just call someone to scoop it all up and dispose of it, but there were memories buried in that rubble, and perhaps he could salvage a few of them. Plus, there was the matter of what no one could see beneath the soggy mess.
There were no new notifications on his phone from Alpha Meets Omega, but that was no surprise. He couldn’t say he wasn’t disappointed. If the pretty redhead he’d sparred with last night saw fit to see him again, he could see himself spending his extra time with her for a bit. She certainly was the oddest Omega he’d met in a while, and that was a good thing.
At the risk of coming across as overbearing or, even worse, desperate, he went to her profile and hit the message option to send her a short text before tossing the phone back down on the table.
Grabbing an old sketch pad and pack of pencils that had belonged to his mom once upon a time, he sat down at the table and began sketching out a new plan for a workshop. If he took out a few trees on the opposite side, he could go bigger and better. Perhaps there was a silver lining to this whole fiasco. He’d planned to do some work out there while he was here, so it might as well be to get started on a new building.
His phone buzzed, and he picked it up, smiling down at the message he saw there. He’d asked her to dinner, and she’d agreed. So, maybe things weren’t so bad, after all. Getting up from the table, he went out to get started on sawing down some trees, already halfway across the yard before realizing the chainsaw had, of course, been in the shop. All the tools had.
He turned around and went back into the house to change before getting into the car and driving into the small town that bordered the rural landscape his clan inhabited. There was a hardware store there. It looked like he was going to need a bit of shopping in order to even get started on his new plan.
Almost two hours later, he left with all the basics and a delivery scheduled for later in the afternoon. They would bring in the small shed he had bought to hold everything while he rebuilt. He was surprised when he pulled in to find the dumpster already delivered. They had told him it might be a few days.
“Alright, it looks like you’ve got a lot to do, Jensen,” he muttered aloud.
For the next few days, he lost himself in clearing debris, shifting into dragon form to move the larger pieces of tin and charred board. It took a lot longer than he had expected just to get it all cleaned up, and only a handful of metal tools were even close to salvageable, but he was finally able to get to the double doors embedded beneath where the floor used to be.
He'd found the key, but it didn’t seem to work. He could only assume that the heat of the fire had done some damage to the lock. He gave up trying to unlock it and pried the lock off instead, flinging the large metal doors open and turning on his flashlight. It was another disaster down there from all the water that had seeped in.
It became increasingly apparent to him that the cause of the fire, as well as the hole that had preceded, it was dragon born. The fact that they hadn’t touched the house let him know it was a warning, but why, he wasn’t sure. He assumed the original damage was the result of a dive landing, letting their powerful legs punch into the roof. They must have realized that he hadn’t gotten the message the first time and decided to finish it off with a blast of fire.
There was only one group he could think of that would lash out at him. The Black Talons had been at odds with him ever since he’d purchased Turner and Hood. The owners had not been dragons, but they were among the few humans that could only be described as dragon friendly. The reason for this was likely of a nefarious nature. The previous owners had been heavy gamblers, and the Black Talons owned a casino. No doubt they lost out when the company went under to the bank and they had failed at picking it up for themselves when he outbid them.
Of course, that was just the beginning of the Black Talon Clan’s beef with him. There had been bad blood between them and his clan for years due to a battle that had been fought well before any of them were even born. They did like to hold a grudge over there. He contemplated whether this was just about the construction company or something else. It seemed odd that they would wait nearly three years to act.
Whatever their reasons were, they had gone too far, and he was tired of their games. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with them, but he was going to have to look at getting his own clan involved soon to deal with them. Though he didn’t participate in the day-to-day life of his clan, he was still a member in good standing and came to their aid anytime they asked it of him. If the Black Talons were going to attack him, it was an attack on all of them.
The rest of the week seemed to all meld together as he worked to clean up the mess that had once been his father’s workshop and the hidden shelter opening below, but he had it at least cleared by the time Saturday rolled around. He messaged Adriana to make sure they were still on for dinner and went to shower off the grime he’d accumulated. He was glad to find she was still on board when he checked his phone afterward. It was a much-needed break from the week he had been having, and he found that he was looking forward to seeing her.
In fact, he hadn’t realized just how much he was looking forward to it until he was driving into the city to meet her. He’d like to do things the old
-fashioned way and pick her up at her place, but she’d suggested they meet at the location and he’d acquiesced. He understood that dating in this age and time involved being careful for women. It would change once she felt comfortable with him, and if it didn’t, he’d know that there was little reason to continue seeing her.
He was surprised to find himself experiencing a hint of sadness about that possibility. Somehow, this woman already seemed to have a hold over him he couldn’t explain. Perhaps he should proceed with caution, but he couldn’t say he would.
CHAPTER NINE
Adriana
Adriana smiled as Dane walked in the front door. He looked amazing in a simple blue t-shirt and jeans with sneakers. It was a casual place, not the usual date restaurant most men would choose. Some women would deem it cheap and think it was an effort to watch the wallet, but she found it comfortable and cozy. She’d been here before. The food was good, and you got a full plate and pitchers of beer.
“You sure this place is okay?” he asked, obviously concerned about it as well, but why had he suggested it then? Men were a mystery sometimes.
“No. This place is fantastic. I’ve been really busy all week and haven’t had much of a chance to even eat. I wore my fat pants.”
Dane laughed, even as she blushed, realizing how awful that must have sounded to a date.
“Good to know. I like it when a woman isn’t afraid to eat.”
The truth was that she had been eating all week, but it had all been in those fancy restaurants she was just contemplating, with tiny portions and desserts that looked like bite-size treats. She’d gone out on three more dates with men from Alpha Meets Omega, all busts. One was married. He’d apparently intended to hide it but foolishly forgot to take off his wedding band. So, he’d claimed he was a widow and just still wore it. Her research skills proved otherwise.
The other two were equally awful. One talked too much, and the other hardly talked at all. She’d been so bored of the last one that she actually considered going to the bathroom and not coming back like you see in movies. Instead, she’d soldiered on and made notes when she got home for her article. The bad experiences had only made her more excited to get a message from Dane. She’d honestly thought she’d annoyed him with her commentary on the displaced reptiles.
Of course, she’d also attempted to do a little research on him too. There was nothing to be found on Mr. Dane “DJ” Johnson, which led her to believe he’d given her a fake name. She’d wanted to look into things a bit further but had gotten sidetracked by the drama of a friend and not gotten back to it. It did, however, lend to her decision to continue to meet him rather than giving him her address. For all she knew, he was a serial killer—a very handsome, articulate, alluring one, but that was even more dangerous.
“So, what have you been up to this week?” she asked as they dove into the appetizers they ordered to share, all stick-to-your-ribs foods like wings, short ribs, fries, and battered mushrooms.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he laughed.
“Try me.”
“Well, my workshop burned to the ground at home, so I’ve been trying to clean up the mess.”
“Oh, God! I’m sorry. How did that happen?”
“Not sure. The investigator said it looked like maybe lightning hit it, maybe sparked some of the chemicals in there.”
“Chemicals?”
“Yeah, you know, stuff like acetone, mineral spirits . . . stuff like that.”
“Why would you have all that stuff?”
“I do a lot of woodwork in my spare time. Well, I used to, but I haven’t had much time for a while. So, it’s all sat out there, and I guess that wasn’t such a good idea.”
“That’s crazy. When did it happen?”
“Actually, the night after we went out. Maybe you’re bad luck,” he joked.
“And yet you asked me out again?”
“What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment.”
“Apparently so,” she laughed, taking another bite of the mushroom on her fork.
“It’s no big deal. The workshop can be replaced. I just hate that I lost a few things in there that had belonged to my father.”
“I can understand that. Was it his workshop or did you just have some things of his stored in there?”
“It was his workshop, sat beside the house I grew up in.”
“You live in your parents’ house?” she asked.
“Yeah. Well, it sounds weird when you say it as if I live in my mother’s basement or something. I inherited the place after they both were gone.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t ask personal questions like that.”
“It’s okay. How else will you get to know me?”
Adriana smiled at this, feeling a twinge of shame at having to dupe him about who she really was. She thought about coming clean and seeing if this might be something more real than just an assignment, but she needed to keep her wits about her and just do her job. This wasn’t about her finding romance. It was an article to be done, and she only had another week or so to deal with this. What happened after that, she couldn’t be sure.
“I feel like I’m going to need a wheelbarrow for you to roll me out of here,” she laughed when they were done.
“You can eat. I’ll give you that.”
“I’m sorry. I guess that’s not very, um, ladylike.”
“Ladylike is a matter of opinion, in my book. I will say that you aren’t like any other Omega I’ve ever met, though.”
“How’s that?” she replied.
Her thoughts centered on how badly she was failing at this. It was one thing to say you’d just go out there and act like an Omega, but it was entirely different to actually do it. Omegas were demure, pliable. That wasn’t her. How could she really do an article justice if she was throwing off the game?
“I don’t know. It’s a compliment; trust me.”
“I guess I will have to,” she told him.
The server brought the check, and she resisted the urge to ask if he wanted to split it. Letting a man buy your meals on every date was an antiquated practice, but she had to try to maintain her role. She was a low-paid administrative assistant and an Omega. He was shopping for a mate. It was his place to pay to play. Ugh. What a ridiculous practice.
“Alright, let’s get out of here. If you don’t mind taking a ride with me, I’d like to show you something.”
Much to her surprise, she didn’t hesitate and weigh the possibility of him being some sort of degenerate. Instead, she accepted and walked out to his car with him. She was surprised to find it was a sleek black Aston Martin, though an older model. It didn’t seem to fit with a man that owned a construction company, but she supposed there was no accounting for taste.
Twenty minutes later, they were pulling onto a remote dirt road and she was rethinking how quickly she’d accepted his invitation.
CHAPTER TEN
Dane
“You’re going to love this,” Dane told her, putting the car in park and getting out without waiting for her to exit.
Adriana was already reaching for her door handle when he made it around to her side to open the door, but he opened it for her anyway. She looked a little more than wary when she stepped out and looked around.
“Oh, God. I should have realized. You don’t know me that well, and I’ve brought you out to the middle of nowhere. Relax. I’m not going to murder you.”
Her expression was some strange mix of surprise and relief, though he still sensed a bit of apprehension in there too. He couldn’t blame her, but she’d see why he’d brought her in just a moment.
“What is this place?”
“It’s a part of my clan’s property. We keep it as sort of a nature preserve: undisturbed lands where we can shut out all the hustle and bustle of modern life. It’s like stepping back in time, isn’t it?”
“A bit. I feel like I’ve ventured onto the set of Lost.”
“I can see that. Come
on, see why we came here.”
Adriana walked beside him, another oddity about her. Omegas typically walked slightly behind. He found it a bit too old fashioned for his taste and was happy enough to see a woman on equal footing, but he also recognized it as being a little different.
They approached the edge of a dense area and he pointed to a large lake just ahead of them.
“There. That’s where we are going. Watch your footing.”
The air around them was quiet except for the sounds of their shoes crunching along on the narrow dirt path laden with debris from the latest storm. He’d have to get someone to clear off the paths that allowed them to walk freely through this area without fear of doing any harm to the habitat.
“Right there. See them?”
Adriana looked, squinting a bit and then seeming to focus in on where he had pointed.
“Are those alligators?”
“Yes. This is as close as we get. Past this point, we aren’t alone, and we don’t belong here.”
“I don’t understand. Why did you want me to see alligators?”
“Something you said on our first date, if that is what you want to call our short meeting. You were upset about the wildlife displaced by our construction project over by the river.”
“Just because there are more alligators here doesn’t mean you didn’t displace them or many others from their homes at the river,” she said.
“No, but we did give them a new home. A better, safer place to be without having to worry about people bothering them.”
“Wait. You’re saying you moved them here?”
“Yes. Well, with the help of some local animal rights activists and conservationists.”
“Why was it never mentioned in the papers?”
