by Sadie Sears
I laughed. “Everyone thinks it’s creepy. I lived there for months and I thought it was creepy. Cam renovated it when he bought it, but it couldn’t erase the history of the place. It’s not so much that it looks creepy, but it’s more about the magical vibe it gives off that freaks people out.”
“Magical in what way?” Damini asked as she stepped out of the car.
“Well, this was, coincidentally and unbeknownst even to her at the time, Sophie’s ancestral home.” I stepped around the truck and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, leading her toward the back porch as I hefted the box of gifts under my other arm. “It was one of the strangest things that had ever happened to us, and we’re dragons. We know strange.”
Damini whistled. “Wow. I’m gonna have to get that story.”
“Maybe you could do a piece on it for the Gazette.” I squeezed her tighter as she groaned and threw her head back. “You know she’ll give you the job if you ask. Even Jessica agreed. You could write it and take it to her, sort of as an example of your skills.”
“But it’s not investigative enough,” she said. “It’s a fluff piece.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “That’s because you don’t know the whole story and how much digging you’ll have to do to uncover what even we don’t know.”
That caught her interest. I saw it in her eyes the second she registered what I’d said. We kicked the snow from our shoes on the back porch and entered the back door into the kitchen. Breakfast smells filled the room and my mouth watered instantly.
Voices floated into the kitchen from the great room, and it sounded like half the clan was there already. Damini was looking around the kitchen in awe. Shae had definitely helped with the decorations. Garland was strung up along the front of the island, pinned with red bows. Wreaths hung in the windows, and lights bordered my favorite old window seat.
“This is gorgeous,” Damini whispered loudly.
“Vince!” Cam called from the other room. “Breakfast is still warm on the table if you want to grab a plate and join us.”
Damini darted past me into the dining room. Cameron had an enormous trestle table large enough to seat an army, also tastefully decorated with holly and candles and covered with food. She piled up two plates since I was carrying the box, then we joined everyone in the great room. I handed the box off to Cam and he started unloading the presents beneath the tree with the rest.
Leath and Lila were seated on one of the chairs near the fireplace, and Sophie sat on the stone hearth. Sam and Gretta were on the couch with Ben, and Mitias took the other chair. As Damini and I settled near Sophie on the hearth, Theo and Taurus walked in the front door.
Theo jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Dom is on his way. Should be here in a few.”
“Okay,” Cam said. “We can at least start handing out presents and wait on him. Girls!”
A herd of elephants stomped over our heads and came barreling down the stairs. Zoe and Shae were beaming as they rushed over and hugged me. They settled on the floor between me and Sophie as Cam started passing gifts out.
“This is so exciting.” Damini clapped her hands when she got a small one. “Usually, my parents would let me open them by myself, and when I got older, it was just more money instead of presents. This feels like one of those Christmas specials they show on TV every year. You know, big families opening presents together, everyone is happy. Are we going to sing Christmas carols?”
Cameron laughed as he tossed a box to Theo. “We can if you want to.”
Once the presents were distributed, the girls obviously getting the bulk of them, Dom walked in. Cam pushed his small pile over to him and we started opening them. Shae absolutely adored the cookbook set with her own customized chef hat. Poor Zoe nearly passed out when she opened our gift.
“Mom,” she squeaked. “T-t-tickets to see West Side Story. On Broadway!”
“How many?” Leath asked.
“Four! Can I bring Shae?”
As the girls screamed about going to New York, Damini picked up her smallest gift. I put my hand on it and pushed it back down.
“Save that one for last.” I winked at her. “Just trust me.”
She looked at me, confused for a moment, then nodded and picked up another box. Unwrapped it. Screamed louder than the girls.
“Holy sh—crap, Vince! Do you know how expensive these are? Why would you get these for me right now?”
Inside the box were a pair of black suede heels with red leather soles, a distinctive “L” imprinted in the bottom. They were nearly identical to the ones she’d ruined the night we’d snuck out of the Air Force dorms in the rain and mud. And they were indeed very expensive, but she was worth it. Besides, that was entirely my fault and I owed those to her.
I opened one of mine up to find… a chess set. Not just any chess set, though. It was wizard chess, from a series I’d discovered a few years ago and loved.
“Hey, isn’t that from Harry Potter?” Zoe asked, pulling the set from my lap to look.
“Zoe, don’t just take things like that,” Lila scolded.
I looked at Damini and lifted an eyebrow. She grinned back. “You like books, and you like board games that involve strategy. I got the best of both worlds. You… have read that series, right?”
Shae giggled, peeking over Zoe’s shoulder to see the box. “Are you kidding? He owns the complete box set with the castle on the spines.”
“Hey, how do you know that?” I asked.
“I poked around your room once when you were gone.”
Sophie gasped. “Shae!”
“What?” Shae shrugged. “It’s not like he had anything weird up there. Just more books.”
Wrapping paper littered the hardwood floor. All around me were smiling and laughing faces, people I loved, my family. Damini was by my side, and after that day, would be forever. There was only one other thing to do.
“Hey, Vince, when can I open this small one?”
I looked around and saw that everyone else had finished opening their gifts. Lila and Sophie were grinning at us expectantly.
“Oh, yeah, go ahead. I hope you like it.”
She ripped the paper off excitedly and flipped open the small box. Inside was another, smaller box. A black felt one. Gretta squeaked when she realized what was happening and grabbed Lila’s hand.
I got down on one knee as she opened the box and covered a gasp with her hand. “Damini, I’ve been waiting to do this for years,” I said. “I bought this in North Carolina, before I met with your mother, and had intended to propose after obtaining permission. Now I realize the only permission I ever needed was yours. I love you, I always have and always will…Damini, will you marry me?”
Tears streaked down her cheeks as she stared at the ring in the box. It was probably nothing compared to some of the jewelry she already owned, but I’d had a pretty good salary back then and it wasn’t cheap. I didn’t think the price tag would matter, though, and I’d been right. She pulled the ring from the box and slipped it on.
“Yes. I absolutely will.”
The room erupted in cheers and congratulations and hugs. I was more than content after hearing her answer, and knowing our plans for the evening, my dragon was as well. We stayed a bit longer, spending more time with everyone. Damini looked so happy and got along with them better than I could have ever hoped for.
Afterwards, we said our goodbyes and headed back up the mountain, passing the house as we went. The snow started back up about halfway through our drive.
“I’m not so sure this is a good idea. What if we get snowed in again?”
Damini curled into my arm. “I would love nothing more than to be stuck there with you for weeks. Besides, if I’m going to be a dragon, too, then surely between the two of us, we could get out.”
I couldn’t argue with that. The cabin was just how we’d left it. We grabbed our bags and the gas cans out of the bed of the truck and stepped inside. It was amazing how different I felt now
that we were officially together again.
When we’d been there the first time, I’d been a nervous wreck. We had avoided talk of the past, our hurts, the first day. After that, things took off in a whirlwind of drama. It felt like so much longer than a few weeks ago.
While Damini unpacked our bags, I got the generator going and let it warm up, then got a fire started. The generator would warm up the outdoor well and unfreeze the pipes so we could have running water, in addition to having a few electrical comforts. The lights flickered to life and I smiled.
Then Damini went through and flipped them back off. “I think I prefer the candlelight. It was more romantic.” She set a box down on the kitchen table. “I figured while the generator worked its magic, we could play a game or two of chess.”
“You brought my chess set?”
“Just in case we got bored,” she replied with a wink.
I laughed and pulled her close. “I don’t think I’ll ever be bored again. But that does sound like fun. Get ready to have your butt handed to you.”
After lighting a couple of oil lamps, we played for a couple of hours, testing the kitchen sink occasionally until we got results. Damini only beat me once because I let her, then she told me to stop holding back. I’m a very good chess player. I buried her, then soothed the sting of defeat with kisses, which she happily accepted.
“I’ll go ahead and start us a bath,” I told her. I stood and headed toward the bathroom. “I even brought real bubble bath this time.”
The dish soap had been a convenient alternative, but the apple-scented bubble bath would be a marked improvement. It would also contribute to the romantic atmosphere I was attempting to create, much better than the smell of dish water. Since she seemed against the electrical lighting, I set up candles like last time.
When I turned to call for Damini, she was already standing in the doorway watching me. A smile played about her lips, and I didn’t attempt to resist the urge to taste those delectable lips. Her tongue sought mine out, so I gave her what she wanted. What we both wanted.
My fingers slid across the silky skin of her waist. She tangled her fingers in my hair. I pulled her shirt up over her head and she did the same for me. I shuddered as her fingers traced the lines of muscle on my stomach. Perhaps I wasn’t as ripped as Sam or Dominic, but I was no slouch.
We slowly undressed each other, taking our time as the tub filled and the scent of apple surrounded us. I wanted every second of that day imprinted into my memory, from the taste of her skin to the sound of her in orgasm to the sight of my mark on her. She reached around me and shut the water off.
The heated water was glorious, and I didn’t even mind the bubbles. Not that I’d ever admit that out loud. They smelled like her. I rubbed her feet as she sank into the white fluff.
“I could get used to this.” She sighed and closed her eyes.
“I will spoil you every way possible, if you want,” I said.
Damini shook her head against the side of the tub. “The occasional treat would be nice, but I’d like to distance myself from all of that, if possible. I want to work hard and earn a legitimate place in the world. I don’t want to be spoiled and coddled like a child anymore.”
I lifted her foot and kissed her wet toes. “As you wish.”
Occasional treats were more within my budget. I had a feeling that Cam had helped out financially with the reparations for the museum so that I could afford the shoes I’d gotten her. After all of that, I needed to crack down and get back on some jobs.
She pulled her foot away and grabbed a washcloth and a bar of soap. We washed each other slowly and methodically. I got the impression she was trying to restrain herself as well. My need for her was painfully obvious when she finally wrapped the cloth around my dick.
“Just need to make sure all of you is clean.” She gave me an evil smirk and squeezed. The combination of the hot water, the atmosphere, and just all of Damini nearly undid me in that instant.
I leaned forward and paused, my lips just barely brushing hers. “I have a feeling that clean is not what you want from me tonight.”
“Then you would be correct,” she replied softly.
Passion exploded between us in that tub. She pressed me back against the wall and I grabbed her cheeks, pulling her closer. I gasped at the sensation of her rubbing against me, then she grabbed me again and slid herself right down. The water became quite turbulent around us, threatening to spill over the edges of the tub as she gripped the sides and had her way with me.
The bubbles disappointingly covered her breasts, but they wouldn’t for long. While Damini thrust herself on me, I released the stopper. My thumb stroked her clitoris and her muscles tightened around me. Much as I hated to, I stopped her there.
I handed her a towel and disappointment flashed across her face. When she got out, I grabbed the other end and helped her dry off. She moaned when my mouth latched onto her breast even as I continued to run the towel across her damp skin.
“Vince, please.”
The sound of her breathy plea forced me to give in. Our lips met again, and we stumbled out of the bathroom. Ever the romantic, I pulled her down to the rug in front of the fireplace, never losing contact.
“Are you ready?” I asked between kisses.
Her response was to grab my cock. I took that as a yes. Stroking her core again, her head fell back, and she opened herself to me. I teased her entrance, then slid right back to where I belonged. My thumb continued to circle her as I slid in and out, and her breaths puffed out erratically.
“Harder, Vince,” she begged.
Anything for her. I braced myself on one hand and lifted her hips with the other. Damini groaned and arched her back, taking me deep inside her. I could tell she was getting close, and she cried out when I sucked her nipple into my mouth again.
My dragon moved closer to the surface, preparing for the bite. I could feel my skin tingling and released her, going for her shoulder. Meeting her eyes one last time, she nodded. She knew it was coming. I thrust faster, harder, increasing the friction until I felt her muscles clamp down around my cock, bringing us both to an explosive crescendo.
Then I bit her.
I felt the change happen. Damini’s eyes snapped open and she gasped, silver flooding her pupils. Our bond snapped into place. My dragon sighed contentedly, and I released her shoulder. Her gaze darted rapidly around the place, taking everything in.
Then she met my eyes and grinned.
“I can feel a storm coming.”
19
Damini
Looking around the Spruce Gazette, I was surprised to find it almost empty. It wasn’t so odd, I supposed, given that it was New Year’s Eve. But still, Belle sat at her desk, typing away at a computer. “Hello,” I called across the newsroom floor.
She looked up and seemed surprised to see me. “Well, hey!” she said. “Please tell me you’re here to ask for a job.”
Chuckling, I sat across from her. “How’d you know?”
“Well, I saw you around town and figured out you’d decided not to bust out of our tiny town. I was hoping you’d stop in.”
“What made you think I want to bust out?” I narrowed my eyes teasingly.
“Country mouse you are not. But something has changed since I met you last. You seem more settled.”
I grinned and stuck my hand under her nose. “Also, I’m a dragon now.”
She whistled through her teeth. “Damn, girl. That’s gorgeous.” I looked at it and had to agree. It was new enough that it made me all starry-eyed.
Leaning back, she gave me an appraising look. “If you’re a supe, I can’t have you researching supe stuff. They get defensive when humans do it. When other supernaturals go digging, they get really pissy.”
My hopes fell. She’d said she did all the research on all the paranormal happenings in town. If she didn’t need my help, I was willing to bet there was no newspaper job for me at all.
It looked like I’
d be doing the blog after all. “Well, thanks for your time,” I said. It was worth it, even if it did mean I was missing out on a job. I’d never been stronger or surer of myself. Becoming a dragon had done something to me inside. Made me feel like I belonged in ways I never had before. And I had a long, happy life to look forward to with Vince and his clan. And the power to protect myself, which was amazing.
Plus, I’d been able to predict things. Like right now, I was disappointed because I thought she didn’t need any help, but as soon as I said I’d leave, I knew she wanted to hire me.
“Now hold on,” Belle said.
Ha! I knew it.
“I need someone to take care of regular news around Spruce. It’s not a riveting position and it probably won’t be full-time. But it’s journalism work and could lead to more.” She gestured around the room. “This place isn’t empty because it’s New Year’s Eve. We’re down to a skeleton crew because everyone that is serious about reporting moves to a bigger town.”
I nodded through her words, understanding completely. “That’s all well and good, but it would be fantastic to work here. I love this town and don’t see myself wanting to leave for a very long time.”
With a huge grin, she closed her laptop. “Do you have a computer?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Great.” She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote several things on it. “Here is the password for the blog and the code to get in and out of the building. Lock up when you leave. I’ve got to go check out some reports of a water monster harassing a lake house belonging to a reclusive artist.”
I tried not to let my jaw drop. “Okay,” I whispered.
She pulled a lanyard out of her drawer. “This will help you if you need to go talk to anyone around town. It’s a good thing you came in early because we need a blog post by eight tonight. Get it posted promptly at eight or the regulars will complain.”
She stood and grabbed her purse. “Oh, the pay is per story or blog post and depends on the length. That login will get you access to our pay scale. You’re a contract employee and will get a 1099 at the end of the year.”
