Call of the Dragon (Return to Avalore Book 1) (12 page)

Once she was done, she gave him a once over and, satisfied with the work she’d done, withdrew from him. It took her a moment to realize her hands had come to rest upon his chest. Her eyes popped open as she pulled away.

“I’ve done about all I can do. How do you feel?” The lines of strain were gone from his face, and his color was back to normal.

“Much better. You?”

Drawn to the sensual curve of his full lips, it took a moment for her to register he’d asked her a question. What would he do if she just leaned forward and planted one on him? Her tongue darted out to wet her lips.

Warmth crept up her cheeks when his lips turned up. She’d been caught staring. His raised eyebrows and the mischievous glint in his eye confirmed it.

Ugh, get a grip woman. He’s
so
out of your league
.

She took a quick inventory of her body. “I’m feeling fine. A little edgy, maybe, but otherwise, I’m good.”

“Healing can be draining until you can manage the flow well.”

She rose and ambled across the room to peer out the window at the well-groomed gardens. She had to put some distance between them. Just looking at the man sent her body into overdrive. She wasn’t the kind of woman to fall for a handsome stranger or to have a fling with anyone, but Drake was, well, he was different. Truth be told, she’d never felt much attraction to any man before, yet one look at him and she wanted to tackle him to the floor and kiss him all over.

“Tell me about yourself.” She didn’t turn to face him.

“What would you like to know?” His husky voice was closer than she’d expected.

Her eyes widened and her heart started racing. She whipped around to look at him again. “Do you have any family?” Why hadn’t she considered the possibility before? “Are you married? Do you have kids?”

“Now, Rhia, would I have kissed you if I was married?”
He reverted to the more intimate telepathic communication, his voice a velvet seduction in her mind.

She released the breath she hadn’t even been aware she’d been holding. “
How would I know? I’ve seen some men do it. In fact, a lot of men do.”
Would he? Was he
that
kind of man?

“I’m not joined to any woman, nor do I have any children.”
His tone was serious.

She turned away from him again. The skin at her back tingled with awareness as he came up behind her. Warm breath tickled the back of her neck.

“I’d like to collect my kiss now. I’m feeling better, and you gave your word.”
His gentle hands on her shoulders turned her to face him.
“There may never be another opportunity, and I would like to have it before your brothers arrive.”

Her heart raced as hundreds of tiny butterflies took flight in her stomach. The intense attraction between them left her breathless and shaky. She should leave well enough alone, but her body refused to listen. Of their own accord, her arms slid around his neck, drawing him closer. He gave her plenty of time to pull away, plenty of time to put a stop to whatever
this
was before it even started if she wanted, but she was already lost. His masculine scent surrounded her, making her body clench in anticipation as she tilted her head up to meet him halfway.

Thousands of sparks ignited the moment his lips touched hers. Heat spread from her lips to every part of her in a heartbeat. When he would have pulled away, she moaned, leaning into him. Heaven help her, but she just didn’t want to let him go.

Warmth spread over her as their colors merged, making her tingle all over. Winding her fingers through his hair, she tugged, melting into him. His strong arms circled her waist, pulling her closer. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she deepened the kiss.

He devoured her mouth as though he’d never get enough. His hands cupped her bottom, pressing into her even as he guided her back, pinning her against the wall. She was going up in flames, and had no desire to stop it. Energy undulated around them, enveloping them in a sensuous cocoon.

He moaned against her lips as she shifted her hips from side to side. His mouth left hers to blaze a trail along her jaw and neck. Tiny flames licked at her skin wherever he touched. She needed to feel his bare skin, to touch him, but when her cool fingers met the warm skin under the edge of his shirt, Drake stiffened.

“
We have to stop.”
He released her bottom and pulled away. Her skin still tingled where his lips had been tantalizing her moments before.

“No, we don’t. I want this. I do
.” She stood on tiptoes, trying to claim his mouth again.

He groaned again as he stepped back, his breathing ragged.
“Please understand, I can’t do this. We can’t.”
He closed his eyes as he ran his fingers through his already mussed up hair.

“But…” She started to protest again, but stopped short as he raised his hands as if to ward her off, making it clear her advances were no longer welcome.

What the hell just happened?
One minute, the chemistry between them was melting the paint right off the walls, and the next, he was pushing her away. He was attracted to her, she
knew
he was. There was no hiding his body’s response, even now, but the fact remained, he didn’t want her.

Pain sliced through her as realization hit home. She covered her heated cheeks with her hands as she turned away from him, and blinked back the moisture gathering in her eyes. In her dreams, he’d never pushed her away, but she wasn’t sleeping and this wasn’t a dream. Reality sucked.

She took several calming breaths before turning back to him with her chin held high. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Her strangled voice belied her outward calm.

Eyes trained on the floor, he cursed under his breath. “Rhia…”

“It’s okay. Let’s just forget it ever happened.” She never would, but that was beside the point. “I’d love a shower. Is there one I could use?”

Hearing all the reasons why he didn’t want her wouldn’t change anything. No point in making this more awkward than it already was.

Drake sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We should discuss this before your brothers get here.”

Her smile only wavered a little when their gazes met. “I’m just going to go freshen up while I still have the chance.”

He hesitated, as though he might push the issue, but then shook his head as he pointed down the short hallway. “It’s at the end of the hallway.”

Within minutes, steam was fogging up the small mirror over the sink. She let the hot water wash over her as silent tears slid down her cheeks. Whether she cried from embarrassment or injured pride, she couldn’t tell. If she was honest with herself, she’d played just as great a part in this as Drake had, so she had no one to blame but herself. She’d pushed for more when he’d put on the brakes.
Then why did he even bother kissing me?
She groaned. She’d practically thrown herself at him, for goodness’ sake.

“You’re such an idiot, Rhia.” She ducked her head, drowning out her whispered words beneath the hot spray. She couldn’t hide in the shower forever. Putting this behind her shouldn’t be too difficult. It wasn’t like they were long standing lovers and he’d just dumped her. No, they’d shared a couple of kisses. So what? They were both adults after all. She’d just pretend it’d never happened and they’d move on.

Lost in thought, it took her a moment to notice the buzz in her mind. It was similar to Drake’s, but somehow different. “
Are you alright?”
Tension tightened Evan’s voice.

“Y
eah, I’m okay. I’ll be out in a minute. I was just having a shower.”

When she entered the living room, Drake was standing in front of Evan with his fists clenched at his sides, scowling.

“What’s going on?” Her eyes went from one to the other.

Evan took one look at her, and his jaw tensed. Without saying a word, his arm reared back and his fist collided with Drake’s jaw.

A low growl rumbled in his chest, but Drake didn’t attempt to block the blow or try to retaliate.

“What the hell is the matter with you?” She rushed over, wedging herself between the two men, shoving at Evan’s chest, and trying to push him back.

Neither of them acknowledged her as they glared at one another.

“
You
ever
make her cry again, and you’ll answer to me.” He shook his hand, shaking off the sting of the punch. “Do I make myself clear?”

“What kind of macho shit is this?” She shoved at Evan’s chest again.

“I’m sorry. I should have controlled my temper. Seeing you unhappy was upsetting.” At least he had the decency to look contrite.

She’d never been so embarrassed in all her life. Her brothers knew what had happened. When her eyes sought Drake’s, he couldn’t even look at her.

She pushed past Aiken and through the front door. If she’d been humiliated before, it was nothing compared to this. How dare he talk about, with her brothers, what had happened between them? Her entire body shook. Had things gone further, would he have been bragging about that too?

At least they all had the good sense to leave her alone. It was just as well, she didn’t want to see any of them. She paced back and forth along the edge of the property, looking at, but not seeing the colorful wildflowers growing there.

The more she thought about it, the tighter her neck and shoulder muscles clenched. In her head, a tiny jackhammer was busy building a whopper of a headache.

If they were going to pound their chests like apes, she didn’t know if she’d be able to go through with this. Who was she kidding, anyway? She wasn’t anyone’s queen. Here she was, traipsing all over the countryside with men she’d just met. Talk about insanity.

Sure, the idea of surrounding herself with people like her appealed to her, but this craziness was just too much. She’d managed on her own up until now and there was no reason she couldn’t continue to do so.

Aiken strolled across the yard to stand near her.

“May I join you?” Had she not been so pissed at all of them, she might have laughed. His facial expression told her he’d drawn the short straw and had been made to come out to check on her. His eyes were wide and he tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

“Will it matter if I say no?” Her arms crossed over her chest.

He swallowed once before responding. “We’ve made a horrible impression so far, haven’t we? What happened back there wasn’t as it seemed.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m not going to discuss this with you.” Her voice faltered a little. “Drake shouldn’t have, either.” Her cheeks grew warmer.

“He didn’t. I swear he didn’t. We felt your distress even before we got to the cottage. When he refused to tell us what upset you, Evan guessed.”

“Who does he think he is? I’m a grown woman. I can make decisions for myself. I’ve been doing it for years. I haven’t had anyone play bodyguard for me for a long time—never in fact—and I sure as hell don’t want one now.” Energy popped and sizzled around her. “He had no right to interfere.”

Her fingers shook as she pushed stray strands of her hair away from her face. “I want to go home, Aiken.
My
home.” She took a deep resigned breath. “I’m going to have to move again, but what else is new?” She stood taller, squaring her shoulders. “I know you think I’m your sister, and maybe I am, but all this is just too much. I can’t take it.”

His face paled. “Rhia, let’s just talk about this.” His eyes darted to the cottage before he continued. “I know all of this has to be overwhelming for you. It is for us too.” He sighed. “We don’t know how to do this any more than you do.”

She turned away, gazing into the lush forests beyond the clearing. “I don’t know if I can.”

Though she didn’t hear him approach, she knew Drake would be standing there when she turned around. His energy had her skin tingling long before he spoke.

“Can I speak with Rhiannon alone, please?” His eyes never left hers as he spoke. She had to fight the urge to heal the angry bruise emerging on his jaw. He didn’t deserve it. If she wasn’t so upset, Aiken’s obvious relief at being let off the hook would have made her laugh. She waited for Aiken to be gone before lighting into him.

“Don’t even try to explain. I don’t want to hear it. What happened between us was private. I’ve never been more humiliated in my entire life.” She ground her teeth. “Those two may be my brothers, but they’re strangers to me. I can just imagine what they must think of me. It’s bad enough I threw myself at you but to have them know it too is beyond embarrassing.” Rhia took another deep, calming breath. “I told Aiken, and I’m telling you now. I want to leave. Take me back to the city. I’ll find a new place to live and we’ll pretend this whole thing never happened.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you, Rhia. It was never my intention.”

Her chin went up as she squared her shoulders. “Don’t worry about it.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “If you want to go back, I’ll take you.”

“Thank you.”

“I will, but please hear me out before you make your final decision.”