Dragon Ugly (Dragon New Year) (21 page)

Carissa nodded. “So, stop the teasing. Anyway, what exactly are we making for dinner? I see you still have a few steaks left, although something tells me it’s not enough for everyone.” She eyed both men. “Do we have time to go the store or do you want to order in?”

Fletch looked down at the cutting board before him. “We already started the makings of a salad. Maybe we can do a mix and match. Steak, chicken and pork?”

Carissa opened the fridge and looked over the pickings in the fridge. “How big is your grill?”

“The best on the market,” Tor replied with pride. “The DragonStone 20,000.”

Carissa fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Okay, I guess that’s a yes.”

She began to pull out the packages of defrosted meat and piled them onto the counter.

“So, tell us about what you do,” Fletch said as he went back to chopping vegetables. “Brent didn’t want to share any details.”

She told them about the aromatherapy store and what she did there, the lines they carried and what their plans were for the rest of the festival. Both Fletch and Tor were very interested in the possibility of a men’s line and wanted to be the first guinea pigs. They even volunteered to help out at the festival booth that Scentify was going to be setting up tomorrow.

“Why don’t I go grab some dessert and swing by the store to get you samples along with a comment cards? I’m thinking strawberry ice cream, chocolate pound cake and whipped cream?” Carissa threw out.

Tor grinned. “Deal! Louisa loves your stuff and I’m sure I’ll love using some of the oils on her.”

“It’s supposed to be about you,” Carissa teased.

Tor’s grin broadened. “It
is
about me. I give pleasure to Louisa and in return
I
get to have sex.”

Carissa rolled her eyes. “Yup, you really are Brent’s friends. I’ll be back. I’ll pack a bag so I can stay overnight.” She headed for the door.

“Hurry back with that ice cream and those oils. I want to get started with Louisa tonight,” Tor called out after her.

“Yeah, yeah,” Carissa said over her shoulder as she grabbed her purse and left the house. Her spirits were lighter. She felt more stable, as if life truly was expanding and starting for her. In a weird way, she could see Tor and Fletch becoming part of her inner circle, with Louisa, Jez and Anna. Her confidence was climbing. Having been with Brent she felt sexier, more confident in her skin. It felt wonderful having a man who understood her needs and wanted to put her first. Her parents’ assessment of her no longer mattered. In fact, thinking on it, it had never mattered—period. With hindsight she could see that no one else’s thoughts about her sex life and sexuality mattered but hers. She had always known what she wanted; she just didn’t want to share.

The only thing to do now was talk to her parents, especially her mom. Carissa went the store first, where she told Anna and Jez what was going on with Brent, and why she’d left so quickly. She told them that Brent and the boys would help out tomorrow and during the rest of the festival week. Even this close to closing time, the store was still packed. Carissa helped with a few purchases before she went home to get some things.

She left the market for last. She bought the ice cream, fresh strawberries, the pound cake and the whipped cream. Then she headed over to Brent’s, where she parked next to Aurelia and Marcus’s car.

With the exception of Brent, everyone was on the back patio, helping to set the table, or cook, or just mill around, talking. After putting away the food she went straight up to Brent’s room and knocked. When there was no answer, she pushed her way in.

He lay on the bed, sleeping. She put her bag down near his dresser and sat down next to him. She brushed some hair away from his face and gave him a kiss on the lips. He opened his eyes. A small, tired smile curled on his lips.

“Hey,” she said softly.

“Hey,” he replied, in a hoarse whisper.

“Tired?”

He nodded slowly. “Yes, only good for cuddling. Go eat.”

“I’ll bring you up a plate. You get some rest.” She gave him another kiss and joined everyone else down on the back patio. Aurelia greeted her with a hug and dragged her over to a couch.

“Sit with me, dear, while the men talk sports and burn meat. I want to know all about you.” Aurelia handed her some lemonade and smiled at her.

Rather than shrink away, Carissa dove right in, telling her all about her job and her education, carefully hedging around her life with her parents or any conversation about her childhood.

“You’re leaving things out, honey. Tell me.” Aurelia’s direct blue gaze turned her into a child, challenging her to face her past.

She bit her lip to keep the words from spilling out, and yet her wolf compelled her tell Brent’s mom everything. Aurelia’s aura and energy made her feel safe, interesting, comfortable and free.

Carissa licked her lips and began to tell the story of her youth, waiting for laughter. When she’d finally gotten to the end of her narrative, and had told Brent’s mother about her most recent conversation with her own mother, Aurelia laid a hand on hers and smiled.

“Tell Brent. I can see your embarrassment. To be honest, our raising of Brent was very similar to your parents’, only less in-your-face. I can see how humiliated you felt, how awkward you are about your mother and father, and I can understand that. But it sounds to me like they wanted you to feel good about yourself and open with your sexual issues. Sounds mad, but really, if you can’t speak to your mom or dad about your private issues—people who’ve been through all of that already—who can you talk to?”

Carissa turned over what Aurelia had said. “I can try. I’ve already decided to speak to her, I just…I feel weird about it. How can I explain that all the things they told me made me feel…well…unattractive or not good enough?”

Aurelia gave her a small smile. “You just have to be honest, honey. Now let’s go get some food. I’m starving and I think they’ve finished their ritualistic cooking.”

Carissa stood up with Aurelia and they headed toward the table. Everyone took a seat and began to pile their plates with food. The chatter was warm and easy. Jokes and teasing flowed freely without the least hesitation. Hours passed, and someone turned on the music. Aurelia and Carissa served the ice cream and pound cake. Marcus told stories about Brent’s childhood around the fire pit.

Carissa invited Jez and Anna over and the party really began when the women brought out the alcohol. Brent woke up and came down to join them, wearing only a pair of baggy jeans and no shoes or shirt. Carissa ended up watching the evening pass, cuddled up in a loveseat with Brent’s arm around her as they ate the strawberries.

Tor called over Louisa and everyone took the night off, calling in sick. Fletch took out a stack of board games and things took a competitive bent. Laughter and fun ruled until the early hours of the morning, when Louisa and Anna put a damper on things.

“Look, I know, I know. Jez and Carissa will tell you that this is just another excuse to be hooked up to a java IV,” Anna started. That statement was met with many cheers from the coffee addicts. “But we have work to do in a little over…” She paused to check her watch. “…five hours, so if you don’t mind it’s time to sleep!”

With many grumbles the boys set up the guest rooms and sleeper couches where everyone crashed. Carissa headed up to Brent’s room with him, where she changed into a tank top and shorts and climbed into bed.

“What no nekkidness?” Brent pouted.

“Not with my friends in this house. Besides, you still have to sleep off the rest of the effects of the magic. You can tell me all about it tomorrow. But for now, I’m pooped. Come on, lover, let’s go to bed.”

She climbed under the sheets with him and fell asleep in his arms, feeling safe and happier than she’d been in a long time.

* * *

Brent awoke with sunlight filtering through the room. His head still felt a bit fuzzy. The buzz of magic pinged on his arms and the bare skin of his chest and abdomen. He groaned and rolled over to his side to find Carissa’s side of the bed empty.

With a slow movement that made his stomach slosh, he sat up and looked around. Carissa’s bag sat next to his dresser and he heard her laughter filtering up through the small crack in his door. The voices of his friends and parents came through the space along with the smells of bacon and pancakes. His stomach grumbled, whether in hunger or protest, he couldn’t decide. All he knew was that last night’s little magic ritual had screwed up his head. Sleep may have dulled the effects, but he felt as if his brain had ballooned in size.

The dragon was silent, cocooned in a bubble, unhappy but quiet. Brent pushed back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His vision blurred and his head swam before everything righted itself. Part of him wanted to call his mother up to his room and demand to know what she hadn’t told him about the ritual. His parents warned him that he wouldn’t feel stable for a few days and that he needed to take thing slow. A normal routine would be just what he needed, which would mean going to work tonight.

With a grimace, he undressed and padded to the bathroom where he took a quick shower, dried off and got dressed in jeans and T-shirt. He’d promised Carissa and her friends that he would help Tor and Fletch set up their booth at Shadow Cove Lake. There was even a picnic planned for lunch. All in all, it was shaping up to be a great day.

His parents were hitting the road and going back up to the mountains to handle their Earth Haven Ski Resort. With all the travelers, they were already getting bookings for the ski season. The idea of spending a week up there with his parents and Carissa appealed to him, but for now he had to deal with his issues with his dragon.

His mother had instructed him to meditate, do lots of swimming, and speak with his dragon until they could come to terms with this mating heat. He still had to speak to Carissa about shifting with her during the full moon. The magic made him more clear-headed and stable, but his core still felt like gelatin, as if it wobbled and shook with every step.

He went down to eat breakfast. The table had been set, and food was being served. Everyone was in a joyous mood. He didn’t see Anna or Jez anywhere, and Louisa and Tor were gone too.

Carissa pulled out a chair next to her and grinned up at him. “Come on. Sit. Eat. You’ll be my little pack mule as soon as we leave. Your parents want us to come up for Samhain. I hope you don’t mind, I said yes.”

Brent glanced at his mother and shook his head. She came over to him, set down some coffee, ruffled his hair and pinched his cheek.

“Mom,” he whined.

“Oh, come now, your mother’s just having some fun.” Then Aurelia turned to Carissa. “It’s a standing tradition in the family. You’ll get to meet the rest of us. Hope you don’t mind being overwhelmed with competitive dragons. We run a chain of ski resorts all over the world. We tend to like to one-up each other. We don’t get to come together for Christmas.”

Marcus frowned; sadness deepened the wrinkles on his face. “But we make up for it with Samhain.”

Brent made a mental note to explain the family issues with Christmas once they got to the Festival Fairgrounds, but his mother beat him to the punch.

“Brent’s grandfather died at Yule. It’s a sad time. We were all traveling when he passed beyond the veil. Fifty-thousand-year-old dragon, poor thing. Maynard was the glue that held us together. He paired Marcus and me up.” A wistful smile curled on Aurelia’s lips.

Brent got up and hugged her, then did the same thing for his father. They were an affectionate family and it didn’t matter who saw. “It’s okay. Mom. We have Samhain to remember him. It was my grandfather’s favorite holiday. He used to dress up and scare the kiddies. He had this roar that seemed to come from the depths of the ocean.”

He sucked in a breath when he felt Carissa’s hand slide over his belly. Prickles of magick danced on his bare arms as his hair stood up. The dragon curled and writhed in its bubble-like cell. A sense of longing filled him. The need to touch, to caress, to kiss. Brent fought the urge. If he gave in, his parents wouldn’t leave the house, and he still wasn’t sure if Carissa would want to make love with him as he was.

He pulled back. “Okay, let’s eat and get over to the fairgrounds.” He sensed Carissa stiffen but he didn’t comment. Food, help unpack, help bring customers to Scentify, and then they could talk.

“Let’s go,” Carissa said, once they had eaten their fill. “I went to the store earlier to get some boxes and stuff.” She grabbed her purse and left Brent to lock up. Tension swirled around the car but he didn’t say a word.

* * *

They unpacked in silence and got to work. Brent worked with Tor and Louisa. Carissa, Anna and Jez manned the booth and rang up sales. Shifters walked around in animal mode while bonfires raged in the full light of day.

Brent avoided any discussions about the situation with his dragon. He didn’t want to think about it. All he wanted to do was have a good time and enjoy the day. Whenever Carissa tried to talk to him about it, he would change the subject. He talked about Scentify, or the products, or the food—anything except his issues with his dragon.

As the day wore on, he became coated in sweat, with his clothes sticking to him in places he was pretty sure they shouldn’t be. He walked around the festival grounds, handing out coupons, drumming up business for the Scentify stand. He was thankful that he hadn’t bothered to wear underwear. He wanted to strip off and dive into the deep blue waters of Shadow Cove Lake.

When he got back to the booth, he laid down his empty coupon packets with a grin. But all his happiness died when he saw Carissa frown and walk away, visibly upset. He didn’t know what that was about but it couldn’t be good.

Anna grabbed his, took him aside and glared up at him.

“Fix it,” she hissed.

With a sigh, he followed Carissa out to a thick copse of trees, close enough to the fairgrounds but far enough for privacy. Fletch was hot on his heels.