Flashfire (26 page)

Lorenzo looked out the window and Cassie wondered how much he knew of what his mother had suffered. She hoped he only knew that she had died.

She suspected, from the taut line of his mouth, that he knew every detail.

She squeezed his hand and he squeezed hers back. “And when they came for her, he was too late.”

Lorenzo nodded, his gaze locked on their hands.

“Then he raised you, after that?”

Lorenzo smiled sadly. “Oh no. He taught me to beguile as soon as he could.” He glanced her way. “That way, he could abandon me without guilt, for I could get whatever I wanted from human society in his absence.”

Cassie was horrified. “Why would he abandon you?”

Lorenzo shrugged. “He was a gambler and a bon vivant. A small child did not fit with his view of his life, and there was always a game to be joined somewhere.”

“How did he come to be with you? It sounds as if you weren’t close.”

“We weren’t. But one day, he ran out of lust for the game. He sought me out, and I saw that the flame had left him. He cared for nothing. He was a different dragon.” Lorenzo sighed. “I wonder now whether he realized at that point that there was nothing he could do, no party he could join, no win he could make, that would fill the void of losing Angelina.”

Cassie watched him closely, hearing the implication in his words. Knowing her had given him more understanding of his father, and that put a lump in her throat. “Yet even so, you’ve taken care of him.”

“We
Pyr
are loyal, despite appearances to the contrary.” Lorenzo shrugged. “Salvatore is my father. He did save me that night and he did raise me—well, as much as anyone did. That ability to beguile has allowed me to earn the funds to support us both. And I cannot say that I am completely without flaws.”

He turned to look at her then, and their gazes locked and held. Cassie knew she’d seen his secret heart, the part of Lorenzo that was no illusion. He hadn’t been fooling her—she’d been seeing his truth all along.

And she liked it a lot.

She could understand that it might freak him out to realize how much he’d revealed to her.

Plus Cassie realized that she no longer felt so upset about bearing his son. She stared back at Lorenzo, lost in his steady gaze, her heart beginning to pound.

“I came to tell you that you’re right,” he said, his voice gruff. “You already know that, but I had to come to the realization. I’ve been thinking about it all night. There’s bad and good in every kind. I haven’t been fair in calling all humans vermin. I appreciate you challenging me on it.” He smiled slowly. “Not many of my acquaintance would.”

“People or dragons?”

“Either.” He grimaced and she had the sudden sense that his life must have been very lonely.

She was starting to think that a future with Lorenzo by her side would be all the adventure she could ever want. She was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, things could be different than her expectations.

“But that doesn’t matter now,” he said. “What’s important is that we ensure the future.”

“Whose future?”

He gave her a look. “Yours.” His gaze flicked downward. “His.”

Cassie had a lump in her throat. She’d been right about him taking care of those he cared about.

Including her.

She dared to hope about that future.

Lorenzo smiled. “I have some things to tell you, but let’s get this done first.” She must have looked confused because his smile broadened. He conjured her unused camera from his pocket and presented it to her. “Let’s find a good spot while the light is right.”

Cassie was so shocked that she was sure she must be misunderstanding him. “You’re not going to let me photograph you shifting shape.”

“I am.” Lorenzo nodded with resolve. “With the rising sun behind me, my identity should be hidden for at least a couple of days. I don’t much care if anyone figures it out next week.” He eyed her, as if uncertain of her reaction. “How much were they going to pay for the images?”

Cassie exhaled, her heart beginning to pound as she understood. “Child support,” she whispered.

“Insurance,” Lorenzo said flatly. “You’re right—things can go wrong and—regrettably—I don’t control everything.”

Cassie smiled.

“And I can’t put anything in my will because I don’t want you haunted by fans. I know that you don’t want to come with me, so I’m trying to find another solution.”

Cassie’s heart clenched.

Lorenzo continued. “I would appreciate if you don’t tell everyone about my being the father, although you can tell our son whatever you want. He’ll have to learn to keep secrets, anyway.”

“You could tell him yourself,” she whispered.

Lorenzo flicked her a look. “I know nothing of parents. It would be worse for me to be in a child’s life than to disappear.”

Cassie didn’t believe that for a moment, but she saw that Lorenzo did. The pictures weren’t half of what Cassie wanted from him, but it was already more than she’d ever expected him to give.

He was changing, and she dared to hope that there would be more changes.

Besides, she wasn’t nearly finished with him yet. She’d take what he offered for now and hope for far more. She could see that it wasn’t easy for him to make concessions—to surrender control.

But then, he was going to be a parent, like it or not, so he would have to get over that.

And Cassie thought he’d be an awesome dad.

Cassie took the camera. “What about Balthasar?”

Lorenzo’s features turned to stone. “I’m still managing that detail.” He shot her a glance, one that was filled with such passion and fury that she knew she was glimpsing his dragon again.

And she knew that Balthasar would be toast, either before Lorenzo’s feat or slightly afterward.

It wasn’t all bad having a dragon protector.

“You want to drive?”

Lorenzo settled back in the passenger seat with apparent ease. “No. Kind of a different perspective from this side. And you’ll know the location you want when you see it.”

“You’ve never ridden as a passenger in this car, have you?”

He flashed her a roguish smile. “Never. Might be my last chance.” And he winked, his cavalier manner making her smile.

Even though she was worried by the possibility lurking beneath his words. She had too many questions, questions that would take too long to discuss, and the light was changing. Before the spectacle, she’d ask him for more. That was a given.

Cassie started the car, adjusted the seat, and shot out of the parking spot. She heard Lorenzo inhale sharply, but he didn’t move or say anything.

Even if his eyes were glittering like cut glass.

She knew exactly where she wanted to take the shots, and the sun was just cresting the horizon. There wasn’t much time to get there.

If nothing else, Cassie was driving the perfect car to get the job done.

Cassie couldn’t have planned the shoot better if she’d had weeks of notice. She drove deeper into the park, where the stone formations were most striking. The rock had been carved by water aeons ago, leaving the red stone in fabulous curved shapes. Those stone pillars and hollows seemed to be afire when touched by the light of the dawn.

She chose a spot with interesting stone outcroppings. Some of them blazed with orange light and others remained in dark silhouette. She was aware of Lorenzo watching her as she paced off the distances and checked different angles through the viewfinder.

When she turned to beckon to him, she was surprised to find him nude. His tan was perfectly even and his grin unswervingly confident. He strode toward her, his strength and grace taking her breath away.

And that was nothing compared to the gleam in his eyes.

He touched his fingertips to her chin, bent to kiss her cheek, and Cassie closed her eyes in anticipation of his kiss. She was burning for him, all over again, as if she never would get enough.

“It is treacherous for a dragon to reveal the place where he hides his clothes when he shifts,” he murmured, his words so low that they made her shiver. “So I’ll just leave them in the car.” Then he kissed her ear, his lips sliding over her skin in a slow caress that made her forget everything except the chance of making love to him again.

Lorenzo, fortunately, remembered the business at hand. He took the position she indicated and pivoted in place, checking the view. It was perfect. Through the viewfinder, Cassie could see that he was in silhouette.

His facial features were in shadow.

“Ready?” he asked.

“I want a little bit more sunlight,” Cassie said. “To ensure that your face is in total shadow.” She saw the flash of his smile, but focused on the image in the viewfinder. “Three, two, ONE.”

Lorenzo dropped to a crouch, spinning in place as Cassie clicked wildly. He had his back to her—a great PG-13 shot—but was all male, the sunrise gilding his muscles. As he turned back toward her, he flung his arms skyward. She saw the shimmer of pale blue, even through the viewfinder, and felt a shimmer of energy.

He was going to shift shape. She locked down her finger so the camera would take as many shots as possible in rapid succession. And then she watched, in awe, as the transformation claimed his body.

This was real.

This was what she wanted to do.

Cassie understood the truth with shocking vehemence.

Then she abruptly realized that he’d be much larger in dragon form. Cassie had to reset the zoom quickly, to ensure that his dragon figure wasn’t cropped from the shot.

In a heartbeat, it was over. A massive gold dragon stood before her, his eyes glittering as he watched her. He breathed a puff of smoke and the sunlight reflected on the magnificent gold of his scales.

“Gimme some action,” Cassie said, and heard Lorenzo chuckle.

“With pleasure,” he rumbled, his voice similar but deeper in his dragon form.

She changed the angle of her shots, walking in a circle as he preened before her. He stretched out his wings, which were enormous, casting a long shadow across the desert. The contrast between the golden sunlight and the metallic gleam of his scales against the black shadows was fabulous. Cassie clicked and clicked and clicked.

He arched his neck, turning his head to fix his gaze upon her. She got some great shots of him closing fast, leaning in as if she were going to be his lunch.

“Fight poses!” Cassie demanded. They worked together as if they’d done it a thousand times and she felt that wonderful connection with her subject. He seemed to anticipate her requests, and she knew his moves before he made them. Every shot was perfectly framed and dead in focus. Not just because Cassie was good—because they understood each other.

Like the shoot was destined to be.

Could this be the kismet Stacy always yearned for? Cassie wanted to believe.

Lorenzo thrashed with his talons. He swung his tail. He reared back and breathed a stream of fire that was almost as long as he was.

Then he took flight, those massive wings beating with force. He posed in the sky, twisting his body and breathing fire.

It was amazing. Cassie was sure that every single shot rocked.

She was glad to have upgraded the memory card.

Then he swooped down toward her, descending out of the sky with such speed that she feared the shots would be blurred. He snatched her up and carried her high into the sky. Cassie kept snapping shots, ensuring that the car was outside of the field of view of each one. She got his talons and his tail and his scaled belly, as well as a close-up of his face.

He looked both real and terrifying.

“Wow,” she said, looking down at the view spread beneath them. “No wonder your mom was hooked on this.”

Lorenzo laughed. He raced toward the horizon, the wind tearing through Cassie’s hair. She felt exuberant and alive—yet completely safe. Lorenzo’s golden talons were locked around her waist and she knew he wouldn’t drop her.

She turned to ask him about flying, and that was when she saw the scale on his chest. It hung askew, dangling lower than the others in that row and at an odd angle. She touched it, wondering what was wrong with it, and at the merest touch, it freed itself from his hide.

It fell into her hand, glimmering like a piece of armor.

Lorenzo didn’t seem to notice, so Cassie figured this happened all the time. She put the scale in her pocket, unwilling to lose something so beautiful. She could see a bit of skin exposed where the scale had been, but maybe another would grow quickly in its place.

He dove then toward a high outcropping of rock, landing on the top with grace. He folded his wings behind himself, put Cassie down, and inclined his head to her. She thought she saw a mischievous gleam in his eyes, but then he took off again, circling her high perch.

He rocketed down toward the earth, the sun still behind him. Another shot with lots of contrast. Cassie clicked and clicked. She saw the blue shimmer of light surround him just before his feet touched the ground.

One minute he was a dragon on final approach.

The next moment, a naked man stood on the desert. He pivoted and glanced up at her, his muscles flexing. Even with his features in shadow, Cassie knew Lorenzo was grinning at her.

Then she realized why. There was no way down from this pinnacle of rock, not without a lot of gear she didn’t have.

“Hey! You can’t leave me up here!” she shouted, and he laughed.

“Got everything you need?” he asked.

“And then some. Memory card is full to the brim.” Cassie turned off the camera and tucked it into her pocket. “Are you going to make me jump?” she demanded, not believing it for a moment. It had to be two hundred feet down.

Lorenzo leapt into the air instead of replying, shimmering and shifting and soaring straight for her in his dragon form. He snatched her off the top of the rock, pivoted, and shot down to the earth again, more agile and more exciting than any theme park ride.

“A girl could get used to this,” Cassie teased when they stood beside the car again. Lorenzo flashed her a smile, then tugged on his jeans and boots, his gaze never leaving her.

She offered him the camera. “Have a look. Delete anything you don’t want to go further.”