Sapphire Dragon (Awakened Dragons Book 2) (5 page)

He was busy thinking of all the ways to kill her bullies when he realized she had called him hot, and a huge grin spread over his face. “Hottest?”

She shifted away with a giggle. “Stop fishing for compliments.”

He did, focusing on the road as he drove to the small ice cream shop Zach and Erin had recommended.

When they arrived, he made sure to go around to her side and open the door, helping her out.

As they walked across the parking lot, he held her hand, enjoying the contrast of her closeness with the cool air of the night.

It was empty out here, save for a few cars, and he realized he could have parked closer, but he was glad since it gave him the opportunity to hold her hand a while longer.

When they came to the counter, she was swinging her hand in his while ordering, and then he felt a small wave of pain.

She stepped back slightly, and he looked over in concern. “Sorry,” she said. “I think I need to go sit down. I’ll go save a booth for us.” She took a cup from the cashier, gave him an apologetic glance, and went to sit down.

He finished their order and waited by the counter, keeping an eye on her while not openly staring. He knew her pain was a point of pride for her, something she didn’t want people poking their noses into, but he was getting to the point where he felt he needed to know more.

So he could help her in whatever way he could.

He flexed his hands, wishing he had his dragon power flowing through him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hallie take out a small container and pop something in her mouth, which she then washed down with a gulp of water.

Medicine most likely.

Cold moved through him. Whatever was wrong with her, was it serious? Was it just an old injury, or was it something like Bastien?

He shook the thoughts from his mind. They brought back old fears, and he didn’t want that.

When their ice creams were ready, he brought them over to Hallie and set them on the table. She gave him a big smile, seeming as if she were doing better.

But Luc wondered how much pain he’d be feeling from her if he had access to his full empathy rather than icy walls around his heart with only tiny cracks in them.

She took her ice cream from him, giving him a big smile as she dug into it. “Ah,” she said, sighing. “It’s the little things in life.”

He wanted to ask her how the little things could matter so much when something else really sucked. But he was too busy being enchanted by how happy she looked when she ate.

He wished he could learn to just live in the moment like that. Instead, the past and the future hung over his head constantly, waiting to drop like heavy, punishing weights.

She licked a drop of her ice cream slowly off her full lower lip, and he felt his heart pick up a beat.

She was so beautiful. Watching her happy, watching her enjoy anything was bliss.

“You’re staring at me again,” she said. “I told you it makes me feel awkward when you—”

He slid into the booth next to her, surprising her, and caught her lips with his own. She calmed, sinking into the kiss, and put a hand up to touch his hair.

Amazing.

When he pulled back, she was quiet and ready to listen. He brushed a loose wave of hair back from her face. “Of course I’m staring at you. I
like
you. I have from the moment I saw you. You intrigue me unlike anyone else ever has.”

“Why?” she asked.

There were so many reasons. He could tell her it was because she was beautiful and kind, but it was more than that. It felt… fated. Like she’d been destined to help his dragon come back to life.

But he couldn’t tell her that. “I’m still figuring that out.”

“I guess you’re honest at least,” she said, smiling as she turned her attention back to her ice cream.

Honest. The word burned at him as he pulled his ice cream over to him and swirled his spoon it in, stirring it up. He couldn’t even begin to be honest with her yet, and it was starting to bug him.

He was starting to wonder if Zach had the right idea all along in just blurting everything out, when he saw a group of men come in the door and turned his attention toward them.

He didn’t like the way one of them was looking at his date.

“
L
uc
? Luc?” she asked for the third time as she tried to pull her handsome date’s focus back to her.

She still couldn’t believe she was here with him, his attention all on her in a way that was so foreign and pleasant she was afraid to even hope it was real.

Would she wake up tomorrow and find out it was all just a dream?

His body looked amazing in a slim tee shirt that fit his biceps perfectly and showed off large, square pecs and rippling abs. It was light blue, enhancing his eyes, not that they needed any enhancement.

And then there was how amazing his ass looked in his jeans. She resisted the urge to fan her face as she remembered watching him at the counter. She’d been so excited for her date that she’d forgotten to take meds again, so she’d had to take them here. Oddly, forgetting her meds seemed to be happening more and more lately.

She wasn’t sure why. Maybe hot dudes were a natural form of painkiller.

She giggled at the thought and looked over to see Luc still glaring at the group in the corner, so she sighed and nudged his arm again. “Luc?”

“What?” he asked, not looking at her.

“Are you okay?”

His entire demeanor had changed when he’d seen the group of guys enter the parlor. They looked a little rough, but this place wasn’t in the nicest part of town. It was set up like a fifties diner and served things other than ice cream, so it wasn’t that unusual for a group of guys to be grabbing food.

But Luc didn’t seem to get that. If he’d been a cat, he’d have had his hackles up. He looked even bigger than usual as he stared over at the group in the corner.

“Hey,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “What on earth is bothering you?”

He pulled his eyes away from the group and glared at the table. “Disgusting men.” He shook his head. “Humans are disgusting.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Their thoughts,” he said.

There he went again, implying he could read minds or something. “How would you know what they’re thinking?”

For a moment, he looked confused. Then he shook his head. “I’m a man, aren’t I? I know what men are thinking.” He rolled his full lips together, then took a deep breath and relaxed a little. “But I’m being rude. I’m sorry.”

“Come on,” she said, taking his hand between hers and warming it. It felt so cold. “Don’t worry about them. Tell me more about you.”

“Okay,” he said hesitantly, clearly trying to resist looking back at the group.

“Why do you have a dragon as your avatar on your phone?”

“A friend put that in for me,” he said. “I didn’t pick it.”

“Aw,” she said. “I love dragons.”

“Yeah, you said that. Why?”

“I play games online sometimes. And read fantasy books. Dragons are always the best characters.”

He laughed. “Are they? How so?”

“Super strong,” she said. “Usually badass and cool with great powers.”

“Hm,” he said. “Are they?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Do you play any games? Wait, no, I forgot. You don’t even use your phone. Stupid question. So what do you do in your free time?”

He bit his lip. It was full and slightly pink, and she wanted to be the one biting him. “I don’t do really anything right now.”

“That’s a shame,” she said. “So many fun things to do. So before you moved, what did you do for a living?”

He thought about it. “Security, I guess.”

“How so?”

“I was a bodyguard, maybe?”

That made sense with his tall build. “Why did you stop?”

“I was fired.”

“Why?” she asked.

He leaned closer to her in the booth and pulled her against him. “Don’t worry about it.”

She pushed away. “No, I will worry about it. You’re so vague about everything you tell me. What about your family?”

“Dead,” he said.

“Right,” she said. “Of course. So you can’t tell me where you lived before or what you specifically did or anything about your family, other than they’re dead.”

He ran a hand through his sun-streaked, dark-blond hair. “I can tell you anything else, though.”

“Why did your friend put a dragon as an avatar?” she asked. “I assumed you were a gamer or something.”

He shrugged his massive shoulders. “I don’t know. You’d have to ask her.”

She sighed, leaning over her ice cream bowl. “Sometimes I feel like you’re so distant. And then you kiss me, and I feel so close. Like I know you. None of this makes any sense.”

“You’re telling me,” he said.

“Why?” she asked. “I’m an open book to you. Everything should make sense to you. You’re the one in control.”

“What is your family like?” he asked.

“Splintered,” she said. “My dad divorced my mom when I was young. He made a new family with another wife. My mom and I aren’t that close. She had to work a lot while I was growing up. I’m closer to my sister, but she lives overseas with her army husband. So I guess I’m pretty much alone.” She smiled sadly. “See? I’m an open book.”

“Then why do you hide your pain?” he asked as blatant as the nose on her face.

Her jaw dropped slightly in shock. Had she been that obvious? No one ever really noticed. “I… I guess I’m just used to it.”

He folded his arms. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure it’s any of your business,” she said. “But I was in an accident.”

“A car accident?” he asked.

She nodded.

“So nothing like Bastien?”

“No.” She confirmed. “I’m not dying, if that’s what you’re worrying about.”

He frowned. “I just… can sense your pain. Usually people don’t hide it.”

She raised an eyebrow. “How would you know if they were?”

He shrugged, looking over at the group for a moment before turning back to her. “I just can sometimes.”

“Sometimes, but not all the time,” she said.

“I think that’s one of the things that draws me to you,” he said. “Your constant positivity. It’s such a mystery to someone like me, who can’t seem to let go of anything bad that happens.”

“I guess I just choose to be happy. To see the good things in life,” she said.

“How did it happen?” he asked.

“I was hit by a drunk driver,” she said. “Ten years ago. It kind of… ended everything back then. But I found a new life. It wasn’t all bad.”

His expression went dark. “So someone hurt you, probably nearly killed you, because they were stupid.”

Was it her imagination or had the air gone colder by a few degrees? Possibly just the ice cream inside her, she guessed. “Luc, it was a long time ago.”

“How do you just forget it?”

“I don’t forget,” she said. “I just don’t let it ruin me.” She sighed.

“I knew when it happened, I had two choices. To be incredibly unhappy and angry at the unfairness of it, or to be happy I still had my life.”

“But it shouldn’t have happened,” he said.

“You can say that about a lot of things in life,” she said. “Like Bastien’s cancer or my parent’s divorce or the shootings on the news. But in the end, there are so many good things in life that make it worthwhile.”

“Like what?” he asked, folding his arms and leaning on the table. His eyes were starting to wander back to the other table again, so she had to distract him.

“Sunny days. Cute animals. Knowing you’re making a difference in the world.” She took a bite. “Delicious ice cream. Good company.” She looked into his eyes. “Sexy guys.”

That got a smile out of him. “Think I’m sexy, huh?”

“Yeah,” she said. “And a good date.”

He grinned, but his eyes wandered to the corner again.

“Maybe we should go,” she said. “It seems like you’re getting antsy.”

“I just don’t have a high opinion of people. I don’t trust them around things that are precious to me.”

Her heart fluttered like paper in the wind. She was precious to him? She tried to remember what they were talking about. Oh, right. Assuming the worst. “If other humans are worrying you, then let’s just get away from them.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I was just hoping they would leave first. I don’t like how they are thinking—I mean,
looking
at you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Luc. Guys don’t think of me like that.”

“Yes, they do,” he said, sounding oddly sure about it as he took her hand and helped her out of the booth, leading her outside.

He let go of her hand to put his arm around her and draw her close to him, and she luxuriated in the warmth of his body in the cool night air.

She heard male voices and realized the group from the diner was following them.

Had Luc been right to be paranoid?

Luc’s face was stern, but he kept his pace calm, his energy reserved. They were nearly to the car when she felt a hand on her arm, jerking her away from him. She was shoved against the side of the car and turned to see a large man in a leather jacket looking down at her.

Two others were in front of Luc, blocking his way to her. “Wallet,” the guy demanded, holding out his palm.

Luc shook his head. “No. Get out of here.” He looked over at her to make sure she was okay.

She bit her lip and looked at Luc. Why was he resisting? “Luc…”

The guy in front of her reached out to touch her face, and she flinched back just as he went flying out from in front of her. Luc was there, almost as if he’d teleported, and the guys who’d been blocking him a moment ago seemed confused.

“How’d he do that?” one muttered.

“So fast,” the other said.

Luc folded his arms. Hallie could feel his rigid strength in front of her and knew he wasn’t going to let anything happen.

* * *

“
I
wouldn’t try
that again if I were you,” Luc said darkly, trying to maintain his cool but seething with rage.

For too long, Luc had to hear the grotesque thoughts these men had been sharing, the unspeakable things they had casually considered about the woman he was feeling more protective of every minute.

And to top it off, they had come out here and were now attempting to steal from them like common robbers.

Sometimes humans really were the worst.

For a moment, the man he’d stepped in front of flinched at Luc’s size. But then, emboldened by his buddies coming up to join him, he took a step forward.

“Threats, huh?” he said with a smirk. “Maybe we oughta teach this guy to be more polite.”

“Yeah, and to share his girl,” another said from behind.

That was
it
.

Instantly, Luc grabbed the man in front of him by the collar and jerked him up in the air, letting him dangle like a rag doll. He sent a vicious glare at his buddies who were now trying to back up as their leader struggled in his grip.

Then he took a step forward, aimed, and launched the man at them, sending him flying through the air and knocking the others over as they grunted from the impact.

Humans like this didn’t threaten him at all. All they threatened was a world where he could protect humans, bond with humans, trust humans.

And he hated them for it.

“Bastards. You’ll regret ever even
thinking
about her like that,” he said, his voice chilling, his breath getting colder and icier with each passing second.

Without hesitation, he strode forward to the men as they scrambled to get up off the ground. He kicked hard into one man’s gut, so hard the man slid backward and rammed into a nearby brick wall, knocking him unconscious.

Seeing the imminent danger, the remaining guys clambered to their feet. Upon getting up, one tried to retaliate, swinging a wild fist at Luc, but he just side-stepped effortlessly, the punch almost slow motion compared to his reflexes.

He then countered with a jab across the man’s face, the force of it throwing him to the side as a crunch resounded off the nearby cars and building in the parking lot, the sound of it not the least unsatisfying.

He was losing himself again; he could feel it. But he wanted to punish them, both for what they had tried to do and what they’d been picturing in their minds.

But as he fought, he could sense Hallie watching, could sense her worry and fear, and that pulled him back slightly from the icy mental ledge he was dangling over.

By now, the last man had risen to his feet and was reaching behind him to pull out something. Luc whirled around and grabbed the man’s hand, which was gripping a gun.

For a second, Luc just stared at the weapon, leaving it pointed skyward. Then in one quick motion, he ripped it free from the man’s grasp and crushed it in his grip like a soda can, letting the pieces clatter to the ground.

When the ringleader saw he was clearly outmatched and his lackeys were incapacitated, he showed his true colors, jerking his hand free and trying to run for the street. But Luc snagged him by his leather jacket and hauled him off the ground, holding him by the neck as the man struggled fruitlessly against his unwavering dragon strength.

Luc could sense the coldness in him growing colder. Could see himself unleashing his dragon breath on the thug, freezing him solid so he couldn’t hurt anyone again.

But he could also feel another part to him, one that was slowly waking up, telling him to let go.