Releasing the Dragon: Myths and Legends, Book One (5 page)

As we approached the table I said, "My name
is Serafina, would you like to sit and have a drink with me?"

"My friends call me Dragon, and it would be
my pleasure to join you for a drink." The sound of his deep voice
made that shiver run up my spine again leaving goose bumps in its
wake. I noticed that he had a faint accent that was very similar to
Rook's.

"Dragon is an unusual name, is there a story
behind it?" I asked him as we took our seats at the table. He
lounged in his chair while I perched on the edge of mine.

"There is in fact a story behind my name, but
telling it would take all evening and I'd rather hear about you."
When he finished speaking a waitress appeared with two drinks and
set them on the table in front of us. "Bram's Bombshell, the best
drink Lilith's has to offer. Would you like to try one?" He pushed
one of the drinks towards me then tipped the waitress who bowed
before she left to help other customers.

"Do waitresses always bring you drinks the
second you sit down?" I sipped the drink and it was even better
than the Twist I'd tried earlier.

With a grin he replied, "Not everywhere I go.
I guess you could say I'm a regular here."

"Are you a guest in the hotel or do you live
in the local area?" It would be great if he lived nearby since I
would be residing here for the foreseeable future.

"No, I'm not a guest in the hotel." A tiny
smile on his lips made me think there was a private joke I wasn't
getting. "I'm a local business owner and have lived in this area
for many years. I enjoy most of the clubs and restaurants here at
the resort, but Lilith's is without a doubt my favorite. I usually
come here at least twice a week just to wind down after a long
day." He sipped his drink. "What brings you here to Myths and
Legends?"

Listening to him speak triggered a memory, he
seemed so familiar, and not just from last night in Mystique, but I
couldn't quite recall the details. I was sure I had never met him,
but at the same time I knew I'd seen him somewhere before. Deciding
it didn't really matter; I looked at his handsome face and wondered
if this man could get any sexier.

The vision from the previous night kept
playing through my mind causing a slow burn to start in my core; I
wanted to feel his body pressed against mine, into mine. I was
having trouble meeting his eyes fully; afraid he would see just how
desperately I wanted him. I wasn't usually like this and had no
idea why my body was reacting to him this way. My sexual
experiences had never been Earth shattering, or anything I felt I
needed for my survival. But something about this man made my body
crave sex more than food, water and air all combined. I was drawn
to him like some magical force tied us together with an ever
shortening steel cable.

The conversation continued with me telling
him all about myself, where I was from, what I was doing here on
the Gulf Coast, and why I have always wanted to be a dancer.
Whenever I tried to find out more about him he dodged my questions
by steering the topic back around to me. We danced some more and
just before midnight, I told him I needed to head back to my
apartment or risk turning into a pumpkin.

He chuckled at that and asked, "Would you
mind if I walked you home, just to the door of the staff apartment
building? There are a lot of drunks hanging around this time of
night and I'd feel a lot better if you didn't go alone."

I felt my lips curl into a sly smile. "I
would love to have you walk me home."

What was it about this place that made me
want to do things I never would have considered before coming here?
I came to Lilith's to avoid sleeping with strangers, but now that
was exactly what I was thinking about doing. I went from one
bizarre phenomenon driving my libido through the roof to another.
At least the desire I felt for him was different than the blind
lust I had felt in Mystique the night before, although more intense
if that was possible. It wasn't just mindless sexual hunger. I
wanted screaming orgasms, but I also wanted breakfast in bathrobes.
And this time there wasn't anything clouding my mind. Tonight if I
fell into bed with this stranger I would be responsible for that
decision. As I let my gaze travel over his rugged features and
powerful body I knew this was one decision I'd have no trouble
making.

We made our way through the crowded hallways
and out the main entrance in front of the lobby. Just before we
crossed the drawbridge we took a right onto a lighted path. The
sprawling grounds in front of the Myths and Legends castle were
peppered with oak and pine trees, most of which had Spanish moss
dripping from their limbs. The barest sliver of moonlight shone
down through the clouds casting an eerie light over the sinister
looking landscape. A light breeze rustled the leaves overhead and
carried the scent of saltwater from the beaches that ran along the
backside of the resort.

Once we were away from all the people we
strolled in silence for a few moments enjoying the fresh air and
tranquil surroundings. Eventually I asked him, "This seems to be
the long way to the staff apartments, are you sure you know where
you're going?"

He grinned. "We could have taken a shortcut
and gone through the casino, but then we would have said goodbye
much too soon. I preferred the idea of a moonlight stroll before we
have to part company for the evening."

"It
is
beautiful out here, and the
company is nice." I glanced sideways at him and saw that he was
smiling at me, a slight curve of his lips, a tender warmth in his
chocolate brown eyes. We'd talked and danced for hours in Lilith's
but suddenly everything had changed. Without the music and laughter
all around us, the darkness was far more intimate than I would have
expected.

"This is the first time I've been outside
since I arrived here last weekend. The auditions left me so
exhausted that I took the shortest route back to my room almost
every night after they were finished. Now that I'm out here, I
realize I should have done this sooner. The fresh air probably
would have relieved some of the stress caused by the tryouts."

"I try to get outside as much as possible
when the weather permits. I spent most of my youth exploring in the
forests around my home, hunting or just admiring the wonders of
nature. Now I spend too much of my time closed up in meetings and
working in my office." He raised his face to the sky and took in a
deep breath. He looked at home here and I could easily picture him
stalking his prey through an emerald forest.

When we reached the end of the path I turned
to face him and said, "I had a really good time tonight."

He rocked back on his heels and put his hands
in his pockets. "As did I. I’d like to see you again, perhaps next
weekend? Solomon has a show scheduled for Friday night at The
Gateway. We could have dinner before the show if you'd care to join
me."

"I would be delighted to join you at The
Gateway for dinner Friday night. Perhaps over dinner I'll get to
hear more about you." I gave him a look that clearly said I
wouldn't be putting up with any more of his evasive tactics.

"Perhaps," he replied with a shameless grin.
"Until Friday evening." He reached out his hand as if to shake
mine, only instead, he lifted my hand and laid a gentle kiss on my
fingers. The fire that had been smoldering inside of me flared into
flames the instant his lips touched my skin. I looked into his face
and saw the same inferno barely contained behind his eyes. I
couldn't look away. It was just like it had been in Mystique.

Hesitantly, he leaned down and brushed his
velvet soft lips over mine, then drew back as if that was all he
would do.

I couldn't let him leave. Not with only that
one fleeting touch, the touch that had gone all the way to my soul.
I reached up and brought his head back down to mine. Our mouths
came together, our tongues sliding along each other with slow,
sensual strokes.

He groaned and crushed me against his warm,
hard body, holding me tight like he'd never let me go. I'd never
felt so desired in all my life. I ran my fingers through his silky
hair, savoring every detail of the moment. This was what I'd always
wanted, what I'd always dreamed of. When he deepened the kiss,
fisting my hair in one of his hands, I felt his hunger, his
passion, and knew I would never get enough of this man.

After several blissful moments that I never
wanted to end, someone cleared their throat behind me. Dragon broke
the kiss with a growl and threw a less than friendly look over my
shoulder. I guessed he appreciated the intrusion as much as I did.
I rested my forehead against Dragon's chest, breathless and
trembling in his arms.

"Good evening Dragon, I hope you're treating
this nice young woman with the respect she deserves." It was Rook's
voice coming from behind me.

I smoothed my hands over my dress as I
reluctantly stepped away from Dragon. When I turned around, I
pasted the best smile I could manage on my face. It was the one I
used on stage, pleasant, cheery, but lacking any real warmth.

"He's been a perfect gentleman. As a matter
of fact he was just walking me home so I wouldn't be accosted by
any drunks along the way." I looked between the two of them. "Have
you two known each other long?"

"Rook and I go way back, we're practically
brothers," Dragon answered directing a dark scowl towards his
life-long friend. I really couldn't blame him; if one of my friends
had interrupted a kiss like that I'd be pissed too.

"If you're finished here, there're a couple
of things I'd like to run by you," Rook told Dragon, not even
acknowledging his foul mood.

Dragon nodded to Rook then looked at me with
resignation. "I guess this is goodbye for now. Will you meet me
outside The Gateway Friday evening at eight o'clock?"

"I wouldn't miss it." I told him sincerely
then went up on my toes to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. When I
approached the building's entrance Rook held the door for me and
bowed his head as I passed. I hadn't wanted the evening to end, but
there was no way to recapture the moment with Rook waiting in the
wings. As I went upstairs to my cold empty bed, I remembered how
I'd felt in Dragon's arms and thought, Friday is definitely too far
away.

I watched her lithe body as she walked away
swaying her hips in a way that was almost too tempting. I had to
lock down every one of my muscles to stop myself from following
her. Keeping myself in check seemed to be getting more difficult by
the minute. It started during my nightly walk through the resort.
Claire's words kept repeating in my head,
Think about it
Donovan, you couldn't find her because she hadn't been born
yet
. I told myself I was just making the rounds, taking care of
business, but I knew better. I was looking for her, the dark haired
beauty. Business had nothing to do with it.

Mystique was the first place I checked,
trying to alleviate the growing tension in my body. The thought of
finding her in that crowd of sharks again had me shaking with rage.
Lucky for them, she wasn't in Mystique. She also wasn't in any of
the restaurants or The Catacombs. I attempted to call it a night,
to convince myself that I shouldn't even care where she was. But
every time I tried to give up my search, the compulsive need to
find her only intensified. I felt like an invisible chain was
pulling me toward her, tying us together with its unbreakable
strength.

I finally found her on the dance floor in
Lilith's, twirling around in the arms of a human male. It wasn't
Mystique, and it wasn't sexual in any way, but it didn't matter.
Seeing her in the arms of another male pushed me over the edge I
had been riding all evening. I sent a mental command to the human
telling him to let go of her hand, leave, and never come back. When
he abruptly released his hold on her hand she stumbled and I raced
to catch her.

She landed in my arms and for a brief moment
I just held her against my chest. The burning I had felt in my soul
the night before returned; only this time it was stronger, more
intense. I felt my spirit crying out for something I thought I
would never have. How it was possible I could not explain. The
beast inside me was still asleep, unable to cry out for anything,
especially not its mate. But as I held her close to me, the
connection I felt could not be mistaken. She was my mate, and
somehow through the fog of sleep, my dragon could sense her.

She raised her head slowly until she looked
into my eyes. I watched as recognition flashed across her face
followed closely by a wave of desire. Her eyes glowed with a bright
green while her skin flushed a delicate pink. She was beautiful. I
wanted to feel her lips against mine, our tongues sliding along
each other, my hands caressing her full breasts, my hard length
buried in her wet heat. The look in her eyes said she was right
there with me. But she needed to know more before I could let that
happen. So with every ounce of restraint I could muster, I twirled
her away from my body and danced like a gentleman.

I enjoyed the rest of the evening getting to
know her, even with the mounting sexual frustration. She was witty
and intelligent, as well as very perceptive. It was clear that
hiding my world from her would be impossible. It would only be a
matter of time before she saw through all the lies designed to hide
what we are. I wondered how I could tell her the truth and what she
would think when I did. Should I just come out and tell her? How
would she react?

Rook eased up beside me, "That was some kiss.
I thought it best to stop it before the two of you started shedding
clothing right here."