Authors: Milly Taiden
TWELVE
Becca glanced down the thousand-foot drop with trepidation. She really needed to say no whenever someone dared her to do something. But it was like a disease. She wanted to prove she could do whatever was asked of her.
“This isn’t really fair, Charlotte,” Becca yelled over her shoulder. “I don’t know anything about these sheets.”
Charlotte’s giggles sounded behind Becca. “You said you’d do it. No backing out now.”
Becca growled. She didn’t know what the hell she was doing, but she knew Charlotte had gotten the thin sheet to wrap around Becca’s arms and legs, meeting at her waist. She swore the sheet wasn’t that big, but it had grown to fit around her torso and hung down her back like a homemade parachute—a very flimsy one.
“Won’t you feel bad if I die trying to fulfill a dare?” Becca asked. “I’m your favorite sister!”
“You’re my only sister.” Charlotte giggled. “You’re not going to die, you wuss,” Charlotte said. “Jump already.”
She prayed she wouldn’t land like a pancake on the icy ground and ran, jumping off the mountain. A scream lodged at the back of her throat. She didn’t want to see herself die, but there was no closing her eyes.
She dove, head first, going down fast and hard, and suddenly the thin sheet pulled back, reshaping into a thicker material and filling with air; she was now floating.
She laughed uncontrollably. For a moment, she almost peed her pants from fear of dying. Adrenaline replaced fear, and wonder over the landscape had her glancing everywhere on her descent.
A big purple dragon came her way. She forgot all about the landscape and watched the shiny, beautiful dragon. Much smaller than the golden one she’d seen before, the purple lowered to a landing right where Becca was going.
She landed on her feet but her wobbly legs gave way, and she tumbled forward in the snow, rolling until her body bumped into the dragon’s front claws, her head resting on its foot. It was then she noticed the purple dragon had a bag strapped around one of its talons.
Becca gasped, trying to catch her breath. “Oh, my goodness. You are such a beauty!” she squealed.
The dragon lowered its head and sniffed at Becca, then licked her entire face and half her body in one swipe. Becca wiped at her face then raised a hand and petted the animal lovingly. Excitement flooded her system. She couldn’t believe she’d come this close to two dragons.
“I can’t believe you’re purple. What a unique color,” she gushed.
The dragon moved back, and Becca watched, in shock, as the animal shrunk in size and its limbs reshaped. Scales withdrew and were eaten by flesh. The pretty purple dragon turned into Razzy.
“Holy shit, girl!” Becca jumped to her feet and slapped a hand over her mouth.
Razzy laughed and pulled an outfit out of her bag. She dressed quickly and then turned to Becca. “You didn’t know there were dragon shifters?”
Becca shook her head. “No. But I have to warn you. I love dragons. Will your family be upset if I kidnap you and take you to live with me? I promise to feed you.”
Razzy chuckled, sliding the bag over her shoulder and walking to Becca. “Vikter would probably have something to say about that.”
“Yeah,” Becca grumbled. “I have no luck.”
Razzy pulled out a pair of suede-like boots from her bag and slipped them on. “I came to invite you to dinner at my home.”
Becca was struggling to pull the sheet off her back when suddenly the thing came loose. It freaked her out and excited her that the technology on this planet was much more advanced than on Earth. “Dinner?”
She picked up the sheet and folded it, glancing up the mountain to the spot from where she’d dropped. Charlotte said she’d be right behind her, but so far there was no sign of her.
“Yes,” Razzy said excitedly. “You can stay over if you’d like.”
“I don’t know.” She frowned. “Your brother was pretty pissed I was in his office.”
Razzy twined and untwined her fingers together. “I’m sorry about that. I honestly didn’t think he’d be there. I wasn’t looking to get you into trouble with him. He’s usually a great guy.” Sadness filled her eyes. “Lately, it’s been harder, because he’s dealing with a lot of personal stuff.”
Becca wanted to ask what in the world would make a man so rude. “It’s fine. I’m sure he’s a great guy.”
Razzy smiled wide. “He is. And he doesn’t normally look like that.”
Becca frowned. “Like what?”
“You know…” Razzy scrunched her nose. “…that hair. All over.”
“Ah, you mean like Cousin It?” She laughed at Razzy’s expression. “I guess he might be tired of shaving.”
Razzy’s eyes went wide. “Oh no. Not Vikter. He’s got impeccable grooming. It’s why I’m so surprised at his…lack of it lately.”
Becca wasn’t one to judge a man by his appearance. She’d dated enough nice guys who looked like they were something the cat dragged in. It was Vikter’s attitude that she’d found distasteful.
“Weeee!” Charlotte yelled from far above Becca’s head.
Becca turned and watched her sister land on her feet without missing a beat. “That’s not fair. How did your legs not give?”
Charlotte chortled. “I’ve done this enough times to have it down to a science.”
Razzy rushed over to give Charlotte a hug. “Do you mind if I steal Becca for the night?”
Charlotte smiled at Razzy. “I’ll let you borrow my Becca whenever you want. There’s a small fee for shipping and handling.”
Becca gasped. “You’d trade me?”
Charlotte nodded shamelessly. “Yep. Razzy’s cook makes the best cream cake ever. I’m in love with it, and for another one of those yummy cakes, she can borrow you whenever she wants.”
Razzy laughed. “I’ll be sure to bring one when I pick up Becca later.” She hugged Charlotte once more. “Be sure to bring a change of clothes,” she said to Becca. “We’re going to have a great time.”
Razzy was such a genuinely nice person. Becca didn’t doubt for a second the girl would go out of her way to ensure she had fun. It was Vikter who filled her thoughts. Even with all the hair covering his features, his eyes had spoken to her.
She wasn’t sure if he’d been genuinely rude or, maybe, he’s struggling to deal with things. She didn’t know what to think, but her heart told her not to judge him for his words. Lashing out at her intruding into his private space could be how he was handling things.
Behind the anger and the dismissive tone, she’d seen pain and sadness, and hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since. Why was he so sad? What had angered him? Vikter had caught her attention. It was the depth of emotions she saw behind his eyes. The same with the big dragon. Vikter and the big dragon pulled different parts of her.
The dragon reminded her of feeling alone when she’d been younger—even when her parents were in the same home. Vikter’s pain and sadness were like the emotions she tried to hide from the world. Acting like the feelings weren’t there, she smiled and moved on, when inside she felt differently. Vikter masked his pain with anger. Becca, with smiles.
THIRTEEN
If Drayken told her one more time how beautiful she looked, she’d hit him with her wine glass. She really would. Manners be damned. Besides, she was on another planet. For all she knew, hitting the idiot over the head with a glass of wine meant she wanted to have sex with him.
“I just adore your darker skin tone,” Laina said. Somehow the words didn’t come across as praise. “It’s so…different.”
Great. That’s totally not a compliment when said with a frown that made her otherwise-pretty face look hideous.
“I agree with Mother,” Drayken said. “Your skin shines with a lovely glow.”
She stepped away from him. The dumbass kept rubbing against her. If he did it one more time, she’d cool his ardor with her wine.
“Sorry I was gone,” Razzy huffed. “Dinner will be served shortly.”
Becca hurried to Razzy and sighed. “I appreciate you inviting me to dinner. So far the appetizers have been delicious.”
Razzy wrapped an arm around Becca’s side. “Our cook is the best ever. She’s been with our family for centuries.”
Becca was dying to ask about Vikter. Would he show up to dinner?
“Don’t worry. I checked, and Vikter told his assistant he wouldn’t be coming down for dinner.” Razzy grinned. “So no need to look worried anymore.”
Dammit. The idea of Vikter sitting in his room, alone and hiding behind a wall of anger, did something to her. She wanted to offer to invite him down, but knew it was probably for the best that he not show. Hanging out with Drayken was probably not going to be fun for any of them.
She really needed to stop thinking of Vikter’s eyes and how sad he’d been behind the wall of animosity. She’d seen past the anger to something that was almost desperation. It killed her, wondering if she could ease his pain. Something about him tugged at her heart, and she hadn’t been able to push him out of her mind.
She stepped away to wash her hands before dinner. Razzy gave her directions to the nearest ladies room, which bypassed Vikter’s office. She’d been tempted to stop and peek inside, but instead she kept going. On her way back, she stopped to glance out one of the large viewing windows at the dual moons. They were so beautiful.
“Tired of the company already?”
She didn’t turn. There was no need. The sound of his deep, gravelly voice without the bite of anger was new. The heat from his body warmed her back. He placed a hand to either side of her, caging her against the window.
“I wouldn’t say I’m tired,” she said. “At least I’m not getting yelled at today.”
“I apologize for my behavior yesterday. You didn’t deserve my anger,” he said, his voice moving closer to her ear.
She licked her lips, still glancing at the garden. Today, his voice sent delicious, wicked thoughts through her brain. A hot shudder slid down her back.
“I understand. We all have bad days,” she said, clearing her throat. What? She understood? Was she high? She should be antisocial right back, but she couldn’t. The mysterious man tempted her to find out more about him.
“Thank you for agreeing to come to dinner with my sister,” he said. “She’s very excited to have you over.”
She licked her lips and nodded. “I like Razzy. She’s a very sweet girl.”
“She’s so innocent,” he said, his breath hovering over her bare shoulder. “She doesn’t understand not everyone is redeemable.”
She frowned and turned, her breath catching in her throat. Holy mother of hot men under a shit ton of hair. Talk about deceiving. “You…you look different.”
His golden gaze raked over her face. This time, she saw the lust bright in his eyes. “I’m still the same person you saw yesterday.”
She nodded jerkily. Yeah, but now he was hot as fuck, with the face of a fallen angel. Hot damn! That shirt, opened at the top, showed off the muscles just below the material. “I’m sure you are, but now I can talk to a person instead of Cousin It.”
He frowned and then nodded. “Ah, yes. A movie reference. I believe I am taller than Cousin It.”
She grinned. “You are, but all that hair covering your face wasn’t really giving me the option to call you anything else.”
“Indeed.” He leaned forward, his body brushing lightly over hers. The reaction was instantaneous. Her nipples pebbled tightly. She’d wanted him when he’d been covered in hair. Now that he had his blond hair in short spikes and a smooth face showing his clean-shaven jaw, she had to fight her hormones for dominance. No way was she going to hump him in the middle of the hallway. For all she knew, that probably got her married to him on this planet.
“Are you…um…joining us for dinner?” she asked, hoping he’d say yes. She could stare into his eyes all night while Drayken talked nonsense.
“Depends,” he said, his face lowering closer to hers.
Her heart pounded hard in her chest. Need grew wings at her core, demanding she touch him. Kiss him. Go crazy and strip him.
“On what?” she asked, her voice a breathy whisper.
“On if you want me to.”
FOURTEEN
She glanced at his mouth, then back at his eyes. “I don’t think I should be the one making those decisions. I’m not sure how social you’re feeling.”
He raised a hand to her face, sliding a finger down her jaw and cupping her neck. “I’m feeling social. Really social.”
Her throat went dry. She leaned forward, her body taking a mind of its own. Possessive need filled his gaze, and a flash of triumph curled his lips into a grin right before his mouth crashed over hers. Why was she letting a guy who pissed her off kiss her? She knew why. From the moment she’d seen his eyes and been captivated by the sadness in them, she’d been caught.
His lips pressed hard on hers, his tongue sliding over the seam of hers, using her inhale to dive into her mouth. Her body yearned for more of his touch. He glided his other hand around her waist, pushing himself up against her.
She moaned into the kiss, taking more of his tongue into her mouth, loving the way he dominated the kiss, how every caress felt like he was touching her from head to toe.
He took her lips like a man starved, and it felt so fucking perfect, so wonderful to have him owning her body like she belonged to him. Breaths struggled in and out of her lungs.
“Becca?” Razzy called from down the hall. “We’re going to have dinner soon.”
He pulled back from the kiss, leaving them both panting for more. Her gaze ran down to his shirt, where she had clumps of the material in her grip.
“Becca,” he groaned, pressing his erection on her body, “I’m ready to eat, but it’s not food I’m after.”
Well, damn.
“Food is overrated,” said the woman who loved to eat. Right at that moment she’d give up every meal for more alone time with Vikter.
“I want you, Becca,” he groaned, his hand holding her face captive. “I want to spread your beautiful legs and feast on you for hours.”
She had to take a step back and process what he was saying. “I don’t know what brought on this change of heart after yesterday’s rude outburst,” she gulped, “but we really need to get to the dining room.”
No way in hell was she acting like his dismissive attitude hadn’t happened. Okay, so maybe she’d gotten a little carried away by her hormones a few minutes ago, but she was in control again. Mostly.
He offered her his arm, but she worried touching him would just make her vulnerable again. She shook her head and slid from between him and window. She started walking, feeling the heat of his gaze burning her back.
Everyone waited by the large dining room table to take their seats. She met Razzy’s wide-eyed gaze and smiled.
“Look who I found on my way back from the bathroom.”
Razzy blinked, glancing back and forth between the two. She knew there was no smeared lipstick to worry about, but damn, the way Razzy looked worried her. Was it obvious what they’d been doing?
She glanced over her shoulder at Vikter and almost drooled. His face, much clearer in the dining room light, was even more breathtaking than at first sight. He had the chiseled features with a stubborn chin and piercing gold eyes. But it was his mouth that made her belly clench. His lips, set into that seductive smile, warmed her blood to a low boil.
“You’re back,” Drayken said, rushing toward Becca, only to stop dead when he got a good look at Vikter. “Vikter. I didn’t expect you for dinner.”
Becca bit her lip to stop herself from saying anything. She knew Drayken’s accusatory tone had sent the tension rising in the room.
“Do I need an invitation to have dinner in my own home?” Vikter snapped.
Laina cleared her throat, raising a brow high. “Of course not, Vikter. Dray doesn’t mean anything by that. We didn’t expect you is all.”
Becca saw Razzy continue to stare at them like they’d waltzed into the dining room naked. “Razzy, should we sit?”
Razzy nodded and glanced at Vikter. “Vik, could you show Becca to her seat?”
“My pleasure,” he said, his voice so close it raised goose bumps over her skin. He placed a hand on her waist and guided her to one end of the dining table. He pulled a chair for her and helped her sit.
Vikter stood beside her until Drayken pulled Razzy’s chair at the head of the table before helping his mother sit. Once all were seated, with Vikter beside Becca, dinner appeared to be starting on a good note…
…until Vikter placed a hand on her leg. Becca cleared her throat and jerked her face sideways to stare into his dancing, golden eyes.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“I’d be very careful what you say, beautiful.” He leaned into her side. “You wouldn’t want to embarrass Razzy and ruin her special dinner. This table is full of very sensitive ears, and no matter how low you say things, they can hear you.” He leaned even closer. “And that goes for any noises you make.”