She would give anything to feel this every day, to focus her mind and heart on what mattered to her. Pulling the beauty of the world through herself and transferring it to a canvas to inspire and enliven those who viewed it. It was her gift and her calling, and all she'd ever truly wanted. No matter the price, she would find a way to do it.
Chapter 5
Aiden watched his mate as she dabbed the canvas with her brush. A bright smile lit her eyes and lips. She looked almost blissful. He wanted to see her like this all the time.
The pungent scent of oil paint and paint thinner wafted through the air as he drew closer. He observed her brush strokes, noting the skill with which she moved her hand and how the paintbrush fell across the canvas. She was a great talent, he was sure. Aiden was transfixed by the sight of her at her craft. His inner dragon roared and pressed him to move forward to take her in his arms and kiss her. But Aiden knew that it was impossible.
She had not even met him yet. They had not exchanged even a single word. He knew if he revealed himself for what he was, he would frighten her beyond repair. Aiden stood back in the shadows, trying to think of how to approach the situation. He had laughed at Dax’s awkwardness with Aria. But now he understood. He had no idea how to court a human female. No matter how many love songs he'd heard, or how many romantic movies his crew had studied, it was still a mystery.
When he’d left his planet a million years ago, mating was a very formal affair. Back then, he had no hope of finding a mate. Kian was lucky to have produced an heir with the Dragoness Prime, the last female dragon born on Dragonia. Baby Ember was the light of the House of Flames. Though Aiden was the Duke and Kian’s cousin, Ember was next in line to the throne. Aiden had never truly cared about such things. He was content to stay in the shadows, biding his time and waiting.
But as he watched his mate paint, he didn't know how long his usual patience would last. His inner dragon roiled with tumultuous emotions, writhing like a swirling storm. He had never felt so agitated. Even when they’d evacuated Dragonia, he had felt the abiding sense of calm that he brought to every situation. But now? Now he could barely contain himself. His dragon was in a tizzy. He had to hold himself back from charging into the clearing, grabbing the little human in his arms, kissing her deep on the lips, and demanding that she be his mate forever. He palmed his eyes, knowing how ridiculous these visions were in reality. The crew had strict orders not to reveal their true nature to humans. The war with the vampires was enough to keep them occupied. He’d have to court her like a human man, with subtlety and detachment.
His mate set down her paintbrush, opening her backpack to retrieve her lunch. She ate the sandwich as she looked out on the view. He crept closer, feeling that maybe now would be a good time to reveal himself. She took a deep drink of water from her thermos and set it back down beside her chair. He dropped his stealth mode and slung his guitar case over his shoulder. Maybe she would be impressed by his music. He moved slowly into the clearing, sat at a bench nearby, and began strumming his acoustic guitar. She looked at him over her sandwich and smiled.
"Hi," she said.
“Hi,” he said back, doing his best to conceal the burning need inside him.
“You're really good."
"I'm learning."
"No, I think you're great,” she said. “Are you a professional?"
"I am just an enthusiastic amateur."
"Well, you could be a professional."
"That's nice of you to say. Are you a professional painter?"
"I wish,” she said, putting away the leftovers from her lunch. “But I don't know if it's ever going to happen.”
"Why?"
"Well, as it is now, I can't make enough money to support myself living in the city.”
"You could always move," he said, thinking of the room they had at the mansion.
"I've been thinking about it. I'm Winnifred, by the way. Everyone calls me Winnie.”
"It's nice to meet you, Winnie. I’m Aiden.”
“It's nice to meet you too, Aiden. What brings you to the island today?"
"I just wanted to get away to play my guitar somewhere peaceful. Sometimes the city is a bit much, with the noise and commotion.”
"I completely agree with you," she said.
"Well," he said, feeling his inner dragon pressuring him more with each passing second. The smell of her filled his nose, and he didn't know if he could keep up this pleasant conversation. He was terrified of making a fool of himself and scaring her to death. “I'll leave you to your painting.”
"Okay," she said. “See you around."
He stood, taking his guitar, and disappeared into the shadows of the forest. He couldn't be so close to her without feeling the deep need to take her in his arms. It was frustrating and distracting. He had never felt so compelled to possess another being. She was like a beacon in the darkness, and he’d just realized how lost he’d always been.
Winnifred went back to her painting. Aiden sat in the shadows, watching her, feeling like a creep. But he was rooted in place, unable to leave and unable to move forward.
When the day stretched into evening, he emerged from the forest with his guitar in hand. He’d lost track of time watching her paint, but he knew they needed to get to the ship before it left.
"Hey," he said. “You're still here.”
She looked up at him as if waking from a dream.
"Oh my gosh, it's getting late, isn’t it?"
"Yeah. I think it's time to go.”
“I got really distracted. I was painting all day.”
“I played my guitar up on the hill. But now I'm worried we’re going to miss the boat."
"Crap, we better get going," she said, packing up her things. She carried her wet painting as she draped her backpack over her shoulder.
"Let me carry that for you," he said, taking her backpack.
“Thanks. We better run."
They hurried down the hill, making good time to the dock. The ship was already moving out into deep water when they made it to the beach. Winnie groaned and slapped her forehead.
"Oh my God!” she moaned. “We missed the boat!"
Chapter 6
Winnifred stood on the beach next to Aiden, the strange, handsome man who had come out of nowhere, and stared at the boat as it drifted into the distance. She couldn't believe she'd missed it. There wouldn't be another boat for a week!
"Oh, wow,” she said.
"Maybe they'll notice we aren’t aboard and come back for us," Aiden said.
"I sure hope so."
The sun was starting to dip toward the horizon and a chill was rising in the air.
“What if they don't notice?" she said, sitting down on the driftwood log on the beach. She took out her cellphone and lifted it overhead, checking for a signal. “There’s no cell service out here. What are we going to do?”
"I don't know," he said sitting beside her.
She had wanted to spend some time in nature, but this was just ridiculous. She had a few protein bars in her backpack, half a bottle of water, and her painting supplies. She pulled her jacket from around her waist and slung it around her shoulders.
"I hate when I lose track of time like that. Makes me feel so stupid."
“We’re going to be okay," he said, looking around. "We should try to find some shelter. I think I saw something while I was hiking around."
"Shouldn’t we stay here in case the ship comes back?"
"It's going to get dark soon. We should find somewhere to stay out of the elements. If they come back, they’ll come looking for us.”
"I guess you're right,” she said, standing from the log.
“Let's find somewhere to hunker down for the night.”
He carried her backpack, and she followed him down the trail. To her utter surprise, they found a cabin surrounded by a grove of cypresses.
"Wow, we’re lucky this is here."
They walked to the front door and she tried it, but it
was locked. She groaned.
"Let me try it,” Aiden said.
“I’ll get some firewood.”
Aiden knelt in front of the lock. She put her things down on the porch and shrugged. Walking into the forest, she began to pick up dry branches. When she turned back around, he swung the door open. Her mouth dropped as she carried the branches up to the porch.
"Did you seriously just pick that lock?" she asked.
"It's one of my many varied skills," he said with a laugh.
She shook her head. “I hope we don't get in trouble for this."
"What choice do we have? The shuttle left us here. We could sue them.”
"Yeah, we should."
She chuckled, walking into the cabin. Inside was a living room, dining room/kitchen area and through the doors she saw a bathroom and a bedroom.
"This isn't too bad,” she said.
She switched on the lights and nothing happened.
“Scientists or park service people probably stay here,” Aiden said.
“That makes sense.”
“I think I saw a generator out back.”
Aiden disappeared outside and a moment later the lights above her flickered on.
“We have electricity!" she cheered as he walked through the door, giving her a hot look.
He came to sit beside her on the couch with his guitar. She couldn't help feeling like he was checking her out. A nervous sensation ran down her spine. She hoped he wasn’t some kind of weirdo. As handsome as he was, there was something about him that made her nervous. But it also attracted her to him like crazy. She bit her lip, thinking there was something wrong with her. She always chose the worst guys. Aiden had that dark, brooding quality she always found so attractive. But that inevitably meant he had a pile of skeletons in his closet. Maybe even literally, for all she knew. She'd only met the guy for two seconds. And now here they were, staying in a cabin that they’d broken into on a deserted island.
He started to strum his guitar. As he lifted his elbow, it brushed against her. The contact sent a spark through her body that left her both aroused and afraid. She sucked a breath through her teeth and stood.
"I'll check the kitchen," she said.
She started to search the cabinets to see if there was anything inside. She found coffee, tea, chocolate, cans of beans and corn, and pancake mix. When she turned on the tap, water spurted out. Winnie squealed with delight and filled a kettle. She put it on the stove and dropped some teabags into two coffee mugs.
"You want some tea?" she asked.
"I'd love some,” he said, strumming his guitar.
He really was a good guitarist, and the sight of him playing on the couch with his dragon tattoos on his arms made her quiver with excitement. She bit her lip as she turned the water on to boil. Always going after the bad boys, she thought to herself. When would she ever learn? Aiden was not only as sexy as a rock star, he was also strangely mysterious and gentlemanly in the most surprising way. That was something new and different she hadn't experienced in a long time. Maybe ever.
Then she thought about her job. She wouldn’t show up in the morning or be able to call in sick.
"Oh great, I'm going to get fired,” she said at the sudden realization.
"Fired?" he said, looking up from his guitar.
"If I don't show up to work tomorrow, I know I’ll get fired. I've seen it happen before.”
"How can they fire you? You're stranded on an island?”
"It’s a lame excuse. I doubt they’ll believe me. You know how hard it is to get a job these days? There are a million other applicants for my position.”
"I'm sure it will be all right,” he said. “How long have you been working there?"
"Over two years."
"You’d think after two years, that they would at least give you a break."
"Maybe. I doubt it." She shivered. “It’s starting to get cold.”
He set down his guitar and began building a fire in the stone hearth.
"I'll make us some dinner out of the cans of food,” she said, finding the can opener in one of the drawers.
She opened the cans of chili and corn and emptied them into a pot. The water boiled, and she fixed their cups. When it was brewed, she handed him his tea. Aiden drank it as he stoked the fire, filling the cabin with warmth.
"I haven't been camping in a long time,” she said. "It's kinda different when you don't have any choice."
"This place isn't so bad," he said. “I've slept in worse situations."
He didn't elaborate, and she wondered what he meant. She’d slept in worse situations too, around far sketchier people than Aiden. That had been her life after running away from home. Something about the look in his eyes told her he had seen some rough things in life too. There was something dark and primal about him.
“So, what do you do for a living?"
"I work in security," he said. “Before that, I was in the military, in a manner of speaking."
That was not what she was expecting. The chili began to bubble, and she poured it into two bowls. He sat across from her at the table in the kitchen, and they ate and chatted about their lives. He wasn't particularly open about his work, but she supposed that came with the territory.
"You like working in the café?" he asked.
"I suppose it's okay," she said. “I'd much rather be painting.”
"So, losing your job may be a blessing in disguise."
"Maybe," she said. “Might be the extra push I need to finally make it happen.”
He looked at her like he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue.
"I must sound like an indecisive kid," she said.
"Not at all. These are major life choices. It's understandable to be apprehensive. I wish I could help you."
"You're sweet. But you just met me. You don't have any obligations to me.”
He said something under his breath that she didn't quite catch. But she almost thought he said, “Yes, I do."
She brushed it off and continued eating her meal. For old canned chili, it wasn't too bad. She was happy to have a full stomach after a day like today. When they were done, she rinsed out the bowls. Putting them away, she saw something in the back of the cabinet. She reached up on her tiptoes and clutched it, bringing it out into the light.
"Whew, look what I found,” she said, showing Aiden the bottle of whiskey. “Looks like we’re going to have fun tonight."
She knew she probably shouldn’t get drunk with a stranger on a deserted island. But she knew she needed to live a little. When was the last time she’d even been with a guy? She couldn’t remember. Oh right, a few months before she’d started her senior thesis. Had it been that long? Uh. It had… Looking over at Aiden, with his dark brooding eyes cast hungrily on her, she decided she could definitely break her fast with him.
Chapter 7
Aiden took the bottle of whiskey and tilted it to his mouth. The liquid slid down his throat with a burning sensation. Winnifred laid beside him on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. They had already finished half the bottle, and she was beginning to relax. He set it down on the nightstand and turned to her, resting his cheek in his hand as he gazed into her beautiful eyes.
“I left home when I was sixteen,” she said. “And I’ve been on my own ever since. Sometimes I think maybe I shouldn’t have gone to art school.” She laughed darkly.
“Why would you say that?” he asked.
“Because art isn’t exactly the most stable career,” she said. “I have fifty thousand dollars of student loan debt, and I work for minimum wage and tips in a cafe.”
“But you’ve come so far.”
“Not far enough,” she said, leaning over him and grabbing the bottle from the table. Her breast brushed over the back of his hand, and his inner dragon roared. His body went tense as the blood rushed below his waist.
She took another swig and sat with her back rested against the cabin wall. He gazed up at her, buzzing with exciteme
nt. He wanted to reach out and touch her, caress her curves, her beautiful dark cheek. But he couldn’t. It was bad enough that they were stranded here. He could tell Cato to send someone to rescue them at any moment, but he needed to spend time with her. And he didn’t know how else to do it. For all the teasing he had given Dax for his awkwardness with Aria, Aiden knew that he wasn’t doing any better himself.
He’d shut off his mental link to quiet the voices of Kian and Cato, telling him to come back immediately. He was unwilling to do that. He needed to be with her like he needed to breathe air. Like he needed to drink water. Like he needed food or sustenance of any kind. It was only her from now until forever. And it could be no other way.
“Have you ever considered getting a patron?” he asked, thinking of the old masters and doing everything he could to keep the burning need out of his voice.
“You mean like a sugar daddy?” she asked with a giggle.
He didn’t know what that meant, but he could tell that the alcohol was having an effect on her. If he wanted, he could lean in and kiss her. Take advantage of her inebriation. He gritted his teeth, restraining himself. He looked up sugar daddy on his mental link and heat rose I his face.
“A sugar daddy?” he asked, shocked.
“I’m just kidding,” she said, slapping his chest with the back of her hand. “I suppose I could start one of those accounts on the Internet where you ask people to support your work. But I’ve always thought that seemed kind of cheap.”
“It’s not cheap at all,” he said, glad that she’d changed the subject.
“I’ve been meaning to get my work on the Internet. Maybe sell it. Mass-produce prints. That sort of thing. I keep trying to go the traditional route, and it isn’t working.”
“I can help you,” he said. “I have a friend who’s very good with computers.”
“I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I’m always so busy with work and painting. I just finished school a year ago. And I’ve been overwhelmed.”