He gripped the towel, trying to cover his throbbing manhood. He was afraid it was impossible to keep it hidden. She had a sparkle of what he had wanted to believe was desire glowing in her eyes.
“That settles it then. Dinner and delivery pizza.”
“Sounds great,” she said with a giggle, slipping back into her bedroom.
Dax let out a long sigh and his shoulders relaxed. He wiped his forehead with the back of his arm.
“Whew,” he said to himself. “That was tough.”
But if he had a date with Aria, things were definitely looking up.
Chapter 10
Aria threw clothes from the closet onto the bed, looking for the perfect outfit for her date with Dax tonight. Everything was beautiful, but she still couldn't find anything to wear.
She stared at the stack of dresses and picked one up. She wore a lacy beige bra and panty set over her generous curves. The first dress she’d tried was a form fitting pink number with a flared skirt. She thought the sleeveless top was too revealing and made her breasts stand out too much for a first date. She didn’t want to give him the wrong impression.
She put on a capped sleeved yellow dress with a flared skirt and looked at it in the mirror. Too old-fashioned. She threw it on the bed. Then she picked up a black lace dress that was form-fitting and covered her chest with black lace. It was sexy, and made her curves look nice, but it was too severe for a first date.
Then she picked up a blue dress with a halter top, a fitted bodice, and a skirt that hit just at the mid-thigh. It made her curves look amazing and wasn't too revealing. She wasn't used to wearing clothes like this, but she liked the way it made her feel.
Biting her lip, she turned and went to the closet, looking for a pair of shoes. She slipped on a pair of white pumps them and inspected herself in the mirror again. She could barely recognize herself in such an expensive, well-fitting dress.
Groaning, she unzipped the dress and slipped out of the shoes. She would have to decide on something. While she was thinking about it, she went to the bathroom to do her hair and makeup.
The bathroom was full of high-end cosmetics and hair supplies. She straightened her long brown hair and curled the ends. It fell in long waves around her shoulders. Then she did her makeup and even attempted to do a cat eye over her lids. With the high-end cosmetics the lines came out nicely.
She smiled at herself and applied deep red lipstick in just the right shade. With her hair and makeup done, she went back to the bedroom and stood over the bed, staring at the dresses she’d discarded there.
Finally, she decided on the yellow dress. It might be old-fashioned, but she thought that it sent the right message for a first date. She slipped into it and zipped up the side before stepping into her shoes.
Dax said he would come to her door at six o'clock. She glanced down at the clock on her nightstand, it was 5:59 pm. As soon as the clock struck six, there was a knock at her door. She gasped, her heart speeding up.
She went to the door and found Dax standing in a tailored suit. She'd never seen Dax in anything but board shorts and tank tops…or half nude. The sight of him in a fitted black suit with a red tie was disarming. Her eyes went wide and she blinked several times, trying to take in the intense level of hotness standing on the other side of her door.
“You look amazing,” she stammered.
“You look amazing,” he said, offering her his arm.
She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, and he led her out the door. “I thought we could eat the pizza at the gazebo and then watch the movie in our theater downstairs.”
“That sounds lovely.”
They walked out the back door of the house and took a leisurely stroll through the manicured grounds. There was rain on the lush green grass, but the sky had cleared. Her lungs filled with the enchanting scent of grass and misty air. A wash of colors spread out as the sun dipped on the horizon.
They walked down the stone path to the gazebo. Inside, a fire burned in the stone hearth and warmed her skin. A gourmet pizza with big slices of mozzarella and tomatoes and a bottle of champagne were waiting on the big wooden table. She gazed at the fireplace, her hands sliding over the back of the couch, the buttery leather smooth under her palms. The champagne bottle popped. She turned around and gasped, then giggled.
“Champagne and pizza,” she said. “I like it.”
“Nothing is too good for my lady,” he said with a wink.
He handed her a glass and she took a sip of the bubbly liquid.
“This is good. I can't remember the last time I had champagne.”
“You should have champagne every day. Because every day with you is a celebration.”
She blushed and batted her eyes, looking down at the floor. He’d said it like he was repeating lines from a movie.
“That’s sweet.”
“You deserve sweet things.”
“You don't even know me,” she said.
“I do know you. My inner dragon yearns for you. And that is all that matters.”
She sat at the table across from him as he dished up slices of pizza for them both. She picked up her slice and took a bite.
“I don't understand this whole fated mate thing,” she said. “It’s kind of weird.”
“It's hard to explain,” he said. “Cato and Kian insist that I wait for the computer to confirm that we are fated, but I don't believe I need that.”
“Why not?”
“Because I feel it deep in my bones. My dragon is beyond sure of it. I think he might drive me mad with desire. But our people haven't used instinct for mating in thousands of years. No, wait, over a million years,” he said. “Sometimes I forget we've been asleep for so long.”
“It must be really hard for you to have lost everything you ever knew, and then to wake up on a new planet so many years later.”
“It is confusing,” he said, taking a big bite of pizza. “But you're here. So, it's all worth it.”
“I don't know how I could replace an entire planet.”
“Believe me, you do.”
“I just don't know how I'm supposed to accept all this. I don't think my mind is big enough.” She took a sip of champagne and raised an eyebrow at him
As strange as it was for this big hunk of a man to be smitten with her, she was going to have to accept it one way or another. The look on his face was so genuine, she couldn’t deny it.
If it weren’t for all the trauma leading up to this moment, she would have wanted to rush headlong into his arms and never let him go. She’d been alone for so long, it was hard not to want what he was offering. But she couldn’t forget how she’d gotten here.
“The vampires are after me. I’m afraid they’ll never stop chasing me.”
“I will protect you from them with my life. No vampire will ever touch you again.”
“Being kidnapped was terribly frightening. I don't know if I will ever recover.”
“Our house is secure and safe. As long as you stay on the grounds, you will be fine.”
“I can't imagine living my life like that,” she said, gazing out the window as the last vestiges of sunlight dipped below the horizon.
“I can take you anywhere you need to go. You don't have to stay here all the time. We just have to find out how to defeat the vampires. Right now, we don't have any weapons that can touch them. But we will. You'll see. And you'll be safe to come and go as you please.”
“I hope so. I miss my old life.”
“What did you do before the vampires took you?”
“I was an orderly in an old folks’ home. I liked working with the residents.”
“You miss them?”
“I miss them every day.”
“I hope you can go back soon.”
They finished their pizza and walked hand-in-hand back to the house. She was giddy from three glasses of champagne and enjoyed the feeling of Dax’s hand in hers. The air was growing chilly so the warm air inside the house was
quite welcome. They went through the living room without seeing any of the others. Downstairs, they walked into an in-home movie theater with bucket chairs and a massive screen. Dax lifted his wrist device and began to scroll through the hologram that appeared over his palm.
“What movie would you like to see?”
He flicked the hologram and the information moved to the movie screen in front of her. She saw a film that was still in theaters that she had been wanting to see.
“Oh, can we watch that one?” she said excitedly.
“Of course,” he flicked his hologram and the opening credits began to play.
“I can't believe that you can get these movies.”
“But you can believe in dragons and vampires?” he chuckled.
“You have a point.” She laughed.
Dax made a bag of popcorn, grabbed sodas from the refrigerator, and brought them over to the big leather theater seats. As the movie played, the scent of his body drifted to her nose and made her lightheaded with desire. Despite his initial agitation, something about him attracted her.
She was beginning to see the real Dax: the sweet, easy going guy everyone had told her about. She liked him and felt a growing sense of comfort with him that allowed her to slowly let her guard down.
As the film progressed and the climax came near, Aria leaned her head against Dax’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her. She felt the warm strength of his body against her cheek. It felt so good to be close to someone, to be protected in his arms. There was so much contentment in that, she realized just how lonely she’d been for so long.
She had always been driven to help others. But now she had an inkling of what it would be like to have someone take care of her. She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.
As the couple on the screen declared their love for each other, she glanced up at Dax. The light of the movie flickered in his eyes and his lips curled in a smile.
He cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned in to kiss her. Salt lingered on his lips from the popcorn, and his breath tasted sweet. But the masculine scent of his body enticed her and sparked something deep inside. He pulled her closer.
Kissing more deeply, she groaned as a flood of desire awakened in her core, gushing from the depths of her being. She was so surprised by her reaction that she had to pull back. He rested his forehead against hers. They stayed together like that for a long moment, breathing heavily as her heart pounded.
“That was too intense,” she finally said, pulling away.
“I know what you mean.”
“I'm almost afraid to try again,” she said. “It's like my body has a mind of its own.”
“Wait, I'm getting a message from Cato.”
“Oh?”
“The results of the mating test are in.”
“What is it?” she gasped.
He took her hand and gazed deep into her eyes.
“It is confirmed. We're fated mates.”
“I can almost believe it’s real.”
As the ending credits of the movie rolled, they stood and held hands in the flickering light. They looked at each other as the shadows played over his face. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. She felt his heart under her hands as she touched his chest. He slipped his palm under the crook of her neck and massaged her.
“I knew you were mine from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“I don't know what to do,” she said.
“I don't know what to do either. I suppose we can just let fate lead the way.”
He leaned in and claimed her lips, pulling her close. She groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her instincts take her over. She felt his manhood rise against her. In that moment, her fear evaporated and all that existed was the two of them.
Chapter 11
Dax took Aria back to her room and gave her one more kiss goodnight before she slipped through her door and closed it. His heart sang. His dragon roared at the top of its lungs inside his mind. All he wanted was to bust down the door, ravish and claim every inch of her gorgeous, curvy body. But he couldn't do that. It would destroy everything they had. He placed his palm on the door and let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes tight.
“Good night, sweet mate,” he whispered.
“We need you down in the basement immediately,” Kian said through their mental link.
Dax hurried down to the ship in the basement and found the crew waiting for him in front of the computer terminal.
“We picked up some rather disturbing information from the vampire compound,” Cato explained.
“What's going on?”
“It appears the vampires are not happy that we took their favorite Dragon Soul. They had been debating who would get to feed on her first. And that is the only reason she was still untouched when we found her. Her dragon blood is quite strong. They want her back. And they plan to continue attacking our compound until they get her,” Cato explained.
“This is unacceptable,” Kian said.
“I'll kill them all myself,” Dax growled.
“We still don't have any weapons that can defeat them,” Aiden said.
“How is the weapon search coming, Cato?” Kian asked.
“We have been through a thousand different variables. And Bethi still hasn’t come up with anything definitive.”
“Well, keep trying,” Kian said.
“Now that the mating test is completed, I can put 100% of her processing power into the weapon search. But I can't make any guarantees. We may be at a stalemate with these vampires for the foreseeable future.”
“Kian, I want to ask you about Aria. She misses her old life and her patients. She wants to go back to work.”
“She's going to have to wait until we find a way to defeat the vampires,” Kian said. “They will not leave her alone.”
“I don't know how I can break that to her. I think she feels lost without her work.”
“The threat is too great. The vampires will pounce on her at any opportunity.”
“I'll have to break the news to her,” Dax said.
“She can pass her time helping Everly with Ember,” Kian suggested.
“Maybe.”
“In order to keep our women safe, we must find a way to strike a bargain with these vampires,” Kian said.
“Perhaps we should ask for a treaty?” Cato suggested. “I doubt they like us burning down their mansion every other week.”
“I can't imagine they would,” Kian said with a chuckle.
“But what do we have to bargain with? They can attack us just as easily as we can attack them,” Aiden said.
“They have no way through our defenses. We do have a way through theirs. Their wards aren’t as strong as our technology,” Cato said.
“Aria doesn't like being cooped up in the mansion. It's making her nervous and scared,” Dax said. “That doesn't make mating any easier.”
“We understand your concerns, Dax,” Kian said. “Our mates are our highest priority. But that means we must address the vampire threat first and foremost. Cato, send them a message, telling them that we are willing to meet to discuss a treaty. We can see what their terms are and then make a decision.”
“They aren’t going to give up feeding on Dragon Souls,” Aiden said. “We need more leverage.”
“That's the problem. The Dragon Souls are their primary food source. Without them, they become weaker and weaker.”
“A meeting will at least help us gather information,” Cato said. “I'm sending the message now. A drone will drop a letter at their door. They should receive the message by morning.”
“Ask for a meeting at a neutral location,” Kian said.
“Done,” Cato said.
Dax wasn't happy with the outcome of the meeting. He wanted to help Aria feel better. He wanted to give her everything she wanted. He wanted her to feel free. Not just because he wanted to mate with her, but because he cared about her.
He could feel her, de
ep inside himself, and he could tell she was worried and scared. He didn't want to feel that anymore. He wanted to feel her happy and content. And in love.
He went upstairs and tried to sleep but tossed and turned all night. At 3am, he got a message over their mental link from Cato that the vampires had agreed to the meeting. He groaned and put his pillow over his head.
When dawn approached, he had finally stolen a few hours of sleep. He rolled out of bed to get ready for the meeting with the vampires. He dressed in his usual comfortable clothing and met the crew downstairs in the kitchen. They were all drinking coffee, and he poured himself a gallon-sized cup.
“I've told Everly to take Aria and Ember to the safe room while we’re gone.”
“Shouldn’t one of us stay with them?”
“The safe room has quadruple strength shields and is stocked with food, medicine, and water. The women could safely stay there for months if need be,” Cato said.
“Everly is taking them there now,” Kian said.
Dax wanted to see Aria before they left, but everything was going so fast, he wouldn't have the chance. He could feel the fear in her heart and it was the worst feeling ever.
The dragons walked outside, and Cato reinforced their shields with the full power of their technology. They shifted, and the dragons flew through the sky, headed toward the neutral location where the vampires had agreed to meet.
After flying for a hundred miles, they came to a clearing in the middle of a deep forest. They landed and shifted into half-dragon form. Out of shadows, the vampires materialized into form. There was at least a dozen of them. Their leader, Victor, stepped forward, his lips curled back over sharp teeth in a sneering smile.
“Kian,” Victor said. “We meet again. And you, Dax, you've taken our favorite Dragon Soul. There is no bargaining after that.”
“We've set your house on fire twice now. You know we can do it again,” Aiden said. Kian shot him a dark look.
“You're welcome to try,” Victor said with a sneer.
“We know the extent of your magic,” Cato said.
“Do you?” Victor asked.