Filed to story: Reclaimed Book by Roxie Ray
“You’ve got good instincts. Almost as good as a dragon’s. If your gut tells you it’s suspicious, trust it.”
She nodded, but kept her eyes downcast.
“What are you thinking?” I asked softly.
“This is exactly the kind of thing I didn’t want Dylan to get wrapped up in,” she said.
“We’re sorting it out. After this, all the clan businesses will be legit. We won’t have any more threats like this.”
“What does ‘sorting it out’ mean?” she asked. “How do you stop him?”
I thought suddenly of Michel telling me Sean wouldn’t stop until he was dead. “We dragons have our ways.”
Harley unwound her fingers from my beltloops. I expected her to step away, but instead she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down into an embrace. My heart hammered in my chest as her body pressed against mine. She buried her face in my neck, and her warm breath danced over my skin. My body felt electric. My dragon growled, purred, thrashed.
We were desperate to claim our mate.
I couldn’t. But fuck, I wanted to. I was desperate to press my teeth to her perfect, unblemished skin and hear her sigh in pleasure when the bond was finally fulfilled.
“Thank you for telling me all of this,” she murmured. “And for keeping us safe.”
“I’m hungry,” Dylan called from upstairs. “When’s dinner ready?”
Harley released me and nearly jumped backward, like she hadn’t realized exactly what she was doing. “Come set the table!”
I grinned. “Dragon instincts. He knows when the steaks are done.”
Dylan scurried down the stairs. He bounded into the kitchen and pulled out the plates and grabbed the silverware, then rushed to set the table. Harley and I followed behind him with the rest of dinner, and we set it all out on the table. We made our plates, and Dylan immediately tore into his steak with the shocking hunger only a pubescent boy possessed.
“Slow down, Dyl,” Harley said with a shake of her head. “Take a few breaths between bites. What video game are you sucked into now?”
His eyes lit up. “It’s so cool. It’s this big open-world exploration game…”
Harley propped her chin in her hand and smiled. She listened attentively as Dylan launched into a long, winding explanation of the complicated video game. I tried to keep up, but there were so many words and concepts thrown around, it was like he was speaking another language.
Harley looked so sweet like this, with her soft blue eyes focused on her eager son.
That was the first thing I’d noticed about her all those years ago. I remembered it vividly. It’d been mid-morning, and I’d been exhausted from a long night of flying with my clan. I’d stopped at the local café for a coffee before an even longer day of clan errands. As soon as I’d stepped into the shop, my dragon had jolted into alertness.
It’d felt like someone had grabbed me by the ribs and hauled me forward. The rest of the world dropped away.
There she is. My one and only. My mate.
Then she’d turned around, and I’d fallen into stunned silence. She was laughing at something her friend said. Her blue eyes had locked onto me, and her lips parted slightly.
Had she felt the same way I did? Like the world had stopped?
She’d looked so young, so innocent. Untouched. She shouldn’t have been in a place like Lakeview. She shouldn’t have given a guy like me the time of day. But my dragon knew she was meant for us, and before I could think better of it, I’d introduced myself.
Ten years later, she still had that air of innocence around her. She was older now, curvier, with more pain in her eyes and more weight on her shoulders, but still the same stunning woman who’d hooked me in with a single look.
“You should play with me sometime, Dad,” Dylan said. His plate was clear, even though he’d had seconds in the middle of his long explanation.
Harley smirked at me, like she knew I hadn’t heard a single word my son had said.
Shaken out of my reverie, I laughed. “I don’t know, Dyl, I’m not exactly a video game expert.”
“I’ll teach you. It’ll be like you teaching me to shift.”
“All right, you’ve got a deal.”
Dylan blinked a few times, slowly, like a cat in the sunshine. “Not tonight, though. I’m tired.”
“Eating enough meat to feed a small army will do that,” Harley said. “Let’s go get you ready for bed, okay?”
“I’ve got the dishes,” I said.
The three of us stood up from the table in near-unison. Harley led Dylan upstairs, and I cleared the dishes. I listened to them speaking in low voices as Dylan got ready for bed. My dragon was relaxed, soothed by the knowledge that both my mate and my son were safe in our home, and the lingering feeling of Harley’s arms wrapped around my neck.
I cleaned the kitchen quickly, then went upstairs. I had some paperwork to go over for the garage, a few orders to write up… When I was done with that, I might have some time to stretch my wings before I fell asleep. I’d do that if I wanted to sleep at all. Otherwise, the feeling of Harley against me would haunt me all night.
The door to Dylan’s room opened, and Harley slipped out. She’d changed into her pajamas-a thin tank-top that did very little to hide the perfect curves of her breasts and a loose pair of sweatpants. Her auburn hair was long and loose, and she moved down the hall on bare feet. But instead of heading toward her room, she walked past the door and straight towards me.
“Stephan, I, uh, I wanted to say…” She swallowed hard, and her gaze dropped, like it had in the kitchen.
My need to touch her overwhelmed me, and I wrapped my fingers gently around her wrist and tugged her closer. Her pulse quickened under my touch. This close, I could smell the soft musk of her skin. I wanted to taste her, feel her melt under my touch.
Harley gathered her thoughts, then looked up to meet my eyes. Her lower lip was a little pink, like she’d been biting it. “I know I said I didn’t want Dylan wrapped up in anything like this, but I know you’re doing your best.”
“I am,” I said. “I promise you that.”
“I’m grateful. Really. I know it can’t be easy to get out of this life. So, I’m really glad you’re doing it. And I’m glad you’re taking care of me and Dylan.” She touched my chest tentatively, then slid her hands up to my shoulders and around my neck again. “Really. Thank you.”
“Harley, you don’t need to thank me for taking care of my family.” I tightened my grip on her hips slightly.
“Still-“
“I’ll take care of you as long as I have breath in me,” I said softly. “I’d do anything to keep you safe, Harley.”
Her fingers wound into the hair at the base of my skull, holding me close. Her blue eyes searched mine, and the skin between her brows creased slightly. It was like she wanted to believe me, but something was holding her back.
What was it? Was it fear? Disbelief? Pain? The weight of the years between us?
All I wanted was for her to trust me. To believe me. To hand off some of that weight to me and allow me to support her. I wanted her to know she wasn’t alone-not anymore.
But I couldn’t prove that to her. Not with my history and my brother’s shadow hanging threateningly over us. She knew this was risky, and yet, she was still here. Still looking at me with those soft eyes that held a hint of uncertainty.
Before I could think better of it, I leaned down and kissed her.
Her lips parted immediately against mine, her breath escaping in a soft sigh. Her fingers tightened in my hair as I pulled her closer. It was easy, instinctive, for me to deepen the kiss. It was even easier for me to spin around and press her back against the door. Harley leaned into me, like she was finally letting go of some of the tension she’d been holding for God knows how long.
Desire smoldered through me like embers. My dragon purred as I ran my hands up along her waist.
“Slow, right?” I murmured against her lips. I felt unsteady. The kiss sent fire burning through me. I wanted to let go and let my dragon take the wheel, but not if Harley wasn’t ready for that.
