Loved by the Dragon Collection Page 16

  “I was,” he admitted.

  “Oh.” He was looking for his dragon lady and stumbled across me. He settled for less than he wanted.

  “Chloe, you wear your worry on your face, but most of all, I sense it here,” he told her, placing his hand directly above her heart.

  “She’s just so… so…” She struggled to release her self-esteem issues.

  “Beautiful and vain,” Saul finished. He closed his arms around her and kissed the top of her blonde head. “Brigid was my father’s choice. She is capricious. Selfish.”

  “Sounds like a dragon,” Chloe said as she attempted to smile for his sake.

  Saul chuckled. The smile upon his face seemed fragile, fatigued by the brief exchange with Brigid. “Perhaps some. When I came of age, I sought her out to fulfill my part of my family’s bargain and she rebuffed my advances. For one hundred years.”

  “Do you… mean it… that you would prefer our relationship over someone of your own species? I don’t mean to…” Chloe gulped in a lungful of air. A quick wipe of her palm dried away the fresh tears on her face. “To question you over and over about it. But she seems to want you now, and she can give you things I can’t.” A child of his own, she thought.

  “Yes, I did seek her when I awakened, in hopes of discovering her feelings for me had changed. Meeting you has altered that course, Chloe. I do not want her, and I am quite satisfied with how circumstance has entwined our lives. I will change nothing about this, nor would I change it for anything.”

  “You chased her for a century, Saul.”

  “I did, and had I not sought her out one final time, I never would have found you , Chloe. You.”

  Chloe opened her mouth to protest, but then a subtle ringing noise escaped her pocket. “It’s my dad.”

  Lifting the slim cellular device to her ear, she accepted the call and forced some cheer into her voice. “Hey, Daddy.”

  “Hey to you, too, sweetie. I wanted to see if you’d changed your mind about the barbeque tomorrow.”

  “Actually, I’m in California visiting my boyfriend. Remember?”

  “Bring him along then.”

  Chloe glanced over at Saul. “Maybe next time.”

  “I can fly you out if money’s the issue and it’s too far a drive,” her father offered.

  “No, Dad, don’t do that.”

  “Southwest has a good deal right now. A pair of tickets won’t cost much.”

  “It’s not about money, Dad. I didn’t think I’d come out this ti—”

  Saul plucked the phone from Chloe’s hands. “Mister Ellis, I presume?” Swinging one hand out, she tried to swipe the mobile phone back from Saul. She failed when he pivoted on a foot to avoid her, placed a hand atop her head, and held her away at arm’s length. “It is my deep and profound pleasure to at last make your acquaintance. Chloe and I shall drive to your familial reunion post haste. Expect our arrival by the morrow.”

  “ Saul, ” she gritted out between her teeth.

  “I look forward to introductions as well. Good afternoon, Mister Ellis.”

  “You big jerk! Why did you do that?” Chloe demanded.

  Saul dropped her phone into her open palm, apparently oblivious to her angry words. “A road trip! This is very exciting. Are you not anxious to begin our adventure? I certainly am.” Without another word or even an apology, Saul strode from the room as if they were preparing for an epic quest. She sighed and dropped her brow into one palm.

  Too bad pregnancy meant booze was off the table.

  Chapter 7

  Mahasti packed their bags while Leiv prepared the car. Chloe and Saul arrived in the garage in time to find him standing mournfully beside the spotless vehicle, as if he had been denied his one true joy. Chuckling gently, Chloe slid into the driver’s seat and accepted the keys from the distraught man.

  “Are you certain you do not require a driver?”

  “Chloe is quite capable behind the wheel,” Saul cheerfully replied. “Enjoy your time alone with Mahasti. Please.”

  Chloe adjusted the rearview mirror as she drove away. Mahasti had leaned against the side of her bear shifter lover as if to console him. “Christ. You’d think that we stole his baby from him.”

  “He often feels that he does not do enough for the estate.”

  “What? If he did anything more for you, he’d be sleeping with me at night, too,” Chloe muttered.

  Saul snorted to conceal his amusement. The thought must have crossed his mind at some point. Grinning, Chloe glanced over to appraise her boyfriend. He didn’t know the first thing about selecting human clothing, but she and Mahasti had put him together well. An unbuttoned, maroon shirt revealed a grey t-shirt beneath it, worn over his dark jeans. For the first time since she’d first met him in the cave, he’d pulled his hair back. It suited him, even if she did long to run her fingers through his golden strands.

  Saul made good company during the ride. He teased and sated her curiosity about his earliest attempts to masquerade as a human, and inevitably queried her about the human race in hopes of perfecting his act.

  “You should know everything there is to know about us by now, Saul. Aren’t you over four hundred years old?”

  “The opportunity to learn is ever present, Chloe. Anyone who claims to possess all knowledge proves they are only a fool.”

  “It’s so hot when you look at me that way.” God, she loved his cocky, uneven grin and the way one corner of his mouth raised a little higher than the other.

  While Saul remained awake for most drives and even their flight, he slept hard as a baby most of the drive to Vegas and only awakened when Chloe sped off the main road for a stop at a restaurant her father introduced to her during her most recent visit over the holidays.

  “What? Where are we? Is this Las Vegas?” he asked blearily.

  “Even better. It’s El Rey Burger.”

  The Mexican-influenced diner, a sinful delight that featured deliciously tall hamburgers, held local renown for its special salsa and condiments. She stretched her legs and graciously took the chance to fill her belly.

  I wonder if as many other couples bond over food the way we do? He’d be a thousand pounds if he wasn’t a dragon, Chloe thought while snickering into her drink.

  “Will you not tell your father we have arrived safely?” Saul inquired. He studied the ridiculously tall burger and took a large bite, a pleased expression surfacing over his rugged features a moment later. The chimichanga burger received the dragon seal of approval.

  “No, he’ll only demand for us to come over and see him right now, and it’s kind of late. Besides, after that drive, I feel like shit.”

  Saul immediately became apologetic. “I should have allowed Mahasti to bring us, or even let Leiv drive.”

  “No,” Chloe insisted. “Being pregnant doesn’t mean I’m a delicate flower to be tended, Saul. I just need a li’l time to adapt.” She grinned at him.

  Saul’s dramatic sigh brought a big smile to her face. She’d won the verbal match without a struggle. “You’re correct,” he agreed.

  At the conclusion of their meal, Chloe treated Saul to a romantic walk down the Las Vegas strip. They held hands and occasionally kissed beneath the glittering lights. Exploring the city with her mate was like a dream, too surreal to be true. Was it possible to fall so completely in love with a man who had been a stranger to her no more than three months ago? The old Chloe of a year past would have said no, but every time he turned his ochre eyes toward her, she tingled all of the way to the bottom of her toes.

  I deserve this. I deserve to be happy with a man who treats me as an equal instead of a servant. I deserve every single second of happiness with him,
she realized. The niggling thought had been at the back of her mind all along, but it wasn’t until she gazed up at him, and saw his features all aglow with the light from the casino, that the vast reality set in. Saul belonged to her as much as she belonged to him.

  Saul had told her that she’d never have to see Freddy again. The decision to reveal her pregnancy to him would remain hers and hers alone, but it was too early to make such a lasting decision without pondering the probable consequences.

  She shivered.

  “Are you cold?” Saul asked. Their joined hands disconnected in favor of Saul sliding his arm around her shoulders. He brought her close and smiled down at her. One smile melted her knees and turned them to jelly.

  “No. No, I’m fine,” she assured him. “Let’s turn and walk back to our hotel. I think I’m ready for bed now.”

  “As you wish.” Saul extended his arm to her, ever the classic gentleman, and together they returned to retrieve their vehicle from the diner and check into their hotel. She leaned against him during the elevator ride up and placed her ear against his chest. As a dragon, his slower heart rhythm continued in his human form, strong but powerful beneath his muscular chest.

  “I love you,” Chloe whispered.

  “You are the air I breathe,” Saul replied.

  His words struck her as genuine, and yet the hilarity made her giggle against his shirt collar. “We sound like a terrible romantic comedy.”

  Saul chuckled. “I may or may not have borrowed the line.”

  Chloe parted from him and stepped from the elevator. “It’s the thought that counts. C’mon. Let’s see what fancy room your money got us at this place.”

  Sometimes when she looked at her rugged, nature-loving boyfriend, she forgot that he was accustomed to lavish accommodations. His choice of lodging reflected his expensive preferences and tendency to spend great sums of money on a whim. Their suite at the Venetian was the most opulent hotel room Chloe had ever seen. She walked into the room and stared.

  “It’s as big as Marcy’s apartment,” she marveled. The king-sized bed lured her over, fluffy pillows and memory foam cradling her travel-weary body. She tried not think about the large collection of relatives, or that her many single cousins would descend like a cloud of piranha the moment Saul stepped into view.

  By the next afternoon, Chloe had developed full-blown doubts about introducing her boyfriend to the family.

  “Are you really going to be able to pretend to be human?”

  “Did I not convince Marceline?”

  Chloe tightened her fingers around the steering wheel and stared through the windshield. The car remained in park while she babbled out her worries to her new mate, airing out every niggling concern that surfaced in her mind.

  “You did,” she agreed lightly. “But Dad is different.” Her heart thrummed in her chest, a frightened hummingbird desperate to escape. She tried to take in slow, even breaths, but the rising hysteria wouldn’t allow it.

  “Do you fear that I will embarrass you?”

  “No!” she blurted out.

  “Do you believe your father will hate me?”

  “He’s hated everyone I’ve ever dated before.” Especially Malcolm. He hated him on sight and I should have listened to him. And I don’t even want to remember the things he said about Freddy after meeting him. Dad shouldn’t know so many swear words.

  “You have dated many dicks before me, but I am a dragon and thus perfect,” Saul said, his placid tone an odd contrast to his choice of words.

  Chloe stared at him. Waiting for her reaction, he stared back.

  “Am I wrong?”

  She wanted to slug him, and she wanted to kiss him. Choosing the latter option, Chloe unfastened her seatbelt and flung herself at him in the passenger seat. “Thank you for coming. You’re right. I’m overreacting.”

  Saul circled his palm over her back and held her, a tender embrace that eased her panic attack and returned Chloe to a rational state. Once she programmed Sunset Park into the vehicle’s GPS, she cruised Vegas’ streets until she reached their destination and pulled the car into an empty space. The renewed tension in her frame and clenched jaw prompted Saul to touch a hand to her cheek.

  “Will you be okay?” he asked.

  “Fine. I kind of want to punch you in the nose sometimes for remaining so calm all the time, but I’m glad we’re here now. I miss Dad.”

  “Do you normally avoid your family functions?”

  “No. Only when I’m pregnant and dating man-eating beasts,” she replied.

  “I have not eaten a human in years,” Saul insisted.

  “Try to refrain from it this afternoon, even if my cousin Jimmy bothers the hell out of you.”

  Her reservations all faded into obscurity the moment Chloe spotted her father at the grill. He gripped a cane in one hand and a pair of tongs in the other, and she might have successfully crossed the park grounds unseen if her Aunt Susie hadn’t blown her cover.

  “Chloe! Sam, Sam, look, she made it after all!” Her father turned to greet her, prompted by the energetic wave from her aunt.

  “Chloe!”

  “Daddy, I missed you!” Chloe ran to her father and threw her arms around his neck.

  Saul caught up to her as the embrace ended, arriving just in time to fall under her father’s scrutiny.

  “Daddy, this is Saul.”

  “I am honored to meet you, Mr. Ellis.” Saul shook her father’s hand.

  “Call me Sam. It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Saul. Thanks for convincing Chloe to attend the reunion. This would have been the third that she’s missed in four years.”

  Saul glanced at her and raised one skeptical blond brow. “Her tenaciousness will not allow her to admit that she would have mourned the missed opportunity this time.”

  “You know her well.”

  “Dad.”

  Sam ignored her in favor of waving a hand toward the nearest picnic table. “Come on now. If you’re going to stick around for a while in Chloe’s life, I may as well get to know you.”

  “Just like that?” Chloe had expected resistance, or at least a varying degree of the cold shoulder. From the moment her dad first came in contact with Freddy, the two loathed each other. She should have taken that as the first clue to dump him and never look back.

  “Yeah. You can go.”

  “Huh?” Chloe asked.

  “You can go,” Sam repeated, dismissing her. “How can I talk to the young man if you’re going to hover?”

  Saul provided no help whatsoever. Instead, he grinned and shooed until she gravitated toward the drink station where an enormous barrel-shaped ice cooler held her Aunt Judy’s special cherry limeade.

  The feeding frenzy began as anticipated once Saul and Chloe separated. While she allowed him the chance to bond with her father, curious gazes fastened on Saul and observed his every step. One of her cousins approached with a pie under the guise of offering slices to her dad and the new arrival.

  “Chloe! You made it!”

  Chloe spun on her heels to face the fast approaching woman. Her father’s new girlfriend drew her into an enthusiastic embrace. “Hi, Annette. Nice to finally meet you in person after all of these Skype calls.”

  “Sam was worried you wouldn’t come after all.” The woman was only a handful of years older than Chloe herself, yet genuinely attracted to her dad. If not for Annette’s loyalty, Chloe would have had to take off work to help him recuperate from his hip replacement. “I’m so glad that you changed your mind,” Annette said.

  “Saul wouldn’t let me back out of it this year.” Chloe laughed and stole a glance toward the barbecue pit. The two men sat opposite one another, each holding
a cold bottle of beer. If she strained to listen, a hint of Saul’s hearty belly laugh reached her ears despite the distance.

  “Good man there,” Annette answered. She nudged her sunglasses to the top of her head, revealing one blue and one brown eye. “Come sit with me. I’ve been waiting weeks to get to meet Sam’s daughter, and you’re finally here.”

  “Weeks to meet me?”

  “I’ve heard so much about you from Sam that I feel as if I already know you,” Annette admitted.

  They settled at a table away from the rest of the boisterous group. Giggling children played and frolicked while a game of soccer traveled up and down the green field. It turned out that Annette had anticipated Chloe’s disdain due to her and Sam’s differing ages.

  So they chatted and became reacquainted beyond a first name basis. Annette owned the small bakery across from Sam’s favorite diner, where he took supper every evening alone.

  “You both sound like a romance novel,” Chloe commented, laughing.

  “I guess we do. I don’t know what made me do it, but he looked so sad sitting there that I had to take him a pie.” Annette craned her neck, keeping Saul and Sam within her sight. “They seem to be getting along well. So, how’d you meet him?”

  “In a cave, of all places.”

  While talking love, romance, and men, Chloe and Annette shared the remainder of a pecan pie left on the picnic table.

  “Your dad won’t ever admit it, but he’s been worried about you. Misses you.” Annette smiled and refilled both of their glasses. She stole another look at Chloe’s father, allowing her pensive expression to linger a few seconds longer.

  I’ve been away too long. “Now that I’m moving to Los Angeles, I’ll be closer for visits at least. It wasn’t so bad a drive, even if Saul slept the last half of the trip.” The memory of his serene features coaxed a smile to Chloe’s face.

  Annette’s brows furrowed above her mismatched eyes. “Are you sure about this whole moving thing? I mean, it all seems so fast. Do you know enough about him?”

  “Saul? He’s amazing, Annette. Honest. I wouldn’t have brought him to meet you guys if he wasn’t 100% better than Freddy. I know Dad’s probably talked your ear off about him.”