Dragon Song (4 page)

“Come on, Stone. You know you want it.” She flicked out her tongue again. His cock tightened. “You used to like when I licked right here, the spot where you are the weakest, where you have the dragon tattoo. Remember that time when we were teens?”

“I remember my father whipped me until I couldn’t sit down for a week.”

She laughed. She’d done so then too, not giving a fuck that he’d been the one to get in trouble for sneaking her into town. Never mind that it had been her idea and her insistence that they each get a tattoo. He’d drawn the line about them choosing each other’s name. Even then, he didn’t believe Monica would be the one. Instead, he’d chosen the dragon to symbolize what he was.

His father had berated him because of the location of the tattoo and possibly that he could be poisoned from that spot, as well as the risk of exposing what they were. Stone hadn’t heard the end of that lecture for months.

“You liar,” Monica quipped. “You healed within an hour from the whipping.”

“Didn’t make it any less painful.”
He turned and put her from him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to dress. You know as well as I do that my father doesn’t like it when we’re late to his dinner table.” He bent to pick up her clothes and shoved them in her arms before directing her to the door. “Do not enter my room again.”

Stone slammed the door in her face, not giving a rip if a servant saw her. They all knew the real Monica, all except his father, and he didn’t want to know.

When Stone was dressed, he prepared to go downstairs to dinner. After he’d eaten, when it grew late and everyone had gone to bed, he would explore the area from the sky, re-familiarizing himself with home. Anticipation to do just that made him quicken his step. Tomorrow would begin his investigation, and then he would hurry back to the U.S. and to Tielle.

Chapter Six

Tielle flattened herself against a wall and peered around the corner. The older man dressed too formally for school—and anywhere else for that matter—perched on the end of one of the couches the university placed in each building. Who the hell was he, and was he following her like she suspected? The man stood out like a sore thumb dressed like that.

She sucked in a deep breath. Better to face this situation head on if she had to. She threw her shoulders back and marched down the hall to stand face-to-face with the man, hands on her hips. “Just what is the big idea?”

The older gentleman’s eyes widened. His mouth formed an
O
that was comical, and he tugged at the collared shirt he wore buttoned to the top. “I…I don’t know what you mean, lass.”

“Lass!”
Tielle exclaimed. She narrowed her eyes at him and pointed. “You’re Irish, aren’t you, the same as that man who called me on the phone.” She tried to remember the name he gave her.
“James or something like that.
Are you working for Stone
too,
or the person looking for him? What kind of game are you playing because so help me, I am not one of those weak little simpering women who need a man to rescue
her.
I will handle my business if you people push me too far.”

The old man stared at her, awe seeming to shine through after the shock of her words wore off. “How do you know my name?” He slapped a hand over his mouth and then curled it into his chest. “I mean…Oh dear, he won’t be happy.”

“Who won’t be happy?” She paused and then continued.
“James, who won’t?
Stone?”
Despite
herself
, she hoped that’s who the man referred to. She wanted to see Stone again, but with all the drama surrounding him, that might not be such a good idea. Then again, if she saw him, she could give him a piece of her mind for bringing the craziness into her life. Who was he anyway to have such an entourage following in his wake?

“I have to go.” James gave a sharp bow and spun away. His age did not stop him from almost running away and disappearing around a corner. Tielle considered chasing after him to get more answers, but decided against it. This whole situation was becoming absurd, and if she had any sense, she’d forget about it—and him.

Throughout that day and the rest of the week, Tielle focused on her studies and her part time work at the nearby hospital. She didn’t see Stone’s secretary again, nor did she receive any strange phone calls. On Friday, Jamie called to inquire about Saturday night.

“You want to go?” Jamie asked.

“I would but I decided to give Joe a call. We’re doing dinner and see what happens after that, whether I’m feeling him.”

Jamie laughed. “
Feeling
him? Correct me if I’m wrong, girl, but didn’t you two have a thing about seven or eight months ago? You broke it off.”

“Yes, but we’ve seen each other now and then, and I don’t feel like breaking in a new man.
It’s been forever since I got some, and I’m so overdue. I tried talking to someone new, but once outside the club, the chemistry died. If it’s still jumping like it used to with Joe, then maybe I’ll let him take me to his place. If not, then I’ll be back to square one. So since I’m not going to the club, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. Take a break, I guess.”

“Sounds good. ‘
Cause we agreed, no going without each other, right? Or get another girl to go?”

“Yeah, yeah.”
Jamie laughed. “With the way we remind each other about the rules, you’d think we never broke them.”

“Is that a hint?”

“Oh wow, look at the time,” Jamie hedged.
“Gotta pop dinner in the oven.
Later.”

Tielle rolled her eyes and shook her head. She knew her friend oh so well.
“Okay, girl.
I’ll call you Sunday.
Your turn to host our breakfast.
Bye.”

“If you can get your—
hopefully
—sexually-satisfied ass out the bed. Bye!”

* * * *

Tielle jerked awake, sweat-drenched and heart pounding so hard it hurt. Although the late night was still, it seemed like she’d just heard a shout somewhere close by. As she sat up in bed trying to calm down, she waited for the person to call out again, but there was nothing. It had been a part of the nightmare she’d just had. None of the details came to mind.

Still somewhat shaky, she reached for her phone after checking the time. One a.m. wasn’t too late. She dialed, and after four rings the call connected. “Wow, no respect for your elders, huh?” came the teasing voice.
“So late, anything wrong?”

“No,” Tielle lied. “I…I missed you.”

“Liar.”
Pauline snickered, but Tielle wasn’t fooled. She knew how her foster mother felt about her. Tielle had been placed with her in the last couple of years before she was old enough to be released from being a ward of the state. Yet, in that time she and Pauline had grown close, almost like mother and daughter—in a weird, never-admit-your-real-feelings kind of way. Pauline was rough, hardcore. She’d had a difficult life, had struggled up from what amounted to hell. Being a foster mom had been her way of giving back to someone else and offering them a leg up. Tielle was grateful that first someone was her. The funny thing about it was Pauline wasn’t that good of a mom.

Changing the subject, Tielle asked, “Have you learned to cook yet? After all these years, I’m still trying to get the taste of your spaghetti surprise off my tongue.”

Pauline grumbled. “I didn’t kill you. That was enough.”

“You were there for me,” Tielle admitted.
“When no one cared.”

They each paused a long while. Thoughts churned in Tielle’s head about what to say. Half of what ran through her mind was sentimental expressions she knew would make Pauline uncomfortable. She loved Tielle, but Pauline showed her love in other ways. Tielle had thought hearing her voice would be enough. She sighed.

“What is it, girl?” Pauline demanded.

Tielle chewed the inside of her lip, deciding what to say. “I have a friend.” She cringed at the age old
friend
excuse, but forged on. “All of a sudden, some weird things are happening in her life.”

“Weird things?”

She was muddling this explanation bad, but how could she tell Pauline about Stone and about the guy calling to pretend he was his secretary, only to later be followed by the real secretary? This might all amount to nothing, and she was getting worked up for no reason. But when she had a nightmare behind it and she went about checking and rechecking the doors and windows in her apartment, she had to find a way to settle her mind.

“Maybe it’s nothing. She’s probably making a mountain out of a molehill,” she said with a chuckle.

“Sounds like your friend is used to wrestling control over every aspect of her life.”
Leave it to Pauline to jump to the meat of the problem. “I don’t know what you mean by weird, but it may be that she either can’t get rid of these things or can’t find an easy fix for them. She’s feeling out of control. She needs that control to survive, and because she doesn’t have it in this situation, she’s afraid.”

Tielle squeaked, annoyed. “I didn’t say she’s afraid.”

“Sure she is. You don’t call late at night when you’re not afraid, Tielle. And no one needs control in their life like you. You spent so many years tossed around from one foster home to the next, in one bad situation after another. You were young, and you had no power to say stop, enough is enough. After you grew up, you learned to be bold, to face everything like a locomotive, barreling over it if necessary, shoveling it aside if possible. You set your sights on your goals, and you forge ahead. When something comes along that you can’t push aside and you can’t fix, you become afraid, and all of a sudden you’re that little girl again.”

Tielle drew up her knees and dropped her head on them as tears filled her eyes. She told herself this situation wasn’t that serious, but it didn’t stop the fears. Pauline knew her well, and although she didn’t want to admit it, her foster mom was right. Tielle never allowed herself to enter situations she couldn’t control because of the feelings it evoked in her. She’d get in the face of any problem and pummel it down.

On the one hand, meeting a hot guy, a freaky call, being followed seemed like a big deal. On the other, it felt like she was blowing it all out of proportion, and maybe it was all behind her. The thing was, at least in her subconscious, she didn’t think this was the end of
it, that
something bigger was coming, and she wanted no part of it.

“So, what do I do?”

Pauline clucked with her tongue. “You beat it down, girl! I’ve taught you to be strong, to face everything head on. You’re strong as steel. I know within a few days, you’ll be calling back to tell me you kicked that problem’s ass, and you’re moving ahead just like always. Whatever happens you don’t draw back. You hear me?”

Tielle grinned through her tears and wiped her face. “Yeah, I hear you. Always like a drill sergeant. That’s why I love you, Pauline.”

Pauline grunted. “I…I love you too.”

* * * *

Joe switched seats at the table they occupied in the restaurant and leaned over to whisper in her ear.
“My place or yours?”

Tielle cocked an eyebrow at him. She should check him for assuming just because he bought dinner, she should put out, but the truth was, she’d decided the moment she opened the door to him earlier. Joe was a sexy as hell half Puerto Rican half African American man who she’d had fun with when they were dating. After she broke it off, she wasn’t sure just why he and she didn’t fit. It wasn’t like she’d been looking for Mr. Right. Her focus was on her career goals and nothing else. She had no solid plans for finding a husband or having kids one day. Somehow, she’d always expected that part of her life would fall into place when she was ready. But keeping Joe in her life for sex alone hadn’t felt right either.

“Well?” Joe insisted.

She grinned. “You’re getting pushy in your old age, Joe.”

“Hey, I’m twenty-eight, only a year older than you,
miss
lady.” He rested a hand on her thigh, and a tingle started higher up between her legs. The squeeze Joe gave her told her he remembered just how to please her and knew what her appetite for sex was like. Temptation was in her face, hard.

“Yeah, well, I’m still younger,” she said amused. “How do I know you haven’t become rusty since last I saw you? From the action you’ve gotten in the club, I’m a little worried.”

He licked her earlobe. She shivered.

“You’ve been watching me? Mm, wanna feel how hard I’m
getting knowing
you’ve kept those sexy brown eyes on me?”

Tielle should have been focused on Joe’s words and letting his natural ability to tease and get her excited work its magic. Instead she squinted toward the opposite side of the restaurant, in the direction of the bathrooms. Had she just seen someone familiar, or was her mind playing tricks on her?

She excused herself to go take a look, but when she got to the bathrooms, she didn’t see anyone except a stranger. When the man entered the men’s room, she considered asking him to see if someone else was there but changed her mind. It had to be that freaky dream from the night before and not getting enough sleep. “Too much school and too much partying,” she muttered on the way back to Joe.

When she drew up to the table, she noted the eager way he watched her swaying hips. Adding a little extra didn’t hurt. The man was almost salivating, but somehow Tielle wasn’t as turned on as she had been in the past. Never mind, she wasn’t backing out. Joe would show her a good time.

After plucking her jacket from the empty chair and tucking her purse beneath her arm, she swung away from the table. “Coming, Joe?” she called over her shoulder. Like a trained puppy, he bounded after her, and they left the restaurant.
“Your place, okay?”

“Your wish is my command.” Joe behind the wheel of a car was a deadly weapon. Tielle held on for dear life. They made the twenty minute drive to his place in ten. Joe hopped out and ran around her side of the vehicle.

Tielle put her hand in his and stepped out. She paused when a black sports car pulled into the space next to them. Tielle recognized the kind of car it was but couldn’t put her finger on what it was called.

Joe whistled. “Lamborghini Gallardo. Damn, nobody around here can afford that. Man, is that thing sweet.
A hundred ninety-eight easy.”

“T-Thousand?”
Tielle stuttered.

“Yeah,” Joe said, still focused on the car. “Wonder what he does for a living.”

The next instant, Tielle was less concerned about what the man did for a living and more shocked at who it was. Her knees went weak, and the breath whooshed right out of her chest when Stone unfolded his tall form from the sports car. She thought it must be the most insane of coincidences that he knew someone who lived here in Joe’s apartment complex. That is, until he turned those steely eyes in her direction.

“Tielle,” he said with obvious disappointment in his tone, “I hope you weren’t planning on spending the night with this man. I’d be heartbroken if I thought I’d rushed back to the U.S. only to miss out on the woman I couldn’t get out of my head after our last encounter.”

Both Tielle’s and Joe’s mouths fell open. Tielle could not think of a comment as Stone strolled around the front of his car and approached them. While he drew close, she compared the two men without thinking. Stone stretched a good four inches taller than Joe whom she’d always considered having a good height. Stone’s shoulders were broader, his jaw firmer, and the raw power that seemed to roll off of him eclipsed poor Joe in the worse way.

Joe appeared to see his shortcomings as well put next to Stone, and he shrank back a little, not saying a word. Stone acted like he didn’t even see Joe. He strolled around him and blocked Tielle’s view of anyone but himself as he towered above her. A finger at her chin, he tilted her head back to make her look at him. “So?” he said.