Ruby Dragon (Awakened Dragons Book 3) (3 page)

She shrugged. “Do you. Fuck you. Sex you. Screw you.”

“They want to screw me,” he said. “Not be friends.”

She laughed. “Sounds like a problem most men would like to have.”

“I’m trying to be better,” he said. “I’m trying to understand people beyond sex.”

She sighed. “You have the oddest way of talking.” She looked at Pumpkin. “All right. I guess we can be friends. And you can come over.”

“Every night?” he asked.

“If you bring food,” she said. “Keeps me from having to cook anything and saves me time.” She fought back a smile. “Plus, I guess you’re right. It’s not so bad having people around.”

“And cats,” he said.

“And cats,” she agreed, reaching out a hand toward Pumpkin, who came over, sliding herself under her hand and purring.

“She really does like you,” he said, still astonished.

“Maybe she relates to me,” she said, running a hand over Pumpkin’s soft fur and inviting her into her lap. “We’re both grumpy.” The cat settled in, warm and heavy, and Faye thought this wouldn’t be a bad arrangement after all.

Except for the intimidatingly beautiful green eyes staring at her, heating her up.

She set Pumpkin down. “Anyway, I gotta get to bed. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Red picked up Pumpkin and looked surprised that she didn’t yowl this time. She seemed calm. Faye couldn’t help but be flattered she could have such an effect on the cat.

“Thanks,” he said, giving her a genuine smile as he hugged Pumpkin close to him.

“Not too close,” she said, and he loosened up, making Pumpkin happier. “There you go.”

His grin widened, and she was unprepared for the full force of how gorgeous he was. She was tempted to put up a hand to shield herself from the brightness of it.

So damn hot.

She tried not to look at his tight ass, his broad back, as he turned to go out the door, but she failed.

Oh well, she was human after all.

* * *

D
ragon Journal One
:

F
aye
, the human living next to me, has agreed to help me with Pumpkin. Oddly, she is not interested in my touch, or my person, though I do notice her watching me at odd moments.

Still, I admit I’m beginning to feel an attraction to her that…

Ugh, I can’t write this stuff in a journal. I just can’t.

S
igning off
,

Redmond

D
ragon Journal Two
:

A
fter a severe and
immediate chastisement from the oracle, I am attempting to write in this journal again.

I like spending time with Faye, as I have the past few nights.

We watch tee-vee, which are pictures on a screen. People mostly, doing things that I haven’t seen anyone do in real life. Faye especially likes to watch what she calls “reality” tee-vee, which espouses some of the most unrealistic behavior I have ever seen, making the name ironic.

It is unlike time I have ever spent with a human.

But Faye likes it, and I like watching her smile.

I suppose this is what friendship is. The fact that she won’t let me touch her only heightens the part of our connection that is non-sexual, or at least it feels that way.

Another part of me is hungry for her, growing more so every day.

How can it be that the one woman I want is the one who doesn’t want me?

This modern world is surely a strange place.

R
ed was checking
out his hair, trying to make himself look as presentable as possible before going over for his third night with Faye, when he heard crashing coming from next door.

For a moment, he hesitated, wondering what was going on. It was the kind of sound Pumpkin made while going on one of her rages around the house.

But Faye didn’t have any cats.

Giving himself one more quick once-over, noting his purple button-up shirt and jeans looked appropriate, he dashed out to survey the hallway.

She’d only just gotten home, and he usually gave her a few minutes to collect herself before he brought over dinner.

Tonight, he had cooked it himself, using dragon fire, and the meat looked perfectly seared, if he did say so himself.

He’d go back and get it after he made sure everything with Faye was okay.

The door to her apartment was ajar, but then after he heard someone yell, it slammed shut.

A chill moved through him, and he rushed to the door, trying the handle. No luck.

He listened closer and could hear a man’s voice. And Faye’s. She sounded distressed. He tried the handle again, shaking it violently.

It wouldn’t budge.

He eyed the door. With his dragon strength, it would be easy to kick in. But he’d been instructed to keep his powers under wraps as much as possible, and kicking the door in like it was a toothpick was likely to appear suspicious.

He heard Faye let out a little scream and no longer cared what was suspicious.

He stepped back, lifted his foot, and was about to kick the door when it swung open, and a red-faced, angry man was shoved out into the hall.

The door slammed behind him, and the man looked up at Red, who was slowly lowering his foot.

“What are you doing here?” he snarled. He had dark, greasy hair and was tall and thin.

He looked like the type who tried to be too charming with girls but really just came off creepy.

“What are
you
doing here?” Red asked, grabbing the other man and whirling him around to slam him into the wall opposite Faye’s door.

“What are you, gay?” he asked, observing Red with fear and disdain at the same time.

“Her boyfriend,” he said, knowing that was a lie. In fact, Faye had actually clarified the other night that Red was
not
her boyfriend. That he had no claim on her.

But right now, staring at this man who had done something to bother her in her own home, he felt a possessive rage unlike anything he’d ever known.

He was an easygoing guy. He liked to get along with people. But he was finding out he had a few hot spots. Things he couldn’t stand. Apparently, messing with Faye was one of them.

“You are not,” the man said, but his voice was shaky.

Red slammed him up into the wall, holding him there with one hand against his collar. The man’s legs dangled. “Stay the fuck away from her.”

It was the first time he had cursed. He’d been hearing the words on the picture box at Faye’s, and they came tumbling out easily as he glowered at the man he’d love to turn into a charcoal briquette.

As the red dragon, his fire was the hottest. He didn’t use it often. Didn’t like to fight.

But when he did fight, he destroyed things. Perhaps that’s why he kept that part of himself locked down.

But this guy was quickly changing his mind.

The door opened, and Faye looked out, blue eyes wide with shock. She ran over to them. “Put him down. Oh my gosh, Red, put him
down
.”

Red growled but did so, and the man adjusted his collar.

“Your name is
Red
?” he asked snidely.

Red made a move at him, and the other man nearly tripped over his own feet trying to get away. “Boo.”

“I’ll be back,” he called out as he scurried down the hallway. “You better have my money, Faye!”

Red leaned against the wall and looked down at her. “Why did you have to interfere? I could have gotten rid of him for you.”

She looked up at him. “What do you mean get rid of him?”

Jealousy flowed through him as he backed her up toward her door. “Why wouldn’t you want me to? Don’t tell me that guy is your boyfriend.”

She exhaled slowly, clearly affected by his closeness. “He’s just an ex.”

“A what?”

“An ex-boyfriend,” she said with a sigh, trying to push him back. “We dated.”

“Ah, so you’ll date that guy, but not me. Makes sense.”

“I don’t date guys like you
because
of that guy,” she muttered, looking to the side.

He noticed teardrops on her blond lashes and stepped back immediately, feeling as though his heart had just dive-bombed out of his chest to land at her feet. “What’s wrong?”

“He scared me,” she said, swiping at her eyes. “I opened the door, thinking it was you, and he pushed his way in. When I wouldn’t give him what he wanted, he broke things.”

He gazed down at her, unsure what to do. Usually, she didn’t want him to touch her, but he felt a strong urge to pull her into his arms.

She’d been helping him with his problems, and now he’d just seen one of hers.

And for once, he actually cared about what someone else was going through.

He reached out and pulled her into his embrace. She came in reluctantly and then sighed in relief as she rested against his chest.

So odd to be doing this out in the hallway, under the flickering lights.

He put a hand over her hair, stroking her head. She looked up at him in amusement, her eyes still red-rimmed.

“I’m not a cat,” she said.

“I know,” he replied. “I’m just trying to comfort you.”

She moved his arm back around her and just leaned in. “Just keep it like this.”

“Okay.” He could do that. Sort of. A certain part of his body was rebelling at the closeness to her lush curves, her soft body, her scent, like wild roses.

He inhaled gently, trying not to feel like a creep.

“Are you… sniffing me?” she asked.

“Maybe.”

“You smell good, too,” she said, wrapping her arms around him.

Yup, that was his limit. He stepped back, putting a hand through his hair. “Want me to go get dinner? You want to eat at my place this time?”

She nodded. “Let me lock up.”

He waited while she went inside to get her keys, and then she came out, locked the door, and joined him.

“All right,” she said. “Let’s eat and forget that just happened.”

Red didn’t say anything, but he was definitely going to get to the bottom of who this man was. No one was allowed to make Faye cry.

N
obody
.

* * *

“
T
his meat is incredible
,” Faye said, trying to focus on her food and not the alarming state of Red’s apartment.

It truly was some of the best meat she’d ever tasted, succulently grilled with a woody taste she couldn’t place. “Do you have a grill?”

“A grill?” he asked.

“You know, did you barbecue this?”

“I used flame, if that’s what you mean,” he said.

“Well, it’s great,” she said. “Thanks for making it.” She felt a flush work its way up her pale cheeks. “And thanks for helping me… out there.”

“Looked like you handled it by the time I came over.”

She sighed. “He made me so angry I forgot to be scared.”

“What did he do?” Red asked, body tightening.

She’d been sensing a heavy amount of anger from her usually easygoing friend tonight.

His whole body seemed to be vibrating ever since he’d manhandled Braden.

She’d never thought he would show up at her apartment, asking for more than she was already giving. She’d already taken on all their credit cards just to get him to agree to get out of her life.

But now he was back, breaking their deal. And breaking her things.

“He broke a statue I had,” she said. “It was important. My mom gave it to me.”

“Can she get you another one?” Red asked.

“She’s dead,” she replied quietly. “I don’t want to talk about it now.”

He frowned but focused on the food.

She glanced around the room. “You need furniture.”

“I have a bed,” he said. “And a table and chairs, as you can see.”

They were seated in the kitchen. There were cans littered about and things left on the counter. And singe marks on the cupboards, which was weird.

And in the middle of the living room, there was a coffee table. A TV sitting on a stand. But nothing else. A blanket lay folded up in one corner.

“You need couches,” she said.

“Like you have?” he asked. “I don’t know. I mostly go to your place to watch TV.”

She sighed. “Yeah, well, if you’re going to invite me over here, you should have couches.”

He stood awkwardly and disappeared down the hall. When he came back, he was holding a paper bag. He dumped it on the table in front of her, and money fell out. He spread the bills out with his hands, and she didn’t have to count it to know it was a hell of a lot.

More than she’d need to pay off all of her debts and be free from waitressing for life.

But how had he gotten it?

She stood warily. “You aren’t a drug dealer, are you?”

He blinked, green eyes confused. “What?”

“A drug dealer?” she asked. “How else would you get this kind of money?”

“From friends…” he answered reluctantly, and she looked him over.

Of course
, she thought with revulsion, looking over his perfect body in that dark-purple shirt that set off his eyes and made him look even more masculine. “Your
lady
friends?”

His dark eyebrows screwed up. “What are you talking about?” He scooped the money back into the bag. “I shouldn’t have shown you. Look, I’m not from here, and I was given this to survive on. I was going to ask you if it’s enough to buy a couch, but—”

She let out a sigh. “So it really is from friends?” she asked. “Guy friends?”

“Yes,” he said. “Friends I have known for a really long time, who wanted to help me get started in a new place.” He fingered a thin gold chain at his neck and looked nervous for the first time since she’d met him.

She sat down, slumping. “I’m sorry. Dammit, why am I so quick to judge?”

“Maybe because you’ve met people you should have judged harder,” he said quietly. “Like the jerk you wouldn’t let me pummel.”

“You know,” she said, taking another bite of meat. “I wouldn’t have thought you were the type that would go all alpha and want to beat up someone.” She grinned. “You might get your pretty face scratched.”

“When someone I care about is in trouble, the last thing I’m thinking about is my face. Actually, lately, it’s caused me a lot of trouble.” He shook his head, letting his hair fall in front of his face as he cut more meat and offered a piece to Pumpkin. “Human women have no control.”

She frowned. “Not all of them.”

He smiled ruefully. “You do seem to be the exception.” He tilted his head. “Why is that? Just don’t find me sexy?”

She nearly choked on her food but then used a napkin and wiped her mouth gingerly. “No, it’s not that at all. I’ve just learned the sexier I think a guy is, the more of a jerk he turns out to be.”

“So you’re into me?” he asked, looking ridiculously pleased.

What sort of alternate universe was she in where a man who looked like that was that happy because she liked him?

“I think you’re hot. I mean, I’m not blind. But as I said, the hotter they are, the more of a jerk they turn out to be.”

“So,” he said, standing over her and placing a hand on the table to lean down and put himself at eye level with her. She could see all the colors in his striking natural hair, the dark green at the center of his irises. Feel her whole body respond with a tense want. “How much of a jerk would I turn out to be?”

She breathed in, unable to resist the sensation of his lips coming closer as he leaned over the table. “A huge jerk. A tremendous jerk. Probably the biggest jerk of all time.”

He grinned, moving forward, teasing her with the distance between them.

She couldn’t. She shouldn’t. She knew not to get caught up again. All men could be good at the start. Charming. Sweet. Sexy. But it didn’t last. They wanted something from you, and once they got it, they were gone, leaving you in the wreckage.

His face sobered, and he looked at her with an odd expression, considering their position. Then he pulled back slightly so she could look in his eyes.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said softly. Hovering just out of reach. Making it clear it would be her responsibility to come closer.

Did he want her to? He’d been asking her on dates since they’d met, but that was before they were friends. Still, he seemed happy she was into him.

“I…”

He pulled back, stood, and stretched, giving her a view of his muscles.

Her body ached in disappointment at the same time her breath came out in a relieved huff.

As much as she wanted to be, she just wasn’t ready.

Maybe, despite their rough start, he was a true friend for seeing that.

He sat in the chair across from her to continue eating, a casual smile on his face that said he was willing to pretend nothing awkward had happened, which she appreciated.