Ruby Dragon (Awakened Dragons Book 3) (5 page)

“Good night, sweetheart,” he said.

She scowled. “That’s how you talk to a friend?”

He folded his arms. “I call Pumpkin that, too.”

Somehow that didn’t make her feel better. “Fair enough,” she grumbled.

Her body was still begging her to change her mind, but she slowly closed the door on him. And did the deadbolt.

She didn’t need to get involved again. Seeing Braden tonight should have rammed that point home for her.

But then again, Braden had never kissed like that.

Perhaps that made Red all the more dangerous. Because if a man made her feel like that, or had sex with her and made her feel even more than that, she didn’t know what she’d do if she found out he was using her.

Yeah. She was better off alone.

T
he next day
, as Red fed Pumpkin her dinner, waiting for Faye to come home from work, he found his mind kept wandering back to what had happened last night. He didn’t know what had gone wrong. One minute she’d been passionately kissing him, and the next, she was pulling away and practically stumbling in haste to get away from him.

The kiss had been exquisite, so it wasn’t that. She was amazing, eager and open and wet and wonderful to touch.

He could only imagine how good it would be taking her to bed.

And he’d been shocked, when dropping her off, to see one of her fantasies would be tying him up.

Something he’d be fine agreeing to, if only she’d let him return the favor.

Even if she wouldn’t, as long as she’d be his, he could deal with it. Maybe it would even be fun.

He couldn’t stop his tingle of excitement, thinking of what tonight would bring. More progress? Or would she still be nervous, like she was when she left? She was a runner; he’d realized that about her. But she’d apparently been hurt enough that running made sense.

He watched Pumpkin dig into the food and heard a foreign noise and a buzzing coming from the bedroom.

He strode back there to investigate and saw a pair of his pants on the ground, vibrating. Oh right, his phone.

He pulled it out and answered it, holding it to his ear, still thinking how odd it was to communicate this way. “Hello?”

“Red?”

It was Faye, and her voice was shaking. Red adjusted the phone so he had a steadier grasp. “Faye? Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“I sort of… Can you come get me from work?”

“Sure,” he said, kind of flattered she was asking. So far, despite spending their evenings together, she’d sort of tried to keep him out of the rest of her life. This was new. “Where is it?”

She gave him directions, and he mentally pictured it in his mind. He hadn’t adventured out a lot, mainly due to female attention. But he’d do it for her.

“I’ll be right there,” he said.

She thanked him and hung up, and it was only then, standing alone in his living room, that he realized he probably should have asked what was going on.

It didn’t matter, though, he thought as he shrugged on his jacket. If she needed him, he’d go. If she asked something of him, he’d do it if he were at all able. Perhaps that was real friendship. He was starting to think it was even more than that.

As he left the apartment building and stepped into the early fall air, he looked both ways to figure out which way was right.

Things were so different than when he’d lived before. So busy, so hurried. So crowded. He pushed his way along the sidewalk, and then turned down a couple less busy streets. The closer he got to where she worked, the darker and less nice it looked.

He frowned, not liking the thought of her working here. When he reached the bar, his worst suspicions were confirmed. A fluorescent sign blinked weakly, a martini and a woman with flashing legs.

He opened the door just as he saw her walking toward him, her purse over her arm, her blond hair wispy, her expression harried.

“Let’s go,” she said, taking his arm.

He had to fight back a grin at her willing touch. She started leading him back the direction he’d come, and he noticed she looked around them in concern, as if worried about being attacked.

He removed his arm from hers and put it around her, tucking her safely in against him. She looked up at him with a grateful smile, and they remained quiet as they walked back to the apartment.

When they got there, she let out a sigh of relief in front of her door, putting her pale hand on the handle. “Thank you,” she said. “Want to come in?”

“Should I grab Pumpkin?”

She nodded, and he went to do just that. When he was back, she let him in and removed her jacket and scarf and set her purse on the table. Then she slumped on the couch with a sigh. “Are you going to ask me why I called you?”

He perched on the arm of the other couch as Pumpkin made her way under the table. “I figured you’d tell me when you were ready.”

She cocked her head, and another unruly curl escaped. “I thought you’d want a good explanation for dragging you all the way over there.”

“It was a refreshing walk,” he said. “Besides, you needing me is explanation enough.”

She eyed him, blue irises wary. “You really are good at this friends thing, you know that?”

He winked. “I can be good at more, too.”

She sighed. “This again?” She kicked back and put her feet on the coffee table, startling Pumpkin, who then settled in again. “I thought we went over this.”

“I know,” he said. “I’m just saying. So what happened that made you call me?”

She looked over at him. “Braden showed up outside work. I think he’s stalking me.”

“So I’m walking you there and back from now on, right?” he asked, not leaving any room for refusal.

“No,” she said. “You can’t. It’s not fair to you. I just need to figure out how to get him to leave, or take out a restraining order.”

“What really happened between you two?” he asked, coming over to sit on the sofa beside her.

She reached down to rub one of her aching feet. “It was just a bad relationship.”

“I think it was more than that,” he said. “I saw the way you ran after you kissed me. He hurt you bad, and you’re afraid it’ll happen again.”

She nodded. “Yeah. It was bad I guess.”

“And he was bad at sex,” he said. “I gathered that much.”

Her face shuttered, and he almost regretted bringing it up. Almost. He had to know what was hurting this beautiful woman so he could know how to heal her, if possible. “He wasn’t great.”

“What did he do?” he asked, voice tightening, throat dry.

“He wasn’t bad at the start,” she said. “But when he stopped working and was staying at home, he started getting into some weird stuff.”

“Like what?”

“You know,” she said, waving a hand. “Porn. All guys do it.”

“I don’t,” he said. “Then again, I suppose I’m not your usual guy.”

“Anyway, he started treating me differently. I guess expecting me to be like the girls he was watching. He liked… really degrading stuff. I mean, the transition was so slow, at first I just wanted to make him happy. But then it was clear I wasn’t enjoying myself, and he really didn’t care.”

“What. Did. He. Do?” Red twisted his fingers into the hem of his shirt, trying to resist the urge to burn the world down around them to keep her safe.

That was the destructive side of him.

“He just… Well, the last time… it was basically rape. I mean, I didn’t say no exactly, until it was too late. But I wasn’t saying anything at all. Just frozen. It was so degrading.” He realized tears were streaming down her face and didn’t know what to do about it. “I mean, he had to know I wouldn’t like that.” She swiped at her face. “After that, I dumped him.”

He couldn’t resist anymore. He moved over to her and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in his embrace. He wasn’t thinking of how nice it was to hold her. Only how to help make the pain go away.

“I guess I should have known,” she said, sniffling. “Even before he got all deviant, he never cared about my pleasure. He was a terrible kisser. And he was just as bad in bed.”

“I tend to think of kissing as a preview to what happens in bed,” he said. “A man who isn’t caring that way won’t be giving with orgasms.”

She nodded. “I guess that means you’d be amazing, right?”

“I’d definitely focus more on you than me,” he said. “But that’s a pretty low bar. I’m just sorry you went through that.”

She shrugged. “It was my fault. I was just so grateful to find someone to love me. Someone who seemed committed. Who seemed to really want me.”

“I don’t blame you,” he said.

“And I mean, I usually only tell people about him using me. About him stopping work, demanding money from me. But I don’t tell them the other way he used me. That’s too painful.”

“I understand,” he said. “Well, I don’t know I can exactly understand, but I’ve been used a lot, too.”

“You have?” she asked.

“No, not like you. I just mean this is the first time a woman has hung out with me for any other reason than sex.” He looked down at her tenderly. “So I guess it’s a first for both of us. Because I definitely care about you and am not going to use you.”

She sighed and leaned in against him. “I wish I could fully believe that. I really do. It’s just, I keep thinking about how I didn’t see it coming with Braden.”

“But he couldn’t kiss you like I do, right?”

“Right,” she said. “But I was wildly attracted to him, too. Like I am with you.”

“At least you finally admit it. Wildly attracted.”

She pulled back. “Hey, if you’re going to get a big ego about it…”

He let her go with a grin, then turned his attention on her feet. “I have an idea.”

“What?” she asked, startled as he reached for her feet and turned her so she was leaning against the side of the couch and facing him with her feet on his lap. He moved so he could hold them better. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you feel better,” he said. “I can tell your feet always feel like crap after your shift. Let me help you.”

She eyed him as if he were dangerous, but then he ran a long finger up her foot from heel to toe, and her eyes rolled back and she sighed. “Oh man. Keep doing that.”

He grinned. He had no intention of stopping.

* * *

H
ow could
a foot massage feel so amazing?

True, no one had ever offered, but if they had, she probably would have said no out of sheer embarrassment.

But even with her socks still on, she could feel Red’s warm touch, soothing her, heating her skin and muscles, gliding over sensitive areas, releasing tension from pressure points.

His handsome face was focused, green eyes turned down as he worked. Long, strong, tanned fingers deftly handling her feet as if they were gold. And they looked small in his hands.

He always made her feel small, safe.

She wondered if a man like this, so hot, so gorgeous, so kind, would have ever even noticed her if he hadn’t needed help with his cat.

Damn, he was even kind to animals. She didn’t know what to do about that, but despite all her best efforts, she was definitely getting a crush. All day, she’d been thinking about that kiss. Both kisses. The way her whole body had been lit from within, like she was on fire.

She arched as his strong thumb moved over the center of her instep, shooting sensation through her foot.

“Does that feel okay?” he asked.

There he went again, always caring how she was feeling. So opposite of Braden or any other guy she’d dated. “Oh yeah,” she said. “Keep going.”

Her feet were starting to feel warm and tingly, as well as other areas, but she didn’t want it to stop.

Being taken care of like this was magical. During this intimate moment, she could almost imagine they were together. Imagine how easy and comfortable it would be to date someone like him. Come home after a hard day at work and vent to someone who wanted to listen. Get a massage and some good sex after if she wanted.

That would be like some kind of fantasy.

She was feeling limp and relaxed all over, all pain gone from her previously achy, swollen feet, and she pulled back. “You can stop. That was incredible.”

“I can keep going,” he offered.

“No point. They’re totally relaxed,” she said.

“Your choice,” he said. “What do you want to do for dinner? I’m thinking of just calling for takeout. My treat,” he added when she hesitated.

“I really shouldn’t let you do all of this for me,” she said, biting her lip and pulling her feet back in toward her.

“Why not?” he asked. “You’re the only person who has been a friend to me. Friends do nice things for each other.”

“Do you still want to be more than friends?” she asked.

His green eyes flashed hopefully, and he pushed his dark reddish hair behind one ear. “Obviously. Why?”

“I just… It’s making more and more sense,” she said. “And you’re right. I can’t let Braden just control everything. Maybe I could… give it a chance.”

“We can go slow,” he said, moving over, getting close, heating the air between them.

“I don’t know if I want to.” She reached up to touch his face. Damn, his skin felt good.

He closed his eyes, long lashes resting on his tanned cheeks, and when he opened them, they were full of green heat. His gaze dipped to her lips, and he turned thoughtful.

For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, as he hovered just close enough he could do it.

“No,” he said, finally pulling back. “I’m not going to do that now. I’m not going to take advantage of you after a hard day and one of my intoxicating foot rubs.” He folded his arms and shook his head playfully. “They’re too good. You may regret it in the morning.”

She laughed. She was disappointed, but a part of her was relieved he hadn’t jumped at the first chance to get more from her. Part of her wasn’t ready, was still hesitant.

He sat back down on the other couch, releasing a deep breath. “Damn, being friends with you is hard sometimes.”