Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 62528 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62528 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“I just came to wish Dash good luck.” She pointed to his door. “Then I’ll go get the bar set up.”
“You do that, my little redhead of spit and fire. Destiny awaits you!”
Jac chuckled uncomfortably. Now that she knew what this woman was, the strange words coming from her mouth were all the more unsettling. Jac always considered Greek mythology to be senseless, but what if it had all been true? Murder, jealousy, chariots and famines.
Let’s not forget all the incest. Yuck.
Cimil suddenly froze and tilted one ear in the air. “Oh, my brother’s here!” Cimil clapped.
“Brother? You mean…”
Cimil winked. “Yes, dear. Another one.”
Another god was here. Help.
Cimil added, “Prepare a few pitchers of margaritas for him, wouldja, Jac? Hold the rita. And the marg.”
“You want me to make him pitchers of tequila.” What sort of god was this?
“Bingo!” Cimil skipped away, her fringe dancing wildly with her movements.
“Terrifying.” Jac looked away and knocked on Dash’s door.
“Yeah?” his deep voice called out.
“Can I come in? It’s Jac.”
“At your own peril,” Dash replied.
Slowly, she opened the door and peeked in. Dash was bent over in front of his vanity, wearing nothing but tiny black string bikini bottoms, rubbing sparkling golden lotion on his legs. She could see his balls hanging out.
“Oh boy.” She turned away and closed her eyes.
“There’s nothing here you won’t see later. Oh, and I bought these for Heebie. I didn’t want you to worry.”
She dared to reopen her eyes and look. Dash held up a tiny pair of red earmuffs.
“Awww. Those are adorable.” Jac’s heart warmed, and she beamed at him. Guess an old dragon can learn new tricks.
“What?” Dash said.
“Nothing.” She continued smiling at him.
“That’s not a nothing smile.”
She was about to say how much she liked this side of him, but it felt too squishy. Jac was used to being strong and independent, not all sentimental, unless dealing with her animals. Then squish away.
“Hey, so I wanted to thank you for the very generous gift,” she said. “You have no idea what that money means to me and the animals.”
Dash shrugged his broad, naked shoulders, continuing to rub lotion on his chest. “Heebie likes you. And, maybe, you’re growing on me a little, too.”
She blushed.
“But that’s not why I gave you the money,” Dash added.
“No?” she said.
“After your visit, I thought about what you said—about having a place to go if there’s ever an emergency.”
“The offer stands.”
“The thing is, I-I have some personal business I need to take care of, and I won’t be able to bring Heebie. I know he’ll be happy with you.”
“How long will you be away?” she asked.
He hesitated, as if struggling to find the right words. “A very long time.”
That sounded ominous. “Are you okay?”
“For someone my age, I’m great. I don’t want you to worry—”
“How old are you?”
“You really want to know?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Five hundred and sixty-two,” he said.
Wow. “I don’t know anything about your kind, but that’s fucking old.”
“Thanks,” he said coldly.
“Don’t get me wrong, Dash; you look amazing. Better than amazing.” Her appreciative gaze washed over his body.
“There’s that look again.” He flashed a charming smile.
She couldn’t deny that Dash was beginning to fascinate her on every level, like a huge biologist’s wet dream. Didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes, too.
“Honestly?” she said. “I’m awestruck by you. I have so many questions—who your family is, where you’ve lived, why your body doesn’t age like mine.”
“So you want to study me,” he said, amused.
That sounded too clinical. “I wouldn’t mind spending time with you, yes.”
“Tell you what,” he held up his bottle of golden lotion, “put this on my back, and later you can ask me anything you want.”
“Anything?”
“Yes.” He nodded.
She smiled so big she was sure she looked like the Cheshire cat. Only creepier. But this was the kind of full nudity she appreciated. It took a strong, fearless man to open himself up.
She held out her hand for the lotion, still grinning like an idiot.
Dash snickered and turned around, giving her a full view of his powerful back muscles and round hard ass.
Dear God, help me. She tried to look away, but couldn’t. The more times they interacted, the more drawn in she felt. Dash was so different than she’d thought.
Jac poured lotion into her hand and set the bottle on the vanity. She began rubbing his firm, warm skin, trying not to think about how good he felt under her fingertips or that beneath his golden skin was a dangerous, winged predator that breathed fire.
Heat flooded her face and chest. “S-s-so what made you want to bare it all tonight?”
“It’s a sort of celebration for my kind. We remove our clothing and perform the cleansing ritual. Dancing mostly.”
Interesting. Her hands moved to the small of his back, working around his narrow waist. She couldn’t recall ever seeing such a perfect body. So sexy. How did he do it? How did he change shapes into such a magnificent beast?