Dragon Hunter by Charlene Hartnady

Chapter 14

Later that day…

This dress wasn’t normallysomething she would pick for herself. It was a little tight around the torso section and showed off a good inch or two of cleavage. It was a gorgeous blue color that brought out her eyes. And maybe, just maybe, she needed to get over herself and start wearing pretty things more often. She wasn’t the girl she had been in high school, even though she still sometimes felt like that girl. The fact of the matter was that she was different. Very different! Everything had changed for her the year her father had died. In some ways, the changes had been for the better, she’d lost her excess weight. Though where other changes were concerned, it had been for the worse.

Riley had seen a psychologist for two years following her father’s fatal heart attack. She went to see one again a year ago for a few months. Her ex had told her she wasn’t right in the head, but Tony was hardly one to talk. The guy hadn’t worked in over four months preceding their breakup. He was a deadbeat who moved back in with his mother after he lost his job.

Apparently, video games were far more fun than getting himself another actual paying job. Tony liked to call himself a professional gamer, only he didn’t make so much as a red cent. It was the last straw for her when she went to visit him and found him surrounded by empty food containers, wearing an adult diaper. And he had the audacity to tell her that she wasn’t right in the head. No thanks. Not for her.

Riley knew that a lot of her problems stemmed from her childhood, and yet it was really difficult to switch off those voices inside her head. Voices that told her she wasn’t good enough, or pretty enough, or clever enough.

“You look great!” she told her reflection. “It’s just dinner. It’s all for show, but you can still have a good time.” Then she gave a nod and pulled in a deep breath.

“Who were you talking to just then?” Fog asked as she stepped out of the bathroom.

Riley almost swallowed her own tongue when she saw him. Wow! Jeans and a t-shirt sure looked good over all that muscle and bronzed skin. With his overgrown hair and dark eyes, he ticked just about every box in the gorgeous category. Pity that meant it seriously ticked boxes on the no-go list. Good-looking was number one on her list, followed by sexy. And no, the two were not interchangeable. A guy could be good-looking without being sexy. When they ticked both boxes, they were trouble with a big, fat capital “T.” Bottom line.

“Oh, um…” she said when she realized she was staring. “I was talking to myself. I do that sometimes. I’m not crazy, I swear.”

Fog smiled, hooking his thumbs into his jean pockets. “Not at all.”

“I must say, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with so many clothes on before. You’re even wearing shoes.”

“And?” He did a turn so that she could check him out. Riley was ashamed to admit that she did, in fact, check him out a whole hell of a lot. His back was beautiful. Could a back be beautiful? If it could, his was. And his ass. Good lord, but that ass.

She just managed to lift her gaze as he turned all the way back. “You look good!” She nodded too much. Far too much. She had to send a message to her brain to stop several times before it happened. “I think I might be overdressed. Am I overdressed?” she asked him, looking down at herself.

“You look amazing! If anything, I should be the one to change. We’re going out on a date. A t-shirt won’t cut it.” He pulled his shirt over his head.

Again, she had seen him shirtless a lot, and yet a shirtless guy in a pair of jeans was just another level. Riley had never ogled a man like this before. She’d never spent much time with men like Fog before either, so it made sense. Anyway, she may as well enjoy the view while it lasted.

Fog rummaged through his closet, pulling on a button-down shirt instead. “Better?” he asked her while doing up the buttons.

“You were fine before, but yes, since we’re on a date.” She gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I can’t believe Storm is on our case. I know you said it would probably happen, but really! I mean, what’s his problem?”

His dark eyes darkened up a whole lot more. He got to work folding up his sleeves, his movements jerky. “Because he’s an asshole. They could cut you some slack. I don’t get it. I know they’re afraid of sparking fear in the tribe, but,” he shrugged, “it still doesn’t justify their actions.”

“You know what? Let’s try to forget about it and enjoy a nice meal.”

“Sounds great, but you should know that you look amazing, and you’re still unclaimed.” He scowled. “Storm isn’t completely wrong, I’m afraid to say.”

Oh crap!“Should we stay home instead?” Riley had been looking forward to going out. Fog had been in and out, trying to organize a rescue team and everything that went along with such an undertaking, but she had been stuck between these four walls.

He cracked his knuckles. “No. We need to be seen together. It might mean punching a few males in the face.” His voice lowered by a few octaves. “I’ll try not to get blood on my hands while I’m at it.” He winked at her.

Her skin felt tighter, and a warm flush made its way over her chest and up her neck, spilling over on her cheeks. Her nipples tightened. Since when was violence a turn-on? She watched his nostrils flare. His eyes dipped to her chest for a moment before locking back with hers. Other than that, he didn’t give away a hint of emotion. Could he sense that she was a little aroused? God, please no! That would be beyond embarrassing.

“That’s what napkins are for.” She laughed, trying to defuse the tension because it sure felt like there was a whole lot of that swirling around them. The sound was a touch shrill. She really needed to fight this attraction. It didn’t help that Fog seemed like a nice guy. Not only nice, he was very masculine too.

It was the only way to describe him. Some guys had that extra quality. That “thing” about them. Fog had it in spades. More boxes ticked on her no-go list. More reasons why she should not be attracted to him in any way. What if they had to sleep together? Her heart raced at the thought, and not in a good way. Would he be rough and demanding? Would she hate it? Even worse, would she love it?

“Why are you afraid?” He openly sniffed the air. “I can scent it on you.”

Better than smelling arousal. “I thought of Ashlyn for a moment,” she lied through her teeth.

His whole demeanor softened.

“We don’t have to go—”

“No,” she shook her head, “I want to. Let’s just go and have a good time. I need to get out of here.” She looked around them. “I promise not to talk about any of that again this evening.” She was like a broken record.

“Hey…” He took her hand and squeezed. “No need to say that. You can talk about your friend as much as you want and express your feelings anytime you want.”

She was such a terrible person for lying. “Thank you.”

After a few seconds, he squeezed her hand again. “You ready?”

She nodded once.

“Let’s go.” He kept her hand in his, giving it a little tug.

It’s for show!

It’s all good! Nothing to see here!

Except her insides did this little flip-flop, and her mouth suddenly felt dry. Maybe Ashlyn would turn up before things got real. Maybe she’d call Riley. Check-in with her. Miracles happened. Maybe her friend would escape or be released when those cave assholes didn’t get anywhere with her. It was stupid and a little crazy of her, but she kept checking her phone. She kept hoping that this nightmare would somehow be over. That Fog wouldn’t have to go down there. That her friend would be safe. That’s not how things worked in real life, though.

* * *

“Is this seat taken?”

Fog swallowed down his mouthful of food. “I swear to god, Sun, I will put you on your ass and break both your legs if you don’t turn around and walk away right now,” he growled.

“I wanted to ask your female how she is doing. I wanted to check-in to see if—”

“No!” Fog shook his head. “Riley and I are on a date, enjoying a meal. I’m sick of all the interruptions.” He raised his voice. “Go away!” Sun was the fifth male to approach their table in the last hour, and it was getting on his last damned nerve.

“Don’t be like that.” Sun grinned. “We’re missing you at work. I—”

“Go away!” Fog insisted. “Turn around and fuck off. Do it now.” He put his knife and fork down with a clang.

Sun started and took a few steps back. Good! He knew what was good for him.

“If anyone dares approach this table, I swear that they will have their teeth for dinner. I hope I am making myself very clear.” He looked around the room, glaring at the males at the bar and the numerous tables of males who were openly appraising what was his. It didn’t matter that Riley wasn’t actually his. According to everyone here, she was. Sun sauntered off, tail between his legs. That was more like it.

Fog slowly sat back down, still scanning the faces in the crowd. Rage filled him. He wanted to crack a few skulls and break a few bones.

“You can stop growling now,” Riley said. Her fork was frozen halfway to her mouth.

Shit!He realized that she was right and that his chest was vibrating with one hell of a growl. If he wasn’t careful, it would turn into a snarl.

Fog cleared his throat.

“Um…so sorry,” she said, her gaze to the left of them. He noted that Riley was apologizing to the couple sitting at a nearby table, candle flickering between them, trying to enjoy a romantic meal.

“Don’t worry about us. We’re enjoying the show,” the human laughed.

Her mate chuckled. “You should probably skip the rest of your meal, head back to your chamber, and—”

“Don’t be rude.” He noted that the female prodded her mate under the table with her foot. Humans could be feisty at times. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Ow!” the male yelped, rubbing his shin. “It’s just that—” he started saying, but Fog turned his attention back to his date…back to Riley. He had to work to keep his eyes on hers and not on her deep cleavage. Her face was just as great as her lush body. He needed to remember not to stare at her full lips, though. Or to think about what that mouth and those lips would look like wrapped around—

He cleared his throat, cutting a slice of meat off the bone. It was rare, which was slightly overdone for his liking. He hadn’t eaten raw meat since Riley had come to stay. Fog didn’t want to put her off her own food. “How did you and Ashlyn meet?” He winced. “Sorry, I know we said we weren’t going to talk about your friend tonight.”

“No, that’s not what we said. We said we wouldn’t talk about the situation.”

“That’s true.” He put the meat into his mouth, watching her eyes lift in thought and her face light up as she remembered Ashlyn and how they first met.

“I was in kindergarten; it was my first day at a new school. I…had been having a tough time at the previous one, and my parents decided to move me in the hopes I would be happier there. It wasn’t the best start. Anyway, the kids were teasing me, and Ashlyn stood up to them. She even punched the bigger boy in the stomach. I was in awe of her. Up until then, I…I had never stood up for myself. I just took whatever the other kids dealt me. Ashlyn is so strong and confident; she always was, even back then.”

“You seemed pretty darned fierce standing up to Storm and Thunder like you did.” He couldn’t picture this female as being anything other than strong and kickass. Everything she had shown him thus far was resilient. “Also, your escape was nothing short of amazing.”

She smiled at his compliment. “Ashlyn is the one who taught me to be like that. If it hadn’t been for her,” she shook her head, “I would still be the timid, quiet little mouse I once was.” She laughed softly. “Although little isn’t an accurate description.”

Fog frowned. “I would disagree.” He shook his head. “You are tiny.”

“Thanks…I guess.” He could see that she didn’t quite believe him. “Growing up, I really loved my food. I didn’t have many friends, and so I used to stay indoors. Eating was my thing. I’ve since established that food filled a hole inside me. Anyway, as a result, I was a little on the chubby side. It got worse when I hit puberty.” She licked her lips. “I also had a terrible squint as a child.” She touched the side of her right eye. “I had to wear special glasses and do these exercises every day. Nothing worked. I was teased relentlessly.”

“Children can be harsh.” Fog shook his head. “It must have been terrible for you.” He couldn’t imagine. Ailments among the dragons were rare. Kids did pick on each other, regardless of species, though.

“The teasing was really bad up until I met Ashlyn. Things got better after that. I had a friend; that was a good start. I learned how to stand up for myself. I eventually had surgery to fix the squint.” She pointed at her face. “It worked, as you can see.” She blinked a few times.

“You have beautiful eyes.”

She blushed, her eyelashes fluttering closed for a second before she looked at her plate. Then she loaded her fork with meat and added some mashed potatoes. Picking at her food instead of acknowledging the compliment.

“I mean it.”

“Oh…um…thanks.” She put a forkful of food into her mouth, finally meeting his eyes. She was blushing…again. For such a kickass female, she had this soft side. This timid side. He found it quite endearing.

“I see you lost the weight too, since you’re tiny.”

“Hardly tiny,” she snorted out after she swallowed down her food. “But thanks.” She giggled.

“Do you want more wine?” He pointed at her glass.

“I’d better not. I might get tipsy, and…and that would be a bad idea.” She widened her eyes.

Humans tended to lose their inhibitions when they drank. He nodded. “How’s the food?”

“Delicious!” She nodded a few times. “I didn’t realize that wild boar could be so juicy and tasty.” She licked her lips. “Now, enough about me. I realized just now that I don’t know anything at all about you.”

“What do you want to know?” He sat back in his chair.

“You mentioned that you’re on leave from work. What do you do?”

“I’m a hunter.”

“A hunter? As in, you kill things?” Her eyes went so wide it was comical.

He chuckled at how shocked she looked. “I humanely kill game for my tribe to eat. Game like the boar you’re eating right now. We hunt all sorts of different species, including moose, elk, white-tailed deer, bison…to name the most prevalent.”

“Wow! Okay. It makes sense why you were out there the other day and why the guys…dragons you were with had animal carcasses in their claws. It’s a strange profession, that’s all.”

“Hunting is natural to us. I guess it’s part of our DNA. Our make-up. I’m half-dragon. I’m an apex predator. Killing comes naturally to me. We were out on a hunt, and I spotted you.” Fog shrugged.

“I got lucky.” She pulled in a breath. “You were right. I might not have survived out there.”

“I don’t know about that. Back to the part about you being kickass.” He winked at her.

Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. “Do you have siblings?”

“Nope. It’s just me,” he said. “My folks couldn’t have any more kids. You’ll find that most of us are only children. On occasion, a couple is fertile, and they’ll have quite a few kids.”

“So, it’s either one kid or lots?” She smiled.

“More like no kids, one kid or lots of them. One or none are more common. Although that’s changing since we started taking human mates. What about you? Do you have siblings?”

Her eyes clouded for a moment. It was like he had touched a nerve. “I’m an only child,” she finally said.

Why did he get the feeling there was more to that statement? Perhaps she’d lost a brother or sister.

Fog didn’t push the issue. They were having a good time.

Riley speared another piece of the boar. “Melina invited me to the salon tomorrow.”

“Oh! Awesome. When does she need you there?”

“Midmorning. Would you be able to take me?” She smiled. “I’m having my hair done.” Riley ran her fingers through the long strands. “I haven’t been to a hairdresser in ages. I mostly just tie my hair up. Especially for work. There are about a hundred rules and regulations surrounding how we should look.”

“Don’t cut it too much. You have great hair.”

“You’re full of compliments.” She looked around them. “You don’t have to. I think we’re doing fine without—”

He took her hand. “I meant each and every compliment wholeheartedly. You should do what’s best for you, but if you want my two cents, don’t let Mel cut too much off. Your hair is lovely just like it is.” He let go of her hand and reached over to push a strand behind her ear.

“Um…ah…” She nodded. “Okay. Sure thing. I’ll tell her just a trim.”

Fog kept his eyes on hers.

She tried to take her hand away, but he held onto it. Fog found that he liked it right where it was, tucked in his. Her cheeks were red, suffused again. He liked that too. He realized he liked her in general. There were clearly things going on with her, things that had nothing to do with her missing friend. Maybe she would tell him what they were at some point. He had a feeling these rules of hers were directly linked.