DragonRider by S. Rodman
a start. Morning light is streaming through my window, and Mordecai is standing by the foot of my bed. I scramble to a sitting position, dragging the duvet with me. Which is ridiculous because last night he saw everything.
I glance down at my baggy tee shirt in confusion. I swear it came off at some point in the night. I have hazy memories of Mordecai pulling it over my head before devouring one of my nipples and making me scream. So, did he dress me when I was out of it? That feels strangely unsettling, though I’m sure being undressed would be creepier.
I look at Mordecai warily. He is wearing a tee shirt and jeans. His pale hair is tied back. He doesn’t look less stunning in casual clothes, he looks more. Because the ordinary clothes make it perfectly clear that he is not ordinary. In any way. It’s almost a shame he is a Dragonrider and can’t be a model. He’d rock it.
His blue eyes aren’t ice bright like they were last night. They are more twilight with a hint of brewing storm. I could fall into their depths forever.
He takes my breath away. I can’t believe I had sex with him. A lot of sex. A lot of mind blowing, earth shattering sex. Oh god I need to think about something else. Anything else.
Annoyingly, I can sense that Ri is sleeping deeply. Not that he’d be a useful distraction anyway, I suddenly realise. He’d be delighted that I’m thinking about sex and gleeful that I had a wonderful night just like he smugly told me I would.
“Drink!” orders Mordecai, tilting his head towards the tall glass of water that is on my bedside table and unwittingly offering me the diversion that I so desperately need.
I take it with shaking hands and gulp down half of it.
“All of it.”
Mutely I obey. Once the glass is drained, I place it on the side and see a brioche on a pretty plate.
“Eat.”
Okay fine. There is no need for him to be such a bossy bastard. I’m hungry anyway. Though it is really sweet of him to bring me breakfast. Yesterday, I would have sworn he’d be the type to disappear in the night, long before morning.
As I stuff the pastry in my mouth, I try to cast discreet glances his way, to see if I can gauge what he is thinking. But his expression is just stoic. Closed, cold and guarded as ever. I’ve only ever seen him truly smile when he is flying.
This breakfast thing probably isn’t tenderness or affection. It’s probably Mordecai being dutiful. Taking care of one of his riders. He is fanatical about the people in his care. My stomach twists in disappointment.
“How are you feeling?” he says, in his delightfully rumbly voice.
“Physically or emotionally?” I ask.
He arches one perfect brow. “Both.”
“A little sore,” I shrug. Sore covers the emotional and physical side.
He nods as if he understands me. “Not traumatised?”
I shake my head a little too vigorously. My emotions feel raw, exposed. I feel conflicted and strange. But definitely not traumatised. Mordecai was passionate but not cruel. I probably should start thinking of him as Cai now, it seems to be what most people call him. And we had sex. If that doesn’t entitle you to using someone’s familiar name, I don’t know what does.
Cai stares at me intently. As if the force of his glare can strip away my flesh and yield all my secrets to him. It probably can. I hold his gaze as well as I can. I want him to see that I’m okay.
Eventually he releases me. A flash of something that looks an awful lot like relief crosses his face. My heart flutters in response. He cares. He was worried. He is not as cold as he makes out.
“Alright,” he snaps curtly. “You have the day off. I’ll leave you to it.”
With that, he turns on his heels and strides out of my room. It really does feel like he takes the sun with him. The room feels far colder without his burning presence. I shiver and then sigh.
I need to shower. I need to take my cum soaked bedding down to the laundry room without anyone seeing. Most of all, I need to process what the hell happened last night. Sex with Mordecai, I mean Cai, was incredible. Nothing at all like any sex I’ve had before. Is it Cai? Is it Ri’s influence? Was my ex the one that was terrible at sex and I was stupid enough to believe him? There is so much to think about. So much to unpack and to get to the bottom of.
My door flings open and Harlen bounces in. He plonks himself on the bottom of my bed and stares at me with wide worried eyes.
“How are you?”
Sitting here in just a tee shirt and another man’s cum, thank you very much. How are you? Luckily my brain to mouth filter works for once and I manage not to say that.
I squeak out a, “Fine,” instead.
Harlen gives me a deeply suspicious look. Oh god, he is going to ask me a million questions and press me for details. I can’t imagine anything worse.
“Please don’t interrogate me!” I beg.
His brown eyes narrow. I stare back at him with my best pleading look. Is he jealous? Is he annoyed that Cai won this round of their rivalry? As much as I’m searching his face, I can see only concern.
I should ask him how his night went. It would be the perfect deflection, but I strongly suspect he’d gleefully tell me, in intricate detail, and there is no way I can cope with that. So I stay silent instead.
“Okay,” he says with a sigh. “Shall we go get breakfast?”
I shake my head. “Cai already brought me something.”
Harlen tilts his head and gives me a dazzling grin. “Told you he was adorable.”
His good humour is impossible to resist and I smile back at him, even though I’m feeling slightly put out that he is not jealous. I thought he wanted me? Have I just been misreading things? Is he just friendly and nice? No, he is definitely a flirt, but I could well imagine that he flirts with everyone. I’m not special.
That thought hurts far more than it should. Who knew I was so greedy for attention? It’s a disappointing character flaw.
“I need a shower,” I say abruptly.
“Okay,” says Harlen. “Then do you want to hang out?”
“Sure,” I say with a smile, without even thinking about it.
Because I don’t need to think about it. The answer is easy. I like spending time with Harlen. Even if it’s only as a friend. And who knows, next full moon, Zh might win.