Kissed By The Dragon (Paranormal Shifter) Read online

  The couch was shifted, making the thrusts change in intensity until he discovered a rhythm that worked with the wobbly bit of furniture. We were making noises. I don’t really know how to describe them. He was sort of grunting and I was practically screaming and we both found ourselves trapped in the sensations we were feeling.

  We hit the crest simultaneously. My limbs started to give out and down I went, right after we had finished, tumbling over the front of the sofa and landing flat on the ground, my head slamming into the coffee table. He leapt over, right after me, but didn’t manage to outrace the gravity that had taken over the moment.

  There I lay, on the floor, laughing and giggling like a madwoman while he fussed. “Oh my God, I am so sorry.” He gushed his apology and I just laughed and laughed while he checked me out. “I think I need to take you to a hospital.” He looked terrible.

  I fought against the laughter, trying to force some kind of sense into my ridiculous brain. “I’m ok.” I tried to pull myself up, but I couldn’t. The giggles were coming in fits and spurts now. I couldn’t do anything about it, for some reason I was losing my mind. Everything up until that point had been so intense that now, the end just felt insane.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Barbie spotted it the second I walked into the office that following Monday. “What were you doing this weekend?” She taunted me, and I was almost positive she already knew. I mumbled an excuse and pushed past her, eager to hide my flushing face. Alistair had it an amazing night, especially since he had insisted on keeping an eye on me in case I had a head injury. I didn’t have a concussion, but there was still a spot on my head that was tender and we had spent the evening talking, well I had done more talking, but he had seemed content to listen.

  My coworker wasn’t going to let me off so easily. She followed me to my little cubicle. “Tell me about him.” It was a demand, plain and simple.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I tried to deny it, but it was clear that she didn’t believe me. I sat at my desk and tried to look busy.

  “Where were you on Saturday?”

  It was when she asked, that I remembered the plans that I had made before going out with Alistair. “I’m sorry, I slept through it.”

  “You did not. You were out.” It was an accusation that held weight behind it. I wondered if she knew something that I didn’t know that she knew.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I continued to deny it for about an hour, until the flowers arrived. A dozen red roses with a note that held a cheesy pick up line. I wanted to jump for joy, but managed to restrain myself. Still, Barbie noticed it and was giving the evil eye for a while.

  “Who sent you those?” Barbie yanked the card out of my hand.

  At that moment, I doubted ever having considered her a friend. “None of your business.” She was taller than me, so she held the card over her head and tried to crane her neck to see the writing. “Give it to me!”

  “You went and saw him, didn’t you?” Barbie demanded of me.

  “Why do you care?” I taunted back. “He wasn’t interested in you, anyway.””

  “You called him. After all that crap you talked, you actually called him! I can’t believe this.” Barbie didn’t put the card down.

  I grabbed at her arm, but it was locked in position, an unhealthy proposition, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to give me the card. It took me my entire break to get it back and by the end of it my hair was a mess and she had succeeded in seeing the cheesy pick up line that Alistair had sent me. She didn’t get the inside joke, so she just made fun of me for a long time before the boss walked by and she had to rush off, looking busy. My only justification was the fact that her numbers would be so low that she would probably be coached due to her disruptive behavior. I hoped that would happen at least.

  None of this stuff is really that interesting, but what happened after lunch gave me the heebie jeebies. The lady walked into the office and I didn’t think anything of it. Clients come in and out of the building all of the time. I wasn’t even facing that way, and didn’t find out about her until later. According to my source, and that would be the receptionist who manned the front desk, this lady was creepy, the kind of creepy that stares and never blinks. I, unfortunately, wasn’t warned about any of this before she was shown to my cubicle. “She wants to see you.”

  I stood and stuck out my hand. “Hi, I’m Yvette, may I help you?” I normally didn’t deal with clients in person, so I was confused. The woman said nothing and made no movement towards me. I stood there, feeling naked as she stared at me, her grasping, clawing eyes seeming to look right through my skin and figure out exactly what made me tick. I glanced at the flowers on my desk and couldn’t help but wonder if Alistair was involved. It could have been a coincidence, but I never had creepy old ladies coming into my office just to leer at me before I met him. It just felt like one might have something to do with the other.

  She was dressed like my grandma, almost. Her dress hung limp down her skinny frame. The belt around her waist wasn’t cinched tight at all, I wondered why she had even worn it. It was a dark blue with white polka dots. I couldn’t but wonder if it was a new dress, the contrasts between the navy color and the pure white dots was so severe and the entire dress looked like it had been dipped in pure starch and then laid under a mattress.

  The entirety of the fabric seemed to crinkle when she walked. I couldn’t explain it. She had a handkerchief covering her silver hair, but it didn’t start until the top of her head. Her hair was slicked back. All in all, between the starch and whatever product than she used in her hair, she smelled awful. They did not work well with the smell of denture cream and whatever other things that old people use on their bodies. I don’t know what it all was, but the combination made my stomach start to churn.

  “May I help you?” I asked it again.

  She said nothing, and I couldn’t help but feel a little strange as she stared at me, looking up and down my body as if I was on display for her. It made me feel guilty for everything that I had ever done that would’ve made my mother ashamed. Her eyes struck over my body with laser precision and I felt naked.

  “I’m sorry?” I apologized even though I had no idea what I had done to make this woman angry. “What did I do wrong?”

  The words burst out of my mouth. I had no idea where they had come from, but they seemed fitting, considering the fact that she was staring at me like a grandmother who had caught someone with their pants down. I checked my pants. They were still on. I touched the soft silk of my pants. Yep, still there. I took a deep breath. I hadn’t been caught doing anything strange. Still she stared at me, and frankly, I wanted to walk away, but I was afraid that if I turned my back on her she would burst into action and whack the crap out of me with her walking stick.

  That stick that she carried looked like a deadly weapon. Don’t get me wrong, it was a beautiful piece of mahogany, dark and carved with the grain. The handle was the head of a dragon and it was ferocious. That was definitely something that my grandmother wouldn’t carry. It looked out of place in her hands, like it belonged to some ten foot tall man, never mind that the cane would be way too small for that kind of stature, still it was just about as nerve-wracking as this woman was.

  It’s hard to admit, but I was actually happy when Barbie walked by my cubicle. “Is there something wrong?” The woman had turned into her sickly sweet self, the woman who liked to steal other worker’s

  sales. I would have gladly given away this customer, but instead, the old woman made a sound that could only be described as a harrumph. She turned on her heel, shuffling with what seemed to be inhuman speed out of the office. I couldn’t understand it.

  “Who was that, your grandma?” Barbie’s voice was spiteful.

  “I have no idea who that was.” It was the truth even if the vicious woman in front of me didn’t believe a word that had come out of my mouth. I brushed past her; there wasn’t any time to
be taunted. I flew to the receptionist desk and young Eva looked at me. “Who was that woman?”

  “I have no idea.” Eva shrugged. “She walked in here and demanded to talk to you. I assumed that you knew her.”

  “I have no idea who she is. That was weird.”

  “Do you think it has something to do with those flowers?”

  “I don’t see how it could be related.” I turned around, then changed my mind and studied Eva carefully. I had always admired the fact that the receptionist was always able to look so perfectly put together. I had seen flaws in my appearance every day when I did my best to put myself together. “Did she leave her name?”

  “Nope, I tried to ask, but she refused to answer.” She looked confused. “I thought it was your grandma or something like that.””

  “I’ve never seen her before in my life.” But somehow, the woman struck me as familiar. I wondered why, but was too confused to ponder what that meant. We both went about our days, a little more worried about strange old ladies invading the office.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The calls started that evening. It was a little strange to be a grown woman worried about the ridiculous prank calls from blocked numbers. Still, I had heard enough urban legends about it to worry. I mean, in reality, the chances of me running into a serial killer who wants to taunt me through juvenile hang-ups was slim to none, but my mind always seemed to want to go to the worst possible situation that could happen. I don’t know what made me do it, perhaps it was just my nervous nature, but it happened.

  I stopped answering blocked calls, instead, I would wait to see if the caller left a voice mail, but it never happened. I had other things on my mind. My boss had pulled me into the office to tell me that it wasn’t appropriate to have my grandmother come to visit me in the office, and of course he didn’t believe me when I told him that I had never seen that woman before in my life.

  I didn’t know how to answer the questions about her, because all she did was come into my office and stare at me a few times. At home, I waited for Alistair to call, wondering if he ever wanted to see me again or if he had gotten what he wanted and moved on. On top of that, I was fretting.

  We hadn’t used protection and a lot of things could go wrong with that. I was determined to remember to pick up condoms to keep in my purse in case a situation like that presented itself again. I was in the drug store when I heard my ringtone go off. It was Alistair and my stomach became a knot. I didn’t know what I was going to do. So many things had become strange lately, and it had all started when I began dating Alistair.

  When he called, I didn’t know exactly what to say to him, but I knew that I had to say something. I came up with a lame excuse as to why I couldn’t see him that weekend, then asked him about the woman. He denied knowing her, but still, it was all a little too strange for my tastes. I wasn’t comfortable, and I’m not the type to sit in an uncomfortable situation for too long. I found myself a little disappointed that I had not flat out confronted him; after all, he was the only difference in my life.

  That evening, I had to get out of the house and do something. I decided to go sit at the coffee shop down the block and read. It was always a pleasant distraction. I petted and fed my cat, grabbed a book, changed into a cool summer skirt and sailed out of the door of my apartment, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I was ready to escape, and I had purposefully left my phone at home. I didn’t want to deal with those calls anymore that night.

  I was almost giddy as I ordered my fancy, shmancy coffee. It was a good feeling to blow some of my hard-earned cash on something that was so incredibly frivolous and wasn’t related to group activity. I enjoyed the feeling and sat in a small comfy chair in a corner of the shop with my biscotti and my blended high calorie drink covered in whip cream and caramel sauce and opened my book. I was determined to enjoy this peaceful moment amidst the chaos that my life had become since I had gone on that date with Alistair.

  “Hello.” The greeting was smooth and mellow. “I think you’re in my seat.”

  I sighed. That hadn’t taken long. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I’ll move.” I started to gather my things. I was stumbling a little as I tried to move, trying to grip my cookie, coffee, book and purse all together and in a hurry.

  “No, it’s fine, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to get my briefcase from under your chair.” I noticed that he had a steaming cup in his hand and realized that I must have interrupted his quiet evening coffee. His hair was light brown, a step above blond, and his tan was rugged and obviously from some honest time in the sun. I liked the fact that his skin was kind of rough and suddenly found myself wondering what it would feel like under my fingers.

  “No, go ahead. I didn’t realize that this seat was taken.” I stumbled over the words. “I can move.”

  “I wouldn’t dare make you move. I just feel sorry for interrupting the story that you were so engrossed in.” He grinned at me and his eyes sparkled.

  I flushed when I thought about it. It was one of those sleazy romances involving supernatural creatures. This specific one was about a were-bear and a woman. “It’s fine. I just borrowed it from a friend.”

  “I won’t tell anyone if you won’t,” he promised me as he sat down in the chair across from mine after retrieving his case. “Any good company here?”

  “I don’t know yet.” I was flirting a little, and I hoped it landed successfully.

  “Let’s see what we can dig up, what do you think?”

  “That might be a good idea.” We sipped our coffee and I forgot about my reading. We discussed the weather, unrest in the Middle East, and what types of books and movies we liked for almost an hour before he looked at his watch.

  “There’s a new superhero movie playing around the corner. I was planning on going alone, but would you like to join me?”

  I looked down at his hand. No ring. No tan line. “That would be great.” And off we went, to one more great adventure in my life. I wasn’t sure how it was going to pan out, but I was having the time of my life watching the explosions and random violence. His hand was around my shoulders about half way into the movie and I snuggled up to his chest until after the credits had rolled.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” I actually felt a little embarrassed by that fact.

  “I didn’t even realize it. I’m Toby.” He shook my hand. ““And you are?”

  “Yvette.” I smiled at him and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you, I had a great time.”

  “I’m glad that you did.” Toby grinned at me. “Did you want to catch dinner?”

  I checked Toby’s watch. I didn’t have a watch and Toby had to be the only person that I had seen with one for the last few years. “No, I have to work tomorrow. I should probably get home.”

  “Let me walk with you.” Toby offered. “It’s dangerous for a lady to walk by herself.”

  “I’m about the furthest thing from a lady.” An image of my night with Alistair flew into my head and for some reason I felt a little guilty, but I wasn’t with Alistair. We weren’t technically anything more than a couple of people who went on one date. I could hang out with other men, couldn’t I? “But that would be nice.”

  He walked me through the streets. It was well-lit and a decent neighborhood, but still the company was nice. Outside of my apartment, he looked at me, square in the face. “Would it be too much to ask if I could kiss you goodnight? I had a great evening.”

  I looked up, considering it and noticed that a shadow covered the moon. At first, I thought it was a cloud. It had to be a cloud that was shaped like a giant winged beast, didn’t it? The first thought that popped into my mind was dragon, but those didn’t exist except in fairy tales. I was still staring up when I heard him clear his throat and start to turn away from me. “No, I’m sorry. I just saw an odd trick of the light. A kiss would be nice.”

  It started as a light peck on the lips, but the moment our skin touched, the heat i
ntensified and I pressed harder into his lips. He was surprised, but pleased as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. I could feel the buttons of his shirt line up between my breasts and my body started to react. I wanted to be out of my clothes and with him.

  People were staring out of the windows at us when we pulled away. I was embarrassed to make more of a public spectacle of myself. “Would you like to come in?” I asked the question without realizing that I had said the words. I didn’t regret it at the time, not in the slightest. Toby agreed and followed me into my apartment building. We silently boarded the elevator while shooting furtive glances at each other. We weren’t expecting the ancient machine to lurch to a stop in the middle of its ascent. I fell into his arms, and luckily, he managed to stop us both from hitting the ground.

  I picked myself up and called the super. He didn’t answer and the emergency button had been out of order for about as long as I had lived there. I called my neighbor from his phone and she agreed to go down to the super’s office and get him to call for help. ““I’m sorry about this.”

  “I take it this happens a lot?”

  “First time for me, but at least once a month to one resident or another.”

  His eyes glittered at me and I was starting to get naughty ideas. I leaned in toward him, letting him kiss me, and I was glad was wearing that knee length skirt as his lips once again descended on mine. My body jumped in excitement, the danger of the moment taking it up a notch. I grinned at him and we both knew what we wanted as he lifted my legs up around his waist and placing my back up against the back wall.