Read Online city of dragons 02 - fire storm by val st crowe - Free Book Online
Authors: val st crowe
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of the earrings from me. He coated the wire with a bit of Vaseline and then handed it back to me.
I attempted to put it in, and it slid right through the hole in my ear. “Wow, that worked.”
“Told you. Lube,” said Connor, holding out his hand for the other earring.
“Stop saying that,” I said.
He just giggled.
Once I had both of the earrings in, I surveyed myself in the mirror. The earrings looked nice. I looked nice, I had to admit. I hadn’t gotten dressed up and pretty for a long time. It felt strange to me now, even though it was something I used to do all the time.
“I think it would be totally normal to be nervous,” said Connor.
I turned back to him. “Yeah?” I whispered.
The door to the lobby opened, and Lachlan came in. He was wearing a suit, just like always, but he had on a dark dress shirt and tie. The look wasn’t exactly monochromatic. There were slight changes in color, but overall, it was very chic and sleek. He eyed me, taking me in. A smile crept over his face.
“Hi,” I said.
“You look nice,” he said. “You clean up good, Penny Caspian.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said, lifting my chin. Why did I feel like I was in the middle of a sparring session? My pulse started to pick up speed. Maybe going to this party had been a bad idea.
I’d thought that it would be good somehow. That being in a pretty dress would be like armor, and that I’d be back in my element, and I’d be untouchable. But the truth was that I felt like a fish out of water, and it only reminded me of the woman I used to be. That woman had been vulnerable—to Alastair, to her own fears—and I was stronger now. I suddenly felt as if I was moving backwards.
I looked back at Connor, almost as if he could save me.
But Connor was just checking out Lachlan.
Lachlan was still staring at me.
Yeah, I was glad I’d worn the black dress. “We should go,” I said, hurrying past him. “We’ll be late.”
“Isn’t late good at events like this?” Lachlan drawled, catching me by the arm. He stopped my movement.
Now we were close. He was touching me, and I was looking up at his face—his prominent cheekbones and his piercing eyes. My breath hitched.
He grinned at me, looking relaxed and casual.
I tensed. I’d seen him use this very tactic against the people he interrogated, getting them to drop their guard and do what he wanted them to do. I didn’t understand how this had happened. How was it that I was on edge, and he was so calm?
“If we’re too early, we’ll be conspicuous, right?” he murmured.
“We’re not going to be early,” I said, but my voice was barely there, as if it had been stripped away from me.
“I wouldn’t think the younger dragon set would get there until the party was well underway.” His voice was practically a purr, and he was so close that I could smell him.
“It is,” I managed. “It started two hours ago.” I tried to move away from him, but he was still holding my arm.
He nodded once, slowly. “You planned to arrive late. Told me to be here later.”
I nodded. “Let go of me,” I whispered.
He licked his lips. He didn’t let go.
“Get a room, guys,” said Connor.
Lachlan smirked, turning to Connor. “Nice to see you, Mr. Beckett.”
“You too, Detective,” said Connor, winking.
Lachlan laughed. “Well, then, Penny, let’s go.” His hand moved from my arm to the small of my back, and he propelled me towards the door, which he opened with his other hand. He gestured with his head.
I walked through the door ahead of him.
He followed me.
I hesitated, looking back at him.
He caught up, hands on my body again. His fingers skimmed my waist. His mouth at my ear. “You look beautiful,” he breathed.
I shut my eyes.
He pointed. “Car’s there.” Then he was walking away from me, loping off toward the car as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop the pounding of my heart.
* *
I attempted to put it in, and it slid right through the hole in my ear. “Wow, that worked.”
“Told you. Lube,” said Connor, holding out his hand for the other earring.
“Stop saying that,” I said.
He just giggled.
Once I had both of the earrings in, I surveyed myself in the mirror. The earrings looked nice. I looked nice, I had to admit. I hadn’t gotten dressed up and pretty for a long time. It felt strange to me now, even though it was something I used to do all the time.
“I think it would be totally normal to be nervous,” said Connor.
I turned back to him. “Yeah?” I whispered.
The door to the lobby opened, and Lachlan came in. He was wearing a suit, just like always, but he had on a dark dress shirt and tie. The look wasn’t exactly monochromatic. There were slight changes in color, but overall, it was very chic and sleek. He eyed me, taking me in. A smile crept over his face.
“Hi,” I said.
“You look nice,” he said. “You clean up good, Penny Caspian.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said, lifting my chin. Why did I feel like I was in the middle of a sparring session? My pulse started to pick up speed. Maybe going to this party had been a bad idea.
I’d thought that it would be good somehow. That being in a pretty dress would be like armor, and that I’d be back in my element, and I’d be untouchable. But the truth was that I felt like a fish out of water, and it only reminded me of the woman I used to be. That woman had been vulnerable—to Alastair, to her own fears—and I was stronger now. I suddenly felt as if I was moving backwards.
I looked back at Connor, almost as if he could save me.
But Connor was just checking out Lachlan.
Lachlan was still staring at me.
Yeah, I was glad I’d worn the black dress. “We should go,” I said, hurrying past him. “We’ll be late.”
“Isn’t late good at events like this?” Lachlan drawled, catching me by the arm. He stopped my movement.
Now we were close. He was touching me, and I was looking up at his face—his prominent cheekbones and his piercing eyes. My breath hitched.
He grinned at me, looking relaxed and casual.
I tensed. I’d seen him use this very tactic against the people he interrogated, getting them to drop their guard and do what he wanted them to do. I didn’t understand how this had happened. How was it that I was on edge, and he was so calm?
“If we’re too early, we’ll be conspicuous, right?” he murmured.
“We’re not going to be early,” I said, but my voice was barely there, as if it had been stripped away from me.
“I wouldn’t think the younger dragon set would get there until the party was well underway.” His voice was practically a purr, and he was so close that I could smell him.
“It is,” I managed. “It started two hours ago.” I tried to move away from him, but he was still holding my arm.
He nodded once, slowly. “You planned to arrive late. Told me to be here later.”
I nodded. “Let go of me,” I whispered.
He licked his lips. He didn’t let go.
“Get a room, guys,” said Connor.
Lachlan smirked, turning to Connor. “Nice to see you, Mr. Beckett.”
“You too, Detective,” said Connor, winking.
Lachlan laughed. “Well, then, Penny, let’s go.” His hand moved from my arm to the small of my back, and he propelled me towards the door, which he opened with his other hand. He gestured with his head.
I walked through the door ahead of him.
He followed me.
I hesitated, looking back at him.
He caught up, hands on my body again. His fingers skimmed my waist. His mouth at my ear. “You look beautiful,” he breathed.
I shut my eyes.
He pointed. “Car’s there.” Then he was walking away from me, loping off toward the car as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop the pounding of my heart.
* *
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