Chapter Fifteen
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
After a long day of caring for her animals, working side by side with her volunteers, Jac dressed for work at the club. Yes, work. Not that she needed the money now, but she wanted an excuse to see Dash and thank him. Maybe grovel a little, too, after the show.
Then she’d kick the crap out of him!
Larry was gone, and while she understood that everything living had to eat, did he have to chow down on her poor, three-legged friend? Larry had endured such a rough life. It felt wrong for him to go out like that, even if a teeny tiny part of her knew Larry was in a better place now, galloping across the plains of Africa. Free. Munching on tender treetops to his heart’s delight.
She sighed and slid into her truck, heading for the Pink Pit of Pleasure, completely unsure what the night would hold. All she knew was that her prayers had been answered by the unlikeliest of men. Dragons. Whichever. And that the animal world was much bigger than she could’ve imagined.
Cimil put on her hot pink wig and black cowboy hat, giving herself a twirl in front of the full-length mirror in her office.
“How do you like the unitard, Minky?” It was made of shiny pink spandex with fringe down the seams.
“ Garble, garble. ”
“I know. Festive, right? I have to present the appropriate vibe for our big night!” Every remaining female dragon around the globe would be arriving after their stopover in Honolulu. It was a long flight, and when they got here, they’d be hungry. Not just for food!
“Let’s just hope our he-dragon takes one look at all those rosy red cooters and biology kicks in. We need to juice him like a tomato on National Spaghetti Day.”
“ Garble, garble .”
“Have I ever let you down, Minksters?” Cimil scoffed.
“ Garble. ”
“Whoa, whoa. You can’t blame me for that. Roberto didn’t have to take you prisoner to get me to date him. I could’ve been persuaded with just a few thousand human sacrifices. Or cheesy baked goods.” She sighed. “No one ever said Egyptian pharaohs were imaginative.” Her husband, Roberto, might’ve been ancient and the ex-vampire king, but ever since the blast, he’d lost his way.
There’d been a time when he’d loved killing and chaos as much as she did. But the accidental mating between Minky and Mittens the hellhound had wiped out more than just Roberto’s vampire blood, leaving him mortal.
Over the past year or so, he’d gone all soft and squishy, reading the Pioneer Woman’s blog and making wholesome snacks for her once half-vampire children. Overnight, they’d turned into the typical American human family who strived for a better world.
Blech! Boring!
That was why she’d sent Damien Greystone to the jungle to find Maxton, the only vampire to miraculously survive the blast intact. And now that Maxton had turned MF, the two would soon feel a sense of isolation, just as Cimil did.
I’m the only god who wants to god. Anyhoodles, not before long, Maxton and MF would hear the call to procreate and sire more vampires.
The same would happen for Bonbon and Gorgonzolina. Can’t have too many love-sucking demons! They helped drain positive energy from the masses.
Then there were the degenerates, like sex fairies and ghosts, who simply wore people down with their uncontrollable supernatural thirsts. One for debauchery, the other for revenge.
Over the next twelve months, the world would be bursting at the seams with the darkest, most malevolent creatures the universe had to offer. Even Bigfoot was planning a family!
And the gods will be back in action, doing what gods do! Watching humans suffer. And then saving them and being worshipped, like the old days. Cimil was just happy no one had caught on to her plan.
“We are so close, Minky. So close. Just a few thousand gallons of dragon guac, and all will be right in the world again!”
Jac arrived at the club to find people already lined up outside, waiting to get in.
Taped to the doors was a poster of Dash wearing just his boots. A black rectangle with the word “censored” covered his manly parts, and at the top of the poster were the words “Full nudity! One night only!”
Jac gasped and covered her mouth. Was he really going to bare all? A tingle shot through her core and spiked down to her lady bits. I’ll finally get to see what he’s packing.
Then it hit her. Everyone else would get to see him, too, and she kind of hated the idea. Now that she knew the truth about what he was and why he’d chosen to never father offspring, she saw him as more than just a cranky jerk or a piece of meat. Dash was a complicated, ancient, and principled man. Or dragon. Whatever.
She’d be cranky, too, if everyone was pressuring her to mate. It was no one’s business. Least of all a goddess’s.
Jac shook her head. I still can’t believe that crazy woman is a supernatural superpower. Though, it sort of made sense. The world was crazy because it was ruled by crazies.
Jac went inside and headed backstage to find Dash. Along the way, she passed by several of the other dancers oiling each other up.
“Hi, guys,” she said. “Good luck tonight.”
“Who needs luck?” said Phillipe, the chef guy. “I’ve got these.” He flexed his pecs.
The beaver guy wiggled his assless pants and tail. “Or this.”
Jac smiled stiffly. Just what I need to see.
She was about to knock on Dash’s dressing room door when someone called her name. Jac turned to find Peepers—or Cimil—in a shiny pink jumpsuit with fringe.
“I knew you’d be back,” Cimil said.
“Yes, but it’ll be my last night.”
“Such a shame, but that’s the way the egg bounces. You like eggs, don’t you, Jac?”
Jac frowned. “I guess.”
“Well, after tonight, you’ll be in eggstacy.”
Errr… “Okay.”
Cimil wiggled her brows. “Oh, by the way, Dash asked me to make sure my unicorn—I mean stage manager , behaves. However, since I believe that every being is entitled to have their fun, I’ve drawn the line at stabbing you.”
Jac’s mouth dropped open.
“Ha! Kidding!” Cimil slapped her knee. “She might still stab you, but I promise it won’t be anywhere strategic.”
It was a mistake coming back here. She needed to skedaddle.
“Ha! Kidding again,” Cimil spouted.
“Are you about to say that I will be stabbed somewhere strategic?”
Cimil’s smile melted away. “You stole my joke. You’re no fun.”
And I can’t believe you’re a goddess.
Cimil went on, “Actually, Mink is off running errands for me at the ice rink. I have some special guests coming and need to prepare.”
Jac didn’t know what to say to that. Were the guests werepenguins? At this point, nothing would surprise her.
“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?
She imagined his giant, winged form hovering over her naked body, heating her with his fearless strokes and expert hip thrusts.
Goosebumps exploded on her arms, and her nipples pearled. “But don’t you take off your clothes anyway? I mean, when you transform. I’m sure you don’t want to ruin your clothes.”
He swiveled and looked down at her with his stunning blue eyes. “Transform?”
“Into a dragon.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” he said.
Her mind stumbled. Why would he play dumb? It made no sense after their conversation last night. Unless he lived by a code that prevented him from speaking openly about what he was?
“Dash, say whatever you want, but you ate my giraffe last night. And just because I’m not punching you in the face right now doesn’t mean I’m okay with it. Larry was special.”
Dash was about to speak when a loud knock at the door interrupted them.
“Dash! We need you onstage for a dry run,” said a man.
Dash looked down at her, his expression stern. “I have a new lighting setup for tonight. We can talk after the show.”
“Um. Okay.” She should get to the bar anyway.
Dash grabbed his white robe from behind the door and opened the door.
Just then, Heebie ran into the dressing room and began rubbing his face on her ankles.
“Oh, hey, kitty.”
Dash looked down at the kitten like he wanted to strangle it. “Let’s go, Heebie.”
Heebie continued rubbing her ankle, ignoring Dash.
“Go on, little guy. And don’t forget your earmuffs.” She grabbed them from the vanity and placed them on Heebie’s little head.
When she stood back up, her eyes locked with Dash’s intense gaze. The air left her lungs, and her heart quickened. There was something possessive under his azure gaze that sent a spike of ridiculous wanting through her body. Something about this man absorbed her, and it was more than curiosity or a thirst for knowledge about dragons.
“See you here after the show?” he said.
She nodded dumbly. “Looking forward to it.” And she looked forward to seeing him fully nude, too, though sharing the view with a few hundred screaming women didn’t sound super great.
He’s mine.
But was he really?