There’s Something About Dragons (How I Met My Monster)

Chapter 11

Cari

Z ed’s advice is honestly the nicest compliment anyone’s ever paid me. I can’t remember anyone else ever hearing about my fears and turning that around to say yeah, trust your gut. If you don’t feel safe, you’re not safe.

Usually they’d tell me I worried too much or that I should practice mindful breathing. Like the power of my mind was going to keep this stalker creep from sending me maps of remote wilderness areas and lists of things he was going to do to me there.

I want to thank him, but that’s just weird, so I nod. “I’ll do that.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see our host making a beeline for our table with a new set of platters. These contain a row of fried chicken wings covered in glossy, sticky sauce. Any other dish, and I might not be able to complete the third challenge. But hot wings? I can always eat another one.

“Ooh, yummy!” I clap excitedly when he sets the plates down in front of us, along with two glasses of milk and two pairs of latex gloves. Zed’s eyes glow at me across the table while the host explains the game.

“This challenge is called Beat That Heat ! Start with the wing on the left, then work your way down the row, head-to-head. Each wing gets spicier until you get to our famous Volcanic Eruption Wing. Whoever makes it the furthest along the row before ‘chickening’ out is the champ!”

As soon as he says go, Zed and I are in it to win it, trash talking, laughing, bragging, and enjoying our way through the whole series of wings.

“You a fan of spicy food, I guess?” he asks when we reach the end of the row, nodding to the so-called Volcanic Eruption Wings we’re both holding.

“My favorite. It has been ever since those hive feasts woke up my tastebuds,” I admit. “Never met a spicy bite since that I didn’t like.”

His crooked smile shows his adorable snaggletooth. “I should have known. You’re perfect in every way.”

I’m far from perfect, but I fall for the sweet talk hook, line, and sinker. I feel my cheeks burning even more than they already are from the wing sauce. I want to finish this meal and take him home and make up for years apart.

He didn’t ghost me like the other dragons I dated. He wanted me the whole time. He reached out to me and then respected my space when I didn’t answer. If you ask me, he’s pretty perfect, too.

“You want to go first?” I wave my wing around and slurp a big pre-emptive drink of milk. “Just warning you so you don’t get your hopes up: I’m going to finish it, no problem.”

“Let’s go at the same time.” He holds up his wing. “To happy endings.”

I tap mine against it, holding eye contact. “To our happy ending.”

The Volcanic Eruption wing is a challenge even for me. It’s delicious, though, sweet and vinegary behind the blast of heat from the ghost-pepper base. Zed and I finish our wings at the same time and grin giddily at each other over the pile of bones between us.

“The buzzer,” the host reminds us.

“You go,” I say, knowing he purposely matched my pace and could’ve finished even faster.

He shakes his head. “No, you. I insist.” The growly command in his voice makes my core clench.

“Together?” I suggest, stripping off my spicy gloves.

He does the same and takes my hand. Together, we press the button to a chorus of awww s from the diners and servers who have been spectating. Even with all the attention and chaos in the restaurant, Radar bouncing around under the table, and my stomach stretched to the limit, all I can feel is Zed’s hand around mine.

Neither one of us lets go. I’m so focused on our point of connection that I hardly notice when the host crowns us champions and takes our picture to put on the wall as the first couple ever to finish both Volcanic Eruption wings. I eat my dessert with my left hand. Zed pays the check with his right. And we leave the restaurant with our fingers still tangled together.

It’s a beautiful night, clear and cool with a gentle sea breeze. A few stars are visible, though not nearly as many as in Apple Grove, where there’s less light pollution from city streetlamps. Walking together with Radar at our side and full stomachs from a feast reminds me of the old days, and it makes my heart ache a little because I know it’s just temporary.

It can’t last more than a day or two. Zed has to go back after his conference is done. And even if we stay in touch, there’s going to come a point when he finds his fated mate. But I don’t want to think about that right now. I just want to enjoy what we have tonight.

“I could get used to this,” he comments as we wind our way through San Drogo’s cute little downtown, heading in the general direction of the park.

I nod. “The weather’s nice here. You should stay.” My joke comes out half-hearted because I really mean it.

His fingers, a few degrees warmer than a human’s would be, tighten around mine. “ This . Not the weather.”

“Oh.” I squeeze back. “I agree. I mean, I know we have to let go, but…”

“No, we don’t!”

A laugh bursts out of me at his stubborn tone. “Eventually. We can’t do everything one-handed.”

“I don’t know why not. We already proved we can eat and walk. I am positive we can sleep like this. So I don’t foresee any problems holding hands with you forever.”

Forever! I know he’s just playing around, but the lick of hope that runs over me is intoxicating.

“What if one of us needs to pee?” I ask, still giggling as we cross the street and enter the park. I give Radar a little more slack on the leash now that we don’t have to worry about cars and bikes so he can ramble and sniff.

“We’ll leave the door cracked open and take turns standing outside.”

“What about clothing? Shirts are going to be tough to get on and off.”

He chuckles. “Hm. I’m pretty sure I can cut these off us with my claws.”

My breath catches. I wouldn’t mind sacrificing my favorite dress to see that fantasy come to life. “Wh-what about putting them back on?” I stutter, feeling tongue-tied.

He shrugs his impossibly broad shoulders. “Do we really need clothes?”

Heat creeps over my whole body. I feel like I’m naked already. “Maybe in the winter?” I squeak, playing along.

He pauses in the circle of a streetlamp’s glow, using our joined hands to twirl me around before pulling me close. Loose loops of leash slide down my legs and pool at my ankles. “I’ll keep you warm,” he says, his voice a low promise that’s backed up by a very sizeable hardness sandwiched between us.

I’m warm. So warm my center is melting like the chocolate lava cake we had for dessert. I’d be tempted to touch him if I had a free hand, but one arm’s doing leash duty and the other one’s still firmly in his grip.

“Kiss me,” I order, turning my face up to his. A tiny thread of smoke leaks from Zed’s nostrils, and he gives an embarrassed cough.

“I have a confession to make,” he says, pausing for an awkward moment. “I still haven’t kissed anyone. I’m not really sure how to do it.”

“Never?” I gape at him, trying to wrap my head around it. “You haven’t dated at all?”

He looks uncomfortable. “I didn’t say that. I’ve just only dated other dragons. I wouldn’t even call it dating.”

“Hookups?” I supply, feeling an unwelcome tinge of bitterness toward all the dragons who dumped me. I wish I’d realized sooner that they don’t take dating as seriously as humans do. It’s just a way to pass the time until they find their mates. “One-night stands?”

“No! Friends with benefits, maybe, but truly friends. Anyway, our kind doesn’t usually kiss. Nothing against it. It’s just when your partner breathes fire, it’s not the first thing you think of. And I haven’t been with any humans, so…” Zed gives my hand a squeeze, his expression open and vulnerable. “You’ll have to teach me how. I promise, I won’t burn you or bite you. Just don’t laugh too much at my early attempts.”

I bite my lip. He’s so cute and earnest, I can’t stand it. “However you kiss me will be the best kiss ever, because it’s you.”

“Cari,” he says roughly. “I should have done this fifteen years ago.” Then he crushes his mouth to mine.

His lips are hot and firm, with a slight scrape of scales that raises goosebumps on my skin. He keeps them tightly shut, any teeth and flames trapped safely behind them, though the restraint makes his frame quiver in time with my racing heart.

For a second, the whole sky spins like we’re its axis. This—this practically chaste, storybook-ending kiss—it is the best ever. There’s nothing to compare.

He pulls back, panting slightly. “How was that?”

“Perfect. Again. More.” I lean into him, and he chuckles, giving me three quick kisses in a row and then one long, honeyed press. It’s so sweet, I can’t help letting my tongue out to taste him, darting across his lower and upper lips in turn before teasing the seam between them.

He’s flavored like chocolate and sharp spice. Maybe it’s the ghost of our dinner I’m tasting, but somehow I think the intoxicating, spicy-sweet combination is just him .

“Yum,” I whisper.

His chest vibrates with a growl. Then his tongue meets mine, stroking against it before expertly invading my mouth. It’s shockingly heated and demanding after the polite, unpracticed pecks, and I’m completely at his mercy.

I pull back, gasping. “I thought you said you’d never kissed before.”

Zed smirks, eyes twinkling. “Lots of experience licking, though. I didn’t know that was part of it.”

“It’s the main part. The good part. I mean, the other part was good, too, don’t get me wrong. But the tongue stuff was great. Better than great! You could do it again anytime, anywhere. I mean anywhere in town, not anywhere on my body,” I correct hastily, realizing how my words could be misconstrued. I’m blushing and babbling, and I can’t seem to stop. “Not that I would mind that either. Actually, you can do that again anytime, anywhere, anywhere.”

Zed lifts his brow. “Like…right now? Right here? Right here ?” He bends and licks a stripe from my collarbone up the side of my neck. “Is that what you meant?”

“Yep!” I squeak. Is this real life, or am I dreaming? It has to be real, because it’s so much better than my imagination. I close my eyes, lifting my face for another kiss.

I feel the leash tighten around my ankles a split second before Radar erupts in a flurry of loud, sharp barks. He hits the end of the long lead with a snap that jerks me off balance.

I careen to one side, stumbling out of Zed’s embrace with my arms flailing. My hand yanks out of his as I struggle to recover my footing, but my sandal’s narrow heel catches in the gap between the path and the grass that lines it.

I go down . It’s not a graceful whoopsie-daisy, either. It’s a full-on faceplant. I taste dirt .

“Are you okay?!” Zed’s urgent question is nearly drowned out by Radar’s nonstop barking. Zed kneels and grasps my ankle, supporting it as he frees my shoe. I felt the strap of it snap when I fell, but thankfully it broke so my ankle didn’t.

“Yeah,” I say weakly, pushing myself up with scraped palms to see what set the dog off. There’s nothing I can see disturbing the peaceful evening, though. Besides the occasional croak of a treefrog, we’re the only ones out this late. “Radar, hush. There’s nothing there.” Of course, he doesn’t listen to me, his growls and barks still echoing through the empty park.

“Radar!” I call more sharply, and finally his head swivels around. He trots back over to us, loosening the leash enough for me to slip my legs out of its snare. I scratch between his ears. “Good boy. He probably caught the scent of an animal,” I say apologetically to Zed. I take off my other shoe and rise with his help, wincing as my ankle twinges a little when I put weight on it.

“What is it?” he asks, noticing my expression.

I give an ungraceful step. It hurts, but it’s nothing terrible. I take another one. Ouch. “Just twisted my ankle a bit. I can walk it off.”

“Cari.” His tone is… something . A heady mix of scolding, affection, amusement, longing. He plucks the leash from my hand, loops it over his wrist, and grabs my broken shoes. With his other arm, he whisks me off my feet and cradles me against his chest. “You’re not walking anywhere.”