To Match A Dragon’s Fire (Sulfur & Spice #1)

21

Ember

Your Table or Mine

“He was… sweet.” I didn’t know how else to say it. Normally I was more articulate. But my cheeks were still burning and my mind was still mush as I recalled last night and all that it entailed.

I buried my hands in the dirt, gathering enough of the overturned soil to pat down the carrot seeds we’d sown, and tried to think of a better way to describe how amazing Kieran had been.

Sweet was one way to put it.

I’d been laid out on his table fit for a king and eaten like I was dessert. No complaints on my end though. I’d be eager to try it out again… preferably soon.

“Come on, you have to give us more details than that,” Willow whispered, looking over her shoulder to where Harper sat playing with dolls on the porch. “We were worried.”

Riley leaned against the rake. “Did the whole town show up here last night?”

Oh, that .

I guess they weren’t asking about my sexcapades. Slightly embarrassing, but okay.

“I’m not sure.” I turned back to the rows of carrots, hoping they wouldn’t see the worry on my face. “Something happened to Tony. Hillary was here.”

“Are you all right?” Riley knelt beside me.

“I’m fine,” I said automatically, brushing off her concern.

Seriously, I couldn’t care less if I never saw Tony again, and running into Hillary was unexpected, but I really didn’t care about her either.

She might’ve been a home-wrecker, but it was Tony who’d broken his vows to me. Even if Hillary was the one cashing my checks, I could guarantee he’d put her up to it.

He weaseled his way out of every bill in our short marriage. I’d lost so much to that boy when I was young and dumb and naive enough to believe that men could ever be loyal.

I clenched my teeth as I climbed to my feet.

Maybe I wasn’t okay.

“Did anyone apologize for shooting you?” Willow walked the row of carrots, rationing the watering can.

We needed to fix the sprinkler system once I got the pump moving water from the creek again.

“They didn’t mean to shoot me,” I said.

My hand fell to my side, touching the healed skin. I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask Kieran how that was possible.

Thinking of Kieran made me hot all over again. Or maybe that was the sun .

I knew better than to get starry-eyed over a male, even if that male was a dragon who had wings and a magic tongue.

It was a really nice tongue.

“You sound like you’re making excuses for them,” Riley pointed out.

I turned to face her, shocked.

If anyone made excuses, it was—

Willow shook her head in that motherly way that made me instantly regret all my past and future mistakes.

“You’re right.” I looked at my feet, feeling shame wash over me for thinking that about Riley.

She was right to call me out. It was the generational curse of women to slip into protective mode on behalf of those around us, even when they didn’t deserve it.

“They did shoot me,” I said. “But I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about it. I haven’t told you everything.”

I took a breath. “Tony is the sheriff now and they don’t want me here. I knew they’d sided with him in the divorce, but I didn’t realize that I’d be an outsider forever.”

Willow set down the watering can and Riley dropped the rake. They both wrapped their arms over my shoulders in a silent huddle of support before the tears finished welling in my eyes.

“Screw him. He doesn’t own this land,” Willow spoke through clenched teeth.

“Yeah, the dragon does,” Riley said, mouthing the word ‘ouch’ as Willow shoved her hip into Riley’s side. “Oh yeah. Sorry. This is your land. He said you could have it back. We don’t have to go anywhere. Besides, I’m done being pushed around by men who think they’re worth something just because they have a dick.”

“Didn’t you say Tony had a baby dick, too?” Willow asked.

I burst into laughter through the blinding tears, pulling both of them close to my chest.

These were my people.

We were all just bitter little teabags of different flavors seeped in our own brands of trauma. No wonder we got along so well. Not much phased us now and we knew when to offer a hug or a drink or a shovel.

I couldn’t have asked for better friends.

“We don’t need to go into town,” I said as I dried my tears. “And I guess they’re all scared of the dragon anyway, so we’ll be safe here for a while.”

“That dragon?” Riley took a step back, shading her eyes from the sun.

A shadow passed overhead, giving us a moment of respite from the burning heat of midday.

The three of us turned our faces skyward. Golden talons were drawn tight with his massive hindlegs tucked against the red underbelly of the beast.

I couldn’t believe I thought it was a dinosaur.

Black and red scales were almost metallic, shimmering in the sun. Curved horns rose above massive jaws that could swallow a vehicle whole.

A powerful wingspan stretched out on either side of his muscular shoulders. For some reason, I assumed they’d be more pterosaur-like—or at least like the images I’d seen of dinosaurs—but the arch of each wing was similar to a bat’s, with feathered tips reaching towards the clouds as he glided through the sky, twisting and turning with a trail of white smoke in his wake.

“I can’t believe you’re sleeping with a dragon.” Riley whistled beside me.

I nudged her with my elbow, unable to take my eyes from the wondrous beast flying above. “Who says I slept with him?”

“Didn’t you?” She chuckled. “I’ve never heard you call any other guy sweet.”

He was better than sweet, but I don’t think I was ready to admit just how much I wanted to taste more of him.

“Kieran’s back!” Harper yelled as she skipped off the porch. “Can we ask for a ride?”

“Don’t be rude,” Willow scolded.

Was it rude? Because I wanted to ride him too. The thought of gripping the back of a beast that large; the wind whipping through my hair as I flew through the sky. A yearning to be carefree and wild again had me sighing as the beast opened his mouth and roared.

“Show off,” I muttered, smiling as he tucked in his wings and dove straight towards us.

“Can you believe we’re standing here watching a dragon?” Riley asked.

“After the past fifteen years, I can believe almost anything.” Willow laughed.

She was right. After all we’d been through and seen in our adult lives, a mythical creature flying through the sky was the least of our worries.

The earth seemed to shudder with the impact of Kieran’s landing, but not in an earthquake sort of way. More like a welcoming embrace .

That was strange to say, but I thought it anyway.

It looked like a trick of light as the air around the dragon shimmered, dispersing in shadows that rolled like smoke toward the ground and dissipated behind the compound.

A few moments later, Kieran appeared in his human form, fully dressed and looking like a snack as he came walking down the dirt road.

“Stop staring,” I hissed, looking around for my discarded gloves before I realized I hadn’t been wearing any.

“Did you want us to pretend we weren’t watching a freaking dragon doing somersaults in the sky just now?” Riley deadpanned.

“When you put it that way…” I glanced at Kieran over my shoulder. He was almost to us. “Yes. Act natural.”

“You’re the one acting funny, Auntie Em,” Harper pointed out.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I looked at Willow, nervous the little girl would give me away. Because apparently, I was twelve again.

“Why don’t you go back to playing?” Willow ask-told her daughter.

“I’m hungry,” Harper whined just as Kieran’s boots crunched the dirt behind us.

“Afternoon, ladies.” His voice should’ve been illegal with the way it had me melting hotter than the desert sun. I turned to smile, hoping I wasn’t too much of a sweaty mess.

“Afternoon,” I squeaked.

Literally, all high pitched and—

“Are you okay?” Harper stared up at me, confused and worried .

I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

“Fine.” My tone was an octave too deep now. My eyes held a silent plea as I glanced at Willow.

Willow put her hands on Harper’s shoulders. “Come help me with lunch,” she said, just as Riley said, “Isn’t it lunch time?”

They both looked to each other, cheeks filling with air as they held in their laughter.

I shook my head and turned back to Kieran, trying to get this awkward situation under control.

“We’re just about to eat lunch,” I said, in a totally normal voice this time. “Are you hungry?”

“I could eat.” His eyes swept over me in a lingering gaze that suggested all sorts of things I should not have been thinking about outside of the bedroom.

But I’d had fun in his dining room and I did wonder where else we could take this game…

Something was seriously wrong with me.

Sexy dragon magic had taken control and I was powerless to resist its charm.

I was a confident, grown woman.

I could rein in my urges around an adult male.

But those jeans clung to his ass so perfectly and the sleeves were rolled up on his muscular forearms and he smelled so damn good.

Kieran smiled, making me blush, as he swept his arm out to the side. “After you.”

“Finally.” Harper took charge and turned toward the cabin as she led our party up the hill. “I’m starving to death out here.”