“And you certainly do,” she agreed. “I’ve never been anywhere quite like it before.”

  “Me neither,” he laughed. “But at the same time, this is just the norm. My family opened it so long ago, it may have changed with refurbishments and various cosmetic features, but the place is still the same and I still love it. It’s a part of me.”

  They stopped near one of the main bars and he pulled back one of the high stools along the front for her to sit on before he jumped up onto the counter in front of her, swung his legs over the other side, and jumped down. The bar was so long, it made perfect sense for him to climb over that way, but it still seemed funny and she giggled.

  “How was your day?” he asked as he reached toward the refrigerators and pulled out an ice-cold bottle of vodka. He held it up and shook it from side to side, and Aubrey held her hand up to her head in mock distress.

  “My day was long and boring… and there’s no way I can handle that after Saturday.” She pointed at the bottle in his hands.

  Carter laughed and his eyes glinted.

  “I feel the same,” he said.

  He stood back so she could see what else was on offer in the club refrigerators, and Aubrey selected a small bottle of sparkling wine and Carter found a fresh strawberry to put in the glass with it. He poured himself a beer, before he leaned in close over the top of the bar and they chinked their glasses together.

  It felt so good to be with him again. And even though she had no idea what was in store for the two of them, she knew that even if this was it, it would be worth it. He had somehow managed to open her heart and mind to the possibility of love, and she felt excited about her future.

  “Oh, here she is!” Victor’s voice came bellowing down from the floor above.

  Aubrey watched as Carter’s eyes flicked up to the balcony behind her and he smiled. She turned to look over her shoulder and waved as she saw Victor jogging down the stairs to join them.

  “Hey, Aubrey!” he said as he came in for a hug and then shook hands with Carter.

  “Hey, Victor,” she smiled. “How’s it going having Mia under your care?”

  “I can hear you!” Mia’s little voice chirped from somewhere on the second floor and the three of them all laughed.

  “Come on down, Mia,” Victor called up to her. “May as well take your tenth break now before we start getting busy.” He winked, and Carter laughed.

  “Ha ha,” Mia said as she reached the top of the stairs and began to descend. “Very funny. I’ve only had two, I swear.”

  She clopped down the stairs on her high heels, came over to Aubrey and threw her arms around her for a hug.

  “Feels like forever since I’ve seen you,” she said.

  “It has been,” Aubrey smiled. “I mean it’s been longer than twenty-four hours.”

  “You guys sound like us,” Carter said as he pointed at Victor. “We can barely go an hour without speaking to or seeing each other.”

  “Yes, that does all sound very familiar,” agreed Aubrey.

  “Where are you guys heading?” Mia asked, looking at them all starry eyed.

  Aubrey wished she would lay off the teasing, but at the same time, it was kind of nice to have her friend so happy for her. She knew she meant well.

  “I have no idea…,” Aubrey said as she looked up at Carter. “I’m completely at your mercy…”

  Carter’s eyes ignited slightly, and she felt something stir deep within her.

  “I like the sound of that,” Carter smiled, and it sent shivers right through her.

  Their eyes were locked in on each other’s again and the intensity of when she had first arrived flashed between them, it was as if Victor and Mia weren’t in the room with them. She felt something powerful, Carter’s aura pulling her closer to him, inviting her to stare deep into his soul.

  She was entranced, and it wasn’t until Mia broke the silence by declaring that she and Victor were clearly interrupting something that Aubrey managed to snap herself back to reality and she felt flushed, her heart beating so fast she could barely catch her breath.

  “We’ll leave you to it.” Victor winked as he and Mia began to move toward the stares. “Have a good night you two.”

  Mia held her hand up to the side of her head, her pinky and thumb up and the rest of her fingers curled in ‒ American sign language (ASL) for phone ‒ before she mouthed CALL ME. And Aubrey smiled and nodded.

  Once they were out of sight on the floor above, Aubrey looked at Carter, her pulse still rapid, her heart still racing. He was looking at her hungrily, as if he wanted to pounce on her, and she instantly wished that the bar between them would disappear so she could move closer and kiss him again.

  He smiled, and she wondered if he knew what she was thinking. They seemed to be in sync, as if they could read each other’s minds. It wouldn’t be a surprise to her if Carter was having the exact same naughty ideas as she was.

  “Why don’t we get out of here,” he said before he raised the beer to his lips and drained the glass.

  Aubrey had barely had a sip of her wine, but she didn’t care. She nodded her head and rose to her feet, waiting for him to come around to her. When he finally made it around the long bar, they just stood and looked at each other for a moment.

  She felt so small next to him, and as she looked up into his eyes, she was sure she could see fire burning within them.

  “You’re different,” she whispered. “I like it.”

  “So are you.” He reached up and ran a finger down the side of her face, tracing her jawline. It sent tingles right through her, and she gasped lightly before she leaned into his hand, eager for him to do it again. Something was passing between them, a strange exchange of energy, and as his skin connected with hers and she looked into his eyes, she saw something dark and different.

  At first, she couldn’t be sure what was happening. She could hear roars inside her head, and she felt the sensation of something powerful and hot. His eyes glinted and caught the light and she saw fire, she was sure of it.

  “What are you?” she whispered.

  Carter smiled playfully and he leaned in and kissed her. As their lips met and he wrapped his arms around her, she felt completely swept away. Their mouths opened and their tongues met, and with each kiss, she felt more entwined with him and as if she could feel each part of him opening up to welcome her in.

  She had never had a kiss like it. It was more than that and she could sense then that something was happening to her; and something to him as well. They weren’t just exchanging their energy, they were being bonded together; something strong was being forged not just between their hearts, but with their bodies as well, as if each of them had been waiting for the other to arrive for their whole lives.

  When their lips broke apart, she could barely breathe. She was breathless and her skin was on fire, her heart was aching in the most amazing way, as if it had been not only jolted back to life but also warmed and protected.

  “What are you?” she asked again, more certain than ever that something strange was at play.

  Carter held his face in her hands and looked deeply into her eyes.

  “It doesn’t matter what I am…,” he whispered gently. “All that matters, is you can feel it.”

  She smiled at him, and he kissed her again. This time, she ran her fingers through his hair and wanted so badly to drag him down to the ground and ravish him right there and then, but she had to control herself.

  He was so passionate, and she felt like a different person when she was with him. He had done something to her, and now she was certain that he wasn’t only hiding something but that he was different to anyone she had ever met.

  There was something magical about him.

  She melted into his arms and let herself be carried away on the wonderful ride of his romance.

  She never wanted this moment to end.

  11.

  How they had made it to the restaurant without ripping each other’s clothes off, he had no idea. But as he sat opposite Aubrey, in that moment, Carter knew it wouldn’t be long before he had to have his wicked way with her.

  She was insatiable.

  A completely mind-blowing surprise.

  To think that a week earlier they hadn’t even met seemed insane. It was as if he had known her forever, and each time he looked into her eyes, he felt something inside himself change.

  His dragon was happy. He had found something solid and true.

  He had known the moment he saw her on the dancefloor back at the club and he had tried to deny it. But now, it was becoming harder and harder to run from the truth.

  This girl, Aubrey, was the woman he was supposed to be with.

  She smiled at him from across the table as she sipped her wine and let her delicate hands rest softly on the edge of the menu. They had been watching each other in silence, as if they were playing a game of who was going to break and speak first.

  It was erotic in its simplicity, and he couldn’t get enough of those blue eyes. There was a lot that made them the complete opposite to each other, and she was so innocent and pure. He was a dragon, but she called to him in a way no one ever had.

  He liked the fact that she was confident and comfortable enough to sit in silence and just look into his eyes. It made his heart race faster and he was feeling hot under the collar.

  This girl was driving him wild.

  After they ordered with the waitress, he leaned in closer and smirked.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked her.

  She cocked her head lightly to the side and rested her glass on the white tablecloth. He had brought her to the most exclusive restaurant in Lone Reach. It had silverware and different place settings for each course, and the wine had been decanted into carafes rather than just being placed on the table in the bottle. There was a live pianist, softly playing some classical tunes, and the waiters were all in crisp white suits with black bowties, all of them speaking soft and quiet.

  “I was just wondering when you’re going to tell me your secret,” she said cheekily.

  When she said it, he sensed her nerves spike, but she was doing good not to show it on the outside.

  “Why do you think I have a secret?” he asked her, raising his eyebrow playfully.

  She leaned in a little closer this time and narrowed her eyes and smiled.

  “Everyone has secrets,” she whispered. “But I can sense something about you. You speak to me on another level… It’s making me wonder how we are so bonded.”

  He smiled now too.

  “Some things can’t be explained…” He sipped his drink.

  “I know something is going on,” she said. “And I will find out.”

  He laughed and found himself unable to control his smile.

  “I asked you what you are…,” she said again as she ran a finger around the stem of her wine glass. “And you said it didn’t matter, as long as I could feel it.”

  He nodded.

  “Well, what am I feeling?” she asked.

  He loved how feisty and intelligent she was. Normally, he would have been able to silence these kinds of questions, but when they came from her, they took on a new meaning. He knew she was going to be someone important to him and he wanted her to know everything… but at the same time, he was afraid he would scare her away.

  The waiter arrived with their main course and set it down on the table, breaking the intensity of the moment and allowing Carter a chance to think. He didn’t want to hold back from her, but it was too soon to lay his biggest secret out there. He had no idea how she would react, even if his instinct was telling him that she would be okay and she was intelligent enough to understand. He was having such a good time, he didn’t dare risk it.

  She gently shook her head and looked away with a wry smile, as if she knew the moment had passed and she couldn’t ask again.

  Carter watched how she reached down to lay her serviette delicately over her thighs and picked up her knife and fork. Her fingers were long and slender, and she looked so poised, he could tell she had perfect manners and it was making him like her even more. She wasn’t in any way rough and ready; she was well-bred and had class.

  “Tell me about your family,” he said, and then he took a bite of his rare steak.

  Aubrey paused for a moment and then smiled fondly.

  “My mom and I are very close,” she said. “We speak every day and I see her a few times a week. She lives in town, but she has a great social life away from here too. She travels and has friends a few towns over who she stays with sometimes. They go out and are members of a dinner party club, a book club, things like that. She’s an awesome woman.”

  Carter smiled. He could imagine Aubrey aging well, and he could sense that her mother was likely as ambitious and classy as her daughter.

  “And your father?” he asked.

  Aubrey looked up and their eyes met. He could see an instant sadness to them, but it was also tinged with a lot of love. His heart sank for her as if he knew what was coming.

  “My dad died just over ten years ago,” she said. “He was the most amazing man I ever met, and I think about him every day.”

  Carter placed his cutlery down and reached across the table to take hold of her hand.

  “I’m sorry,” he said genuinely. He could feel the sadness and hurt radiating out of her. She was so meek and vulnerable in that moment. It was hard for him to see; it almost felt as if he shouldn’t be witnessing it, she was also so strong and feisty, but now, it looked as if she could easily fall apart.

  “He really was a great man,” she smiled. “But there was an accident… a lot of people around town know about it… maybe even you’ve heard of it. A fire… it happened so long ago but it felt like yesterday. Isn’t that strange…”

  Carter’s heart sank again, but this time, it was with anxious nerves.

  “A fire?” he asked.

  Aubrey nodded.

  Carter kept hold of her hand, but he could feel the sweat start to form on the back of his neck and underneath his shirt. His skin felt hot and inside, he was burning with anxiety.

  “Yes,” she said. “We don’t really know how it started, no one seems to understand it. But basically, he was out working in the forest close to the middle of the mountain ‒ he was a logger ‒ and something happened… Some witnesses said there were animals that were spooked and their habitat was disturbed, that someone must have dropped a cigarette… others said it must have been some kind of freak bush fire… that we’d had an exceptionally dry summer. But anyway, they think my dad was somehow knocked unconscious… Whether he was attacked by an animal and banged his head, or a tree had fallen or maybe he had tripped running from something… They’re not entirely sure, but he was knocked out and a fire had started. It was fast-spreading, and he died right there.”

  She had to stop, taking a sip of water and clearing her throat. Carter could tell that his eyes were wide, and he wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what exactly. Surely, this wasn’t happening…

  “Other people died too, so it remains a bit of a mystery,” she continued. “At first, for many years, my mom really fought for justice to find out what happened, but in the end, nothing was coming up… It looked like evidence was lost, or someone messed up somewhere and she had to walk away without truly knowing what had happened.”

  She looked up at Carter and shrugged.

  “I am so sorry,” he said again.

  Aubrey smiled.

  “Just a terrible accident,” she said with a sigh. “We miss him every day, but we are just so glad that we had him in our lives.”

  Carter nodded and realized that he was still gripping her hand.

  She smiled again and then she picked up her wine and he dropped her hand as she moved back. He could tell her family’s story had upset her, but he was glad he knew.

  He also knew that, from this, there was no way he could tell her about his dragon secret. She may not know about shifters and all the magic that was living in Lone Reach, but imagine if he told her the truth about himself and then she somehow found that his clan had been blamed for the very fire that had killed her father…

  They were innocent, the dragons had no part in it, but he knew it would be a wedge between them, and it would be something that would ruin whatever it was they were building. He couldn’t take the risk.

  She rose to her feet and excused herself for a moment and Carter held his hand up to his chin and he thought of what to do. He watched her wander across to the lady’s restroom and disappear inside.

  He was falling for this girl fast and he didn’t want to hide anything from her… but his secret was such a big one, he knew it had the potential to blow her mind.

  He sat back in his chair, took a drink of his wine and then exhaled. He was going to have to think about this seriously before he decided what to do. He had always hated the way he and the dragons had been blamed for the fire that had destroyed the wolves’ habitat and the fact that some of the wolf pack and people from the town had died… but for Aubrey to somehow be connected to it too, it would just open old wounds all over again.

  And then he thought about Martin Hall, the man who was missing in Lone Reach at this very moment. All of it was crazy, and there was something deep inside of him, maybe his dragon instinct, nagging at him and wanting him to investigate it all as if, in some way, the two things could be connected… Even if they were ten years apart.

  Aubrey wanted to help him… but what if they uncovered something that could drive them apart? Suddenly he felt as if the world was being pulled away and he had to take a deep breath.

  Surely, they weren’t connected… but what if they were?

  He had a bad feeling. As if he had just stumbled across something that had been hidden in plain sight. He tried to grasp onto the idea, but before it was even coherent, it trailed away in little wisps, the dots he was connecting in his head vanishing like bits of dust.

  Aubrey came back to the table and it was clear that she had composed herself and was feeling better. She sat down, bright and breezy, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and sipped her drink. He could see that she was back to her old self and it relaxed him a little, but he still knew that this was going to pull at and nag him for as long as he was unsure of what it was exactly that his instinct was trying to tell him.