Page 44 of Fire Dragon
How hollow his voice sounded even inside her head.
~ ~ ~
Later, Liam sat on the deck overlooking the lake. He’d poured five fingers of Scotch into a tumbler and most of it was gone. He was pretty sure he’d need another five before he’d be able to sleep.
He wasn’t feeling much and that’s exactly what he wanted right now.
When he’d been on his back and looking up at the beams on the ceiling above the bed, he’d doubled back on himself. He’d said to her that he didn’t want her to make too much of what had just happened between them. But while looking up, he’d realized how wrong he was.
Sex with women he picked up at bars for one-nighters always gave a thrill, but the memory of the couplings lasted about the length of a fart. And had just about as much meaning.
But with Emma, he’d been reminded of his married life, the intimacy, the intensity, the meaning and shared purpose. These were things his dragon valued, even more than his humanness.
He’d been searching for the right words to tell Emma how much their lovemaking had meant to him. Then she’d cut him open with one simple statement.She wished he could forget his wife.
All the feel good had spilled out like a dam breaking.
He took another sip of his Scotch.
He tried to tell himself that it was for the best. Emma had shown him who she was, he needed to believe her and that was that.
They were both professionals and working together wouldn’t be a problem.
Only one question nagged him. Why had she done it?
He knew Emma well. He’d read her extensive dossier over a dozen times. He’d had her investigated as he had all the women who would be riding the saddle of his neck. There was little about the woman he didn’t know. Worse, there was little he didn’t admire and value about her.
Yet just when he’d been ready to suggest they give dating a try, she’d intentionally wounded him.
So, the woman had issues but something else bothered him. She said she’d felt him pulling away. He’d left her body fast enough, then he’d stopped himself and stayed on the bed and remembered his married life.
She hadn’t been completely mistaken. His first impulse had been to leave.
Okay, they both had issues. He could at least be that honest with himself.
So, here he was, numbed out with Scotch, feeling bereft yet wondering if it mattered and uncertain what his next encounter with Emma would look like.
He finally made his way back to bed then fell asleep. His dreams were marred, however, and he awakened more than once to a deeply unsettled sensation as though he’d lost a limb and couldn’t find it.
The next day, he found Emma at the hotel dining room having her breakfast. If he feared she’d make things uncomfortable, he was soon relieved. She moved adroitly behind her professional dragon-rider mask, asked him politely if he’d slept well then proceeded to tell him the touristy plan she’d made to visit the nearby caverns. She didn’t ask him to join her. He didn’t suggest otherwise.
The return caravan wouldn’t leave until the following morning. He said good-bye then proceeded to spend his day alone, restless and completely dissatisfied.
~ ~ ~
A week after the caravan returned to Blue Lake South, Emma sat across from Logan at one of his favorite dives. The local band had a country-western-dragon-rock feel with the occasional bluesy-jazz lick thrown in. The bass player, Charlotte, was a fellow dragon-rider. Emma knew her well and liked her.
Given the way Logan tracked the woman, Emma suspected he was interested in Charlotte. Emma respected Charlotte and thought Logan would be wise to pursue her.
Charlotte was a tall dragon-rider, not unlike herself, with wavy red hair down to her waist. She approached legend level as a rider and had been initiated in her first battle with thirteen enemy dragons. Charlotte made a nice run on her guitar and received a spattering of applause as the throaty band singer continued to croon.
The music was pleasant enough, but she had to admit she preferred the Persian vibe at the Wicked Fang.
She’d asked Logan to meet her. She’d needed to talk to someone about what had happened at Ethan’s lake house.
“I screwed up, Logan.”
He finally dragged his gaze away from Charlotte and gave Emma his attention.
