Page 48 of Liar For Hire (For Hire 1)

She decided not to stick around to find out. As the dragons continued to battle it out, she got to her knees and crawled in the opposite direction. Once her strength increased a bit, she got to her feet and started running.

While the music and laughter was loud, she couldn’t tell which direction it came from. Nor was she sure if she should run to it or away. Maybe she should find the nearest road and hightail it out of there.

When her feet hurt too much to keep moving, and her legs agreed, she stopped running. However, she kept moving. Something told her she headed in the wrong direction. The music wasn’t as loud, and she didn’t hear the people’s voices at all.

Cracking wood somewhere behind her set her teeth on edge. She took a peek and cried out at the dragon ripping through the sky. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he was angry, and he—or maybe it was she—was ready to kill.

Janessa stopped running and turned to face the looming giant. She tried to scream, but fear closed her throat. Another attempt brought the smallest sound. “Declan, help me.”

Even someone standing next to her wouldn’t hear that mess. And there was no guarantee that he would hear if she yelled. He was in the middle of a celebration that his people were gathered together again. Before he left the cabin, he had looked so happy, happier than she had ever known him to be.

Declan had been by her side for a long time, and he had never failed to look out for her. This time was different. She was far apart from him, and he had no reason not to throw himself into the festivities of the day. When the party was over, it would be too late for her.

She looked around and found a thick heavy branch. Backing up toward a tree, she held the branch in front of her like a sword. Her hands shook as she tried to steady it.

“Declan!” she screamed.

The dragon swooped down from the sky. It tore through tall trees, destroying limbs and raining leaves. Janessa’s fingers grew numb. The limb she held bobbled. She shut her eyes and then forced them open. If she had to, she would go down with a fight. Maybe she would put one of his eyes out.

The thought almost made her laugh. The dragon attacking was covered with those shimmery scales from head to foot, even over his eyelids.

In one last effort, she raised the limb higher. The dragon was feet away from her. It ripped through a branch thicker and heavier than the one she held in her hand, crumbling it like a toothpick. Her resolve wavered.

A roar split the air, deafening her and apparently the dragon attacking her. The enemy tumbled sideways, crashing into a few trees. Fire followed the roar, igniting the sky and the trees, sucking up all the oxygen around Janessa. She dropped the limb and fell to the ground.

Her vision grew dim. Her head dipped. She tried to stay upright, but found it almost impossible. The dragon that

had been about to attack her smashed into the ground just feet from where she stood. The roaring fire breathing dragon landed in front of her. All around it were flames and black smoke.

“Oh God…” she mumbled and pitched forward.

Someone caught her, strong comforting arms.

Chapter 19

Eight months later…

* * *

Janessa stood in the front yard of her house, kneading the muscles in her lower back. She shielded her eyes against the sun with the other hand. “I thought you were coming to lunch, Declan.”

Her fiancé straightened and flexed his back. His sweat-slickened muscles drew her gaze. Working on the roof of their new home had turned his skin a beautiful bronze, and her senses stirred. He was so darn tempting. Even pregnant, she wanted him.

“I am,” he called down. “I will. Wait, why aren’t you resting?”

“Because I’m cooking lunch.”

He frowned. “Where is the maid?”

“Look, just because you’ve adapted to being the big man on campus, and everyone fell in line with your rule doesn’t mean I’m used to having help. It’s weird.”

He dropped down from the roof to the ground like it was nothing. She would have broken her ankle if she did some mess like that. Declan grinned. He couldn’t get enough of freely being himself in front of her—his healed self. Neither could she get enough of seeing him happy.

He took her in his arms, watching out for her swollen belly, and kissed her. Then he rubbed a hand over her stomach. “If you’re not happy, my love, tell me. I’ll make it better. I can’t promise I’ll get rid of the help because I don’t want you overdoing it.”

“I’m not complaining because I’m seriously tired all the time. The help is welcome. I’m just saying I’m not used to it, and I won’t let it go too far when it comes to cooking for you.”

His grin grew bigger. She rolled her eyes at him, laughing.

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