Holy shit. He’s a fucking man-whore.
“It seems I’ve been stepping on a few people’s toes.” Tightly coiled anger washed through Lissandra and she gritted her teeth to keep from roaring. “Apparently, there are a few females in that store who feel you belong to them. Is there a girlfriend I should apologize to?”
She met his gaze as she crossed her arms over her chest, her hands tightening into fists.
“I don’t have a girlfriend, Lissa.”
“No? Hellwinds, Denarrion, how many of those human females did you fuck?” She clamped her mouth shut and shook her head. “Sorry. It’s none of my business who you slept with before you met me.” She lapsed into a tense silence, not sure where to go from there.
What a clusterfuck. She might have been a widow for thirty years, but she hadn’t fucked her way through Cloudburst to relieve the grief. All those women had stared at Denarrion like they owned him. Or wanted to. And he hadn’t done anything but flirt and smile back at them.
As he took a breath to say something, she snarled and slammed her fist into the seat.
“You fucking marked me, Denarrion, and despite your distressing lack of knowledge of things dragon, I don’t take it lightly.” She jabbed a finger toward the store’s entrance. “If there are women in this town who feel you belong to them, I need to know what kind of shit-storm I’m in for. Will I have to fight off the entire town, or only the ones who work at the store?”
His lips tightened and his eyes flashed anger, but he shook his head. “Not the whole town.”
“Well, that’s good.” Sarcasm writhed in her voice. “Dammit, Denarrion, you had the one in the bakery just a few days ago.”
“How do you know that?” His eyes widened.
“I’m a Goddess-blessed dragon. I could smell you on her.” Lissandra punched her thigh and he winced. “She obviously feels like you’re hers and I’m hoeing in her garden. Did you lie to me? Aren’t you eligible for mating? Or are you just sowing wild oats? Because if you’re still playing the human love field, I’m gone, Mating Mark or no.”
Denarrion raised his chin, anger starting to kindle. She didn’t care. If he was planning to fuck around while mated to her, she’d find a better partner. She didn’t give a shit if he was her Goddess-blessed True Mate. She wouldn’t stand for this kind of slovenly behavior. Not for me and not for my kids.
“I’m not playing the field.” He growled and gritted his teeth. “None of them own me.”
“Really? They seem to think they do.”
He shook his head and tightened his hands on the steering wheel. “I have no interest in any of them.”
“Bullshit.”
“What?”
“That’s a load of shit, Denarrion. The one you slept with just a couple days ago is apparently not done with you. If you weren’t interested, you wouldn’t have plowed her.”
“You make it sound so crass—”
“It is crass. It’s disgusting. You’ve had more women than a Chippendales show. I’m surprised the bakery wench didn’t throw her panties at you.”
“I’m done with it, Lissandra. I promise.” His voice came out as little more than a growl.
“Oh yeah? Why should I believe you? I’d hate to cramp your style.”
“I’m serious. You came here to begin a courtship with me and I’m fully committed to it. I have no interest in mating with a human female. I may sleep with them, but that’s recreation, not commitment.” He floundered to a stop and shut his mouth in a tight line.
“Recreation?” She widened her eyes as her fury boiled over. “Glory, you really are just a man-whore, aren’t you?” She threw the truck’s door open. “That’s it. Take your ‘recreation’ and shove it. I’m outta here.”
“What? Wait!”
But she was done listening. She had a new cell phone and could call Solenarra to let Charlorrion know she was heading home. What a waste of time. She should’ve figured out Denarrion wasn’t serious when he tried to avoid her this morning. What the hell had she been thinking? He was a confirmed bachelor and too set in his ways.
She headed for the main road through the parking lot, her strides fast. To hellwinds with cocky males with Puckish smiles. He probably used that damn smile to charm them between his legs. She bared her teeth and growled, and another shopper skittered out of her way with a startled gasp.
“Lissandra, wait.” Denarrion caught her arm and swung her around.
She snarled and used her momentum to pivot and slam him up against the nearest vehicle. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
He released her and held his hands up. She gritted her teeth to keep from biting him, but she didn’t want the possibility of bonding to him. He’d bitten her, not the other way around.
“I’m sorry, Lissa. I’m sorry. Please hear me out.” He begged her, his expression contrite.
Dammit, he’s not lying.
“What do you want, Denarrion?”
“Just to talk. Please. Don’t leave until I explain. Please.”
She glared at him, torn between getting away before he dragged her through the muck of his past and trying to salvage the burgeoning relationship. He fucking marked me today. She closed her eyes and shook her head.
“Why should I?”
“Because I need to explain. I need to tell you how my life has been here.” He shrugged, his eyes resigned. “If you don’t like the explanation, you can go. I won’t fight you. Just give me a chance to tell my side.”
“I can smell your side.”
“I know.” He nodded, dropping his hands to his sides as she backed away from him. “But that was yesterday. Today everything changed.”
She snorted, her lips pulling down in a scowl. “Really? You’re going to go with that?”
He spread his hands in helplessness. “It’s the truth.” He lurched off the vehicle and straightened his shirt. “Come back to the truck where we can talk. Please.”
She stared at him, trying to see if he played games with her, but he only smelled of regret and desperation. At least he’s not lying. She narrowed her eyes and gave him a short nod. His shoulders slumped in relief and he gestured to the truck.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I’m just coming for the explanation. Then I’m gone.”
****
Denarrion damn near crumpled to the heated asphalt when she agreed to go back to the truck. She’d given him the chance to explain, but he knew he was on borrowed time. If he didn’t get this right, she’d disappear like smoke in the wind.
They returned to the truck and he opened the door for her, not certain she wouldn’t have kept on walking. She climbed in and he took a moment to catch his breath before sliding behind the wheel. He needed to tell her things had changed, but she sat with her arms crossed over her lovely breasts and anger wafted off of her like a rancid perfume.
“Okay, talk.”
He swallowed hard and nodded.
“I’ve been kinda prolific with the women around here.”
If possible, her expression grew even flatter. He cleared his throat and hurried on.
“I think they see it as sort of a prize if they’ve “had me.” I won’t give you any excuses for my previous behavior, but I will say I’ve enjoyed the women for recreation and to gain sexual experience.”
“You planning on more human ‘recreation’ if we mate?”
“No, I’m done with all that.” He paused and the silence stretched. “Lissandra, I’m committed to this courtship and I want to be with you, only you.”
She raised her chin. “That’s a good line, Denarrion.”
What more could he tell her to convince her he wanted something different?
“Ah, shit.” He shook his head and tried to find words that didn’t sound cliché. “It’s not meant to be a line, but everything I want to say sounds like it came from a movie or something. I’ve never met anyone like you, no matter how many women I’ve been with, and I really want to give this courtship a try.”
“Why, because you fucked me already?”
“No. Because after meeting you, all those women seem like junk food snacks when what I really want is a full, rich meal.” He shrugged with one shoulder. “I’m done eating junk food.”
Lissandra shook her head. “What guarantee do I have that you won’t go find yourself a willing human female when you get tired of me?”
“I’ll never get tired of you—”
“Don’t hand me that bullshit. You don’t know me well enough to say that. We’re both here on a trial basis, and I’m starting to wonder if we have different priorities.” Her voice was quiet, but edge of anger had disappeared. “I came here for a courtship, but there’s some other reason you agreed to this, isn’t there?”
His gut sank and he turned his head to look out the window toward the cars gleaming in the sunlight. “Yeah. My father said I needed to start looking for a mate.”
She sighed and nodded. “And you aren’t close with your dad.” She ran her hands over her face. “Look, I get it. I wouldn’t want to go on a blind date set up by someone I didn’t trust for the sole reason of mating, either. Hellwinds, I wouldn’t have bothered to come. It sounds like you had a good life with as many women as were willing to put out for you. But I get the impression you aren’t planning to quit that life anytime soon, and I’m not going to be your mate while you fuck a string of mistresses.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” The idea made him sick.
“Wouldn’t you? How would I know? You didn’t choose to go on the blind date, your father put you up to it. That’s not a recipe for success.”
He nodded. “Normally, you’d be right. And when I learned about the blind date, I was pretty dead-set against it.” He met her gaze and straightened his shoulders. “But then I met you and my perspective changed. I’ve never committed to anyone before.”
“You think a commitment will make a difference to you?” Lissandra stared at him with a hard expression, her arms crossed over her chest. She assessed him with those lilac eyes and he suspected she waited for him to prove himself to her.
How in hellwinds am I going to do that?
“The only way I can prove I’m serious is with time.” He held her gaze, hoping his honesty filled his expression. “Commitment is a big deal to me and I’ve never made one to anyone.” He took a deep breath. “If we make this an official pairing, I won’t need anyone else, human or otherwise.”
“Are you sure, Denarrion?”
“Yeah, I am.” He realized the words were true. Lissandra’s fire and passion electrified him the way none of the human females ever could. The long line of women stretching into the shadows of his past seemed like cardboard dummies with no defining characteristics. She eclipsed them all. “I never thought anyone would have a problem with me seeing someone else, but I guess Carrie figured she’d finally gotten a taste and wasn’t about to let it go.”
“She wasn’t the only one.”
“Yeah, I realize that now.” He nodded with a grimace. “But I promise, I’m done with human women, and I’ll make efforts to prove it as our courtship goes. You’re important to me, Lissandra. Important enough to show you I’m serious about this.”
They sat for a few minutes in silence and Denarrion wondered if she’d believe him. Would she get up and leave? Shit. His guts cramped into a tight knot when he thought of all the human women he’d taken to bed over the decades. Maybe he should consider moving out of Redfield. Yeah, only if I can go with Lissandra.
She rubbed her chin with one finger. “If we do get through this courtship and decide to mate, would you be open to leaving this town?”
“In a heartbeat.” Again, the words rang with truth, even to his own ears. He’d never considered leaving his family, but the need to be with Lissandra superseded their familiarity.
“Hmm.” She nodded, but he couldn’t read her expression. “We’d best get back to the house before the heat ruins the vegetables.”
“Yeah. Yeah, good idea.”
He started the truck and they rolled down the windows to let out the heat, but the tension in the cab still made him sweat. She kept her face turned away out her window, the breeze ruffling her hair. He wished he could see her expression, but wondered if it was a blessing that she hid it from him. How in hellwinds do I prove to her I’m done sleeping around?
When they arrived at his house, she slid out of the truck without saying a word, her expression impassive. Denarrion wanted to punch something, but he gathered the groceries and followed her. Lissandra’s silence hung heavily on him and he tried to think of something he could say to reassure her.
He trudged up the steps to the door and shoved the key in the lock. “I’m sorry, Lissandra. I never thought I’d meet someone like you, you know, a dragon female, so I didn’t see anything wrong with using the humans for pleasure.” He shrugged awkwardly. “I knew humans could be possessive, but you know, I’ve been here a long time and my moving on has always been part of the arrangement with them. I should have told the women to back off. I’m sorry I didn’t hold up my end of the deal.”
He begged her with his eyes, hoping he hadn’t screwed up so badly she’d walk away. His fear ramped up as the silence stretched. Shit, what do I do now? Beg out loud?
“Please, just give me a chance.”
“What will you do with this chance? I’m not willing to come second to your previous lovers.”
He set down the bags and grasped one of her hands. “You won’t. After meeting you, I can honestly say my life actually sucks, and I’d be a jackass to walk away from you. No one has affected me the way you do. I’ll do better when we’re in public together, I promise.”
Lissandra bit her lip as she considered his words, her lilac eyes unreadable. Oh, please, Goddess. Let her believe me.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, Denarrion. But you have to warn me if I’m going to run into anymore of your previous lovers. And you have to show them, and me, that you’re serious about this courtship. Prove you’re off limits.”
Relief flooded through him and the tension bled away from his shoulders.
“I can do that. I will do it. Thanks for giving me a chance.”
She shook her head with a grimace. “Hellwinds, none of us are perfect. And really, it’s none of my business who you’ve been with. Even if it’s the whole town.” She gave him a dry grin. “Just promise me, at least for our courtship, you’ll focus on me rather than them.”
“Definitely.” No fucking contest.
“Good.” Her smile relaxed.
“Come on inside and let’s get this meal cooking.” He shoved the door open and gestured for her to enter before him as he picked up the grocery bags.
She stepped inside and Denarrion breathed an inner sigh of relief. He’d dodged a bullet, and he’d make damn sure he didn’t fuck up again.