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Jen figured he’d been after sex all along; that it was just one of those temporary physical attractions that men have. She’d expected him to not give her the time of day again.
But she was wrong. The exact opposite happened afterward.
In the weeks that followed, Jack Roberts went out of his way to converse and spend time with her. At first, it had been awkward and weird. But she’d eventually welcomed it and found herself looking forward to their little exchanges.
One late afternoon, as Jen stepped out of the building, a shiny black sedan stopped in front of her. The window rolled down and she heard his voice before she saw his face.
“Hi, Jen! Headed home?” he asked with a smile. “Hop in.”
Since it had been an extra-tiring day for her and she was eager to get back to the old Smith home that her parents had left to her when they had passed away, she smiled and got in.
He had actually attempted to offer her rides and ask her out on dates a few times before, but she’d always refused. This time, though, she knew him better. She was more at ease because they had gotten to be friends.
He was a confident, intelligent man who still had that interesting, mysterious air about him. She couldn’t deny it any longer. She was greatly drawn to his wit, good looks, and charms. It wasn’t just a way of getting back at her no-good ex or trying to forget him.
“You want to come in?” she actually asked as he walked her to the front door of the old bungalow where she’d lived almost all her life. He knew she was all alone, there because her elder sisters had moved out when they’d gotten married.
“Sure,” he said, smiling.
Her heart was beating fast, and heat was creeping throughout her body, filling her with the familiar desire that she’d been trying to ignore the past days whenever they were together.
As they sat side by side in the living room, enjoying the snacks she’d prepared, she couldn’t help noticing how his hands kept brushing against her knee or shoulder while he gestured and talked. She knew that he’d been trying to gauge her too.
“Jen...” he suddenly said at one point, looking serious. “I want to talk about that night at the hotel.”
Jen met his intense gaze, her insides churning and her heart racing.
“I had some to drink, but I didn’t just get carried away,” he told her sincerely. “I wanted you, but not temporarily. I still want you, but I don’t want to give you the impression that it’s all just physical for me.”
He took her hands and began to caress them. She could feel her body responding.
He continued, “Now that we have gotten to know each other better, I’m hoping we can take the next step.”
Jen’s heart pounded even harder. “What do you mean?” she breathed.
“I want you to be mine,” he simply said, his eyes not leaving hers.
Her heart almost stopped. She could tell that he really meant what he said. A part of her was terrified because she knew that she’d be risking her heart again.
“Let me take care of you, Jen,” he said. Then he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. It was fleeting, gentle and sweet.
Jen could feel the taste of his lips lingering on her mouth. He was waiting for her to react, but all she could think of at that moment was how much she wanted to kiss him and feel his touch again.
“It’s okay, you can think about it,” he suddenly said, leaning back. She felt disappointed. But she just nodded as he changed the topic to the latest project they were doing at work.
As their discussion led to the topic of dragon shapeshifters, she could not help imagining the hideous creatures living among humans at present. She wondered if their kind had actually survived through the years without the knowledge of people.
“Do you think there’s a possibility that there are still dragon shifters to this day, hiding among humans?” she wondered aloud.
He paused for a short while, seemingly in deep thought. Then he nodded, saying, “Yes, I think so. But if they do still exist, maybe it’s not a bad thing. If they wanted to cause trouble, they surely would have done it long ago.”
“But maybe they’re afraid of being overpowered by humans because there are only a few of them now... What if they wanted to rule the world and kill all the humans or something?” she said in fear.
Jack chuckled. “You’ve been watching too many fantasy movies.”
Jen relaxed a bit, laughing too. “You’re right.”
“Who knows?” he said. “These creatures may actually be able to help humans with things beyond the human capacity. Their extraordinary strength, sharp minds, and ability to fly may just be what we need in this world. And since they’re half-humans too, they also have hearts that care and love.”
Jen shrugged with a laugh. “I think you’re the one who’s been watching a lot of fantasy! But yeah, who knows?”