Cadmium Dragon Read online

She laughed, wrinkling her nose. “What do you mean safe ?”

  Cadmium’s expression darkened slightly. “There are two cooks in this house. One is not safe; the other is. This is made by the latter.” He went to the microwave. “Chicken sound okay ?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I really appreciate this. You shouldn’t be doing any of it. I’m just the worker who does your route .”

  “Oh, come on,” he said with a charming smile as he turned to face her while waiting for the microwave. “You’re more than that .”

  Oh crap, why was she blushing? She simply wasn’t used to men like this. Especially being this nice . She’d almost have described him as gentle, non-intimidating, if not for the fact that he was one of the tallest, most built men she’d ever met .

  “Um, well, thanks. But if you know someone here who can give me a ride, I’ll get out of your way .”

  He blinked and bit his lower lip again. His teeth were surprisingly white, and the sight of them moving over his full, flushed, reddish lower lip was enough to give her heart palpitations .

  Or was that just the cold and the stress of her situation ?

  He served the chicken on a plate and handed it to her nervously, along with a fork and a glass of water .

  “Look, I’m not sure how to tell you this , but …”

  She’d just taken a bite of chicken, which was tender and slow cooked and surrounded by soft, delicious vegetables, but she set down her fork to look up at him patiently .

  “I’m afraid that’s not possible,” he said .

  “Don’t tell me you don’t have cars here,” she said in disbelief .

  “No, it’s not that. There are probably a few around, but we have no idea how to use them. None of us drive .”

  “What?” she asked, planting both hands on the counter because she suddenly felt she might topple off the stool .

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh. Yeah.” He gave her a smile, and she realized he was just the type to smile easily. When he felt awkward, when he wanted to put someone at ease… all the time .

  So they were just a bunch of hot men living together in a mansion by themselves, but didn’t drive cars? How did they get out? How did they get where they needed to go ?

  “We don’t go out much,” he answered, almost as if she had spoken aloud, but she was sure she hadn’t. He sat on a stool a couple over and folded his arms as he leaned over the counter. “Hardly ever, in fact .”

  “I see,” she said. Well, there were lots of different ways to live, and she wasn’t going to be judgy to someone who was being kinder and more welcoming than anyone had in a long time .

  “You can stay the night,” he said. “We have many spare rooms, and I can promise you that I and the other drag—men—won’t bother you. We’ll give you all the space you want. Plus, you’ll have a heavy-duty lock on your door .”

  She hesitated. Some part of her just wanted to trust him, felt he was a safe sort of person. And besides, men who looked like this didn’t really need to hit on women like her. They had their choice of everyone in the world, probably .

  Either that or they were gay. Then again, sometimes the way Cadmium looked at her, as if she were the only human in the world, made her doubt he was anything but heterosexual .

  But why had he almost said “drag” in reference to his friends? Were they… drag queens? It made as much sense as anything in this situation, and the man next to her was probably beautiful enough in the face to go on one of those shows, even if his build was a little too muscular .

  Oh heavens, she was in the presence of a hot, considerate man, and she was thinking about drag queens .

  “So what do you think? Do you trust me enough to stay here?” he asked. “I promise you’ll be safe .”

  She undid her scarf slightly. “I don’t know. It’s just a position I didn’t expect to find myself in. I really wish I had someone to call .”

  “It’s fine, really. It’s not an imposition. It’ll be fun to have a fresh face around,” he said .

  “Okay,” she said. “Just for tonight , then .”

  “Whatever you like,” he said, picking up her empty plate and taking it to the sink. “It’s the least we can do for you always coming all the way out here to bring our packages.” He paused before putting the plate in the sink. “Do you want more ?”

  She put a hand on her stomach and shook her head. “No, I’m great .”

  He smiled. “Good. Should I show you to your room , then ?”

  She nodded. Might as well start getting ready for bed and thinking through what she was going to do in the morning. It was still the weekend, and a cab out here would deplete her savings. Maybe if she wracked her brain hard enough, she could think of someone who wasn’t completely poisoned by Benny and might pick her up without revealing her whereabouts .

  She had to hope .

  She followed Cadmium up the stairs and past a row of doors that presumably led to bedrooms .

  “These are the guest rooms,” he said. “Our rooms are on the main floor, plus a couple in the basement .”

  “I see,” she said. That made things that much safer. A little bit of separation. Not that she worried that they would do anything to her. It was more that she would want to sneak out and go picking Cadmium’s lock to get a taste of him .

  Oh gosh! There went those awful thoughts again .

  Cadmium let out a bark of laughter suddenly, and she turned to him in shock. “Are you okay ?”

  “Yes,” he said, covering his mouth with his hand as if to wipe away his smile. “Just thought of something amusing is all .”

  Here she was having pervy thoughts, and he was laughing at his own mind jokes. They were quite a pair. Not a pair, though. Just friends. New friends. And she should keep her mind clean since he was just doing her a favor .

  “This room will be yours,” he said, pushing the door open. “As long as you want it .”

  She inhaled quickly as she looked at the beautifully furnished, homey room that looked like something you might rent at a five-star hotel. Not that she’d ever stayed in one. Rich browns and reds covered the carpet and furnishings, and the curtains and bedspread had accents of gold. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “Are you sure I can stay here ?”

  “Of course,” he said. “You should find everything you need here. We were expecting a visitor sometime in the next little while, so the room is fully stocked. Extra clothes in the closet, anything you could need in the bathroom. And if there’s anything else, just let me know .”

  “How?” she asked .

  “Oh,” he said, rubbing his neck as if he’d forgotten. He pulled what looked like his phone out of his pocket. “Will this help ?”

  “Of course,” she said. “Give me your number, and I’ll text you .”

  He looked at the phone as if it were an alien creature. “Where is the number ?”

  She laughed and took it from him. “What’s the lock code ?”

  He wrinkled his nose. “I’m not sure. Probably whatever is the easiest .”

  She entered 1-1-1-1 and smiled when the phone unlocked. So the guys here weren’t into technology. That wasn’t exactly a crime. She looked up his number on the phone and entered it into her contacts as “Hottie Cadmium .”

  Then she sent him a text that simply said, It’s Casey .

  He looked shocked when it dinged. “Ah. So that’s your number ?”

  “Yes,” she said. “And if you need to text me back if something is up, you can .”

  “What do you mean if something is up ?”

  “If there’s a problem and you need me out or something. Or to get up .”

  “Oh,” he said, pushing a stray lock of hair behind his ear. He looked so genuinely confused that it was kind of adorable. “So it’s kind of like communicating with our minds but using a screen instead ?”

  “You’ve never texted ?”

  “I’ve sent emails,” he said. “Is that the same ?”

  “This is ju
st instant,” she said. “The person can respond back really quickly .”

  “I like it,” he said, sliding the phone back in his pocket with a smile. “I can see why Lead does it now .”

  “Lead ?”

  “My friend .”

  “Do you all have interesting names ?”

  “Family names,” he said. “Something like that .”

  He looked awkward, and she guessed she didn’t have the right to any more questions. Plus, she wanted to explore the room and try that huge shower that beckoned from the bathroom .

  And he probably wanted to get out of here, so she should probably just say good night .

  “Thanks, Cadmium,” she said, looking up at him with what she hoped was a grateful smile .

  “Oh, right,” he said. “You have a good night.” He almost seemed reluctant to leave, but how was that possible ?

  “You, too,” she said. “Have a good night .”

  He gave her a quick nod and then stepped out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him .

  Casey couldn’t help feeling a vague sense of disappointment that he was gone, but as she walked to the closet and looked with amazement at full racks of clothing with tags still on, she knew it was better this way .

  She needed to focus on reality .

  One night to enjoy this beautiful room and shower and amenities, and then she needed to figure out how to get home without going broke .

  Fate had smiled on her tonight, but she knew, for her, that kind of luck never lasted .

  Chapter 3

  I n my house. A woman as beautiful as a Drakkaris sunset is in my house .

  Cadmium couldn’t believe it no matter how many times he’d thought it .

  He also couldn’t believe the jealousy bubbling in him as she got to meet all the other dragons around the breakfast table .

  He’d texted her that morning, his first text, and invited her down for some of Chromium’s pancakes, one of the dragons’ favorite meals .

  She’d come down wearing a fluffy, navy-blue robe over a pair of red-and-black pajamas he’d seen in the closet when he’d shown her the room. They fit her perfectly, outlining her short, curvy form, and he was glad the fluffy robe kept her mostly hidden from the eyes of the other dragons .

  As for him, he just wanted to push her to the ground and strip it all off and see what she’d been hiding beneath that stuffy delivery worker’s uniform .

  Given one of the thoughts he’d accidentally heard from her last night while unlocking her room, she wouldn’t mind it .

  He was pleased to find out that human females really were as attracted to dragons as he’d been told, but at the same time, he hoped she wasn’t as attracted to the others .

  He’d never known he could be this fearsomely jealous, and he didn’t really want to reveal to the other dragons that anything was afoot until he had a better understanding with Casey .

  Right now, he just had to work on how to get her to stay here so he could spend more time with her without the pretense of ordering packages. Or how he could follow her home and never leave .

  Down, dragon .

  “So you’re the one bringing Cadmium all those boxes cluttering the place up,” Arsenic said, brushing back his dark hair that was streaked with white, his emerald eyes pinned on Casey .

  She smiled and looked over at Cadmium. “Well, that’s my job .”

  “He has problems,” Arsenic said. “Completely obsessed lately .”

  She shrugged. “Not my place to judge .”

  “Nor ours,” Cobalt said sternly, giving Arsenic a cool glare. He was sort of the unofficial father figure of the group, the level-headed, rational one who kept things calm. His gray-silver hair and dark-blue eyes gave him a dignified look as well. He’d been a librarian on their world, and while he could fight with his sword when he needed to, he pretty much preferred to use his words .

  His cousin, Chromium, who had long, white hair and light, jade-colored eyes, was pretty much the opposite, and they balanced each other out .

  “You’re pretty,” Chromium said, looking over at her with his chin resting on one large hand .

  Cadmium frowned. Chromium had always been almost completely non-verbal before they’d come to Earth. Now he was actually speaking once in a while, but when he did, it was invariably awkward .

  “Um, thank you,” Casey said, her pretty cheeks flushing as they did when she was in the cold air. He noticed she had little freckles on her cheeks. Kind of like the little speckles of green in her eyes that kept them from being totally brown .

  Her lashes were long and curly, giving her an innocent look that made his protective instincts go crazy .

  Damn, he wanted her for his own .

  But probably every dragon at the table did as well. They’d come to this planet for human mates, after all, and hadn’t really been allowed to interact with many women .

  Mostly only Brittany, Lead’s mate, and only because they’d saved her .

  So far, the oracle didn’t even know about Casey staying at the mansion, but if she did, she’d have to approve, right? After all, in a way, they’d been rescuing Casey .

  He wasn’t above justifying it that way anyway .

  She’d already been introduced to Chromium, Arsenic, and Cobalt. Lead and Brittany hadn’t come up yet, but that was normal. They might come up later but then disappear for the rest of the day, and Cadmium couldn’t help but be jealous. He wished he had a mate of his own he could bed all day .

  He looked over at Casey with a smile and then frowned as he realized Zinc still wasn’t down yet either .

  Zinc was worrying Cadmium more and more, and not just because one of Cadmium’s primary jobs all his life had been to assist him .

  Even with Earth’s lower metal levels (compared to Drakkaris) slowing the poison that was spreading in them, Zinc wasn’t doing that well. He was the highest born of all of them, which meant he had the highest concentration of metals in his blood, and he would be in the most danger if he didn’t quickly find a mate .

  Still, with him hiding in his room all the time, that didn’t seem too likely .

  Cadmium told himself he would check on Zinc later and focused in on the rest of the conversation as Casey answered the other dragons’ questions .

  “So your names are all really unique,” she said. “Cadmium said they were family names ?”

  “Yes,” Arsenic said, sitting up proudly. “Passed down from our forefathers .”

  “Interesting,” she said. “I’ve never heard anything like them. And what about this house? Cadmium said you never drive. What do you do here ?”

  The dragons looked around at each other and then at Cadmium, as if asking desperately for his help .

  Cadmium sighed, not surprised, as he was always the one tasked with solving problems or smoothing over tough situations. “We are sort of… taking a break right now. Figuring out what we want to do next .”

  “What did you used to do?” She asked. “Because this place is amazing .”

  The dragons all looked around at each other again in a panic, and Cadmium sort of wished he’d come up with some good answers a little sooner than this .

  “We… were guards,” Cobalt said .

  “Security guards?” she asked .

  “Um, something like that,” Cadmium said nervously .

  She put both hands on the table. “Well, I really shouldn’t be asking a bunch of questions. Not when I’m just really grateful for the hospitality.” She smiled, but there was tightness in her eyes. Cadmium could tell she was still stressed. “I guess I should probably call a cab .”

  Arsenic snorted and sat back, folding his arms. “In a hurry to get out of here, huh? We aren’t good company ?”

  Chromium nodded, and Cobalt’s eyes widened. “Come now. If Casey has somewhere she has to be — ”

  “Stay,” Chromium said softly, and Cadmium could feel his heart echoing the sentiment .

  It was lonely here at the mansion
, and it was fun having another face, especially a woman. It wasn’t often they got to be with one, even on their planet .

  On the other hand, if she did stay, Cadmium would have to make sure and keep the other dragons at arm’s length so he didn’t have to kill them .

  Should be easy enough .

  “You should stay,” Cadmium said. “I believe Brittany is showing us how to set up Crissmus decorations .”

  “Christmas?” she asked. “Isn’t it a little early ?”

  Arsenic snorted. “Tell Brittany that .”

  She sighed and looked at her phone, presumably at the date. “Oh geez, you’re right. It’s coming up quickly. With my move, it just feels like time is passing me by. Haven’t had a chance to celebrate the holidays at all .”

  “You can now,” Cadmium said. “Besides, we’ll need help, and Brittany might not be up soon .”

  “She’s Lead’s wife, right ?”

  “Close enough,” Cobalt said .

  “Besides, if you stay, you’ll get to try one of my new creations,” Arsenic said proudly. “I’ve decided to make a fruitcake, as it combines two of my favorite foods, fruit and cake .”

  The other dragons groaned .

  “Please, no,” Cadmium said. “The house will smell for a week .”

  Chromium made a gagging face, and Arsenic scowled .

  “Then none of you will get to have any, but Casey can tell me how it turns out .”

  “Don’t worry,” Cadmium said, leaning in conspiratorially. “I’ll protect you .”

  She laughed. “I guess that means I’m staying. I still can’t believe this .”

  “Believe it,” he said. “Just consider it some well-deserved time off. Plus, keeping some lonely men company .”

  She wrinkled her cute, button nose. “I doubt men like you could ever be lonely .”

  His eyes fell to her lips for a second. “You’d be surprised .”

  She flushed again and looked away. “Well, when you put it that way …”

  He just wanted to lean in, kiss her, break the tension between them, but he knew it wasn’t wise .

  The other dragons were watching, and while he was glad they had taken the fact that she needed to stay there in stride and seemed to like her, he wasn’t really ready for any of them to know she was his mate. He was keeping his mind closely guarded .