Dragon with Benefits (Forgotten Dragons Book 4) Read online

  Chadwick sighed as his phone rang. “That’s probably the oracle. I’ll have to take it. But don’t worry, Trev. I’ll talk to her. It’ll be fine.”

  But as Trevor watched his partner put on a pleasant expression and answer the phone, he wasn’t so sure.

  “Oh, and get something for dinner,” Chadwick called just as he reached the door to leave the study. “We won’t have time to cook.”

  He shut the door, and Trevor pulled out his phone, scrolling through the options.

  Sushi should be out of the question now, but Trevor wasn’t sure he could live without it.

  He’d just have to have it delivered.

  Chapter 2

  Petra was sitting in her car in a parking lot, marveling at how easy it was to be hired as a delivery driver, provided you had a good driving record and were willing to work solely on tips.

  Her phone buzzed with an order, and when she grabbed it and saw the extra notes, her heart started to beat a little faster.

  She hadn’t been able to ask the restaurant a lot about their customers without seeming suspicious, but they had said one regular fit her description.

  One regular that always had weird delivery instructions.

  Leave food on step. Don’t knock. Don’t talk. Order prepaid. If you bother me, you will lose your tip. Don’t test me.

  Petra fought back a laugh because it sounded exactly like something the guy in the video would say.

  She put the address into her GPS and frowned when she saw it was seemingly in the middle of nowhere. She waited for her map to update, but no, the location was correct.

  It looked like whoever had placed the order lived in a huge mansion surrounded by acres of untouched land many miles from her usual delivery area.

  If this was Sushi Douchebag, the story just got a little more interesting.

  Petra put on some rock station and sang along as she drove, trying to calm her nerves as she prepared to get her first glimpse of the man who might change everything for her.

  When she turned onto the final street and the mansion came into view, she couldn’t stop her jaw dropping for a moment.

  It looked almost ominous, sitting atop a hill alone like that.

  But the beautiful grounds and the amazing look of the mansion, with its stone accents, white walls, and dark roof, made it seem almost… welcoming.

  Her heart began pounding hard at the thought of meeting the man on the video. It was hard not to imagine different scenarios. Hard not to get excited about seeing him.

  The gate that led up to the mansion opened for her without her even needing to stop, and she drove slowly up to park in a large driveway at the side of the house.

  She unloaded the order and started up the long set of stone stairs to the porch.

  This was it. Her chance at a promotion.

  She couldn’t turn back now.

  Heck, someone else would just bother him if she didn’t. The video just kept getting views. That’s what she told herself anyway as she got ready to knock, knowing she was going to stay on the porch and not leave as requested.

  She took shallow breaths, trying to stay calm as she heard footsteps approaching the door.

  She heard someone muttering under their breath, then the door was yanked open, creaking slightly, as it was heavy and hand-carved.

  When she laid her eyes on the man standing in front of her, she forgot how to breathe for a moment, let alone ask intelligent questions.

  The video hadn’t done him justice at all.

  He was tall, at least a good few inches over six feet, and his unique bronze hair brushed over his shoulders. The stubble on his hard jaw couldn’t hide a perfect chin and full lips. He had hard, stubborn features that were beautiful as well. Wide, shocked eyes in a shade of gold. A smooth face, except for a deep line between his brows that said he scowled a lot.

  He folded his arms, and his muscled, toned body flexed beneath the gray sweater he was wearing. No one with quads like that should wear slacks…

  Petra gulped and forced herself to look back to his eyes as she handed over the order. She felt like a disgrace to all reporters, as all the questions she’d come up with were swept away in a rush of hormones.

  She’d never felt such instant, overwhelming lust in her life.

  He stared at her for a moment, and she almost felt like there was a connection in the way his perfect lips parted and his golden eyes widened slightly.

  But then his brows lowered, and he set the sushi behind him before glaring at her with folded arms. “Can’t you read?”

  “What?”

  “The directions I wrote on the order were clear,” he said, scowling. “You were supposed to knock and leave the order on the porch. You didn’t do that.”

  She straightened, slightly offended by his tone. She was coming up with the perfect comeback to hit him with when he took a step back, breaking eye contact.

  “Don’t do it again,” he said sharply.

  Then, before she could react, before she could even cut through the fog of pheromones he’d caused despite his jerk-ness, the door shut in her face.

  Shut.

  In her face.

  “What the—” Petra turned around in confusion, wondering what had just happened.

  The intercom cracked next to her, and the voice coming out made Petra jump. “Why are you still here?” the man from the porch demanded angrily. “Leave.”

  Petra huffed as she turned and stomped down the steps, tightening her hands into fists, feeling anger turn to determination inside her.

  So Jason wanted her to bring him a story on the Sushi Douchebag? Ha. She’d bring him the biggest douchebag in the world.

  Just as soon as she got another chance to make a delivery, she was going to expose this guy to the entire world.

  And him being a jerk just made it easier to not feel guilty about it.

  Trevor shoveled sushi into his mouth angrily, staring at the screen as zombies brutally tore apart werewolves in the indie horror movie he was currently watching.

  Stop thinking about the girl who delivered the sushi. Stop thinking about her beautiful eyes and the way they looked at you.

  Stop thinking about the fact that your dragon sat up and took notice for the first time in… ever.

  Trevor shook his head. “I’m not interested. It’s just the pressure of finding a mate getting to me,” he said to himself. “Or maybe the fact that no other delivery driver had the audacity to defy me.”

  It was too bad he’d already done a prepaid tip. Now all the delivery drivers would know his non-tipping threats were empty.

  Trevor frowned, wondering if any delivery was safe anymore.

  Keeping his and Chadwick’s identities private from the humans in their region was critically important. He didn’t want anyone to see or remember their faces.

  But what had possessed him to make him open the door and confront her when he could have just watched through the peephole and waited for her to leave?

  Trevor wanted to believe he’d just been making sure she never came back to violate their privacy.

  But there was a part of him that had seen her through the peephole and just wanted to open the door.

  To clear any obstacles between them and see her in person.

  Just great. Trevor was going crazy, and his brain was finally just picking any random human female to fall for.

  But her round, innocent eyes and stubborn, pointed chin had intrigued him almost instantly.

  Her smooth skin and tall, curvaceous body had pulled him like a magnet.

  He cursed, wondering if he should have been nicer, but she’d caught him off guard. Trevor hated surprises. Especially ones that involved his own heart.

  “Did you get my California roll?” Chadwick asked, looking tired as he strolled into the study in his purple dressing gown.

  “Of course,” Trevor said, pulling out the containers that held Chad’s order. “I wouldn’t let you down.”

  “You never
do,” Chad said with a smile, opening his containers and pulling out chopsticks. He dipped a piece of sushi in soy sauce and closed his eyes as he chewed, enraptured. “Delicious, as always.” His eyes shot to Trevor’s, a knowing glint in their amethyst depths. “I had wondered if we would get to eat from this place again after…”

  Trevor’s eyes met Chadwick’s, and he felt his stomach drop. “After?”

  Chadwick bit back a grin, shoving another piece of sushi in his mouth. “Never mind.”

  “No, what?” Trevor asked, setting down his plate and folding his arms.

  “Xander texted me,” Chadwick said, almost looking guilty about bringing it up, though it was all Trevor’s fault.

  Trevor rubbed the back of his neck, deep shame waving through him. “Ah, yes. Sushi Douchebag.”

  Chad snorted and then had to set down his dinner as he wrapped his hands around his stomach and dissolved into helpless laughter.

  “Not very dignified for a purple dragon,” Trevor muttered.

  Chad wiped tears from his eyes and sat up, gasping for breath. “I’m sorry, Trev. But just remembering it makes me laugh.”

  Trevor’s brows lowered. “It’s not funny. We’re not supposed to be discovered.”

  Chad waved a hand, composing himself. “That part where you were like, ‘All I want is Sushi! The world hates me!’ and punched one of the containers out of the air was just… just…” Chadwick dissolved into laughter again, and Trevor just scowled as he waited for his partner to compose himself.

  “And?”

  “I’m sorry,” Chadwick said, finally sitting upright and taking his dinner again. “But after a stressful day of meetings and learning about the fae, it was just what I needed to lighten the mood.”

  “Lighten the mood?” Trevor raised a brow. “I thought it would stress you.”

  “No.” Chadwick shook his head. “Not exactly. Then again, you didn’t show anything supernatural in that video, and no one knows who you are. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  “Hmph,” Trevor said, turning his movie back on. “I wish I had your confidence. Humans can turn anything into trouble.”

  “That’s why we’re here,” Chadwick said, watching the movie and eating his sushi in a much more refined way than Trevor.

  Then again, Trevor was the fighter, the protector. He had to keep his strength up.

  “The oracle mentioned it again,” Chadwick said, pausing between sushi pieces to peer at Trevor. “The mate thing.”

  Trevor shoved too many bites in his mouth at once as an excuse not to talk and refused to face his partner.

  “Listen, I told her to give us a break, but don’t you ever want a mate?” Chadwick asked. “If you could just tell me what you’re looking for or why the other women we’ve met weren’t suitable…”

  Trevor kept up the highest guard possible in his mind as he glanced at his partner. He couldn’t tell him that no woman would work. Not if he had to share.

  The thought made him sick. So much that the sushi didn’t even taste good anymore. And Trevor knew from watching double dragon pairings his whole life that something was wrong with him.

  Double dragons always wanted to share.

  Chadwick peered at him patiently, and Trevor felt he didn’t deserve him.

  “I don’t know,” Trevor said, turning back to the TV. “I just haven’t met anyone my dragon liked.”

  Until a stubborn delivery driver had the gall to face him on his own porch.

  What was it about her that drew him in?

  Chadwick sighed. “Well, you can’t rush love. I can tell the oracle that. But I honestly… don’t understand it myself sometimes. Your nervousness on this topic.” He cocked his head. “I just want you to be happy, Trev, and—”

  Trevor waved a hand. “Let’s not talk about it.”

  Let’s never talk about it.

  “All right, then,” Chadwick said, standing and stretching. “Anything else you wanted to talk about before I head to bed? I have a meeting in the morning.”

  “Without me?” Trevor asked. A lot of meetings had been with only Chadwick due to him being the leader of the region.

  Trevor was the gold dragon, and Chadwick could relay everything to him. Normally, they had to stick together, but there was nothing dangerous to Chadwick when he was visiting with the oracle and her elite.

  And Trevor was just fine staying home, even if the house did feel lonely.

  “It’ll be okay,” Chadwick said, giving him a bright smile as he laid a hand on his shoulder. He gave him a reassuring squeeze and then padded out, shutting the door lightly behind him.

  Yes, it would be okay. Trevor had a great partner. Some friends in the red dragons and newly found Taylor. And a beautiful place to live with sprawling land all around them.

  When all the hubbub died down, he and Chadwick would go back to policing their area as before, and things would go back to normal.

  So why did the dragon in him feel so unhappy about it?

  Chapter 3

  After days of working two exhausting jobs, Petra was about ready to give up on her promotion.

  But then another order came in for Sushi Douche, as Petra called him, and she decided that this time, she’d get the interview no matter what and it all would be worth it.

  Hopefully.

  As she sped to the address, her heart raced as she tried to think of her possible angles to get the guy to talk.

  What was she supposed to appeal to? His desire for fame? Notoriety?

  Living out in the middle of nowhere, he didn’t seem to want that.

  “I’m with Green News,” she muttered to herself, practicing her spiel as she parked and got out to walk up the stone steps once more. “I just need to ask you some questions about a video featuring you that went viral.”

  She wasn’t as nervous this time, as she knew what to expect. She wouldn’t be caught off guard. She’d do her job as a reporter, albeit a slightly sketchy one, and go off to live her life with her promotion.

  When she reached the door, she knocked firmly to show she meant business. She sucked in a breath when she heard male voices getting closer to the door. Did he not live alone?

  How could everyone just know nothing about him?

  The door opened and she straightened her shoulders to face the bronze hottie from the video, but another man was staring down at her, looking confused and amused at the same time.

  His hair was dark brown and short. His features were handsome but severe, with slanted dark brows and keen eyes in a deep blue that was hard to make out behind his glasses. His full lips curved up in a slight smile as his eyes ran over her, and she couldn’t suppress a small shiver at the intensity in his gaze.

  He cocked his head and pursed his lips. “It’s good to finally meet you. I thought you’d be here sooner.”

  “Sooner?” She frowned in confusion. “What do you mean—”

  “Trevor! The door’s for you,” the guy said, giving her a wink before moving out of sight behind the partially opened door.

  Who just opened a door and didn’t even introduce himself?

  “What do you mean for me?” a grumpy, familiar voice asked as footsteps stomped closer. “Who the hell could it possibly—” His words were cut off as he reached the doorstep and glared down at her, recognizing her instantly. He pointed an accusing finger. “You again!”

  The dark-haired man came up to stand next to him so they were all out and standing on the front porch, which had more space for them to talk. He stood close to Sushi Douche, whose real name must be Trevor, and eyed Petra intently.

  The way he watched her was slightly uncomfortable, but not in the way it was when creepy men checked her out.

  It was more expectant. More… mysterious. She’d never been so closely studied before.

  “What, are you stalking us?” Trevor asked, putting a hand out for the food.

  She shoved it toward him and tried not to look up at either of the handsome faces in front of he
r.

  Trevor’s bronze hair looked soft and tousled, and she wondered what it would be like to put her hands in it, ruffle it gently… maybe even in bed. Lots of women probably wanted that. She was practically drooling when she heard an amused chuckle.

  “Trevor, I think this is yours to deal with,” the dark-haired one said. He stuck out a hand for her to shake. “I’m Chadwick, by the way. Would you like to come in?”

  Petra stared at the food, flustered, trying to remember her pitch. “I’m Petra. Uh—”

  Trevor shot Chadwick a blazing look, then turned back to Petra. “Ignore him. We in no way allow delivery people in our home. Especially stalkers.” He narrowed his eyes even more, making the irises glow with molten gold.

  It only made her feel feistier.

  Chadwick folded his arms and cocked a hip. “But you’re not just a delivery driver, are you?”

  Trevor’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  Petra blinked, wondering how Chadwick had possibly figured it out. “I—”

  “Why don’t you come in and chat for a while?” Chadwick asked. “We just got dinner, after all, and it’s getting less fresh by the second.”

  Trevor’s eyes widened in alarm, and he shook his head at Chadwick.

  Were they gay? They made a breathtaking couple.

  She heard Chadwick laugh softly.

  “We aren’t together,” he said. “But we are work partners.”

  She nodded. “It’s none of my business.”

  Chadwick raised an eyebrow. “Then what is?”

  She swallowed. This was it. “I’m a reporter with Green News. Trevor features in a video that went viral on our site. I wanted to ask him a few questions, do a profile… I promise I won’t take up much of your time.”

  Trevor sucked in a breath, his tan cheeks now red with embarrassment. It was kind of cute seeing such a huge guy worked up like that. “Absolutely not. Why on earth would I—”

  “Tomorrow at noon.” Chadwick cut in. “Trevor will let you in and answer your questions, though I regret I won’t be around to help.”

  Trevor turned to stare at Chadwick as if he’d grown horns. “What are you—”