Cadmium Dragon Read online

  “You probably don’t want to do that,” Cadmium said. “I know he looks sweet, but that guy is a beast .”

  “I have no doubt,” Casey said. “But didn’t you say you’d protect me ?”

  Cadmium felt a flush move into his neck. He wasn’t often caught off guard or embarrassed, but something about his mate trusting him to protect her seared him down to his soul. “Of course. Always .”

  It was her turn to blush, and she ducked her gaze. “You don’t need to take it so seriously. I just… I meant about earlier, with the fruitcake.” She laughed nervously. Her long hair was loose around her shoulders and looked so soft. He wanted to wrap both hands in it and just lose himself .

  “Yes, well, I take my responsibility very seriously, just like you with your packages. I will definitely protect you from any of Arsenic’s cooking, no matter how dangerous it is .”

  “Isn’t Arsenic poisonous?” she asked. “Makes sense about the poison .”

  “Technically, all the metals we’re named after are,” Cadmium said. “Just in different ways .”

  “Oh, true,” she said. “I guess I hadn’t thought about it. And I don’t really know much about science .”

  “Some of us are poisonous in any amount, and then some only when in imbalance,” Cobalt interjected from where he was standing on a ladder, placing ornaments at perfectly calculated intervals in a set pattern. Candy cane. Red glass ornament. Blue glass ornament. Star. Snowflake. Candy cane. And so forth. It looked like a robot could have done it .

  “Well, you mean the metals, not you, right? None of you are poisonous,” Casey said, absentmindedly placing another ornament .

  Awkward silence all around, until Cadmium cleared his throat. “Of course not .”

  Casey sighed. “This is so fun. I’ve never really had anyone to decorate a tree with. My parents divorced when I was little, and my mom had trouble just keeping food on the table. We got a pre-lit tree sometimes, on good years. Nothing as luxurious as this. We were happy, though .”

  “Does your family live around here?” Zinc asked, finally stepping up to the tree .

  She gave him a smile. She seemed extra nice with Zinc, as if she could sense he wasn’t feeling well or something. Cadmium appreciated anyone who was kind to his friend .

  Zinc had always cared about others more than himself, so it only made sense for Cadmium to watch out for him .

  “No,” she said. “I had to move a month or so ago, and I haven’t been as in touch as I should have .”

  “Oh,” Zinc said. “That’s too bad .”

  “It’s fine,” she said with a shrug. “They kind of… were fond of my ex. Not that I blame them .”

  “ Your ex ?”

  She flushed. “Never mind. I don’t want to talk about it .”

  What was this ex she was talking about? Wasn’t that how humans referred to past lovers? Jealousy seared through Cadmium, and his hands balled into fists. He knew he had no claim on this woman. Not yet. But he could sense that whoever this man was, he’d hurt Casey. It was there in the slight tremor of her voice .

  If she permitted him, Cadmium would hunt down the miserable cur and put an end to his existence .

  He’d consider it part of his promise to help protect Earth .

  Even if there was one part of Earth that he was extra eager to protect .

  “So how long are you staying?” Brittany asked, looking around the tree at Casey .

  “I don’t know,” Casey said. “I was supposed to go home tonight, but I still haven’t worked out how.” Her brow furrowed. “I got caught up in all the decorating .”

  “You should stay tomorrow,” Brittany said. “I mean, it’s the weekend, and we can use the help anyway. Besides, it’s so fun having another girl around. I’d really love if you stayed .”

  Cadmium’s heart picked up pace. He’d been wanting all day to talk to Casey about staying, but hadn’t known how to bring it up without sounding creepy after the kiss they’d shared .

  He didn’t want her to feel there was any expectation. He’d wanted to make his attraction clear to her, but he could wait as long as she wanted. He just wanted to wake up and still be able to see her, spend time with her the next day .

  Casey looked over at him as if she were waiting for him to comment, but he simply smiled, and Casey turned back to Brittany. “Are you sure it’s okay ?”

  Brittany let out a squeal of excitement and ran around the tree to hug Casey’s legs as Casey wobbled on the stool. “Of course it is! I’m so excited it’s not gonna be just me and all these dudes !”

  “Just some dudes, huh?” a deep voice rumbled. Lead came stomping around the tree to retrieve his mate, and Brittany giggled and released Casey quickly so she could make a break for it .

  Brittany liked making Lead chase after her, and Cadmium was about to roll his eyes at their game when he heard Brittany’s foot catch on the cloth they’d set out under the tree .

  Casey’s stool was on top of it, and it wobbled and tilted to the side just as Lead caught Brittany and hauled her up against his chest for a kiss .

  Cadmium heard Casey let out a little shriek as she flailed, toppling forward. He was there in a second, catching her lightly in his arms just before she could hit the ground and then lifting her up against his chest .

  She looked up at him, shocked, her cheeks slowly going pink. “Um, thank you.” She looked around. “You can put me down now .”

  But he didn’t want to. Lead and Brittany were still kissing, and it was his first time holding his mate entirely in his arms. He just wanted to storm to his room and sequester her there .

  Like a dragon wanting to hide treasure in his cave .

  He took a deep breath and set her down, making sure she was steady before releasing her. She looked up into his eyes gratefully. “ Thank you .”

  “I’m glad you’re staying,” he said, touching her arm lightly before dropping his hand, hoping no one was watching .

  “Me, too,” she said, stepping back to look up at the tree for a minute. “It’s looking good. I think I’m ready for a break. Or some food .”

  “Got it,” Chromium said, standing up abruptly and brushing his hands off as he headed for the kitchen. He’d taken to cooking without complaint, and though he never made comment about enjoying it, Cadmium thought he probably had to or he wouldn’t be doing it .

  As Chromium passed them, he narrowed his eyes slightly in a glare, cocking his head at Cadmium, who suddenly felt nervous .

  Was Chromium on to them? The big, quiet dragon had always been observant. Then again, he’d always been trustworthy as well, and never one for drama and gossip .

  Cadmium was about to ask him something with his thoughts, but Chromium simply shrugged and was gone, disappearing into the kitchen .

  “What was that all about?” Casey asked, looking up at him .

  “I don’t know,” Cadmium said. “Don’t worry about it.” He gave her a mischievous smile. “Let’s go mess with his branch while he’s gone .”

  She giggled. “Are you sure? I though you said he was a beast .”

  Cadmium’s grin widened. “Yeah, but not as much of a beast as I am .”

  She blinked at him, cocking her head. “It’s hard to imagine it. You’re so kind .”

  Cadmium simply shrugged, knowing he was one of the strongest warriors of Drakkaris, even if he didn’t often get to show it. If she never got to see that, then so be it. It was enough for him to know he could always protect his mate .

  “So who wants to try my fruitcake?” Arsenic said, walking into the room with a plate in his hand, from which a noxious aroma emanated. Like rotten fruit and cleaner at the same time .

  Cadmium bravely stepped forward. There was more than one way to protect a mate .

  “Two pieces here, please .”

  * * *

  C asey smiled as Cadmium groaned beside her. He’d bravely downed her piece of cake for her, which was probably unnecessary since the others had
dropped theirs on the floor “accidentally ”.

  Still, she appreciated the effort as well as the continual promises of protection .

  She’d never felt she had someone looking out for her. She had no brothers, and her dad had been absent, so she hadn’t really known what a good man would look like .

  Now she was surrounded by a handful of them, and one in particular seemed completely focused on her .

  At first, she’d wondered if it was just because she was his guest and he was being extra thoughtful around her, but the more she was there, the more she saw him move her around the other men or cut in when she was talking to them .

  Not that she minded. She actually saw it as flattering. Perhaps that kiss hadn’t only been about proving he wasn’t gay. Perhaps she wasn’t crazy to think there really was something between them .

  Something more than just the times she’d seen him when delivering packages .

  It had been such a hopeless crush that she’d never imagined she’d been sitting here on a couch next to him, watching a Christmas movie with him and his friends while they all joked about Arsenic’s bad cooking and Arsenic grumbled and swore .

  “I’m dying,” Cadmium said, holding his stomach, which only drew her attention to perfect abs. He looked up into Casey’s eyes dramatically. “At least I get to look into a beautiful face before I die .”

  “Oh, shut up,” Arsenic said, throwing a popcorn ball that hit Cadmium in the side of the head .

  Cadmium sat up abruptly, wincing slightly. “Hey. Someone make him eat his own cooking for once , okay ?”

  “I eat it all the time,” Arsenic said. “It’s delicious.” His smile was smug .

  “Someone should check on his taste buds,” Lead said in a deep voice, and the others laughed .

  “Are you really okay?” Casey asked, lightly touching Cadmium’s hand, which was still on his stomach. She just wanted to rub her hand all over his abs, but it probably wasn’t the right moment .

  He straightened up slightly, a grin on his face. “Yeah. I’m just being dramatic, trying to get extra points for my heroism .”

  “You were very heroic,” she said. “If it’s nearly killing a huge man like you, I probably would have died ten times over .”

  “I’d never let that happen,” he said .

  She looked around them, making sure the others were involved in whatever raucous conversation had arisen, and then stared into Cadmium’s chocolate-brown eyes. “Why do you talk like that ?”

  “ Like what ?”

  “Like you care about me or like I’m your responsibility or something. I’m just your delivery driver,” she said .

  His lips tightened into a line, and he looked around them for a second before turning back to her. “I can’t talk about this now. Ask me later .”

  She felt hairs rise on her neck at that cryptic reply but tried to keep her mind off it until the movie was over and everyone was ready to head to bed .

  “So tomorrow, should we do a gift exchange?” Brittany asked. “I bought a bunch of white elephant gifts .”

  “I don’t want a white elephant,” Chromium said, frowning .

  “No, it just means they are random .”

  “If we are all going to give a random gift, why not just each keep one to start with?” Arsenic asked .

  “It makes more mathematical sense,” Cobalt said. “But the most rational thing would be to open them, lay them out, and decide whose preferences and needs line up with each of the items , and — ”

  Brittany threw up her hands with an exasperated sigh. “Impossible! No!” She glared at the men with her hands on her curvy hips. Casey admired her gumption. “We are doing a gift exchange, and we are doing it my way .”

  All the big, strong men were nodding quickly, making Casey giggle, and then Brittany grabbed Lead’s hand and pulled him toward the stairs that led to the basement .

  “Good night, Casey!” she called. “Remember, you have my number if you need anything. Feel free to text when you’re up !”

  Casey smiled. “I will.” It felt so good to have friends again, especially a female friend. It had been a while since she could trust someone not to be listening to Benny .

  “Should I walk you to your room?” Cadmium asked, as Arsenic and Cobalt and Chromium wandered to the kitchen, probably for a snack .

  “Sure,” she said. “You said you wanted to talk later .”

  He walked with her to the stairs and, when she went up them, stayed protectively behind her, as if he wanted to be there to catch her if she fell .

  Just like he’d caught her when she’d almost toppled off the stool and onto her face. He’d lifted her as though she were nothing, just in time, and her heart had pounded wildly .

  She’d wanted to kiss him right there, but this wasn’t a fairy tale, and he wasn’t a knight in shining armor .

  He was just a nice man, and she was just a delivery girl .

  Still …

  “So about what you said before, about why I act like I care when you’re just a delivery driver,” Cadmium said as they reached her door and he backed her up against it, pinning a hand on either side of her head .

  “Yeah, about that . Why — ”

  She was cut off by his kiss, harsh and intense this time, stifling her breath and any protests she might have made. She felt overwhelmed by his big body, his soft lips, his tall presence .

  He was just so much man .

  He pulled back until their lips were a feather’s breadth apart and let his words tickle her as he spoke them. “I like you, Casey. I want to get to know you, okay? Not just as a delivery driver .”

  She just gaped at him. Was he for real ?

  “Is that all right?” he asked. “I can go slower if you need me to — ”

  She reached down with one hand to the handle of her door and wrapped the other in the neck of his shirt. Then she opened her door and dragged him in with her, pulling him down and planting her lips on his, kissing him voraciously .

  She kicked the door shut and pushed him back against it, pressing her body to his, enjoying the contrast of her softness against his hardness. She looked up at him with hungry eyes. “How’s that for an answer ?”

  Chapter 6

  F or perhaps the first time in his life, Cadmium lacked for words .

  There were no words .

  Casey pressed herself against him, tugging at his shirt, making him instantly hard at her voracity, her directness. She was so hot, short and curvy, beseeching his touch with the hurried motion of her hands, the precise grace of her eyes as they raked up and down his body, her racing heartbeat he could feel even through the sweater she wore .

  He wouldn’t stop until she told him to or she could take no more .

  Cadmium reversed their positions, backing her into the door, trapping here there as his lips crushed over hers, claiming her mouth. She didn’t even wait to part her lips, allowing him entrance with his tongue. He delved in, thrusting and swiping this way and that, making her moan, the sound muffed by his mouth .

  When she began to go limp against the door, he propped her up, holding her hips with his hands as he pushed even deeper, their tongues entwining in a wet, heated dance .

  When he was satisfied she’d been given enough of a preview of more to come, he lifted her, grabbing her ass and squeezing as she wrapped her legs around him, so light in his arms, so sexy .

  He walked toward the bed, kissing the crook of her neck as her hands wrapped around his, holding him tightly, then kneeled at the edge of it, sitting her on it. But as his hands found her shirt, she pushed away, instead pulling at the buttons of the flannel shirt he’d put on earlier that day, hoping she would like it .

  “You first, Cadmium,” she said, a hungry twinkle in her eyes .

  He obliged, tearing the shirt away as if it were made of paper, and she openly gaped at his pecs, his abs, his arms. He couldn’t help but be a little grateful for the natural gift of his muscled body that human women c
ouldn’t seem to get enough of .

  Granted, there was only one human he cared to show all of this to. But if it turned her on, he had no complaints whatsoever .

  “Oh my hell… I mean, I always thought you were hot, but this…” She trailed off, biting her lower lip as her eyes widened. They were so much greener in this light, a brown ring along the outer edge and bright emerald along the inside, lit up with little gold flecks that glistened in the darkness of the room, illuminated from the lights outside her window .

  “Here,” he said, gathering her hands in his and pressing them to his pecs, allowing her to feel him, touch him. He was as every bit real as she was .

  And he was counting the seconds until he could do the same to her .

  For a minute, he just let her explore, tracing a path across his body. To his shock, she went lower, undoing the button of his jeans and stroking the top of his already hard member. The dragon inside him roared, hungry and ready to claim its mate .

  Playfully, he grabbed Casey’s wrists, pushing her backward onto the bed and kneeling over her hips .

  “My turn,” he whispered, and he let go of her, pulling off her shirt, then her bra. She gasped as his hands found her breasts, gathering them and squeezing the soft flesh. Her soft skin practically glowed in the low light, so beautiful. Her heart-shaped faced and those big eyes were so expressive, showing him exactly how she was feeling moment to moment .

  And it was especially rewarding as his thumbs pressed into her nipples and she moaned in pleasured, eyes rolling back for a moment, then locking back to his gaze above her .

  Then he reached down, his hands feeling over the soft black leggings she’d been wearing all day, driving him crazy with the sight of her curves. All Cadmium could think of was seeing her, pleasuring her, taking her, making her his and his alone .

  But in love, as with all things, there was a progression. They’d have to do this one step at a time .

  Cadmium couldn’t have paused for more than a fraction of a second as he considered his options—Take pants off, leave them on. Hands, tongue. So many possibilities —when one of her hands grasped his, pulling it lower between her thighs, her eyes shy as she showed him exactly what she wanted .