And she definitely remembered the years that came afterward. In and out of foster homes, with no one to claim her for real.
She breathed deeply, waiting for her heart to calm. She’d dealt with this for many years. She’d gotten to a good place, a place where she’d accepted things for how they were and stopped being bitter. After all, there was nothing she could do to change it.
And now, for once her empty life had an advantage, because it meant nothing was in the way of her taking the dragons up on their odd but tantalizing proposition.
It made sense in a way. Life had been so awful and now in contrast was ridiculously good. Like some sort of universal scale had been balanced.
That’s if she could find happiness here with two men she barely knew. But wasn’t that how all relationships started? With people you barely knew? She’d just been rescued, kidnapped, and brought to a luxurious apartment instead of met at a bar and taken out on a boring first date.
And when she thought of Ran’s and Draven’s face, something felt so right about it all. Like she was meant to know them, meant to love them. Though that could perhaps be wishful thinking because they were both so incredibly hot and so strong and just everything she’d want in a man.
And they were right down the hall.
Waiting for her.
She ran her fingers along her arms, feeling a slight chill. Then she studied the window for a moment before leaning forward to close it.
It was time to start her adventure. She didn’t want to wait another moment. She looked down out at her outfit. Her work pants were dirty from being thrown on the ground, and her blouse was loose and baggy and brightly colored. She wished she’d had something more seductive for her first time with them.
She looked at the fully stocked closet. There had to be something in there. She ran her hands over the many silky shirts hung there until she found a section of lingerie, all new and high end with tags still on. Apparently, Ran had thought of everything. He certainly didn’t do things halfway.
She flipped a tag over in curiosity and gasped at the price. Dragons must be loaded. She supposed that made sense with all the myths about hoarding treasure.
She finally found a piece she liked. A negligee in shimmery, turquoise silk that caught the light nicely and would slide perfectly over her curves and complement her skin. She pulled it off the hanger and held it up to her, grinning.
How had Ran known? And why was he so eager to move things along with someone like her, mate with her, as Draven had said, when he didn’t know anything about her?
It must have something to do with the reason he’d called her dragon-heart.
Well, she thought as she changed and prepared to head out to meet her fate, I feel dragon-hearted right now. And ready to give her heart to two dragons.
* * *
“She’s coming,” Ran said, leaning against the headboard with his hands lazily clasped behind his head. “Just wait.”
“You’re insane,” Draven said, turning a page in the book he was pretending to read while he waited to see if Ran was right. What mortal in their right mind would come to visit them on their first night after being kidnapped and brought to a new location? And hearing about dragons and seeing dragon fire and everything else Ran had put her through.
He knew dragons held a strong sexual attraction for humans. Most shifters did, but dragons had to choose humans for mates, so the pull was even stronger.
He turned another page and adjusted his reading glasses on his nose as hairs prickled on the back of his neck in anticipation. He thought he heard footsteps in the hall and sat up straight, listening carefully. Dragons didn’t have the best hearing, unlike some shifters. But they made up for it with immortality, super strength, and dragon fire. Not to mention the advantages a lifetime of collecting treasure afforded.
And Draven was all about the treasure. He couldn’t resist the acquisition of new loot. And the thought of her body, curvaceous and rich, would definitely be the ultimate treasure.
He shook his head against the unbidden thoughts. She was just an average mortal. He wouldn’t be like Ran and foolishly run into this, despite the rare bravery she’d shown.
Melissa. Ran had read her mind for her name, and she’d taken his mind intrusions with the same kind of calm wonder she seemed to take all of this. He had no idea what had happened to her to make her accept things with such fatalistic calm, but he was curious about it.
Ran, on the other hand, was just delighted to have met another woman he considered a dragon-heart, after so many years.
Draven sighed. If she stayed, she’d definitely be a handful. But at the same time, with each breath he knew he and Ran would protect her with everything they had.