Slade’s handsome, angular features and golden hair with glowing, golden eyes never failed to attract the attention of the opposite sex. He knew how to handle himself in battle. Brimstone and Slade fought side by side long enough to respect each other’s unique battle skills. They always watched each other’s backs, since they were young hatchlings entering into the King’s Army.
“Another beer?” The bar-keep’s voice trembled, eyeing Brim as if he would pounce on the skittish human at any moment. Damn, he hated when Slade was right.
Maybe he did growl, snap, and glare a little too much. He tried not to glare at the barkeep, but couldn’t help grunting out a 'yes.'
The barkeeper was quick to replace his drink and scurry off to attend to another customer, not even bothering with the paper currency Brim tossed onto the bar next to the spilled beer.
“I think I’ve got my ass covered for tonight, don’t wait up for me.”
Slade moved in on the women, who were still batting their eyelashes and preening their hair. A shrill of feminine laughter rose over the low pounding of the music, coming through some kind of equipment placed around the establishment. It grated on Brim’s nerves. He grabbed his drink, exited the bar and headed down by the gentle, lapping water of Darwin Harbour. Drawing in a deep breath, he looked up at a waning moon and chose a seat in the shadows, watching the little boats bob on the ocean waters. At least they were sent to a warm climate to do their spying. Simple fact: dragons don’t like the cold.
The sound of voices drew Brim’s attention as a couple wandered past where he was seated. They took no notice of him, but a sweet honeysuckle scent caught his attention.
The busty, little brunette with abundant curves drew his eye while she hurried to keep pace with the stocky built man, who was only slightly taller than the woman, walking next to him. A loose, floral black and red dress fluttered round her knees. The dress showed a hint of cleavage and enhanced the round lushness of her body.
Even in the shadows, Brim’s sharp, dragon eyesight caught the details of her rounded face, with her large, blue eyes, soft, pink mouth and pert, little chin. It was difficult for Brim to pick what caught his favour most, and then his gaze dropped to her chest. No, it wasn’t too difficult. He always was a sucker for large breasts, and he was, after all, a large man in human form with larger than average needs.
Now, there was a woman who wouldn’t break in half when he gripped her full hips and plunged his… Demon balls! Where, by the gods did that thought come from?
She’s already got a man—not that Brim would call the puny, human male a man. Then, he saw the male’s expression of disgust when he glanced at the woman.
“What did you spend all day doing? Eating desserts and lazing by the pool like a beached whale?” Brim didn’t miss the venom in the human males tone.
The woman flushed, her skin an alluring shade of red, but Brim saw the tears making her blue eyes bright while the man continued to insult her.
“You’ve been out all day on the fishing boat doing nothing, but drinking beer. I’ve been productive.”
“Don’t get snippy with me, girl. Lazing around, getting fatter isn’t being productive.”
Anger roared through Brim’s body. His drink forgotten, he rose to his feet, but forced himself to a stop barely under one of the waterfront park’s trees, his large hand curling around the trunk.
This is none of your business, the woman does not belong to you. Turn around and walk away. Still, Brim, couldn’t force his feet to move.
“No!” she hissed indignantly. “I…I worked on a new story.”
“We’re on fucking holiday! I told you to leave that shit at home. I’ve tolerated this nonsense because it’s actually paid off for once. I’ve earned this holiday by putting up with your hobby for so long.”
She stopped walking, her little fists clenched and her mouth drawn in a tight line as she glared back at the man. “This nonsense paid for this trip.”
“You owe me, Amber! Who else is going to put up with your wandering mind and fat body? You don’t try hard enough to lose weight; you should have dropped twenty kilos three times over by now.”
“So, why ask me to marry you? You don’t like what I do, you don’t like my body, or who I am.”
The man softened his tone, but it dripped with condescension. “Amber, Amber, Amber. Can’t you see, I’m trying to help you here? You’ve got to start listening to me and changing for the better. You need to try harder if we’re going to make our life together work.”
It took everything Brimstone had to stop from jumping from the shadows and wringing the human’s neck. The son of a dung pile was only insulting her further by trying to make it look like it’s her fault.