Jasmin/The Alien's Liar part 4

JASMIN

Aldrek stares at me. Normally, I would scurry away, but the drug in my veins makes me feel like I could seduce any human or dragon.

“Father of fire, huh?” I smile and grip my hips. There’s not much to my figure. But right now, I feel like a goddess.

“Show me how much you can make me burn, baby.” I wink like the ladies at the saloon do.

Movement in my peripheral vision makes me look down. There’s shifting in his pants. The dragon is coming awake.

“You are human,” he says. “When did your kind begin working at bars?”

“There are so many more interesting things you could learn about me.” I run a hand down my cheek and suck on a wet finger.

“Get in,” he says.

I cross into the cabin and drop my bag. The door slams shut behind me.

Aldrek stands toe-to-toe, breathing hot air like a dragon about to attack. He raises a hand slowly and cups my cheek. His eyes flicker to my chest, and hesitantly, he cups one of my breasts, weighing it. The touch lasts only a few seconds before it’s gone.

There’s a wooden chair directly beside the door. I press my palms against his chest and shove him, trying to get him to sit. Aldrek doesn’t move an inch. He raises an eyebrow and lowers himself to the chair.

I get comfortable on his lap and trail my fingers down his neck and to his collar. I’ve never touched a male chest before, but I know none are as magnificent as this. He’s built thick, able to move the world as he pleases.

One of his hands rests heavily on my thigh, close to my butt. He doesn’t move it, like he wants me to make the first move. I lean in, wanting to skim my lips across his jawline to see if that will make his heart beat in sync with the pulsing I feel between his legs.

He grips my biceps, startling me. “No kissing.”

His voice is stern and his gaze sees through me. This mysterious male has an air of power around him, like he was made to command. His body is full of wonders, but I’m just as curious about discovering what’s on his mind.

I slip a hand under his shirt and trail down his hard abdomen, gently scratching him.

Can I get him to open up? Get him so drugged on lust that he’ll consider me an extension of his body and share all his secrets? I know how powerful sex is. I’ve seen how easily the girls at the saloon get men to fall in love with them.

The thought of the saloon sobers me. I feel coldness splash over me, and my previous courage evaporates.

I jump off his lap, horrified by my behavior. “I… I…”

Tears of frustration stream down my face. The spell has broken, and I’m back to being this lonely, confused, powerless girl. It’s the loss of the confidence that strikes me the hardest, because for one moment, I felt what it was like to feel worthy.

Aldrek looks alert. He jumps off his chair and puts distance between us. “What… what is it?” he asks, holding a hand up as if protecting himself from me.

I sit on the chair and cover my face, feeling shameless and hopeless now that I’m conscious of the gravity of my situation.

The mission hasn’t even started, and I have already failed Myra, who begged for help.

I hear a thunk and look at my feet. Through my blurry vision, I see that Aldrek has brought a silk pouch of coins. That only makes me cry harder. A few moments later, I hear another thunk, and then another. Cold metal gathers at my feet— pearls, embroiled weapons, coins, and hairpins.

“How much do you want?” his panicked, deep voice asks.

He thinks money will stop my tears. If only it could buy me what I lack.

My tears fall onto the small pile of treasure at my feet. Aldrek appears in front of me, now holding a shovel.

“I will go dig for more,” he declares like a man on a mission.

“Stop,” I sniffle. “I don’t want money.”

“Then how do I get you to stop?” he asks, exasperated. It’s like he has never been around a crying woman before. It wouldn’t surprise me if he only had sexual encounters, not emotional connections. He has the demeanor of a lone wolf and lives in the middle of nowhere.

I take deep breaths. I’m no child anymore and need to get this situation under control.

“Do you want food? Is that it?”

“No. I’m sorry.”

He grumbles and paces the cabin, his booted feet landing with loud thunks. I don’t mean to make him uncomfortable in his own home, so I look at the door and consider leaving. Where would I go, though? It’s pouring outside, and it’s not like I can call Myra or Cuero to pick me up.

A shudder runs through me. I cross my arms over my wet chest. If I don’t change out of these clothes, I’m going to get a cold.

“Can I take a bath?”

Aldrek grunts and stomps into the right hallway. Ten minutes later, he’s back. “Come!”

I meekly follow him through the dark home. There’s a large clawfoot bathtub in a small room. The water is already steaming, although I don’t see how he warmed it.

“Go,” he grunts. “I’ll leave one of my tunics on the door.”

He leaves, and I sink into the warm bath, washing myself with the water because I don’t know where the soap is. I scrub my skin hard to erase any hints of the diabolical blue flower that made me act like a fool.

My eyes flicker to the door. He could come in here. After all, this man is a stranger. There’s no lock on the door. That’s not surprising, since a man like Aldrek doesn’t need the meager protection of a lock.

I step out of the bath, dry off on the enormous furry towel that hangs by the window, and pull on the tunic he left hanging over the door. It smells like cinnamon, and the hard cotton drapes loosely around my figure.

I take hesitant steps outside and find the giant dragon pacing by the door. The storm still rages outside, but it looks like there’s a storm in here as well.

“Tell me your name,” he says.

“Jasmin.”

He scans me from head to toe, curling his lip in a hostile manner. He is… rough around the edges and unapologetic about his nature. Of all the dragons I’ve met, none has been this sour. They were always playful.

“Um… can I stay until the storm settles? I’ll be quiet.”

“Fine, but don’t expect me to share my bed.” He vanishes into the right, slamming the door behind him.

I’m left by the entrance, and look at the chair with dismay. I don’t think I’ll get much sleep there.

Thirty seconds later, the bedroom door is shoved open, and a grisly Aldrek returns. He palms his hips. “Go.”

Go? He wants me to leave the cabin? With my shoulders slumped, I pick up my bag and reach for the door.

“What are you doing, female? Go to my room!”

I gape at the incredibly confusing man. “But you said you can’t share your bed?”

“I know what I said,” he replies, plopping down on the chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “Go. I will stay here.”

Before I upset him further, I follow his instructions. I enter his bedroom and sink against the door.

I’m stuck in this cabin until the storm settles a few days from now, and the man I’m with is a ticking time bomb. What the fuck did I get myself into?

NEW STORY: THE CAPTAIN

We’re at war, and the Zolano warriors need women in their furs to enhance their fighting performance. I’m a servant at camp. I mind my own business and keep my head low. I clean, cook, and go to my tent. I don’t go looking for trouble, so someone, please explain how I slapped The Captain and set his tent on fire on the same night?!

Suspicious that I’m a spy, The Captain handcuffs our wrists together. There is no escaping him for a week until the investigation ends. I don’t think I’ll survive a week, especially since I have to eat, sleep, and bathe beside the man! Worse, with every passing day, his erections get stiffer and his gaze darker. He is trouble. Tall, strong, handsome danger that is getting harder and harder to deny."

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