That Dragon had come when he thought she might be in danger helped a little, but it was everything he’d done since then that told her she’d been wrong in thinking things were one-sided. Gentle touches, sweet gestures, opening up about his past. How was she supposed to resist any of that?
The truth was, she didn't even want to.
Why would she?
Dragon was a strong, loyal man who seemed to actually care about her. Sure, they both had some issues that needed to be addressed, but they could do that while exploring whatever this thing between them was.
“Thanks for hanging with me tonight,” Rose said when the credits began to roll.
“Everyone always enjoys your company, but now you're mine for the rest of the night,” Steel said, scooping Rose into his arms as he stood and making her squeal and then giggle.
The couple was utterly adorable, and Cassandra watched them as Steel ran out of the room holding Rose with a wistfulness that she hadn't quite been expecting. Falling in love and having her own family had always been something she wanted. From the time she was the littlest girl, she’d played weddings and moms and dads. Maybe it was her small mind trying to recreate what she’d lost.
As she got older, her darker desires started to make themselves known, and she quickly realized she was a little different than the other girls her age. Still, it had always seemed inevitable that one day she would find a prince charming who liked things rough in the bedroom but sweet the rest of the time.
Until last year when her paternity came to light.
Now she hated the part of herself she had always accepted so easily, even more so now that she knew that Dragon wanted her because he thought she was the soft, sweet, innocent girl she was in other aspects of her life.
“I’ll walk you to your room,” Dragon told her as he stood and held out his hand.
Slipping hers into his was the easiest thing in the world, and he tugged her gently to her feet. In high school, no boys ever offered to walk her to class or home at the end of the day because they were all scared of her brothers. She’d always felt like she missed out on some of the high school experiences, even though she’d enjoyed those four years.
“Night,” she called over her shoulder to the others, but her gaze was only for the man beside her. As much as she loved the tender way he held her hand, she wanted to yell at him that he didn't have to be so gentle with her all the time. She wasn't going to break.
If she could survive learning her father was a rapist, and then shooting him, she could survive anything.
Sure, the revelation had rocked her entire world, leaving her feeling lost and adrift, but the more time she spent with Dragon, the more she found the pieces of herself that she’d thought had disappeared. Her smiles were becoming more genuine. The lack of strength she feared separated her from her family felt more like her imagination. And Dragon’s presence made her feel a whole lot less alone.
“You knew about the woman at the park before I called to tell you,” she said as they headed up the stairs.
His violet gaze met hers, and then he gave a single nod. “I knew someone came up to you at the park, but not what she said to you or what she wanted.”
“You were watching me.”
“I was.”
“The whole time I was gone.” It made sense. She’d always had that feeling of being watched, but she’d assumed it was just a result of her own insecurity and that nobody was ever really there. Well, nobody had really been there, but the feeling was because Dragon had been watching over her the entire time.
“You weren't okay when you left here.”
“Everybody else thought I was. My family believed me when I said I was coping with everything we’d learned.”
“Your family might have fallen for your sweet, little lies, but I'm not them. I saw right through your act.”
“How?” If even the people who knew her best in the world, who had helped to raise her, had been fooled when she pasted on a smile and assured them she was dealing with everything, then how had Dragon seen the truth?
His free hand reached over the tapped the tip of her nose. “I could smell the truth a mile away, little rabbit.”
“You can smell all my emotions?” It was so weird, like she got that dogs had the ability to scent things in humans related to their emotions, but Dragon had to be the first ever person who could do it. His enhanced sense of smell was an amazing thing, even if it did leave her feeling vulnerable before him. He had an edge in figuring her out that she didn't have when it came to him.
“Most of the time. With everyone else I always can, but with you … sometimes it’s like I'm the old me and I have to figure you out by watching you, listening to you, and trusting my gut the old-fashioned way.”
“So, I'm special?” she asked, only half teasing.
“Special,” he agreed, sending a flush of warmth through her system.
They’d reached her room, and Cassandra wanted so badly to ask Dragon to come in with her. It was only the fear of rejection that held her back. Would he still want her if he found out she wasn't the angel he seemed to think she was?
