LovingDragon (4 page)

She couldn’t let him know that, so she smiled. “Too much?” she asked, indicating the way she was dressed.

He shook his head no. “Not enough. Not even close.”

Catherine frowned. “But Mia said I should dress sexy, to get the big tips tonight. Do you think I need
more
clothes on?”

“More clothes would definitely make my job easier.” Dragon groaned before letting out a harsh breath and rubbing his hand down his face. “You look fine. No, damn it, you look better than fine. You look fucking hot. There’s not going to be a man in the place that will be able to keep his eyes or his hands off you…myself included,” Dragon muttered.

“Well, then, I guess we could say my outfit is a huge success.”

Had Dragon just admitted to wanting her? She suddenly felt very flush and out of breath at the thought of his hands on her body. And that mouth! The pictures that popped in her head left her wet and she had to bite her lower lip to actually keep from moaning out loud.

****

Dragon felt like he had been sucker punched. Like that time in the ring when that big guy from Texas had hit him so hard he had seen stars for a week. Cat’s outfit would keep him busy all right, busy keeping hands off her. Her legs looked long and incredibly gorgeous in the cut-offs that also hugged her ass, leaving very little to the imagination. And that little white t-shirt fit her like a second skin. The words written across her tits, ‘open all night,’ sent all kinds of sexually charged thoughts into his mind. It was going to be one hell of a long night.

If it was up to him, he would tell her to put on clothes, lots of clothes. Maybe even a damn coat. Yep, Catherine needed a coat, even though it was only fall and not quite cold enough for a coat. But the truth was he didn’t think even that would help. The girl was just too damn sexy for her own good.

“Cat…” His voice was low and husky as he moved toward her. She looked up at him, her pink glossy lips parted and her small equally pink tongue shot out to lick at her bottom lip. Dragon wondered what flavor lip gloss she was wearing.

“Damn,” he muttered, right before he lightly brushed his lips across hers. He told himself it was just a taste, because he was curious about the lip gloss. But he lied. He was curious about the taste of this woman, the one who had enflamed his senses.

When she sighed into his mouth, he wanted to drag her to the nearest bedroom and spend all night making her sigh. Instead he deepened the kiss, tangling his tongue with hers and pulling her in closer, feeling her curves fit against all his sharp angles. It didn’t make sense, but then none of this made any damn sense. He never mixed business and pleasure. Dragon always made a point of leaving his fellow co-workers off-limits. But this slip of a girl…

His ringing phone pulled him from the kiss, and he released her like she was the proverbial hot poker he had accidently picked up.

Snatching the phone from his pocket, he answered, “Yeah? We’re leaving now. See you in a few.”

He punched the button to end the call and looked at her. “Mia sent me over after you. Cutman just got her car fixed and she got busy at the bar. If you’re ready, we can go now.”

She looked slightly dazed, her lips puffy and wet from his mouth. The last thing Dragon wanted to do was go. Staying would mean him taking her to bed and spending the rest of the night learning every square inch of that body.

Catherine nodded. “Yeah, looks like we are finished here so…sure, just let me grab my purse and lock up. I’ll meet you outside.”

Dragon went out and climbed onto his Harley. He felt slightly shaken by the encounter. Cat had scared the life out of him last night when he had seen Bennett raise his hand to her. He had been standing in the corner, and for a moment he had been so afraid he couldn’t get to her soon enough to keep her from being hit. She had thanked him, she had teased him, and he had wanted to leave it at that. But Cat was his fate. All his instincts were screaming that loud and clear. And as a MMA fighter, he had learned long ago to never discount his instincts.

Never had he been so shaken by a simple kiss. It had been a kiss that he had wanted never to end. Dragon watched as Cat walked toward him, she was all sass and sweetness. It was a mixture that he found unavoidable. Dragon smiled.

Cotton candy. Cat’s lip gloss tasted like cotton candy, and damned if he wasn’t a man with a massive sweet tooth.

Chapter Eight

Saturday nights at Bubba’s was madness. The place was packed with patrons drinking, dancing to the live band playing, and munching on hot wings and burgers. Catherine stayed busy, running from one table to the next. Even though she tried to concentrate on her job, her mind kept skipping back to the kiss. It was like he had taken possession of her mouth, demanding a response from her, and her body gave it. She had melted into him, her body turned to liquid, consumed by the fire of his kiss. If he could do that to her with just a kiss, she could only imagine what would happen if…

“Miss?” Cat pulled her mind from her naughty thoughts of Dragon and turned her attention to the five ladies at the table.

Plastering a polite smile on her face, she asked, “Yes, ladies, what can I get you?” The table of thirty-somethings were clearly out for a good time.

“I’m going to have a large order of that!” pronounced one woman, pointing at Dragon, who stood oblivious in the far corner.

The woman beside her giggled. “Make that a double.” The other ladies laughed, and the entire table quickly broke into a discussion on Dragon’s manly attributes, all of which Cat was in total agreement with.

She looked over at him and smiled. He quirked up an eyebrow as if to say, “Do you need me?” She shook her head no and he nodded back. He really was one hot-looking man. “Sorry, ladies, that one is taken, but perhaps I could get the bartender to mix you up a drink? Say a Sex on the Beach or a Slippery Nipple?”

The table of woman roared with laughter and before long Cat had their drink orders. Then they went to join in on the dancing.

Cat stood at the bar, waiting for Mia to finish up her latest drink order. “Fun crowd tonight,” said Mia, setting the last glass on the tray.

“Is it always this crazy on a Saturday night?” asked Cat.

“Oh, honey, you haven’t even seen crazy yet. This is a tame night compared to some, but it’s still early, so the cra-cra are still coming in. But just to let you know, look down at the other end of the bar,” replied Mia with a slight jerk of her head. Cat’s eyes glanced that way and she gasped when she saw who sat at the end, nursing a beer.

“Bennett.” She frowned. Even though she knew he couldn’t have possibly heard her say his name, he still turned and looked at her. It was a look that had her shivering. The man was filled with hate. His eyes scanned her from top to bottom and left her feeling dirty and touched.

“Don’t you worry hun. Both Cutman and Dragon know he’s here, and they have their eyes on him. If he starts any trouble, he’ll be out of here so fast he won’t know what hit him.”

Cat nodded. “You’re right. I’m okay.” She smiled as she picked up the tray and headed back to the ladies’ table. She had way too much work to do than to have time worrying about some hateful man. Besides, she did feel very safe with Dragon around.

****

A man slid into place at the bar, but he looked slightly out of his element in his expensive suit and tie.

Mia smiled. “Hi, what can I get for you?”

“Whiskey and coke,” he answered. When Mia set the drink in front of him he took a sip and nodded his approval. “Who’s the pretty blonde?” he asked, indicating Cat.

Mia instantly felt suspicious. She had never seen this guy in Bubba’s before, and he comes in asking questions about Cat? “Her name’s Cat, and I’m Mia. Is there something else I can get for you? A burger off the grill maybe or perhaps some hot wings?”

The guy ignored her question and asked one of his own. “She been working here long?”

Mia’s mouth tightened. “Long enough. Now, please excuse me. If there is nothing else I can get for you, I do have other customers.” She went down to the other end of the bar, but kept her eyes on the stranger. She was relieved when he pitched some cash on the bar and got up to leave. She had a bad feeling about him. She made a mental note to tell Cat about the stranger asking questions, but it would have to wait until after their shift. A fight broke out on the dance floor over a much too flirty woman, and Cutman and Dragon worked to break it up, another table of drink orders came in, and Bubba was working the grill, slinging hamburgers like a madman. Bennett was sending looks that could kill toward Cat, so Mia kept her attention on him as well. A loud group of bikers came in and the place filled to capacity. Bubba’s was hopping, and soon Mia had forgotten about the nosy stranger.

****

It was just a little after two a.m. and the bar had closed and locked the doors. Everyone was tired and ready to go, which was why Cat was so surprised when Mia came up to her and slipped her car keys into her hand. “I’m going home with Cutman tonight. You can drive yourself home, right? Oh yeah, I had almost forgotten, a man was in the bar earlier tonight asking about you.”

Cat looked at Mia and frowned. “What did he look like? What kind of questions was he asking?”

“He was dressed in a suit. He sat at the bar. He asked your name and how long you had worked at Bubba’s. But don’t worry, I didn’t tell him anything and he left after a few minutes.”

“I noticed him, only because of the suit. But I didn’t recognize him. Will you let me know if you see him come in again?” asked Catherine.

“Of course honey. Maybe we should also mention him to Dragon and Cutman so they can keep an eye out for him too?” suggested Mia.

Cat was already shaking her head no. “Not yet, it may not be anything to be concerned about. But thanks for telling me. Now you run along with Cutman and have a wonderful time. I’m happy for you Mia. He seems like a really nice guy.”

Mia smiled. “Yeah, he is. I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.”

Cat made her way to Mia’s car and was climbing in when Dragon, who had been standing guard watching all the women get to their cars, called to her. “Wait a minute.”

Cat didn’t miss the look of hate that Janet shot her way before she roared out of the lot. Cat sat waiting patiently as she watched both Roxie and Janet drive off. Then Mia climbed on the back of Cutman’s Harley and they too were gone.

Dragon made his way to the car and knelt down at the window so he could be more eye to eye with her. “You’re new to town and new to driving Mia’s car. I would like to follow you home to make sure you make it okay. If you will give me a second to get on my bike, I can be right behind you.”

“Thank you, but I’m sure you’re tired, you don’t really have to do that. I’ll be fine.”

“So just humor me then, okay?” Dragon said with a smile that almost made her drop her panties right there and then. Good thing she was sitting down.

Cat managed instead to smile back and in what she hoped was a normal voice say, “Yeah okay, thanks.” The drive to the apartment took less than ten minutes, but for some reason it felt much longer to Cat. She was glad Dragon was there when she pulled up to the door. The parking lot was dark, but she felt safe knowing he was looking out for her.

At the door she turned to look at him, “would you like to come in?” she asked and she was pretty sure he could hear her heart beating as she waited his answer.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea Cat.” Dragon said.

She tilted her head to the side, “Why not?”

“Because I’m not going to want to come in for tea and cookies princess, I’m going to want to stay the night and maybe finish what we started earlier,” he whispered.

Cat flinched at him calling her princess, “Well would that be such a bad thing?”

“You tell me. What is it you want from me, Catherine? And make damn sure you know before I step across this threshold. My southern mama raised me a gentleman, but I have my limits, I’m just a man after all and you are one beautiful woman.”

Dragon was asking her to make the decision, to let him know what she wanted. Her whole life decisions had been made for her without anyone once asking her what she would like. She was told what to wear, what to eat, which schools to go to even which boys came from the right families and were appropriate for her to date. And when she had set her foot down and insisted on going to college, they had objected, knowing all along they wouldn’t let her because her husband had already been chosen for her too.

Cat knew that if she said no, that Dragon would turn and walk away, no questions asked. There would be no pleading, no belittling of her for the choice she made. He would just simply leave. Cat knew she didn’t want him to go. Dragon was honest, straight forward and to the point, a man of few words, but he stood by those words. He was putting the choice in her hands. This was Cat’s chance, a chance to choose her own fate. To finally get what she wanted and Cat wanted Dragon. She wanted his heat, his strength, his innate goodness that she sensed in his heart. She felt with every fiber in her body that this was right, that this man was right. This was a decision that she would never regret making.

Pulling the door wider, she smiled. “Well, I’m afraid we’re fresh out of tea and cookies anyway.”

Chapter Nine

Dragon stepped through the threshold and closed the door behind him. He placed his hands on both sides of Cat’s face and slowly lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her like he had been starving for oxygen and she held the mask. His lips moved over Cats taking them possessively. Insisting that she give as well as he was giving. Sliding his tongue into her parted lips he moved it to twist and turn around her own, only releasing her mouth so the two of them could gasp for air. She felt so damn good in his arms, just like he knew she would. It was like he was home, like this slip of a woman was his. Catherine had haunted his dreams at night and managed to jumble his thoughts during all his waking hours and was here now driving him insane from the want of her.