Destined Dragons: BBW Paranormal Romance (Dragons of New York Book 3) (5 page)

“You aren’t making breakfast?” Gentry asked.

Sterling turned a page, a mild, sardonic expression on his face. Was this really the man who’d so thoroughly pleasured her last night? Who had anchored her when she’d been about to come apart?

“No, should I?” he asked. “Now that I know neither of you enjoys my cooking…”

Roxy gave him a guilty look. “I’m sorry. I’m picky.”

“No, it’s fine,” Sterling said, setting down the book and standing to walk over to them. “I should have read Gentry’s mind earlier to see he didn’t like it. I generally stay out of his head, out of politeness. But with you, your thoughts basically shout at me.”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated.

He gave her a cryptic look, and despite his serious expression, she was almost sure she could see a smile behind his eyes. “It’s okay. It has its benefits.”

She thought about last night and flushed deeply, and this time she saw a smile for sure as he took a seat on a stool by the counter. Gentry took the stool next to him, and they talked quietly as she pulled out ingredients to make waffles.

She used her mother’s recipe, folding the whipped egg whites carefully to ensure they were fluffy. She cut up strawberries and made fresh whipped cream to go on top.

The sighs and groans (and in Sterling’s case, resentful glares of jealousy) were all worth it.

By the time she sat down to eat, she already felt satisfied.

It was going to be an awesome day.

Then Sterling spoke. “I haven’t figured out the solution to our problem. The issue is that any action taken could be the expected action that leads to what happens in the vision. The trick is finding something unexpected, something that would change it.”

“What exactly happens in this vision?” Roxy asked, biting a strawberry.

They both looked at her as if caught.

She waved a hand. “Please. I know it’s about me. I know that’s how you found me… and just by the way Gentry was so worried about my safety when he woke up. But maybe if you tell me, I can help you think of things.”

Gentry shook his head. “I don’t want you to know.”

“I could show her,” Sterling said. “Transfer thoughts.”

Gentry let out a vehement hiss. “No. I don’t want her to see. I just… We’ll handle it.”

“We’re a team now,” Roxy said, hurt. “Shouldn’t we deal with everything together?”

“We’re not a team yet,” Sterling said. “Not until we’re mated. And you haven’t committed to that yet.”

“When would someone usually commit?” Roxy asked, baffled. “I mean, it’s only been a couple days.”

Sterling folded his arms. He was prickly like he was the other day, and she could tell she was close to pushing his buttons again. “Really, I just don’t see the need for hesitation. It’s not like you left anything behind, and we’re rich, powerful enough to protect you, and excellent lovers. You came quite hard last night.”

She felt blood rush into her face in embarrassment. Sterling really had a way of putting things.

“Sterling,” Gentry said, a hint of warning in his tone. Gentry was infinitely more patient than Sterling; that was clear.

Sterling waved his hand violently, clearly a little upset. “No. We have to bring this up. Our dragons are bonding with you, Roxy. So what is it? What is so important to you that you can’t just mate with us? You’d be safer. You’d have a power. So what is the holdup? Didn’t we please you?”

She blinked, her heart thudding in her chest. What was the holdup? The holdup was that it was amazing, but it was the rest of eternity they were talking about, and she had to be certain.

Especially if she was going to let go of the dreams she’d had since girlhood. Going to cooking school and becoming a chef, the thing she’d worked thousands of hours for.

She’d give that up if it was the right thing, but she wasn’t going to be rushed into doing it.

“Sometimes life doesn’t turn out how we expect,” Gentry said gently. “That doesn’t always mean it’s bad.”

She knew he was right, but she felt a little cornered. “I’m trying. But I’m the one who has to leave her whole life behind, basically on the recommendation of strangers.” She put a hand to the bridge of her nose. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re both wonderful. It’s just that… when you’ve been holding on to an idea of your life for so long, it’s hard to let go.”

Gentry nodded, but Sterling stood abruptly and left the room. Roxy sighed, resting a hand on the counter and watching him go.

“I’m getting tired of him doing that. I’m not trying to upset him,” she said.

“I know,” Gentry said. “We can wait for you. Take your time.”

She eyed him as he took his plate to the sink and started to wash it. He was so mild-mannered at times. Almost too mild-mannered.

She walked up beside him, watching him as he soaped and rinsed another plate. She had the impression of a prince or king deigning to do servant’s work. “Aren’t you upset?” she asked. “Why don’t you take it personally?”

Gentry just smiled that pleasant, handsome smile. “I guess unlike Sterling, I understand things don’t always happen logically. He gets upset when things don’t make sense. But he doesn’t understand love isn’t rational. Still, if you’re waiting for Sterling to confess his love…”

She shook her head. “I know it’s not like him.”

“He already cares. I can feel it,” Gentry said. “It’s why he’s reacting so badly to what he perceives as your rejection. Because it doesn’t make sense to him. You not wanting two handsome, strong, rich men who want you. And that makes him feel insecure.”

She nodded. “But I don’t know how to make him feel better.”

“It’s not your job to make him feel better,” Gentry said. “It’s only your job to try and be patient. If you want to.”

She nodded. “I can. I just hate that I’m hurting him.”

“Sterling has had other disappointments in his life. He’ll live.”

She grinned and reached around Gentry’s waist to give him a soft hug. Already, she loved his scent, slightly spicy, and the feel of his warm, wide body. And the feel of his…

“Oh, for Pete’s sake.” Sterling interrupted, watching them from the doorway. “I leave for one moment and you’re already having perverted thoughts about him.”

Gentry laughed, dried his hands, and turned to take her in his arms, teasing Sterling. “I’m okay with this.”

Roxy nuzzled him, and Sterling threw up his hands and walked away in disgust. “I guess I’m the only one who’s going to get any work done around here.”

Roxy smiled and let Gentry go. “I guess you should go help him figure things out,” she said. “If you really don’t want to tell me about the vision, I’ll respect that. But let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Gentry nodded. “Will you be okay on your own today? Sterling and I are going to meet with some people remotely, get some questions answered.”

She nodded. She needed some time to just cook and enjoy herself. And to consider if she could really let go of lifelong dreams for the option being presented to her now.

G
entry wasn’t surprised
to see Sterling pacing when he entered the office to meet with him.

Roxy was pushing Sterling’s buttons as easily as if someone had told her where they all were. But it wasn’t her fault.

She was just so damn easy to love, so open and easy to bond with, that it was frustrating to not be able to take it all the way.

When dragons found treasure, they wanted to lock it down.

But perhaps because Gentry had been around longer than some of the other dragons, he understood the value of good things coming to those who waited.

“She’s not trying to upset you, Sterling. I do think she means to stay.”

Sterling hmphed and stood by the window, looking out. “And if she doesn’t? How will we protect her then? Are we really supposed to keep our promise and wipe her memory and just let her go to cooking school, knowing she could still be in danger?”

“Aw, Sterling, you do care,” Gentry said sardonically, sitting down in his chair behind the large desk in the room.

Sterling’s eyes snapped to his, molten silver. “Of course I care. She’s our mate. Can’t you feel it?” He nodded. “It all makes sense. Except the fact that she hasn’t said yes yet.”

“She wants us,” Gentry said calmly. “It’s just taking her time to adjust.”

“Well, maybe it’s time we don’t have. We need to ensure the vision doesn’t happen? Have you thought about the fact that her being mated to us could make all the difference?”

Gentry nodded reluctantly. “Yes. But that still doesn’t give us the right to take the choice away from her.”

Sterling slammed a hand into the wall, making the room vibrate. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Many things don’t,” Gentry said carefully.

Sterling studied him with narrow eyes. “This is true. Like why you picked me when everyone knows you should have picked the gold dragon.”

Gentry sighed. “Not this again. Sterling, I had my reasons.”

Sterling said nothing, just turned away and looked out the window. “At times like this, I wish you had picked him. Then he could shield both of you. All I can do is watch helplessly.”

Gentry shook his head. “No. You’re helping us. You’re smart and you’re keeping an eye on things. It’ll be okay.”

Sterling remained silent.

“We should be glad we found a mate who is passionate about what she wants from life. It just takes time to adjust. We were raised to expect this life.” Gentry gestured around him. “She’s only just discovering it.”

Sterling settled in a chair with a heavy sigh. “So what next?”

“I’m sending the red and blue dragons after the wyverns. Their mate has dragon strength, and between that and the strength of the red dragon and the healing of the blue, they should be able to at least deal with a good portion of the trouble. If it’s possible, the easiest way to solve things is to get rid of the men threatening Roxy.”

“Could you see clearly who it was?”

“No, but I know they were shifters,” Gentry confirmed.

Sterling nodded and began to think. He was generally the strategist, but Gentry was best at picking dragon pairs for different jobs. He just innately understood their powers as well as their personalities. Which was important, because he was their leader and gave them orders that could mean the difference between life and death.

Still, even as Sterling started going over different options and outcomes, it was hard for Gentry not to let his mind wander over the wonderful images and feelings from last night. For the first time, someone had stayed with him after a memory, soothing away the hurt. For the first time, he’d been with someone who cared for him instead of alone.

He’d already felt bonded with her, and if he were honest with himself, he was as impatient as Sterling to hear her say she felt the same.

But he knew it was unreasonable.

Dragons chose mates differently than humans. Their beasts either responded to them or didn’t. To the strength in their hearts that dragons found beautiful. After that, the love only grew. If it could be called love. It felt like something deeper.

Something that made him want to make sure she was sealed to them forever and endowed with a power that would help them protect her.

He tried not to think about what the power could be. No one ever knew, and he didn’t want to be disappointed.

He didn’t want her to get his power. He wouldn’t wish that on anyone, though it had saved the dragons many times. It was a burden for him to bear alone.

Though she was already making it easier.

Sterling snapped his fingers in front of Gentry’s eyes. “You aren’t paying attention. What I was saying is…”

Gentry forced himself to tune in. As much as he wanted to focus on his luscious mate, her beautiful skin, soft little curls, and delicious curves, he had something more important to take care of.

Protecting her from the vision he’d seen last night.

When he’d told her she was his life, he’d meant it. He felt he would die if she died, if he allowed what he’d seen to happen. And he would die to prevent it.

And he was glad Sterling didn’t read his mind to know that.

S
terling watched his partner
, troubled by the thoughts he’d seen in his mind.

Generally, he stayed out of Gentry’s head. After all, he was leader of the dragons, and it was an act of respect.

But when he’d tuned out during their discussion, Sterling had to know what was going on.

And he didn’t like it.

So Gentry was willing to die for Roxy, while Roxy couldn’t even make up her mind as to whether she wanted them?

Sterling owed everything to Gentry. To say he would die for him was a tremendous understatement.

Sterling would kill for him.

But he wasn’t sure what to do about the current situation. He wasn’t sure what would fix the issue and stop Gentry’s nightmares, other than claiming their mate and giving her a power. Regardless of what power she received, it would give her a better chance at surviving what happened in the vision should they fail to preempt it.

After last night, Sterling had expected her to walk in begging them to complete the ceremony. Instead, she acted like everything was normal, and she was still taking her time to decide.

Time they didn’t have.

He wouldn’t watch Gentry suffer every night, and he wouldn’t watch her break both of their hearts. He would have to seek her out and make her see reason.

Gentry was no good to talk to right now anyway. Completely absorbed in perverted thoughts.

Sterling enjoyed sexuality, liked the feel and the scent in the air of lovemaking, but it didn’t overwhelm him the way it did other dragons. He supposed it was a part of being up in his head all the time. He shrugged his shoulders to let out the tension that came at the uncomfortable thought of being different than everyone else.

No, he’d liked what they’d done last night with Roxy. He just wasn’t going to let it occupy his thoughts when he had things to do.

“Why don’t you call Blue and Red, then?” Sterling said, placing a hand on Gentry’s desk to get his attention again. “Talk to them about the situation, and I’ll go make sure Roxy is feeling okay.”

Gentry gave him a curious look but nodded. He checked his mind and heard Gentry think it would be good for Sterling and Roxy to have some time to work things out between them anyway.

Sterling agreed. He needed time to get her to see reason. There was no rational way she should be able to turn them down.

Everyone would benefit from the mating, especially Roxy, who wouldn’t have to die a torturous death.

And Gentry, who wouldn’t have to be tortured by the dreams. After seeing some of the images, Sterling couldn’t blame him for being upset. They were some of the most upsetting images that had ever come through in Gentry’s visions.

At the thought of someone hurting his mate, anger surged through Sterling, and he cracked his knuckles and tried to remain calm as he felt books begin to float off the shelves. He took a deep breath, put everything back, and strode out of the room as he heard Gentry turn on his laptop to start a voice chat.

He sighed when he saw her in the kitchen, as usual, hunting through cookbooks. He took a seat at the counter and waited for her to acknowledge him.

She
should
acknowledge him.

He waited.

She gave him a glance over her shoulder, rolled her eyes, and turned back to the cookbook.

Sterling was astounded. “Have I upset you?”

She shut the cookbook a little too hard, indicating she was angry. “Actually, yes. You keep storming off like I’m doing something wrong to you. Don’t you get that this is hard for me?”

His brow lowered in confusion. “Of course I understand it’s hard for you. I simply think it may be harder for me and Gentry.”

She rolled her eyes again and let out an aggravated sigh. “Give me patience,” she said to something vaguely in the vicinity of the ceiling.

“Patience with what? I don’t understand. Patience with rich, handsome men who want to give you everything, including incredible power and immortality?”

“But not humility,” she muttered before turning on him. “You just don’t get it, do you?” she asked, eyes flashing as she planted her hands on the counter in front of him, staring him down. She was probably tall for human females, but she was small compared to him.

Sterling was unintimidated.

She put a hand to her short hair, which was done in tight curls and held back with a headband that was impractically adorned with a flower. A flower that drew attention to her sparkling eyes and full, luscious lips.

The urge to kiss her rose unbidden in him, and he brushed it away. He had business to attend to.

“I’m afraid you’re right,” he said cautiously. “I don’t get it.”

She sighed and leaned on the counter. “I have a life. Yes, it’s not full of hot men, but it’s a life. And I have dreams and aspirations. Like anyone. I mean, what’s your life’s goal?” she asked.

“To protect Gentry,” he said instantly.

“What is it with you guys?” she asked, staring into his eyes like she could suck out his secrets simply with her beauty.

She couldn’t.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked.

“You’re so… subservient.”

“I owe him everything. More than I could ever repay,” Sterling said simply. “But it’s not something I wish to discuss.”

“Fine,” she said. “And my dreams aren’t something I wish to discuss either.”

Sterling knew he’d hit a dead end and decided to reroute. “So you are passionate about cooking,” Sterling said. “Why?”

She sighed. “I feel like you’re only asking as part of some evil plan.”

“My plans are not evil,” he said, stifling a smile. “But you liked my plans fine last night.”

She bit her lip and looked away from him, embarrassed. “I… Of course I did,” she said. “But I’m liking you less this morning.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because you’re pressing me, and you’re not understanding my reasoning.”

“It isn’t reasoning. It’s emotion. And yes, I have a tough time understanding it. I have a tough time picturing you happy if you left us and went to chef’s school. Mainly because you can’t go to chef’s school if you’re dead.”

“What do you mean?” she asked. She frowned, and he instantly wanted to turn the conversation around. Emotionally, that was. Rationally, he knew he had to make her see reason.

“I mean that if we hadn’t rescued you, you’d be dead. So staying with us is still a step up on that. And if you leave, you could still die. Even if you stay with us as you are, with no power, you could still die. The safest thing would be to mate us.”

“This again,” she said, turning away to turn on the stove. “Look, a person can also die just getting into their car or going down stairs. You can’t make life decisions that way.”

“This isn’t like that,” Sterling said. “This is something that
will
happen if it’s not otherwise prevented. And it’s awful.”

She turned to him. “Then why won’t you tell me what it is?”

“Because Gentry doesn’t want me to,” he said tersely, resenting that he couldn’t just lay it all on the line for her.

“Fine,” she said. “But if I make the choice to stay with you, I need to make it for the reasons that seem right to me. Not because you’re pressuring me.”

“Fine. So tell me what it is you love so much about cooking. It’s work; that’s all,” he said.

She shook her head as she turned to face him. He had to admire the way her face seemed to light up whenever she was feeling passion.

Like last night. She’d been so beautiful. She was so beautiful. All he wanted was to prevent her from being in pain.

“Cooking is not just work,” she said. “Not for me. It’s creating and tasting and pleasing others and pleasing myself. So much is wrapped up in food. I remember being comforted by it so often growing up.” She leaned on the counter with a sigh. “My dad used to love my cooking. He said it reminded him of Mom.”

“Used to?” he asked, though he already knew the answer, having been inside her mind. But he’d found people preferred to tell you things about themselves on their own.

“He died a few years back. Heart problems,” she said sadly. “But I know he’d be happy to know I was still keeping the dream going. He always wanted me to go to chef’s school. Had money put away for me and was saving. But the medical bills from his hospital stay really depleted that. So I’ve been working for years to build it back up.” She shrugged. “I know it doesn’t seem like much to you, but it’s been everything to me. Every late shift, every night eating beans out of a can…”

“Sounds unpleasant,” Sterling said.

“It was. But it was worth it. And now I have to wrap my head around letting go of it all. Was it for nothing?”

“I don’t think so,” Sterling said. “We will bring in anyone you want. You can still have your cooking dream.”

“I appreciate that,” she said, shaking her head. “But it’s not the same.”

“And about your dad, I’m sorry that happened to you,” he said. “But I think above all, your father would want you to be safe and happy.”

She turned away, clearly stifling emotion, and he felt an overwhelming need to comfort and protect, as he often did around her.