Dogs of War Episode 5 (6 page)

Frederick acted like that answered everything, when it actually answered almost nothing. But then he continued.

“And also because we can. Choose well Ryder… or should I call you ‘Red’?”

The Jeep jangled as it hit every pot hole in its path and Sidney wondered if she were making a mistake. She’d called Demon and told him she’d meet him at the park because she could only imagine riding on the back of his motorcycle and holding on to him. She didn’t want to risk being lit up like a Christmas light while in the middle of traffic. Since it was affecting him too, they’d probably end up dead, splattered across the front of a semi like a firefly with bad luck.

It probably was a mistake. But she’d already committed so why not see it through. Maybe she could get some answers. Hell, she’d take an answer to anything. Which one of her parents was the closeted witch, why she’d been attacked in the lake, why Red was such a small minded bigot, and why her and Demon acted like firecrackers every time they touched. If she could get just one answer, she would be somewhat satisfied.

They’d agreed to meet at the one and only park Three Rivers had which took up two blocks in the middle of town. The rolling hills, shady trees, and duck pond looked inviting in the bright autumn sun, but she still felt the trickle of nerves in the base of her stomach.

It wasn’t just because Demon was so annoying. She was nervous because she didn’t want to be around him any more than she had too. All she wanted to do was find out what this weird connection they had was and leave. That’s all she wanted.

Sidney parked near the picnic tables, assuming that was where he’d be, but she didn’t see him so she got out and found a table under the shade to wait for him.

She didn’t have to wait long.

“Our table is this way,” she jerked around to see him standing there in a tight black tee-shirt and jeans that fit him way too well.

“Do you own any color other than black?” she asked, a little perturbed with herself for noticing how good he looked.

“I own exactly three shirts and all of them are black,” he grinned, her jab not bothering him at all.

“Oh,” Sidney said. That was just like him, annoying. Making her feel guilty for an off hand comment. “Well, I guess it suits you.”

“I’ll take any compliments I can get,” he put his hand on the small of her back to lead her away from the picnic table, “especially from such a pretty girl.”

She felt the tingle starting to spread from his hand across her back and she jerked away from him. “Hey, no funny business, I’m just here to see if we can figure out this whole touching thing.”

Demon held his hands up in front of him, “Look it was an unconscious gesture, and I was just returning the compliment. Jesus, get the stick out of your ass.”

She glared at him, “This was a mistake.” She turned to go but Demon jogged in front of her.

“Wait,” he said and she just kept walking, with him jogging backwards in front of her, “I made food and everything, you could at least come eat.”

She stopped, “I said I’d come on the condition that you wouldn’t be a jackass, and yet the jackassery has already begun.”

“Sorry, sorry, I’ll be on my best behavior from now on.” He held up the scout sign and gave her an innocent expression. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Demon had never been a Boy Scout. She rolled her eyes but turned to go with him anyway.

He led her to a shady area near a willow tree, where they had a good view of the pond, but were also very secluded. No one would be able to see them from the road or the more heavily trafficked areas of the park. She again had a feeling that this had not been the best idea.

“So what do you think is causing these…” she searched for the word she wanted as she found a spot on the blanket he’d laid out, between a small cooler and a tool box, “strange feelings when we touch.”

“Let’s eat first, I’m starving and I can’t think on an empty stomach.”

Sidney didn’t say anything, she was hungry too. She hadn’t eaten anything since early that morning when she’d rolled out of bed feeling more tired than she had when she’d gone to sleep.

“Here, have a drink while I get everything ready,” he handed her a wine glass and fished an unlabeled bottle out of the cooler, pouring her a full glass of the golden liquid.

She was hesitant to drink so early in the day but she took a sip anyway as Demon sat out several tin foil covered bowls and plates.

“Oh my god, this is delicious. What is it?”

“Mead,” he replied as he piled a plate with tiny little filled croissant sandwiches, long green beans, and some sort of yellow mushy looking stuff.

“Mead?”

“Yup, I had some in Asheville and had brought home a case along with some fancy fucking beer that costs a ridiculous sum of money.  Dirty fucking hippies. Obviously mead is making a 300 year overdue comeback.”

“Well good, because this is amazing!” Sidney drained the rest of the glass, the sweet mellow taste had hardly even a hint of alcohol and it was divine as it slid across her tongue. “I’m going to need to know where you got it and order it by the crate.” He handed her the bottle so she could pour herself another glass, which she did.

“No worries, I’ve got their business card in my pocket, you can order enough to bathe in,” he settled back with his own plate and glass of wine. “Ah, this is the good life. Good food, good drink, and a pretty girl to share it with.”

Sidney frowned, “That’s enough of that, Demon. Not being a jackass means no flirting either.”

“I don’t think that’s what it means at all, I think a jackass would be someone who wasted such a beautiful day in such a beautiful spot not flirting with the beautiful woman sitting across from him.”

The sun highlighted his jet black hair and made his eyes look even lighter than normal against the planes of his ruggedly handsome face. Sidney took another long sip of her mead, upgrading the situation from ‘not the best idea’ to ‘probably a big mistake’, “The thing is Demon, I’m kind of still with Red.”

His eyes darkened. “Oh, I think you’ll find that you are not. Red isn’t a very forgiving soul.”

“But I haven’t done anything that needs to be forgiven. He just needs to stop being so bigoted. As soon as I show him that there is no difference between who I am now and who I was before I found out what I am, I’m sure he’ll come around.”

Demon shrugged, “Well you can try, but I doubt you’ll like the results. Probably easier to save yourself the heartache and move on.”

“With you?” she asked incredulously.

“And why not, we already seem to have some kind of connection. And I know you don’t find me repulsive.”

Sidney felt her cheeks heat and hoped he didn’t notice, “I find you infuriating and rude and self centered.”

“Ah, but not repulsive?”

She couldn’t help it, she had to laugh, “Shut up and eat your food Demon, that mouth always has something to say.”

“Mmmm unless I’m doing something else with it,” the sexual purr in his voice sent unwanted shivers through Sidney and she decided to give up on conversation and eat, as she’d advised him to do. He was obviously better at banter than her and her mouth might be the one that got them into trouble.

Instead of letting herself think about the sexy dangerous looking man across from her, who seemed perfectly fine with the fact that she was a witch, she concentrated on the food. The delicate croissants were filled with savory Carolina style barbeque that almost melted in your mouth, complimented by the tangy potato salad, and sautéed green beans. It was all delicious, she wasn’t sure if she’d had a better meal since she’d been in town, and she couldn’t believe he’d gone to such trouble for a picnic. He shouldn’t be that gorgeous and be able to cook too. The talents needed to be spread out a little more fairly than that. Then again, he also had that irritating personality, so maybe it evened out.

“This is all very good,” she said, the silence had become a little awkward, though Demon seemed perfectly content lying on his side, propped on an elbow and enjoying his food.

“Yes, because I made it instead of you.”

Sidney opened her mouth to make a biting retort and ended up laughing instead, it was true she was a horrible cook. “I can make a decent macaroni and cheese now.”

“Good, glad to know you won’t starve if you run out of microwave dinners.”

“How did you get to be such a good cook?” she asked, genuinely interested. You wouldn’t think life in a werewolf biker gang would lend itself to much interest in the culinary arts.

“The real question is, ‘How do people not learn how to cook?’ Because everyone has to eat, you’d think people would want to eat good stuff, so they’d learn how to cook it.”

“Well I don’t know about everyone else, but it just never interested me,” she said.

“What does interest you?” he was looking at her again with those eyes. It made her feel all quivery inside.

“Nothing that would interest you probably,” she said wanting to turn his attention to anything but her.

“Why not? I find you very interesting so what is interesting to you, also interests me.”

“You shouldn’t,” she said, looking down at her now empty plate.

“I shouldn’t what?”

“Find me interesting. I’ve got so much going on right now, my life is a mess. And not to mention Red. I mean we are practically still together and…”

Demon moved lightening fast, taking her plate out of her hands and tossing it to the side, placing his hand behind her neck and pulling her roughly to him.

“Fuck Red,” his lips were inches away from hers as he looked into her eyes, she was sure he could see her deepest secrets there, one of them being that she wanted him to kiss her in that moment more than she would ever admit to herself.

And he did. His lips caressing hers, tongue sliding gently between her lips as he explored and tasted her.

She felt the energy building. Not the fiery flashes that had happened before but a slow simmer that made her whole body feel electric, matching the desire that was also rising within her.

This wasn’t right, her mind screamed inside her as Demon drew her even closer, holding her body in his strong arms. What about Red? Her mind asked. But her body didn’t care about morals, or boundaries, or anything else. Her body wanted this man, and it was more than apparent that he wanted her too.

His hand slipped up the back of her shirt and she felt him undoing the clasp of her bra. She should stop him. They were in public, this was moving too fast, she was Red’s, she didn’t even like Demon, and there were about a hundred other reasons she should stop, but she didn’t. She felt the trail of fire as it moved with his hand, down her back, around her side, and up her belly, until he finally pushed bra aside, cupping her breast, his thumb playing over the nipple.

She moaned against his him, all fears and questions flying out the window, her body was ready and her brain was just going to have to get with the program. Sidney’s hands found him, hard and ready under his jeans and she rubbed the length of him, hoping he felt the same need that was exploding in her. A deep guttural noise came from him as she teased him through his clothes with her fingers, the sound making her even bolder. She pushed him down on the ground and straddled him, enjoying the feel of him between her legs.

His hands came up and under her shirt to hold her breast and tease her nipples as she ground against him, his eyes on her watching her movement with appreciation. She was almost ready to explode and neither of them had shed any clothes.

Thoughts of how far she should take it in such a public place had long since been left behind, all that was left was need. Her hands came down to his waist to unbutton his pants, all her inhibitions pushed away, ready to feel him move inside her, ready to get lost as the strange energy surged through them as they joined.

His eyes watched her hands as they worked at the button and it finally slipped free. She could see that he was as anxious, as needy, as she was. She started pulling down the zipper, sure she was going to burst with anticipations… and the phone rang.

They both froze. She could feel the phone in his pocket, vibrating against her thigh.

“Goddamnit. Ignore it,” Demon swore, sitting up to hold her tighter, trying to capture her lips with his again.

But she pushed him away. The sound had broken her out of whatever spell she’d been under, brought her back to reality.

“No, you should get it, it might be important,” she swung herself off of him and began straightening her clothes, mortified that she’d let things go that far. In a public park.