Chapter 8 - Nic

It's Saturday morning and I've woken up really, really late. I was tossing and turning for the longest time, thinking and wondering and questioning myself if I did the right thing by turning Lex down. I mean, how will I know if there can even be anything between us till I explore what we're feeling? But I am scared to give in. My previous relationship has left me feeling unsure of myself.

I am fixing brunch for Penny and me in our tiny kitchenette. Chocolate chip pancakes and banana muffins. Penny's gone to get our coffees from a little cafe on the corner. She has a date later, but I promise myself that even though I'm going to be alone for the rest of the day, I won't spend the day obsessing over Lex. Instead, I'll spend it pampering myself.

The door opens as I stack up the pancakes on our plates and pull out the muffins from the oven. Penny walks in, balancing a large bouquet on her hip with every kind of flower imaginable in it. She's holding our coffees in the other hand. Putting down the coffees on the table by the door, she walks to the center island carrying the bouquet. It is the largest and the most beautiful flower arrangement I have ever seen. I can't help goggling. There are hydrangeas, red, yellow and orange roses, stargazers, lilies, and other exotic looking flowers I don't even recognize. I rush forward to help her.

"Whoa, somebody's got a secret admirer," I say, grinning at her.

"Yeah, somebody has an admirer, although not very secret at all," she says, grinning from ear to ear. "I met the flower guy at the door."

"Oh. Oh!" My eyes flit from Penny's face to the little card that is pinned to the base.

"It simply says ‘Say YES'. I mean that could be from anybody. It might just as well be for you," I say feebly as I sit down on one of the stools and put my head down on my folded arms on the kitchen island.

"Right, and I'm the Queen of England," she says, rolling her eyes, sitting down across from me on the other side.

"Does it make me weak for wanting to give in already?" I groan without looking up.

"No sweetie, it makes you human," Penny says, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I've never received flowers before," I confess.

"Shut up." Penny looks at me wide-eyed. I merely shrug. "Manuel never bought you flowers?" Her frank disbelief makes me wince slightly.

"He's not the only boyfriend I've had, you know." I sit up and lean forward on my elbows. A smile spreads on my face when I look at the flowers.

"Oh, come on! He has been your only long-term boyfriend," she scoffs.

"Well, Manuel thought that flowers as a gift were wasteful since they only end up in the garbage bin two days later," I say, still smiling widely. Suddenly, talking about what an ass Manuel really is doesn't seem too difficult, not with this huge bunch of cheerful, colorful flowers brightening our little kitchenette.

"He did pretty well for himself, didn't he? He is an overpaid corporate attorney for heaven's sake! And they're not wasteful if they make you happy. What a cheapskate!" Penny says, disgust evident in her voice. "But you know who isn't a cheapskate," she says, winking at me suggestively.

"I can't go out with him. Tell me it's wrong. Tell me I shouldn't be thinking of agreeing to his demands," I beg.

"Well, technically, it's not wrong, but darling, it's so, so naughty," she says with another broad grin. "If I had a sexy hot hunk of a boss trying to seduce me, I wouldn't have played so hard to get."

"That's not what I'm doing!" I protest.

"I know, sweetie," she sighs. "But will you promise me something?"

"What?"

"No matter what you decide, just enjoy this, alright? Don't think too much. Allow yourself to feel happy. Don't beat yourself up for liking it. You're finally being treated the way you deserve to be treated," she says, giving my hand a squeeze. I am so glad to have a friend like Penny in my life. I get up, walk around the island, and put my arms around her.

"Thank you. You're the best," I say, squeezing her.

"You're welcome. And I know I'm the best," she grins.

"And so modest," I say, rolling my eyes as I go back to the stove.

"Enough yapping. Feed me already."

Throughout the brunch, my eyes keep darting to the bouquet. I know I'm grinning from ear to ear. The heady perfume from the medley of flowers is turning my brain to mush. I know I'm in deep, deep trouble.

Later in the day

It's almost evening. After a leisurely bath where I may or may not have imagined Lex in there with me, I'm lounging on the couch in my comfy PJs in front of the TV, watching one of my all-time favorite movies Sleepless in Seattle. But I'm hardly able to pay attention to the movie, probably because I keep grinning like an idiot and glancing around the living room.

Five more bouquets, each larger than the previous, are now occupying every available flat surface in our living room. I've been accepting flower deliveries every hour throughout the day. I'm trying to tell myself that I'm not all that charmed, but I am failing miserably. When the sixth bouquet arrived, I called Lex and told him to stop sending the flowers as I didn't have any room left for them. He just said ‘okay' and hung up, which was a bit disappointing. But I could hear the smile in his voice, and I'm sure as hell that he heard the smile in mine.

When the doorbell rings, I think it is another delivery. I jump out of the couch, eagerly rushing to the door. Despite what I said to Lex on the phone earlier, I was kind of hoping that he wouldn't stop sending the flowers. I had even picked out a spot for the next one. If I angle the one on the center island just right, there might be space to squeeze in another one. Provided it's not humungous.

I buzz the delivery guy in. This time, he's holding a single long-stemmed red rose. But before he can hand it to me, it gets snatched out of his hand. My gaze follows the hand that's holding the rose, up the strong, bare forearm with its light sprinkling of dark hair to the body that it is attached to. Even before I see his face, I already know it's Lex.

"Lex."

There's a mile-wide grin on my face. He's wearing a white polo shirt, open at the neck, and stone-washed jeans. This is the first time I've seen him wearing something other than a suit. Just looking at him is making my mouth water.

"Changed your mind yet?" he asks with his lopsided smile.

The flower guy is watching the exchange with interest. Lex fixes him with a stare, which makes him scramble for the stairs. Lex turns to look at me again.

"It's wrong, Lex." I try to sound serious, but my wide grin spoils the effect. I can't help it. He hands me the rose and walks into the living room.

"Nice place," he says, meaning it. When he sees the flowers, he looks terribly pleased with himself.

"Thanks. It's not much, but I like it," I say, my smile refusing to leave my face. I walk in behind him and shut the door.

He turns around and takes in my PJs. They're pink and fuzzy, and match the fuzzy rabbit slippers. The robe I threw on earlier in the day is hanging open around my middle. In this outfit, the only exposed parts of me are my hands, neck, and face. Yet the way his hot, hot gaze travels leisurely down my body makes me feel as if I'm wearing the sexiest, skimpiest clothes on the planet. I'm tempted to fan my face.

"It's hot in here!" I say, tossing the robe on the couch. "I'll adjust the thermostat."

I try to hurry past him, but he blocks my way. When he takes a step forward, our toes almost touch. I feel his warm breath on my face.

"Say yes to the date and perhaps we can find out just how hot we can make each other," he says. His eyes are the color of stormy skies, and the edges of his irises have gone silver. Surely it's a trick of the light? I blink and his eyes are normal again.

But I step away nonetheless. I just can't figure him out. He has this aura that screams danger, yet I know deep down in my gut that I can trust him, and he'll never let me come to harm. It's this knowing that scares me. I have never felt this deep connection with anybody before. It's futile to resist. I can't fool myself anymore.

"Yes."

"Say that again," he says, closing the distance between us.

"Yes. I will go on a date with you. But that's all I will do," I say, looking up into his eyes.

"I can work with that," he says, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear that's come loose from the messy bun on top of my head. My skin tingles where he touches me, and my gaze drops down to his lips. If I move my head forward just a little, my lips will touch his. As if reading my mind, he dips his head.

"I'm home! Ugh! That date was a bust," Penny says as she opens the front door and walks in. "Whoa! Oh!"

She is grinning as she looks at the flowers and then at the two of us, standing inches apart.

"Hey Lex," she says flirtatiously as she walks in with an exaggerated sway of her hips. I roll my eyes.

"Penny!" I admonish.

"What? If you won't go out with him, can I?" she winks at me.

"Sorry, gorgeous. We are going on our first date tomorrow," Lex says, grinning at her. "I'll pick you up at 8 am," he murmurs, tracing a finger down my cheek. "Bye Penny," he says to her, waving as he exits.

Penny pumps her fists in the air and hoots.

"Calm down, it's only a date. And not even a ‘date' date. He's taking me around New York, that's all," I say, collapsing on the couch, trying to convince myself as much as I'm trying to convince her.

I already know it will be more than just a date.

Next day…

We pull up in front of the Rockefeller Plaza just before sunset.

"Last touristy destination for the day - Top Of The Rock," Lex says in his best tour guide voice.

Lex picked me up at 8 am as he'd promised. We had the most amazing cream cheese bagels and coffee for breakfast in the car en-route to the Empire State Building, which was the first stop on the list. I thoroughly enjoyed the elevator ride and the views from both the observatories. On the 86th floor, I was running around like a lunatic, enthusiastically yelling the names of all the landmarks. ‘Look! One World Trade Center! Chrysler Building! Macy's! Liberty Island!' and on and on I went. When I realized that I might have been a bit too enthusiastic and apologized, Lex merely pulled me to his side, kissed the tip of my nose, and told me I was enchanting. I almost melted in his arms.

My desire for him has been on a slow simmer throughout the day. He found many, many excuses to hold my hand, put his arm around my waist, kiss my cheek, the back of my hand, and to simply touch me. But he also made sure that I had a lot of fun. From the Empire State Building, we went to Madame Tussauds. I didn't know that my hot, powerful billionaire CEO boss could be silly when the mood struck him, but he was exactly that, and we have about a hundred or so pictures we took in the museum to prove it.

I became aware of yet another aspect of his multifaceted personality, when for lunch we headed to the Chelsea Market instead of a Michelin Star restaurant. There was an oddly intimate moment when Lex fed me some of the filling from his taco. After lunch, we walked around Chelsea Market holding hands, taking in the sights, the smells, the people. There's something very special and cozy about just holding hands, isn't there?

And now, I feel a sharp stab of disappointment, knowing that our not-really-a-date date is almost at an end.

His arm is around my waist as we enter the lobby.

"Since you're all about views, I thought we'd begin and end the day with grand views," Lex says, smiling down at me. He is so thoughtful, I think as I snuggle closer to him as we come to a halt under the waterfall-like crystal chandelier.

"What do you see?" he asks with a grin.

"The chandelier looks like this building! Only upside down," I say, awed. He is beaming when I figure it out.

A quick elevator ride later, we have reached the observatory. Once again, I am awed by the views. With the sun almost setting, the buildings and the rivers are doused in golden light. Central Park stands like a lush green oasis in the center. As the sky begins to darken, the lights are coming on. It is a treat to watch the Empire State Building being lit.

"This is magical," I whisper, thoroughly awed.

"I'm glad you liked it. I loved spending time with you today, Nic," he says, pulling me into his arms. I don't resist. My hands are on his chest, and I'm feeling the steady beat of his heart under my palm.

"I set out to charm you, but was charmed by you instead. I love the way your face lights up every time you see or experience something new. You are utterly, utterly enchanting. Never ever change, Nic."

His words touch me. I blink rapidly to clear away the sudden tears.

"Nic," he whispers my name with his lips millimeters away from mine. My arms climb up his chest and twine around his neck. He presses my body to his with a hand placed firmly on the small of my back. His eyes are boring into mine with such intensity that I am hypnotized by his gaze. When he dips his head down, I tilt and lift my head to meet his lips.

The kiss is like nothing I've experienced before. It was warm, tender, soft, sending bolts of desire coursing through my veins. But underlying the desire is something more, something I can't yet define. I feel this undeniable pull to him that I know is more than lust. The taste of him coupled with the heat from his kiss is a potent combination. His hand cradles my neck and tilts my head. When he deepens the kiss and our tongues mate, I moan. Neither of us wants to let go or let the kiss end, but eventually, we have to come up for air.

I feel drugged, dazed, drunk. Sudden panic grips my heart. If he can make me feel like this with one kiss, how much more will I feel if I sleep with him? I try to step away from him hastily.

"Don't apologize, don't say it shouldn't have happened," he warns, tightening his arms around my waist.

I open and close my mouth like a fish out of water. Words refuse to form.

"Come home with me," he says, holding me captive with his intense gaze.

"I can't," I mumble, looking away.

"Why not?" he demands.

"I'm sorry, Lex. We've been over this," I reach around me and pry his arms loose. He doesn't resist. I hate myself for disappointing him, but self-preservation comes first.

For a moment, his jaw tenses, but then he smiles. I exhale in relief. But my relief is short-lived.

"I am not giving up, Nic."

"Lex…"

"No! What are you so afraid of? We are two consenting adults with healthy sexual urges. It's only a bit of fun! It's not like we have to marry each other!"

His words feel like a knife in my gut. Tears spring unbidden to my eyes. I quickly turn away from him to hide them. What he says makes perfect sense, but what about the fact that I'm already feeling something for Lex?

"I don't want to complicate matters. I had to end things with my boyfriend of three years a couple of months back. I am not looking for a relationship right now," I whisper, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible.

He turns me around so that I'm facing him again.

"And neither am I. We are extremely attracted to each other and that's it. That's what we are exploring. No messy relationships. Sort of like friends with benefits," he insists, perhaps rather too vehemently.

Why do his words hurt so much? Didn't he feel what I felt with that kiss? Didn't he feel the connection?

"I'm sorry. I can't."

I turn away, pretending to look at the city lights in order to hide my tears. I cannot let this get out of hand.

***

Few thousand miles away…

The man with the matted blond hair and the long, unkempt beard moved closer to the fire he had built in the cave. His torso, covered in strange tattoos, was naked. The bottom half of his body was covered in tattered old rags that might have been a respectable pair of jeans at one time. His eyes were slightly unfocused as he stared into the fire.

Sometimes, he saw her face in it, and at other times, he felt her beside him in the dark, damp cave that had been his home for the last couple of years. She also came to him in his dreams and spoke to him. He lived for those moments.

She understood his life purpose like nobody else did. Hadn't she guided the other dragon shifters to him? Hadn't he taught them the dangers of seeking a mate? Hadn't he saved their lives? They were eternally grateful to him. He knew they were, even if some of them, especially the younger ones, thought he was mad. But he didn't mind them thinking it. He knew he was insane.

Mad people denied that they were mad. It was thought to be a sign of insanity. So if he knew that he was mad, did that make him sane or insane? He'd bet the best philosophers wouldn't be able to solve this quandary. He giggled gleefully. His brain surprised him sometimes with its amazing ability for reason and logic.

He threw a dried wooden stick from the pile next to him into the fire. But his brain had never helped him in the search for his followers. That was his gut. And his gut had told him that a dragon shifter risked being ensnared to a soul mate. He had sent two of his followers to New York a couple of days ago. They were due to arrive any time now. Ah, there they were!

Two airborne, dragon-shaped shadows were growing larger and larger as they approached the mouth of the cave in the dark of the night. They shifted as they landed on their feet, turning into their human forms: one male and one female. Quickly wrapping themselves in the robes placed immediately inside the mouth of the cave, they turned to face him.

"You were right, Carnelian," the man said. "Smoky Quartz has found his soul mate. But he refuses to acknowledge it."

The dragon shifter known as the Carnelian stood up to his impressive height of over six feet, and placing his hands on his hips, cracked his back. Then he stretched his arms over his head and gave a big yawn.

"Well, that's good then, isn't it?" he said in a mild voice.

"But we must stop them at all cost!" he suddenly shouted. The female shifter, a teenager, shrank back against the wall with her eyes wide in terror.

Poor dear, he thought. She was so young. No wonder she was scared.

"Get a grip," her male companion murmured through clenched teeth when she whimpered.

"What do we do next, Carnelian? Is it time for action?" the man asked.

The Carnelian paced the length of the cave with his head hanging down and his hands clasped behind him, humming under his breath.

"Keep an eye on the pair," he said after long moments.

The girl yelped when he abruptly dropped down on the ground and sat cross-legged in the lotus pose with his eyes closed. He could hear them talking amongst themselves in whispers, and although he hadn't given them permission to leave, they left nonetheless.

They left him. He had nobody. Everybody always left him. Tears streamed down his dirt-covered cheeks into his long beard. Curling himself into a ball in one corner on the cold and damp floor, he sobbed in earnest.

He would be alone forever.