Dragon Star (A Shifter Football League Novel) (21 page)

* * *

M
ia waited outside
on the porch again for her date. Ten minutes earlier, the housekeeper alerted her to a truck waiting in the driveway. As soon as he did, she hurried out to meet Jax. He got out of his truck wearing his usual t-shirt and jeans, but Mia wasn't going to complain. Jax wasn’t the typical guy who asked her out, and that was a very good thing indeed.

“Are you trying to kill me, babe?”

Normally, Mia would tell a guy off for calling her babe, but the words coming from Jax struck the right chord.

“You know we’re not going to a fancy restaurant, right? There’s no roads going into Black Bear territory, and you’re going to wear that dress and those heels?”

She sadly peered down at her heels. “I'm sorry. I can go back in and change.”

“No,” he shouted. “Don't do that. Please, don't do that. It’s driving me crazy, but don’t change.”

“You’ll handle it, I’m sure.”

But that heated glare told her maybe not.

Mia was glad to see that he held the truck door open for her and gave her plenty of room to hop in.

Once she saw the height, she faltered.

“Take my hand,” he said.

She placed her tiny hand in his giant palm. His fingers wrapped around hers and helped lift her up easily, another thing that other dates had gotten wrong. They always seemed to be afraid of her size.

The way Jax's eyes roamed over her shapely body told her that he approved.

She settled into the seat and muttered a meek, “Thank you.”

They'd been at each other's throats a few days ago. Nothing had changed. He might like Mia in that dress – much appreciated – but he was still the opposition, the one thing keeping her from saving her company.

There was no chance she would forget that.

Jax got into the driver seat.

He seemed awkward with the truck, forgetting to put it into reverse at first.

“Sorry, I don't usually drive, but I didn't think you'd like a ride on the back of a bear.”

“Who said I wouldn’t?”

Jax hit the brakes. “I can ditch the truck, if you’d like?”

She flashed a nervous grin at him. Then they were off again. “It's fine. I was actually wondering how you were going to pick me up. Running through the woods anytime you want much be such a convenience.”

“Uh huh. It is. I don't know how you non shifters do it. I'm always tempted to go off-roading. Don't like the roads, or anyone telling me where to go,” he said, as they reversed down the driveway and then drove onward.

“Please, stay on the road,” Mia said nervously.

“Don't worry, I'll be extra careful with such delicate cargo.”

“Delicate,” she repeated and shot him a glare. “You think I'm delicate?”

“Getting off on the wrong foot already.” Jax laughed. “Didn't mean it like that. I should've said
precious
cargo.”

“How about not calling me cargo?”

Jax laughed again. “Sure, sure, you got me there. The important word was precious. I'll shut up now.”

“No, that's okay. Keep talking.” Mia placed her hands on her lap and squeezed. Admitting that she enjoyed Jax hitting on her might encourage him. And Mia was scared of that. But her mouth just kept going, and she couldn’t stop it.

“Mia, I don't want to talk about our differences. I want you to enjoy yourself today. Any talk of business is off the table, okay?”

“Hmm, I suppose I can agree to that. It might be for the best.”

“Let's have a good time. I don't want to argue with you. And I can tell you're a woman who is going to hold her ground. I'm not sure if you can tell yet, but I'm one stubborn bear.”

“Oh, I got that much. It's good to stick to your guns. If you took the offer at once, I might’ve thought less of you.”

“There we go, talking business.”

She clasped her lips. “Shit. Sorry. Didn't mean to. Are we starting the rule now?”

“Starting it...now,” he said. They both nodded to one another.

Jax stretched out. “It's like all this heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”

For Mia, it sank in. How could she forget all those people who counted on her? Trying to distract herself, she directed her attention to Jax and the surrounding countryside. Even the cut down section of woods was beautiful. Some seedlings had taken root, and the rolling hills of grass looked somber, but still beautiful.

As they neared the line that separated the bears from Marchini land, the fall foliage appeared like an ocean sunset. The wide trees stood guard, ancient gatekeepers to the Black Bear's land.

Could she really go along with her plan? It looked so majestic. So right.

Best not to go there. They had an agreement now. An agreement to simply enjoy their time together. No business. Just fun. It shouldn’t be so hard.

Her eyes wandered away from the woods and onto Jax. Talk about an enchanting sight. She bit her lip and watched as he squeezed the wheel, his bulky triceps flexing.

Any girl would want those rough hands on her thighs. If he touched her, she would soften, then melt like butter against his chest. Jax had a strange power over her. Mia thought she could deflect any man’s advances, since she’d been burned and underwhelmed so many times before.

“Here we are. We'll have to walk the rest of the way there. I hope that's okay?”

“That's fine with me,” she said. “It looks beautiful here. I wouldn't mind taking a walk. I suppose it's been a while since anyone from my family has been invited.”

“If ever, but don't worry about that. The bears will be all over you. I'll need to fight them off.”

“Oh, great. That sounds comforting. Do they have any idea who I am?”

They stopped at the dead end. He squeezed the wheel.

“No, and I suggest it stays that way. A lot of them aren't happy with your family. And that's all I should say about that.”

He hopped out of the truck. Jax held his hand out for Mia to take. She graciously accepted help out of the tall vehicle.

“You're just going to leave it here?”

“Someone steals it and they'll leave their scent. No one's got a better sense of smell than I do.”

“Glad I decided to wear this perfume.”

Jax started toward the woods. “Oh, you smell delicious, and I'm not talking about the perfume.”

“Stop,” she said, chuckling as she caught up to him. “I'm trying hard to not like you, and you're kind of ruining that.”

“Damn, wait until I'm inside you. You'll love me then.”

“What?” she blurted out.

The nerve of that man...he didn’t even give her a response!

Mia rolled her eyes as they kept going. Inside her? Best to laugh it off. But the joke hadn't been too funny. Mia's sex pounded in response. Every step had her thighs rustling together, the friction incredible. Another man saying that and she would’ve been disgusted, but he had been so confident and so sure.

Since when did she become so sensitive? So alert and alive?

They strolled down the path, ginormous trees flanking them. In the distance, a grouping of trees cast a reddish tint.

Mia ran up to them. Then she regretted it. She always ran weird. She felt self conscious that Jax would say something, but instead he remained by her side, not saying a word, only observing as she ran her hands over the intricate bark.

Above, butterflies floated among the branches. The wild, carefree side of her that she thought she'd left behind in childhood was emerging from her pessimistic shell.

“What is this, Jax?”

“This is what we call the Big Trees. If you're looking for a better name, call them the ancients.”

“I've never seen anything like them,” she exclaimed.

He grinned, shook his head, and leaned against the tree, waiting for her. “Not many non shifters have. They only grow when shifters tend to the land.”

A worried look marred her face. Mia understood what she'd be destroying now. But maybe there would be a way to develop around them? Her mind spun with wild ideas. Turning it into a tourist site…but none of it seemed right, especially when she stood beneath the ancient tree in all its glory.

“Take me to the next spot. I can't wait!” she shouted. Mia jumped and caught Jax's hand.

“All right, all right,” he said as he pushed off the tree. “You're so excited you look like you're going to piss yourself. I'll show you everything. No need to freak out. You’ll have your mind blown by the end of the night.”

He grinned at her, like he meant something else. Like he meant sex. Opening her wide and pushing in deep. Taking her, blowing her mind, far more than any magical sights of these woods could.

Maybe it was just her imagination. This place certainly wouldn’t help curb that.

Mia gulped. She took a leaping hop and then pulled him forward.

“Come on, show me everything like you said!”

Mia had lived her whole life wondering what was on the other side of their land. Her father tried to tell her that it was nothing special. Only a bunch of squatters settling there, taking up space and never paying for it.

He'd been lying the entire time.

At her doorstep, there was a beautiful, new world, and it had been calling to Mia for her entire life.

Now she would explore it for the first time, and realize what she had been missing for years.

* * *

A
s they traveled on
, Mia wondered if she would
ever
get an introduction.

If he was serious about her, it seemed like Jax would introduce her to the other bears, but she agreed to listen to him for now. Mia was still Lucca's daughter, and Lucca, from what she understood, was a name you didn't speak of kindly in Black Bear Park. It made her feel like she was Voldemort’s daughter.

They walked amongst the various rows of homes, each one so different, all made by hand. It amazed her how much personality went into each and got her thinking about how her plans called for uniformity.

All the charm would be gone.

But modern America liked standard homes. A house that stood out and didn't follow the housing code could bring complaints from neighbors. There were strict housing codes for reasons. Reasons that would make her rich customers happy, and their company richer.

Mia had done all the research. She'd been buried in it. Now she shoved that all to the side, easily done, when a new breathtaking sight was on the next horizon.

“Is that a freakin' waterfall?” Mia gasped. “I'm going to lose my voice with all this screaming.”

“That is a waterfall,” Jax stated bluntly.

She raced ahead with Jax keeping up pace just by walking. They met at the edge of a crystal-clear pool. It even had a cove underneath, because a waterfall wasn’t complete unless it had a secret, romantic cove underneath its falls of course.

“This is crazy,” Mia said while her eyes bugged out. “I wish I brought a bathing suit. We can swim in here, right?”

“Yes, you most definitely can. We don't have as many rules as non shifters. Don't get me wrong, we have unspoken rules, but swimming in a lake isn't one of them.”

“I really wish I brought my bathing suit, but I don't want to get my dress wet.”

Jax leaned over into the pool and splashed her. Only a small amount hit her, but it was enough for Mia to yelp and jump back.

“Hey,” she yelled, and she playfully pushed him as he stood back up.

Perhaps Mia put too much force into the push, because it sent him tumbling in.

I just shoved a bear shifter...oh my God, I’m dead, aren’t I?

“I'm sorry,” Mia shouted as he broke from the surface.

He flung his raven hair back. Jax rubbed his eyes and gasped. Then he let out a long, guttural laugh.

“If you were really sorry, you would've jumped in to save me,” he said as he did backstrokes.

Mia folded her arms. “I would, but I'm wearing a dress. A dress that I love.”

“Then take it off,” he said, already undressing her with his eyes. “We don't have rules against nudity around here.”

“You'd like that, wouldn't you? Getting me out of this dress won't be so easy, mister.”

Jax smirked at her. Like he had something important to say.  “If you were a shifter, you know what type of shifter you'd be? A
pussy
.”

She clawed at the air and gave him a feral meow. “A fuckin' hell cat, that's what I'd be.”

“No doubt about it.” He waded over to the edge of the pool and flicked his wet hair back again.

“Jump into my arms. I promise I'll keep you from getting wet.” He held his arms out.

“You can't promise something like that!”

“I'm a bear shifter.”

“I don't care who you are.”

“You're right. I just want you in my damned arms already. Will you please get in? Otherwise, I'm going to swim by myself.”

Mia ignored him. “This is a good dress. Too good.”

“Fine, have it your way. I'm going to enjoy this nice, natural pool, a once in a lifetime experience. You can watch me.”

Jax dipped under and swam around underneath. Mia crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

When he broke the surface again, she said, “Okay, you win. I'm coming in. But I'm not coming in with my dress.”

His tongue swirled against his cheek and his almond eyes darkened. “Then how will you come in? You've already seen me naked. It's only fair that you share.”