Page 39 of Lahaina Noon (Modern Legends of Dragons & Shadows #1)

Chapter 39

A fter a long hot shower, Bridget was starting to feel like herself again. I have really got to stop passing out and waking up in strange places, she thought. She winced as the hot water stung her knees. They were bruised and tender, probably from when she hit the floor.

A cold wind wrapped around her in the shower suddenly, sending chills over her skin. She heard whispers, sliding over the sounds of the pounding water.

She looked around the steam-filled room but didn’t see anyone. The warm water removed the chill, but she shivered anyway. A knock on the door made her jump.

“Bridget? Are you okay in there?” called Vaughn.

She smiled; he was hovering like a nervous hen near her first eggs. “I’m fine,” she called as she shut off the water. Just having phantoms whispering at me and blowing cold air up my skirt, she thought, careful not to let that slip over to Vaughn. She didn’t need him worrying any more than he already was. Who knew he could be so clingy? Of course, if it had been him who’d basically dropped dead at her feet, she wouldn’t have been able to breathe, much less bring down a mountain.

She smiled at that while she dried off. Her fierce warrior, so angry he’d almost destroyed a fortress that had stood for millennia. He loved her beyond reason, and all else he’d told her. She believed it. She reached for a brush, smiling at it, and remembering how, not too long ago, a different brush had started the day that changed it all. Tapping it on her palm, she walked out into the bedroom, wrapped in a robe and found Vaughn sitting nervously on a chair, waiting for her.

He sprang to his feet and rushed to her. “Are you alright? What do you need?”

She smiled, patting him on the chest. “Could you help me brush my hair?” she asked.

He nodded swiftly and led her to the bed. He sat down and leaned against the headboard, patting the comforter, inviting her to sit between his legs.

She sat with her back to him, hugging her knees to her chest while he gently pulled the brush through her hair. “Mm.” She sighed in pleasure. “That feels amazing.”

He smiled as he held the damp locks in his hands. They were like strands of rubies, ropes of fire, and they drove him crazy when they brushed across his stomach.

Bridget relaxed, letting the rhythm soothe her as he patiently worked through her hair in sections. Earlier, her family had all come in to visit her and reassure themselves that she was alive. She received hugs, tears, and more hugs. She thought they were going to have to remove Jorrie with a crane if she didn’t let go. Even little Bunny had come in, giving her wishes to get well. Jack was somber, but it was to be expected. Of all them, the news about Brian’s murder affected her, Gabe, and Jack the most.

Vaughn had told her about his conversation with Jack in the hallway, she wasn’t surprised about Jack’s need for vengeance. Under his silly exterior, the man was a block of steel. He’d been so steady all these years, she knew he wouldn’t waver now. She’d been glad to see her friends and family, but she was also glad when they’d left. She’d had food, she’d had her family, and a hot shower. Now there was one more thing she needed. “My love,” she whispered.

The brushing paused, “Hmm?”

She turned to face him, taking the brush and laying it on the nearby table. “We need to talk.”

Vaughn stared at her. Those words were seldom followed by anything good, but if she wanted to talk, he would listen. He nodded.

She stared into his eyes, seeing his fear there and hated what she was about to do. “I need,” she paused. He started to speak, and she shook her head. “I need to tell you what happened.”

He gave her a tight smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and she guessed he was probably not looking forward to this.

She’d been told she’d been screaming Brian’s name not long after she collapsed. She figured it had probably hurt him badly. She needed to make it right. She told him about how it had affected her, hearing her husband’s death was the result of mistaken identity, and she was the real target. How she’d felt responsible. How the cold had washed over her, and she was falling down a deep, bottomless pit. She talked about the bone-chilling certainty that she had betrayed her husband by not making him stay that day, by letting him walk out that door to his death.

She saw on Vaughn’s face he wanted badly to contradict her, but he was biting his lip so he could honor her request. The dear, sweet man. She needed to hurry, before he stopped breathing. She took his hands in hers. “Vaughn, after everything went black, I woke up in my bed in my house. It was the day Brian died. At first, I didn’t believe it was real, but he was there next to me. Warm and alive. I couldn’t help it; I didn’t want to leave. I began to believe that everything from then on had been some sort of dream, some nightmare. I didn’t want to come back. I was happy.”

Vaughn’s head dropped, and she heard his breath hitch. He shuddered as if she’d hit him with iron fists instead of words. This was so hard, but he needed to know it all.

She tilted his chin up and looked into his eyes. “But then I saw you. It was just a flash, but I saw you. That day you asked me to lunch. You were leaning against my office door, you’d just caught me talking to myself and you were wearing those glasses, you remember?”

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips.

“And then Brian was going to leave. I begged him not to go.”

The smile fell away.

“But then I saw you again. That night, in your room. When you begged me not to leave, when you wrapped your wings around me and held me so tight. I was in your lap, Vaughn, like this.” She crawled up into his lap, letting the robe fall away, revealing nothing underneath but bare skin .

He leaned forward and let his wings spread, then wrapped them around her, like the memory.

She put her forehead to his. “Brian tried to leave, telling me it was time, and I held his hand. I didn’t want to let go, but I kept getting flashes of you, Vaughn. Like waves on the shore or rain on the roof, your name, your face, just kept pounding into me, and I finally let go of his hand.”

She lifted his chin and kissed him. “Brian told me to let him go so I could be with you because he knew you were my true destiny. It hurt Vaughn, and my heart broke all over again into tiny pieces I thought wouldn’t heal this time. He died again, and it broke me. I screamed his name over and over until my voice was gone. That’s probably what you heard.”

He nodded, and a single tear rolled down his face.

“Vaughn,” she sighed, cupping his face and wiping the tear with her thumb. “I need you to understand how broken inside I was. I didn’t want to come back. I was content to stay there in the dark and let Death take me.” She noticed his heart start pounding harder and saw fear in his eyes again. “Shhh,” she told him. “I don’t know how long I laid there, what it was in time out here, but it was years to me. Then I heard a whisper telling me to fight. Just get up and fight, that I had everything to fight for. When I stood up, Vaughn, I could feel you. I could feel your warmth, and I called for you.”

His gaze sharpened on hers, and she smiled.

“In my darkest moments, when I thought nothing was left, I sensed you and I reached for you. I heard your wings, and I screamed your name so you could find me. Over and over, I screamed until you found me. When you did, it healed everything in me that was broken.”

Vaughn let out a ragged breath and pulled her against him, tightly against his chest.

She could feel his heart still pounding as he just breathed her in. “Opening my eyes, seeing your face, knowing you were the one who pulled me back. I’m,” she gave a little sob, “I’m so grateful and while I know what Brian and I had was love, it was nothing like the flame that burns in me for you. I love you, Vaughn Drake. For the way you love me so fiercely. I love you so much it hurts to breathe. I’m never leaving you again, and I’m so sorry. Oh God, I’m so sorry, Vaughn. Please,” she begged. “Please forgive me.”

Vaughn rocked her gently, feeling her skin on his. “Bridget, my love, there is nothing to forgive. You were dealt a terrible blow. You scared me, I admit, but I knew in my soul you would come back to me.”

She shook her head, “No, Vaughn, I need you to forgive me for not wanting to leave for wanting to stay. I need to know you understand. It was easier to stay there in that moment and avoid all of the pain the heartache. The falling apart and the hard moments. I didn’t think I would survive it all again. But I had to. I had to survive it to come back to you. Please tell me you understand.”

Vaughn pulled her away and looked at her. “Bridget, my dear sweet Bridget. I forgive you. I forgive you for wanting to avoid the pain of not wanting to pick up the pieces again. I will always love you no matter what.” He smiled, and she melted .

She leaned against his lips and kissed him gently. Then it became more passionate. Her hands were at his waist, fumbling with the string on his pants.

He broke the kiss, “Bridget, it’s okay, my love. You don’t have to prove anything; you need your rest.”

She shook her head, “No, I’m tired of resting. The only thing I want to do in this bed is feel you in me and on me. I need to feel alive. Vaughn, I need you.”

He responded by sitting up so she could slide the pants down, then sat back and opened his arms to her.

She could see he was hard and ready. She threw herself into his arms and attacked his mouth with a frenzy, digging her nails into his shoulders and rubbing her breasts on his chest.

His hands went all over her, understanding she needed it hard and rough.

She came up for air gasping and he took the opportunity to latch on to her breasts, suckling and biting, almost to the point of pain. She arched her back and moaned, letting his fire consume her.

He reached between her thighs and found her wet and ready. With a growl, he positioned her over his length and drove himself into her.

She cried out then sank down further, feeling like she couldn’t get enough. “I need. I need,” she panted.

“What do you need? What do want?”

“I need you to take me as hard as you can!” She watched the flames come to his eyes, and a wicked grin crossed his face right before his wings flapped hard .

Bridget lay on the floor, breathing heavily. She was sure Vaughn had taken her against every surface in the room. It looked like it had been ransacked. She huffed out a laugh. She had to hand it to him. Vaughn was very creative in ways to give her orgasms. Knowing she needed it, he’d worked to get as many out of her as he could before he finally had his own release. Brushing her hair out of her face she looked around for her dragon.

He was standing by the dresser, drinking an entire bottle of water in one long pull. Hard sex was thirsty work, apparently. He sauntered over, picked her up, and dropped her on the bed.

She laughed as he handed her a bottle, too. She propped up enough to drink some of it, then flopped back down. She stretched, feeling deliciously used. “Mm. Thank you, Vaughn. You are definitely a man who knows how to give a woman what she wants.”

“Is that so?” she heard him murmur.

She sighed, a satisfied, happy noise. She heard him rummaging around and wondered idly what he was doing but decided it was too much effort to sit up and look.

“Excuse me, ma’am.” she heard a sultry voice.

She lifted her head and saw Vaughn standing in front of her. He was naked except for a loose tie and his glasses. She hadn’t realized he brought them! Her body went tight again at the sight. “Mr. Hotness!” she exclaimed.

He grinned. “Yes, ma’am. I understand you are my new coworker?”

She grinned back, deciding to play along. “I certainly am. How can I help you? ”

He tapped the glasses down his nose a bit and looked at her over the frames.

Whoa, she thought. She almost orgasmed right then.

“Well, I’d like to have a meeting and have you take some… perhaps some dictation...” He rumbled in his chest.

Yep, she was definitely about to have one. “I’m happy to help then. When would you like me to start?”

He held out his hands for hers, and she gave them to him. Faster than she would have believed, he whipped off his tie and bound her wrists. He flipped her over and pulled her to her knees, then spanked her.

She looked at him over her shoulder, shocked.

He winked, “You’re not the only one with fantasies.”