Dragon's Second Chance Romance - Riley Storm Page 0,18

onto her bed, remembering just how nice he felt against her. The strength. The comfort.

The security. She’d felt safe with him. Even more so when his arms were wrapped around her. It spoke to a base instinct in Claire that she wasn’t even sure she knew she possessed until that night. What she did know, however, was that she wanted more.

“I’m in trouble,” she muttered, shaking her head, knowing that there was no positive resolution with Pietro.

It simply wasn’t possible. Not with the decision looming over her head with regards to Pete and his ultimatum. Either way, no matter what she did, it would see her pulled from Pietro. One way would be a brutal betrayal of sorts if she let herself go back to Pete. And jail wasn’t exactly the best way to start up something new with a man she had barely met.

He’s not gonna look too fondly upon you once he knows the things you’ve done either.

If she could.

“He’s too good for you,” she muttered, resorting to talking to herself out loud. “He doesn’t deserve to get involved in all the shit you’ve got going on.”

Claire sighed, overwhelmed with everything. Pete, Pietro, apparently a vampire that was stalking her too, if that was to be believed. There was too much for her to deal with on her own.

Grabbing her phone she looked up a contact and hit the dial button, waiting patiently. There was no answer.

“Hi, you’ve reached Li—”

“Whatever,” she said, hanging up and trying again. “She’s probably with Trent. Sorry girl.”

The second time around, someone picked up before the answering machine.

“Claire?”

The voice was distracted but not sleepy. Lilly was awake, obviously, much to Claire’s relief.

“I need to talk,” she said, hoping Lilly would pick up on the urgency of her tone.

There was the sound of some fumbling, and when Lilly next spoke, she was far more alert and attentive. “About what? What is it?”

Claire paused.

“Claire?” Lilly asked after she didn’t speak for a bit.

“Yeah. Um. Do you remember that guy? The one from the bar. You know, the one you intervened to save me from? The guy who ended up being a dragon shifter too?”

“Pietro?” Lilly said immediately. “Yeah of course. I see him around here from time to time. Hard to forget. Why?”

“Wellllll, he kind of sort of showed up tonight too.”

“He did?” Lilly asked, her voice brightening. “And? How did it go? What happened? Where did you see him?”

“Uh. I was at the Dragon’s Eye,” she said, declining to explain why.

Lilly didn’t know about the things she’d gotten into, and Claire didn’t want her to. She didn’t want to feel judged by her best friend. She was already judging herself enough.

“Okay. And?”

“Well, he showed up.”

“Did he bomb as badly this time around?” Lilly said with a chuckle.

“Um, no, not really.”

“Oh yeah? What happened?” Lilly asked eagerly.

Claire could all but picture her friend leaning in closer, hungry for more information.

“He told me that I was being hunted by a vampire that came through from another dimension.”

Lilly was silent for a few seconds before replying. “So that must be where Trent took off to tonight with nothing but an apology.”

“I guess,” Claire said helplessly. “But Lil, that’s not all.”

“It’s not?”

“No,” she said. “He kinda sorta walked me home.”

“He did?”

“Then he almost kissed me.”

“He did what?” Lilly yelped loudly enough that a protesting male voice came from somewhere in the background. “Oh hush.”

Claire smirked at the audible byplay between the pair. Trent was good for her friend. Just the sort of guy Lilly had needed to help complete the new life she’d built here in Five Peaks, and Claire couldn’t be happier for her that it was working out.

“Yeah. He picked me up and pressed me against the wall after walking me home…but then he stopped a hair shy of actually kiss me.”

“Why? Why didn’t you kiss him instead? He came ninety-nine, you couldn’t go one percent of the way?”

“I don’t know. I just…”

“Where’s the problem?” Lilly asked, confused.

“Well…why didn’t he kiss me?” she asked plaintively. “He was so proper, and then suddenly he got all aggressive and hot and strong, and he had me pinned, and I was ready to kiss him back, which I hadn’t been at all until then. Then, he just sort of stopped. It was so unlike him there. I didn’t know he had it in him. Now I can’t stop thinking about him.”

“And?” Lilly asked in that bored voice that indicated there was no actual problem here, it was all in