Page 12 of Confessions of a Middle Aged Dragon Queen
Eyes zeroing in on the fluorescent letters spelling out CHIEF on the left side of his chest, just over his bulging pectoral muscle, Aideen purred, “Oh, Baby, you can put out my fire anytime. Get over there, Martha, and slap on some lipstick. May be pinch your cheeks and push the rack up to attention. Do what you gotta do to make that man ours.”
Time stood still. I think people were shouting in the background. I might have dreamed it, but I'm almost positive I didn't. Things got hazy. So, I can't be sure, but there was a fire in the middle of town. Yes, it was my ship that was on fire. Yes, I am the one who accidentally started. No, Iin that moment I did not give even one good gosh darn. I had one purpose and one purpose only– drooling over the finest man ever created.
I’m also pretty sure I could hear Theresa screaming, “Miss Dellencourt? Miss Dellencourt? Martha! Martha, are you alright?”
But I was mesmerized. Completely and totally enthralled by the sexiest man ever to draw breath. Sex personified, he was everything I’d ever wanted and a bag of chocolate-covered chips.
(Try ‘em. You will love them. I swear it. Yes, they were an accident that happened in the kitchen when Raymonda was working way too late one night. But they instantly became one of our best sellers. So, there. I told you. I have a gift, and it’s not just for bullshitting like a pro.)
Six-feet-seven-inches tall, with tousled, wavy, red hair that was just begging to have my fingers in it, and a body made for… well, for me, my eyes made it as far as the dark cotton stretched tightly across his chest before he turned around and all bets were off. I literally had to bite my tongue to keep from yelling, “You’ve got to be a pirate ‘cause you’ve got a chest to die for and a booty that makes me weak in the knees.”
(Don't groan at me, my friends. I know you want to but just don't do it. I'm not exaggerating one iota. I got a Dragon's eye view of the nicest ass in the whole wide world… Nope, wait, make that Universe, and my heart kicked into overdrive, my body heated to a four-alarm fire, and Aideen purred, "We lit the fire, Big Boy. Now, you come and try to put it out.")
Barking orders with expert precision, that gorgeous Fae pointed one way then the other, the deep rumble of his voice resonating deep within me. Every word, every syllable did something scintillating and wonderfully decadent to my body and soul. Made me fantasize about hearing that same voice whispering in my ear as he made me remember what making love was all about. Damn, that Fairy was lethal, and I could think of no better way to go.
Taking a step forward before realizing I’d moved, I forced my feet to stay still as the breath froze in my lungs. Spreading his arms wide, the muscles across his back, atop his shoulders and running down his arms flexing in perfect definition, that Fae roared, “Now!” And I felt the true meaning of that single word in every fiber of my being.
With no other warning, and in the blink of an eye, the sexiest Fairy ever created, and all the men under his command Shifted. Large gossamer wings of blue and silver, glittering with the Magic of the Old sprung from their backs. Glistening in the rising sun, their skis looked as if Mother Nature had hand painted their amazing physiques with diamonds and sapphires. Standing tall and proud, they had all grown to at least seven feet tall and worn the Ancient Armor of the Rí– the Ruler, the King of all Na Daoine Sìthe- The Peaceful People, the Warriors of the Seelie Court. And the man whose soul called to mine was no exception, except that his armor was trimmed in gold and the etching included the Royal Sigil. Holy hot dogs! He was the Rí, the King of the Seelie Court, the big Kahuna! I’m pretty sure some of the connections running from my brain to my heart and to my soul exploded because I call could see was his gorgeous face amidst a barrage of breathtaking fireworks.
Good Great Goddess, this day just kept getting crazier– and in all the best ways. These men–lead by my man (No, I was not jumping the gun. I knew what I knew and that was all there was to it.) were the true definition of what it meant to be a Fae. Their Magic was hypnotic and potent, magnified by all six of them working as one it was nothing short of spectacular, but it was their Leader's Ancient Enchantment that called to mine.
I wanted that man so bad, there was no doubt in my mind that I’d give up coffee, chocolate and all things sparkly just to hear him say my name one time. He was that elusive creature…
The one I was sure I’d never find…
The other half of my soul…
The only man and Magical Being who could complete me and mine, who could make me whole in ways I'd only ever dreamed of, that the Elders had foretold — the one person I was meant to love.
I was awestruck. Not only was my Mate standing not fifty yards away, but he and his men were saving my shop– my own little piece of heaven. He was my hero, and I didn't even know his name.
It was nothing short of remarkable, and that's coming from a five-hundred-and-sixty-seven-year-old Fire Dragon who, until that moment, had thought she’d seen it all. Watching these Fae, or Laoch as we used to call them, Shift into their true form had been an everyday event for most of my formative years that I spent on the Isle of Skye being taught the ways of the Dragon Queens who came before me and mine. Seeing them race towards the battle alongside the Dragon Guardsmen was commonplace. Loyalty, honor, duty – all the good shit – was in their very DNA, just as it was for us Dragons– but this was special. A once in a lifetime thing for this old girl, and I didn’t dare look away.
Positioned in a perfect semi-circle, the wings of all six Fae unfurled to their full width as even more Magic filled the air as their glitter of their skin became incandescent and every single one of their bulging muscles bulged a little more.
Deep baritone, rich bass, and a mellow tenor all joined together, calling to the Heavens, to Mother Earth, to the Universe. They were poetry in motion, being led by a man who not only personified authority but made me want to roll over and show him my underbelly. I was an Alpha Dragon. I bowed to no one… but for this guy, I’d do somersaults.
(Yes, Dragons do that crazy shit, too. It’s not just for puppies and Wolves.)
With their Dragon Song intensifying, and the air around them quite literally vibrating, they called forth every molecule of water from the atmosphere around us. From one breath to the next, a thick, massive wall of H2O appeared before them and, in the blink of an eye, it blanketed the fire.
Within seconds the flames were doused, completely gone, utterly extinguished. No smoke, not even smoldering embers, remained. It was nothing short of amazing, and almost– just almost– made me wish I’d been born of Water instead of Fire.
But… Fire runs through my very veins, and I wasn't givin’ that shit up without a fight. I liked runnin' hot - if ya’ know what I mean.
Another flash of Magic, a pop of Ancient Mysticism, and a spark of something entirely masculine and totally irresistible, and the air was filled with the cool scent of a summer day at the beach. Inhaling deeply, I let my eyes slide shut just so I could focus on nothing but the hypnotic aroma.
I knew the Elemental Neptuni, Water Fae were special in ways they simply did not share with anyone outside their Glimmer, and I’d always asked my Elders and parents why. Of course, I hadn’t gotten answer– until that very moment. The control they had over Water was miraculous, and my dirty little mind was conjuring up all kinds of way we could mix Fire and Water and come with Love.
“Martha? Martha, are you there? Miss Dellencourt?”
“Oh, shit,” I hissed, slamming the phone back to my ear. “Oh, great Goddess, I am so sorry, Theresa. I got all caught up in… well, that’s to say, I was… I mean…”
"You mean, you saw all those sexy men, and then they showed their true Fae form, and your brain ceased to function."
“Yes!”
“Girl, I have so been there. Don’t get me wrong, the Dalmatians did a damned fine job as the Fire Brigade here in Dragoon Bootay, but there is just something special about the Fae.”
