Dragon's Melody by Ophelia Bell Page B

than that. My mother was human, but my father wasn’t. None of that is relevant. What I am is a man who needs you to do what I tell you to do. For both our sakes.”
    She held his gaze in silence for a moment, trying to sense any hint of deception. In the back of her mind she frantically tried to process the rest of his confession. In the end it made too much sense to argue with. He seemed honest, at least, and after the strange conviction that Kol was somehow very different than normal human men, she was inclined to believe Garen’s vague statement about his origins. She wanted to ask more, of course, but in spite of him leaving her hanging so horrendously, she sensed an ally in him and decided she would respect the boundary he had set.
    For the first time since that encounter with the red-haired woman on the plane, she thought of her long absent father and wondered what he would think of Garen. She thought they might like each other.
    “My dad left when I was five. Mom was devastated. They were never even married but his leaving is part of what defines me, so for me it is very relevant.”
    That drew out a smile, and oh what a beautiful smile. The first genuine reaction she’d seen from him.
    “Perhaps that’s true, but our parents don’t define us completely,” he said. “It’s hard to get over their influence though. Mine are dead … I regret that in some ways. Sometimes I wish I could talk to them again.”
    “I still miss my dad, but his leaving … what it did to my mom … That kind of loss isn’t worth it.”
    “Most of us …” He paused and seemed to think hard for a second before continuing. “Most of my kind, I mean, don’t get to know our parents that well. You had five good years, and you still have your mother. We don’t always have good memories of them.”
    “Do you have good memories?”
    “I do, yes, but I don’t think Skye has good memories of his parents.” The second he said the words he cringed. “Don’t tell him I said that to you.”
    “You’re close to Skye, aren’t you? But you seem scared of him. Why is that?” she asked.
    Garen chuckled. “Not really. He’s a good person once you get to know him. He’s just very efficient when it comes to getting what he needs and isn’t afraid of making demands if necessary. That shouldn’t trouble you. If you work for him, you won’t be disappointed.”
    “All right then …” Melody took a deep breath and buttoned up her dress, smoothed her hair again, and looked at him with an even sweeter smile than she’d originally greeted him with. “How do I look?”
    His gaze skimmed over her, assessing. He blinked twice and Melody was positive his eyes changed colors in between. Then he stepped forward to smooth a hand over her hair.
    “You look even more lovely than you did when I got here,” he whispered. His palm rested on her shoulder, the heat of him sinking into her skin. His face hovered over hers, his gaze flicking between her mouth and her eyes. “Skye is going to love you,” he said as he bent and pressed his lips to hers.
    The kiss was warm, sweet, and ended too quickly. It left her head swimming and her heart racing even more than all his other attentions combined.
    But what about you? she asked herself, not quite sure where the question came from, or the sudden need for his approval that accompanied it.

Chapter Eight
    T he kiss was too sweet. The energy of Melody’s arousal crackled against Garen’s lips, enticing him to fulfill her need for release. He could bend her over again and fuck her. Give her what she’d asked for even though it would leave him even more frustrated than he already was just being in her presence.
    He stared down at her, focused on the glistening wetness that lingered on her lower lip from their kiss. It begged for another to follow. Her blue eyes begged even more, yet she held her tongue. Behind that desire that burned in her gaze lay something deeper that he wished he had time to