Page 16 of Shifting the Flame
"Midnight already?" she whispered, her voice husky with unspoken want.
Asher's expression shifted, his posture straightening as he reluctantly released her hand. "You're staying here tonight."
It wasn't a question. Danica widened her eyes at his commanding tone, but exhaustion hit her like a wave. The thought of walking to the town square in the dark and then driving to the hotel suddenly seemed impossible.
"I still have my suitcase in my car. But its parked near the town square," she said.
"I can go to the town square and get your suitcase for you." Asher rose to his full height. "You're in no condition to go anywhere tonight."
Danica opened her mouth to argue—purely on principle—but a yawn betrayed her. "Fine, but only because you have excellent food and comfortable chairs here."
Asher's mouth quirked into that devastating smile. "Wait until you see the guest beds."
He led her through the mansion's hallways, their footsteps echoing on polished hardwood. The guest room he showed her was twice the size of her bedroom at home, with a plush four-poster bed draped in rich burgundy.
"I'll go get your suitcase now," he said softly.
She reached for her car keys in her purse and handed them over to him. He turned and headed toward the door. "Make yourself comfortable," he said, looking over his shoulder.
The moment he left, Danica's exhaustion hit full force. She sat on the bed, intending only to test its softness, but found herself sinking backward, her eyes drifting closed against her will.
She woke with a start at the sound of the bedroom door closing. Disoriented, she blinked in the dim room. Her suitcase sat neatly by the dresser and her keys were on the nightstand—Asher must have delivered them while she slept.
"So much for a polite thank you," she chided herself as she sat up. Her dress was wrinkled beyond salvation, and she desperately needed to change into something more comfortable.
A movement outside the window caught her attention as she stood. Through the gossamer curtains, she spotted Asher crossing the moonlit lawn. He glanced around furtively, then began removing his clothes.
Danica's breath caught. She knew she should look away, but her eyes remained fixed on him as he stripped down to nothing. His body was magnificent—sculpted muscle moving fluidly beneath tanned skin, broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, and between his legs?—
"Oh my," she whispered, her cheeks burning even as she couldn't tear her gaze away.
But what happened next drove all thoughts of his impressive anatomy from her mind. Asher's body began to shimmer, his form elongating and expanding. Within seconds, where a naked man had stood now towered a massive crimson dragon with scales that gleamed like rubies in the moonlight.
"Holy shit," Danica gasped, pressing her palms against the glass.
The dragon—Asher—unfurled enormous wings that blotted out the stars. With a single powerful thrust, he launched himself skyward, becoming a scarlet streak against the night.
Without conscious thought, Danica found herself racing through the mansion, her fatigue completely forgotten. She pushed through the back door onto a stone patio, tilting her head back to search the sky.
There—a flash of red against the moon. Danica's heart pounded with exhilaration. She'd known about shifters, but witnessing the transformation firsthand was otherworldly. Something primal stirred within her, a recognition that transcended rational thought.
A piercing screech split the night, and she spotted Asher's dragon form wheeling sharply, diving directly toward her.
Logic dictated fear—a creature that size could crush her with one foot—but Danica remained rooted in place, unafraid. Somehow, she knew with bone-deep certainty that she was perfectly safe.
The massive dragon landed before her with surprising grace, his wings creating a gust that whipped her hair around her face. His eyes—still that impossible forest green—fixed on her with intelligence and something far more complex.
Danica stepped forward without hesitation, her hand outstretched. "You're beautiful," she whispered.
Asher lowered his massive head, and Danica's palm connected with scales that felt warm and smooth, like sun-heated stones. Electricity sparked where they touched, and she traced the elegant line of his jaw in wonder.
The air shimmered again, and suddenly her hand rested against human skin. Asher stood before her, gloriously naked in the moonlight, his eyes burning with intensity.
"You don't mind?" he asked, capturing her hands in his.
"Mind?" Danica laughed, her eyes traveling over him shamelessly. "You're the most incredible thing I've ever seen—in both forms."
Asher pulled her against his bare chest, one hand tangling in her hair as his mouth found hers. The kiss began gentle, almost questioning, before igniting into something hungry and demanding. Danica melted against him, her fingers tracing the hard muscles of his chest.
