How to Date a Dragon

Bliss laughed. “I didn’t ask how old you felt. I asked how old you were.”

“You know what they say… You’re only as old as you feel.”

She chuckled and focused on his face. His smile. His lips. She was just starting to lean in to taste his full mouth when the door opened and Angie appeared, carrying the beautiful bouquet that had started all the trouble.

“Hey, Drake. How’re you doing, buddy?”

“I—I’ll be right back,” Bliss said, and hurried off to the bathroom. She’d remembered some pain pills left over from a badly sprained ankle. She checked her little medicine kit to see if they were still in it. Yup. The fact that she thought of offering him some pain relief meant she still cared about him. However, she had no intention of pretending she was okay with his desire to date her while looking elsewhere at the same time.

While she was in there doing her business, she got the idea for a new Hall-Snark card. This one was generic enough to use in her new line, but Drake was getting the first one.

You made a mistake, and that means you’re human, but do it again and you’ll see me fumin’.

She hurried to her bedroom to jot the words down before returning to check on Drake.

* * *

So many conflicting emotions whirled through Drake, he could barely handle just lying there, waiting for his regenerative powers to kick in.

What an idiot I am! Why did I bother meeting a dragon when I was still trying to find Bliss?

Because, Drake, ol’ boy, you’re a coward. You didn’t want to go through the trouble and uncertainty of telling a human that you’re an aberration.

I should have called Zina as soon as I found Bliss again. No, she probably wouldn’t have taken the news well, but I should have told her. Now it looks like I was stringing both of them along.

Fuck… Bliss will never forgive me.

As he chastised himself, Bliss returned to the living room. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she stayed away.

Strolling over to him, she held out a prescription bottle.

“I have these pain pills left over from a bad sprain. If you’re not allergic to any medicines, you can have what’s left.”

She must really want to get rid of me… probably thinking, take a pill and get out of my apartment—out of my life.

Dragons were very hard to kill, so even an allergic reaction wouldn’t hurt him. He doubted he had any allergies anyway. If he could limit the pain, he could probably walk down the stairs and get to his apartment.

“Sure. I’ll take a couple, but not the whole bottle. I’m not that desperate to end it.” He grinned, hoping she’d recognize his joke, but her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

“You aren’t… you know…”

“Of course not! I was just making a joke, or trying to. I’m not as good at that kind of thing as you are.”

She let out a deep breath. “I’ll get you some water.”

While she was in the kitchen, he called out to her. “Bliss? I need to apologize more emphatically. I know you probably won’t forgive me, but it’s important that you know I’m so—”

The next thing he knew, she was bending over the back of the sofa, kissing him senseless, Spiderman-style. It didn’t even matter that she was facing him upside down. Their lips fit perfectly. Her soft warmth eased the ache inside, not the physical one. The emotional battering he had been giving himself.

When she let up on the pressure, she gave him another tender peck and said, “You’re forgiven, but I have something to tell you.”

This was it. He had to be honest with her. Better she knew exactly who and what he was now, rather than test her trust again later.

“I have something to tell you too.”

“Me first,” she said.

She handed him the pills and glass of water, and as soon as he took them, she disappeared down the hall again. A door opened and didn’t shut, so he figured she must be coming right back.

Waiting gave him a moment to compose his words, but what would they be? By the way, remember during the fire when you thought you saw a reptilian form behind my face mask? Well, you were right… That was my alternate shape. I’m a shapeshifter. Had no choice in the matter. I was born that way. I hope you can accept my—um, uniqueness?

It took a few minutes before she returned with a card in her hand. During that time, he’d composed his little speech a few times, but every version sounded ridiculous. She’d probably assume he was lying to her again.

He was almost relieved when he saw the card. Whatever she had to say in there, he could take it. Hell, he probably deserved it.

He grimaced. “It looks like I’m getting a card.”

“Oh, yeah.” She stood in front of the lounger and handed it to him.

Crap. It’s the picture of the dragon again. Maybe she does know… Then he read the words.

“You made a mistake and that means you’re human…” Nope, she doesn’t know. He sighed and opened the card so he could read the rest. “But do it again, and you’ll see me fumin’.”

This time the dragon had smoke coming out of its nostrils. He couldn’t help smiling, even if she was opening the door to his confession. The one he still didn’t know how to tell her yet.

“Does this mean you forgive me?”

“With conditions,” she said.

“Lay ’em on me, sweetheart.”

Bliss crossed her arms and said, “If you want to see other women, naturally you can, but if that’s what you decide, I’m out. And you’ll tell me right away. Agreed?”

“I won’t need—”

She lifted her palm as if to say, I don’t want to hear it, and repeated, “Agreed?”

“Absolutely.”

She inhaled like she was taking a moment, thinking something over. He waited to give her a chance to finish her thoughts.

“Good.”

“Is that it? You said conditions—plural.”

“One more…” Bliss sighed. “Try to be honest with me from now on. About everything. I’m a big girl and I know how to take bad news without having a hissy fit. I’d prefer an ugly truth to a pretty lie.”

Drake gulped. She said, try… How hard should I try? Shit. He knew what he had to do, but was she ready? Were they ready?

“I have another card for you if this happens again.”

“Uh-oh. What’s that?” Drake asked.

“On the front I drew a beautiful old sailing vessel.”

“Sounds nice. And on the inside?”

“Just two words… Frig-it!”

Chapter 7

As the medication kicked in, Drake’s pain was not the only thing growing duller. So was his mind. Did he dare discuss the truth with Bliss while he was less than sharp?

Fuck it. I have to.