The guy—shestill didn’t know his name—held up his glass, chuckling. “Here’s totrying new things. Cheers.” He clinked his glass with hers.
“Here’s tobeing stood up.” She downed the rest in one go, savouring the silkyburn in her throat.
“Egandidn’t—”
“Hey, noworries,” she interrupted. “It’s cool. Buy me another drink, andI’ll forget it ever happened. I’m Kat, by the way.”
“You got it.I’m Nicholas. Nick.” He ordered the drinks as more people crammedaround the bar. “Would you like to take them somewhere a littleless crowded?”
“Sure.”
The barmanserved the spirits. Kat grabbed her glass and scanned the pub. Asluck would have it, a couple vacated a small table in onecorner.
“Over there,before someone else gets it.” He cupped her elbow and steered hertowards the table. His hand was hot, deliciously so, and his touchgentle, like he was afraid he might break her. Static electricityzapped along her arm.
He was tallerthan her by at least three inches, even with her killer heels.Those belly flips turned into somersaults. Mr. Fantasy was tickingevery box.
She sat downand sipped her whiskey this time, relishing the amber liquid as itbreathed fire into her soul. “I’m glad I got stood up.”
He satopposite. “You are? Why?”
“Because if Ihadn’t, I wouldn’t have met you, Nick.”
Now they wereout of earshot of the crowd, she had to ask him, “Since you knowEgan, I’m assuming you know, err, what he is?” It wouldn’t hurt tobe a little cautious. Just because Egan was a half-dragon didn’tmean his friend knew.
He nodded. “Fora few centuries, yes.”
Okay, gotthat sorted. She leaned across the table. “So, are youhalf-dragon too?”
The thoughtkind of excited her. What was this sudden interest in dragons?
“No, I’m not ahalf-dragon.” He didn’t elaborate, but he had to be somethingsupernatural since he’d mentioned he was centuries old.
“What are youthen?”
He drew in hisbreath and looked away. “I can’t tell you. Not yet.”
“What’s thatsupposed to mean?” The guy was getting more intriguing by thesecond.
He didn’tanswer.
“Okay, can youtell me why you were naked in the middle of the woods?”
He met hergaze, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. “Wow, that’sbeen on your mind a lot, hasn’t it?”
“No, I…”Guilty as charged. “Why were you then?”
“You’re notgoing to let it go, are you?”
“Nope. Can youblame me? It was kind of weird.” Understatement.
He lowered hisvoice. “I can only tell you this; I had an accident while flying,and I fell to the ground.”
She ponderedfor a moment. “So, you’re really old, and you can fly. Are you anangel?”
“No.” Againwith the clipped response.
“Avampire?”
“Vampires can’tfly.”
She held up herhands. “Okay, touchy subject, I get it.” Zeus, the Greek god of thesky, came to mind. He can’t be.
No, of coursenot. Gods didn’t fly either, not that she knew of.
Maybe he was ademon. They had wings, didn’t they? And this Nicholas—if that waseven his real name because somehow he didn’t look like aNicholas—certainly had a hint of wickedness in those blue eyes,along with a sadness she found alluring.
Or maybe he wasthe fire dragon, cursed to spend an eternity pining for hissoulmate.
Maybe I’mthe ice dragon…
Kat dismissedthe idea. She couldn’t fly.
She put it downto her overactive imagination after reading a romantic fantasy inan ancient book. It was strange how she remembered the book saidthe sorceress was never to be seen again, but she couldn’t recallwhat happened to the fated dragons. Didn’t Jim say everyone thoughtthey died without ever being reunited with their soulmate?
That story musthave really got to her if she was still thinking about it now.
“It’s notthat,” said Nicholas, interrupting her thoughts. “I hoped…” Heshook his head. “It doesn’t matter. What about you? What areyou?”
She focused.Her own fantasy guy sat before her—who needed myths and legends andancient curses?
“I’m not sure.That’s why I’m so curious. I woke up from a car accident two yearsago and have no memory. Except I have odd flashbacks of previouslives like I’ve been reincarnated or something.” She paused beforeadding, “And you might think I’m crazy, but I have this feelingwe’ve met before.”
He met her withan intense gaze and didn’t speak for what felt like a whole minute.“No, I don’t think you’re crazy, Katarina.”
She gasped. Theway her real name rolled off his tongue brought on anotherflashback. His striking blue eyes, gazing at her like he was now,but as she stared back, the pupils elongated into black, verticalslits. Holy shit, I am crazy. “I never told you my realname,” she whispered. “Do you know who I am?”
Nick avertedhis gaze again, glancing around the pub at nothing in particular. Atiny muscle by his temple pulsed. “Egan must have told me. It’s onyour profile on the Love Bites website thing.”
Kat’sself-defence mechanism chimed in. Being mysterious and sexy was onething, but now he was downright evasive—not to mention her visionwas still freaking her out because his pupils were round now. Whatthe hell was he, and why wouldn’t he tell her that he knew her?Because he did know her, that much was certain. “No,” she saidslowly. “It’s not. I put my name down as Kat.”
“Well, thereyou go then. Kat is short for Katarina, isn’t it? A luckyguess.”
She took a gulpof her whiskey. She hadn’t had anywhere near enough to drink yet.Since she’d woken from her car crash, she’d longed for answers, andthat same gut feeling told her this guy had them but faced withknowing the truth, did she really want it? Could she handle it?
Only one way tofind out.
“What aren’tyou telling me?” she demanded, feigning bravado.
ChapterSix
Phoenixscrubbed his neck. What the hell possessed him to let Egan talk himinto this? He hated lying to her, but what choice did he have?
What if he’dblown his chances with her by calling her Katarina? The name hadslipped so easily from his lips.
Suspicionclouded her eyes, and fear too.
He’d had thewhole story in his head before she walked into the bar, pretendinghis name was Nick, claiming Egan was only a friend and not hisbrother. He even had his chat-up line prepared, but one look at herin those skin-tight jeans and his brain had turned to mush. And herquestions? He hadn’t expected her to be so forthright. The
