Firestorm Forever: A Dragonfire Novel Read Free Page A

there.
    She nearly dropped the bag in her shock.
    Yet, it felt absolutely right to see him again.
    There had been a lunar eclipse earlier and Ronnie had felt shivery all day. Timmy was staying at a friend’s before they departed on a school trip to the capital the next morning, and she’d assumed she was on edge because she always worried about him when they were apart.
    But that unsettled feeling intensified as Ronnie stared back at Drake, and she realized it was rooted in a much more earthy response than fear for her son.
    She wanted to be touched.
    By this very man.
    Joy had teased her about having a hot date tonight, and Ronnie had rolled her eyes, unable to even imagine herself having sex again. That part of her life had died along with Mark. She hadn’t been able to even think of bringing another man home when Timmy might discover them, and in all honesty, she hadn’t been sure she’d be able to survive falling in love again.
    In this moment, though, many things seemed possible again.
    Drake stood, eyes narrowed slightly, watching her from the shadows surrounding the entrance to her townhouse. He studied her so closely that Ronnie wondered whether he could read her thoughts. He was completely motionless, still dressed in olive drab though these were casual clothes instead of a uniform. She surveyed him, hungry for details of how his life had changed these past four years.
    He was still muscled and stern, still tanned and resolute. His hair had a little bit more salt than pepper now and was still cut short. His gaze was just as unwavering, his attention absolute. He still looked coiled to strike and ready for anything, and she again had no doubt that he could kill with his bare hands.
    Ronnie’s heart was pounding and her mouth was dry. She told herself it was just that she’d had a start, but she knew better.
    Drake was back.
    And she was glad.
    Ronnie tried to act as if she weren’t surprised and probably failed completely. This man missed nothing.
    It would have been part of his training.
    “Hello, Drake,” she managed to say. She took a step closer and felt the dampness on her hands. “How are you?” It was a lame question, but she couldn’t think of what else to say.
    “Well enough,” Drake said, his gaze sweeping over her. A glint of appreciation lit his dark eyes, and she felt both flustered and pleased. “You look well, Veronica.”
    She liked how he said her name, how deep his voice was and how slowly he spoke. Had he ever called her by name before? She was sure she would have remembered it if he had. There was that foreign inflection to his words that she remembered, and he still spoke with a formality that made her think English wasn’t his native tongue.
    That glimmer of admiration in his eyes was unmistakable as she stepped closer. “How is Timmy?”
    Of course, he would think of her son. He had seemed to have such an intuitive connection with him.
    Ronnie smiled, unable to hide her pride. “Taller! He looks so much like his father now.” She faltered and licked her lips, wondering whether she’d said the wrong thing, but Drake simply waited. He didn’t look offended. “This week, he wants to be an astronaut.”
    A ghost of a smile touched Drake’s mouth, lifting one corner an increment before disappearing from view again. “Good. A boy needs confidence to have dreams. You’ve given him that.”
    “I’ve tried.”
    They stared at each other for a moment that seemed too long to Ronnie. She felt flustered and warm and knew she was blushing. Maybe that was because of her fantasies, and her fear that Drake knew what she was thinking.
    Well, if he knew that and was like most men, he’d push his advantage.
    But Drake didn’t move.
    Ronnie knew he wasn’t like most men. He was waiting for her to decide what would happen. The fact that he was standing in front of her probably said it all, as far as he was concerned. Nothing like a man of few words.
    Ronnie was aware that they were