Free LovingDragon by Garland

that image is burned in my retina forever, I think it’s time we end this dinner,” grinned Dragon, who handed a debit card to the waiting waitress.
    Later when Dragon had drove them back to their apartment he asked Cat to wait in the truck as Cutman walked Mia to the door. Cat found that there was something very intimate about sitting in a dark vehicle at night with Dragon, the air was cool the stars twinkled overhead and the very darkness felt freeing. “Want to climb into the back seat and make-out?” she asked, it came out teasing but the thought of his mouth, his hands on her body warmed her inside like no expensive liqueur ever had.
    A slow smile played around his lips before he raised his eyes to meet hers. “That’s the most tempting offer I’ve had in a long time, but I’ll need to take a rain check. I was hoping to talk to you for a minute before Cutman comes back.”
    Catherine took a deep breath and faced forward, since she knew what was coming. She had to protect him at all costs. She would not have this man fight for her and get hurt. She cared about him too much. “Okay, what do you want to talk about?”
    “Cat, I have feelings for you, but I don’t even know who you are. Will you trust me enough to let me in? For God’s sake throw me a bone here, or give me something?” His voice was a soft, desperate whisper in the darkness.
    Cat felt his pain. How ironic when all she wanted to do was not hurt him. “Dragon, I just need more time. I’m sorry, just a little more time to get things straightened out, and then I promise I will tell you everything.”
    Dragon ran his hand down his face, clearly aggravated. “You realize you’re asking me to trust you, when you won’t show me the same courtesy?”
    Cat raised her eyes and noticed Cutman walking back to the truck after seeing Mia to the door. Their time here was ending. “Yes,” she simply answered.
    Dragon had no doubt seen Cutman too, so he opened his door and came around to pull Cat’s door open and then helped her from the truck. He didn’t say anything. His jaw was set and angry as he walked her to the door. He leaned over and kissed her, and it was an achingly sweet kiss…his goodbye kiss. “Call me when you’re ready to trust me Cat,” he said as he turned to walk away.
    “Dragon?” she called after him, he seemed to hesitate for just a moment, his shoulders stiff and unyielding. A spark of hope leaped to life in Cat’s heart that he would turn and come back. That he would give her the chance to explain, but then she really couldn’t explain could she? In the end Dragon just kept going, never even bothering to look back, his long angry strides eating up the distance to the truck. The slamming of the truck door, sounded like a gunshot to her slowly breaking heart. He waited until he saw her go inside, then he gunned the engine and drove away.
     

Chapter Sixteen
     
    Catherine closed and locked the door. The sound of Dragon’s truck pulling away seemed so final. He was angry with her. He thought she didn’t trust him. Closing her eyes she felt as if she was lost in a fog of sadness. What exactly had she expected? That he would just continue in a kind of weird limbo, waiting for the time when she would let him into her dirty little secrets, like some middle school clique? Waiting for her to decide if she ‘trusted’ him enough to tell him the truth? Cat had asked too much of him and she knew it now. But she did what she had to do to protect him. She was in love with Dragon. Cat just hoped that that realization hadn’t come too late. “I protect those I love too, Dragon,” she whispered.
    A soft knock sounded at the door. Catherine turned to opened it, her heart racing with excitement. She would tell him she was sorry, she would somehow make him understand. She would let him know she loved him and then she would show him in a hundred different ways. Dragon was coming back to her!
    “Dragon I…” Catherine