Free War's Passion (Sons of War) by Lia Davis

smells of ocean and sand. It was heavenly. Making the move to Maine had been a wonderful decision. Running was no longer an option, because she’d done enough of it in the last fourteen years. It was time she took control of her life and fight back.
    The rose garden was full of fragrant, beautiful blooms and she made her way down the stone path. When she reached the center, she saw Markus dressed in a pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt. His dark, naturally tanned skin against the white cotton made him look sexier than ever.
    Turning his head, he raised a brow at her and smiled. “You look lovely.”
    “I was going for comfy.” She frowned.
    “That , too.” He chuckled and held out his hand.
    When she placed a hand in his, he drew her closer, brought her knuckles to his mouth, and pressed a firm, but soft kiss on them. “Maxwell has set up a table and chairs for dinner out here.”
    “ Maxwell?”
    “The butler.”
    “Seth called him Alfred.”
    Markus’ s lips twitched. “Seth is an idiot.”
    Gwen shrugged, trying not to laugh at the teasing way Markus called his brother an idiot. “You know, now that I think of it , he does kind of look like Alfred from Batman.”
    The twitch of his lips turned into a slight smile. “Who, Seth? I’m sorry I don’t see the likeness.”
    She laughed. “Look who has a sense of humor.”
    His smile disappeared and he turned away from her. She reached out to him, but didn’t touch him. Uncertainty replaced the ease she started to feel around him. “Markus?”
    “I’ve changed my mind about dinner. You don’t have to dine with me. In fact, I think it would be best if we didn’t.”
    Her gut tightened while her heart stuttered a couple of beats. She stared at his back for the longest, dumbfounded at the sudden shift in his mood. “You’re joking, right?”
    Turning to her, he narrowed eyes and set his mouth in a flat, straight line. “I don’t joke.”
    And she didn’t like his tone. “No, I guess you don’t.”
    Turning on her heels, she walked toward the house. It was foolish of her to think for a nanosecond that they could be friends or maybe more. Gods, she was stupid. Markus was not the boyfriend type. No, he was the type to take what he wanted then kick them to the curb.
    All the signs were there. Hell , he even pushed her away until she insisted on him helping her. Yet she’d ignored the little voice, dismissed it as fear for her inner demons. Why? All because he’d said they were mates. What the hell did that mean for a dragon anyway?
    Just as she reached for the door, Markus was there in a flash. Literally. He materialized in front of her, blocking the door.
    “Move,” she spat, too angry to look at him, and too afraid of what she’d see there.
    W ith a finger, he reached out and caressed her cheek, then slid it under her chin. When he tried to make her look at him, she jerked her head to the side, breaking his hold. He let out a low growl that made her flinch a little, but she didn’t cave. She couldn’t give him the satisfaction of submitting to his demands.
    Most of all, she could n’t let her fears rule her. It was time she grew a backbone and stood up to the monsters.
    “Gwen, look at me.”
    Shaking her head, she took a step back. He flung his hand out, then curled it in to fist before he dropped it to his side. Softly, she said, “I want to go inside to eat my meal alone.”
    His jaw worked as if he was clenching his teeth or something. “You can eat out here.”
    “No, Markus, I can’t.”
    “Why not ?”
    His harsh tone piss ed her off. She stepped forward and jammed a finger into his chest. “Because you ruined it. The perfect evening, dinner under the stars with the sound of the ocean in the background. You ruined all of it. I thought that I’d actually started to like you, trust you enough to work with you. No, I can’t work with you.”
    When she stepped around him, he let her go. Her chest tightened and she swallowed a