Free Dragon's Blood (Black Planet Book 1) by Belinda McBride Page B

live far longer than she would. She studied him, fascinated by the juxtaposition of races that had blended to create such male beauty.
    She studied the dragon swirling on his chest. The matching phoenix was buried with Lisa. Fit together, the two had formed a stylized Yin-Yang medallion. He’d lost half of himself when his wife died. But the man standing before her looked remarkably whole. He crawled onto the bed next to her, a damp cloth warming in his hand. She shivered as he slowly, methodically cleaned her skin, lingering as though he was fragile and precious.
    She hadn’t said it to him yet, the words had locked up inside her head, her heart. He’d changed over the years but at the core, he was still Aiden Chen, her partner and friend. The man she’d secretly loved for most of those years they’d worked so closely together.
    The husband of her best friend.
    Annie rolled onto her side, closer to his warmth. She listened to his breathing, traced the dragon on his chest with the tip of her finger. His seed slipped from her body, and she let it, shivering at the feel of it trickling down her thigh. His nanites kept him free of disease. Her annual injection ensured she wouldn’t become pregnant.
    He and Lisa had planned on children. Would he want children with her? Would they want to bring children into Wharf? Neither of them lived a lifestyle conducive to parenting, and yet, for the first time in her life, Annie thought of children.
    Jumping the gun there, Tanaka .
    Nevertheless, the thoughts tumbling through her brain spoke of roots and forever.
    He’d told her he loved her.
    The mattress dipped as he moved, rolling on his side to face her. Gently, he rolled Annie onto her back, cleaning her tenderly. The expression in his eyes was different than she’d seen before. When he finished, he pulled the covers up, protecting them from the chill in the air.
    When he settled, she wrapped her body around his, feeling the light of dawn break over the horizon. It would be morning soon, and with light came safety.
    “I didn’t say it.”
    He was dropping into sleep. His eyelids fluttered as she spoke. His eyelashes were surprisingly thick. They were inky black and tightly curled. Funny, she’d never noticed that before.
    “Hmm?”
    “You told me you love me, but I didn’t say it.”
    He smiled, and those amazing dimples that were usually hidden by his scowl appeared. “You don’t have to say it, Annie. I thought I should be honest with you. With myself.” He pulled her a bit tighter to his body, tucking her head under his chin.
    It took a certain sort of courage to put yourself out there like he’d done. He’d made the declaration, not expecting one in return. She ran the flat of her hand over his chest, feeling hard muscle under smooth skin. “I do, you know. Love you.”
    “Is that true, Annie?”
    “Yeah, yeah, it is. It’s been true for a really long time. I was with Lisa that night… I don’t know, out of a sense of guilt, I guess. My feelings for you were strong, and I was trying to become closer to her. I thought if she and I were close, I could leave what I felt for you behind.”
    He sighed and stroked her hair. It was still slightly damp.
    “What did it do to you, Annie? You changed. If I’d stuck around to help…” He broke off, regret tingeing his voice.
    No more regret, she decided. They couldn’t change the past. But they could change the future. But only if she was courageous as he’d been.
    “I don’t remember it all, Aiden. It threw me across the dock. We’d just come in from Oakland.” She remembered that Lisa’s arms were filled with shopping bags. To Annie’s discomfort, Lisa’d gone shopping for lingerie and naughty toys for her and Aiden’s upcoming anniversary. Looking back, she realized that Lisa had felt threatened by Annie’s partnership with Aiden Chen. She’d been proving a point to her husband’s partner.
    “She was on the inside of the dock. I was on the water