The idea that this built, gorgeous man was somehow being conscripted by some unknown power into following her around was perhaps the most preposterous of all.
No one had ever really paid Jo much mind before, and mostly, she was okay with that.
So why was everything turning upside down all of a sudden?
“Well, lucky for you, I don’t need you here either, so you can just leave and go back to wherever you came from, thank you very much.” She tried to give him her sternest face, though she was entirely aware that if Dallin didn’t want to do something, there probably wasn’t any power on earth that could make him do it.
“If it was that simple, I wouldn’t be here. But my mission is to protect you, regardless of your opinion on the matter.” He loomed over her as he spoke, intimidating and a little bit scary.
Jo’s cheeks went warm as she bristled. It felt like he already hated her, even though she hadn’t technically done anything wrong.
Whoever this Dallin was, he was clearly the most stubborn person alive.
“I’m going to go inside and go back to my life. Thanks again. Please don’t bother me,” she said, taking one quick glance at Dallin’s sculpted chest before turning around to open her door.
“Closing your eyes to the problem right in front of you. How utterly human of you,” he said coldly.
“The only problem I have right now is an annoying guy who won’t leave me alone,” she said over her shoulder, and the moment their eyes met, she felt heat burning in her core. But she ignored it, throwing the door to her house open.
“See if I care when something bad happens. Which it will. Beacons attract trouble—”
She closed the door on him when he was still half finished.
But as she looked out the peephole, he just stood there another minute, arms folded, not moving.
Jo just sighed.
She wasn’t a beacon. She wasn’t anything special.
She’d just go back to her normal life with her dog and her baking and her house and be done with it.
So why couldn’t she stop thinking about the man that called himself a dragon still standing there on her porch?
Damn, the audacity of her.
Dallin paced in a small circle, the little entryway at the front of Jo’s house barely big enough for him to stand in, let alone properly pace.
He’d saved her from trouble once already, and she’d barely thanked him for that.
Why couldn’t she see that he wasn’t lying?
Maybe because you’re acting like an ass, he thought to himself.
He took another look at the doorway, aware that Johanna wasn’t watching anymore, and decided to do a perimeter check around the neighborhood, make sure no unsavory elements were around.
If she didn’t let him fulfill his mission, Dallin would never get this damn collar off.
Which was really too bad because there was something about Johanna that innately drew him to her. Maybe it was just her softy, peachy skin. Or her brown eyes that were as sparkling as they were expressive. Or her cute heart-shaped face and curvy body that was made for much more than just looking at.
Dallin shook his head. What was he even thinking, lusting after a beacon like that?
No, he was here to get the collar off. Do his duty, serve his time. It was too dangerous to think about anything beyond that.
The empty neighborhood was even quieter now, the sound of a few far-off cicadas chirping mingling with the hum of cars on a nearby street. It was so serene it was almost delightful.
And inane.
Dallin would protect the beacon even if he had to do it against her own will. He noted a large row of bushes across the street from Jo’s house and wondered if he camped out there if anyone would notice him.
After all, he’d lived in much worse places than a clump of bushes in his lifetime.
But why did she have to make it so difficult? She already had all the information she needed. Why didn’t she just accept it so they could work together amicably?
There was a ding on his phone, and Dallin pulled the flat device out to see who it was.
Not that there was anyone he expected to be texting, other than Ian.
Ian: I just got an alert saying your collar was set off.
Dallin tapped his foot where he stood. What the light fairy didn’t know couldn’t hurt him.
Dallin: Nothing serious. I think it just accidentally went off, but I’m okay. Thanks for asking, pal. He lied.
Perhaps calling Ian “pal” would be suspicious.
There was a pause, then Dallin looked at Ian’s next text, which seemed to be copied from someplace else
Ian: [DRAGON RESTRAINT ALERT: DEVICE ACTIVATED WHEN USER ATTEMPTED MIND CONTROL ON A BEACON. PENALTY INFLICTED: MAXIMUM]
Ian: Any ideas what that could mean?
Dallin cursed. Of course they’d installed a way to track the unique ways he kept screwing up, like some Big Brother that was always watching him.
Then again, he had actually done that, so he couldn’t blame them for it.
His phone dinged again.
Ian: Do I need to go down there and sort the situation out? This is pretty serious, Dallin.
Dallin: No, no. It won’t happen again.
Dallin had to admit that of all the beings he hated, Ian and his soul bond, Liz, were the beings he hated the least. Since being here in the human world, they’d done their best to be patient with the fact that being restrained like a dog made Dallin hard to deal with.
That, and the two fae were not to be trifled with when things went down either.
Ian: Will you be okay?
Dallin: I’ll work everything out. Don’t worry.
With that, Dallin put his phone away. If he got in any more trouble, the chain on his wrist might never come off.
And that absolutely wasn’t an option.
Dallin headed back for Jo’s house, determined once more to do whatever necessary to finally be free.
He’d play by the rules, get his freedom back, and be done with it all.
So why, whenever he thought about his assignment, could he not seem to get Johanna’s face out of his mind? Just the merest thought of her seemed to make all his senses stand at attention.
It was an odd feeling.
Probably just animal attraction, since she was absolutely beautiful.
Once he was back at her place, he sat down on the front steps, hands tented in front of him as he considered his next action.
Should he try to hide? Conceal his presence from her? Or should he try to explain things again?
His thoughts were interrupted as the door to her small garage opened, and he could see Jo inside, keys jingling in her hand. When she looked up, she saw him there and frowned slightly.
“What are you still doing here?”
“My job,” he replied.
“I’m going to the store to get a few things, though now that I’m saying that, I have no clue why I’m telling a total stranger this,” she said, hands on her hips.
“I’m coming with you,” Dallin said, determined to not be undermined.
She scoffed. “No, you’re not. You’re just someone who’s following me around. Some sort of prank being pulled on me. Maybe even just a figment of my imagination…”
Dallin smirked at that. If he was a figment of someone’s imagination, he was probably a pretty terrifying one.
“So whatever social media company or modeling agency sent you, you can just go back and tell them I’m not interested.” She waved him away, which just made him more stubborn to not be swayed.