Dragon Soul

Chapter 15

15

I giggled and leaned in to Porter as he helped me climb the stairs. It seemed to take forever to get to the top and when we did I almost stumbled from the changing gradient. Silly stairs, disappearing on me and making me fall.

"I'm going to be in so much trouble," I sang, not caring in the slightest. Mum could be as angry as she wanted to be. It was worth it.

"Are you really going to get in trouble?" Porter asked, handing me the now almost empty bottle.

I took a swig, no longer caring that we weren't drinking from glasses. His mouth had been on my mouth anyway. I wasn't going to catch anything from him.

"Oh heaps. Mum will be so disappointed in me." I straightened myself and plastered a stupid stern expression on my face. "Janet Jane, how dare you stay out so late. You are a disgrace to this family. It is shameful that you've let that game influence you so much," I said in my most exaggerated prim and proper voice before collapsing into Porter's side again, giggles overtaking me.

"Janet Jane?" he asked.

Oops. I hadn't meant to tell him that.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," I teased. "Stupid though, it is."

"But..."

"I don't even know what Mum and Dad were thinking. Janet and Jane are the same name but they gave it to me twice. It's like they hated me even before I was born." There was a note of bitterness in my light tone as I voice thoughts that normally only came to me in the darkness of night.

"Is Janet Jane a common name?"

I snorted. "Hardly. No one else has to put up Janet, never mind Jane." I chortled to myself. "Janet Jane. How could it be worse? I sound like a cheesy superhero. Maybe if I took my glasses off, I could fly." I hiccuped.

"You're not wearing glasses..."

"And I can fly." I gasped and stepped back from him. "I must be Superman. You've outed my secret." I wagged a finger at him disapprovingly and tried not to laugh even more.

"Does that make me the sexy love interest who has no use other than to get into trouble so you could save me?"

"Pfft, you wish." I swayed back and forth before righting myself against the wall. "You are my evil nemesis."

"Don't you have to be evil to be a nemesis anyway?" he retorted.

"Nuh-uh. I'm your nemesis, but I'm good."

"I thought you said you were in a lot of trouble," he countered and stepped towards me. "If you're in trouble, how can you be good?" His words came out soft and intimate, like the whisper of one lover to another.

I licked my lips, not even realising what I was doing until Porter's gaze slipped.

"Trouble can be good," I replied. "Drink?" I held up the bottle between us, only half wanting him to take it and break the moment.

Porter's eyes never left mine as he took a sip from the bottle, then stepped even closer, caging me against the wall. Heat flooded my body at his closeness but I wasn't about to start complaining. He could come even closer if he wanted to.

"So, nemesis, how are you going to defeat me?" he murmured, his lips now so close I could feel his breath fanning against my cheek.

"I only have one power," I replied, looking up at him through my eyelashes in a way that I hoped came across as cute and not weird.

"Other than the flying?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"What is it?" He leaned even closer.

I could work with that.

"My kiss is poison," I whispered in his ear, leaning back with a challenging look on my face. We hadn't kissed since we were under the table but I'd wanted to. I just wasn't quite brave enough to make the first move.

And by brave, I meant drunk.

"So why should I want it?"

"Because I'm irresistible." I giggled. For some reason, I actually believed that. Whether it was because of Porter or because of the alcohol. Whatever it was I knew this situation just felt right. I was comfortable in myself for potentially the first time in my life.

"You really are," he replied, leaning down and capturing my lips with his once more.

My eyes fluttered closed as he slipped one of his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I went willingly, pushing my body against his and deepening our kiss. I'd never felt so close to someone. He became my whole world. The only thing I could focus on.

We broke apart, leaving me feeling a little dazed. Luckily, the expression in Porter's eyes suggested he was feeling the same way.

"Come on." He took my hand in his and pulled me towards a door on the left-hand side of the staircase.

"I thought Zara said the dorms were on the right?" I asked while following him anyway.

"She did. But Hector said we can use his spare room inside their flat."

"He did?" I squeaked. What did the bar owner think we were going to do?

What were we going to do?"

The alcohol buzzing around my system seemed to fade a little as I thought about that. But this was Porter. He felt right. I wasn't going to do anything I'd regret. But then, didn't they say it was the things you didn't do that you regretted the most?

With that thought careening around my head, I smiled up at Porter. "Lead the way."

“After you, my lady.” He tipped his imaginary hat and we stumbled up the stairs. Part of me was aware it was late and I should be silent, but my mouth seemed to be stuck on a louder volume. Mum would scold me so much for speaking this loud, but she wasn’t here. Nah.

We thudded down the hallway, swaying into each other with every step. I was drawn to him, uncontrollably, irresistibly.

The thought of sharing a room, a bed with him was terrifying and yet, I wasn’t scared. I felt safe with him. He’d protect me, like he always did.

Porter reached for our door and we fell into the spare room.

“Oi! Who are you! What are you doing here?” A blond guy jumped up from the bed, his face contorted so angrily it made me laugh. He reached for a bat and swung it up menacingly. Maybe not so funny then.

“Oops, wrong room. Sorry,” I apologised, noticing how I couldn’t stop giggling. I pushed Porter back out, my hand against his hard chest. That was a nice chest.

“Get out, get out, get out!” The guy yelled. From behind his closed door, I heard him curse. “Damn you, Hector!”

“Let’s try another door,” Porter suggested, his voice thick with laughter.

We turned a doorknob on the other side of the hall and stumbled into a new room. Another man sat up from his bed, his eyes thick with sleep. “Mum?”

“Wrong room again,” Porter hissed.

I waved my hands through the air, hoping to spell the man in the bed. “This is a dreammmm. You are asleeeeeeep. Go to sleeeep.”

A strong arm wrapped around my waist and Porter pulled me out of the room. The door slammed loudly as he carried me through the hall. His warm scent enticing in a way I only read about, but never understood until right now.

The next door we opened brought us into an empty room and we fell on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped and I rolled deeper into his embrace. My head against his chest, his arm around my waist, our bodies melting together to where I couldn’t distinguish where I stopped and he began.

He captured my lips in a kiss that left me breathless, speechless, boundless. No restrictions, no boundaries, no rules. Just him and me, just us. In this moment, we were free.