Phoenix Under Fire: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Aries Read online

  “Perhaps, but that is not my call to make,” Ram pointed out.

  “I will consider what you have told me. I might have a way out of the agreement by substituting another daughter. Meanwhile, I need to meet with your king.”

  “I will make the arrangements. It may be up to a week. He’s not near here,” Ram explained.

  “That will be acceptable.”

  Ram nodded and he exited the office followed by Annie. “That went better than expected,” She observed. “Why don’t we have lunch?”

  Even though it hadn’t been that long since he’d eaten, Ram could eat again. “That sounds great. Where do you want to go to eat?” Ram asked.

  “Why don’t we just eat here?”

  “That will be fine.” They headed back to the kitchen where Annie spoke to the cook for a moment.

  She grabbed some drinks and herded him to a small table in one corner that seated six. “Let’s sit here. It’s more intimate than the dining room.” They both sat down. “I hope you like iced tea.” She set a glass in front of him and the other in front of her. “They are fixing us soup and a sandwich. I hope that’s alright?” Annie asked with a nervous smile.

  “It sounds good.”

  “That’s a relief. We don’t really know anything about each other except that we’re spending the rest of our lives together. Why don’t we share something? I’m an Aries. What are you?”

  “March 31st, I’m an Aries too. My parents are also both Aries.”

  “That’s amazing. What are the odds? I’m a true Aries too. I follow all the traits and I love fire and the color red.”

  “What about war?” Ram asked.

  “I do martial arts, shooting, and I’m a master in a local sword fighting club.”

  “Impressive. I do a little sword play myself.”

  “We’ll have to give it a go sometime.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.” Annie agreed. “Any nonviolent hobbies?”

  “I enjoy diving and I collect crystals of all sorts.”

  “I also like diving and I collect minerals. This is just amazing. We seem to have similar interests.”

  “What about music?” Ram queried.

  “I play piano, but I’m not very good. I love rock n roll and country music.”

  “I don’t play but I love to sing. Not everyone appreciates my delightful voice, though. I also love rock, but I don’t think I’ve heard much country.”

  “I don’t sing much for the good of all concerned. I’ve been told I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. If you get me drunk, I might be tempted to try. I know a few bawdy old songs I’ll try to sing.”

  “So, don’t get you drunk or try to?” Ram asked.

  “I know most paranormals have a high tolerance for alcohol. Witches are better than humans, but not by much. We can get sloppy assed drunk fairly easily.”

  “I bet you’re cute as hell when you’re drunk,” Ram said.

  “I wouldn’t do it unless you’re prepared to deal with the morning after. It’s not pretty.” The sound of a throat clearing made them both look up.

  “Here’s your food, Annie.” A young lady set the tray on their table.

  “Thank you, Patty. I’ll take it from here,” Annie said with a smile. The young lady hurried away.

  “Tomato soup and grilled cheese? That’s one of my favorites.”

  “Patty made the choice, but it’s one of my favorites too.”

  “So, what do you do besides cast spells for people?” Ram asked.

  “I’m an executive for our company, Wicked Witch. We are mainly in the U.S., but our website is worldwide. What do you do?”

  “I’m Director and Chief of Phoenix International. I make the daily business decisions and generally run things according to the guidelines laid out in our yearly meetings by our Aha staff.”

  “You do a lot of paperwork?”

  “A bunch. You too?”

  “Yes, I hate paperwork.”

  “It’s the worst part of the job, but a necessary evil. I have a personal assistant who recently began who I hope will take over a lot of it.”

  “Lucky you. My dad believes doing our own paperwork builds character.”

  “Mm, this grilled cheese is great.” Ram’s change of subject made them concentrate on eating and a companionable silence fell between them until they were both done.

  Annie cleared the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher except for the glasses. She wiped the table off and tossed the rag in the sink. “Okay, we can talk some more now if you want to.”

  “Maybe we should do something instead? There’s a place near our offices where people can go to do a variety of physical activities. We can call it our first date,” Ram suggested.

  “Am I dressed alright?”

  “Something you can move around in easier would be better. “

  “That’s alright. I have some clothes I wear for camping in my room. I’ll go get them.” Annie turned and hurried out. Once she got to her room, she dug the pants out of her camping bag which she kept packed, changed into them then hurried back.

  “So, what am I getting into? It will be interesting to see what kind of activities you enjoy.” They went out to the parking area, but this time she chose her SUV. The guy had looked cramped in her car.

  “That will be a surprise. Did you switch cars because of me?”

  “Yes, this one is roomier.”

  “Thank you.” He smiled and winked. Ram jumped into the passenger seat. “Let’s run back by my room and I’ll change.”

  She took him back by his room and waited in her SUV while he rushed back in to change. Annie caught her breath as she caught sight of Ram as he exited Phoenix headquarters and headed back to her. The male was a sex god. Dark blond hair, short, but long enough it was trying to curl around his head. His scruff was a little darker and made her wonder what he’d look like with a beard. My goodness, what a body he had.

  Annie really wondered what kind of place he’d take her to. He messed around with her GPS and it started giving her directions.

  Regardless of where Ram and his family lived, it was clear he was familiar, at least a little, with Orlando. Twenty minutes later they pulled into Action Alley. The place had paint gun battles, places to practice climbing, go carts, zip lines, and other activities.

  They got out and Annie followed Ram to the front desk. “What do you think about climbing the professional cliff?”

  The place had several manmade cliff faces in a variety of climber levels from kid’s being the lowest and pro being the hardest. “Sure, why not?” It was clear to Annie that Ram was testing her to see if she was in good physical condition and if her interests lined up with his.

  He paid the guy and the man handed them each a helmet and gloves. The handholds and ropes were already in place. This wasn’t nearly as challenging as climbing a real mountain, but it was a great way to keep skills honed and get a workout. Ram led the way and she followed.

  Annie looked up at the manmade cliff that would intimidate any but the most skilled climbers. She stretched, readying her body for the race to the top that Ram would initiate. She suspected everything would be a competition unless it was a team activity and they were on the same team. It was alright, she was as competitive as the next person.

  “Ready,” Ram asked.

  She nodded and he took off at a run and jumped grabbing the rope about ten feet in the air. Impressive. Annie moved fast too and hit the cliff four feet up using it to jump off and gain six more feet just as high. Her plan was to use athletic skill, but combine it with her keen intelligence. Ram smiled at her and nodded his approval.

  Now, they were both scrambling up the rope like monkeys. Annie was faster, but Ram was clearly stronger and had a wider reach. It was almost too enjoyable to be looking up at him and watching his muscles move. The man had one fine ass, one that tempted her to stroke it. A smile twitched at her lips, but she forced it down and got her head back in the game. She caught up in
moments and they were neck and neck.

  Annie had to concentrate to keep up with him and it was disappointing that her presence didn’t seem as distracting to him as his was to her. Maybe he had more experience in competition or even battle. She rarely had the need to keep her mind purely on business. This would be a chance to work on that. Her job at Wicked Witch allowed for a lot of free thinking and creativity. There was no real competition since she and her sisters worked in different areas.

  Ram clearly lived for this sort of thing and if she didn’t want to be beaten daily, she needed to learn some new skills. She put on a burst of speed and passed him, only to have him catch up easily. He’d been holding back. The top was close now and she needed one stronger burst of speed to beat him. Ram must have thought the same thing and their hands hit the roof at the same time.

  “I think I hit first, just by a second.” Ram insisted.

  “In your dreams, Mister.”

  The trip down took no time and they bickered all the way down. “What would you like to do next?”

  “You pick,” Annie offered graciously.

  “A little paint gun one on one?”

  “Suits me just fine.”

  Let’s go, then.” Ram led the way to the desk. They left their climbing gear in a bucket with the climbing attendant. Ram paid and they were issued guns and paint cartridges. Hers was red and his was blue. “Want to trade?”

  “No. I like red.”

  “Fine. Let’s go to the western town and you go north and I’ll go south.” Ram suggested.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  They each had their guns and several packs of spare cartridges. Once they reached the area near the western town front, they headed in opposite directions. They were not the only active shooters in the area and the clerk had warned him everyone in the town limits was fair game.

  Fronts had been erected to give the illusion of an old time western town. Some fronts were attached to old buildings or trees, some just leaned on two by fours. With no substance behind them. There were ditches, trees, and big rocks made of foam to hide behind. She could see a kid hanging out in a tree waiting for a victim to happen by. Annie planned to avoid that spot.

  She slipped behind a front and looked out the door. Others moved around, but Ram was nowhere to be seen. The kid in the tree was visible from where she was and she saw him and a passing player hit each other at the same time. They continued to play as if they hadn’t been hit. Were there no rules? Annie saw a shadow move behind the tree the kid was in. Was it Ram?

  Slipping out from behind her front, she moved to the next one and into the shed it covered. The shadow moved again, but she still only saw movement, not an outline of a body. She suspected it was Ram stalking her. Did he see her move? Probably. There was a door in the back so she slipped out and around only to come face to face with Ram. They both had their guns pointed at each other, but they were both reluctant to shoot.

  They were both stunned when the little kid from the tree ran up and shot them both with puke green paint. “Damn! I didn’t see that coming,” Ram admitted.

  “Me either.” Annie started laughing and Ram joined in. She suspected they wouldn’t be back here for the paint wars again. It had been disappointing.

  “Let’s get out of here and clean up,” Ram suggested and he led her to the desk where they dropped their guns and ammo.

  “Looks like the kid took you two out too,” The clerk observed. “He plays here once a week. The boy is good.”

  Ram shrugged and they headed out the door. “If we go to my headquarters, we can clean up and still be in town to go out to supper.”

  Annie felt flattered that he was willing to spend so much time with her. “Tomorrow I have to get back to work. How about you?”

  “I have some flexibility right now. We have a lot to figure out.”

  “True,” Annie said hoping to encourage him to say more, but all he did was lean back in the seat. She didn’t feel the need to talk so silence reigned. It wasn’t long before they were back at Ram’s headquarters.

  “Just follow me. I’m staying in a suite on the second floor.”

  Annie trailed along after him checking out her surroundings. She’d never been on the second floor and it was beyond luxurious.

  Chapter 3

  Enrapture

  Ram had enjoyed their outing and he thought Annie had too. There was still a lot to learn about each other, but so far, he liked her and the chemistry between them was off the charts. They were at headquarters now, and he knew his parents would be angry that he hadn’t contacted them yet, but he couldn’t pull himself away from her. He was caught up in this female and he felt like a schoolboy with his first crush.

  Pulling off his shirt, he tossed it in the corner of the room. “That’s the ugliest paint color I’ve ever seen,” Ram admitted. “You can take your shirt off too if you want.” He smirked and had a hopeful look on his face.

  “I don’t think so. I need something to change into and I’ll take a shower after you do.”

  “What, don’t you believe in saving water?”

  “Nice try, Romeo. I need to get to know you better first,” Annie explained.

  “You can’t blame a guy for trying especially with such a sexy lady.”

  “Yeah, I know. And your kind is very sexual. Right?”

  “Aren’t all paranormals?” Ram asked. “Here’s a shirt and a pair of sweat pants.”

  “These are women’s clothing.”

  “This isn’t my place. I don’t know whose they are, but you’ve met Cam, right?”

  “Okay. I was just curious,” Annie admitted.

  “Sure. You weren’t jealous a bit. I’m going to take my shower now and I’ll be right back.”

  Ram hurried into the bathroom. He was disappointed that they hadn’t moved to a physical relationship, but he respected her decision and the fact that she had refused to be swayed. He’d never admit it, but he did.

  The bathroom was modern and had the feel of a spa. All relaxing earth tones and subtle scents. The shower was huge so a big guy, like most Phoenix were, would not have to squeeze in and could even have company. There was a jetted tub too which he hoped he and Annie would eventually have a use for. He set the temperature at hot and pressed some buttons so everything hit him at once.

  Music played and the streams of water massaged him all over simultaneously. The rain shower head on the ceiling gently cascaded water over his head. Ram started to soap himself down. Annie was waiting for him to finish and he didn’t want to make her wait too long. Just the thought of his mate made his shaft come to life. Down, boy. His cock should know better but it had a life of its own.

  Once he was soaped down, he rinsed off. He turned everything off and stepped out of the shower grabbing a fluffy towel to dry off with. Once he was completely dry, he dressed and headed out to let Annie know it was available for her.

  “Hey, Sweetheart. I’m done and it’s all yours now,” Ram informed.

  “Thanks,” she said as she hurried away.

  Ram picked up the phone to make a quick call home. He dialed the number and the phone rang. It was picked up on the second ring.

  “Aha speaking.”

  “Dad? This is Ramiros.”

  “It’s about time you called. If Cam hadn’t told us you turned up there, we would have been worried to death. You just disappear out of your room in the middle of the night. What the hell happened?”

  “Easy, Dad. I met my mate. Her father was going to arrange her mating and she didn’t want that, so she cast a spell to find her mate. I woke up on the beach near here, nude and covered in sand. I was disoriented but I managed to find some clothes and get somewhere where I could call Cam. When we called a witch to investigate for us, she turned out to be my mate. Now, we’re getting to know each other.”

  “Her father sounds like an ass.”

  “You’ll get no disagreement from me. I talked to him and explained things and he said he would
give me consideration, but he needs to talk to you before making a decision.”

  “Yeah, I’d like to talk to him too.”

  “You have to stay calm. He’s looking for alliances. Some danger to paranormals has been prophesied. I’ve not got any details, but it worries me.”

  “Okay. Your mother and I will make arrangements and I’ll get back to you. Be careful!” The line went dead and he hung up the phone. When they arrived, they would discuss telling Annie about their kind.

  He could hear Annie moving around and figured she would come out soon. Ram was thrilled he’d found his mate, but the circumstances weren’t ideal. Details needed to be given so other paranormal groups could take precautions as well. Annie’s father seemed very high handed and a bit selfish. If a danger was truly on the horizon, they all needed to stand together or they’d fall separately. If everyone else fell, the witches might go last, but they would go too.

  Annie came out and looked around. “I thought I heard you talking to someone. I thought maybe Cam had come up here.”

  “I was on the phone bringing my dad up to date. He was displeased that I hadn’t called him sooner.”

  “My dad would have ripped me a new one. You don’t look worse for the wear,” Annie observed.

  “He was too relieved that I was alright and Cam called him after we left.”

  “Cam’s a good friend. He saved you some of the grief you probably deserved.”

  “Whose side are you on anyway?” Ram growled as he got up and stalked toward her. “You’re supposed to shriek and try to run away.”

  “I’m not good at those kinds of games.”

  Ram pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Her mouth parted and he took the invitation and thrust his tongue inside. He moaned with delight because she tasted like decadent chocolate to him. “So sweet.” He groaned.

  Ram stepped back, he needed to keep his distance because she wanted space and he wanted to give her that. Not all paranormal mates jumped in immediately. Annie was shy and she’d feel better after she got to know him. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever known, but he hadn’t spent much time around other paranormal groups. Phoenix and humans were what he had the most experience with.