Dragon Desire (Tooth & Claw Book 1)

by Emilia Hartley

  Moira hadn’t realized this was what she’d been waiting for. Not until now, with another orgasm growing between Devin’s measured strokes. She wanted to cry out, to scream how she felt. Instead, she poured all the sound and fury into the mattress as she came again.

  Devin grunted behind her. He bucked and slammed deeper than ever where his throbbing cock could spill his seed.

  Their breathing filled the quiet room. Then, slowly, Devin pulled out of her. Moira collapsed while Devin ran off to find something she could clean herself with. Distantly, she heard him swearing in the bathroom.

  “I don’t own anything smaller than a bath towel!” Devin roared, but she didn’t think he was yelling at her.

  She giggled at the strangeness of the moment. His seed slowly slipped out of her while she lay on his bed. Twice now, she had slept with one of the richest men in the area. The first time had been a passing fling, kept to one night. Now, Moira ached for more. Not just the sex, but the faces he made for Crystal, the burnt pizzas, and his inability to purchase hand towels.

  Moira wanted all of this. The only thing she ever wanted as badly as this was a promotion at work. Even that seemed to pale in comparison to the need now gripping her tight. She couldn’t push it away, couldn’t ignore it. Her soul screamed for Devin.

  Perhaps it was time she started listening to her soul. When was the last time she’d taken care of herself? Self-care was all the rage, but Moira pushed and pushed, trying to achieve even the littlest bit of acknowledgement at work. She pushed to the point where she collapsed on the couch at night and fed herself nothing but black coffee in the morning.

  Here, she’d eaten a full meal. She’d smiled and laughed and lost count of her orgasms. Had she been searching for the wrong thing all along? Or had she simply thrown too much of herself into her pursuit of promotion and left no motivation behind for anything else?

  Devin finally returned and offered her toilet paper with a sheepish look. “I didn’t think you wanted to shove a whole towel…you know, up there.”

  Moira burst out laughing, so hard she had to clutch her stomach. She took the offered toilet paper and made for the bathroom where she could clean up on her own.

  “You aren’t even trying to be a big bad guy anymore,” she called out.

  She heard his snort from the other room. Clean, she gravitated back toward the bedroom where Devin offered her one of his shirts to wear. She stared at the shirt, knowing what it was.

  An invitation to stay the night. He didn’t hand her the pants and underwear he’d ripped off her earlier. While she still wore her sweater, the shirt meant sleeping over. She accepted it and held it tight.

  “What’s the point in trying to keep you away now?” He asked. “I’m not sure how I would go on without you anymore. If I asked nicely, would you stay? Not just for tonight? However many nights you want. Two nights a week…every night of the week.”

  Moira’s breath rushed from her lungs. Her lips swept up into a broad smile that hurt her cheeks. She tugged her sweater over her head.

  “Hold up,” Devin nearly shouted. He plucked the sweater from her outstretched arms and tossed it to the floor. “That’s what you’ve been hiding under there?”

  Moira looked down at her magic bra. At least, that’s what the catalogue had called it. The two sticky cups adhered to her breasts. A ribbon laced between them pulled her breasts together and held them in place. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. She should have worn a regular bra but hadn’t wanted to ruin the look of her off the shoulder sweater.

  “This is amazing!” Devin proclaimed. He ran a finger under her breasts, where the skin was exposed, then cupped them in both hands.

  She let out a nervous laugh. “It shouldn’t do that. I bought the wrong size.”

  Devin dropped to sit on the edge of the bed and looked up at her with awe and admiration. She could have stayed there, between his bent knees with his hands on her chest, forever.

  “I can’t believe this little scrap of fabric can make me so happy,” he muttered. “Must be the woman behind it.”

  Moira bit her lip, but she couldn’t fight back the smile spreading over her face. Instead of peeling away the bra, she tugged the offered t-shirt over her head. The soft fabric was nearly sheer and exposed the shape of the bra underneath. Devin didn’t stop grinning…or staring.

  Not until he pulled her into his arms and fell back onto the bed with her.

  “So,” he asked. “Do you want to stay?”

  “I think you’re missing a couple of words.”

  His brows folded together.

  “With me. You’re supposed to ask if I want to stay with you,” she filled in. “The answer is yes. I want to stay with you, you big fool.”

  She kissed him until her head spun and she had to pull back to breathe. Here, in the circle of his arms, she didn’t worry about work or the beast inside the man. Moira didn’t worry about a thing. She could save all her thoughts for the morning.

  When the sun rose, she would email the video editor at the newspaper and tell him to disregard her previous email. She would delete the video on her phone. Someday, Devin would have to tell her about the fact that he could turn into a dragon, but that was his choice to make. She couldn’t push the issue if he wasn’t ready to talk about it.

  In time, Devin would confess. He’d opened up to her this much already. It had to be only a matter of time until he told her everything. Whatever he said would stay between them, too. She wouldn’t tell a soul.

  ***

  A crash woke Moira.

  She reached for Devin, but he was already across the room. Even in the dark, she saw the tension pulling his shoulders taught. In that moment, she could see why others feared him. He stalked through the door and out of sight.

  Moira hurriedly kicked off her sheets and raced after him.

  “What’s going on?” she whispered.

  Devin held his finger to his lips then pointed back toward the bedroom, but she wasn’t going to leave him alone. Moira knew that splitting the group was a bad idea. She was safer if she stuck by Devin.

  Devin seemed to flow down the stairs, silent and deadly. Moira had to take them one by one, feeling her way through the dark.

  Someone grunted in the living room. For a second, Devin went completely still. She thought he would rush back up to her and insist they call the police. Then Devin lunged out of sight.

  Moira let out a soft squeal and rushed down the stairs. She tripped down the last few and her toes throbbed. She ignored her pain to follow Devin. Just as she rounded a corner, the boom of a gun deafened her. She staggered back, alarmed.

  Her heart thundered. The darkness revealed almost nothing, made even darker by panic creeping into her vision. She patted down her chest, her stomach, and found no wounds. Slowly, a keening whine filled her ears, low then loud and unbearable.

  She pushed forward, hands out before her until the shapes became clearer. Devin’s form appeared, silhouetted by a nearby window. Relief washed over her immediately. If he’d been shot, he wouldn’t be standing.

  Then she noticed the form in his hands, a man struggling against Devin’s grasp.

  “Put me down, monster!”

  Moira paused. She’d heard that voice before. Hands trembling, Moira slapped the wall to find the light switch. Precious moments went by, the room filling with a menacing growl, until she found it. The light that filled the room stung her eyes. She blinked until her eyes refocused.

  The first thing she saw was the blood that’d dripped onto the carpet. She lurched forward and tripped over a side table. It crashed to the floor, the sound muted by the growl filling the room.

  “You broke into my home,” Devin snarled. “You invaded my territory and brought a gun, putting my mate in danger?”

  The man dangling from Devin’s grasp pulled his lips back from his teeth and looked Devin in the eye. “I came to protect her from you. I watched you drag a girl away eight years ago. I won’t let you ta
ke another one!”

  Moira let out a weak laugh. “Do I look like I need saving?”

  She gestured to herself, wearing only Devin’s t-shirt and nothing more. The hunter spared her only a glance. Her appearance convinced him of nothing. What did he think Devin was up to? Seducing women before killing them?

  “You need to get out of my house before I kill you.” Devin’s voice held murderous intent.

  Moira had no doubt that he meant every word. She jumped and grabbed Devin’s hands, trying to pull at them to get him to drop the hunter. Before she could say anything, she saw the gunshot wound on Devin’s chest.

  “He shot you,” she breathed.

  “I don’t matter,” Devin told her without taking his eyes off the man in his hand. “Step away from him before he thinks about doing something stupid.”

  “Put him down,” she begged. “He’s not worth your time. You’re bleeding. You need to see a doctor. We need to get you to the emergency room.”

  Her heart raced, precious minutes ticking by as Devin held the man. She could hear his growl deepening, growing louder like the great beast inside him might break free. She didn’t know what triggered the change, but she didn’t want to be trapped inside with the creature.

  “Everything is alright,” she said softly. Her knees trembled. “Do you want to make me happy? Putting the dumbass down so I can tend to your wound will make me happy.”

  Devin snarled, but he released the hunter. The man dropped to the floor and scrambled back to his feet in the blink of an eye. He leapt back from Devin, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

  “My gun?” The hunter gestured to Devin’s other hand.

  Devin hefted the gun in his hand, a shotgun he’d been holding by the barrel. With a cruel light in his eyes, Devin gripped the gun with both hands. Moira should have expected the metal to bend under his will, but it still took her by surprise.

  When he was finished, Devin tossed the ruined gun at the man’s feet.

  The hunter opened his mouth to complain, but Moira spun on him.

  “Get out of this house right now and I won’t call the cops on you,” she snapped. Whatever remnants of sleep that might have clung to her were gone. Adrenaline made her hands shake. She wanted to steady them across the hunter’s face. Hard. “If you leave now, there won’t be any repercussions. But if you stay and continue to cause trouble for us, I will bring every resource in my arsenal down upon your head. I am friends with plenty of cops and lawyers and can make sure your stupid face reaches the front page of the local newspaper.”

  Moira wasn’t lying. Her job afforded her a number of contacts, and she wouldn’t hesitate to call in favors. The hunter looked between them. Moira backed up so her back pressed against Devin. She didn’t make the best shield, but she wanted to show solidarity.

  Devin covered her with his arms and growled at the hunter. In two seconds, the man snatched his gun and raced for the door. He yanked and yanked, but the door wouldn’t budge.

  “You have to unlock it first,” Moira said.

  Exhaustion tried to claim her, but the hunter got the door open and disappeared, leaving her to turn and inspect Devin’s wound. Her breath hitched, heart racing. Blood dripped down his chest and probably smeared her back now.

  “You really need to see a doctor,” she insisted.

  “Damn fool could have gotten you hurt,” Devin said, ignoring her statement.

  Moira wanted to shake sense into him. He turned and trudged deeper into the house, leaving her to throw her hands in the air and give chase.

  “Did you hear a word I said?”

  “By the time we get to the doctors, there won’t be a gunshot wound,” Devin said over his shoulder.

  She opened her mouth to tell him that was ridiculous and promptly shut it again. She’d witnessed Devin turn into a dragon. Nothing was impossible. Not so long as she didn’t know the limitations of whatever he was.

  Devin stalked back to the master bathroom where he slumped on the floor, his back to the tub, and rummaged under the sink for a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Moira watched him pour the disinfectant over the wound and cringe. She entered the room slowly and took a seat on the closed toilet lid.

  Before her eyes, the wound grew smaller and smaller. Little balls of metal fell to the floor as if pushed out of his skin. Devin let his head fall back and gave a deep sigh.

  “You weren’t the only one penetrated tonight,” he said without looking at her.

  She kicked his outstretched leg. “Don’t make dumb jokes in serious situations.”

  “How else am I supposed to handle it?” His eyes were molten orange when he looked at her. “That man could have broken into the house and shot you instead. He’s a damned danger to everyone around him. If he’d hurt you…If he…I wouldn’t have been able to control myself. We’re lucky I caught him before he did something stupid.”

  She snatched the bottle of rubbing alcohol from his hands and used the corner of a clean towel to dab Devin’s skin. Just as he said, the wounds were already closing. He watched her with trepidation. He barely moved, like he thought he would spook her.

  Moira sighed. “That man came to me after you left the bookstore. He handed me pictures…” She weighed her next words, but lies fell from her lips. “I thought they were badly doctored at first. He claimed to have taken pictures of a dragon kidnapping a woman. The dragon in the photos wrecked a blue Volkswagen Beetle and grabbed a woman before flying off.”

  “Oh,” Devin mumbled.

  She waited for an explanation, but his cheeks turned red and an embarrassed smile curled the corners of his lips.

  “Clearly…” she gestured to the wound on his chest. “You’re special. There’s a lot about you that I don’t understand. Was the dragon really you? Was that some sort of...lover’s quarrel?”

  His laugh surprised her. He slid to the floor and pulled her down onto his lap.

  “Are you going to bother explaining this to me? I think I deserve some answers.” She leaned back like she might get up.

  Immediately, answers spilled out of him. “The woman in the photo is Frankie.”

  Moira’s jaw dropped.

  Devin laughed again. “I’m not lying. I was a horrible person back then. Atticus pissed me off and I wanted to make him beg me. It was a power trip thing.”

  “So, you kidnapped his wife?”

  “I did.” He opened his mouth to keep going then closed it. This went on a couple of times before he said anything more. “I’ll tell you this story, but you need to understand that Frankie has forgiven me. She makes jokes about it every Christmas.

  “So, I thought I could piss Atticus off by kidnapping Frankie. She sassed me the whole time and forced me to pay for her wrecked car in the end. You know what the funniest part was? She kept Atticus from killing me. He was going to end me that day, but she stopped him. The only reason I’m here today, the man I am today, is because Frankie gave me a second chance.”

  “You really love her,” Moira said, her stomach starting to sink. She felt like a runner-up in a contest where Frankie would always be first place. “Don’t you?”

  “She’s family,” Devin said. “But I don’t love her the way you think. I can hear it in your voice. You’re jealous. Keep in mind that Frankie was made for Atticus. Their love was written in the stars. Every…”

  She cocked her head and stared down at him, confused.

  He cleared his throat. Then did it again. Finally, he pressed his lips together. “I’ve never told anyone about this. All the people in my life already know. What I am was never a mystery to them.”

  She waited for him to go on even though she mostly understood. Somehow, this moment felt important. She didn’t want to ruin it by confessing that she already knew.

  “I’m a shifter,” he explained. “Atticus and I are different from other shifters. We have dragons inside of us.”

  Moira stayed quiet. She didn’t know how to tell Devin that she’d already seen him change shape
s. Just thinking about what she’d done felt like a betrayal. They stood at the precipice of something new, and Moira didn’t want to risk it by confessing how sneaky she’d been with him. Perhaps later she could bring it up and they would look back and laugh on it, but in this moment, it felt wrong.

  Devin saved her by breaking the silence that’d settled over the bathroom.

  “I promise that break-ins like that don’t happen to me often. Usually, everyone is content to glare at me from a distance. Colton hates me for what I did to Frankie. Atticus doesn’t even fully trust me.” Devin let his head fall back.

  Moira touched his cheek, ran her hand down his neck, and over his chest. She couldn’t stop touching him, and he leaned into it like a man starved of love. From what he said, he truly was. Moira wanted to carve open her heart and give him a piece of it so he could know what warmth and affection felt like. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his chin. Devin let out a soft laugh and brought his arm up to cradle her lower back.

  “I would have killed him,” Devin whispered, pressing his eyes closed. He pulled Moira tight into his body. “If he hurt you, I would have stopped at nothing to kill him.”

  Her heart stuttered, uncertain. Fear should have flooded her, but she felt no such rise. Devin said the same thing only moments ago. Now, it was even more apparent that she was dealing with someone inhuman. Devin wouldn’t have killed the man with his bare hands. She imagined Devin’s massive black dragon swallowing the hunter whole.

  Thankfully, she’d been here to stop him. Then again, if she hadn’t been here, the man never would have broken in.

  “Everything is okay,” she said as she pressed her cheek to his shoulder. “I’m alright. You’re healing. The hunter learned his lesson.”

  “But who else will try to take you from me?” His voice was low. Moira wasn’t even sure she was supposed to hear his whisper.