by Alice Brown
“Get in here,” Blain ordered, causing Natasha to jump.
Following him into his office, Natasha took her place standing statue-still in front of his desk while she waited for him to shut the door and sit down. Blain stomped back over to his desk and sat down. His fist slammed down, causing the structure of his desk to groan over the weight. There wasn’t too much she was afraid of, but Blain in a tizzy was not a pretty sight. Especially when she continuously kept getting glimpses of his dragon. Blain threw his head against the back of his seat, closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths. When he reopened his eyes, his dragon had disappeared completely, and he was in much better control of himself.
“Before this conversation even gets started, I want you to know that I am not mad with you,” he stated, still trying to rein in the last of his temper.
“You’re not?” she verified, wanting to be sure there wouldn’t be any problems between them. She had known all along that she really didn’t have anything to worry about. But then when she heard all the shouting and then the door being flung open to reveal a pissed off dragon, well, she wasn’t quite sure where she stood.
“No,” he confirmed, as he sat back further into his seat. “No, I’m furious with the dumbass that just left this room.”
Seeing the doubt skate across her features, he was quick to reassure her. “Please, sit down. We’re good, Natasha. I am just really pissed at the idiot that just left here for having the audacity to tell me in explicit detail what all he planned to do to you.”
Natasha’s eyes widened as she fell back onto the chair directly behind her. All color drained from her cheeks as she processed his words. She remembered the cold, calculating look he gave her when he left Blain’s office. She didn’t even want to know what all he had told Blain.
“What happened?”
“Well, let’s see. First, he tried throwing both of us under the bus by telling Jade that I was kissing you and feeling you up this morning. Then, when he didn’t get the response he was looking for, he tried throwing you under the bus, stating that you had done nothing but flirt with all of the guards ever since they arrived.” He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “That’s when I lost it.”
Natasha’s eyes went big and round when he told her she was being accused of flirting with all of the guards. Blain was quick to reassure her. “I know you haven’t flirted with anyone since you got here. If you had, I would have already been alerted to it by now. No, but you did help Lady Jade find at least one of her father’s spies. He is being sent home today, by the way. So, we should not need to deal with him any longer.
Blain studied her for a long moment. “Now that that is behind us, I would like to talk to you about you and I.”
Natasha’s heart skipped a beat or ten as she willed her nerves to calm down. What would he tell her? That she wasn’t up to class. That he couldn’t mate her because she came from no money, held no power, and would be a liability to him?
She jumped when he spoke again, only then realizing that he had left his seat behind the desk and had joined her in the empty chair next to her. She willed her heart to settle down, and she promised herself that whatever he said, she would wait to fall to pieces until she was locked in her room. Completely by herself.
As her heart continued racing and her mind conjured up all kinds of nasty things, she suddenly realized she wasn’t getting enough air in her lungs. She felt lightheaded and dizzy, and she realized her vision was starting to get fuzzy around the edges.
She placed her palms down on the desk in front of her and dropped her head. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on getting her breathing under control.
The next thing she knew she was being moved and was suddenly sitting in Blain’s lap. “Whoa, I got you, baby. You’re all right, nothing’s going to happen,” he murmured in her ear as he leaned her back against him. He brought her all the way back until her head was resting comfortably on his shoulder.
She had yet to get the dizziness under control when her stomach started rolling. Then she remembered that she hadn’t eaten any breakfast. She glanced up at Blain.
Her breathing was still out of control as she continued to fight the dizziness, stomach rolling, and all of her emotions at the forefront. She was still worried about what Blain wanted to talk to her about. She sure as hell couldn’t get fired. If she were to get fired, not only would she killing herself, but someone else as well—someone who so desperately needed her to stay alive.
“Natasha, sweetheart, calm down, love, you are hyperventilating,” Blain said, worry coating his tone of voice as he lovingly stroked her hair and held her hand. “What’s got you so worked up, baby?”
Natasha couldn’t handle it anymore. He had confused the shit out of her ever since the first time she had walked into this very room.
“You!” she shouted, losing all self-control as tears streamed down her face. “You! You are my problem, day and night, and every second in between! Why are you doing this to me? You have my head spinning ninety miles a minute. You act like you are actually interested in me one minute, only to ignore and treat me as just an employee the next. Which am I?” The tears were falling freely down her cheeks.
Seeing her tears roll down her face as she swiped at them angrily with the sleeve of her sweater made Blain’s chest hurt. Or maybe it was the fact his dragon was hurling himself up against Blain’s ribcage in an attempt to get out and comfort their mate. He felt like a total idiot, which his dragon was quick to agree with. Those tears rolling down her cheeks were his fault.
She jumped out of his lap suddenly and reached around the side of the desk for the trash can. Dry-heaving, she didn’t think this day could get any worse. She started to stumble a quick moment later just from standing up.
The next thing she knew she was being picked up by Blain and cuddled up against his chest. “I think we need to get you laying down,” Blain stated softly as he quickly made his way out of the office and to her bedroom.
Two female employees were standing on either side of him as he gently lowered her to the bed. Serena, the head housekeeper, inquired, “Sir, is there anything we can do to help?”
Blain graced the woman with a smile. She had been with him since he moved here almost eight years ago. “Can you ask Cook if we have any crackers and maybe some clear liquids of some kind?”
“Of course, certainly, sir.” The other woman hung back, waiting to see if he needed anything else. He glanced up at her, knowing she was only trying to do her job. “I’ll call you if we need anything, but you can go now.” For the first time in a long time, he made a conscious effort to speak softly, not snap at his staff. He glanced down at Natasha, who had closed her eyes the moment her head hit the pillow. He knew it was because of her. She was already making a mark on his life. He didn’t resent it like he thought he might. No, she was a good person. She had just been dealt a really shitty hand from what he could tell. And she made him want to be a better person because of it.
He watched his employee walk out the door and then he set out to remove Natasha’s shoes and make her comfortable. Once he was finished with that chore, he came back up and sat on the side of the bed, stroking her hair with his fingertips. She had the softest strands of hair he had ever felt.
“Baby, I am so sorry I upset you. We need to have a long chat, and we will, I just want you feeling better before I start throwing everything at you.”
A knock sounded at the door and interrupted his speech. “Come in,” he called out.
Jade stuck her head in the doorway. “Is everything okay? Your staff is going nuts downstairs. What is going on?”
“Hey, Jade, I am just in the middle of dying here, don’t worry about me,” Natasha called out softly.
Blain’s dragon let out a roar. 'NO! Let me out, let me out, let me out!' he roared and butted up against Blain’s already bruised ribs.
“Baby, don’t go saying things like that, I am losing the battle with my dragon as it is. He wants t
o be able to see for himself that you are okay,” Blain growled out.
“Then let him out. He won’t hurt me will he?” Natasha asked from her pillow.
Blain chuckled. “No chance of that happening.”
Jade finished letting herself in the room. “Blain, how about I stand guard at the door, and you go ahead and release your dragon. I would imagine he is putting you through hell right now.”
Blain glanced up at her and shook his head. “You have no idea.” And then quickly continued, “Are you sure? I don’t really want the staff to see me transformed.”
Jade nodded her head. “Go ahead. I am going to lock the door for good measure, and then I will stay over here so I can guard the door if necessary.” She then turned her attention to Natasha. “Are you sure you are okay with Blain shifting over to his dragon form?”
Natasha looked over to Blain for a second before replying. His skin and eyes were glowing, and she knew his beast was fighting his way to the surface anyway. Besides, she had been dying to know what his dragon looked like.
“I am fine with it.”
Blain picked up one of her hands and kissed it before standing up and walking down to the end of the bed. Jade reached over and hit the lock on the door. Blain locked eyes with Natasha, reaching up and slowly unbuttoning his shirt. His eyes were smiling at her, he knew what effect he had on her, and he slowly peeled his shirt back and off his shoulders. “Like what you see, baby?”
Natasha quickly propped another pillow behind her so she could see better. She nodded her head and licked her lips as she watched him unbuckle his belt, then with tantalizing slowness unbutton the button at the top of his jeans and then pull the zipper down. Her breath hitched as she watched his long, thick erection spill out when he yanked down his pants. Lord have mercy, that man is hung!
A few seconds later a twenty-foot dragon stood where Blain had just been. Her eyes immediately lifted to the ceiling. Now it made sense why the house had such high ceilings. Still, Blain the dragon had to stand stooped over a bit, otherwise, his head would go through the ceiling.
The dragon stood still for a moment, eyeing her. He was beautiful. Blue diamond-shaped scales covered his body. His wings were tucked in close to his body, as if he were afraid if he opened them he would destroy something. Which he probably would have. She guessed his wings to be at least fifteen feet long. A keen intelligence shone in those dark eyes. And there was just something about him that turned her on.
“Hello, my pretty little mate. Don’t fret over Blain. The man can be a bumbling idiot at times. But now that I am here, I am going to take care of you. I am going to love you.” His neck was so long that he was able to crane it and bring his head forward until it was directly in front of her face, while his large body stayed in place at the foot of the bed.
Natasha started lifting her hand, but stopped herself. “Can I touch you?” she requested.
“By all means, my pretty mate, I would love it if you would touch me,” the dragon replied in a raspy voice.
Natasha placed her hand on the side of his nose, noticing how smooth his scales were. “Oh, my, your scales are so smooth. You are a very handsome dragon.”
The dragon grinned at her before bringing his nose down and sniffing her cloth-covered pussy. “And you are turned on, my pretty.”
There was no use denying it, but it wasn’t something she wanted to admit to, either. She reached up and stroked the top of his head, and then ran her hand down between his eyes and down the bridge of his long nose. She mapped out every part of his head she could get reach.
A knock at the door brought both of their heads up. Jade stood by the door and called out, “Yes?”
“My lady, Mr. Barrymire requested food and drink for Ms. Natasha.”
Just as calm as can be, Jade replied, “Please leave the tray on the chair in the hallway, and we will get it in a moment. We will retrieve it just as soon as we are finished getting Ms. Natasha changed and comfortable.”
It seemed as if everyone held their breath until they heard the woman’s footsteps leave the hallway. Jade looked over to Natasha. “I am sorry, I couldn’t come up with anything else. You are going to need to change now before we open that door just so there is no suspicion.”
The dragon’s face lit up in a huge grin. “Change, yes, change, my pretty. I am dying to see what you look like.”
Natasha eyed the mighty dragon for a moment. He cocked his head, and she quickly decided that it was not her imagination, but that he was trying to flirt with her. Never in her life had she ever thought she would be considering doing a strip tease for a dragon A dragon! Even she shook her head in amazement, and she was accustomed to being around magical beings.
She stood and went to her dresser to find something comfortable to throw on for the time being. As she was digging through a drawer, she felt the dragon’s nose lift up the back of her sweater. Then she heard a loud “rip” as it was torn and thrown away from her body.
“Hey! That was one of my favorite sweaters!” she scolded the dragon as she spun around quickly. He ignored her completely, instead moving his head back around to her back and a moment later her breasts fell when the dragon tore her bra. “Hey, what do you think you are doing?” she demanded.
“I want to see you, pretty. I want to see all of you. And you are being slow.” He brought his head back around and placed his nose between her breasts. “Ahh, so lovely. And you smell so good also,” he fairly purred in contentment.
“Finish what you were doing, pretty. You still have clothes on. And when did women start dressing like men? Why hasn’t Blain bought you beautiful long dresses? Ah, yes, you would look so good in one. Plunging neckline, tight waist, and bright blue to match me.” He winked at her and then turned his attention downward.
“Oh, no, you don’t. Before I finish undressing, take that long neck of yours and put it with the rest of your body.” His neck was so long that he could reach her anywhere in the room, simply by craning his neck.
She waited until he had moved his head closer to his body, resting it on the end of the bed. She shimmied out of her jeans, and made sure to put an extra wiggle in her move as the bikini underwear came down.
“Ah, my pretty. I am so jealous of Blain for being able to take you. I’ll be with him, of course, but it’s not the same.” She reached behind her in the drawer and grabbed the first thing she could, quickly throwing it over her head. It was a long sleeping shirt, and covered her down to her knees.
Her dragon pouted. “Why did you cover such beauty? I was enjoying the view.”
“Well, I would like to know a little more about you, and I would feel much better doing that with clothes on. Do you mind if I sit back down?” she replied.
“Of course not. Are you still sick?” the dragon asked in sudden concern.
“Just a bit weak, I haven’t eaten today at all.”
“What? You haven’t eaten? Why hasn’t Blain fed you, my pretty? Why isn’t he taking care of our mate? Do you wish for me to go slay something and bring you meat? I will be happy to take care of you, my sweets. I’ll even see if I can find some berries to go with the meat.”
Natasha smiled. Blain’s dragon must be pretty old she guessed if he was talking about long ball dresses and hunting for food. “That is not necessary. The kitchen sent a tray up. Remember, it is sitting outside?”
“Yeauk!” The dragon made a face of disgust. “What did he order you? A few crackers and some type of clear liquid. Doesn’t sound like much of a meal to me!”
“It is fine. I think he was more concerned with the fact my stomach was upset. He wanted to make sure the crackers stayed down before I tried to eat something heavy.”
Natasha walked over and sat down on the bed while Jade made sure the coast was clear before retrieving the tray.
As Natasha nibbled on her crackers, she attempted to get to know this dragon more. One couldn’t help liking him. He was sweet, he was kind, and he was chivalrous. And where Blain
had yet to come clean with her about her being his mate, the dragon had no qualms in letting her know that she was theirs.
"So, do you have a name?” she asked cautiously.
“Yes, my pretty, oh, my, where are my manners? I’ve been talking to you for the past twenty minutes and have yet to fully introduce myself. I am so sorry. Please allow me to rectify that. I am Sapphamire, Dragon of Dragonose, at your service, Madam.” He bowed his head deeply.
“Sapph-a-mire…were you named after the sapphire stone, by chance?”
The dragon looked pleased at his mate. “Yes, I was, my pretty. I am named after the pretty blue sapphire stone and Blain’s last name, Barrymire.”
“So, how does it work with both of you sharing each other’s body?”
“Oh, now that can be a touchy subject sometimes. Blain and I learned to live as one a long time ago, but there are times it is rough.” He stopped and sighed deeply, bringing his head to sit in her lap now that she was finished with her tray. She automatically picked up her hand and started stroking his beautiful scales.
“He doesn’t let me out enough, and we often disagree about that. It has been especially hard since he found you, my sweets. I have wanted to come out and introduce myself and get to know you, but he has refused me at every turn.”
Natasha smiled. In a lot of ways, she felt more at ease talking to Blain’s dragon than she did the man himself. “Why hasn’t he told me I am his mate? Does he not want me? Am I not good enough for him?” No matter what, she felt sure Sapphamire would give her the answers she was looking for.
Sapphamire’s head shot up off her lap. “Good enough! Sweets, he is not—we are not good enough for you. As to why he hasn’t told you, believe me, that has also been the topic of disagreement between the two of us. He wanted to wait and let you get to know him. He hoped you would fall in love with the man, not because of the mating bond.”
The two stared silently at each other for a moment. “Speaking of you-know-who, someone is internally screaming at me to let him back out. If you haven’t figured it out yet, he is a bit of a control freak.” Sapphamire sighed and moved his head back in alignment with his body. No sooner did he do that than his size shrank, the blue scales being replaced with skin. Dark hair and Blain’s facial features came into view.