by Amber Kallyn
Bree’s face scrunched up and she moaned again. Ty leaned close, wanting with all his might to kiss the woman. Now probably wasn’t the right time.
“You think her magic works like Dad and Scott’s?” Calla asked.
“More’n likely.”
“Then I’m not going to stitch it. I don’t want to interfere with her healing.”
Ty helped his sister bandage Bree’s shoulder. Done, Calla stood and headed for the back rooms. “I need sleep. This whole pregnancy thing throws me out of whack.”
“Scott?” Ty asked.
“He’ll be here shortly.”
“Good.”
As his sister disappeared into the tunnel, Ty lifted Bree and settled her on his lap, scooting closer to the fire. Normally, her body was hot to the touch. Now, she was so cold.
* * *
Bree drifted, surrounded by warmth. Tiredness swamped through her blood, making her thinking sluggish. She cracked her eyes open to see a rocky cavern, a blazing fire on one side, and Ty sleeping on the other. Pain nipped at the edge of her consciousness.
A noise had her jerking upright.
Across the cavern, Scott stopped. “Good to see you’re all right.”
Bree nodded as Scott headed into a dark tunnel.
“How are you feeling, lovey?” Ty asked softly.
Bree glanced at him, freezing at his white gaze—worry and some deeper emotion blazed from his eyes.
“Okay, I guess. Where are we?” Her voice trembled.
Ty sat up, drawing her carefully into his arms. “It’s my family’s special place. Us dragons need a place to call home, somewhere we can hoard our treasures.”
Bree nodded, studying the immense cavern. “How do you keep it hidden from the mortal world?”
His lips twitched. “Magic, of course.”
“Hmph,” she replied, though inside, some of the tension left.
“C’mon.” Ty rose, taking her hand.
“Where?”
“My room. I want privacy for the rest of the night.” He helped Bree to her feet, sliding her against his body. Grasping her neck, he pulled her into a kiss that was warm and sweet.
Bree followed him through the cavern and into the tunnel. A short way down, doors appeared on the rocky walls. Ty opened the third one on the right.
“Where are Calla and Scott?” she asked
Ty winked. “Nowhere they can hear us.”
Heat rushed to her face. “That’s not what I meant.”
“That’s okay.” He tugged her toward a huge bed, almost as big as the one in his house. “’Cause it’s all I care about right now.”
His arms held her tight as he kissed her, this time with more heat and urgency.
Her thoughts scattered. She could only concentrating on the way this man made the lingering pain disappear into an abyss of desire.
Chapter Twelve
Bree stared into her coffee, hands wrapped around the warm mug. The air in the cavern was nippy, cooling her building fear.
The good news was this creepy mage Ty hunted wasn’t after any of her friends. The fact that he wanted her, not so comforting. Bree had always been confident in herself, her abilities to kick anyone’s ass who dared mess with her.
She remembered the hooded figure on stage the other night, the chills running down her back, the way her heart thumped heavily against her ribs. The guy, if it had been a guy, struck a chord inside her she’d never known existed. It was a primal place, an animalistic one which only wanted to flee from danger.
And the night before. She wasn’t sure she’d have won if Ty hadn’t shown up. Her longstanding confidence in the ability to protect herself was shaken.
She didn’t like being hunted, hated being afraid.
Ty stomped back into the small kitchen area, stopping on the other side of the long, rectangular table she sat at. He’d been moping all morning. The tension electrifying the air told her he was ready to continue their argument.
She didn’t look up, just continued to stare at the coffee.
Ty stomped along the table, pacing the length. “This is doggone idiotic. The things this master has done… What’s so important about the concert?”
He didn’t get it. She had to go, had to face this, or she’d end up a frightened, quivering mess.
The need to rely on others, the desire to run and hide, scared her more than anything this mage could ever do.
“It’s my job,” she replied, trying to make light of the whole thing and stop the quivering in her belly.
Ty froze, before slowly turning toward her. His eyes blazed with anger. “Your job?” He ran his hands through his already messy short brown hair. “You want to risk yourself over some stupid job?”
Bree bit a sharp retort back and answered, “Excuse me, Mr. Bounty Hunter. Isn’t that what you do every day?”
He blinked owlishly, opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. Finally, he growled, “That’s not the point. I don’t want you to go tonight. We got lucky. Next time…”
Bree grimaced as she gripped tight to a completely false bravado. “Luck had nothing to do with my kicking ass.”
Ty slammed a pair of metal handcuffs on the table with such force her coffee sloshed in the cup and she jumped.
He leaned over, getting in her face. “Luck? My sister found these in the hallway. If your attacker had managed to get these on, you would have been powerless.”
The cuffs, a silvery metal, were studded with small, round black stones. Bree traced her fingertip along the row of stones, shuddering at the coldness spreading through her as she touched it.
“What is it?” She remembered the coldness around her wrist during the fight. The man must’ve been trying to put these on her.
“Magic nulls. Bounty hunters carry them. They prevent people from using their magic—shifters can’t shift, and fire nymphs can’t call their fire,” Ty shouted.
Fear filled her, not just at the thought, but at the agony in Ty’s whitish gaze.
Ty paced the length of the table, coming around to her side. His silky black robe billowed around his calves with each predatory step he took her way. Hands fisted at his sides, anger etched on his face, he stopped only inches from her. “You will stay here where you can be protected.” His stony voice echoed off the cavern walls.
The silence following his command was almost deafening. Her anger rose and she stepped up to him, poking his chest.
“You are neither my father…” She poked him again, making him back up a step. “Nor my husband.” Another poke.
He growled, lips thin as he backed away.
“Just because we’ve had sex doesn’t…” Poke, step. “Give you the right to order me about like some child.”
As she went to poke him again, Ty caught her hand in a tight grip. His eyes flashed, pale, almost white, as expressions ran across his face too fast to catalogue.
“Don’t you realize I can’t guarantee you’ll be safe?” Ty grumbled, though something in his voice, soft and yearning, made Bree’s anger melt.
His eyes were a swirling mixture of sapphire and white. It was fear she saw in them. Not for himself, but fear for her safety.
The overprotective jerk was as scared as she was.
A soft smile touched her lips. “Then I guess we’ll just have to work together to keep me safe.”
He snorted, pulling her into a warm, comforting embrace. Bree leaned into him, safety wrapping around her. The dense man was afraid. For her.
It was a new sensation, being cared for, worried about. Scary and thrilling as she realized his emotions were running him right now.
Sure, there was lust between them. A growing friendship too. Bree didn’t dare push those thoughts any farther.
Ty drew back, pushing a lock of red hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing her cheek. The crack inside her burst open at the emotion in his eyes.
She tried, oh how she tried to block it. It was too late.
Love.
; The word hit her like a hundred pound mallet. It was a strange sensation, an even stranger word to consider. An orphan tossed between foster homes, no one ever worried about her. No one had ever felt the need to keep her safe. Love had never been part of her life. At Ty’s soft look, at the way he caressed her face, something blossomed beneath the bathing heat of their attraction.
It hurt.
It was freeing.
It was all consuming.
Slowly, Bree dampened the fluttering of her heart. She couldn’t accept any of it.
In just a day or two, she would move on. Neither of them were the relationship kind.
Besides, relationships never worked out. She’d seen them all—the first bloom of love, lust, whatever. It always faded into anger and hatred.
Bree refused to think about Kari and Rick. They were still in the love stage after years. But they were the exception, not the rule.
She couldn’t handle this man looking at her with hatred when things went south, as they were bound to do.
Pulling from Ty’s arms, Bree turned to the table, trying to stop the burning in her eyes, the lump crawling up her tight throat. Yet pain bloomed in her chest at the thought of leaving.
She had to harden herself, to remember he was the same as she. Neither wanted the type of long-term relationship others had—kids, a dog and a white picket fence. Neither she nor Ty belonged to that kind of world.
“I want to keep you safe,” he said softly. “Let me take care of the master. Then, maybe we can spend a few days together. There’s a cabin up the mountain we could use if you’d like the forest, or we could relax at a beach.”
Bree shuddered at the idea of spending more time with him. No distractions, no danger. Something sharp cut into her heart, a piercing pain spreading through her chest. “I don’t think so.”
He trailed his hand over her shoulder, his body almost pressing against her back, but not quite touching. “Why? Don’t you like me?”
Her breath hitched, coming out a half-laugh, half-sob. Pushing her strength to the very limits, Bree grabbed her emotions and stuffed them in a place deep down and locked the door. She plastered a smile on her face and turned to face Ty.
“I like you just fine. But we both know neither of us are the settling down kind. The sex is great. Let’s leave it at that.”
His eyes darkened. He grabbed her shoulders, slamming her against his hard body. “I’m not sure I can leave it at that. But for now, we can certainly explore the sex option.”
Her heart sped up. Gasping at the heat of desire flooding through her blood, she replied, “Fine with me,” before grabbing fistfuls of his hair and yanking his mouth to hers. The heat spread faster. The Dragon’s Burn, he’d called it.
Well, she was no dragon. The burn wouldn’t affect her.
It was just sex, that was all. It was enough for her. It had to be, for nothing more would ever come to pass.
Chapter Thirteen
Ty held her close, unaccustomed to the fear weighing heavy on his heart. He wasn’t one to dwell on what might be. Rather, he took charge and entered the fray, forcing the win to come. This woman in his arms, tough as she was, didn’t have a clue how dangerous the master was.
Ty did.
And he feared this time, he might lose, in more ways than one.
Bree slid her hands down his sides and tugged open the robe’s belt. Her cool fingertips tickled across his stomach as she undid her own robe and shrugged from it, letting it pool to the floor.
She stood before him, proudly naked, the heat in her gaze burning him alive. Ty lost all thoughts of trying to make her see reason. For the moment.
Her long legs, curvy hips, and bountiful breasts were all he could concentrate on.
Bree pushed his robe from his shoulders, kissing his neck. “Quit thinking. Just feel.”
She traced her tongue down his chest, flicking the hard buds of his nipples before dropping to her knees.
Hot hands wrapped around his throbbing cock. Her tongue slid over his tip sending electric heat into his tightening sac. He groaned, moving to pull her to her feet. Instead, he grasped handfuls of her long red hair and gave into the burn flooding his senses and demanding control.
Her tongue encircled his cock. Bree drew back, looking up at him through her lashes and smiled as she blew cool air over his wet skin.
His hips jerked toward her as she took him deep into her mouth. Heat surrounded him, his cock pulsing. She rolled his tight sac between her fingers, gripping his balls. Her mouth moved over his length, bringing Ty to the brink of spilling into her.
But that’s not what he wanted. He wanted to come inside her, to fill her with his seed. The thought was exhilarating and frightening, but he needed her too much to think about it now.
Gaining some semblance of control, he pulled her to her feet. Yanking her naked body to his, Ty violently took her mouth, while he grabbed her ass cheeks and slid his cock between the juncture of her thighs.
She was already damp and ready for him.
He wanted much, much more.
Picking her up, her pussy sliding against him as she locked her legs around his hips, Ty headed for his bedroom. Each step was agony, her pussy sliding against his cock.
She moaned, grinding her pelvis against his groin.
He stumbled through the doorway and kicked the door closed, then fell onto the bed, Bree still wrapped around him. She giggled, running her hands over his chest.
Ty rolled her onto her back, hovering over her luscious body.
She blinked up at him, her eyes a shade of orange. “That was fun.”
He grinned. “Lovey, you haven’t begun to see fun yet.”
“So what are you waiting for? Show me.”
Ty kissed her, hard and fast, sliding his tongue over her lips. He licked down her neck, nipping lightly at the spot where her pulse pounded, before kissing along the slope of her breast. He sucked her nipple, thrumming his tongue against the hard bud, while reaching to cover her wet pussy with his palm.
She moaned, grasping his hair and yanking his head closer.
Growling, Ty licked and sucked her nipple harder.
He slipped his fingers along her silken skin, finding her clit, and ground his thumb against the nub of flesh. She cried out as her hips bucked.
“Having fun yet?” he asked.
“Mmm, I need more,” she panted.
“You got it, lovey.”
He kissed along her belly and knelt between her creamy thighs, pushing them apart. With a wink at Bree, he licked up the folds of her flesh, nibbling her clit.
“Oh, yes,” she cried.
She tasted of pie on a warm autumn night. His cock pulsed and all Ty wanted to do was slam into her, burying himself to the hilt. He held the doggone burn in check as much as he could.
First, he would make her come.
He plunged his tongue into her pussy while pinching her clit and reaching up to knead one breast, his thumb flicking her tight nipple.
Bree shuddered, her body shaking. “Gods yes,” she shouted.
He thrust his tongue deeper into her sheath, tugging on her clit as she jerked beneath him. Her moan turned into a scream and her pussy clenched around his tongue as her juices flowed.
Chapter Fourteen
Bree raked her nails over Ty’s shoulders as she came, the orgasm flooding her body with exquisite pleasure. He lapped at her mound, then rose above her, smiling with satisfaction.
Grabbing his shoulders, Bree pushed him to the bed.
“Gods, that was great. Now, I want more.”
Ty smiled as she grabbed his cock and squeezed. Straddling his legs, she leaned over and drew her tongue along the bottom of his length. He shuddered, reaching for her.
“Uh, uh. No touching yet.”
He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment.
Taking his balls in her palm, Bree sucked each one. She pressed her fingertips to the sensitive area just beneath them, her excitement increasing as he
groaned, trying not to move. She trailed her fingers down his inner thighs, loving the feel of his coarse hair. Then she slid her mouth over his cock, licking the tip, gently scraping her teeth along his sensitive skin.
This time he jerked. She sucked his length into her mouth, tasting his saltiness, and clamped her lips tight around his base.
Ty groaned, reaching for her again. This time, she didn’t stop him as he grasped her hair. She moved up and down his length, licking and sucking, while rubbing his balls.
Rising, she moved higher, positioning his length at her entrance. Then she eased down him, every inch stretching her deliciously.
Ty groaned, reaching to grasp her breasts, molding them in his palms. She rose up his cock, then slammed down, grinding her clit against him.
Pleasure ran over his face.
The blazing heat in her veins pushed her faster, harder. She wanted to make this last forever, though this might be her last night with this man who made her feel so much.
Bending over, Bree kissed him, jerking her hips along his length.
Ty groaned, arching up to meet her. He thrust up as she slammed down his length once more.
Reaching between them, Ty tugged her clit, rubbing in tight, jerky circles. The orgasm hovering close plunged into her.
Bree screamed as the tightness in her belly released with a shocking ferocity, swamping through her body and making her shake. She spasmed around his hard cock, the sensations ratcheting almost to beyond bearable.
With a quick twist, Ty flipped her to the bed. He captured her mouth with his, tongue plunging between her lips as he rammed his cock deep into her pussy.
Bree shouted into his mouth as the climax flooded her with a molten heat. His groan grew loud and hoarse as his cock pulsed, filling her with his come.
Ty slowed as Bree lay there dreamily, every nerve so sensitive the slightest touch of his body made her shiver with pleasure. She traced the muscles of his back and his tight ass.
As Ty moved to her side, holding her tight, Bree’s eyes began to burn.
She wasn’t sure how she was going to leave this man who’d somehow found his way into her very soul.