Steel (Rent-A-Dragon Book 1)

by Terry Bolryder

  “I am,” he said. “And I’m from another time. Another world compared to yours.”

  “When?”

  He hesitated. “I don’t need to go into specifics, but I suppose my people are comparable to what you would call Vikings.”

  “Wow,” she said, leaning her cheek on one hand as she played with her lasagna with her fork. “Sounds interesting. Is that why you were speaking oddly when you first met me?”

  “Yes,” he said. “After that, when I knew you were my mate, I was working hard when I was home to get better. Reading books. Watching your picture box.”

  “TV?”

  “Is that what it’s called?”

  She pointed at her television. “That thing?”

  “Yes.”

  “TV.”

  “Okay,” he said, nodding. “I’m still getting used to some modern conveniences.”

  “So what else do you dragons do at the castle?”

  “We play games, talk about the old days. Tease each other. Explore outside.” His lips spread into a smile. “Go flying.”

  She sighed. “Really? Can I go sometime?” It was getting easier and easier to believe he really was a dragon. After what she’d seen this afternoon, the only other option was she was hallucinating, and she didn’t feel like it.

  “I can take you sometime, probably. When we’re mated,” he said.

  “And how does that work?”

  “I can’t tell you,” he said. “Not until you agree to it. It’s secret.”

  She sighed. “How can I agree to something I don’t understand?”

  “I guess you would just have to wait until you totally trust me,” he said, his teal eyes soft and patient.

  It was so fun and familiar, having him across from her at the table, eating her food and enjoying it, Tank sitting obediently at his side. She really could imagine a future like this.

  “It’s so weird to me, the whole mating thing. Very foreign.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Because my last boyfriend, he couldn’t commit at all. That’s not why I left him, but he was always putting off the idea of marriage. Most men seem like they just want to get what they can and run.”

  “Disgusting,” Liam said. “But maybe more men than you realize would like to settle down. Maybe you were just meeting the wrong men.”

  That stung. She shrugged. “Maybe.”

  He gave her a playful grin. “Maybe it was so you could reject all of them and be waiting here for me. Sorry I didn’t come sooner.”

  She giggled, blushing, and wiped her lips with her napkin. “Silly.” But she loved it. These little moments where he stopped holding himself back so much and let her see his personality were just wonderful.

  “I’m glad to see you smile. I was worried you weren’t going to for a while. At least with me around.”

  “It’s hard, but I’m going to get used to it I think. But if you can imagine, it’s a big thing for me to realize that humans aren’t alone on this world. I’ve never even considered anything like that.”

  “Ever? Not even in your imagination?”

  “I’ve never been very imaginative,” she said. “Well, maybe in childhood, but it gets sort of beaten out of you as you grow up, as adulthood takes over.”

  “Beaten out of you?” He stood, looking angry. “Who? Where is he?”

  “No, no,” she said, hastily waving a hand. “Not at all. I’m sorry. Please. I meant it figuratively. You know, not literally.”

  “I’m not sure I get it exactly.”

  “No one hit me,” she said. “I promise.”

  He seated himself again, his heavy weight making the chair creak beneath him. So large. She grinned to herself as she remembered how that big body had felt pressed up against her when they’d made love.

  As if he could read her thoughts, he grinned up at her, taking a bite of lasagna.

  Oh hell, if she wasn’t careful, they were going to end up doing something again. And would that be so bad?

  It would be if she didn’t understand well enough.

  “Anyway, is there anything else I should know about being a dragon? What was that sword?”

  His eyes were shifty. “That’s another thing I really shouldn’t talk about, but since you’re my mate and you already know some things, I guess I will. Me and my crew are metal dragons, each a different metal or alloy, and we have access to an ancestral weapon of immense power, created in the metal that flows in our bloodline.”

  “And which dragon are you?” she asked.

  “I’ll tell you when you mate me,” he said with a grin that was slightly predatory.

  She flushed. “So many secrets.”

  “All you have to know is that I’m never going to hurt you and I’m always going to keep you safe. And if you say no to me, I’ll just try to keep winning you over. And if you still say no to me, I’ll always be watching over you. We’re meant to be together, and I know that you, not being a dragon, may take time to be okay with that. But I can wait. This is forever.”

  She heard her own heartbeat; she was so silent and frozen as she listened to his sincere, quiet words. His handsome, masculine face was almost too earnest, and she felt embarrassed at how brave he was in expressing his feelings.

  She certainly wasn’t that brave. “I’m sorry I made you go,” she said, putting a hand over her eyes. “I really didn’t know what to do. I was freaking out.” She looked up at him through her fingers. “And thank you for coming back.”

  He got out of his seat, put his napkin down, and walked over to her. He knelt at her side and pulled her hands away from her face. She looked away from him, sure she was flaming red.

  He reached up a finger and easily tilted her face back to him. Just how strong was he really? Would she ever be able to see that?

  He had a very slight dimple in his strong chin, and she wondered how it felt to touch it. She reached out and brushed his hair off his forehead, thinking how odd it was that she could already feel this tender toward him.

  That she could feel so clearly that he needed her. It had been so long since someone other than her dog and her employees had needed her.

  “I didn’t really leave. But yeah, I’d always come back. You’re part of me. I don’t really know how to make you understand that.”

  “It just takes time,” she said, running her hand through his hair again. He closed his eyes as if it felt good, and she wanted to do it again. But he caught her hand.

  “I can give you time. I can even spend the night in my truck if you’d like. But I can’t go. Not with that guy still out there.”

  A chill went through her. “No. I don’t want you to go. Besides, I’m happy for you to stay here. After all, you have to catch up on my yard.”

  His expression brightened. “So you won’t hire someone else?”

  “Of course not,” she said. “Who else could do as good a job as a dragon?”

  He laughed at that. “Good. No one else could do as good a job. I promise that.”

  She squeezed his hand. “So now what?”

  He arched slightly, touching his back. “I think I’ve spent too much time in human form. My back is slightly sore after all. Perhaps I will rest.”

  “I have something better,” she said, looking out at the deck. “Do you have a swimsuit?”

  “A what?” he asked.

  “Oh, right, you probably don’t. Oh well, you can wear your underwear.”

  “For what?” he asked. “Am I missing something?”

  “No,” she said, getting up and heading to her bedroom. “I’ll be out in a minute. Meet me fully clothed on the back deck, and I’ll show you what I mean.”

  He stood there looking confused, patting Tank on the head as she left.

  It was about to be a really good night.

  12

  It was getting dark as Liam followed Kate out onto the deck, confused as to what she wanted to do out there. She was wearing only a towel over some sort of hidden garment, a
nd he felt extra protective of her, being out in the open with her wearing so little.

  Were humans always this indecent without any forethought?

  He heard something in the bushes and let out a growl, but then a small squirrel hopped out and disappeared down the dirt hill, and he relaxed.

  He should know better. If something sinister were around, like a man or another dragon, he would sense it. As he had with Gold.

  Damn, that had been close. How were they here? Was the whole crew here? He had so many questions.

  But the most important thing right now was making sure Kate was happy. That she was trusting him. Comfortable with him.

  She walked to a dark, rectangular shape he’d seen on the deck before, but hadn’t known what it was. As he got closer, he could feel heat emanating from it, but wasn’t sure how.

  He got in front of Kate, pushing her back slightly in case it was dangerous, but she just laughed and pushed him aside so she could undo some sort of clip on one side and then the other.

  She then lifted the lid and steam came off, and Liam put a hand up to block his face before realizing it was totally harmless. He dropped his hand, hoping she hadn’t noticed his panic.

  “I promise this is safe,” she said with a smile. “Sometimes you’re so cute, you know that?”

  He wrinkled his nose. Cute? A dragon? That made no sense. Cute was how you referred to small things like bunnies and rabbits.

  “Okay,” she said. “There are no lights out here. No one should see you. Go ahead and strip down to your boxers and get in.” He sent a quick look around, but as long as his mate said it was okay, he had no problem disrobing.

  He reached for the hem of his shirt but paused as she dropped the towel, revealing the garment that had been hidden. It was made of some kind of silky, skintight material, and it was in two pieces. One that covered her breasts, barely, with a strap going over her shoulders and one around her ribs. And then another that was practically underwear, just covering her beautiful hips and… vulnerable areas.

  He sent an alarmed look around him, but she quickly climbed into the large tub of water that was glowing blue with some kind of lights within it. He sniffed it. It smelled clean but slightly of some sort of chemicals.

  “Bromine,” she said. “I sort of splurged and got one with UV filtration so it would be extra clean.” She swirled a hand in the clear water. “I don’t use it enough.” She looked up at him, her brown hair dipping in the water at the tips, her beautiful breasts floating at the top, wet and shiny, her face flushed from the heat.

  He didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly disrobed, nearly tripping out of his clothing, and quickly got in the tub with her.

  And flinched at how hot the water was.

  “Sorry,” she said. “It’s a hot tub. I should have explained.”

  “A mechanical hot spring. Magic,” he said, sinking into the water and slowly adjusting to it. His eyes went to his mate, to her creamy skin, exposed almost everywhere. Her gorgeous stomach. He wanted to touch it. Touch all of her, hold her soft skin, and kiss her all over until she went in his arms.

  He looked around them. “Are you sure no one can see us?”

  “No windows facing this way. And from what I saw, no one home out back. I think they’re often out of town.” She looked around. “I think we’re alone.” She gave him a mischievous smile. “Oh wait, I forgot. Your back. I’ll turn on the jets.”

  “Jets?” he asked but then jumped as he felt a rush of water at his legs and many others starting up around the tub with a loud rumbling. “What magic is this?”

  She laughed. “Just piping, like what you’re installing outside.”

  “That is all mechanical,” he said. “This uses electricity.”

  “It’s plugged in, yes,” she said.

  “What do I do?”

  “Sit in front of them,” she said. “They work for massage.” She vibrated with the jets hitting her back and sighed. “Ahh, that feels good.”

  He felt instantly jealous. Only he should make Kate make a face like that. But instead of pouting, he took her advice to get in front of the jets. She’d done this for him after all.

  As the water and air rushed against his back, he felt the muscles calm down and realized this was therapeutic after all. He sighed as he sat back, letting the water caress his back.

  He should really tell Aegis about these things so he could install one back at the castle. Then again, he and Opal would probably always be using it, and that would ruin things for the rest of them.

  Maybe they would need two.

  “You like it?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  He opened his eyes to look at her. A mistake because he was instantly hard whenever he saw her in that swimming outfit, as she had referred to it when she asked if he had one. He shut his eyes again. “Yes.” Hopefully, with the water, she wouldn’t realize his condition.

  She swam over to him, and he felt her hand on his thigh. Nope, she probably noticed. “Why are your eyes closed?”

  He sat up because her hazel eyes were troubled. He could tell even in the darkness around them, the only light coming from the blueish-green lights in the hot tub that still only provided faint illumination.

  He pulled her onto his lap, and he knew the moment she realized he was hard. “Your swimming outfit is driving me crazy.”

  He released her to let her get off of him, but she refused, straddling him instead and wriggling against him.

  “Do dragons always have this effect on people?” she asked, pressing herself in against his chest. He didn’t think he could ask for anything more, her soft, curvy body pressed against him, the warm water around him, the darkness, the soft lights. He put an arm around her, keeping her safe.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m just glad I have this effect on you. Because you’re the only woman I want. The only one I’ll ever want.”

  She nuzzled her cheek against his, slightly damp and warm. “I still find it hard to believe that.”

  “Let me show you,” he said, running his hands over her slick shoulders and then placing a kiss to her salty skin. Then another. She gasped, arching, and he rubbed up against her, bringing them close though they were both still clothed.

  “Hot,” she said. “I can feel you.”

  He thrust again, liking how she arched and jerked, her fingers digging into his shoulders, urging him on.

  “I’m not usually like this,” she said. “Some kind of wild woman seducing her handymen.”

  “Good,” he said, kissing her on the lips, silencing her. “Only for me.”

  She sighed as his hand dipped into her swim bottoms, stroking gently on her silky, velvety skin. He wanted to be inside her again, badly.

  “Can we do it in here?” he asked, stroking her nub and making her shiver and push her hips against him.

  “Yes,” she said. “Should be fine.”

  He pushed her swimsuit away and then his and fitted them together, and she slid onto him easily, riding his lap. They felt joined as one, so tightly he couldn’t figure out what was him and what was her anymore. All he knew was it felt like heaven, and he got to look into her beautiful hazel eyes, with their brown depths and gold and green sparks. He couldn’t make out every detail in the darkness, but he’d memorized them in his heart.

  He stroked her hair back and kissed her cheek, her forehead, then her mouth, lingering there slowly as he began to move, lifting her at the waist and then thrusting deep inside.

  She sighed against his mouth, moaning, as he began to increase the tempo. It was amazing to do this in the water where it felt like they were floating. Where it felt they were the only people in the world. Warm. Alone. Safe.

  Her hands were on his shoulders, and she moved with him, pushing up and away and then coming back down as he thrust in, never coming fully apart, a tight seal between them. No matter how hot the water was, the heat they were making was hotter.

  He was on fire.

 
He moved faster, feeling something building inside him, something even stronger than before. He knew he wasn’t mating her, but being inside her without anything between them was intoxicating.

  “Wait.” She gasped. “I got carried away, but what about protection? Can I get pregnant? Or diseases, or—”

  He kissed her, calming her and settling her back down over him, tightly joined. He brushed her hair back soothingly. “No and no. Not until we’re mated. And this isn’t how we do it.”

  “Okay,” she said, letting out a sigh. “Not that I’m against mating you. I just mean I don’t want to do it on accident.”

  “I understand,” he said.

  She nodded, flushed, and started moving again. He moved with her, loving the way the water moved around him, the way the jets pounded, rumbling with a deep vibration that mirrored the way he knew deep in his soul that she was his.

  With every gasp, every moan, he was bound to her tighter, going with her on a journey they could only take together because they were made for each other. Their bodies were perfect; they seemed to enjoy their time together. He was beginning to think things were going to be fine after all.

  For now, he would just enjoy their time together and look forward to the day he could be her mate.

  As their rhythm increased, he could feel his control breaking inside him. Just as he wasn’t sure he could hold it anymore, she came apart in his arms, biting back her screams and digging her nails into his back as she wrapped around him.

  He kissed her, capturing her cries so she could scream against him, wanting to hear every bit of her pleasure or feel it as she writhed against him. She did, twisting as if she were lost, and he came with her, jerking inside her warm, tight heat that was convulsing with pleasure.

  It was the most amazing feeling he would ever know in his life. Hotter than dragon fire, better than flying.

  “Kate,” he said. “Mine.”

  “Mine,” she said back, surprising him, gasping the word against his lips as their bodies continued to hold one another. He held her tight until she slumped against him, breathing hard.

  Then he set her back, still on top of him, and looked her over. She looked so sated, so perfectly sexed, her breasts nearly spilling out of her top. And tired, her cheeks flushed, her freckles adorable, her hair mussed. He pushed her hair back just as an excuse to touch her face, and she warmed, smiling at him.