Angel Seduced

by Jaime Rush

  Her voice as Dragon was low and rumbly, but every bit of her anger projected through loud and clear. He rolled, coming to his feet in one swift movement. What to say? He knew she was embarrassed at being caught in such a vulnerable moment, and being Amethyst, she was all emotion, not to mention unpredictable and high-strung.

  “Violet, I—”

  “Idjit! People are killing each other by sneaking onto our land. So either you’re here to arrest me or you’ve got a death wish. And if it’s the latter, I’m more than happy to grant it.” She charged at him again.

  He pressed his hand to her forehead and “shot” her. She Catalyzed to human in the same instant that she flew backward. Her body hit with a hard thud, her arms out at her sides.

  He ran toward her, calling his dagger, which had been thrown, too. It burned back into his skin as he reached her. “You okay?”

  She was sprawled out, mud streaking her naked body, her eyes wide and stunned. She looked…good.

  Good and mad. “What the hell was that?”

  “Magick taser, a new Guard weapon. It sucks out your magick, which in a Dragon’s case, makes you human again.” He held out his hand to help her up.

  She gripped it, jerking him forward and off balance. He held on to her hand and took her with him. They landed together in the mud, a tangle of bodies. His fingers slid across her skin as he got to his feet. She slugged him, catching his jaw because he was a bit too distracted by the feel of her to be as quick as he should be. She still looked as though she’d kill him.

  “Why can’t I Catalyze? What’d you do to me?” she screamed, gripping his shirt and shaking him.

  Damn, she was strong. She reared back to hit him again, and he caught her fist. Their hands collided with a loud slap. She slammed him in the chest with her other hand.

  He shoved her into the puddle again, trying to immobilize her. “I’m not here to hurt you. Look, I have no weapon.” He held out his hands, showing her his dagger tucked away.

  She kicked him in the stomach and tried to crawl away. Which left her sweet, mud-slicked ass in full view. A groan started climbing his throat but he stifled it.

  “Assaulting an officer,” he muttered, grabbing her around the waist. “Again.”

  “So it is a death wish then?” She jerked her head around, pinning him with a glare as sharp as his dagger. “Since you have no reason to arrest me.”

  “Settle down now, darling.”

  She let out a growl worthy of her Dragon and jumped on top of him, her hands around his collarbone. “Don’t you dare call me ‘darling.’”

  “It slipped out,” he grunted as she ground him into the mud. “It doesn’t mean anything.” But damn, that word never slipped out while on duty. She was firing up his wild side big-time. Her thighs squeezed his hips; her hands pinned his shoulders. He tried to gain control but she wouldn’t budge. “Damn, woman, you an alligator wrestler?”

  “Champion in the local division four years running, umpteen years ago.” Her smile reeked of pride and challenge. And he always accepted a challenge. With a heave, he rolled her so he was on top. She kept the roll going, besting him again.

  “Will you listen?” he said.

  She grabbed a handful of his hair and jerked his head back. “I would have listened if you’d called the number on all that damned paperwork they made me fill out. While you were all inside laughing at me, I’m sure.”

  How to gain control of the situation without grabbing her somewhere inappropriate—somewhere that wouldn’t piss her off even more? Damned tricky when she was naked. And muddy. Plus the fact that he wanted to touch her somewhere inappropriate. “I wasn’t laughing at you.”

  “Sure you were. Inside. Outside you were giving me that smug smile you probably think…is…gorgeous.” She fought as he tried to wrap his arms around her upper arms. “While you looked down your nose at me.”

  “Actually, I was looking at your tight shirt.”

  She slugged him in the jaw again, not really hard enough to do any damage. He threw his weight toward her, pushing her backward and coming down on top of her. Now he straddled her thighs, leaning down to hover above her.

  “I was kidding,” he said, his mouth only an inch from hers. “I was taking all of you in. I couldn’t believe you were the same Violet Castanega I saw in muddy clothes and a tangled braid.” He couldn’t help the smile as he let his gaze drift from her neck down to her chest that rose and fell with deep breaths. The mud didn’t cover the curve of her breasts or the hardened nipples that made him wonder if she was enjoying this on some deep level, too. “Then again, you do look extraordinary in mud.”

  “Let me up!” She tried to buck him off, which drove her pelvis up and dangerously close to smashing his balls.

  He lay all his weight on top of her. “Not until you promise to stop fighting.”

  “I can’t promise that. How long do the effects of your magick stun gun last?”

  “Up to thirty minutes.”

  She bucked again, but he finally had her under his control. And he liked it. His women were always willing. Something about the fight completely turned him on, especially the way her pelvis bumped against his.

  Her eyes widened. “Holy dragonfire, are you…does fighting get you…hot?”

  He supposed, with all of this writhing around, it was inevitable that she’d notice his erection. “Not usually, but then again, I’ve never fought a feisty, naked female in the mud before. I have to admit, it’s doing strange things to me.” At her surprised look, he added, “Well, you asked. I answered honestly.”

  She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Okay then, answer this honestly. Why are you here?”

  That was a bit trickier, but he could stick to the true part. “I came to ask you more about your allegations.”

  She just stared at him for a moment, her brown eyes disbelieving. “Instead of catching me in the parking lot, or calling, you sneak onto my land and surprise me. Are you kidding? Are you friggin’ kidding me?”

  “No, I’m not. Why else would I be here?”

  She let out something like a growl. “After I was summarily dismissed, why would the Guard suddenly take me seriously and send someone out? And for God’s sake, why you?”

  He had those kinds of why questions, too, none of which he could share with her. “I’m not here on behalf of the Guard.”

  She furrowed her eyebrows. Mud streaked her face, her toned body, and gods help him, she was tantalizing.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.

  “I came on my own, because what you said piqued my interest. There’s no need for the senseless deaths that would come from clan wars.” He’d seen that fear in her eyes when she’d appealed to Ferro. “I want to hear everything you know.”

  She seemed to weigh his words. He knew how to lie well when he had to. It was part of his training, though he rarely used it in his personal life. This situation blurred the line. Violet was blurring all kinds of lines, obliterating others.

  She took advantage of his introspection, because he was suddenly spinning off of her, compliments of an impressive twist and kick of her long, long legs. He came to his feet, ready for another attack.

  She was stalking over to where her clothes had shredded when she’d Catalyzed. She held the remains of the nice, tight shirt she’d been wearing to her chest. Suspicion drenched her expression. “You’re serious?” Kade saw a mixture of hope and skepticism in her eyes. And that eradicated any last shred of doubt that she was behind this.

  “Very.” He pulled off his shirt and tossed it to her.

  She snatched it out of the air and wriggled into it, giving him one last heavenly view of her full breasts and flat stomach as she pulled it on. She pushed her muddy hair from her face. “Why do you care? We’re all marsh trash to the likes of you.”

  “The likes of me? Because I’m a Vega?”

  “Everything about you.” She swept her gaze over him. “You move like royalty, you act like yo
u rule the world, and you look untouchable.”

  Which he found amusing since he was as muddy as she was. She waited for his answer. He rubbed the mud, now itching, from his neck, buying time. Royalty, huh? He sure as hell didn’t feel like any of that at the moment. At least she hadn’t called him pretty. “My gut says there’s something going on, just like you suspect. If the Guard won’t listen, then I will.”

  “Why sneak up on me? You know what ‘animals’ we all are.” She’d heard someone say it, obviously, as she mimicked it with a sneer. “We do act on instinct, at least our Dragon does. I didn’t even know you were there; my Dragon did. I could have killed you.”

  He gave her a smile he was sure was smug. “No, you couldn’t have.”

  She rolled her eyes. “This is a bet, isn’t it? Can Kade Kavanaugh nail the marsh trash? You might as well go home. Ain’t gonna happen. You’re totally not my type.”

  Except those hardened nubs poking against his shirt told a different story. Of course, so did his cock, even as he said, “Neither are you, if that makes you feel any better. I’m a Deuce-gal kind of guy.” Although this Dragon appealed to him more than any other Crescent—Deuce or Dragon—that he’d encountered before. And that was just…crazy. “I’d never try to nail a woman for a bet.” He let his mouth curve into a smile. “Only for the mutual pleasure of both parties.”

  A sound escaped her throat, but she cleared it. “Are you sure you’re not here to sniff out any more pot farms? Find something else to bust my brothers on?”

  He didn’t blame her for her distrust. She had good reason not to trust the Guard, as it turned out. “Arlo was the worst offender. He had problems, whether you want to admit it or not.”

  She gave a quick nod of her head. “He did.”

  “Now he’s dead. Let’s find out why.” When her skepticism didn’t waver, he added, “Violet, you went to the Guard for help. I’m here. Let me help.”

  The words broke down her resistance. The battle between distrusting him and needing him played over her expression. “You can’t come in my house like that.” She walked over to a faucet and turned the squeaky knob, using the hose to rinse her hair and face first. He watched, entranced, as water sluiced over her and plastered his shirt to her curves. After rinsing her legs, she headed toward him and held the stream over his head. He scrubbed his fingers through his hair, feeling the grit wash away. Then she stepped back and pressed her thumb over the end to pressurize the stream. She aimed it across his shoulders and arms first.

  He swore she took vengeful pleasure in hosing him down. Or maybe it was just pleasure. Her eyes followed the mud as it slid down his bare chest. Hell, he could feel that gaze slide down his body, embers flickering in her eyes. The water was cool, the sun was hot, and he took the blast of water without giving away the war that raged through him.

  Ferro’s voice told him to take her out.

  Cyn told him to trust his gut.

  Berlin’s female singer sang about flames reaching out for the sun.

  Then she reached for his upper chest. “You’ve got a scratch. I must have done that.” She gently brushed her fingers across it beneath the water’s flow. A wake of sensation followed her caress.

  “Violet,” he said, cursing himself for the hitch in his voice.

  That got her attention. “Am I hurting you?”

  He took the hand at his chest and drew it down to the front of his wet pants. “This much.” He thought she’d give him hell for being so brazen, slap him silly, and that would break them out of this moment of insanity. Because that was the only explanation, that the situation and adrenaline had tilted them right into crazy territory.

  Instead, her eyes fired up, and he swore she actually squeezed his erection just a tiny bit. Holy shit. She angled one of her legs between his, her hands sliding to his hips. Her thigh moved up along his, and he bit back a curse. This was insanity. Not seconds before he’d proclaimed he was a Deuce-only kind of guy. But right now, he was feeling all of her Dragon heat. The directive from his superior officer, the insanity of this attraction, the danger he saw simmering in her eyes, not even the cool water that continued to bathe him did a damn thing to douse his ardor.

  He took the hose from her hand and let the water wash over her. When his free hand traced her collarbone, she closed her eyes, her head lolling back. He suspected that surrender wasn’t something Violet often did, which only made the gesture more profound. How the hell was he supposed to grasp for any last thread of sanity now?

  “Violet,” he whispered her name this time. He meant it to sound like a call to logic, but it came out as more of a plea. For more.

  His shirt was plastered over her firm breasts, clinging to her hardened nipples. Damn, she was hot, all sleek skin and toned muscle. With her eyes on his, she peeled off the shirt.

  Kade didn’t stop to think; he just reacted. He dropped the hose, grasped her by the waist, and lifted her up. Her legs went around him, and their mouths collided. Her lips were soft against his, her tongue sliding in and tangling with his own. She made these little mewling sounds as she pressed closer, her legs tightening around his waist, her hands kneading the muscles of his shoulders and back. His hands slid from her hips to palm her perfect ass. Damn. Just damn.

  She did some kind of sucking move with her mouth that traveled all the way down to his cock and made it twitch. His pants were the only thing separating them, and if she kept up this rodeo ride, it wouldn’t take magick to bust through that barrier. His fingers tightened on her smooth, wet flesh, and he switched to hold her with one arm, moving his other hand to her firm, round breasts. Her small nipples were pink, beaded, and his mouth actually watered at the thought of sucking on them. Before he could claim one of those glistening peaks, she was kissing him again so he plucked at her nipples instead. Her moan of pleasure vibrated through him, clear to the soles of his feet.

  She was fire in his arms, a breathing, writhing enchantress. The sun beat down on them, burning his back and heating her dark hair, fueling the already raging fire between them. She ground against him again, increasing the friction. If he didn’t get inside her soon, he was going to lose it right there. With rough hands, he stilled her hips.

  His mouth trailed kisses along her cheek and throat, and with a deep breath, he took in her scent, all nature and wild and free. His lips found her nipple, tugging on the bead. His free hand trailed under her firm ass. His fingers found her wet, hot center, making her hips buck against his cock and pushing him closer to the edge. Getting a woman hot and bothered was nothing new, but this was Violet. Wild. Forbidden. Somehow that made it astounding. He slid his finger all around her swollen nub, wringing a cry from her lips.

  He had skills, magickal ones, too, but she flew apart before he had the chance to use them. He rode her through the tempest, touching and stroking in a way that maximized her pleasure. She arched and screamed, held him, no, hugged him close. Her head rested against his shoulder as she caught her breath.

  Then her whole body tightened in a different way. “Oh, my gods, what are we doing?”

  “Well, I just made you come and—”

  She slid to her feet and stumbled back, grabbing up the shirt. “No, I mean, what are we doing? This is—”

  “Crazy. Insane.” He raked his fingers back through his hair. “And amazing.” He still had a raging hard-on, and his body fairly thrummed with the need for release, but what…the…hell?

  “No, let’s stick to the crazy insane part.” She pulled on the shirt, shock in her eyes. “If my brothers had come up on us…”

  “That would have been awkward.”

  “Awkward? They would have killed you.”

  Also by Jaime Rush

  Dragon Mine

  Dragon Rising

  Dragon Awakened

  Magic Possessed

  ACCLAIM FOR JAIME RUSH’S

  THE HIDDEN SERIES

  DRAGON MINE

  “Awesome…not to be missed…a quick, sexy read!” />
  —MyBookAddictionReviews.com

  “It’s just a quick taste of what’s to come with the series but it was fun, satisfying, and has me ready for more…This one is worth the read if you love paranormal romance and just want a quick dragon fix.”

  —HerdingCats-BurningSoup.com

  “The lighthearted approach to the dark paranormal world won me over…I liked the humor, I liked the love rediscovered story line, and I just plain liked the story!”

  —TheWindowSeat13.com

  “A great novella to begin things…I cannot wait for the rest of this series…Full of vivid imagination, emotional growth, and challenging battles both physical and magical, Dragon Mine is a must read.”

  —RomanceWitchReviews.blogspot.com

  DRAGON RISING

  “A fast-paced paranormal romance, full of danger, mystery, and smoking hot romance…I’m completely hooked on this series and I’m looking forward to the first full length novel.”

  —ReadinginPajamas.wordpress.com

  “Oh this little novella was the perfect blend of adventure, intrigue, and romance…there is tension from the very beginning between the two and this is one of the beautiful things about this read.”

  —BittenbyLoveReviews.com

  “It’s masterfully written and full of twists and turns…I’m really looking forward to what’s next in the Hidden series and can’t wait to learn more about this magical world.”

  —RomanceWitchReviews.blogspot.com

  THE DISH

  Where Authors Give You the Inside Scoop

  From the desk of Kate Brady

  Dear Reader,

  People ask me all the time, “What do you like about writing romantic suspense?” It’s a great question, and it always seems like sort of a copout to say, “Everything!” But it’s true. Writing novels is the greatest job in the world. And romantic suspense, in particular, allows my favorite elements to exist in a single story: adventure, danger, thrills, chills, romance, and the gratifying knowledge that good will triumph over evil and love will win the day.