by Shéa MacLeod
***
“Dammit!” The swearing followed an almighty thump which woke me from dead sleep.
What the hell? “Inigo? Is that you?” I’d know his voice anywhere.
“Who else? Did you have to leave your bloody suitcase in the middle of the bloody doorway?” His British accent was heavier than usual.
I grinned in the dark. “I figured it would discourage trespassers.”
“Smart ass.” He sank down on the bed next to me. “Morgan, I need to ask you about Jack.”
“What about him?”
“I know the two of you had a ... thing.”
I almost laughed at that. A thing. Yeah, you could call it that. “That’s over, Inigo. Well and truly over.”
“You’re sure?”
I slid my hand up his thigh. “Never been more sure of anything in my life. When I knew you were in trouble ...” I shook my head. I couldn’t finish the thought.
His hand unerringly went to the back of my skull, digging into my hair. He tugged me gently forward.
His lips were as I remembered. Velvet soft and tasting of campfires and hot chocolate. It was a little weird, but good weird.
Heat unfurled inside me, swirling through my body into all the places I hadn’t realized were so cold. My fingers dug into the softness of his T-shirt, the heat of him underneath like a living flame.
I skimmed my hands under his T-shirt so I could feel his skin. Without a second thought I pulled it up and over his head and tossed it on the floor. My own T-shirt followed close behind.
I felt his tongue flick across my nipple before pulling it into his mouth and pleasure speared through me, my panties growing damp from want. I arched up into him and he grinned as he took my other nipple into his mouth.
I threaded my fingers through the silk of his hair, pulling him up so I could kiss him. Our tongues and breaths tangled together as fire surged through my veins. I went from damp to wet in a heartbeat.
Inigo moaned, his hands slipping under the waistband of my pajama pants. They found what they were looking for, his fingers slipping through my wet folds. Pleasure stabbed through me. I arched up again and made a noise low in my throat that sounded suspiciously like begging. His fingers swirled around my clit until I thought I’d come right then and there.
“Inigo,” I pleaded.
He kissed me again as he slipped one finger inside me, thrusting against my sensitive flesh. The pressure built, winding me tighter and tighter. I writhed against his hand as he pushed me up and over the edge. For a second, I forgot to breathe. I let the orgasm take me.
He pulled back and his eyes had gone gold. Like the night I couldn’t remember.
“Inigo?” This time fear. I didn’t want to forget.
“Shh ... ” He kissed me, more gently this time, as he slid his hand out of my pants. “We’ll remember.”
I nodded as I helped him get me first out of my pants and then him out of his jeans. Finally we were both naked, our bodies dimly outlined by the faint moonlight. I ran my hands across his smooth chest and down his stomach, the thin line of silken hair leading down to ...
“Holy gods.”
He smirked a little at that, but there was pride, too. Believe me, he had plenty to be proud of.
I ran my fingers lightly over the length of him. He shivered and his eyes drifted closed, shutting off the gold glow. My fist barely closed around the thickness of him and I gave him a quick pump. Then a second. I loved the hard velvet feel of him.
“For the sake of all that is holy, Morgan,” he hissed at me. “If I don’t get inside you right this second ... ”
His scent hit me hard, the smoky chocolate teasing my senses and sending heat pooling between my thighs. I ached to feel him inside me.
“Then we better do something about that.” My voice was low and breathy. Nothing like I usually sounded.
I lay back, pulling him down with me. I could feel the thick head of his shaft, the tip just touching my core. “Now, Inigo. I want you right now.”
In one thrust he was inside me, the thickness of him filling and stretching me almost past bearing. I grabbed his butt, holding him still for a minute so I could adjust. His jaw was clenched tight and beads of sweat popped out on his forehead, but he held it.
Then I moved.
A slight roll of my hips and we were both goners. All I knew was the thrust of him inside me, the feel of his skin, the golden glow of his eyes, the taste of his tongue and his smoky chocolate smell that mixed with my own arousal and wrapped around us growing stronger.
Then in one final thrust he sent us both over, the pleasure so intense I’m pretty sure my eyes rolled back in my head. But not before I got to see the look on Inigo’s face as he came inside me.
I cherished that image as he sank down half on the mattress and half on top me, his skin slick with sweat and his heart hammering hard against my own. He was still inside me, our limbs still tangled together. We stayed that way until our hearts calmed, our bodies cooled, and his eyes slowly faded from gold to blue.
***
“Mmm ... you smell good.” We were still curled up naked together, my face buried against Inigo’s throat. That sweet spot where the neck and shoulder meet.
He rubbed his cheek against my hair and gave my butt a little squeeze. “What are you talking about?”
“You smell like a campfire.” I squirmed around so I could see his face better. “And chocolate.”
He raised a brow. “Interesting.”
“Come on, admit it. It’s a dragon thing, isn’t it?”
He rolled over onto his back, taking me with him so I ended up sprawled across his chest. The insecure girly part of me that still lurked somewhere inside the badass vampire hunter tried to freak out that I was too heavy. I told her to shut it.
After all, Inigo was a freaking dragon. He could take my weight. Besides, he looked way too cozy. “So ... ” I prompted.
“So, yeah. It’s a dragon thing. Kind of like human pheromones, but a lot stronger. The way a dragon smells lets members of the opposite sex know if they’re compatible. Apparently it works on humans, too.” He gave me a smug look.
I nipped him with my teeth. Just enough to sting.
“Hey, ow! Morgan!” But there was laughter in his voice.
I just batted my eyelashes at him and feigned innocence.
“So, every dragon smells different?” I was still thinking about Drago and how similar he smelled to Inigo.
“No, we all smell different, but dragons of the same sex who share a sire will have a very similar scent.”
It couldn’t be. Could it?
“That means if you had a brother, he might smell chocolaty, too?”
He shrugged. “I guess. But I don’t have a brother.”
“How do you know? “
His expression grew bleak. “Because if I did, he’d have hunted me down and killed me by now. Removed the stain to his family’s honor.”
“That’s bullshit.” I’d met Drago. He didn’t seem like the brother murdering type.
“It’s the way it is, Morgan. Dragons believe that Halflings are a scourge. A stain on the purity and honor of the race.”
I frowned. “If that’s true, I don’t think I like dragons very much.”
He grinned at that and kissed me. Hard. “I think maybe I love you, Morgan Bailey.”
My heart went into overdrive. I stared at him like an idiot. Did he just say he maybe loved me? Holy freaking hells bells.
“Um, was that a joke?” It came out a lot more whispery than I’d planned. “Or did you mean it?”
He sat up slowly, taking me with him. His expression was grave as he gently tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.
“I mean it, Morgan. I’ve been in love with you since the first day I laid eyes on you.”
I licked lips suddenly gone dry. “Why didn’t you tell me then?”
“Your life was in chaos back then.” His voice was low and warm, his hand gliding gently up
and down my back. Soothing me. Apparently he thought I might just go flying off the proverbial handle. He was probably right.
“You had barely survived a vampire attack. Hell, you’d actually been dead. You were training to be a Hunter, moved thousands of miles, given up your life in London. Your whole life had just been turned upside down and the last thing you wanted or needed was for some young idiot to go stomping into your heart like a bull in a china shop.”
“So, you thought you’d what? Do the friend thing?”
He sighed. “I guess so. I thought I’d give you time. Time to adjust, get used to your new life. Get used to me. Except it didn’t quite work the way I planned.”
Yeah, I’d thought he was too young for me. I guess the joke was on me. Then there’d been Jack and the Atlantis thing. Not to mention that I’d thought he was Kabita’s cousin and I didn’t want her killing me for playing Me and Mrs. Jones.
“I wish you’d have told me. About what you are.” I hated that I sounded so plaintive and whiny.
He pulled me hard into his arms, nearly squeezing the breath out of me. “Anyone who knows the truth about me is in danger, and I could not risk your life like that.”
I frowned, but cuddled into him anyway. “But I risk my life every day. It’s what I am.”
“I know. But at least this way it wasn’t me putting you in danger.”
Stupid man. I thought about being pissed off at him for a minute then decided against it. In his thick headed male way, he’d tried to do the right thing. I couldn’t blame him for that.
I pulled back slightly and poked him in the chest with my forefinger. “From now on, I want the truth, got it? No more hiding shit from me, OK?”
“OK.” His answering grin held plenty of relief. “Deal.”
“Oh, and Inigo?”
“Yeah?” His eyes flashed with hints of gold as I leaned forward to give him a quick kiss.
“I think I might love you, too.”
***
The first thing I saw when I woke up the next morning was a very nice male backside headed toward my bathroom. It took me a minute, but it finally registered that half that backside was covered with a very odd tattoo.
“Inigo?” I couldn’t take my eyes off the tattoo.
An exact replica of his dragon form’s scale pattern was tattooed in shimmering ink from his right hip, all across his right butt cheek, and down over his right thigh. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but also incredibly odd. It was the first time I’d seen it as it was also the first time I’d seen Inigo entirely naked in daylight.
“Just going to take a quick shower. Wanna come?” He turned around and leered at me.
“You bet!” I practically flung myself out of bed. Overeager idiot. “But I was kind of wondering about your tat. It looks just like your scales.”
His hand went self consciously to his hip. “It’s not a tat. It’s a birthmark.”
I stepped up to him, running my own hand along his hip and over his backside. His skin was just as smooth as I remembered. “It’s the most unusual birthmark I’ve ever seen.”
“Full dragons have the pattern all over their bodies when in human form. It mimics their scales in dragon form. They’re able to hide them with glamour if they want to.”
“You’re not?”
He shook his head. He looked a little uncomfortable. “No. I’m a Halfling, so my glamour isn’t strong enough. Besides, I’ve only got the pattern in this one spot so ...” He shrugged.
“You hide it. Well, I think it’s beautiful.” And I did.
The smile that broke across his face warmed my heart. Inigo may have been a four hundred year old half dragon, but apparently his heart was as vulnerable as mine. What a pair we made.
“Come on, Dragon Boy,” I said, smacking him on the backside. “There’s a hot shower with our names on it and I expect you to make me come at least twice before breakfast.”
He made it three.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I admit I felt ever so slightly awkward as I placed two cups of coffee on the table along with some toast and eggs. Inigo and I had finally, finally slept together. It changed everything. The thought of what that might mean made me nervous.
“Hey.” Warm hands grabbed my hips and pulled me down onto an equally warm lap. Inigo’s lips met mine, lush and delicious. I sighed and leaned into him, soaking up his warmth.
He pulled away slightly, his blue eyes serious. “You’re right, this changes things. But it changes them for the better, OK?”
“Dammit, did you read my mind?”
He smirked and just like that I relaxed. Everything was going to be OK. Well, maybe. I still had to tell him about the Darkness and the Fire.
He handled it amazingly well. “We’ll figure it out, Morgan.” He squeezed my hand. “I promise. I’m just glad it’s keeping you safe.”
He made a good point. It was, in a weird way. The Darkness made me stronger, faster, and harder to kill. The Fire gave me a weapon like no other. Which was a good thing in my line of work.
We were halfway through breakfast when the phone rang. I checked the caller ID. Kabita.
“Morning.”
“Is Inigo still there?”
I could feel myself flushing bright red. “Uh, yeah, how did you know?”
“Oh, please, Morgan.”
I could visualize her rolling her eyes at me. It was very clear. I passed the phone to Inigo.
“Yeah.” There was a pause followed by a series of “uh huhs” and “OKs” before he hung up and handed the phone back to me. “We need to fly back to the UK.”
“What, like now? I just got back.”
He smiled, but it was a little strained around the edges. It was pretty clear he wasn’t looking forward to the trip. “There’s a Conclave tonight at midnight. Drago has asked for you to be there.”
I got up from the table and went to wash my dishes. “A Conclave?”
“Yeah.” He joined me at the sink. “A Conclave of Dragons. It’s sort of like the Senate convening or something. It’s a rare event, but it’s very important.”
“Why would Drago ask for me?” Granted, he’d seemed to like me well enough. For a human. But there was a difference between finding a person amusing and inviting them to your species’ most important government session.
“When Drago asks, you don’t ask why. You just do it.”
I turned to face him, leaning my back against the cupboard and crossing my arms over my chest. “Why would you? What have the dragons ever done for you besides threaten your life?”
He winced at that. “They never actually threatened me. They never knew I existed.”
“What?” Kabita had made it pretty clear that his life had been in danger from day one. That was why the Jones family had worked so hard to protect him. Well, until Alister, anyway.
He sighed as he wrapped his hands around my hips, pulling me against him. I wanted answers, but I let him wrap himself around me. I couldn’t help it. I liked it too much. Inigo had always been touchy feely, but I was seeing a whole new side of him. A side that needed both to give and receive comfort and strength. I liked this side.
I ran my palms up and down his back, the heat of him soaking into me, warming me. I felt the Fire inside flicker to life, but not in an angry way like it usually did. This was more like it recognized kindred. Like it hungered for another like it. I let it out, but kept it low. It seemed satisfied enough with Inigo’s touch.
“My mother was raped by a Rogue dragon. She was lucky she survived. It wasn’t an act of love or commitment. It was one time and he disappeared. She never saw nor heard from him again. He and his clan would have had no way of knowing he’d sired a child.” His voice was low and a little raspy.
It must be hell to know you’d been fathered by a man like that. “So, she hid you not because of any specific threat, but because she was afraid of what might happen.”
I could feel him nod, his head still resting against mine. “A
nd not just because of the dragons. Humans were a threat, too. Back then, people were afraid of what they didn’t understand. Hell, they’re still afraid of what they don’t understand. But four hundred years ago that could get you dead.”
“And the dragons? Would they still try to kill you?”
He shrugged and stepped back a little. The Fire didn’t like it and tried to flare up, but I smacked it down. I was getting better with this whole control thing.
“I don’t know. Most likely. Halflings have been under a death sentence since ancient times. Granted, the dragons have been off the grid for centuries, but I don’t see that their edicts would have changed much.”
I frowned. “Humans have changed. Why wouldn’t dragons?”
“Dragons can live for millennia. They tend to take the long view of things. Change comes a lot more slowly.”
“Fine.” I nodded. “I’ll fly over with Kabita and you can stay here. Now that Jade’s locked up, you should be safe enough. Alister can’t possibly have another Dragon Hunter up his sleeve. Though I don’t know how they expect us to make it by midnight. It’s six pm over there and it’ll take at least fifteen hours.”
He shook his head, blond hair catching the morning sunlight and turning to molten gold. “Kabita’s not going. She’s going to be coordinating Alister’s takedown with MI8. I’m going with you.”
“Oh, hell no. If there’s a death sentence for Halflings, I’m not letting you anywhere near the dragons.”
“Kabita assures me Drago has promised safe passage.”
“But I thought they didn’t know about you.”
“Apparently, they do now. Besides, I’m not just going with you, I’m taking you.”
“Taking me?”
He grinned and this time it was the old cocky Inigo. “Yeah, I’m a dragon, remember? I can fly a lot faster than a 747.”
I swallowed hard. “You expect me to fly on your back all the way to London.”
“Nope,” he laughed, scooping me up off my feet like I weighed nothing and hauling me toward the bedroom. “You’re going to ride on my back all the way to Hadrian’s Wall.”