Dragon Fire (The Forbidden Love Series)

by Danielle James

“Do you think the men will let us out without supervision?” Toni asked with a roll of her eyes. Her family was relatively famous in paranormal circles and they were very big on protection.

  “Of course not,” Jade answered. “Michael is going with us.”

  “I hate being the third wheel,” Toni reminded her. “I can’t stand being there while you two make out. It’s disgusting.” Jade and Michael were still newlyweds and seemed to have a problem keeping their hands off each other. Just the thought of being stuck with the two of them alone was enough to make Toni want to gag.

  “I have a feeling you won’t be a third wheel tonight,” Jade said with a wicked grin.

  “Is he going to be there?” Toni asked, excited all of a sudden. “Do you know something I don’t?”

  Jade shook her head. “I don’t know,” she answered. “That mate of yours, I can’t get a read on him, ya know? I just have one of those feelings that tonight is going to be important in some fashion. Now get ready!”

  “Okay, okay.” Toni laughed, ready to get on with whatever the night had to offer. It was amazing what one sexual encounter could do for a person. Toni hadn’t really been into the whole dance club scene before and she wasn’t now either, but she was more than ready to brave it just on the off chance that he was there. She briskly walked to her closet and chose a simple blue dress. She slipped it over her head carefully and allowed the material to fall to her knees. It fit her body perfectly, hugging the curves and showing off her great legs. Toni dropped down to the floor to grab a pair of matching heels before standing back up. She hooked the shoes on her feet and brushed herself off. “Ready,” she announced.

  Jade laughed out loud. “Yes, you are.” The girls exited Toni’s room in a fit of giggles.

  Toni hadn’t felt like this in years. She was excited and nervous, but she was willing to do whatever it took to find him. Just the thought of his rumbling baritone voice, the feel of his hands on her skin…. Toni was so wrapped up in her own head that she nearly ran headlong into Michael.

  “Excuse me,” he said, towering above her.

  Toni looked up into her cousin’s eyes. He was only her cousin by marriage, but family was family, right? His fiery orange eyes pinned her with a knowing look, as if he knew exactly where her thoughts had gone. “Sorry, Mike.” Toni laughed.

  “No sweat,” he said, turning and holding his elbows out for the women. “Are we ready?”

  “Will we be driving or flying tonight?” Toni asked.

  “Whatever you want,” he answered. Michael’s wings twitched at his back and Toni knew what he really wanted to do. His wings were really something to look at. Orange, red, and yellow feathers the color of fire streaked across them. He was one of two living phoenix in the world, kind of like she was with her dragon. Only, Mike didn’t have to shift to fly, Toni did.

  Although Toni was related to Michael, it was by marriage. The majority of the family was related by love, not blood. Only Toni, Jade, and Somnus were legitimate offspring. Somnus was the son of Samuel, a vampire, and Azerial, a goddess. He was off doing whatever it was that a demigod did. He could influence dreams, so when he reached adulthood that was his given job. He came home once in a while, but not often.

  “I think we should fly,” Toni finally answered.

  “My hair!” Jade protested.

  “Always looks fantastic,” Michael answered for her. “Come on, I haven’t flown in forever!”

  Jade pressed her lips together and sighed. She knew she would lose this battle. “Fine. But we’re stopping before we get there to fix it.”

  When they got out of the estate their family lived in and into the yard, Toni stood back a good distance. She watched as Michael took his wife into his arms and spread his wings. He lifted them both easily into the air and waited.

  That was Toni’s cue. She closed her eyes, pulled on her magic and let it surround her. When she opened them again, she had a whole new perspective on the world. Her dragon was much bigger than a human, towering at nearly twenty feet tall, and even wider if including the tail. Her skin had been replaced by black scales and she had a set of wings that would make even the angels jealous. Toni let out a roar and pushed into the sky with ease.

  They flew over the city at a snail’s pace, but it gave Toni time to look for Dylan. She inspected every male body they flew over, hoping it would be him. She knew by the way Michael was watching the ground that he was as well. No doubt Jade had put him on task and swore him to secrecy.

  They landed half a mile from the dance club. Toni shifted down to her human form and waited patiently while Jade tried to tame her red locks. It was no use, but Toni enjoyed watching her try. When all was as good as it was going to get, they walked the rest of the way.

  Dante’s was a vampire and supernatural friendly bar. It was one of the first of its kind back in the day when the world was just discovering that the things that go bump in the night were actually real. The trio walked right by the line of patrons waiting to get in. Toni smiled at them, knowing they were all beyond pissed that she was walking ahead. The bouncer at the door grinned like the wolf he was as they approached.

  “Haven’t seen you around here in a while,” he growled at Toni.

  “Nice to see you too Brock,” Toni replied. “You gonna let us in or what?”

  The wolf smiled again, stepping aside to allow them through. “Thank you,” Jade called over her shoulder as they went inside the dark club.

  The music was loud and every surface vibrated with the beat of the bass. Bodies twisted and writhed on the dance floor, engaged in every form of debauchery that could be gotten away with in public. A woman bared her neck to a local vampire and he took part in her vein. Toni had never been bitten and she didn’t want to be. Even though her father was a vampire, she had no desire to consume blood. Toni was a dragon through and through.

  She followed Jade and Michael to one of the VIP tables in the back. Before sliding into the booth, Toni sniffed the air. She thought she was being discreet, but given the look Jade was giving her, she was failing at it miserably.

  “Come on, sit down,” Jade said over the music. “He’s not here right now.”

  Toni tried not to pout. Her disappointment was a palpable thing in the air as she took her seat. “Why did I get all prettied up then?” she asked, trying not to growl at Jade.

  “He isn’t here yet,” Jade corrected. Toni felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders. “Just get a drink and try to chill until he gets here.”

  “How do you know he’s even coming?” Toni asked, but she already knew the answer. How does Jade know anything she knows? She just does. That was her gift. Toni got to change into a giant lizard and Jade had the gift of knowledge. She even dabbled a little in witchcraft, but she was not a practicing witch. The shrug Jade gave her was all the answer she was going to get. Toni settled in to just enjoy her night and try not to worry about Dylan, the man with no face and no last name. She signaled to the server to come and take their order.

  “I’ll have a Manhattan,” Jade told the woman.

  “Budweiser,” Michael said.

  “Tequila,” Toni told her. “Straight up with a lime.”

  “Whoa.” Michael laughed. “Going straight for the hard stuff.”

  “I like tequila,” Toni answered him.

  The server brought the drinks and Toni downed hers in one gulp. “Another,” she said around her lime wedge.

  Four shots, two Manhattans, three beers and a mudslide later, Toni and Jade found themselves sitting at the bar. “I want a Wet Pussy!” Jade shouted at the bartender. Michael was hanging back, allowing the girls to have their fun, but at the ready should trouble find them.

  “I want Sex on the Beach!” Toni added gleefully. She had lost count of how much alcohol she had put into her system, but it was enough to make her lips numb and her morals loose.

  The bartender, who had known their family for years, just smiled and poured drinks. “Here ya go, ladies.” He fli
rted as he slid the requested drinks in front of them.

  Jade held her shot glass up and patted Toni on the arm. “Let’s toast!”

  “Yes!” Toni exclaimed. “To what?”

  “To happiness!”

  “To friends!”

  “To finally being free to be ourselves!” Jade chimed.

  Toni stood on shaky legs and lifted her glass high. “You can take our lands and you can take our lives,” she slurred, “But you can never take… our freedom!” She slammed back her shot.

  Jade laughed and drank with her. “So,” she said as she pushed her glass back to the bartender. “William Wallace.” She giggled. “Wanna dance?”

  “Hell yes,” Toni said, setting her shot glass down on the bar hard. The two strutted out to the dance floor where an urban beat was playing loudly.

  They swayed and moved to the music, not giving a damn who saw them or what they thought. The thump of the bass beat reverberated in their chests as the throng of people danced to the urban music. Toni was lost in it, dancing and zoning out, finally able to give her mind a rest. It was unexpected when a familiar scent wafted over her nose. Immediately she sobered, searching for the owner of that wonderful smell.

  “Is he here?” Jade asked her, completely serious.

  Toni shook her head. “I don’t know. I thought I smelled him but–"

  “Hey, beautiful, want to dance?” a man said, coming up to the pair. Toni inspected him carefully. He was about the right height, but that was all she had to go on. Or was it? She leaned closer. “I’ll take that as a yes,” the man said, placing his arm around Toni’s waist. No, his voice was wrong. Dylan’s was deeper, sexier, and hungrier. And then Toni sniffed him. No, definitely not Dylan. Like dropping a hot potato, Toni’s interest in this man disintegrated. She tried to push him away, but he wasn’t going to let go without a little persuasion. Toni was about to pop him a good one in his jaw when a voice she wasn’t sure she would ever hear again sounded behind her.

  “The woman is with me,” he said.

  The man’s eyes widened significantly and backed away from Toni. She closed her eyes, knowing he was there. Not only did she recognize his voice, but her body recognized the heat of his. Even though he wasn’t touching her, Toni’s skin vibrated with the need for him to touch her. She took a steadying breath and then opened her eyes. Jade was standing in front of her, gaping at whomever was behind her. Toni steeled her courage and then turned around.

  He was taller than she was. Her eyes started at his head, which was covered in nearly black hair that was a bit too long for its cut. Her memory had not done him justice. Her hands itched to run her fingers through it, to close her fists around the soft strands. His eyes, the color of the ocean on a clear day, stared back at her with a hunger she mirrored herself. His nose was straight and noble, high cheekbones, angular jaw. His lips… oh God those lips… were just as she remembered. Full and softer than they should be, parted slightly. His neck was thick and led into broad, strong shoulders. He was wearing a gray t-shirt that kept nothing to the imagination. Muscles rippled under his shirt, and his biceps threatened to burst free of the short sleeves. His arms were tanned and dusted with a light sprinkling of hair. Her eyes continued to eat him up without her consent, down washboard abs to a trim waist. He wore blue jeans that fit him like a sin, hugging his hips and long legs. He was perfect. More than perfect. He was walking sex on a stick. No wonder Jade had been gaping at him. He looked like a Greek god come to life. Toni actually felt the saliva in her mouth increase and that was when she realized her mouth was open. She clamped it shut just in time to realize that he was speaking to her.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, trying to get her bearings, “What?”

  Dylan chuckled. “I said hello, Toni.”

  She sucked in a breath as he said her name. It rolled off his tongue like hot fudge on a sundae. And why did this man incite the need for chocolate? She tried several times to form words with her mouth, but all her brain could think was, mine mine mine! “Uh, hi,” she finally managed to say with an embarrassed smile.

  Dylan had planned to stay on the sidelines when he entered the club. He watched as his woman laughed and carried on with her friend. When they danced, it was all he could do not to throw her to the floor and make love to her right there in front of God and everyone, but he controlled himself. Until that man came into the picture. Dylan couldn’t stop himself from snarling when he touched Toni, but he stayed back. When she made it obvious that she wasn’t interested anymore and the man didn’t let go, something inside Dylan snapped. He approached at inhuman speed and gave the man a warning he wouldn’t soon forget. Thankfully, by the time Toni turned around, Dylan had gotten a hold on himself again.

  She was every bit as beautiful as he had remembered. In fact, his memory didn’t do her justice. Had it really only been a few days? To Dylan, it seemed an eternity. Every cell in his body came alive with the need to be near her, to touch her, to taste her again. His conscience reminded him why he was there in the first place, and his heart roared in defiance. He could not scrub himself from her memory. He knew right then that it wasn’t going to happen. But to do that and keep her safe, she deserved to know the whole truth.

  “Who are you, exactly?” Toni asked him with her hands on her hips.

  “Dylan,” he said with a sly smile.

  Toni rolled her eyes. “I know that,” she snarled at him. “What are you? I saw you disappear into the fountain.”

  Shit. He couldn’t explain this to her out in public. He wondered if he could get her to leave her friends behind. As if she could read his mind, the red headed vampire came over. “Hey, Toni, Michael and I are going to find someplace private. Will you be okay by yourself?” Dylan wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a slight waggle of the woman’s eyebrows.

  “Of course,” Toni answered her. “I’ll see you at home.”

  Jade smacked Toni on the ass cheek before turning away. “Not before dawn!” the vampire called over her shoulder as she and a phoenix walked away.

  Then Toni’s attention was back on Dylan. “Well?” she asked expectantly.

  “Would you like to go somewhere else?” Dylan asked her.

  “I think that would be wonderful.”

  8

  Dylan took Toni’s hand and led her out of the noisy club. He welcomed the cool evening air as it caressed his skin. The moisture was thick in the air and it helped to calm his nerves. Never had he been nervous around a woman, but Toni was no ordinary woman.

  “Ugh I hate the humidity,” she growled as she tried to tuck a stray hair behind her ear.

  “I don’t mind it,” Dylan said, pulling her along with him.

  “Where are we going?” Toni asked him. She was curious, but more than willing to go along with him.

  “To the beach,” he answered.

  “Why don’t we just fly? It will take an hour to walk there.” Truth be told, her feet were starting to hurt from dancing in heels but he didn’t have to know that.

  “I can’t fly,” Dylan reminded her.

  “But I can,” Toni said, pulling them both to a stop. “I’ll shift and you can ride.”

  Dylan’s cock woke up at the notion of riding Toni. He gave it a mental slap and raised a brow at her. “Ride?” he asked with grin.

  Toni rolled her eyes. “Fine. Walk. I’m not going.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t want to,” he said quickly. “I’ve never flown before.”

  “Not even on an airplane?” she asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Well,” she said, clapping her hands together, “No time like the present. Sit tight.” Toni walked out into the street and pulled on her magic. Just as before, the mist surrounded her and when it dissipated, a magnificent black dragon remained. She was every bit as beautiful as he remembered. Get on, she said in his head. Dylan climbed up her massive hind leg and settled himself on her back near her neck. Hang on to me, she said as she spread her wings. The people on th
e street gaped and awed, but they kept their distance. This was Toni’s home and it wasn’t the first time they had seen her, but it was still a sight to behold.

  Dylan held on as best he could as they shot into the air. Toni roared, but the sound wasn’t ominous. It was a happy sound. She loved to fly and it showed. She took off in the direction of the ocean and all Dylan could do was hold on. The wind whipped in his face and the smell of brine assaulted his nose. They were close. “Just head out over the water,” he shouted through the wind.

  Toni did as he asked, charging full speed over the water. When the shoreline was no longer visible, she began to slow. “Can you land on the water?” he asked her. The dragon rolled her eyes and descended. When her feet splashed into the water, she balanced and floated on her belly.

  Dylan climbed down until his feet touched the water. He commanded it to support him and it did. “Go ahead and change back,” he told Toni. The look the dragon gave him was so incredulous he nearly laughed. “You wanted to know who I am,” he reminded her. “I need you human so I can show you. I promise, I will let no harm come to you.”

  Toni realized as soon as the words left his mouth that she believed him. She could swim, but she wasn’t all that sure about swimming in the middle of the freaking Pacific Ocean. But she knew on some primal level that Dylan would never hurt her nor would he allow anyone or anything else to hurt her either. She pulled her magic and shifted back to her human form. Dylan was there, holding her by the waist as soon as the shift completed. “No one has ever been that close to me when I shifted before,” she told him, surprised by his lacking sense of self-preservation. “It could kill you, ya know.”

  Dylan flashed her a goofy grin. “It would take a hell of a lot more than a dragon to kill me,” he told her playfully.

  A dolphin splashed nearby and Toni remembered that they were in the middle of the ocean. She looked down at her feet, which were touching the surface of the water. If Dylan let her go, she would sink like the Titanic. She didn’t know how he was keeping them both up, probably some form of levitation, but it was cool as hell. “Don’t let go, Jack,” she said with a playful smile.