Arabella’s pupils flashed to slits and back. “I hear the truth in your words.” She placed a hand over her still flat belly. “If you can help me tame the little beastie, then you’ll have my gratitude and I’ll owe you. And believe me, having the good graces of the clan leader’s mate could come in handy.”
Holly had glimpsed the wild garden out back, but she still asked, “Do you have anything useful growing out there? I noticed a small greenhouse in the back.”
“You’re observant.” Arabella adjusted her position on the sofa. “There might be. But I couldn’t tell a tea leaf from a strawberry leaf.” Arabella paused, then added, “But just a warning—Fraser is out there and he flirts with almost anything female. If he bothers you, just send him in to me.”
That certainly explained Fraser’s behavior earlier. She wouldn’t think twice about it again.
Holly motioned with her hands. “You stay there. I’ll see what I can find in the kitchen first. If there’s nothing there, then I’ll check the greenhouse.”
“You’re ace, Holly Anderson. Once you’re settled in, the surgery could use your help, provided the doctors approve of you. If you feel up to it, of course.”
Arabella was referring to Holly’s possible pregnancy.
Pushing aside that thought, she focused on the positive. “I’ve been reading up on the effects of dragon-shifter hormones on human women as well as some of the latest research. I’d love more than anything to work with the doctors and nurses here.”
Arabella smiled. “Here a few hours and you’ve already got a grand plan. You remind me a bit of some of the humans back home.”
“On Stonefire.”
“Yes. But enough about me. I can’t believe I’m being this chatty. It must be the midwife in you. Go see what you can cook up for me because the second I stand up again, I’m going to have to rush to the toilet. And considering I have a million things to do today, I’d rather not.”
With a nod, Holly went into the kitchen and started looking through the cupboards.
For the first time since learning she’d been approved as a sacrifice, Holly wasn’t dreading her time on Lochguard. Between crazy old men dropping cattle, to flirty redheads, to working in a dragon-shifter surgery, everything pointed to a decent stay.
Well, except for the fact she hadn’t met Fergus yet.
Holly looked out of the kitchen window. Fraser had his hands on his lean hips as he survived the jungle that passed for a garden. Just looking at his broad shoulders and slightly wavy hair made her wonder what it’d be like to have him hold her close.
Blinking, Holly reminded herself she was assigned to Fergus, not Fraser.
Besides, they were twins. If she found one attractive, surely she’d find the other one attractive as well.
Yet their personalities could be vastly different for all she knew.
Rather than think about just how different Fergus could be from his brother, Holly went back to searching the cupboards. If she were lucky, she would find something in the kitchen to help Arabella. Otherwise, Holly would have to go outside and ignore Fraser, no matter how nice he might be.
Because if she talked with him again, she might start to like him. And a woman in her position didn’t have that option.
Chapter Three
Fraser had just finished clearing a six-inch square patch of weeds when the glass sliding door opened. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched Holly march from the door to the wee greenhouse in the far corner. She didn’t so much as look in his direction.
His dragon growled and forced his way out of the mental maze. Why is she ignoring us? Follow her.
No. I have work to do.
Fraser turned back around and moved to a new patch of weeds, but his beast roared so loudly that Fraser clapped his dirt-and-grass-covered hands over his ears. What the hell are you doing, dragon? Stop throwing a fit.
You won’t win. I want to talk to Holly. Otherwise, I will do this all day long until you do.
His beast went back to roaring and snarling. It was the closest thing to what he’d call a dragon temper tantrum.
With a grunt, Fraser turned toward the greenhouse. The door was open, but because of his dragon’s ruckus, he couldn’t hear what Holly was doing. Fraser yelled inside his head, Shut it, dragon. I’m going.
His beast went silent before replying, Good. Now, hurry.
Muttering under his breath, Fraser took his time walking to the greenhouse. He might be doing what his dragon asked, but Fraser would do it on his own terms.
Before his beast could go into another tantrum, Fraser peeked his head inside the greenhouse. Holly was bent over a collection of peppermint.
The greenhouse covering was dirty, which made the light streaming inside dim, but dragon-shifters had keen eyesight. He could see every tendril of dark hair that had escaped her bun. One curved against her cheek while another cascaded down the soft skin of her neck.
Holly’s hair went all the way down her back.
Studying her plain dark red jumper and black trousers, combined with her bun, he wondered what Holly looked like when she was carefree. He didn’t like her reserved appearance. He bet underneath there was a wild, adventurous spirit dying to get out.
His dragon chimed in. We will find out soon enough.
His beast’s words was like a slap in the face. No, we won’t. Fergus is the one who will bring her out of her shell.
Fergus is too reserved around strange females. It will take him too long. We should do it.
Before he could reply, Holly’s voice echoed inside the greenhouse. “Are you just going to stare at me or do you have something to say?”
Fraser cleared his throat and took a step inside the greenhouse. “I was just wondering if you needed any help, lass. That’s all.”
Holly met his gaze and raised an eyebrow. “I’m quite good with medicinal herbs and plants. You can go now.”
His dragon growled. She shouldn’t be brusque with us.
As Holly tucked one of the long, dark tendrils of hair on her cheek to behind her ear, Fraser closed his mouth to admire her ears. There were wee, dainty, and she had a single silver stud in her earlobe.
Holly’s voice interrupted the study of her ear. “I know my hair is a mess, but it never stays put, especially when it’s humid.” She gestured toward his head. “Besides, you’re not one to judge.”
Fraser blinked. “Pardon?”
As she walked toward him, Fraser caught the scent of female and peppermint, which made his dragon hum. She smells good. I bet she’ll taste good, too.
No tasting. Hush.
Holly raised a hand and plucked something from his hair. Lowering her find, she twirled a blade of grass between her fingers. “What happened? Did you dive headfirst into a grass pile?”
Fraser should grunt and walk away. The female was meant for his brother. He couldn’t afford to flirt with her.
Yet before he could think twice about it, he smiled and murmured, “There’s more than one way to get grass in your hair.” He leaned closer and whispered, “Have you never tumbled in a field with a bloke before?”
~~~
Holly had tried her best to ignore Fraser MacKenzie, but after a full minute of him watching her, she had confronted him.
It didn’t help that he looked handsome despite the dirt on his cheek or the grass in his hair. When he smiled at her, her heart rate kicked up.
The bloody dragonman was too attractive and charming for his own good.
Yet with his mouth mere inches from her face, it took everything she had to keep her gaze on his eyes instead of his lips.
Then he whispered, with his breath hot against her cheek, “Have you never tumbled in a field with a bloke before?” and images of her and Fraser rolling around in a field during the height of summer flooded her mind. Despite his auburn hair, she imagined his chest being as tan and toned as his forearms.
Maybe even his bum, since dragon-shifters didn’t care about nakedness.
Heat surged through Holly’s body in embarrassment. She prevented herself from covering her cheeks with her hands. Instead, she cleared her throat and took a step back. “A gentleman wouldn’t mention such things.”
He leaned closer. “Aye, well, I’m not a gentlemen.”
Fraser’s flashing pupils didn’t distract from the heat of his gaze. It was almost as if he were thinking of ways to devour her.
She finally glanced to his firm lips and imagined them kissing her neck, her shoulder, and finally her breasts. He would tease and torture her nipple before his hot, wet mouth finally licked and lapped between her thighs. No doubt, the dragonman would tease her until she begged for him to make her come.
Fraser growled and his expression turned hard. Pulling away, he retreated to the greenhouse door. “I have work to do.”
Without another word, Fraser headed back out to the garden. Holly watched his back and arse as he walked away.
As his scent dissipated, Holly’s heart rate slowed down a fraction.
Bloody hell. No man had ever affected her to such a degree. She’d been very close to kissing him. Thankfully, Fraser had had more sense and left before that happened.
Holly lightly patted her cheeks. “Get a grip, Holly. Dad’s counting on you.”
Busying herself with picking peppermint, Holly tried to imagine how her meeting with Fergus would go. After all, she needed to sleep with him in the end.
The memory of Fraser’s lips a few inches from hers sent a rush of heat through her body again and Holly closed her eyes. To try and forget about the dragonman she couldn’t have, Holly concentrated on former patients and their fear and joy over the years. The memory of smiling parents gazing at their newborns with love helped to calm her heart and her nerves.
“Right, then.” With a nod, Holly went back to picking enough peppermint for some tea. She was done with fancying the forbidden. Holly would do her duty if it killed her.
With the peppermint in hand, Holly exited the greenhouse. Careful not to look over her shoulder to check out Fraser’s broad back or intense blue eyes, she made a beeline for the glass sliding door and into the house.
As she washed the leaves, Arabella’s voice rang out, “Are you almost ready with whatever you’re making? Finn should be here soon.”
Turning on the kettle, Holly peeked from the kitchen into the living room. “Give me three minutes. It took me a while to find what I needed.”
The dragonwoman studied her intently. “Did Fraser give you any grief?”
Careful to keep her expression neutral, Holly shook her head. “No. He’s pretty determined to weed the garden.”
“For all his faults, once Fraser sets his mind on something, he’ll go to ridiculous lengths to see it through. Next time you talk with him, ask him about Loch Ness.”
She blinked. “Loch Ness?”
Arabella smiled. “Let’s just say his prank to prove Nessie was real to the local humans didn’t go as planned.”
Despite her burning curiosity, Holly merely nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind. I think I heard the kettle, so let me fix your tea.”
Holly dashed into the kitchen and went to work tearing the peppermint leaves. After placing them in a teapot she’d found on the counter and pouring hot water over them, she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms while the tea steeped.
She may not know Arabella at all, but her words about Fraser focusing on what he wanted worried her. She was fairly certain that the near-kiss in the greenhouse had run both ways.
Holly only hoped Fraser hadn’t set his sights on her. She couldn’t imagine he would betray his twin like that.
Glancing to the clock, Holly willed Lochguard’s clan leader to get home. The sooner he started drowning her in protocols and advice, the sooner she could focus entirely on her reason for being on Scottish dragon-shifter land.
Holly was Fergus’s sacrifice. No matter how much her heart pounded or her skin tingled in Fraser’s presence, she couldn’t have him.
Nodding to herself, Holly made a decision. She would keep her distance from Fraser and be as civil, yet distant, as she could manage. She might even ask Fergus to take her to bed sooner than the week allocated for her to get to know the clan. Until recently, all of the sacrifices had only two days to adjust to their new homes. Holly didn’t see why she couldn’t do the same.
Yes, she would find a way to get Fergus alone and flirt with him.
Of course, she had to meet Fergus MacKenzie first. Looking to the clock again, Holly sighed. Three minutes had passed.
As she poured Arabella’s tea, Holly took one last look out the kitchen window. But all she saw was Fraser climbing over the wall.
Good. The man clearly had some sense to put distance between them.
~~~
Fraser climbed over the rear garden wall, jumped down, and started running. He didn’t trust himself around Holly. Especially with his dragon clawing at the latest maze he had constructed. For once, Fraser wished he would have listened to Fergus and Finn go over how they made elaborate mazes to keep their beasts occupied for hours.
Fraser was currently paying for always indulging his dragon.
Pushing his legs to run faster, he hoped the exercise would help to ease his dragon’s nervous energy. The pacing inside his mind was driving Fraser crazy.
His beast finally broke free and huffed. You had the chance to kiss her. You should’ve taken it. We could be fucking our mate right now.
No. As I’ve said thirty times before, she’s not ours.
His dragon snarled, Yes, she is.
Are you willing to risk the clan’s future? Finn worked hard to get Lochguard back into the good graces of the DDA. If we kiss Holly, let alone fuck her, they may not trust us for another decade.
His dragon snarled. Finn will find a way. We’re family.
Fraser gave a strangled laugh. Family or not, the clan comes first. Even Arabella knows that.
I want Holly. She will make us happy and give us a child.
Fraser couldn’t stop his mind from picturing Holly smiling as he chased her through the forest, her long hair trailing behind her. As she turned, her slightly round belly was full with his child. I won’t risk the clan.
You will regret this.
His dragon huffed and disappeared to the back of his mind.
Great. His beast was throwing another tantrum.
With a sigh, Fraser pushed his legs to move faster. He had only a few more minutes before reaching home and he needed to think of an excuse. And not just any excuse, but one that his mother would actually believe.
An idea hit just as he finally approached the MacKenzie household.
The second he stepped foot inside the door, his mum’s voice rang out. “Fraser, come here.”
Since he’d long ago figured out which battles to fight with his mother, he moved toward the kitchen. “Hey, Mum. Whatever you’re cooking smells fantastic.”
Lorna turned with a wooden spoon in her hand. Her eyes darted to his cheek and hair before returning to his eyes. “What happened to you? Please tell me you weren’t found rolling around in a field with a lass again. Most of the dragon-shifter parents with females your age already give me the stink eye.”
He shrugged. “All of their daughters are of age. They can make their own decisions.”
He reached for an apple, but his mum smacked him with the spoon. “I need those for my tarts.”
With a dramatic sigh, he answered, “I guess I’ll just go hungry again.”
Lorna rolled her eyes and turned back toward the cooker. “Find your own place if you don’t like it.”
“What and have to cook all of my own food? The horror.”
Lorna snorted. “You truly would starve then.”
“Speaking of one of your children moving out, where’s Fergus?”
“Upstairs, doing what you should be doing right now: showering.” She glanced at him. “If you want to eat at my table, you’d better clean up.”
Time to test his excuse. “I’ll shower, but I’m going to miss supper, Mum.”
Lorna turned around again. “Tonight is important, Fraser Moore MacKenzie. Unless you’re dying or fending off a horde of dragon hunters, you’re coming to supper.”
Despite being twenty-eight years old, it still took every ounce of self-control Fraser possessed to not fidget under Lorna’s piercing amber-colored gaze.
But for both the good of the clan as well as his brother’s happiness, Fraser stayed strong. “There’s been a setback at the new warehouse project at the edge of our land. If I don’t go and figure out a solution to the foundation problem, the whole project might have to be scrapped.” When Lorna eyed him even more closely, he added, “Finn needs the warehouse for his grand plans for the clan. Without it, we can’t stockpile crafts and wooden furniture to sell during the high tourist season. You know how he wants to add to our fish and agricultural income.”
Lorna waggled her spoon. “You have three hours before supper, which is plenty of time to go to the site, check it out, and come back. Your brain always works best after a night’s sleep on an issue.” She nodded toward the door. “Go. I expect you back in time for supper.”
The problem with arguing with your mum was that she knew all of your tricks. The bloody female was right—Fraser always worked best by finding out a problem and sleeping on it. Nine times out of ten, he’d wake up with an answer.
Since he didn’t have a better excuse, Fraser sighed. “Fine. But if Finn is upset about the delay, you can explain it to him.”
“Fraser, stop wasting my time and get your arse out the door. I have too much to do here to argue with you any more.”
“I feel the love, Mother. I feel the love.”
“Go, you bloody rascal. I don’t care how old you are, I will smack your bum with my spoon to get you out of my kitchen.”
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