Seduced By Flames

by Vella Day

  He might be right, but Nessa wanted to enjoy being with Kyle without Lily shooting daggers at her. “We both know it was sabotage,” she said softly. “We just need to prove it—or rather, you need to prove it. In the end, the insurance company will have to pay the workers who were injured—not us. Once you narrow down the suspect pool, you can provide your sister with all of the findings. Besides, Lily needs to rest, not work.”

  He held up his palms. “You have a point. Lily is strong, but she’s been through a lot recently.”

  That was an understatement. Actually, Nessa did admire his sister’s fortitude.

  The door opened to the conference room and Birk joined Logan and them at the table. Even though Birk probably wanted to make sure Lily remained safe, he was head of security and needed to be in on this discussion. Declan would have been able to add a lot of insight, but he’d wanted to return to the people in Plux. Nessa totally understood.

  The large monitor on the wall mirrored her computer. Once everything was ready, she slid her computer over to Kyle. “I helped Kyle create this spreadsheet that will list the possible suspects and their motives.”

  He straightened the computer. “We need to give each suspect a rating on the likelihood of pulling off these crimes. The only thing we know for sure is that our man, or woman, is a dragon shifter with magical powers of invisibility in human form. Secondly, from what I can tell, this person knows his way around explosives.”

  “Who is your first suspect?” Logan asked.

  “The first is Safford DeLeon, but that’s not to say I believe he’s the most likely suspect.”

  Birk harrumphed. “I’m not so sure. The man is a mean motherfucker. As owner of the Vulcan Metals Extraction company, he would suffer financially if we were to mine all the gold Nessa claims is down there.”

  Kyle typed something into the spreadsheet. “I’m adding a column to indicate whether we believe the man is the planning type since these accidents seem to be premeditated. Safford DeLeon’s bookkeeping is impeccable. I can’t vouch for whether he’s honest, but he keeps excellent records. A man like that would be a planner.”

  “As a mine owner, he would also know about explosives,” Nessa added.

  The group nodded. “If we’re putting down Safford DeLeon, we have to add Wilson Snar,” Birk said. “He’s a dragon shifter, and his primary metal is gold. He’d have the most to lose if we had found the mother lode.”

  “Which I did, by the way,” Nessa added. “We’ll all need to pressure Dad into digging a new tunnel at some point. He’s under the impression that finding such wealth would bring us more bad luck.”

  “I think he’ll listen to reason once things calm down,” Logan said.

  “I hope so.”

  “I just entered Snar’s name,” Kyle commented. “He’s not as detailed or as organized as DeLeon, but he is a worthy suspect nonetheless. I don’t recall my source, but I’ve heard his wife puts a lot of pressure on him to bring in the money. She’s rather attractive and has Wilson wrapped around her little finger. She might have urged Wilson to sabotage Caspian Mining.”

  Nessa wasn’t so sure about Snar. “We should note that both he and DeLeon were in Plux for the relief effort, though it’s possible one of them could have flown back here, attacked you, and returned to help. They could even be co-conspirators.”

  “Interesting. They might be using the relief effort to establish their alibi,” Kyle said.

  She shrugged. “It’s something to consider.”

  The group discussed both men in more detail. In the end, they remained on the list.

  “Speaking of your attack, does anyone know if Anderson learned anything?” Logan asked.

  Once more, guilt attacked her. If she hadn’t stored the bloodied rock in the locker, the invisible thief wouldn’t have gotten his hands on it, and Anderson might have a suspect by now.

  Kyle nodded. “I called your cousin this morning to see if he’d learned anything more. He hasn’t. Apparently, ghosts are hard to find.” Logan laughed. “I filled him in on what I’ve learned since then, so maybe he’ll get a lead.”

  “Let’s hope,” Birk said. “Who else do we need to add to the list?”

  Nessa couldn’t help but add her two cents. “My favorite. The Royals. Mind you, not them per se, but someone they hired.”

  Kyle leaned back in his seat. “This is where Nessa and I disagree.”

  She twisted toward him. “Their power is extensive, and they have the financial ability to hire someone who is an expert in explosives and who has magical talents.”

  Kyle held up his hand. “If you say so. I’ll have to leave the magic stuff to you all.”

  “None of us know for sure. That’s the problem,” Logan chimed in.

  “Their motive would be revenge for the death of their son, Prince Rathan,” Birk said.

  Kyle typed in the information.

  “Any one else?” Logan asked looking around.

  “Darnax Pinter, your former foreman.” Kyle added his name.

  “He has an alibi,” Nessa said.

  “I know, but people lie.”

  “Very true.” Kyle winked at her repeated words, and her body swelled with more lust. Sheesh.

  “Would anyone like to add anyone else?” Kyle asked.

  No one said anything.

  “Good. Then I’ll have my team check out the two mine owners,” Kyle said. “Tom Delaney will be particularly effective speaking with the two mine owners since he worked for both of them before he came to work for me. I can have Dennis Taylor check out Darnax Pinter again.”

  “Great job, Kyle,” Birk said, and Nessa beamed.

  Kyle had an analytical mind that she appreciated. She also appreciated the way he seemed to adore her tits—and her lips—and her pussy.

  Thank goddess this meeting was about to end. Sitting next to him and pretending nothing had happened between them last night had been so hard.

  Birk and Logan pushed back their chairs. “It would be great if we could have some leads by the time Dad gets back to town.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Kyle said.

  After Nessa followed Kyle to work the next day to make sure no one attacked him, she headed over to the SinCas building. As much as she tried, Nessa couldn’t hold back her excitement any longer. Making love with Kyle had been mind-blowing, thrilling, and oh so sensual. If she ever had a doubt that the two of them belonged together—which she didn’t anymore—the compatibility in bed would have erased it. Even as she entered the building, her dragon was still going crazy with need. Assuming her horny animal didn’t make her seek out Kyle sooner, Nessa planned to meet him for lunch.

  When she entered the ground floor jewelry store, Greer was dealing with a customer so Nessa studied what was in the cases. While she’d seen the pieces of jewelry many times, their beauty never failed to impress her. She wasn’t one to wear earrings, necklaces, or rings, but now she realized it was because she had no desire to look good for a man. Ever since meeting Kyle, her attitude had changed.

  Ten minutes later, Greer’s customer left, and her sister came over to her. “How are Kyle and Lilly doing? I imagine both are still rather traumatized from the attack.”

  “Kyle’s injuries are basically a thing of the past, but I really haven’t spent much time with Lily to know about her wounds. Understandably, she has issues with our kind, so I haven’t gone out of my way to friend her.” She held up a hand. “I do plan to make time however.” After all, she was her mate’s sister.

  “I’m glad both are doing better,” Greer said. Nessa appreciated that her sister didn’t lecture her on making nice with Lily right away. “By the way, did you notice the way Birk wouldn’t leave Lily’s side?” Greer wiggled her eyebrows.

  “I know, right? I agree our brother is highly protective, but he’s acting a bit strange even for him.”

  Greer grinned. “Do you think Lily is his mate?”

  Nessa loved how the two of them thought so much a
like. “It’s a definite possibility. Even if it’s true, I don’t think Birk will make a move until all of this is over.”

  “I agree. I am so excited for you and Birk, assuming Lily is his mate.”

  Poor Greer. She was so gracious and kind. She had yet to find the perfect man for her. “Thanks. I stopped over because I wanted to tell you…” How do I say it without making you feel bad that you’ve not found your mate?

  “Tell me what?”

  There was no way Nessa could ever hide something this important from her. Here goes. “I made love with Kyle last night, and it was the most wonderful experience of my life.”

  Greer squealed. “Tell me more.”

  For the next few minutes, Nessa told her how Kyle had come into her room last night, acting a bit hesitant.

  “Maybe he didn’t realize how much you liked him. You aren’t the most open person.”

  So now not only was Nessa a tomboy, she wasn’t very expressive? If she didn’t know that Greer loved her, Nessa might develop a complex. “Trust me—I let him know I was interested rather quickly. From there, the fireworks happened.” A customer came in, cutting short their sister time. “Ugh. I’ll let you get back to work, but we’ll chat later.”

  Greer grinned. “I can’t wait to hear more.”

  Kyle was experiencing some guilt. He was at work while poor Lily had to be cooped up in the Sinclair compound. Lily had insisted on returning to work today, but Birk said it was still too dangerous to go out. He did agree to take her to the office tomorrow, but only if he could wait there for her. Kyle hadn’t had a chance to ask her about her reaction to that suggestion.

  He also didn’t understand Birk’s desire, or rather need, to watch over Lily, but he was thankful for the man’s diligence. The Caspians, including Nessa, took protecting others seriously. It was one of their wonderful traits.

  Right now, he couldn’t dwell on how awesome she was or how fantastic their lovemaking had been. If he did, he would accomplish nothing. Rather, he needed to focus on his men investigating the mine owners as well as verifying the previous Caspian foreman’s alibi. Before he and Nessa could move on, finding who had sabotaged the mine had to be his primary concern.

  Kyle asked his secretary to contact Dennis Taylor and Tom Delaney since he needed to speak with them. While he waited for his second-in-command and his assistant to arrive, Kyle reread the alibi of the Caspian Mines’ previous foreman—an unhappy man who was very vocal about wanting more money and more benefits. On the surface, his alibi seemed solid, but as Nessa had said, people were known to lie.

  Fifteen minutes later, both Dennis and Tom arrived. “You wanted to see us, boss?” Dennis asked.

  “Have a seat.” They both pulled up chairs. “We have some possible suspects in the Caspian Mine explosion.”

  Tom glanced over at Dennis. “Who?”

  “Three suspects actually.” He didn’t bother mentioning the Royals since he wasn’t able to investigate them. If none of these three suspects panned out, then he’d look at the Royals more closely.

  Kyle started with the reasons why both of the other metal mine owners might be guilty and why they could be innocent. “Tom, I’d like you to interview each of them to see where they were at the time of the explosion, and then check their alibis again. Both of the men might still be in Plux helping out with the flooding over there, though it’s possible they’ve returned.”

  “Sure. Anything else?”

  “Yes. The guilty party is a dragon shifter who can become invisible in his human form.”

  Tom whistled. “He sounds dangerous.”

  “Yes, which is why you need to be very careful. Try to interview each of them inside a building. If you are indoors, they won’t be able to shift in the small space. But be careful not to arouse too much suspicion. Riling them could prove deadly.”

  Tom nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ve worked for both Snar and DeLeon. I think both men will be upfront with me.”

  Tom might be more naïve than Kyle. “They will be unless one of them is trying to take down the Caspian Mines. Remember that Wilson Snar is heavily invested in gold, so he has the most to lose if the Caspians find the mother lode.”

  “Got it.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Dennis asked.

  “Talk to Darnax Pinter again,” Kyle said. “I know he has an alibi, but check it out more thoroughly. I’m not even sure if the man’s working right now. Rumor has it he started to drink rather heavily after he was fired.”

  “I’ll dig deep, boss.”

  “Great. Get going and let me know what you two find out. We’re all counting on you.”

  Both men shoved back their chairs and charged out of his office.

  Because the Caspian mine wasn’t the only one he needed to supervise, Kyle took care of other issues for the next few hours, reviewing complaints and looking for compliance violations.

  It was close to noon when he heard Nessa’s voice in the outer office, and his body reacted quickly and strongly. He stood and had to adjust himself before stepping into the outer office. As hard as he tried, the moment he spotted her, he failed to keep the smile off his face.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Hey.” Kyle smiled at Nessa before turning to Michelle, his secretary. Even though Nessa was still wearing her khaki mining outfit, he couldn’t help but picture her deliciously naked body. Kyle cleared his throat. “Michelle, this is Nessa Caspian.”

  Michelle swallowed a smile. “We’ve met a few times.”

  Really? Eventually, he’d ask how these two knew each other, but right now, if he didn’t kiss Nessa, his physical needs would embarrass him. He motioned her to step into his office, and the moment he closed the door, he pinned Nessa against the wall and made love to her mouth.

  Her hands roamed up and down his back, and her kiss came out strong and desperate. Both of their bodies heaved with unbridled lust as they tried to absorb each other’s essence. In need of air, he leaned back.

  When Kyle dragged his hands down over her luxuriously long hair, the soft texture ignited something inside him. “Oh, Nessa, I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  She grinned. “If you were a shifter, you’d know it is ten times worse for me.”

  That was good news—kind of. But ten times worse? How was that possible? He hoped she wasn’t suffering too much. “If I thought Michelle couldn’t hear us, I’d clear off my desk and make love to you here.”

  She dragged a hand down his chest, and then grabbed his crotch. “How about we pick up something to eat and go somewhere more secluded?”

  He liked the sound of that. “Where do you have in mind?”

  “It’s a special place I’ve only heard of, but it might give us some answers.”

  Answers? Hadn’t they been discussing having another round of wild sex? “Where is this special place?” He hoped she wasn’t planning on interfering with his investigation.

  “It’s in the middle of the realm where the four provinces meet. It’s said to be the most magical spot in all of Tarradon. I thought we might find this oracle I’ve heard about.”

  He failed to hide his disappointment. He wanted some secluded cove where they could make love. He needed to taste her, touch her, and take her hard. “So, you’re hoping this oracle will tell you who attacked us?” Or whether they would live happily ever after?

  “Yes.” She dragged a finger down his chest. “The best part is that the area is supposed to be quite isolated. That means no one would hear us…should we decide to continue our exploration.” She cupped his balls and squeezed.

  Yes! Joy speared him so much that he picked her up and spun her around. “I say let’s go.”

  The trip sounded like a long one, so he told Michelle he’d be gone for the rest of the day. She gave him a coy smile as if she could guess what he was up to. “Have fun,” she said.

  “It’s business, Michelle.” She pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile. “If Dennis or Tom come back, tell t
hem I’ll meet with them tomorrow.”

  “Will do.”

  He would have suggested they call if they learned anything, but he wasn’t sure if there would be cell service where they were going. Isolated meant isolated.

  As soon as they left the building, Kyle wrapped his arm around Nessa’s waist, and when she relaxed into his side, his cock surged. Even her luscious lemony scent poured heat into his veins.

  She looked up and smiled. “Hungry?”

  “For you.”

  She reached across him and punched him lightly in the stomach. “I wasn’t talking about sex, silly. What kind of food do you want?”

  This might be the first conversation they’d had that wasn’t about finding the invisible dragon shifter, and he was enjoying it. “I’m flexible.”

  “For speed, let’s go to Pepe’s.”

  He appreciated that her need was as strong as his. “It’s one of my favorite places.”

  “Perfect.”

  They walked the three blocks to the restaurant, and for the first time in a long while, there was some pep to his step. Kyle hadn’t realized how much not having someone in his life had affected his outlook. Nessa gave him a sense of well-being and happiness. “Tell me more about this magical place.”

  “Have you heard of the eternal flame of Tarradon?”

  “I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never seen it.”

  “Me neither, but I want to go there.”

  Now he was confused. “I thought you said we were headed to some magical spot.”

  “We are.”

  “In school, we were taught that the eternal flame was built to show the solidarity between the four provinces—a peace offering between them, if you will. I never heard anything about it being magic.”

  “My dad must have told me then.”

  “I’ve never really believed in fortune tellers, but I’m game.” Plus, it would be awesome to spend some quality time with Nessa.

  They entered Pepe’s. The fairly long line gave Kyle some time to decide what to order. He opted for a Terraburger and a liquid gold tea while Nessa went with a Pollo salad and iced metal cola. Wisely, they didn’t discuss their destination since there was no telling who was listening or who might be interested in their plans. If only he could tell a shifter from a non-shifter, he’d be a lot more relaxed.