The tension vibrated off his big body.
He was avoiding her.
What did she expect? She’d pushed him away. He’d taken care of her, and she’d insulted him and told him to leave.
She squeezed her eyes shut, the blood rushing to her face. Her actions made her seem heartless, just like the ruthless alpha she was meant to be.
She didn’t owe him or anyone else an explanation.
It didn’t stop her from cuddling closer. He felt so big and sexy, he was all around her.
A shiver ran over her skin, and she realized just how much she’d pushed her still-recovering body, how much she needed him. She was aware of his strength, his tall brooding presence.
Walking into the entrance of the infirmary, he took the steps two at a time, stalking down the corridor to her room as if she weighed nothing.
She wasn’t heavy but not a lightweight, either. Her dragon bones were hollow yet solid enough to lend power to her punches.
He was so much stronger than her in human form. He could hold his own against her.
Heat tugged her belly.
She flicked out her tongue, touching it to her lips, only to taste that spicy flavor of his which lingered from their earlier kiss.
Placing her on the chair, he walked into the bathroom, then returned with a wet cloth.
He squatted in front of her, placed her bare foot on his bent knee, and ran the cloth over her heel.
Heat sizzled from his touch all the way to her center. She felt empty in a way she hadn’t realized before. Her thighs clenched. The hair on the nape of her neck firmed. She moved around in the chair.
Clutching the armrest, she yanked at her foot.
“Hold on, just want to make sure you’re not hurt.”
His voice curled around her, setting off little pinpricks of delight over her skin.
His hands were large, his palm wide enough to engulf her entire foot. His touch was gentle. That threw her again.
She couldn’t reconcile his tenderness with the bloodthirsty warrior she’d just seen in action.
Next to him she felt delicate and feminine. She’d never experienced this with any other male.
When she’d faced the wolf shifter on the beach, her strength had ebbed. For the first time since she’d become the alpha of the dragons, she’d experienced a shudder of fear. She’d come to depend on her dragon in a fight.
She’d been using her dragon to turn away from the woman in herself. The part that Cain brought out by being just who he was—raw, unadulterated male.
“You’re barely recovered. Whatever made you pick a fight?” His growl shivered over her skin. He sounded furious.
Pick a fight? She resisted the urge to grind her teeth.
Her dragon quivered.
His head was bent, that thick hair of his brushing his shoulders. She wanted to rake her fingers through it. Pull his head back and lick the column of his neck. That hot desert sand scent of his was driving her a little mad.
Heat flushed her body, and her nipples pebbled. “I had it under control, until you interrupted.”
He snorted. His shoulders shook. “You only see what you want to, don’t you, kitten?”
She couldn’t see his face. Was he laughing at her? No one laughed at the alpha of the dragon shifters.
Reaching down, she gripped his wrist and pulled.
He didn’t stop his attentive care of her foot.
Frustration twisted her stomach. She dug her nails into his skin. “Look at me when you speak, lion shifter.”
He threw aside the cloth and raised his head. “Cain.” He snarled.
The power of those amber eyes slammed into her, golden sparks swirling around in a vortex that had her mesmerized. His beast was so close to the surface. Why hadn’t she noticed it before? It called to that part of her she’d never thought anyone could reach.
“Say it.”
“W-what?” she stuttered.
“My name.”
The command in his voice had her hackles rising. Adrenaline pumped.
She looked at him through half-closed eyelids. “No.”
Silence.
His lips parted in surprise. A flush of red heightened those cheekbones. The amber in his eyes flared. “I am not one of your clan. Don’t expect me to bow down or obey you.”
“I’m counting on it,” she muttered. She didn’t expect him to hear her. But that insane part of her that only seemed to come to life when he was around hoped he would.
She wanted to push him, to see what would happen when he snapped. She wanted to see the beast he’d carefully hidden behind the veneer of civilization he’d drawn around himself.
The next second, he coiled his fingers around her ankle and tugged.
She squeaked as she lost her balance and fell against that chest.
His lips captured hers.
It wasn’t just a kiss. He was taking her, absorbing her into him, showing her exactly how it could be between them.
He thrust his tongue into her mouth. She opened for him. Let him swirl that hot taste of his over her inner lips.
A moan built from somewhere deep inside, rolling up and through her mouth.
He captured that, too. He was eating her up.
Gripping her thighs, he spread her legs wide and brushed his hardness against her melting core.
To her utter shock, she found herself wanting much more. She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles at his back so she could feel every inch of that throbbing part of him that she wanted inside her.
A growl of frustration rumbled up his chest. It echoed the heat that was tearing her insides. Driving her to plaster her breasts to his chest.
She plunged her fingers into that thick hair she’d been wanting to pet for so long. Meeting him thrust for thrust, she danced her tongue over his. It wasn’t half enough.
A snarl bubbled up. She bit down on his lower lip.
“Putain.” He tore his mouth from her.
His chest rose and fell, his lips swollen and clearly throbbing. He looked like how she felt.
Aroused—and wanting and frustrated.
Those amber eyes were dilated to sheets of gold. She saw herself reflected in them.
She licked her lips. “Consider that a thank you for services rendered.” She was a tough alpha woman. She hated what she was going to do to him, to her, to what they could be.
This crazy attraction between them could only end in one thing. Their mating. His death.
She dropped her hands to her sides.
His jaw hardened.
She had to do this before she lost courage. Had to show him that she didn’t care for him. That he was just someone who’d happened to be there at the right time to help her out.
“When I’m back in Mauritania, I’ll make sure to reward you properly.” There. She’d snubbed him.
If she thought she’d seen him angry, that was nothing.
His shoulders heaved, and his hands balled into fists at his sides. Nostrils flaring, he peeled his lips back to show his teeth.
There it was...his beast. She’d stripped him of the mask he’d worn so far.
He’d fought for her.
How would it be to fight with him?
A shudder of sexual awareness skittered over her skin.
She was shocked to find herself go wet. She had to get away from him before her body gave itself away, before he sensed how turned on she was, not just by his desire but also by his fury.
She unwrapped her legs from around him. He slid to his feet. The lack of contact instantly made her shiver. Like she’d lost a part of her. It convinced her she was doing the right thing.
“You should leave.” Rising, she sauntered to the shower on unsteady legs.
“You should...realize something.” His tone was polite.
The hackles on her neck rose. She’d turned her back on a dangerous predator. Apprehension jolted her spine. She spun around. Her heart hammered against her ribcage.
His biceps rippled. He placed his hands on his hips.
Her pulse raced. The chemistry between them turned up another notch.
He looked big and strong and so fucking sexy. He looked...delicious.
A bead of sweat rolled down between her breasts. She wanted to fling herself back at him and beg him to take her, to finish what they’d started, what she’d just tasted. Her breath hitched.
Cain tossed his head, every inch an alpha dominant male. “You’re not leaving this city without making love with me.”
Part II
9
Eve
After Cain left, Eve staggered to the shower on legs that still quaked from the aftermath of that sizzling exchange. She was still so turned on, still so wet. Her pulse raced, breath coming in short gasps as if she had run for miles.
Every part of her screamed that she should turn back, go to him, and jump him.
The water poured over her, sending pinpricks of desire racing over her sensitized skin.
The arrogance of the man. No one dared speak to her like that, no one.
Anger rippled over her skin, leaving reluctant sparks of lust in its wake.
When he’d declared his intent in that calm voice, his big body all tense, it had sent a thrill coursing inside.
Adrenaline pumped through her blood, and her chest felt light. It was the same feeling she had when she was challenged to a fight. Only difference was, there was a simmering flame in her lower belly. She clenched her thighs to stop the need that lurked between them and made her wet.
What would it be like to have his big hands on her breast, to have him rub his beard over her waist, on the insides of her thighs where the skin was sensitive?
Standing under the hot spray, she trailed her fingers over her skin.
How would it be to run her palm over the hard planes of his chest, over that concave stomach, to curl her hand around his arousal and watch him grow hard?
She slipped on the wet tiles. Cursing, she wrenched her thoughts back and shut off the scalding water. Some of the aches from the beating had lowered to a dull thud.
The heat that tugged her lower belly had cranked up several notches.
Wrapping the towel around herself, she stepped out of the bathroom and came to a stop. On the bed was a folded pair of jeans, a shirt, and a pair of boots next to the bed.
She swiveled her gaze to Vance, who stood by the window.
“Thank you.” She crossed the floor, flinching as her legs protested.
When she reached for her towel, Vance turned his back to the room.
Once she’d shrugged into the clothes, she sat on the bed and pulled on the socks. “Your girlfriend’s clothes?”
“Lana’s.” Vance glided toward the bed, dropping into the chair next to it. “She wanted to come by and thank you, but Max was having nothing of it. Which only led to the two of them fighting again.” He raised his hands before letting them drop.
Her lips twisted. “I know who won that one.” She sat up, hands dangling loose between her knees.
“You strong-willed women.” Vance slid around, making himself comfortable. “Lana is very grateful. If you hadn’t been there today…” His voice turned serious. “Those shifters are local bullies. They had it coming. Though how you managed to recover enough to walk out of here and take those men on, I don’t know.”
“I’m a dragon.” Eve pushed back the wet hair from her face.
“I know you recuperate faster than other shifters—yet your recovery is remarkable.” Vance laced his hands in front of him.
Reaching for the towel, she rubbed it through her long strands. “My healing powers accelerated once I regained consciousness. Seeing the girl in trouble gave me the impetus to push myself to get back on my feet. Only—” She couldn’t bring herself to complete the sentence.
“You still didn’t feel your dragon, even though you put yourself in danger. You had to depend on your human skills to rescue her.” He tilted his head. “Remarkable.” Vance’s body was relaxed. His forehead furrowed as he surveyed her.
“I’d come to depend on the dragon energy to the extent that I’d forgotten my human form has its strengths, too.” She chuckled. “Perhaps my dragon is telling me to appreciate the woman I am.”
“How do you feel?”
Eve ran a mental check over her limbs. “A little tired. Thanks to Cain, my dragon feels much more alive.”
The doc tapped his fingers together but didn’t respond.
“My dragon reacts to him. She draws energy from him.”
“That’s why you keep running away?” The vampire’s stance was casual.
A snarl boiled up in her throat, but Eve knocked it back. Hands loose by her side, she faced the doc.
“Cain’s the kind of man you want on your side in a fight.”
His jaw firmed. “He’s also the kindest, most generous of all the men I’ve had the privilege of knowing.”
“You two are close?”
“We are two misfits who found a home with the Guardians of this city.” He let the words hang in the air.
“So, you are close.” Picking up the comb, she ran it through her hair.
“His lion is fixated with you.” Vance lifted his shoulders before letting them drop. “Doesn’t mean I’m going to let you walk all over his feelings. Tread carefully, Alpha, for if you hurt him, you’ll have me to deal with.”
It shouldn’t concern her what the doc thought of her intentions—she didn’t intend to stay around long enough for anyone to find out, least of all herself. Sure, she was attracted to Cain, but that didn’t mean anything, did it?
“You have it all wrong.” Eve flicked a speck of dust that had settled on her shirt. She didn’t want the vampire to see how much his words were affecting her. “I have no intention of taking advantage of his feelings for me.” She’d make it clear it was all one-sided, when the truth was that since she’d seen him, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking of him.
Her dragon was as fixated as his lion.
“The faster I leave here, the better it is for both of us.” The thought of never seeing Cain again had her throat closing.
“You can leave any time.”
It took a second for his words to sink in.
“Your body is mending itself at an exponential pace. As for your dragon, she is in temporary stasis. All she needs is the right trigger to come back.” He shuffled his feet on the floor. “Get a good night’s sleep. I’ll tell the nurse you’ll sign yourself out.”
A sound at the door had her swiveling her head. Lana hobbled in on crutches.
“You gave Max the slip?” Vance ruffled the girl’s hair on his way out. “I’ll let you two catch up.”
“Thank you.” The girl’s face was pale. “You saved my life.”
“And Cain saved mine.” Eve gestured to the chair. “It’s what warriors do. We come to each other’s help when we most need it.”
Lana sat down. “How do you manage Cain’s attentions?” She propped her crutches against the armrest.
Eve chuckled. “Don’t mince your words, eh?”
“The way he watches you reminds me of Max.” Her lips slanted down at the sides. “How do I manage that?”
“If you want advice on how to rein in a man as dominant as you, then you’ve come to the wrong place.” One side of her lips inched up in the semblance of a smile. “Growing up, I fought against my instincts to be an alpha female. On dates with male dragon shifters, I always held myself back. Except once.”
“What happened?” Lana supported her neck against the chair’s top rail.
“It ended when I showed the true strength of my will.” Eve realized that was the reason she was holding herself back from Cain.
He was the first man who’d matched her in dominance. Yet he’d been so gentle toward her. He’d held his strength in check and treated her like she was something to be cherished. That confused her. It made her re-evaluate what she wanted in a mate.
Not just someone who was her equal, but someone who was sensitive enough to never let her down. Cain was secure enough in his strength. He’d always treat her with care; he wasn’t like the other dragons she’d encountered so far. He wouldn’t be threatened by her.
She very much wanted to understand the essence of this man who called to her. She was also treading in dangerous space. She’d defeated many stronger than her in fights. But in the face of Cain’s gentleness, she was lost.
This was one fight where the outcome would have no winners. It’s why she’d turned him away. It’s why she was going to leave.
“It won’t be easy, to be what you are.” Eve folded her hands in her lap. “But it’s best to not pretend. Best to let everyone see what you feel inside. So when you choose friends and lovers they’ll know exactly who you are and what to expect from you.”
“You come across as who you are. A strong, proud dragon shifter, the alpha of your people.” Lana slouched deeper in the chair. “One who won’t hesitate to risk her life to save her own sister.”
Eve splayed a hand against her chest, fingers spread out. “Cain accepts what I am. He is not threatened by me. But he can’t be my mate.”
“Surely going against your instincts is only going to hurt you both.”
She hugged her arms around her waist. “It’ll keep him alive.”
“So you’re going to leave without saying goodbye?” Lana looked at her wide-eyed.
Eve jabbed a finger at the girl. “Don’t imagine I don’t know when I am being set up.”
But Lana was right. Cain had saved her life. She had to say goodbye before leaving. It would show him he didn’t affect her, let him know she was leaving without any regrets.
“He goes for a run on the beach most mornings.” Lana got to her feet. “When he’s not watching over you, that is.” The girl smirked over her shoulder.
She yelped and dodged the pillow Eve threw at her. She ran for the door.
“Smart ass.” Eve’s lips twitched into a smile.
Of course the entire community had noticed Cain taking care of her. All the more reason to break off whatever there was between them and leave.
Tiredness dragged at her limbs. Her eyelids grew heavy. Tomorrow she was going to find him and tell him she was leaving.
Obsession_Paranormal Romance _Dragon Shifters, lion shifters, immortals and wolf shifters Page 4