Ignite--A Dark Kings Novel

by Donna Grant

  “That’s why I’m here,” Rhi said.

  One of the nail techs ushered both Claire and Rhi to the pedicure chairs where warm water already waited for them to dunk their feet. Claire settled in her chair while Rhi took one next to her.

  In seconds, a woman brought up a rolling stool and set about working on Claire’s feet. In the next heartbeat, another came up beside her with two small bowls that Claire put her hands in.

  “Multitasking at its finest,” Rhi said with a laugh.

  Claire grinned. “I really needed these past couple of hours.”

  “Bad day?”

  “Not exactly.” She turned her head toward Rhi. “Weird, really.”

  Rhi rolled her large, silver eyes. “I’ve had the year from Hell. No matter how much I try, none of this pampering helps for too long.”

  “I’m sorry,” Claire said.

  Rhi shrugged a shoulder. “It’s all about to get sorted.”

  “That’s good, at least.” Claire looked down at her lap and the bottles of polish. She wouldn’t have picked the colors herself, but she liked them. Perhaps it was time for a change—and not just in her nail color choices.

  “You have a guy on your brain.”

  Claire jerked her head to Rhi. “What?”

  Rhi shot her a knowing grin. “I know that look well. You’re thinking about a guy.”

  “Well, yeah, I was.” No matter what Claire did, V was always there. Awake or asleep, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Of the way his hands had held her, of how his blue eyes seemed to pierce her very soul. Of how his lips felt against hers.

  Or how he made her feel coveted and yet strong at the same time.

  “You like him.”

  Claire swallowed and looked at the water where her feet were. It brought her back to the loch, the moonlight, and V—and the heart-stopping pleasure she’d discovered. “It’s … complicated.”

  “It always is.”

  “That’s the bloody truth.” Claire sighed loudly.

  Rhi then said, “Tell me about this guy. Does he treat you right?”

  “Like a queen,” Claire answered instantly.

  The women doing their nails looked up at Claire, a spark of jealousy in their eyes.

  “I had someone like that once,” Rhi said.

  Claire looked over to find Rhi gazing off to the left, her eyes distant. Claire had an epiphany that she would have that same look on her face a year from now—or ten years or forty.

  Every time she thought of V, she would yearn for him. For the way he made her feel. For the things he made her crave.

  Suddenly, Rhi plastered a wide smile on her face as she looked at Claire, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Why aren’t you with this man?”

  “It’s—”

  “Complicated,” Rhi said over her, nodding.

  Claire hesitated a moment, wondering if she should ask Rhi about her man. Sometimes, people didn’t want to talk about such things. But, sometimes, they needed to. With strangers.

  “What about you and your man?”

  Rhi’s smile was sad, her eyes holding a pain so deep that Claire felt as she were kicked in the stomach. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked.

  “I lost him,” Rhi replied. “I’ve gone over everything I did, everything I said, but I still can’t figure out why he ended it.”

  “Did you talk to him?”

  Rhi shook her head of long, midnight locks. “That wasn’t an option.”

  “You gave up?” Somehow, that surprised Claire. She didn’t know Rhi that well, but she didn’t seem to be the type who accepted things so readily.

  “I … well, I didn’t handle it well,” Rhi admitted. “By the time I pulled myself together, it was too late.”

  “It sounds like you really loved him.”

  Rhi looked away, but not before Claire saw something intense spark in her eyes. “Yes.”

  “It’s never too late, you know. Go after him.”

  The smile Rhi gave Claire was full. “Oh, I plan to. What about you? You obviously have strong feelings for your guy. You going after him?”

  “He’s leaving.”

  “Long-distance relationships work for some.”

  Claire bit her lip. “I’ve not had the best of luck with men. I wasn’t even expecting this one. It just kinda … happened.”

  “You’ve got it bad for him,” Rhi said with a chuckle.

  “I’ve never met anyone like him. He … well, he’s.…” Claire couldn’t find the right words. Everything that kept coming to mind to accurately describe V was lacking.

  Rhi grinned. “I know exactly what you mean.”

  Claire blew out a breath. “I used to think I was someone who wouldn’t let anything stop me from going after what I wanted. Actually, I used to be like that. After so many failed relationships, I realize I’ve changed.”

  “So, find the woman you used to be.”

  “That’s easier said than done.”

  “I’ll help,” Rhi offered. “I need something to take my mind off things for a bit anyway.”

  Claire blinked, unsure if she’d heard Rhi correctly. “Really?”

  Rhi laughed softly as she pulled her hand away from her nail tech and pointed to the bottles in Claire’s lap. Then she told the women working on Claire’s nails, “Put the darkest one on the first and third fingers. The second lightest on the thumb and middle. The palest goes on the pinky.”

  The women didn’t hesitate to do as Rhi instructed. Claire glanced over to see Rhi’s choice of polish.

  “The dusky mauve is called Reykjavik Has All the Hot Spots. My accent color is the dove beige named Icelanded a Bottle of OPI,” she said.

  Claire laughed. “The names are great.”

  “I was in Iceland recently. Beautiful country, though it was harsh. These colors are from the Iceland collection of OPI.”

  Claire nodded. “Iceland. Wow. That’s amazing. I’ve only ever been around the British Isles.”

  “Do you want to know the name of your colors?” Rhi asked with a teasing glint in her eyes.

  “You know them?”

  “I know all of them,” she claimed.

  Claire held up the lightest bottle. “Give it a shot.”

  Rhi raised a black brow. “The shade that’s about the color of milk is called Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milkshakes.”

  Claire turned the bottle over and read the label, shocked that Rhi had gotten it correct. “Lucky guess,” she said.

  “You have two more. I bet I can get all three.”

  “Okay,” Claire said. “I’ll take you up on that.”

  “And if I win?” Rhi asked, brows raised.

  Claire shrugged. “I’ll talk to my guy.”

  “Deal.”

  “And if I win?”

  Rhi tilted her head to the side. “I’ll contact the one I let get away.”

  Claire really didn’t think Rhi would win all three, so she quickly held up the second bottle, the darkest shade of the three.

  “That’s an easy one,” Rhi said with a grin. “Teal Me More, Teal Me More.”

  Claire turned the teal blue bottle over and gasped when she read the name of it. “Two out of three.”

  “It’s about to be three out of three. Hope you know what you’re going to say to your man.”

  Claire held up the turquoise bottle. “Well?”

  By this time, all four nail techs working on them had stopped. They were looking at Rhi, waiting to see who would win.

  Suddenly, Rhi grinned. “You don’t think I’ll get it, do you?”

  “No,” Claire said with a smile.

  “All three came from the Grease collection, and the final bottle is called Was It All Just a Dream.”

  Claire looked at the bottom, and her stomach dipped. Oh, no! Now she had to contact V.

  Rhi put her hand on her arm. “Claire, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  “We made a deal,” she said woodenly. Though she felt s
omething odd go through her. Not exactly painful, but not pleasant either. It must just be her nerves.

  “Let’s talk about the girl you used to be. What did you like about her?”

  Claire eagerly grasped another topic. The thought of going to see V left her hyperventilating and the world swimming. This new topic was something safe. “I was confident. The future didn’t scare me.”

  “And it does now? Why?”

  “I don’t want to be alone.”

  Rhi smiled sadly. “I don’t think you’re meant to be alone.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “I look at you and see someone who embraces the world. The good, the bad, and the strange. I see someone with hope still shining in her eyes. I see someone who has an open heart, waiting for the right man to find her.”

  Claire looked away as her eyes filled with tears. “You see all of that?”

  “And so much more. The woman you think you lost is still in there. She’s buried under the insecurities that the world and useless people have heaped upon her. Let her come out and shine. I think you might be amazed at what happens.”

  “You’ve cleared away years of fog in my mind in a matter of minutes. You could charge people for this.”

  Rhi chuckled. “I save it for those I like, and I like you, Claire.”

  By the time she left the spa, Claire had exchanged numbers with Rhi. There was something about the woman that drew Claire. Maybe it was Rhi’s open and giving personality, which was rare to encounter. Whatever the reason, Claire was thrilled to have found a new friend.

  And a new outlook on things.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Something was going on. It wasn’t just the whispering between Darius and Ulrik, it was the looks exchanged between Laith and Roman that V noticed.

  “What’s wrong with your drink?” Iona asked.

  V looked up at Laith’s mate, who stood behind the bar. He now regretted taking Darius’s suggestion to go with them to The Fox & The Hound for a drink.

  “Nothing,” V answered.

  “You’re not drinking it,” Iona replied.

  He drew in a breath and grasped the glass of ale before bringing it to his lips and taking a long drink. He set it down and licked his lips. “Happy now?”

  She gave him a hard look. “I’ll be happy when you are. Sort of like you were the other day when you brought Claire in here.”

  V had been waiting for someone to bring that up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his four friends watching him. The bastards had known he wouldn’t answer them had they asked the question. So, they had gotten Iona to do it.

  It was smart of them, but he wasn’t going to give in that easily.

  “Claire and I were working, and it was lunch. There was no reason I couldna treat her to a meal,” V answered.

  Iona braced her hands on the bar and grinned. “Just a meal, huh? All right. I believe you.”

  V turned his head to look at the others. Darius wouldn’t meet his gaze. Neither would Roman. Laith walked away to tend to other customers. The only one who returned his stare was Ulrik.

  “Care to tell me what’s going on?” V demanded.

  Ulrik lifted a shoulder. “We’re just having a drink.”

  “Something we could do at Dreagan.”

  “Aye, but it’s good to get out.”

  V pushed away his ale. “Is this because none of you believe I’m acclimating to this … to things?”

  “Nay,” Roman stated quickly.

  Darius twisted his lips. “We know something is bothering you. We just want to help.”

  “I’m fine,” V told them.

  Ulrik got down from the bar stool and came to stand on V’s other side. He put an arm around V’s shoulders as he leaned close. “I saw you when you came back the other night. Find that woman again. She put a smile on your face.”

  “Nay.” And that’s all V was going to say about it.

  If any of them knew how desperately, how badly he wanted even a glimpse of Claire, they would ensure that he found her. The pleasure he’d experienced revealed just how great things could be with her.

  He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t considered it. But he would only be thinking of himself if he went to Claire. She would give herself to a man, not knowing that he was a Dragon King mixed up in a war with faceless enemies out to destroy them.

  Claire was happy and carefree. She didn’t know about or carry the worries that the other mates at Dreagan did. And V didn’t want that for her. She deserved so much more.

  V straightened, knocking Ulrik’s arm away. He turned to stand when the door of the pub opened. As if his thoughts had conjured her from thin air, Claire walked in.

  For a second, V forgot to breathe. She was even more beautiful than the last time he’d seen her. Her long, blond hair was down, framing her beautiful face. She wore a thin, white shirt beneath a black blazer with the sleeves shoved up to her elbows. Black skinny pants that outlined every curve of her hips and bum covered her legs. And on her feet were the sexiest black stilettos he’d ever seen.

  He caught a glimpse of color on her toenails and fingernails, but his gaze was drawn to her face. She scanned the pub, seemingly unaware of how the men stared at her with such longing—just as when he had taken her to dinner.

  Then her deep brown eyes landed on him. She made her way to him. While he couldn’t pinpoint what it was, something had changed about Claire.

  She drew closer, and he spotted the red lipstick and black winged eyeliner. She had no color on her lids, which somehow made the look even sexier.

  V was vaguely aware of Roman, Ulrik, and Darius moving out of the way. But he only had eyes for Claire. He thought she would sit on the stool next to him. Instead, she gave him a smile that speared him all the way to his balls as she walked past.

  He turned on the stool, watching her. She didn’t speak to anyone as she took the same booth they’d used during their lunch.

  V was struck senseless. Why hadn’t she stopped by him? Why hadn’t she talked to him? By the look in her eyes when she caught his gaze, he’d thought for sure she was there for him.

  With the way she was dressed, she was definitely there for someone. A woman didn’t dress like that for nothing.

  His hand fisted when he saw a man stand and make his way toward her. Without another thought, V got to his feet and blocked the mortal’s way.

  “Excuse me,” the man said.

  V stared him down. He didn’t have to say a word. After a few tense moments, the human returned to his table. V then looked around the pub, daring anyone else to approach Claire.

  When his gaze landed on his friends, V held their stares. He didn’t want them coming over and interrupting. And he sure as hell didn’t want them watching.

  Ulrik was the first to turn his head away. Roman and Darius soon did the same. Only then did V face Claire.

  She smiled in thanks as Iona set down two glasses of whisky on the table. V didn’t need to ask if it was Dreagan. Somehow, he knew that’s exactly what Claire had ordered.

  Then her eyes lifted to him. He forgot to breathe again. She was the type of woman that could wreak all kinds of havoc—namely things involving his foolish heart. And no amount of caution would stop him from falling.

  The problem was that he feared he’d already done just that.

  He stopped fighting the longing to see Claire. V’s feet ate up the short distance between them, and he sat across from her. She said nothing. Simply lifted her tumbler and took a sip of whisky. Then she licked her lips.

  V barely held back the groan. If they were alone, he’d grab her and lay her on the table so he could ravage her lips and leisurely kiss and touch her body.

  But they weren’t alone.

  “You look verra beautiful,” he said to break the silence.

  There was a small smile about her red lips. “Thank you.”

  By the stars! Her husky voice reminded him of her mouth on his cock, stroking him. His balls
tightened as more blood rushed to his rod.

  “Are you meeting someone?”

  She glanced coyly at her hands wrapped around the glass. “You.”

  He was so fucked. He knew it and didn’t care. It didn’t matter all the reasons he had—and good ones at that—to leave Claire alone. They faded away like smoke on the wind.

  “What did you do to me beneath the moonshine?” she asked. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  She had to stop. V tried to get the words past his lips, but his heart and mind were warring with each other. His brain knew what needed to happen. But his heart knew how wonderful it felt to have Claire against him, to taste her kiss.

  And hear her cries of pleasure.

  “I simply touched you,” he said.

  She shook her head slowly. “Oh, you did so much more.”

  V clenched his teeth in an effort to hold back the words he wanted to say. And once more, his heart won. “I think of you often.”

  “Then why didn’t you come to me?”

  “I was thinking of you.”

  She leaned closer, making her shirt gape to give him a view of her breasts. “I’m a big girl, Vlad. I can take it.”

  By the stars, he loved his name on her lips. He wanted to hear it again. “What if I can no’?”

  She paused, her gaze searching his face. “Then that’s a different conversation.”

  “This isna a good idea, Claire.”

  “Whisky?” she asked, quirking a brow. “Conversation? Or admitting that we want to finish what we started at the loch?”

  “All of it.”

  She moved her hair off her shoulder and sat back. “That’s a pity. I wanted to experience more with the man who could bring me to the brink with one touch.”

  “Keep talking like that, and I’ll have you over that table and in my lap in a heartbeat,” he said in a low voice raw with a desire that he didn’t bother to hide.

  Claire’s lips curved into a sensual smile. “Promise?”

  “Woman, you doona know what you’re doing to me.”

  “I think I do,” she said in a whisper. “The same thing you’ve been doing to me since you dropped me off at home the other night.”

  V swallowed, the sound loud even in the noisy pub.

  Claire took another drink of whisky. “Not even the toys I have for my own pleasure can ease me. I fear, Vlad, that only you can.”