Thankfully Layla stopped in front of a door, and his beast curled into a ball with a grunt. He'd watch and probably fall asleep while Chase fulfilled their promise to Layla.
Honorable dragons always kept their promises, and not for the first time, Chase was happy as fuck that his beast was one of them, unlike his bastard father.
Careful to keep a smile on his face and not let his thoughts show, he stopped a little closer than was proper to Layla. Her breath hitched, but he managed to keep his cock in line as he asked, "In here then?"
For a second, Layla's beautiful dark brown eyes stared into his, her pupils flashing to slits and back to round once more. He'd never managed to have a conversation with her dragon, and not for the first time, he wondered if her beast was on Team Chase or not.
Layla cleared her throat and took a step back. His every instinct was to follow her, but he held his ground. Chase would stick to his plan to prove his worth as a future mate, no matter what. Layla may be stubborn and strong-willed, but so was he.
She whispered, "Aye, in here." Opening the door, she pointed to a spot on the wall inside the room. "Put it over there."
He stepped inside the large supply closet, took Layla's hand, and tugged her inside. She gently fell against his arm for a second, and he enjoyed the softness of her breast before she stood upright.
After shutting the door, she turned back toward him with a frown. "There's no need to tug me around. I can walk."
His lips twitched. Dragon-shifter doctors almost always threaded steel into their voices, and Layla was no exception. Too bad Chase was good at defying orders when he wanted. "And I'm the one doing you a favor, aye? So no need to reprimand me for something so minor."
"I wasn't reprimanding you." She tried to put distance between them, but only managed an inch. "A reprimand would be more like this." Layla schooled her face into a stern expression, her brows raised for emphasis. "Tugging people around can be dangerous and cause injury. I'd suggest not doing it again, to save me the future work."
While she was trying to be serious, all Chase wanted to do was lean over and kiss her lips until they changed from a firm line, to open and seeking beneath his.
Dragon, stop with the images.
I wasn't doing anything. It's all you.
He replied to the doctor, "Leading people around is probably about the least dangerous thing I do, lass. Are you sure you want to waste your reprimand on that?"
She growled again, the act softened by the way her hair fell over her shoulders. All he wanted to do was reach up and touch the softness. Her voice snapped him back to the present, though. "I know your reputation, Chase McFarland. And since I don't want to turn gray before I finish the list of everything you shouldn't do, I won't start going through it."
He tried not to wince. Reputations weren't always true, and a large chunk of his most certainly wasn't. He hoped Layla didn't think he'd bedded half the single human females of Inverness, as his friends suggested. True, he'd had to hint at something to keep everyone from learning about Layla being his true mate before she was ready. But it still mattered to him what Layla thought of his reputation.
His dragon chimed in. Screw our reputation. The truth is we haven't had anyone for two years. Kiss her, now, and change that.
No. He focused back on Layla. "You'd look bonnie with gray hair, lass. So start listing away."
"Stop calling me 'lass.' I'm too old for that."
He should hold back, but the words flew off Chase's tongue before he could stop it. "You're not old, Layla. You're perfect."
Her cheeks turned pink as she stared at him.
Damn, she was so bloody beautiful. Dark hair and eyes, all topped off with lovely olive skin inherited from her mother's side. It made him wonder if her nipples would be a little darker because of her delicious light brown complexion or not.
You could easily find out, his beast stated.
Layla's pupils turned slitted for a few beats. Her cheeks turned even redder. Maybe her dragon was on his side after all.
She finally spoke again, her voice echoing inside the small room. "Can you put the first camera there?"
She pointed to a spot just over his shoulder. Maybe some people would do a double take at the change of subject, but Layla did it as often as breathing.
It was her way of trying to create distance.
Reminded of his task to be reliable and show how he was a male she could trust, he turned away from her and took a step closer to the wall.
He'd studied the schematics of the surgery earlier, and quickly imagined where all the electrical wires were hidden inside the walls. Taking out a pencil, he marked the area she'd indicated, so he could remember and confirm the placement was good. "Aye, it should be fine, and if not, I'll let you know once I take out my tools. Now, show me all the rest of the places you want cameras installed and then I'll get to work."
Layla reached around him and snatched the pencil from his hand. The light brush of her fingers against his made blood rush south. Thank fuck he was facing a wall and not Layla. She was bound to notice his erection in such close quarters.
His dragon hummed. Turn and bump into her. Let her feel how we want her.
Stop it, dragon. Now.
Layla stepped back and used her detached doctor's voice again. "I'll go and mark all the spots whilst you work here. That way, I can quickly show you the rooms and not get in your way."
He wished he could say she wouldn't get in the way. But even now, Layla's scent had taken over the storage closet, and it made it harder for him to concentrate by the minute.
Setting his bag of tools down, he nodded. "Aye, that will work. Give me half an hour to turn off the power to this room and install the first camera. Then come back and get me. Once they're all done, I can show you how to use them."
"Okay," she answered quickly before leaving the room.
The second Layla was gone, the room felt colder and emptier.
Pushing aside the ridiculous notion since it wasn't as if he could drag her back and kiss her senseless, Chase laid out what he needed for the job and went to shut off the breaker.
Chapter Two
Layla was in the middle of a dream about racing her younger sister along the northern coast of Scotland when a male voice reached her. "Layla, lass, wake up."
She jumped upright, blinking to try and bring everything into focus.
Her dragon murmured, It's just Chase.
Sure enough, the male stood next to her desk, looking as sexy as ever with his slightly tousled hair, as if he'd ran his hands through it while thinking.
Get a grip, Layla. You've seen sexy males before. When she noticed his twitching lips, it fully brought her back to the present, and she barked, "What?"
"Someone doesn't wake up easily, aye?"
It was on the tip of her tongue to say she usually jumped out of bed with a smile, but she hadn't slept in nearly twenty-four hours and was groggy. However, a doctor needed to appear invincible and alert to give the clan confidence in her abilities. It was better he thought her slow to wake up than admit she was bone-weary.
Her dragon tilted her head a fraction inside her mind. Why? His older brother works long hours sometimes, so Chase understands. He wouldn't think us weak.
She didn't reply because Chase pointed to the side of her face, just below the corner of his mouth, and added, "You might want to wipe your chin before I show you how to use the cameras. We don't want any drool dripping onto the equipment, now, do we?"
With a grunt, Layla instantly wiped her face and then smoothed her hair. So much for appearing put-together. "Just show me how to operate them quickly so that we can both get some sleep."
His pupils flashed and held for a few beats before returning to round. Layla always wished she could hear other inner dragons. That would make her work easier, for one.
Chase leaned over and placed a hand on the desk. Even though he wasn't touching her, heat radiated from his body, and she nearly leaned into it.
His deep voice filled the room. "I need to install the last bits in here, so you can check the cameras. Unless you'd rather they transmit to your home?"
Being alone with Chase in her home would be a bad idea. The surgery gave Layla courage and a way to buffer herself from him and his addictive male scent.
And yet, Layla didn't know who she could trust in the surgery. She would need to check the footage from her home, which meant finding the strength to resist Chase.
Pushing her long black hair away from her face and over her shoulder, she met his gaze without hesitation. Ignoring how the brown irises had flecks of gold around the pupil, she answered, "My home would be better. Although it's late, so maybe we should save it for another time?"
"Why? If you're as concerned as you say, then you'd want to start recording and watching out for the thief straight away, aye? As long as you can walk me to your cottage and let me in, I can do all the work whilst you nap again." He winked. "It's one of the benefits of being so young—I have lots of energy."
Her dragon grunted. Exactly. Imagine all the energy focused on us. He might be able to even wear me out in bed.
Stop it, dragon. Layla spoke aloud, "I routinely stay awake for twenty or thirty hours straight. It's more a matter of whether you can keep up with me."
She expected him to tease her, but his gaze turned serious as he said, "You work too much, lass. You need to take better care of yourself."
With most people in the clan, she'd brush off the comment. Apart from the clan leader and possibly the heads of security, Layla had absolute authority over everyone else. She wasn't used to people telling her what to do, let alone anyone noticing how she worked too much. Usually, they were more concerned about their latest injury or problem and wanted Layla to fix it.
Chase, on the other hand, seemed to notice too much.
She gently pushed against Chase's side until he stood up straight. She followed suit and rose to her feet. "If I work less, people can die or suffer unnecessarily. So unless you can provide another fully trained doctor out of thin air, you'll leave me alone to take care of the clan."
He stood close enough that she felt his breath on her cheek as he said, "There are others who could help you more, if you asked. Besides, you talked to that Seahaven doctor at the gathering not long ago. I thought he was going to start coming here sometimes?"
Clan Seahaven was a smaller splinter dragon clan that had once been part of Lochguard. Under a different leader, they'd fled with their human mates and established their own homes. It was only recently, under Finn's leadership, that the two clans had even started talking with one another.
And aye, their doctor had promised to visit once a week to help with patients and exchange information. But how the bloody hell Chase knew all that, she didn't know. It wasn't exactly public knowledge.
Chase reached out a hand as if to touch her jaw, but then curled his fingers into a fist and pulled back. He grunted. "I wish you'd talk to me, Layla. You shoulder so much and need someone at your side. Not because you're weak, but because you deserve to have someone to lean on and help take on responsibilities. Or, at the very least, be there to listen to a rant or help you relax after a rough day."
Her dragon spoke up. He's right, you know. You may appear surrounded by clan all the time, but we're actually quite isolated. Chase could change all that and make life brighter. And most definitely help us relax. Many times a day, in fact. He may even let me mark his back with my talons.
Careful not to encourage her beast when it came to sex with Chase, she replied, We can't afford the distraction, and you know it.
Would it be a distraction, though? You always counsel others to speak their minds and the truth. Why are we different?
Because lives could be at stake.
Chase's voice prevented Layla from replying to her beast. "Sit down."
She blinked at the dominance in his voice. "What?"
"Sit down, lass. Just for a few moments."
The urge to obey his command coursed through her body, but she resisted. "We need to get to my cottage and finish the job."
"Sit."
She studied his face a second before saying, "You're not going to stop saying that, are you?"
He grinned. "Sit."
Rolling her eyes, Layla sat. "See? I'm sitting. How long do I need to be here? Sixty seconds? Ninety? Tell me so I can start counting."
"As long as it takes for me to help you relax."
Before she could do more than meet his gaze again, he moved behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Despite the layers of clothing, she felt the delicious heat of his fingers and couldn't hold back a gasp.
She expected him to tease her, but he remained silent as he massaged her shoulders, pressing his thumbs firmly into the knotted tension of her muscles.
Her dragon hummed as he continued to work, and Layla's head fell forward with each movement of Chase's fingers.
Layla eventually moaned as he reached a particularly tense area and Chase said, "Nearly there, lass."
So content, Layla took a second to recognize what he was talking about—giving up when she was finally relaxed.
Her dragon spoke up. I could get used to this.
Normally, she'd protest and give a list of reasons why they never could. However, as Chase's fingers pressed into her neck and shoulders, she couldn't think of why she couldn't have this every day.
And then Chase's touch was gone and she nearly whimpered. Layla couldn't remember the last time a male's touch had been so firm yet gentle, not to mention able to turn her brain to a nearly useless pile of jelly.
He moved to stand at her side again and offered his hand. "Come, Layla. I can carry you if you like, but I thought I'd ask first. You know, to prevent any possible injury that you'd have to take care of after the fact."
She smiled without thinking, amused at him throwing her words back at her. "How kind of you."
Chase winked, the action making her belly flip. The male was too handsome for his own good.
He murmured, "I wouldn't say I can be fully trained, but I'm always open to learning, lass. Especially when it concerns you."
The second the words left Chase's lips, he knew he'd fucked up.
His entire plan had been to prove his worth to Layla before hinting she was his true mate. And clever lass that she was, Layla may now know the truth. Or very soon would figure it out.
His dragon spoke up. Good. She's extremely intelligent, and I hope she'll ask questions and figure it out. I'm tired of hiding it.
Layla's question came out slowly. "Why me? There are both dragon-shifter females and human females who've all but thrown themselves at you. So why me especially?"
Maybe he was a bit of a bastard, but he liked that she'd noticed how some of the females had acted with him. Not that any of them compared to Layla.
Chase took a second to debate what to do before replying, "You're beautiful, smart, loyal, and kinder than almost anyone I've met. On top of that, you don't play games like the others. You speak your mind and know enough about the world to recognize life is short and always encourage everyone to embrace what joy they can find." He paused and added quietly, "Well, you encourage everyone except yourself for some reason."
His beast growled. Which is why you need to tell her the full truth, and maybe she'll embrace it.
Ignoring his dragon, he dared a step closer. Layla didn't retreat, and it encouraged him to add, "I suppose I should be asking you why not me? I want you, Layla MacFie, and I would take every free moment you had to convince you of it. Look past numbers on a page and truly look at me, lass. Why not me?"
Her pupils flashed as she studied his gaze. Damn, what he wouldn't give to know what her dragon was saying.
Probably that she agrees with us and wants us. Even if female dragons don't fully recognize a true mate pull until they're kissed, there's probably some sense of wanting on her end.
Chase should tell Layla the truth right here
, right now. But as she bit her lower lip, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Oh, he'd absolutely tell her before he kissed the lass, but was it wrong to want Layla to desire him simply for himself instead of the instinct?
Because the instinct's pull would fade over time, like it had with his aunt, uncle, and a few other couples on Lochguard, and they could both end up miserable for the rest of their lives.
Layla's voice was barely a whisper as she replied, "I work all the time."
"Not all the time. And when you're off, I'll be there waiting for you."
"I don't do flings, which is all you'll want."
"No, I want you, Layla. End of story."
"But you don't even know me," she whispered.
He dared to brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear, allowing his finger to linger against her skin. Layla drew in a breath and it sent heat rushing through his body. His voice was husky as he said, "Then give me the chance to do so, lass. Because I want to. I really do."
His heart raced as she continued to stare into his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to pull her head close, kiss her jaw, and murmur further words of encouragement.
However, he sensed Layla needed to sort through her thoughts in this moment, right here, before he could do anything else. If she still resisted him after all he'd said this evening, he may never have a chance with her.
Not because he didn't want her, but because she might be too guarded to ever allow him in.
He barely heard her reply. "I'm afraid if I do, it might break me in the end."
With a growl, he took her face in his hands and lightly stroked her skin. "I would never hurt you, Layla. Once I set my mind on something, I stick to it, even if the world thinks I'm nothing but a charming, happy-go-lucky bloke who doesn't have a care in the world. And if you say yes, if you choose me, then I would be the most dedicated male ever."
She opened her mouth to ask a question, but a knock on the door made her jump.
Chase quickly dropped his hands and stepped away from the lass. Image was everything for a clan doctor, and if he wanted any chance with her, he needed to prove he respected that. In other words, he'd have to wait for her to touch him in front of others and not the other way around.
The Dragon's Pursuit (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 7) Page 2