Red Hot Dragons Steamy 10 Book Collection

by Lisa Daniels

  Fisher was by my side before Braxton finished speaking. “Here, have something to drink.” He held something to my mouth.

  “I’m not thirsty.” I tried to turn my head, then realized I was.

  His eyes looked at me as if to say, “I told you so.” As annoyed as I felt, I drank.

  Braxton stood up. “I need to be getting back.”

  “Are you worried about her?” I asked after swallowing most of the contents of the flask. The cool water felt good and I was momentarily distracted from the answer.

  “That too.”

  “What do you mean, that too?” I asked, sitting up.

  “Have you argued with Fisher before? The man is positively insufferable.”

  “That is what makes him a good leader.”

  “It would if he were still the leader. But he refuses and I have no more patience to deal with him today.”

  Fisher watched me for a moment before turning to Braxton. “If you let me know when you leave with her, I will leave with Falmen. Will that make you feel better?”

  “Not in the slightest. For a start, how would I let you know?”

  “I only know one voice louder than yours. Simply roar and the ground will shake. The dungeons will amplify the sound, and I will hear it, even down here.”

  “Braxton?” I cut in before they could start to argue again.

  He turned to me, the sour look momentarily leaving his face. “Yes, Falmen?”

  “Do you plan to take her as your mate?”

  His eyes darted to Fisher, “How much did you tell her?”

  “As much as I felt was necessary as part of a deal I made with her.”

  “You know—” Suddenly Braxton threw his hands in the air. “You will expose us all. Perhaps it is best if you stay down here and rot.” Trying to hide his annoyance, Braxton looked at me. “It is too early to say.”

  “Because you haven’t made your decision?”

  “Because I haven’t given her the choice yet.”

  Fisher stood up, “You mean you have already decided?”

  “Unlike you, yes. I have not closed off my heart.”

  “Then why haven’t you told her?” I leaned forward. “You have to know that no woman is going to say no to you.”

  Braxton froze for a moment, his eyes taking me in. “Would that have included you?”

  His question surprised me. “I… if given enough time, I think even I might have agreed to stay with you.”

  He gave me a weak smile. “If you aren’t sure, then the answer is no.”

  I looked away, unsettled that he had seen through my attempt at encouraging him. “I merely meant that she will say yes.”

  “He’s too much of a coward.” Fisher’s words were meant to provoke him.

  This time Braxton wasn’t going to rise to it. “You would know, being a coward yourself. At least I am willing to take the risk.”

  “Does she even know you exist in this world?” Fisher’s calm voice clearly grated on Braxton’s nerves.

  “No. She has only seen me in dreams and does not know I exist.”

  The look of triumph on Fisher’s face almost made me laugh. I rubbed my forehead to hide my smile as Fisher said, “Then your point is not valid.”

  “It is still valid,” Braxton said haughtily. “I’ve already had one mate. Now with my decision to make the offer, I am lapping you.”

  I looked up in time to see Fisher flinch. “Go on and head over there. I’ll take you up so that you can go be a smartass elsewhere.”

  At this I could not help but giggle.

  Both men turned and glared at me. I smiled at Braxton, “She will say yes. No woman in her right mind would refuse you. And yes, that is self-deprecation. Thank you for everything, especially for helping her. Please take care of yourself because I expect to hear how you managed to get out.”

  He gave me a small smile. “I promise to try to get word to you once she is safe. Though that may be incredibly difficult based on the fool who is helping you.” His eyes flicked over to Fisher. Then Braxton turned and stepped out of the firelight.

  Fisher rolled his eyes at me, then followed.

  Soon a light appeared as one of the doors opened in the ceiling and shadows passed in front of it. Seconds after the door closed, Fisher strode back into the light. “I am feeling smug, humbled, and remorseful all at one time. After all of these years, I’m not sure my body can handle so many emotions.”

  “I am right here if you need someone to help you.” My words mimicked what he had said when we first met.

  “At the moment, the only thing that I think will help is not something…” Whatever he was going to say, Fisher cut himself off. “I’ll be fine. If you need more sleep, please feel free. I am sorry that we woke you.”

  I watched him for a few moments. When he realized it, Fisher looked at me, “What do you need?”

  For a moment I considered what I was about to do before saying, “I am feeling cold.”

  Without a word, he stopped whatever he was doing and strode over to me. He lay down just as he had so many times before and wrapped his arms around me, pulling my back against his chest and stomach.

  Once he was settled, I asked, “Was what you said true?”

  “Which part?” His voice was so close to my ear that I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his breath on my neck and shoulder.

  “You are not interested in taking a mate?”

  “It wasn’t something that I planned. I thought that I would find someone and I would just know. That is what they say happens. But I have never felt it.”

  “Not having felt it is not the same as not wanting it.”

  He paused. “I don’t think that it matters too much.”

  “Are you sure you aren’t just being a coward?”

  There was an extended silence before Fisher replied, “Are you comparing my situation to yours?”

  “It would explain your assessment and understanding of what happened to me.”

  “I suppose so,” his voice was soft as he seemed to think about our similar situations. “Perhaps I can recognize my fellow coward when it comes to the heart. But you forget, you at least found someone.”

  “I didn’t realize it at the time. I only figured it out later when someone pointed it out to me. You had no one, so there was no one to help you reflect on what you learned.”

  “Do you think that I am so foolish I couldn’t realize it on my own?”

  “I firmly believe that you would overlook it instead of risk being turned down. It is better to be a leader who was unsuccessful at finding a mate or in self-exile than to be a leader who was turned down.”

  He gave me a nudge with his shoulder. “I dare say you are wading into dangerous territory, Rayne. It is best not to know too much of someone like me.”

  “Because you will only end up hurting me like you hurt Braxton?”

  “That was a low blow. Accurate, but unnecessarily cruel.”

  “What was it you didn’t say earlier?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You said you need help with something, but you stopped yourself from finishing what you were saying.”

  “Ah, don’t worry about it.”

  I rolled over on my back and looked into his eyes. From this distance they looked so hypnotic I lost track of my thoughts for a moment. Then I moved my head a little and kissed the corner of his mouth. His eyes widened and he looked at me as his expression began to change. I turned my head a little and said into his ear, “It has been a very long time for me, too. And I find myself curious about what it would be like with you.”

  Fisher’s hand came up and stroked my cheek as he stared into my eyes. Slowly he brought his mouth down and gently pressed his lips against mine. He pulled back and looked at me for a moment before doing it again. Each time he pulled back, his eyes changed a little, until all I could see in them was desire.

  The next kiss was long and his tongue flicked against my lips. As I opened
my mouth, I felt a cool sensation as his tongue seemed to massage both sides of my own. I moaned and he pulled my leg over his. I began to move my hips against him, and one of his hands slid between my legs, stroking me.

  After so many years, the sensation was almost unbearable. I threw my head back and let out a half cry at the shock. In response, his hand ripped off my shirt and he began to kiss my body. The more he touched me, the louder I became until my voice echoed from all over the pit. I wasn’t even aware of when he removed my pants, but the next sensation caused me to scream as loud as I had on the battlefield so long ago. The feel of him inside of me as he held me in his arms was unlike any of my previous experiences. His movements were intense but knowledgeable about my body in ways that I could not have known. He nipped at my skin, causing little pricks of pain right before thrusting into me. My hands slammed against the floor and I tried to push him further into me as my body responded to his aggressive desire.

  He picked me up and began to move me up and down along him, his hands skillfully massaging different parts of my body. My legs squeezed his body as I threw my head back and screamed in pleasure. My head fell forward against his shoulder.

  “Oh no, we are just getting started.” He picked me up and pressed me against the cold wall, his hand keeping me from sliding up and down it as he began to press inside me again. His face buried in my neck, I could hear him saying my name under his breath. I grabbed his head and wrapped my legs around his hips, giving him anything he wanted.

  By the time we collapsed back onto the makeshift bed, we were both bruised and scratched. He pulled me to him, our sweat again mingling together. With a gentle kiss, he whispered, “Sleep now.”

  That was the last thing I remembered before falling into an exhausted and satisfied sleep.

  Chapter 10

  It’s Just Us

  Time passed as we waited for Braxton’s signal. Occasionally Fisher and I would talk, but mostly we let our bodies communicate whatever we were feeling. I had never had a lover like him. No man had ever had such a knowledge of how to use my body like Fisher had, and I found myself wanting him all the time.

  Slowly I was starting to get an idea of what it must have been like when he finally left the women he saved. Soon all of this would be a memory and he would leave me to find a new way on my own. There was no point where Fisher had ever offered me more, and I had been the one to initiate the physical relationship. He didn’t owe me anything, but I began to grow apprehensive about what would come next. He would only save me once.

  Yes, I had taken care of myself for years, but even I knew that it had pushed me to my limits. Most of my life I had been cold, calculating, and indifferent to those around me. As long as I did the job and no innocents were harmed, I considered my job done. But after the encounters I had with the shifters, could I go back to that?

  Knowing that Fisher was out there, would I be alright on my own? I had tried to get over Phinean, and it had taken years before the memory of him didn’t make me want to cry. I had given up then. Would I be willing to be such a fool again?

  With these thoughts swirling in my mind, my lovemaking became wilder and more demanding. I pinned him down and held his hands so that I had complete control. The first time this happened, I did not let up until he had orgasmed inside of me. Relaxing for a moment, Fisher pulled me to the floor and held me down. I pressed my face into the cold stones as he began to nip at the skin on my back. When I yelped in pain, he thrust inside of me, and I screamed as my body clenched. Each time he penetrated me, I yelled his name until I had scratched small markings into the rock.

  That night, as he looked over my body, Fisher frowned. “You are covered in scrapes and bruises.”

  “And whose fault is that?” I asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

  “Not entirely mine.”

  “And your markings are not entirely my doing.”

  “I’m not complaining about my body, but I don’t know that I like seeing you looking so…” He frowned as he looked at one of the larger bruises. His finger slowly traced a bruise on my thigh. “I don’t think I want to see any more new markings on you.” He leaned over and slowly kissed the bruise. At first, it seemed touching, but it didn’t take long before he began to move his hands in a less innocent way over my body. With each kiss, he lowered his body to mine. Neither of us had bothered to dress since that first time, so I could see every movement of his muscular body as he moved along mine. The bruises and muscles glistened as he stroked my body until I closed my eyes and moaned. He was slow and careful in his movements, moving my body under his as if I were fragile. By the time Fisher finally entered me, I was begging to feel him, his smile sensual as he obliged my request, his mouth covering mine as he slowly made love to me.

  We woke to the sound of rocks falling around us. “He’s leaving.” Fisher was on his feet impossibly quickly. I almost protested as he put on pants and began to cover his chest. Instead, I quickly pulled on my own clothes and stood beside him as the sound like the end of the world echoed around us.

  Fisher had been right—the echoes from Braxton’s roars were impossible to miss. Amplified by four separate parts of the dungeon, all of the sound seemed to collect around us. And it didn’t show any sign of letting up.

  “I guess it is time to get you out of here. Are you ready?” Those green eyes turned to me, and I thought that the next time I saw them would probably be to say goodbye.

  “I don’t want to,” I muttered.

  “What?” Fisher frowned.

  “Yes, I’m ready to go. Just…” I looked around for a second. It wasn’t like I would miss this place. But if it meant staying with Fisher, I would have preferred that to leaving and losing him.

  I balled up my hands and tried to tell myself I was no longer the coward who ran, but when the time came, I didn’t say a thing.

  Fisher shifted and for a moment I forgot everything else. Suddenly I understood how he had been able to take Braxton back to the door—Fisher’s other form was a dragon. A long, sleek, black dragon. He wasn’t large, but more than big enough to carry several people. Lowering one of his wings, he helped to push me onto his back.

  I expected him to fly to one of the doors, but he took off into the darkness. The wind against me made me nervous as we sped away from the fire, and I shut my eyes and pressed my body against him. He let out a roar and moved faster.

  It seemed like it took forever, or perhaps it was just my fear at the new sensation, but finally we broke free into daylight. Fisher soared up into the sky and flew out over a sparkling ocean. We were a long way from the city.

  He could literally take me anywhere. If I wanted, he could take me back to see Phinean. Biting my lip, I considered what I should say if he were to ask me where I wanted to go.

  When we finally landed, I was not ready to dismount. Any fear I felt at being in the air was nothing compared to my growing dread of what was coming. I slid off slowly, my legs feeling a little shaky from the new experience. My mind was still trying to process the flight, but that was hardly my biggest concern.

  Fisher shifted and looked out over the water. “It really is gorgeous here. I had almost forgotten what the ocean looked like.”

  My eyes had finished adjusting to the light some time ago, so I was able to see how beautiful he was in the light of day. Even if he had not been so gorgeous, I knew that I didn’t want him to go. All those years of fighting and I had again fallen back into being a fool. All it had taken was kindness and compassion, and I believed I was in love.

  It wasn’t an option this time. I wasn’t the one who was going to leave, and that was even harder to take.

  His smile was stunning as he looked at me. “I would have thought you would be a bit happier to be out of there. Perhaps you need a little more time to adjust to everything.”

  “Yes. Fresh air is something I had forgotten after so many years in the city. It is a bit much to take in. Though the view certainly helps.”

  His h
ead turned back to it. “Yes, I’ve never found anywhere else with this kind of view. It’s unique. Kind of like you.” Fisher smiled at me again. “The only woman to reach Captain of the Guard.”

  I laughed to keep from crying. He was making light of everything, leaving me no room to say what I wanted. “Not anymore. Now I’m back to being a woman of no birth, no position, and not welcome anywhere.”

  He paused for a moment, then looked back out over the water. “A woman like you should be fine no matter where she goes.”

  “You would think that.” They were his words when I had said he would have left the pit if he could. What he had meant was that I wouldn’t understand his reasons for staying. But now I did. He felt he could not return home, a foolish idea if I were to believe Braxton, and a divisive decision if Fisher were to be believed.

  His head whipped around and he looked at me. “You don’t think you will be alright?”

  I shrugged, “No one knows the future. I have been at the bottom and I have climbed further than should have been possible only to end up here. A place far from everyone and everything. There is no way to know what comes next.”

  “It is a pretty sentiment, even if it is a lie.” His eyes were trained on me, and I felt it was impossible to look at him.

  I ran a hand under my ear and up the back of my neck, turning so that he could not see my face. “I believe what you meant was to ask if I wanted to be taken to Phinean.”

  “Is that what happens next?” His tone was calm and his voice quiet.

  I could not help but look into his eyes. “I admit that I am curious about his life, but I know that I have no place there now. I left him. No note. No explanation. Just an argument as our parting words. Even if he is curious about my fate, seeing me cannot do him any good now.”

  “You won’t know until you see him.”

  I folded my arms over my chest and stared out over the water. “Do you think that I hurt Braxton?”

  He wasn’t prepared for the sudden shift in conversation, but Fisher didn’t fight it. “How would you have hurt him?”