Seducing the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #2)

by Jessie Donovan

  Ara replied, “Yours and Bram’s cottage is a five-minute walk from here. We could probably hear Tristan if he shouted.”

  Melanie was about to set them straight when she felt Tristan’s presence at her back before he rubbed up and down her arms. His touch soothed some of her tension and she leaned back against his muscled chest. His arms went around her and she let out a sigh. The world could be ending and Tristan’s touch would still ease her worries.

  His deep voice rumbled, “If you two have everything you need, then maybe you should go.”

  Evie raised an eyebrow. “You are aware that we’re watching your children for free, right?”

  Tristan said, “And?”

  Evie shook her head and Melanie jumped in, “Ignore him. We’re extremely grateful for you two volunteering to watch Jack and Annabel. I’ve spent every moment either taking care of them or finishing my book. A night off, despite my mother-half worrying, will hopefully refresh me for the shit storm to come after the book releases next week.”

  Evie tilted her head. “I don’t know if it’ll be that bad, Mel. After all, the reception of the article about mine and Bram’s mating ceremony went well. Not one attack, and if anything, more people are ‘dragon watching’ more than ever before, hoping to catch a glimpse of a flying dragon.”

  Mel leaned more against her mate’s chest. “A mating ceremony is one thing, but a book humanizing, for lack of a better word, the dragon-shifters is another. Doing that might push for equality, which many most definitely don’t want. Permanent change can be scary, especially if it involves giant dragons maybe moving into your neighborhood.”

  Evie adjusted the sleeping Jack in her arms. “Nothing you’re doing is breaking the law. Besides, even if people become upset, you’re safe here. Bram would never allow anything to happen to you.” Tristan grunted and Evie rolled her eyes. “Or, I should say, Tristan won’t allow anything to happen to you.”

  Mel sighed. “I know, but what happens if it fails? I’d one day like my children to be able to see their grandparents and uncle.”

  Tristan squeezed her gently and said, “Soon, my little human. We’ll find a way.”

  “I hope so,” Mel whispered. She’d been on Stonefire’s land for a little over a year. While phone calls and video chats helped, she missed her parents and younger brother so much it hurt.

  Evie gave her a sympathetic look before straightening her shoulders. “Right, then, Arabella. Let’s leave the two lovebirds alone. I’m sure they have lots of catching up to do.”

  Tristan said, “Yes, so only call if it’s an emergency. I plan to keep Melanie very, very busy.”

  She elbowed her mate. “My definition of an emergency and Tristan’s vary. His involves blood and dying. Mine includes things like high fevers and uncontrollable crying. Call if you need anything.”

  Arabella finally spoke up again. “If we don’t know how to handle something, Bram will.” Ara looked to Evie. “Let’s go before Melanie thinks of another reason to keep us here.”

  Evie nodded. As the human woman and the dragonwoman walked away, Mel shouted, “Thank you! Remember to call!”

  Evie raised a hand in acknowledgment. Soon, the two women disappeared behind a cottage.

  She sighed. “I hope everything goes okay.”

  “It will.”

  Tristan walked them back a step inside their cottage and shut the door. Melanie turned in his arms. “You checked your phone, right? It’s fully charged?”

  Tristan raised a hand to her cheek and brushed her skin with his fingers. “Yes, love. Fully charged, although Bram knows what he’s doing.”

  She placed a hand on Tristan’s chest. “It’s just, with Jack and Annabel gone, it feels like a part of me left with them.”

  One corner of Tristan’s mouth ticked up. “If you’re like this now, what are you going to do when they’re old enough to live on their own?”

  Swatting his chest, she frowned. “That’s a surefire way to ease my worry. You’re the worst, Tristan MacLeod.”

  He chuckled. “And yet you’re the one who agreed to be my mate.”

  His gaze turned heated and Mel’s heart rate kicked up. “You have your moments.”

  Leaning down, Tristan brushed his cheek against hers. “Then I’ll make sure this is one of them.”

  As one of his hands rubbed down her back and rested on her ass, heat spread through her body. “You’re not even going to try to woo me first?”

  He massaged her bum. The feel of his warm, strong hands molding and sculpting her flesh sent a jolt between her legs. With each squeeze, it became harder for Mel to stand upright.

  Even after being mated a year, all her dragonman had to do was touch her and she turned wet and needy. Not that she would ever give in easily to him.

  With a husky voice, he said, “Who needs words when I can do this?”

  He nibbled her earlobe and she leaned against his chest for support. Then he kissed his way down her neck until he bit where her shoulder met her neck. As he soothed the bite with his tongue, Melanie whispered, “I love our children and can’t imagine life without them, but I’ve missed not having to squeeze in sex in between feedings or naps.”

  Tristan moved so he could look into her eyes. “Me too, love. However, our twins are in the hands of capable people and I have the whole night with you to myself.”

  She batted her eyelashes. “And what in the world should we do? Maybe clean the kitchen? Or catch up on laundry?”

  Her mate growled and hauled her body against his. His hard cock poked her stomach through his trousers. “Forget the bloody cleaning. My plans include devouring you properly.”

  Her pussy pulsed as memories of Tristan lapping between her legs filled her mind. “Then, dragonman, you’d better get started. After all, we only have twelve hours before Evie and Ara bring the twins home.”

  “I think learning to function on little sleep will work to our advantage tonight.”

  She laughed. “Just make sure to feed me once in a while or I will get cranky. Not even your hot dragon self will be safe.”

  He nuzzled her cheek. “Soon you won’t be able to say anything but my name. I think I’ll be fine.”

  She opened her mouth to reply but then Tristan kissed her. As his tongue stroked hers, Melanie decided words could wait.

  ~~~

  As Tristan explored the inside of his mate’s mouth, his dragon growled. Why are you waiting? It’s been too long. Fuck her now. She likes it hard.

  Shut it, or I won’t give you a turn.

  His inner beast hissed. You can’t deny me. I am stronger.

  Last warning.

  As his dragon sulked and retreated, Tristan hugged Melanie tighter. The way her soft stomach cushioned his cock made him even harder.

  He broke the kiss and ran a finger under the band of her jeans, loving the softness of her skin. “Take these off or I rip them off.”

  Melanie raised an eyebrow. “At the rate you rip off my clothes, I soon won’t have anything to wear.”

  He undid the top button and slowly unzipped her jeans. “Then wear skirts with nothing underneath. I like easy access.”

  “I need some barriers between me and your cock. Taking care of twins is exhausting and as much as I love you, there are moments when I don’t want anyone to touch me.”

  Tristan stilled. “You’ve never mentioned this before.”

  Melanie shrugged one shoulder. “I didn’t want to risk your dragon getting out of control due to lack of sex.”

  His dragon huffed. I can refrain sometimes. She only needs to ask.

  Cupping her face, he ordered, “If you ever need a break, tell me. I can’t take care of you if I don’t know what you need.”

  His mate smiled. “Oh, Tristan. You can be sweet when you try.”

  He grunted. “Don’t go ruining my reputation now.”

  Melanie laughed and some of his tension eased. As much of a bastard it might make him, he very much wanted to fuck his mate sens
eless as soon as he could get her naked.

  When she ran a hand up his chest and around his neck, she played with the hairs at the back of his head; his hope soared higher.

  Mel’s husky voice caressed his ears. “Let me be very clear about tonight. I want you both on top of me and in me, dragonman, so hurry up and fuck me.”

  ———————————

  Revealing the Dragons is now available on all major online vendors.

  Resisting the Cougar

  (Cascade Shifters #2)

  Synopsis:

  President of an organization fighting for the right of shifters and humans to marry each other, Claire Davis needs the support of a local shifter clan or her cause is doomed. Even though she's human, she finds a way to reach out to the Clan DarkStalker cougar-shifters. Once she arrives on their land, she learns what it will take to garner their support and her life will never be the same.

  As head sentry of Clan DarkStalker, Aidan Scott has more important things to do than fetch a human from a secret location. Only because he's loyal to his clan leader does he agree. Yet before long, the human female tempts him in a way he hasn't felt since his mate died five years ago.

  In order to make the world a better place for humans and shifters, the pair must work together and avoid being caught by the authorities. What neither expected was to find their own happily ever after in each other.

  ——————————

  Excerpt from Chapter One:

  Claire Davis adjusted the glasses on her nose and tried not to think about how she was lost in the middle of the cougar-shifters’ land. Not lost in the sense she could stop at a gas station and ask for directions. Rather, she was lost in the middle of the damn Cascade Mountains with no cell service and no map.

  So much for technology making life easier; it always failed when Claire needed it the most.

  Pulling over to the side of the road, she put the car in park and laid her forehead on the steering wheel. If only she had thought of a back-up plan. Reading the directions earlier had made everything seem so simple. What she hadn’t accounted for was the low-level fog a few miles back.

  Think, Davis, think. She wasn’t the head of the Shifter Equality Alliance by luck. Stubbornness was her middle name, and she wasn’t about to give up. Especially since her upcoming meeting was important. No, scratch that, the scheduled meeting with the cougar-shifters was goddamn historical.

  Kian Murray had invited her to DarkStalker’s land through a human acquaintance they shared. Because it was illegal for her, or any human, to be on any shifter’s land without the federal government’s permission, she’d been given detailed directions to help hide her true destination. Once she reached the final location in the directions, a DarkStalker sentry, named Aidan Scott, would blindfold her and take her the rest of the way.

  She’d made it to step number forty-three out of forty-five before the fog had prevented her from finding her next landmark. So close, yet so far.

  The number of steps jogged her memory. Raising her head, she then switched on the interior car light and picked up her printed directions. Scanning the page, she reached the end. “Aha. I was right. I’m only a few miles from the final destination. Maybe if I honk my horn and sit here, the cougar-shifters will find me.”

  Since she was alone on a tiny mountain road, the noise wouldn’t attract any humans. Only a fool would try driving these mountains in March with snow still on the ground.

  Well, a fool or a woman on a mission. The Shifter Equality Alliance, or SEA, needed this meeting. Without the shifters’ help, SEA’s push to make shifter-human marriages legal was doomed according to every set of data analyzed in the last few months. Clan DarkStalker was her best chance at making that happen. She needed to make the meeting, at any cost.

  Taking a deep breath, she pressed the horn and held it for fifteen seconds before releasing it.

  Claire scanned her surroundings, but five minutes later, she was still sitting in her car with no cougar in sight.

  If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The saying might be childish, but it pretty much described how she’d run her life over the last five years.

  Placing her hand on the horn, she geared herself for the noise and pressed down. Rather than make it a straight noise, she beeped the horn to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Maybe the kids’ song would signal she wasn’t a threat.

  As she waited in silence again, she kept a look out for any cougars. Eventually, they had to find her.

  Right?

  She refused to think about the alternative.

  ————————

  Resisting the Cougar is now available on all major online retailers.

  Books by Jessie Donovan

  Asylums for Magical Threats

  Blaze of Secrets (AMT #1)

  Frozen Desires (AMT #2)

  Shadow of Temptation (AMT #2.5)

  Flare of Promise (Summer 2015, AMT#3)

  Cascade Shifters

  Convincing the Cougar (CS #0.5)

  Reclaiming the Wolf (CS #1)

  Cougar’s First Christmas (CS #1.5)

  Resisting the Cougar (CS #2)

  Stonefire Dragons

  Sacrificed to the Dragon: Boxed Set (Parts #1-4)

  Seducing the Dragon: Boxed Set (Parts #1-4)

  Revealing the Dragons

  Healed by the Dragon: Part One

  Healed by the Dragon: Part Two

  Healed by the Dragon: Part Three

  Healed by the Dragon: Part Four (May 28, 2015)

  Healed by the Dragon: Boxed Set (Parts #1-4)

  Reawakening the Dragon: Part One (July 21, 2015)

  Author’s Note

  Here we are at the end of another Stonefire Dragons story and it still feels like a dream. I’d like to thank all of my readers for their support and word-of-mouth. Without you, I would still be working an office job and scrambling to find time to write. Thank you!

  There are some people I’d like to thank for their help:

  ● Clarissa Yeo is an amazing cover artist and I’m lucky to have her. She captures my dragon-shifters without even really trying.

  ● Becky Johnson and her team at Hot Tree Editing. She was awesome about my short turnarounds to make my pre-order deadlines. She has also made me a better writer. Thanks, Becky!

  ● Iliana and Donna are my beta-readers and their input has been vital to this series. Part Four in particular was a lot less awesome before Iliana told me it was missing the “Wow Factor”. Honesty is a rare thing and I am lucky to have it from both of my betas!

  Before I go, if you would like to interact more with me and my fans, you can join my Facebook Fans of Jessie Donovan group here:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/335945189923923/

  Thanks again for reading and I can’t wait to revisit Melanie and Tristan in Revealing the Dragons. Next up is Finn and Arabella’s story, Healed by the Dragon, followed by Kai’s story (Stonefire’s head Protector). I hope you continue to follow the story of Clan Stonefire. You can always drop me a line at: jessiedauthor@gmail.com.

  See you around! :)

  About the Author

  Jessie Donovan wrote her first story at age five, and after discovering The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey in junior high, she realized people actually wanted to read stories like those floating around inside her head. From there on out, she was determined to tap into her over-active imagination and write a book someday.

  After living abroad for five years and earning degrees in Japanese, Anthropology, and Secondary Education, she buckled down and finally wrote her first full-length book. While that story will never see the light of day, it laid the world-building groundwork of what would become her debut paranormal romance, Blaze of Secrets. In late 2014, she officially became a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

  Jessie loves to interact with readers. When not reading a book or traipsing around some foreign country on a shoestring, she can often
be found on Facebook either on her Author Page or in her Fan Group.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the writer’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Seducing the Dragon: Boxed Set / Complete Collection

  Copyright © 2015 Laura Hoak-Kagey

  Mythical Lake Press

  First Digital Edition

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Art by Clarissa Yeo of Yocla Designs

  ISBN: 978-1942211136