Warm hands closed over hers before he tugged her mug out of her hands.
“I know what you need to relax you a wee bit.”
He reached across her to the glove box, produced a silver flask, and proceeded to pour a generous amount into her half-full coffee cup.
“Here, get that down ye, and trust me. I’ll get you there in one piece, lass.”
Kerry looked from the mug to him and chewed her bottom lip.
“Come on, it’s Scotland’s finest Macallan, not poison. I’d have some, but that would be breaking the law, and never let it be said that I don’t follow the rules of the land.”
There was a curious undertone to his words, and something almost like regret flashed across his features, so fleeting that had she blinked, she’d have missed it.
She took a cautious sip of her whisky-laced coffee and closed her eyes against the burn soothing down her throat. Immediately her insides warmed, and she took another much bigger gulp as the alcohol spread through her system.
“Good, huh?” he asked, winked at her, and set back off.
Dreich seemed a very apt description for the gloomy gray landscape they now traveled through. One that didn’t seem quite so menacing now with her senses slightly dulled and her insides buzzing in the nice afterglow of good booze.
Kerry put the thermos back down and shifted in her seat, to breathe some life back into her numb bum and to stop herself from drifting off to sleep.
She really didn’t do alcohol, and the rocking movement of the car and Duncan’s continued silence meant she had to fight to stay awake. It had been a long and busy week, after all.
“Where exactly are we going?” she finally asked to break the silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable as such but stifling, the air between them heavy with sexual awareness of each other. She would have to be blind to miss the hard-on Duncan was sporting in his jeans, and it caused an answering ache in her pussy.
She so wanted him, yet she couldn’t bring herself to make the first move either.
“I mean, you never said and we’ve been driving how long now?”
“About an hour and a half. I’d say we’re halfway there.”
Kerry whistled under her breath and Duncan grinned.
“Jeez, that’s insane. I wouldn’t have come had I known it was that long. I mean, how does she commute every day, and pregnant, too?”
Duncan didn’t answer her, just smiled and shrugged.
“She knows all the shortcuts,” he said.
He didn’t look at her when he said that, and Kerry frowned at the beautiful yet unforgiving surroundings.
“What shortcuts?” she asked. “Short of having a helicopter, I can’t see what shortcut she could have.”
Duncan’s grin deepened and Kerry groaned.
“That’s what she meant by fly over, right?”
The infuriating man next to her laughed.
“Something like that, but like I said. You’ll be getting the whole tourist experience this way, lassie.”
Kerry couldn’t help it. She stuck her tongue out at him, not caring one bit how juvenile that must look to him, and crossed her arms over her chest. If she could have stamped her foot, she would have.
“Ha ha, very funny. So where are we going, really?”
Duncan took a corner too fast, and Kerry shrieked as the verge came up far too close for her liking. He, of course, was cool as an iced drink fresh out of the fridge, the damn man. Maybe she should have some more of that whisky, neat this time so that she could just block this all out.
“The Cuillins on Skye, so you might wanna settle down and relax. We’ll be a while yet.”
Chapter Six
The Dom in him loved the way her eyes widened in shock, whereas his dragon snarled to be let out. His animal side wanted to devour her right here and now. Being in this confined space for hours on end was torture and bliss all rolled into one. He knew his dragon must be showing in his eyes, and he forced his attention back to the road in front of him. He wasn’t going to admit this to Kerry—she looked freaked out enough about the weather conditions—but he didn’t like those gathering clouds one bit.
A storm was coming, which would no doubt shut down the Skye bridge. Not a problem for him—he could simply cloak himself, shift, and fly the short distance—but with his very human mate on board, this would be a huge issue. Unless…
Another quick glance caught her mid-yawn, and Duncan eased off the gas and turned the heater up. If she fell asleep, he could get back to plan A, and that would ensure they actually got to Miri’s converted cave in time for dinner.
His dragon growled his approval at the thought of food, and Kerry started next to him.
“Sorry, ignore my stomach. You didn’t bring a snack of some sort in that huge bag of yours, did you?”
“Erm, I might have some protein bars. Oh, yes, here you are.” Stifling another yawn, she rummaged through her bag and produced a bar of chocolate and a couple of breakfast bars, which wouldn’t be enough to feed a baby dragon, let alone take the edge off his hunger.
Duncan shook his head when she offered them to him. Shrugging, she dropped them back into her bag and shifted on her seat.
“I was more hoping for one of your bacon sarnies,” he said.
As he’d hoped, Kerry rolled her eyes at that.
“Well, if you’d told me we were driving to Skye, I might have thought of making you some.” She glared at the darkening landscape and shivered. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, Duncan reached behind him for the fleece blanket he kept in the back and handed it to her.
“Here, wrap up warm and catch some forty winks if you need to. Guess I shouldn’t have given you that whisky.”
He dropped his voice on purpose to a low, soothing drawl, and Kerry yawned. Her immediate flush of embarrassment made his chest tighten with the rush of protectiveness toward her.
“Sorry, I’m such a lightweight. I very rarely drink.”
“No need to apologize. Sleep if you need to. I’ll wake you up when we get there.”
She looked doubtful, even as she tried in vain to stifle another yawn, and snuggled deeper into the blanket. Who knew a man could get jealous of an inanimate object, but the way she hugged and caressed that fabric…Fuck it.
Duncan forced his attention back to the road, and when he glanced at her moments later, her even breathing told him she had indeed fallen asleep. Her naturally long eyelashes formed dark half-moons against her pale skin, and Duncan pulled over to watch her sleep.
She looked so much younger in her sleep, innocent, fragile. Not for the first time, he wondered whether he was doing the right thing. His dragon snarled at his thought processes. For his ancient beast, this was simple. They had finally found their destined mate, and he didn’t care one iota about the fact that she was human, but Duncan knew different.
He had to come clean about who he really was before they took this relationship further, and there was nowhere better to do that than on Skye.
It was the home of the dragons, after all, a closely guarded secret by the few human gatekeepers who knew of their existence. How would his wee one react to that revelation? His dragon would probably be plenty for her to deal with, let alone the knowledge of the clans. Not that there were many of them in existence anymore. It was nigh on impossible for a dragon to procreate without his or her destined mate, and you could live a long-ass lifetime without ever finding him or her.
Duncan shook his head to clear it of thoughts that did nothing to help his current situation.
The rain picked up again, and the wind howled its fury. The bridge would be closed for sure, and the weather would only get worse. Having nudged Kerry gently to make sure she was indeed fast asleep, Duncan tightened her seat belt and tucked the blanket firmly around her to make sure she was as secure as she could be.
He then exited the vehicle, cloaked them from their surroundings, and shifted into his dragon.
The cold and wet didn’t bother him in his d
ragon form, far from it. It felt good to be alive, to fill his lungs with the crisp air, as he flapped his massive wings and rose into the sky. His trusty Land Rover with its precious cargo turned into the matchbox equivalent as he circled overhead. Rain lashed on his head, soaked his scales, and flew off his wings as he rode the gusts, feeling more alive than he had in a while. A flock of birds caught his attention, and releasing a stream of fire, he roasted and devoured his snack mid-dive.
That was better. His immediate hunger appeased, he touched back down next to his vehicle as gently as he could. Kerry was still sleeping soundly. So far so good. He didn’t want to think too closely about what she might do if she woke up, but with the weather worsening by the second, this was the only way to get them both to safety.
After lifting into the air above his Land Rover, he grasped the underside of his trusty Defender carefully between his massive claws and took off.
His dragon snarled at the heavy weight, but his determination to get their mate to safety outweighed any discomfort. Keeping as close to the ground as he dared—in case she woke up and freaked—he accomplished the distance to Skye in a fraction of the time it would have taken via road. Even so, he breathed a fiery sigh of relief when they crossed the waters and he set down at the foot of the mountain that housed Miri’s home. The weather, while still rough, was altogether kinder here, and the incessant rain had stopped, with the sun struggling to break through the parting clouds.
Duncan shifted back into his human form with a bone-crunching jar, and he clothed himself with a flick of his hand before he took off their cloak.
Moments like this, his dragon’s magick sure came in handy. He’d hate to be one of the shifters who had to hide clothes in inaccessible places, lest they be caught cavorting about naked. Humans, on the whole, tended to object to that. He smirked at his thoughts and slid back behind the steering wheel. Not a moment too soon, because Kerry stirred in her seat. Sleep-filled eyes sought his, and his dick punched forward in his jeans with a speed that left him light-headed.
His flight might have taken the edge off his physical hunger, but it had done bugger all for his carnal desires. Heightened them more like, with his animal side still on high alert. He wanted his wee human mate, pure and simple, and witnessing her sleepy smile as she slowly focused on her surroundings…hell right there.
She would look like that when she woke up in his bed, all warm and flushed, sleepy and slightly confused.
“Hey, sleepyhead.”
He inwardly grimaced at the hoarse quality of his voice while he shifted in his seat in a vain attempt to relieve some of the pressure in his balls. Kerry’s blush deepened as her gaze snared on his groin, and the slow appraisal she gave the rest of him before her gaze sought his meant his heartbeat was thundering in his ears.
She felt it too, this connection, but that didn’t mean she would welcome his dragon with open arms, and he didn’t want to scare her away.
A frown appeared, drawing her eyebrows together, and she sat up straighter.
“Hey, where are we? Are we here? Did I sleep that long?” The words tumbled over each other in her haste to get them out, and her frown deepened. “Did you change your clothes?”
It was Duncan’s turn to frown at that question.
“It’s just…I could have sworn you were wearing a different color shirt earlier?”
Duncan inwardly kicked himself at his oversight. She was right, and he had to be more careful around her. His mate was far too observant.
“Aye, I got soaked earlier in the rain, needed to clear something off the road, see. I keep spare clothes in the Land Rover, so I changed while you were sleeping. Didn’t think you’d notice.” He winked at her and got out of the car. She still looked confused when he rounded the car and yanked her door open.
“Come on, wee one. This is as far as we can go. We have to climb the rest.” He held out his hand to help her out of the Land Rover, and it pleased him greatly when she took it without hesitation. He was used to the jolt of connection by now when he touched her, but Kerry gasped and bit her lip. She didn’t pull away, however.
The wind whipped her hair around her face when he pulled her to standing next to him, and her eyes widened when she properly took in the view. Miri’s mountain stood next to a loch, and the views were spectacular from up here. Kerry shivered and Duncan moved closer to shield her from the worst of the gales. It might be summer, but this part of Skye was always wild. One of the many reasons the dragons had settled here eons ago. He reached into the car, pulled out the blanket, and wrapped it around her shoulders before he handed his lassie her bag.
“Come on, let’s get you out of this wind. It’s just up those steps and around. Won’t take us long. Just hold on to me. Don’t want you blowing off the mountain, now, do we?”
Kerry gave a somewhat strangled laugh, and when he offered his arm for support, she grasped it in a stranglehold that told its own story. She gamely trotted on though, and his admiration for her grew.
By the time they reached the top of the staircase carved out of the stone, she was out of breath. Her little puffs of air scorched his skin where they landed on his jawline. Then she gasped in wonder.
“Good grief, she lives here?”
Eyes wide, hands on hips, Kerry stared up at the structure in front of them. Build into the side of the mountain, the entire front of Miri’s converted cave was made out of glass. A wraparound porch afforded a secluded place to sit out in the rare moments of sunshine they got, and the steps they ascended led right onto it. Movement behind the glass that led into the spacious living room caught Duncan’s eye, and he raised his hand in greeting at Miri’s husband, Mark.
“Come on, let’s get you inside.” He smiled down at her, shut her open mouth with his index finger, and winked at her.
“I know what you’re thinking. Why on earth does she work for me when she can afford a place like this, right?”
Kerry swallowed hard and shook her head.
“None of my business, but really? This is just insane. I’d never want to leave if I lived here with these views.”
Warmth spread through Duncan at her exclamation. By her own admission, Kerry was a city girl, and he’d wondered how she would take to the wide-open spaces that his dragon needed to survive as much as the next breath into his lungs. Outwardly, he laughed to make light of it all, and Mark opened the doors to welcome them, saving him from replying.
“There you are. We were getting worried. Guess you made it across the bridge before they closed it off, right?”
Kerry gasped and swung around to look up at Duncan.
“They closed the bridge?”
“Aye, they did, lass, but ne’er you worry your pretty head now. Duncan got ye here safe and sound, and that’s all that matters.” Mark extended his hand, and when Kerry grasped it, he pulled her into the warm interior. “Welcome to our humble abode. Miri’s feeding the bairn right now, but she’ll be ooot in a minute. He’s having a wee growth spurt.”
Duncan’s dragon growled his annoyance at the other man still holding on to his mate’s hand, and Mark released her with a smirk in Duncan’s direction.
“Cool yer fire, Strannach.”
Addressing Kerry, he laughed and made a sweeping gesture around the open-plan living room.
“Sit down; I’ll make some coffee. Duncan, give us a hand, will you?”
It wasn’t a question so much as an order, and having made sure Kerry was comfortably seated on the plush corner suite, which afforded unparalleled, panoramic views of the rough beauty of the Cuillins, he followed the other man toward the kitchen.
“So, spill. How did you get here? The bridge’s been closed and she clearly has no idea about that, so…”
Duncan shrugged and glowered at the other dragon.
“She fell asleep. I shifted and flew her over in my car. No big deal.”
Mark’s eyebrows rose, and he stuck his head around the corner to catch another glimpse of Kerry.
> “Awfully big risk to take with a human.” Mark smiled at Duncan’s snarl in answer, and his own dragon showed briefly in his eyes. “So, that’s the way it is, huh? Damn it, Miri is right again. She’ll be even more difficult now, you realize that.”
He punched Duncan in the shoulder and laughed.
“Does she have any clue who you really are?” he asked.
Duncan shook his head, and Mark whistled through his teeth.
“Good luck with that, Strannach.”
Chapter Seven
Kerry sank into the plush leather corner group with a sigh. Really, this place was too much. It looked as though it had been built right into the mountain, which was an astonishing architectural feat for sure, and one she’d have heard about, surely?
She’d researched the Cuillins in her Scottish travel guide, and nowhere had something like this been mentioned, and surely it would have been?
The delicious smell of food that suddenly permeated the place made her stomach growl, and she blinked in confusion when she saw Duncan and Mark put down cutlery and place mats on the dining table at the other end of the open-plan living area. There was something so domestic about that, and her heart gave a few very suspicious bumps, especially when Miri appeared from the long hallway that appeared to lead deeper into the mountain, a tiny baby fast asleep in her arms. She smiled across at Kerry, got on her tiptoes to kiss her husband, and then approached a smiling Duncan.
She couldn’t hear what they were saying to each other, but the low, murmured conversation had to be about her because Miri’s husband kept glancing her way. She wasn’t at all sure what to make of the silent assessment in his dark gaze. Not one to sit and wonder, she made her way over the little group just as Miri was handing the baby over to Duncan.
“Here, take him. Get to know your godson.”
There went her heart again, because far from being awkward—as you might have expected a man as big as Duncan to be with a fragile newborn—he handled that little scrap of humanity as though he held babies all the time.
Marked by the Dragon [The Dragon of Skye 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 5
