Forbidden Dragon (The Bride Hunt Book 5)

by Charlene Hartnady

  “Yeah?” He tried to sound bored even though he was anything but. He refused to follow the male’s gaze. He’d stared enough for one day.

  “They’re leaving,” Rock sounded a touch panicked. “That human and your female.”

  “She’s not mine,” he rasped, his eyes moving to the three of them. Sure enough, they were walking towards the door. He noticed how Louise kept her eyes on the door ahead. No looking left or right.

  By Claw, Rock was right. At least, he hoped the male was right. He was about to find out.

  “Take care,” he rumbled as he made his way to the little doctor. There was no way he was letting her go without a fight. They both had one night, might as well put the time to good use.

  They were going to Todd’s place for coffee. They’d drop Hillary off first and then it was happening.

  There was a tiny voice inside her that told her she couldn’t go through with it but she forced it down. The closer they got to the door, the louder that voice became. She eventually stopped walking. “I just need to …” She was about to head to the ladies room to tell Hillary that she couldn’t leave with Todd when a deep voice sounded behind them.

  “Leaving so soon?” The rough yet smoky notes gave her shivers all over her body. Both she and Hillary turned. Todd walked on for a stride or two before turning around as well.

  Flip! Why was he harassing her? Where was the blonde? “Yeah,” she gave a nod, trying to sound nonchalant and failing. There was a definite edge to her voice. “We’re heading out. Thanks for suggesting I come back in, turns out you were right.” A bit more upbeat. She tried to force a smile but it quickly faded when Todd hooked an arm around her. She didn’t like possessive bullshit on the best of days, let alone when a guy hardly knew her.

  Louise forced herself to stay put when what she really wanted was to shrug out of his grasp. Granite looked down at where Todd’s hand curled around her waist. His frown deepened and he seemed to bristle. His muscles bulged. Especially the thick ropes on either side of his neck. “I need a word,” his eyes lifted back to hers.

  He tried to run her life at work, which was pretty much all the time. She might find him ridiculously attractive but she sure as nuts wasn’t going to let him walk all over her here too. Louise squared her shoulders. “Can’t it wait until Monday?”

  Granite shook his head. “No!”

  It was a simple word. She waited for him to elaborate and was just about to tell him to go to hell when Hillary stepped forward. “You go. This looks serious. I’ll keep Todd company for a minute or two.”

  Todd shook his head and Granite’s jaw tightened.

  “Actually…” Todd cleared his throat. His eyes had a frightened look but who could blame him. “We were just …”

  Granite’s hands clenched at his side. His muscles popped some more. His jaw tightened.

  Oops! This was going downhill fast. Best she have a quick word with Granite. He obviously didn’t like Todd. Maybe he did like more than just her scent. This seemed a lot like jealousy to her. Not that anyone had ever been jealous over her before. “Okay,” she interrupted what Todd was about to say. “I’ll be right back.” She glanced his way.

  Todd’s eyes widened and he sucked in a breath.

  “Two minutes,” she added. Louise walked to the other side of the room, Granite fell in next to her. She didn’t owe Todd an explanation yet she still felt bad for leaving him standing there like that. “We need to make this quick,” she turned to Granite as soon as they reached the wall. The place was still busy, only not as much as before. She noticed that many of the shifters had left already.

  “Don’t leave with that male,” Granite said as his dark gaze locked with hers.

  She gave an exasperated sigh. “Why not?” She didn’t tell him she hadn’t planned on it, that she’d changed her mind. “He’s a really nice guy. We’re going for coffee.”

  His mouth twitched but he quickly turned serious. “Coffee. Right.”

  “Look, you were the one who told me I needed …” She swallowed hard. “Not that I’m doing this because you told me to. Make that, you ordered me to. I’m not! You don’t get to tell me what to do when it comes to my private life.”

  He clenched a hand around the back of his neck. His nostrils flared as he released a breath and dropped his arm back to his side. “I shouldn’t have given you that directive and I shouldn’t have called you stuck-up.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have,” she still used an argumentative tone because— What? This was an about turn. She hadn’t expected him to say that. Louise looked around the room. “Where’s your hot blonde?”

  “I don’t know and I don’t care.” He moved closer, only inches away. He smelled so darned good. Like the forest with a bit of musk and a lot of man. He also smelled like soap and freshly ironed laundry. “There is only one female who has my attention right now. That female is you.”

  Oh! Oooohhhh! Flip! Really? He was jealous! She schooled her emotions … or tried to. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to her, but it did.

  “Don’t leave with that male. I want you to leave with me.”

  She laughed. It was short and a little bit hysterical. “I can’t leave with you, Granite. Even if I wanted to I—”

  “You can.” He grabbed a handful of her hip and squeezed, pulling her closer as he did. There were only inches separating them.

  Shit! His hand was on her. She felt its heat seep through her camisole. His hand. She could barely breathe. Definitely couldn’t think straight. “But the contract. The clause …”

  “That clause only applies on Dragon territory. You are not permitted to rut a male on Dragon land. I’m only permitted to rut a human on the Stag Run. There is nothing stopping us from—”

  She shook her head. “We have to work together. We …” This wasn’t happening.

  “We’re adults.” He made a growling noise. It was laced with frustration. “We’re attracted to one another. It’s getting in the way of our working relationship. Don’t even try to deny it.”

  She opened her mouth to do just that but shut it again. She couldn’t, in all honestly, go against what he had just said. The air buzzed with sexual tension. She gripped her bottom lip between her teeth instead. Could she do this? Could they do this and have a good working relationship afterwards?

  “Fuck, Louise.” He leaned in, burying his face in her hair and sniffed. Oh god! He was sniffing her in deep breaths that had her heart-rate sky-rocketing. She felt each inhalation right between her thighs. It was also the way he said her name. His voice thick with need. It stripped away some more of her resolve. Made her brain turn mushy.

  “I don’t know if …”

  “One night. Just one.” His mouth was right by her ear. “I want to feel your body tighten around my cock when you come.”

  Holy mother of … She swallowed hard, finding it difficult to breathe.

  She shuffled from one foot to the other. “Just like that, you went straight for the kill. No small talk, no dinner, no—”

  “No!” a growl. “None of that shit. I’m giving it to you straight. We’re both here tonight looking for a fuck.”

  As much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t.

  “I don’t do flowery bullshit. I want to taste every inch of you. Touch you until you shake with need. I want to make you come more times than you ever knew possible.”

  Oh god! She actually felt something drip out of her at that last admission. Her clit throbbed. That heavy sensation was back and she had a feeling it wasn’t going to go away soon. She put a hand on his chest. She should push him away, she really should.

  “I know you feel the same way. Don’t fight this. I tried but it won’t work. We’re fucked if we don’t do this now.”

  Yeah, working with him would be hell. Her hand gripped the material of his shirt. She couldn’t take her eyes off of his. He had her tied up in knots.

  “Louise,” a low groan. The way he said her name almost had her coming r

ight then and there.

  She whimpered and he crushed his lips against hers. His other hand cupped her jaw as he deepened the kiss. Her toes curled. Her body pressed against his, almost of its own accord. Every nerve-ending buzzed. He released her moments later. She felt half-drunk and had to suck in a deep breath to bring herself back to her senses.

  “So damned receptive. Let’s get out of here.”

  She gave a nod. Was she really going to go through with this? Yes. Excitement coursed through her.

  Oh hell! Todd. Her gaze shot back to the exit. There was no sign of him, only Hillary who was grinning like a maniac. She gave Louise a double thumbs up and Granite chuckled.

  He took her hand. “Let’s go.”

  “Todd left,” Hillary said, as they walked up to her. “Um …” she glanced at Granite and then back at Louise. “I called a cab. It should be here any minute.” Her grin grew wider.

  “We can give you a lift.” Granite pulled a set of keys out of his pocket.

  Hillary gave a shake of the head. “I’m good.”

  “We’ll walk you to your cab.” It felt weird saying ‘we’, like they were an item or something. They were not an item. Not even close. This was just one night.

  Hillary gave a nod. “Sure.”

  They walked outside. Damn, it was cold. Granite put an arm around her and pulled her close. It is just sex. Just sex, she reminded herself. He was being nice because he was about to get some. The two of them didn’t get along. They couldn’t have a conversation without arguing. There was nothing more there than an attraction that just wouldn’t quit. It was a good thing. There was no future for them. One night.

  She chewed on her lower lip, feeling his heat, his hard body. His name suited him.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Hillary said. Louise realized that a cab had pulled up to the curb.

  “No you won’t,” Granite said.

  Hillary grinned some more. You would swear that she was the one going home with Granite. “No problem! I’ll see you next time you’re in town,” she winked at Louise. Winked! Hillary didn’t wink … ever. She was acting like a teenager. Then again, they both were.

  Louise stepped forward and hugged her friend. “Thanks for everything.”

  “Enjoy yourself.”

  Despite the cold, Louise felt her cheeks heat. She didn’t answer. Instead, she watched while Hillary climbed into the cab and watched as the vehicle drove away.

  “My car is this way.” Granite slid his arm around her and led her to the parking lot. He headed for a black SUV and opened the door, helping her in.

  Then he climbed in himself and started the car, cranking the heat. “It isn’t far.”

  “Wow! This is nice for a rental.”

  “It isn’t a rental and neither is the apartment.”

  “Oh!”

  Heat began to flood the car and she almost groaned in pleasure as it warmed her. She should’ve worn that blouse.

  “There’s almost always a group of shifters in town.” He glanced her way for a second before looking back at the road ahead. “We own a couple of apartments around town. We also own these vehicles.” He gave his steering wheel a tap. “It would be crazy to rent vehicles and to pay for hotel rooms.”

  “Mmmhmmm, that makes sense.” Her hands shook a bit so she clasped them in her lap. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. Louise squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds trying to calm herself down.

  “You don’t have to be nervous.” Granite glanced in her direction. He smiled and her breath caught in her lungs. Granite actually smiled … at her. Wonders would never cease. The smile was gone almost as quickly as it arrived. “We can have coffee,” he flashed her another smile.

  She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Yeah, sure.”

  Within a half a minute they’d driven to a gated entrance that led into an underground parking area. Granite used a card and the gate opened.

  He drove down and parked. They got out of the vehicle and headed to an elevator. Granite put his arm back around her. “You should’ve worn a coat.”

  “Yup, I should have.” This felt awkward. So stilted.

  The elevator door closed and Granite pushed a button. Then he turned towards her and her knees almost crumpled. His eyes were dark and lust-filled. He gripped her hips and pulled her against him. He nuzzled into her neck and sucked on her skin. Then he kissed and nipped his way to her ear. When his tongue laved at her shell, she whimpered. When he sucked on her lobe, she moaned. “I can’t wait to be inside you,” his voice was hoarse. It did things to her she didn’t think possible.

  There was a ding and the elevator door opened. He gripped her hand and led her into the hallway. The floors were wooden and gleamed under the lights. There was artwork on the walls. It was pretty fancy. Then he was unlocking a door and pushing her inside. He flicked the switch. The place was really nice.

  All modern lines and finishes. It reminded her of a hotel room and in a way it was used as one so it made sense. He walked into the open-plan, well-appointed kitchen and flicked on the kettle. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

  Granite returned a moment later holding a sweater. He put it over her shoulders. Then he went into the kitchen and pulled out a mug and set it by the coffee-maker.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I promised you coffee.”

  “You did, but I was expecting you to rip my clothes off and have me on my back in seconds.”

  Something in the depths of his eyes flared. “That’s not how I operate. I promised you coffee.” He scooped a generous amount into the coffee-maker.

  “Coffee at this time of night? I’m not sure …”

  “You’re going to need it.”

  “Oh!” Now that was exactly what she expected from him.

  He poured the water into the machine and turned it on. “Would you like something to eat? I can fix you a sandwich.”

  The thought of eating made her stomach clench. “No thanks. I’m good.”

  “Sure?” He raised his brows. “You’re going to need your energy.” His eyes narrowed on hers.

  She tried to look away and couldn’t. “I’m sure. The coffee will be perfect.”

  He finally broke eye contact and pulled the coffee from the machine, pouring her a cup. “Cream, sugar?”

  She didn’t take cream but somehow she knew this coffee needed to be cool enough to drink down quickly. Granite was not the patient type. “One sugar and a good splash of cream.”

  He nodded once and spooned in the sugar, adding the cream. A couple of stirs later and the coffee was placed in front of her on the counter. “Take a seat,” he gestured to one of the bar-type chairs. They were stainless steel with white leather.

  “I’m going to hit the shower.”

  “Okay.” He was perfect just the way he was.

  “You’re welcome to join me.” His gaze lowered to her lips.

  The thought of getting naked straight off the bat was terrifying even though she’d shaved and waxed and plucked and pulled. Louise shook her head. “No, I’ll drink this.” She raised the steaming cup. “Unless …” she had a terrible thought. “I actually need a shower.” She sniffed her pits. “Do I, need one?” Her eyes felt wide but she couldn’t help it.

  Granite’s mouth turned up at the corners. He was almost smiling. His eyes shone as he stalked towards her. Granite leaned in, putting them nose to nose. “You smell delicious. I’ve told you this before. Peaches and cream.” He brushed a kiss on her lips. “And wet, hot pussy.”

  Her girl parts got a whole lot wetter as he said it. Louise put down the cup.

  Granite’s nostrils flared and he kissed her again. Soft and sweet. So unexpected. “I’ll see you in bit.”

  She gave a nod, watching as he left the room.

  God!

  Oh god!

  Flip!

  Louise covered her face with both her hands. She was smiling wider than she had ever smiled. It felt like her face was going to split in half.

  Oh, sweet Jesus!

  This was really happening. She heard the shower go on in the next room. Granite was probably naked round about now. He was gorgeous naked. So hot it was crazy.

  She picked up her coffee and took a big sip and then another and another.

  Then there was silence as the water was switched off. She took a big gulp as nerves hit. There was no way she was backing out of this. No way in hell.

  She heard him approach, watched as he put his arms up to grab the door jamb. Oh lord help her! He was dripping wet, a white towel rode low on his hips.

  Screw what was left of the coffee. The mug hit the counter with a clunk.

  Louise slid off the chair and like a moth to a flame, she walked right up to him stopping just shy of his big body. Then she leaned up onto her tippy toes and kissed him. He tasted so darned good. Like every guilty pleasure she’d ever had. She groaned as he lifted her off her feet.

  Granite turned and walked into what had to be the bedroom. Her eyes were closed as he devoured her mouth. She wound her arms around his neck. Pushed herself up against him. He was warm and damp. His muscles rippled underneath his skin.

  With a soft grunt against her lip, he lay her down on a … single bed. What? Granite pulled back a bit further. “I don’t like using the main bedroom. It gets its fair share of traffic.”

  Yup, she could only imagine what when down when the shifters came to town. Although, she wouldn’t have to imagine it for much longer. She was about to experience it first-hand. His chest was broad, well-muscled, as was the rest of him.

  Granite kept those dark eyes of his on hers as he picked up one of her legs, putting it over his shoulder. He unzipped the boot and took it off, then removed her sock as well. He did the same with the other leg and then hooked both legs over his shoulders.

  He kissed the inside of her leg. His eyes still on her.

  Her heart felt like it might beat right out of her chest. The side-lamp was on and the room was well lit. He nipped her inner thigh and a pent-up breath rushed out. He gripped the edge of her skirt and eased it up as he kept up his attention on her inner thigh, using his mouth and teeth, slowly working his way down.

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