Nikki’s resolve to kick him out lessened a fraction.
When he finally broke the kiss, he cupped her face. His hot breath tickled her lips as he whispered, “That didn’t seem like a kiss from a woman who never wants to see me again.”
The satisfaction in Rafe’s gaze broke the happy moment. “Is everything a competition for you? That’s yet another reason you should go, or we may end up killing each other in the process. I don’t like to lose, but neither do you.”
He stroked her cheek and Nikki restrained herself from leaning into his touch. “Life will be interesting, especially if we keep score.”
Her beast chimed in. Interesting is good. Very good. Especially if it involves lots of competitions. I wonder what he’ll do if we challenge him to be the best sex we’ve ever had.
Shut it, dragon. There’s more to life than sex.
Maybe. But it’s a good start. It’ll keep me happy, for one.
Rafe’s voice interrupted her inner conversation with her beast. “So, is your dragon cheering for me or siding with you?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
He grinned and Nikki drew in a breath. Damn, he was beautiful when he smiled.
“Then she’s cheering for me, isn’t she?” he asked.
Tell him yes I am.
No.
You will regret it later if you push him away.
As Nikki tried to think of how to answer that, her father’s voice echoed through the house. “Nikola Helen Gray, you have sixty seconds before I come up and carry out my threat.”
Rafe whispered, “I’m tempted to keep you up here so that I can see him toss you over his shoulder.”
Sticking out her tongue, she ducked down and away from Rafe. “I'm more worried about what he’d do to you. Believe me, if Delphine’s cooking goes cold before we eat it, he’ll roar for hours. My stepmother was his second chance and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her happy. Punching a human or two is nothing if it keeps Delphine content.”
Rafe closed the distance between them and placed a hand on Nikki’s lower back. She really should step away, but the heat of his palm felt wonderful.
His expression turned serious. “Don’t worry, the food wouldn’t go cold. You need to eat and if I have to force feed you, I will.”
Looking at him askance, she asked, “Are you sure you’re not part dragon-shifter? Because you’re acting like one.”
“I’m sure. I’m as human as they come.” He pressed gently against her back. “Come. Let’s get this over with. Unless you want to piss your father off more than he already is.”
“Oh, he won’t stay mad at me. You, on the other hand, had better watch your balls.”
Nikki had never felt the urge to wink at a male before, but before she could stop herself, she did and walked away.
“Little minx,” he muttered.
Racing down the stairs, she waited for Rafe at the bottom. Watching him descend with a frown, a playfulness Nikki hadn’t experienced since she’d been a teenager bloomed inside her. Maybe not all competitions were bad.
Freezing at the thought, she banished it. There was no way she and Rafe would ever work, for more reasons than she could count.
Instead, she turned away from the stairs and took in a deep inhalation. Right, Nikki. Focus on what’s more important. You need dad on your side before Rafe can win him over.
Her dragon merely chuckled at the back of her mind, which was never a good sign.
Sometimes, Nikki wished she could materialize her inner dragon in front of her and talk some sense into the bloody beast.
Rafe’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “We’re standing in front of the door. So, are you going to try to force me out, or are we going to talk with your father together? I vote for the latter.”
Her beast spoke up. I want him.
I know laws and rules mean little to you, but how does ending up in jail sound? We’ll never be able to stretch our wings and soar the sky then.
Her dragon grunted. Rafe is our mate. Bram will find a way. He did for the human females.
Yes, but the human females are to help the population grow and gives the government vials of dragon’s blood. Dragonwomen breed regardless.
You worry too much.
Her beast stretched out and went to sleep.
Rafe reached out and tickled her side. Slapping his hand away, she whispered, “Stop it.” He raised his brows, and she sighed. “Fine, you can come. It’ll be fun watching him yell at you.”
Not waiting for him to answer, Nikki waltzed into the warmth of the kitchen. While her father was nowhere to be found, Delphine met her eyes and smiled. “Nikki!”
The tall woman with curly, dark brown hair and light brown skin rushed over and engulfed Nikki in a hug. Her mother in all but blood’s voice cracked with emotion. “I wondered if this day would ever come, what with you being so focused on security missions and everything.”
Nikki drawled, “Yes, because being knocked up is such a big accomplishment.”
Delphine pulled back and took Nikki’s face in her hands. “Watch your tone, young lady.” Delphine’s expression softened. “I was talking about me becoming a grandmother. I have so many plans in store for the little one. And let’s not forget all of the celebrations before he or she is born.”
“Celebrations before?” Nikki echoed before she could stop herself.
“Of course,” Delphine answered. “Melanie threw Evie that baby shower. While dragon-shifters don’t do such things, it was fun gathering everyone around and watching Evie’s reactions to the presents.”
If there was ever a time Nikki contemplated drowning herself in a lake, it was the present. She’d barely survived Evie’s shower without banging her head against a wall to stay awake.
Delphine continued, “Oh, and then there’s the celebration of the birth with the clan, too. And the mating celebration of course.”
Nikki interrupted. “Hold on, Mum. Who’s mating celebration are you talking about?”
“Why yours and that fine young human over there.” Delphine nodded behind her.
Glancing over her shoulder, Nikki met Rafe’s gaze, which was full of amusement. Bastard. He would pay later. “Even if it weren’t for that tiny problem of it being illegal, we’re not going to be mated.”
Delphine made a noise in her throat, and Nikki resisted a sigh. After Nikki met her mother’s gaze, Delphine frowned. “Of course you will. My grandbaby needs both of his or her parents. And your father is going to ensure it happens. With his stubbornness, he’ll find a way to make it work. Hector will challenge the head of the DDA himself if it means his little girl is happy.”
“Speaking of happy—“
Delphine cut her off. “But enough of that for now. How about you introduce me to your handsome human? Is it true he’s Jane Hartley’s brother?”
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Nikki waited for a second to see if her stepmother would allow her to speak; it was the only way to get in a word with Delphine Gray.
When three seconds passed in silence, Nikki jumped on the chance. “Mum, may I introduce Rafe Hartley? Rafe, this is my mum, Delphine Gray.”
Rafe opened his mouth to speak, but Delphine rushed up to him and engulfed him in a hug. Nikki bit her lip to keep from laughing at Rafe’s startled expression.
Delphine ended the hug and took Rafe’s chin in hers, turning his face one way and then the other. “Such a handsome fellow.” She moved her free hand to Rafe’s bicep and squeezed. “And strong, too. You’ll do for our Nikki.”
Hector Gray’s voice boomed behind Nikki. “We’ll see about that.”
With both of her parents in the room, Nikki leaned against a counter and crossed her arms over her chest. She wanted to see how Rafe handled the dragon-shifters.
Not that it should matter if he could handle her parents. After all, Nikki fully intended to send him away later in the day.
Still, she looked forward to someone o
ther than her being the focus of her parents’ overprotectiveness and prying nature.
~~~
Rafe barely had time to recover from Delphine’s hugging and squeezing when Nikki’s father stood at the back door. As the dragonman pierced him with a glare and growled, Rafe decided to fuck playing nice and acting complacent. Dragons liked strength; it was time he showed it.
Careful to step around Delphine, Rafe stood tall and crossed his arms over his chest. “Still treating your daughter like a child, I see.”
Hector stormed toward him, but Rafe kept his ground. Nearly eighteen years in the army had taught him a thing or two about dealing with other alpha men.
When Hector finally stopped six inches away and leaned his face toward Rafe’s, Rafe merely cocked an eyebrow. “Are you supposed to scare me?”
Hector narrowed his eyes. His voice was like steel as he said, “Watch yourself, human. You claimed my daughter without my permission. Only because I don’t want my grandchild to grow up without a father am I not beating the living shit out of you right now.”
Rafe shook his head. “Nikki doesn’t need your goddamn permission. She’s twenty-six years old and has survived a fucking war zone. Let her make her own decisions.”
Rafe half-expected Hector to clock him, but the dragonman fell silent. After a few seconds, Hector finally nodded. “If this is how you stand up for Nikki, then I imagine you’ll go further for your own child.”
Rafe blinked. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Slapping Rafe’s shoulder, Hector took a step back and looked to Delphine. “What do you think, sweet?”
Smiling, Delphine answered, “He’s gruff on the outside, but inside, he’s softer than he lets on.”
“What—”
Hector cut him off. “Good, because that makes this next bit easier.”
Nikki finally spoke up. “What did you do, Dad?”
Hector looked over his shoulder. “I made a deal with Bram.”
Rafe eyed Hector with suspicion. “Without talking with either of us?”
“Nikki won’t mind,” Hector answered with a shrug. “And considering I could have you thrown in jail, you don’t have a choice.”
Walking up to them, Nikki raised her chin to meet her father’s eyes. “I repeat: what did you do?”
“Bram is asking Rafe’s commanding officer to let him stay here to better cement your plans concerning the dragon hunters,” Hector answered.
Some of Rafe’s tension eased. “I rather you would’ve asked, but if Bram can manage it, then that buys us some time to find a long-term solution.”
“Rafe,” Nikki bit out. “Did I not make myself clear before? I’m not keeping the child.”
“What?” Hector roared.
Rafe jumped on his chance. “That’s fine, Nikola Helen Gray, because I’m going to raise the child with or without you.”
Nikki’s jaw dropped. “Say what?”
Moving closer to Nikki, he kept his tone firm. “I want to be a father, Nikki. Even if it means raising her alone, I will.”
“Are you crazy? There’s no way the DDA will allow a human to raise a dragon-shifter.”
“With Jane’s help, I’m sure I can manage.”
Nikki placed her hands on her hips. “And you made all these grand plans without me? Use your head, Rafe. Humans in the UK might think dragon-shifters are interesting at the moment, but it could all change in a heartbeat. The Head of the DDA will be selected next week, and I can tell you right now that Jonathan Christie won’t bloody well agree to your half-arsed plan.”
Aware of Hector and Delphine watching, Rafe reached out a hand and took a hold of Nikki’s wrist. “We need to discuss this in private.”
He half-expected Hector to yell and stop him, but the dragonman didn’t stop Rafe from leaving with Nikki in tow.
Once they were in the living room, he released her wrist and placed his hands on her hips. Nikki’s eyes flashed with anger. “You are bloody crazy, Rafe. Do you know what happened to humans who tried raising dragon-shifters on their own in the past? The dragons went rogue and ate the humans.”
“Maybe so, but I can petition help from my sister’s bastard mate. Probably your parents, too.”
Growling in frustration, Nikki slammed her hands against his chest. Rafe barely managed to keep his balance. She did it again, and he fell back.
Landing on his arse, Nikki kicked his shin. “Goddamn you, Rafe Hartley. You, out of everyone, I thought knew how important being a Protector is to me. And now you’re betraying me by making choices without me, choices that will shape my future without my input. My father will never allow me to give up the child now.” Her voice cracked. “You’re no better than the elder dragon-shifters, forcing me into a life I’m not ready for.”
She turned to leave. Rafe clutched her ankle and pulled until she was on the floor. Covering her body with his, he said, “I’m not fucking betraying you, woman. I know how important being a Protector is to you. Hell, you work harder than almost anyone I’ve ever met.”
“Then why are you waving a future I can’t have in front of me? It’s hard enough to have you after all these years and have to let you go. But now you’re trying to prolong the pain by sticking around with a naïve idea about us raising a child together. Can’t you just go?”
“It’s not a naïve idea,” he answered in a steely voice. “And what do you mean about having me after all these years and letting me go?”
“Just let me go, Rafe. You obviously don’t remember.”
“If you mean what happened four years ago, then yes, I do.”
Chapter Six
Nikki’s heart thundered in her chest. No bloody way.
Gathering her wits, she tried to push Rafe off her, but he wouldn’t budge. Stupid muscled human male.
Nikki finally mustered a response. “Don’t lie to me, Rafe. We’ve worked together for nearly six months and not once did you mention the past.”
“Excuse me for not wanting to bring back painful memories. Believe me, Nikki, I remembered what I did to you all those years ago. Every time I see you, it comes rushing back.”
She searched his eyes for deceit. Unless Rafe was a good liar, she sensed him telling the truth. Nikki needed to know more. “Why did you do it?”
Rafe sighed. “I was cocky and trying to impress some of my colleagues.”
“That’s not much of an answer. Tell me what you remember, so I know you’re not talking out of your arse.”
Easing off her body, Rafe sat up. Nikki followed suit and scooted back several inches. The distance would prevent her from punching Rafe if he started spouting rubbish.
“You had just arrived after training,” Rafe began. “It was my second assignment with dragon-shifters. The one before had ended badly, with my long-time friend dying when a dragon failed to take out an armored vehicle.
“I was still grieving when I was given a second assignment. I blamed the dragon-shifters in our unit for fucking up the maneuver. The last thing I needed was to be surrounded by dragons, especially one that fancied me.”
Nikki leaned forward and put her elbows on her thighs. “Why didn’t you tell me about your friend? It would’ve been a whole lot nicer than ridiculing me in front of your men.”
She remembered catching Rafe on his way to dinner. Pulling him aside, she’d been under the impression they were alone. After spilling her feelings, Rafe’s reply had stayed with her to the present day: Dragon-shifters are useless creatures who fail when needed most. Why would I want to associate with one, let alone touch one?
Rafe had left then and joined his friends on the other side of the unpacked crates. The approval and disgust in all of their eyes had sent Nikki running away to cry alone in a corner.
The next two years had been hell, but she’d found a way to ignore their looks and whispers and work with the humans. She’d never sought out Rafe Hartley ever again.
Of course, she’d dreamed about him. More than she’d ever ad
mitted to anyone. With Rafe being her true mate, it all made more sense now.
Fate was one messed-up bitch.
Or, was she?
Rafe’s voice filled the room and Nikki snapped back to the present. “I had yet to learn how to trust a dragon-shifter. Then when you and your team saved my unit’s lives, my worldview changed.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “The damage had been done by that point. But I vowed never to hurt you again.”
Nikki wanted to believe Rafe’s words, but there was too much she didn’t know.
Searching his eyes, she asked, “So, instead, you agree to impregnate me and want to raise the child on your own? You should’ve been honest with me from the first day you set foot on Stonefire. How can I trust you when you kept such a big secret from me?”
Rafe raised an eyebrow. “And you haven’t kept secrets from me?”
“I didn’t mean for my adoption plans to be a secret. Dr. Sid was supposed to tell you. I know you can’t understand, but when an inner dragon goes into a mate-claim frenzy, all a dragon-shifter’s energy goes into either trying to contain their beast or jumping their mate.”
Rafe scooted a few inches toward her. “Then at least tell me why you want to give up the child.”
Nikki didn’t have to tell Rafe anything. By every law concerning dragons and humans in the UK, the child was hers and only hers. Rafe had no legal claim.
Her dragon finally roused from her sleep. Talk with him. That will make everything better.
He hasn’t even apologized for being an arsehole back in Afghanistan. Why should I tell him anything?
Because he risked his freedom and maybe even his life by staying here. Actions speak louder than words.
Studying Rafe’s green eyes, Nikki hated to admit her beast had a point.
Still, she wanted to know something before she answered Rafe’s question. “Tell me one more thing, first. Why do you want a child so badly?”
Surrendering to the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 7) Page 5
