The Lick of Fire Trilogy

by Bianca D’Arc

  There was something about Paul that made her do things she hadn’t dared before. He made her want things. Want him. In ways she didn’t yet fully understand. Long-term ways. Permanent ways.

  But, no. She couldn’t think about the future—especially not a future with Paul. She couldn’t count on anything where he was concerned. In fact, she couldn’t count on anything where her own life was concerned just now. It all had gotten so strange lately. So confusing.

  This, however… This was an electrifying connection…between herself and Paul on the most basic level. This was delicious. Captivating. Addictive.

  She decided, then and there, to enjoy every moment. Every stroke. Every climax. And, judging by their previous encounter, there would be many of those. Just the idea of it made her shiver as she picked up her pace.

  In charge this time, she wanted to make it as good for him as he’d made it for her earlier. She tried different things. She altered her pace. Shifted her position slightly. Watched his face for any hint that what she tried worked for him.

  In those moments of trying to please him, she learned things about him…but also about her own pleasure. The intensity rose higher and higher until she almost couldn’t stand it, anymore. She knew she was about to lose control completely, but she knew he’d be there to catch her. She already trusted him to take care of her when the crisis hit, and she wasn’t disappointed.

  She cried out as she came, her body trembling around him. Then, he did as she’d known he would. He clamped his hands down on her hips, sliding deep before coaxing her to lay down over him. Then, he rolled, taking them both to their sides, where he positioned them as he wished while her ardor cooled only slightly.

  Paul tugged her upper leg over his hip and began a new rhythm as he thrust into her. The angle was different. Interesting and…oh, yeah…delicious. Another orgasm hit before she knew what was happening, and then another.

  She held on for the ride as he brought her to pleasure after pleasure before finally joining her in climax. She might’ve blacked out for a moment, but she wasn’t quite sure. Her mind just shut down for a few seconds as rapture shot through her like a flame tornado. The only solid thing in the midst of it all was Paul. His hands, his hard body, his ultra-masculine presence next to her, around her…inside her.

  He was her only anchor to the real world, and she knew in her deepest heart that he would keep her safe. How she knew it, she had no idea, but the thought rang with truth as it rolled around her sluggish mind. Coming back to the world was a long, delectable process, broken only by Paul’s care of her body while her spirit was still flying.

  He tucked her in, next to his warm body, covering her with the sheet and putting the cover nearby if she wanted it. He was both thoughtful and considerate. Yummy.

  That was the last coherent thought she had before she fell asleep again, next to the man who had become more important to her in the past few hours than any man had in years. She should have been stunned by the rapid progress of their fledgling relationship, but she was too wrung out from the best sex of her life to really think about it.

  Chapter Seven

  Paul was making breakfast when Syd padded downstairs in sock feet. Nevertheless, he heard her every move. His hearing was that good. Plus, he seemed to be more attuned to her now, after their night together. It was strange, but ever since he’d woken up at dawn with her in his arms, he’d felt it. A closeness he’d never felt before with any other woman.

  He’d thought he’d surprise her with breakfast in bed, but she’d awoken shortly after he started cooking. She’d showered and dressed while he put together a big meal out of the supplies in her fridge. Eggs, bacon, and toast with butter and jam. He’d thought about making pancakes, as well, but she was human—or mostly human, with a touch of foresight—and she probably wouldn’t eat as much as a shifter woman.

  When she appeared in the archway, she was wearing jean shorts and a shirt bearing the logo of a local nursery. The nursery where she worked, he surmised. It looked like she was intending on going into work today.

  That made him pause. He’d been thinking she’d stay home, and he had been planning to impress upon her the need to stay inside while he arranged for backup, but this changed things. He started recalculating his plans. If she wanted to go to work, he wasn’t really in any position to demand she stay home—much as he wished he could. She had a life of her own that didn’t include him…yet. She had responsibilities and commitments, and he had to find a way to respect that while still making sure she was safe until he’d earned the right to be a more complete part of her life.

  He was realizing, more and more, that’s exactly what he wanted. He felt a pull to become her partner, her mate. He didn’t fully understand it all, but he wasn’t really questioning things too closely right now. So much was happening. So much change. This was just one more in a series of upheavals that had brought him here, to this place, at this time…with this woman, who might very well hold the key to his future, both as a dragon and as a man.

  “I take it you have to work today,” he asked, trying his best not to sound confrontational. Women didn’t like being given ultimatums. He’d learned that back in Romania, with his first girlfriend, a spitfire named Katya, who had left him after his dominant traits started to shine through a bit too much.

  “I know it’d be safer not to go in, but I have to pay the bills, and frankly, I want to see if Elliot is there, and if so, what he does when he sees me.” She had a light of combat in her eye that impressed Paul, even as it made him wary.

  “Are you planning to confront him?” Paul didn’t like the sound of that at all.

  “I don’t know what I plan to do. I have no plan. I’m just winging it, but if that little toad so much as makes a funny face at me, I’ll probably want to punch him in the nose.”

  Paul motioned for her to sit and placed breakfast in front of her. “You have time for breakfast, right?” he asked, pretty sure she did, but wanting to be sure.

  “Yes, thank you. You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble, but I appreciate it. I don’t think any man has ever made such an effort for me.” She sounded truly touched, which also touched his surprisingly gentle heart. He could easily get used to pampering this woman.

  “It’s my pleasure,” he told her, taking his seat by her side before they began to eat. After they’d each eaten a few bites, he restarted the conversation. “So, you work at the greenhouse?”

  “I’m sort of a plant doctor. I oversee the greenhouse operation for Stanley, the owner of the nursery. Elliot—the toad—works in the office. He’s some kind of bean counter.”

  “Does that mean you normally don’t cross paths often with him?” Paul was trying to get a feel for the setup of her workplace.

  “Not too often, though, I guess, now that I think about it, his desk is by a window that looks out into the greenhouse where I do most of my work. The little bastard has probably been watching me from his office.” She sounded angry to Paul, which he supposed, on reflection, was better than being scared. Anger could give her strength while fear could cripple.

  “Is there a way you could stay out of sight of that window today? Is it possible?” Paul asked.

  Syd appeared to think about it as she ate more of the eggs he’d prepared for her. “I think so,” she finally answered. “I have some tasks that can be done out front, in the public spaces of the nursery.”

  “Public is probably better for now. I don’t think Elliot, or the people he’s in contact with, will be able to make a move on you at work, but there is the possibility, and I want you to be aware of it. I cannot watch over you for a few hours this morning. I must seek allies here in town, in case this problem grows beyond what I alone can handle,” he told her. He’d decided he would be as honest as possible with her.

  “You have friends here?” She seemed almost hurt by the idea, and he realized she thought he had been lying to her when he’d claimed no familiarity with the area.


  “Not friends,” he clarified. “But there is a network of sorts that I can call on. I made contact with my relatives in the Pacific Northwest overnight, and my cousin, Peter, sent me a name and address. I must go there this morning to meet the people who might be able to help. If it works out as I hope, you will soon have Others watching over your house so that it cannot be violated as it was last night.”

  “Others?” she asked sharply, looking up at him with an intensity in her gaze. “Shapeshifters?” she whispered, as if speaking a great secret.

  Paul couldn’t help but smile softly at her obvious awe at the idea. “Yes. My cousin in a bear shifter. Although he didn’t specify the animal spirit of the man he is sending me to meet, I suspect either another werebear or something very similar. Either way, if he is vouched for by Peter, then he is a good man who will not betray us to our enemies.”

  “How can you be so sure?” she asked, wariness in her gaze now.

  “It is hard to explain to someone who has grown up entirely in the human world, but magical folk are pretty evenly split down the middle. Either we serve the Light or the dark. I chose the Light many years ago, though I will admit, due to the nature of my upbringing, I thought, for a while, things would turn out the other way. As an adult, however, I have come to an understanding with the Lady and Her Light. I serve the cause of good and fight evil wherever I find it, as it tries to destroy me and all those who serve the Light.”

  “You’re able to recognize your enemies so easily?”

  “Not always, but usually, they can’t help but give themselves away at some point, and then, it’s game on, as you Americans say.” His grin was gentle, but he knew there was probably a lethal edge to it that he wasn’t able to hide.

  Then again, he had decided not to hide his true nature from this woman. At least…he would share with her what he could, when he could. He would not reveal all in one go. That would probably send her running away from him, into the night. No, he would go slow—or, as slowly as he could manage—in telling her and showing her all that he was and all that he wanted from life…and from her.

  They both returned their attention to their meals, finishing the food in silence. When they were done, Paul took the plates, rinsed them, and placed them in the dishwasher for her while Syd gathered her things. Keys in hand, she turned to him.

  “How are you planning to get around?” A little frown line appeared between her brows.

  He didn’t have an answer for her. Frankly, he hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. He’d get to the address either by public transportation or, perhaps, he could hire a car to take him. He was about to share his thoughts with her when she tossed him her keys.

  “You do have a driver’s license, don’t you?” He nodded. “Good. You can drop me off at work, then go do your errands. Just don’t forget to pick me up at four, okay?”

  “I will return your car to the nursery’s parking lot as soon as I am finished,” he told her. “I’ll be there when you get off work, and we can come back here together.”

  He would be there all day—from the time he returned the car until she was ready to leave—watching over her, but he wouldn’t tell her that. For one thing, he would blend in using some of his very potent magic. He had a little investigating he wanted to do, as well. Paul had every intention of observing this Elliot creature as closely as he could. He wanted to know the enemy and whether Elliot was a real threat or merely a nuisance.

  Plan made, they walked out to the car together. Paul wouldn’t let her get in until he’d had a walk around to physically check that the car had not been tampered with overnight. He had placed wards, as well, and checked them to make sure they had not been crossed. When he saw that all was well, he unlocked the doors, and they got in, heading for her workplace.

  *

  Paul pulled into the drive of the address he’d been given to find himself in a very high-end car repair lot. Syd’s old beater was completely outclassed by the Italian sportscar parked next to it, but Paul didn’t mind. He was more interested in the contact he would make here, and his eyes scanned the lot continuously, pegging more than one shifter working in the big yard filled with very expensive automobiles. Interesting.

  Paul slid his sunglasses into the front of his T-shirt by one earpiece as he walked into the lobby, meeting the gaze of a sharp-eyed gal who had to be some kind of cat shifter, if he didn’t miss his guess. Not a lion or tiger, but something local to North America. Something cuter, if her size was anything to go by.

  “May I help you?” She glanced up from her computer screen as he walked in, and her eyes grew round in alarm as she took him in. Hmm. So, the little cat sensed the predator in him. He wasn’t sure whether that would help or hinder his search.

  “I’m looking for King Bishop. I’ve been told he works here.” Paul tried to sound bored and not at all predatory.

  “I’m sorry, King is not here today,” she answered promptly, looking a little less frightened but still incredibly curious, which was what led him to believe she was feline.

  “Are either of his brothers here, then? Ace or Jack? My cousin in Grizzly Cove sent me here especially to contact them,” he revealed, hoping the little cat girl would know what that meant.

  Some more of her fear leached away, and he knew the message had been received. He had friends in the Cove, and she knew what that meant. Bear shifters. She likely thought his immense presence was that of another bear, which probably helped calm her nerves. Fine with him. There was no reason to reveal exactly what he was. Not at this point.

  “I’m really sorry. All three of them are on leave. As far as I know, they’re not even in the state. Maybe Lance can tell you more.” She looked apologetic now.

  “Lance?” he queried. Peter had only given him the three bear brothers’ names. Nobody else.

  “The owner of this establishment. Oh,” she looked out the glass door behind him, “here he comes now.”

  Paul turned to see two men approaching. One reached for the door handle, allowing the other to precede him. Paul felt the impact of the first man to enter as a blaze of fire against his personal wards. Not offensive magic. It was just the presence of the man…and it was something Paul didn’t recognize, but it felt somehow familiar. There was no doubt in Paul’s mind that this fellow was something new, and intensely powerful, but he didn’t know exactly what.

  The newcomer stopped short as he realized Paul was in the room. The other man entered and moved to the first man’s side, a slight snarl emanating from his throat. That sounded distinctly wolf-like to Paul’s trained ears. A strong wolf. Perhaps the local Alpha. His actions, though, had already shown he deferred to the first man. So, whatever that first guy was, he was higher in the shifter pecking order than a werewolf Alpha. Things were beginning to get interesting.

  “This man was looking for King,” the helpful receptionist put him from behind Paul. He’d turned his back on her, assessing her as of little threat compared to the men now facing him—especially that one guy with the fiery presence. “He said he had a cousin in Grizzly Cove who sent him here.”

  The first guy nodded at the girl and focused on Paul. “I’m Lance. I own the place.”

  “Paul Lebchenko.” He didn’t offer his hand. That was too risky among magic folk and not something done lightly. “My cousin, Peter Zilakov, sent me here looking for some friends of his.”

  “Why?” Lance asked simply, his head tilting to one side as if he was evaluating Paul’s words.

  Paul had to make a decision—whether to trust his instincts, which told him that these people, no matter how powerful, were not evil, or to just excuse himself and go elsewhere looking for backup. He went with Plan A, hoping he was doing the right thing. In all his experience, he’d never come across a being with as much magic as his own, but he suspected this Lance fellow came close, if indeed, he didn’t surpass Paul. If they had to fight, it would be a close match.

  “I need help,” Paul replied, taking his chances.


  Lance frowned. “What kind of help could we give a…well…someone like you?”

  Paul was surprised by the way Lance stumbled over his words. Did he think Paul was a bear shifter? Or was he referring to the idea that Paul might be an ex-military shifter like so many of the guys who now lived in Grizzly Cove? Either way, Lance looked uncomfortable, which was odd, since it was obvious to Paul he had immense power of his own.

  “A woman I know here in Phoenix has been targeted by the Venifucus, though they claim to be Altor Custodis. They invaded her house and attempted to put monitoring devices all over it. She walked in on them, and they assaulted her.” He told them the bare bones of the story.

  “Is she all right?” Lance asked at the same time as his companion growled deeper in his throat.

  “I stopped them, and she’s okay for now, but I need some help with backup in case they return. They tried multiple times last night to break through my wards, so I suspect they definitely will try for her again. She’s a complete innocent. She has a bit of a gift but did not grow up in our world. She knows very little and is at a delicate stage of her development, which is probably why they are targeting her. I suspect they will continue to either try to turn her to their cause, or eliminate her completely.”

  Lance’s frown deepened, but he didn’t say anything right away. Instead, he turned to his companion and made introductions.

  “This is Stone,” Lance said absently. Stone stopped growling long enough to nod at Paul. Lance spoke to Stone next. “What do you think?”

  Stone looked Paul up and down before replying. “I don’t think he’s a bear.”

  Chapter Eight

  Paul would have laughed had the situation not been so tense. As it was, he couldn’t control the little smile he knew broke over his lips. Perhaps it was that which broke the tension in the air, but Stone and Lance both seemed to back down their intensity a hair, which helped Paul do the same.