Celtic Dragons

by Dee Bridgnorth

  And then she turned her head, bending her neck so that she could look back at him over her right wing, their eyes connecting.

  The dragon’s green eyes were hers. It was still Moira there, inside that incredible creature before him. The same light was there, the same humor, the same skepticism and intelligence and ability to keep him in line like no other woman had ever hoped to be able to do. He looked into her green eyes, and he saw the woman he knew, but he saw her better. Deeper. Differently. He saw her in a way that no other human ever had, and his heart flipped over in his chest, changing everything for him in that one, perfect moment.

  It felt to Grady as though they were in a world all to themselves, and he was almost resentful when the chocolate-brown dragon he had—somehow—not even noticed before swept past Moira, nudging her wing with his. Kean was urging her to go higher and follow him up over the trees and up to the levels where they would no longer have to worry about being sighted by wandering human eyes.

  Moira opened her mouth and called to her friend, a sound foreign to Grady’s ears, but then she looked back at him and he could have sworn that she smiled as she looked into his eyes once more. Lowering herself down, she landed on the grass in front of him and beckoned with her head, urging him to walk closer to her.

  He held his breath as he moved forward, and as he reached out to touch the scales on her neck, he knew that, for as long as he lived, he would never forget this exact moment. He also knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he would never, ever be part of hurting Moira or anyone she cared about. Her secret had been exposed. The technician had seen the same footage he had, and there was a recording of what she was. But Grady would be willing to pay any sum or exercise any power available to him to make sure that nothing negative came her way because of what had happened down in his vault.

  She nudged his shoulder with her nose, and he looked up at her, wondering if he was just imagining the smile in her eyes. Then, with her help, he lifted himself off the ground, scrambling over her wing and onto her back, his body settling between the ridges of scales that were there, waiting to shelter him. When she took off into the air again, the wind rushed past him, rustling his hair and pulling at his clothing. He had gone skydiving, parasailing, and bungee jumping, his money and his love of taking risks opening plenty of doors for him. At the time, he had thought the rush of those activities was the highest high he would ever experience, but he was wrong.

  Flying through the cool Boston air on Moira’s back, lifting higher and higher until the air grew thin and even colder, was the most incredible experience of his entire life, and no matter what happened to him, from this moment forward, it would always remain so. Grady placed his palms on her back, pressing into her hard armor and hoping that, somehow, she could feel what he was feeling traveling through his body into hers.

  Perhaps she did, because Moira took off faster, rising higher, and she looked back at him, her eyes meeting his once more before she spun around, her tail whipping past Grady’s face as he clung to her and laughed in amazement. She was playing with him—giving him an exciting ride—and he loved it.

  “Go higher,” he called to her, his voice carrying over the wind as a laugh followed. “Is this all you’ve got?”

  This time when she looked back, there was a smirk on her lips and she took off, carrying him through the sky and completely changing his life at the same time.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Moira

  Moira couldn’t stop yawning, but she didn’t mind it. She’d stayed out almost all night, flying with Kean and Grady until Kean had decided to go home, leaving Moira and Grady to the night by themselves. She hadn’t wanted to return to reality, and Grady hadn’t either, both of them more than content to continue to soar over the ocean into the infinite darkness of the dead of night. Moira had flown all of her life—ever since her transitions began when she was a young child—but it had never felt the way it had the night before, sharing it with Grady. She hadn’t wanted the night to end, and when they returned to the clearing, they had lingered there for another few hours, lying on the grass, silent, staring up at the stars. They hadn’t needed to talk, because talking ran the risk of returning them to the real world where supernatural forces threatened Grady’s livelihood and Moira’s safety. Talking ran the risk of them discussing the connection between them and making bad decisions. Talking ran the risk of ruining the total perfection of the still silence that hung between them.

  So they hadn’t. Not until the first light of dawn began to peek over the trees and they were forced to face reality again. Then she had taken him back to his car so he could drive home and get just a bit of sleep before having to return to the office. She hadn’t slept at all, instead going back to her house only to marvel at all the changes that had taken place in the last twelve hours.

  She wanted to linger in the peace of the night before, but the situation at Grady’s business prevented that. The day before had yielded absolutely nothing in the way of answers to his problem, and she had run out of material to review quickly after arriving at his office that morning. If she wanted to know what was at work in the underground levels of his building, she was going to have to go down there herself and tempt whatever was there to come after her. Ronan would hardly approve, and Grady probably would not either. The day before, she herself had not approved of such a thing, but she didn’t know what other choice she had.

  And Grady would soon be out of his early morning meeting, and if she was still in his office when he returned she risked him forbidding her—not that it would stop her—or trying to talk to her about the night before—which would only ruin the incredible memory. She needed to get down there to the vault as soon as possible and take matters into her own hands. At least this time she knew that any attack would be focused solely on her, which was infinitely better than having to put any of her friends at risk.

  Moira slipped from Grady’s office and made a beeline for the elevator, jamming her finger against the button that would close the doors quickly. The elevator was mirrored, and she spent the long ride down staring at herself and noting her flushed cheeks and bright eyes. She had her hair tamed into a ponytail, though it was resisting with a series of rebellious pieces that liked to pop out and frame her face. As usual, her face was almost bare, her green eyes dominating and her freckles adding a level of interest to her perky nose and pink cheeks. She was pleased with what she saw, overall, but for the first time, it occurred to her that she was probably wasn’t the type of woman that Grady was usually interested in.

  Men of his position and wealth could have their choice of women, and surely he gravitated toward tall, thin blondes with tanned skin, long legs, and perfect features. Moira was slender and curvy, just over average height, and while she could certainly be described as leggy, her skinny jeans and white flats didn’t emphasize it the same way that a model’s heels and short skirt would.

  An uncharacteristic flash of insecurity came over her, and she wondered if that was why Grady had been so quick to agree to her ground rule that things wouldn’t become personal between them.

  It was just a brief thought that she immediately dismissed by invoking the memory of the way he looked at her and the ways he had touched and kissed her. But it still bothered her that she’d had the thought at all. She had never doubted her own desirability—ever—and she was used to attracting plenty of attention anytime she walked into the room, whether she wanted to or not. There was nothing for her to be insecure about, and yet the way she felt about Grady had inspired that in her.

  It wasn’t okay, and it dimmed her cheery mood as the elevator doors slid open.

  Her mood only continued to dim as she stepped off of the elevator and approached the spot where she had initially gotten such a dark feeling the first time that she had entered the space. The feeling was still there, but, if possible, more potent. It moved over her, skimming over her skin and making her desperate to claw her way out of her human form and into her dragon fo
rm for protection and security.

  She resisted though and moved toward the wall where the feeling was coming from. Closing her eyes, she placed her palm against the wall and just felt, letting the darkness seep into her and hoping that it would provide her with some kind of answer. But she only waited and waited, growing more anxious with each passing minute and never getting an enlightening flash of recognition.

  Moira pulled her hand away, her brow furrowed as she stared at the steel wall, willing whatever was behind it to reveal itself to her. It refused though, and she began to walk down the hall, still searching for answers.

  The further she got from the elevator, the more the feeling faded, and she found herself playing a frustrating game of hot and cold with herself as she paced back and forth, trying to determine where exactly the feeling of dread began to dissipate.

  “What are you?” she muttered to herself, crouching low to see if the feeling she was getting was any stronger if she was lower to the ground.

  As if in answer to her question, the supernatural feeling she was chasing hit her straight in the face, so strong that it almost bowled her over. She caught her balance though, bracing herself against the floor with one hand.

  “I’ve got you,” she whispered, running a finger along the seam between the floor and wall, both covered in steel. Why Grady had felt the need to line everything down here in a sheet of metal was beyond her, but she supposed that men liked such displays at times. Right now though, his desire to build a cool secret underground lair was getting in the way of her investigation.

  Hooking her fingers into the seam between the two pieces of steel, she used her superhuman strength to pull. The metal didn’t give way, but it did shift slightly under her fingertips. Moira was strong in her human form—stronger than any human man—but she didn’t have her full supernatural strength unless she was in her dragon form. She wouldn’t be able to pull the steel back to see beneath it, but her instincts told her that was exactly what she needed to do.

  She bit her lip, considering, then pulled out her phone and texted Grady.

  Is there security down here at the vault right now?

  She sent the text, not wanting to risk going around the corner to see for herself and attracting the attention of anyone who might be standing there.

  His reply was almost instant.

  No, what’s the point? It’s not working anyway.

  That was a hard point to argue with. She texted back.

  Right. What about surveillance?

  Yes, there are still cameras. Why? Where are you?

  Glancing above her, she tried to locate the cameras, but of course Grady would have the money to buy the highest-tech version. They would be invisible to her, no doubt.

  Turn them off.

  There was a longer pause before he texted her back this time.

  Why? Where are you? Tell me you’re not down there.

  She didn’t have time to argue with him—or rather, she didn’t want to take the time to argue with him.

  Trust me to do my job. Turn the cameras off. Please?

  Minutes ticked by slowly, and she began to wonder if he was just going to ignore her. Or perhaps he was in a meeting. Or on a phone call. Surely he wouldn’t just stop texting her for no reason, and if he thought he was going to control her investigation by just not talking to her—

  Okay, I turned them off. What are you doing?

  His text came in, interrupting the mental spiral she was going down. She smiled at the screen, shaking her head at herself. What was it about this man that affected her so much and made her act in ways that were so foreign to her?

  Thank you. I’ll explain later.

  She watched the screen for another moment, then bit her lip and sent one more text.

  XO

  It was an impulse that she didn’t know why she followed, but she couldn’t very well take the text back, so she put her phone on the ground and, with reasonable expectation of privacy, stripped off her clothing. She knew she had Grady’s support to do whatever she needed to for the investigation, so she closed her eyes and transitioned into her dragon form, just as she had done the night before with him watching.

  It was a cramped space, even though the tunnel was quite spacious. She was large when she transitioned, and her wings couldn’t completely unfurl as she struggled to turn around and face the direction she needed to. It was a relief to give into what her body had been urging her to do, and she could feel the strength and power moving through her as she hooked her talons in the seam of the floor and wall and pulled.

  The steel gave way almost immediately, the floor peeling back to reveal packed dirt beneath it. A deep satisfaction filled Moira as she pulled harder, prying up more of the flooring and exposing what lay under it. She didn’t know what she would find there, in the dirt, but instinctively she knew she was on the right track.

  It wasn’t long, though, until she couldn’t move any further back, the restrictions of the underground space proving difficult. Her long tail pressed up against the wall, forcing her to bend at an odd angle, and she couldn’t get any more leverage to use her arms to pull back the steel. She would have to make do with what she had accomplished, and she let go, transitioning back into her human form just as the elevator doors opened with a loud ding.

  “Moira!”

  She spun, using her hands to cover herself as her eyes locked onto Grady standing in a state of shock inside of the elevator.

  “What are you doing?” he demanded, only seeing her standing there naked, not realizing that it was because she had just transitioned. She was aware enough to realize how odd it looked.

  But she was more concerned about the way he was looking at her once he’d recovered from his shock. If she’d felt any insecurity in the elevator, it was gone now as his heated gaze slid over her from head to toe, his desire written all over his face.

  He took a step toward her, and Moira stepped backward.

  “Grady…”

  “I just came down to make sure you were okay,” he said, his voice low and deep. “You look very…very okay.”

  “Grady,” Moira said again, holding up a hand as he came near her. “I can explain.”

  “I don’t need an explanation.” He reached out, wrapping his hand around hers and tugging her to him. “Tell me you don’t want me to kiss you.”

  Moira was an honest woman, which made situations like these difficult. “I do want you to kiss me,” she said, gripping his arms as he held her against him. His mouth lowered toward hers, his eyes flashing with need, but before their lips touched, she whispered, “But…”

  A lesser man would have kissed her anyway, taking what he wanted when it was more than clear that she wanted it too.

  But Grady groaned and stopped short, resting his forehead against hers instead as he looked into her eyes. “But what?”

  “But we said we wouldn’t.”

  “Then why are you naked in my vault?” He grinned wolfishly, one hand trailing down to her hip. “Tell me it’s not because you want me in your vault…”

  She had to laugh, lowering her head to rest against his shoulder. “I’m attracted to you too. That part was never a trick, Grady. But I just…”

  “You just what?” he whispered, his arms slipping around her to just hold her now, almost as though he was cradling her body to keep her safe.

  Moira felt herself melt against him, and Grady felt it too. He kissed her neck, and she didn’t tell him to stop. He nuzzled at her ear, and she moaned softly. His lips traced her jaw, and she let her head fall back, her lips offered up to him. He took her offering, covering her mouth with his and kissing her deeply. She couldn’t—didn’t want to—resist, and her hands lifted, tangling in his hair as she pressed him closer. The connection between them chased away the feeling of dread she always had when standing in this particular spot, and she forgot everything except his mouth on her lips and his hands moving over her body.

  Reaching down to her hips, he lifted
her up to his waist, letting her legs wrap around him. In her state of total nakedness, it put them immediately into an intimate situation, and her hips rocked helplessly against his as images of undoing his belt filled her mind. Sliding her hand down between them, she pulled at his belt, trying to get it off him without having to take her legs from around his waist.

  “You want that?” Grady growled in her ear, pressing her up against the wall right beside the spot she had torn up with her talons.

  As soon as her back touched the steel, though, her skin burned, and she arched away from it, crying out with pain rather than pleasure. “Ouch! Damn it!”

  Grady jolted backward, almost dropping her in his haste not to hurt her. “What? What’s wrong? What is it?”

  Regaining her balance, she spun around to face the wall, jabbing her finger toward it. “It’s that. I don’t know what the hell is back there, but it’s the source of the problem. I know it is. From the first time I stepped off of this elevator, I’ve known there was something there.”

  “Holy crap!” For the first time, Grady noticed the steel floor pulled up behind her. He had been too distracted by her nakedness to notice before, but the spell had been broken, and now he was staring at the destruction, his eyes wide with disbelief. “What happened down here?”

  “Oh, I pulled it up,” Moira said, still staring at the part of the wall that had burned her skin. “I need to get behind here too. I need to see what’s causing this. There’s just no leverage for this area…” She moved closer to the wall, studying it for any spot that her talons could latch onto.

  Grady grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. “Hold on. Back up and tell me what’s going on here. Did you pull up the floor? How is that even possible?”

  “I transitioned.”

  He closed his eyes. “Oh. Right. Of course. That’s why you’re naked.”

  “Of course. Why else?”

  “Because you wanted to seduce me…?”

  She gave him a look, her hands on her hips. “You thought I was standing down here, naked, hoping you would come find me so I could seduce you?”