"Is the sample dangerous?” William had asked, concerned that Amanda might suffer negative side effects.
"No, the synthetic dragon serum will only increase her sex drive.” York had grinned and slapped William on the back as if they were old friends. “No harm in that."
"How much for the formula?” William knew York wanted an exorbitant price for the product. He had even been arrested several times for dealing in illegal substances, but the local authorities hadn't been able to make the charges stick.
The Dragon Center wouldn't have the same problem. Though the center worked closely with the local and national governments, their objectives at times differed. Achieving them meant occasionally working outside the usual constraints of the law. This was one of those times.
William, feeling the pressures from the current political climate, needed to tread softly where legalities were concerned so as not to upset the current administration. Cornerman's whole career was built on targeting the dragon blood populace as evil. His endless accusations gained him favor with his local constituents. He claimed the special abilities dragon people used to win wars were a threat to the average person. Superior intelligence, fast reaction skills and a willingness to take a high level of risk were all a crime now, according to Cornerman.
"How long until we get to the cabin?” Amanda's voice jerked William back to the present.
He looked again at their position displayed on the map screen. “We should be able to drop out of the cruising lane at the next exit point."
"Good, I'm getting hungry,” she said sleepily.
William's stomach growled, and he wondered which one of her hungers would claim her attention first.
* * * *
The wooden panels of her brother's cabin glowed from the warmth of the fire. Afternoon shadows danced over William's features, from the strong line of his jaw to the concern in his eyes as he smiled and snapped up his suit. “I'm sorry, but I need to check in at the local DC office."
Amanda lay on the bed, glad for the opportunity to run an errand of her own. She had things she needed to do without him being aware. “Are you planning to discharge my father from his job at the Dragon Center?"
He shook his head. “No. He'll be suspended for three months."
"Why? He deserves to be terminated.” Amanda's father was a slacker. He didn't care about anyone but himself. She'd sometimes wondered if he was actually the one responsible for Mark's death. Mark had been under her father's command, and he had opposed their marriage. Could he have done something so terrible?
"Not today, I have other things I need to do.” William leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. “I'll be back as soon as I can. Why don't you try and get some rest?” He walked to the door. “I won't be long."
Listening intently, she tracked his footsteps down the stairs to the first floor and waited for the front door to close before jumping out of bed. With the click of the metal bond that locked the front door, she rushed to the closet. She needed to get into town and back before he returned. Grabbing a shirt and pants from the hooks, she dressed in record time.
The cold gray day greeted her when she opened the cabin door. With her head buried beneath her brother's turtle hat, his thick plumose coat around her shoulders and his heavy boots on her feet, she trudged down the wet muddy trail on her way into the village.
She loved the diversity represented within her culture. This morning, she'd been married in a hopping resort city with high rise hotels and games of every description. Now, she fought a northerly wind blowing against her stride on the outskirts of a quaint little town from the pre-dragon era. Tomorrow, she'd be back in the metropolitan city of Madisonville.
Cheesy, rural and modern, all within easy reach.
Hitting the village business district, she turned onto a street lined with small curio shops. Odds and ends stared at her through the large windows. The stone path, weathered and worn, demanded she watch her steps. She didn't let anything distract her from her mission. The café on the corner of Main and Broadway was her destination.
When the quaint refashioned house trimmed in white finally came in sight, Amanda picked up her pace. The bell above the door rang as she entered. Several people turned from their small nooks or from their tables to look.
She nodded at a few friends as she walked to the back corner where she normally sat. The bright glow of the fireplace and the large comfy rockers had drawn a few patrons to sit around the inviting warmth. The weather outside was turning progressively nasty with the additional threat of sleet or pellet storm.
"So you've finally decided to surface.” The tall red-head with an apron around her waist sent Amanda a wicked grin. “Was he as good as you look? Or is sleep not included in your prenup?"
"Very funny,” Amanda said to her niece, who could have passed for her younger sister. “I don't have time for chatter. Did you get my message?"
Dee smiled and took several napkins from her pocket. “I guess that means you'd like the usual?"
Amanda held out her hand for the folded cloth. “Yes, the hotter, the better."
As her niece walked away to fill her order, Amanda uncovered the small vial Dee had cleverly hidden in the napkin. She pricked her finger with the pin in the cork and milked a few drops of blood into the container. After re-corking the vial, she slid the blood sample back into its hiding place just as her niece returned with a drink.
"So how long are you staying in town?” Dee set Amanda's cider on the table.
"Don't know. William hasn't said exactly when he wants to get back to Madisonville.” Now that she had accomplished her mission, she relaxed and added a dash of spice to her drink. The wet spoon she placed across her napkin was a signal to Dee. The vial hidden in the cloth's folds was ready.
"Where do you plan on living? His house or yours?” Dee's question was interrupted when the bell over the door sounded again. She glanced in that direction. Her jaw clenched. “Don't look now, but I think you have more trouble headed your way."
Amanda didn't have to turn to see who'd come through the door. She knew by the loud rumble of the man's voice. “Hey, neighbor."
She balled her hands into fists. “Pickled herons, I could have gone all day without seeing that man and been happy."
Her father greeted Dee from across the room. “Dee, my darling child, bring your dear grand pappy a pint."
Dee smiled and walked to the bar, where a drink was already waiting for Seth Butterfield. The local bartender knew Seth's likes. Her father probably came into the café everyday.
"Still want help cleaning out your study?” Dee asked her grandfather.
"Can always use the help?” Seth's broad grin faded quickly when he caught Amanda's angry glare. “Well, the saints must be smiling. If it ain't my dear rich daughter looking like a beggar in man's breeches. I almost didn't recognize you, Amanda."
He walked toward her, looking dapper in his suit. Across the table from her, he pulled out a chair and sat down. “What? That new man I found for you can't afford decent clothes for his woman?"
"For that little stunt, I should pay your lover's husband to bury your body,” Amanda whispered in an unkind tone. Then she raised her voice to satisfy the polite people in the tavern. “I came by for a quick visit with Dee. Saw no reason to get all dolled up.” Amanda forced the napkins she'd had in her lap into her cup and placed the one containing the blood vial on top. “I'm just on my way out. So I'll let my generous pappy pay for my drink."
His sly smile irritated. She wanted to slap some sense into him to stop his stupid habits. The man was always living beyond his means. Fancy clothes. Fast vehicles. His financial problems had been the reason for her second marriage. That time she'd been willing to bail him out, so she could escape the steady stream of men who wanted to marry her. But not anymore. Her father needed to learn his limitations.
"No need, lassie. Your credit is always good,” Seth said with a broad smile.
Her eyes narrowed. She waited
until Dee had cleared her things from the table before she stood up. “I do hope you enjoy your vacation, Father, but my account in this tavern is closed. Your drinks are on your coin."
Turning, Amanda sent a quick glance in Dee's direction to see if the girl was heading for the kitchen. The results on the blood test shouldn't take very long. “I'll check in with you later, Dee."
The girl waved and stepped through a swinging door.
The weather conditions hadn't improved when Amanda walked back outside. Along with the brisk wind was the spit of a cold mist. She turned up the collar of her coat and retraced her steps to the cabin.
She was enticed by the idea of a warm bath. With William gone, she planned to relax for a few bongs, perhaps catch up on her sleep. Either the energy it took to make love as often as she needed to support the baby or being pregnant was wearing her out. She'd never been this tired after missing a few bongs of shut-eye before.
His spicy scent hit her the moment she entered the cabin. She glanced at the roaring fire. Both chairs in front of it were empty. Her gaze darted to the heavy wooden door to the kitchen as it opened. His large unyielding form appeared in the entrance. Dark eyes tracked her as she turned to close the door.
His quick stride had him beside her before she could latch the metal bond. A large hand circled her forearm and yanked her up against his chest. “Where have you been?"
Chapter Seven
The heat in his eyes wasn't only from anger. Concern swam in their depths. It shocked her to know he might have been worried.
She removed her hat to give herself a few moments to think. “I went to town to see my niece."
"In this weather, you could have fallen and hurt the baby."
Tugging her arm from his hold, she threw her hat back to its place on the small table by the door and unbuttoned her coat. She should have guessed his only concern was for his child. “I'm fine, thank you."
She hung her jacket over the hook and took off her boots before she turned.
His large form blocked her path. “I don't want you going anywhere without telling me."
"Tough.” She started to shove past him, but he grabbed her shoulders, jerking her back in his arms.
"No, as my wife, you'll follow my wishes.” He lifted her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “I don't like your habit of disappearing."
She wanted to fight, to claw his skin to pieces, but instead, she felt tears gather. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes to shut him out. Her hands clutched his shirt. She hated water spigot women who cried whenever they didn't get their way.
"I am not a piece of property.” One that is loved and cherished by a concerned husband. The depressing thought turned on her tears. She tried to pull out of his arms, but his grip tightened.
"You're my wife. And I can't take the chance something might happen to you.” He hugged her close. She smelled the warm citrus blend of his unique scent. Whether it was her strong desire for him or the change in hormones, she wanted to believe he cared about her, and not just because she was carrying his baby.
"The current political unrest has created a need for caution. As Director of the Dragon Center, I have some powerful enemies. People who would like to gain control over my decisions. I can't take the risk they might use you as a way of getting to me. That's part of the reason I haven't married until now.” William's words sent a splash of icy water over her hopes that he felt anything but lust for her.
She'd wanted to avoid marriage to William. Yet here she was his wife, pregnant with his child. The last part she didn't regret, but she didn't like having to report to a husband about where she was or what she did.
And her meeting with York had been a bust. Her only hope was the drug he slipped her matched the chemical found in her and Mark's blood after his death.
At the time, it had been the reason the authorities believed she might have murdered her husband. What the police didn't understand was how she'd gotten drugged along with him. Luckily, Mark's hidden lab in the basement of their home hadn't been discovered when the authorities searched the house.
Past hurt, mixed with current despair, made Amanda slump against William. “I refuse to be a prisoner."
He scooped her up in his arms and turned for the stairs. “I'm only asking for you to let me know where you are at all times. I can do the same thing by putting a tracer on your tracking code."
She put her head on his shoulder and her arms around his neck. “Then you better set up the device, because I'm not going to report to you my every move."
Reaching the stairs, he took them two at a time. His anger burned through his clothes. “Why must you be such an obstinate woman?"
"No, why do you need to be such a possessive man?” she mumbled sleepily against his ear.
"I should...” He placed her on the soft bed and adjusted the pillow beneath her head.
She opened her eyes briefly and looked at him. His heated gaze skimmed her body.
"Where did you get these pants?"
What was it about her clothes that riled the men around her? Why did they care what she wore?
Feeling no need to answer his question or make a comment, she closed her eyes. At the moment, she didn't care what he thought. Nor did she have the energy to fight about something as inane as the clothes she wore to town. They had bigger issues to battle.
* * * *
Looking down at Amanda's beautiful naked form, William slid the blankets up under her chin. Then he turned and picked the offensive clothes off the wooden floor.
Where Amanda had gotten such awful clothes, he didn't know, but these were history. He tossed them in the fireplace and watched them burn. His anger with the lady behind him sizzled along with the clothing. She didn't understand the danger she could be in by being his wife. Nor did she comprehend his desire to know where she was every second.
His short trip to the local Dragon Center had proved unproductive. His mind had hounded him with pictures of Amanda being stalked, an unknown danger on the edge of his consciousness. He'd somehow sensed she was in trouble.
Her absence upon his return had accelerated his concern, and his pulse had sped into overdrive. He'd been at the point of calling in a tracer for her location when she walked through the door.
He glanced at her sleeping form again. Now that he knew she was safe, maybe he could get some work done.
Down in the kitchen, he took out his messenger. Their earlier conversation reminded him he still needed to place a permanent tracer on her personal tracking code. If she wasn't going to play by his rules, he'd put other measures into place. The lady wasn't going to escape him again.
Nail down security on Amanda.
Need investigation info on Seth, yesterday.
W.
Jake, a Dragon Center agent and William's best friend, would get the information he was looking for. After hearing the way Amanda talked about her father, he was beginning to suspect Seth of more than an extramarital affair. He was Mark's leader at the time of his death. Maybe, Seth knew more than he was telling.
And with Amanda's interest in Mark's death and Seth's suspension from his position at the Dragon Center, it was a good time to do a little internal house cleaning.
Some nagging premonition told William that Amanda's father hadn't always adhered to the strict guidelines of proper Dragon Center conduct.
After sending additional notes to different department heads about several ongoing projects, William logged in to the Dragon Center database to check out the reason for Amanda's exhaustion.
A few bongs later, he was still reading about possible solutions when Amanda's footsteps sounded on the stairs. He logged off and formed a strategy for helping her deal with her lack of energy.
The sweet tangy scent of her body jolted his cock awake, and it swelled the moment she walked into the room. He'd been too long without a release.
She paused just inside the doorway, her eyes meeting his with a shyness that surprised him. “I ... uh ..
. need..."
"Come here.” He shoved his chair away from the table. She stepped toward him and straddled his lap. The thin robe around her shoulders slid open to reveal her naked body.
Her greedy hands unsnapped his stirrup pants, freed his erection and positioned the head of his penis against her wet heat. She slid quickly down over him, and the muscles in her tight channel twitched with need.
She didn't wait for encouragement. The powerful lust of her flesh ruled her actions, forcing her hips to pump fast and furious over him. Her fingers gripped his shoulders. She rode the beast of carnal desire coursing through her veins.
A flush stained her porcelain skin as intense concentration tightened her face. Eyes closed, head back, he studied the steady pulse at her throat. Her red hair played with the peaks of breasts, teasing the tips while they bounced up and down. Her moist lips panted for air.
The fire and light beating through her graceful form spoke to him. A whispered language that captured his undivided attention sent his head spinning and demanded he give of himself. She opened a place in his soul, carved a hole that only she could occupy.
Her screams of completion echoed his need to hold her tighter, take her farther, absorb her very essence into each fiber of his being. She wasn't just his wife. She was Amanda, his heart, the beat that kept him alive.
His body pulsed with the superior forces sucking at his senses, seeking his surrender of the gift of his testicles. He rode the rough wave until he couldn't hold back any longer. With a groan of intense satisfaction, the rapid fire of his sperm spilled into her womb.
She collapsed against him, exhausted from the activity. The orange peppery scent of her release merged with his citrus heat and filled the air. After reviewing the data he'd just obtained from his research, he knew they hadn't achieved their ultimate objective.
The lady definitely needed a dragon kiss.
"Amanda, I think I know why you're so tired.” William shifted her in his arms.
She raised her head. “Not enough iron?"
"No, I did a little research. Early in a pregnancy, a dragon lady's womb has a tendency to close or have a very small opening.” He rushed on when she raised an eyebrow. “Which means the baby isn't getting the nutrition I've been feeding him."
Black Dragon's Blood Page 5
