“Where do you work?” she asked. She was genuinely curious. She’d only met one dragon before, the famous Jasper Moffatt who’d come into her shop to get flowers to impress a girl at the Advocacy Bureau. So maybe Mitch wasn’t entirely correct that dragons didn’t grovel, although she wasn’t sure she’d call what Jasper had done groveling. It had been more like knowing what he wanted and being determined to get it.
“I work in a lot of places,” Mitch was saying. Vicki turned her attention back to him.
“That sounds evasive.”
He laughed. “I’m not trying to evade the question. I’m genuinely not sure how to answer it. I guess the easiest thing to say would be that I work for the High Council. When they see a need for a dragon somewhere, they send me or one of my buddies to fill it. We’re never in one place for long. Right now I’m working with the Torch Lake military, as are two of my other dragon friends. We’re trying to beef up our defenses, since there’s all this trouble lately with the Dark Warriors. But I’ve also worked at the Advocacy Bureau, the Dragon Utilization Department, and even the Bureau of Magical Artifacts.”
“I’m jealous. Must be nice to be able to move around so much and have variety.”
“Yeah. But the grass is always greener somewhere else, right? I often wish I could settle into one office and know I was going to stay there for a while. There’s a good chance I’ll be moving jobs again soon, thanks to this virus scare. The High Council is probably going to send scouts out to try to hunt down any Dark Warriors in southern California. At least I’ll get to be off on a real mission, on the road. That’s always exciting.”
The two of them had both finished their beers by this point, and Mitch signaled the bartender for another round. Vicki didn’t bother protesting. She was too interested now in Mitch and the missions he might be going on. Dragons were always on the front lines of every fight, so they had inside information on everything. It wasn’t every day you got to hear the scoop on life in Torch Lake straight from a dragon’s mouth.
“Do you really think this virus is from the Dark Warriors?” Vicki asked. “It seems a little farfetched.”
Mitch took a long sip from his beer, thinking carefully before answering. “I don’t know, honestly. In some senses, it does seem farfetched. But it is weird that a virus specifically targeting wizards and shifters has suddenly shown up at the same time the Dark Warriors are gaining power. We did some research on it. There hasn’t been a virus that specifically attacks shifters since about a decade ago. Some bear shifter clans up in Alaska managed to get that virus under control. But here’s the really concerning part: that virus was also caused by an enemy group. It was a group of humans that wanted to wipe out shifters from the earth completely.”
Vicki felt a chill run down her spine. Mitch was suggesting that whenever these types of viruses showed up, foul play was involved. Still, it didn’t entirely make sense. “The Dark Warriors are all wizards and shifters themselves. If they created and set loose a virus like this, they’re putting themselves at risk, too. Why would they take a chance at wiping themselves out?”
“It does seem weird. But there’s much more to this story than the minute-long blip reported on the news tonight. There has to be. And I wish the news hadn’t reported anything until there was clearer information on what was going on. All they’ve done is stir up a bunch of panic. That’s why the bar is so crowded tonight, you know? Everyone came out to discuss what’s going on with the virus. It’s a bunch of speculation and fear mongering and I hate it.”
“I do, too,” Vicki said, suddenly liking Mitch even more. “I can’t stand it when people jump to conclusions or run around freaking out about stuff they don’t understand.”
Mitch gave her a sideways glance and an adorably boyish grin. “You’re my kind of girl,” he said, and raised his beer mug to toast her again. This time, she didn’t bother telling him that she wasn’t interested in pickup lines. Because the truth was, she was actually enjoying flirting with Mitch. It had been a long time since she’d let a guy flirt with her. They always got too attached and thought it meant something if she let them buy her some drinks in a bar. But she got the sense that Mitch was different. He wasn’t out here looking for a lifemate, or whatever it was the shifters all called their supposed soulmates. Mitch was just looking for a good time. Vicki was down with that.
They changed the subject, then, talking first about their favorite restaurants in Torch Lake, then arguing over whether broomstick flying should be a professional sport, as it currently was. They drank round after round of beer as they discussed whether the trail system around Torch Lake needed improvements, and debated the best spots in town to watch the sun set over the lake. By that time, they were both well past tipsy, and the bar had finally started to clear out.
Vicki didn’t resist when Mitch reached over and put his hand on her thigh. In fact, she relished the thrill of tingling warmth it gave her when he started stroking that thigh with his thumb.
“You know, the best place of all to see a sunset in Torch Lake is my house. My patio looks over the lake, and on a clear day it’s amazing. Red, orange, pink, yellow. The lake always looks like it’s on fire.”
Vicki rolled her eyes dramatically. “Lots of people have patios overlooking the lake. What makes yours the best?”
“The fact that I’m there.” He leaned in and kissed her then, and to her surprise she did not resist. The whole bar seemed to disappear as he let his lips linger on hers, one hand still on her thigh and the other reaching up to stroke her face. Her mind screamed at her that she was being reckless and ridiculous and that she was letting her tipsy state get the best of her, but she couldn’t bring herself to care in that moment. Nothing had ever tasted as good as Mitch’s lips.
He pulled back to look at her, gauging her reaction. She glanced over at the rest of the bar. There were only a handful of people left. A rowdy group of wizards across the room was still playing magic swivel ball, and a couple shifters were having a serious competition over at the dart boards.
The bar top was almost empty. Only one other couple besides Mitch and Vicki still sat in barstools, but they were on the opposite side of the long bar top. Vicki felt like she and Mitch were in their own little world, especially when he leaned in and kissed her again. Fireworks went off in her body, and when he pulled away once more she couldn’t help letting her gaze slide hungrily over the dragon in front of her. He looked like the image of male perfection. His muscles were all strong and sculpted. His legs were long and strong. He was wearing a pair of shorts, so she could see his calf muscles clearly, and she liked what she saw. He clearly did not skip leg day at the gym. Her gaze traveled upward and she admired his muscular arms and strong neck. Every part of him seemed to radiate pure power. No wonder dragons were revered. If he looked this strong in human form, she couldn’t imagine how fearsome he must be in dragon form.
His broad chest seemed to beckon for her to put her hand on it, so she did. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, smiling coyly as she relished the sight of his handsome face. His dark hair was perfectly mussed up right now, and he had just a hint of stubble on his sculpted jaw line. His skin showed off a glowing tan that perfectly brought out the green of his eyes.
Vicki couldn’t help herself. She was smitten.
She realized then, that he had been looking her up and down as well. She blushed, and lowered her eyes, but he reached for her chin and raised it again, forcing her to meet his gaze. Her hand was still on his chest, and she could feel his heart beating. It felt like it was racing as fast as hers right now. He wanted her body as badly as she wanted his, and that realization sent a thrill through her. It had been a long time since she’d wanted a man like this. Usually, even the handsome ones drove her away with all their attempts to be smooth. The lines they used reminded her too much of the men who came into her shop, thinking that flowers solved everything.
Mitch had been different, though. He’d said a few cheesy things, but
he’d said them in jest. He had an easy confidence that she loved. He wasn’t desperate for her like so many men in a bar always seemed to be. No, Mitch was the exact opposite of desperate. And that made Vicki want to kiss him all night. Kiss him and more.
But she had to get a hold of herself. She couldn’t lead on anyone, especially not a dragon. So when Mitch lowered his voice and said, “Let’s get out of here,” Vicki shook her head.
“I can’t,” she said, her voice suddenly trembling.
Mitch reached up to push a stray lock of hair behind her ear, then planted another soft kiss on her lips. Her whole body filled with fire.
“Why not? You have a boyfriend you haven’t told me about?”
“No! Of course not! It’s just that…any time I go home with a guy he ends up thinking it means something when I was just having a little bit of fun. I don’t do relationships. It’s not my thing.”
“Good,” Mitch said. “I don’t do relationships either. But I do like having a little bit of fun. Want to go back to my place and have a little fun?”
Vicki bit her lip and hesitated for a moment. Mitch winked at her.
“I promise I don’t bite,” he said, then his voice turned husky. “At least, I don’t bite unless it’s the kind of biting you want, if you know what I mean.”
Vicki felt her stomach flip-flop with excitement. Maybe she would regret this tomorrow, but what was the point in being single if you couldn’t have a little fun now and then?
“Fine,” she said. “Let’s get out of here.”
The room felt like it was spinning as she hopped off the barstool and let him take her hand and lead her toward the exit—but she had a feeling the spinning sensation wasn’t coming from the several beers she’d had.
It was coming from the realization that she was about to go home with a dragon. Tonight was turning out to be not so bad after all.
Chapter Three
Vicki slipped into the back of the cab, already trembling with anticipation. Mitch hopped in behind her, and had barely closed the door behind him when his hands were on her once again. He’d insisted on calling a taxi, since both of them had drunk way past the amount that made them safe to drive. Vicki couldn’t help but feel pleased at the fact that he was insisting on taking care of her. She knew any good friend would have done the same thing, and that Mitch was looking out for himself as much as her, since he wasn’t in a condition to drive either. Still, it felt good to have someone, anyone, around to care about what she was doing. She’d been so busy with the flower shop the last few years that she hadn’t made many friends in Torch Lake.
Normally, she would have been embarrassed to make out in front of a cab driver, but right now she was too turned on to care. It had been so long since she’d let a guy kiss her, and longer still since she’d been this attracted to a man. In fact, she tried to remember if she had ever been quite this turned on before.
Who could blame her for feeling this way? She was going home with a dragon shifter, after all. Vicki didn’t consider herself the type to be impressed by famous people, but she couldn’t deny that she was feeling a little star-struck by Mitch. There weren’t that many dragons in Torch Lake, and, despite what Mitch said, they did keep to themselves quite a bit. She didn’t think they purposefully meant to exclude other people. They were all just really close. But this exclusivity only added to the mystique surrounding the dragons.
And now, Vicki was getting a chance to get very close to one of them. She was going to enjoy this night to the fullest. A renowned dragon shifter, who was witty and friendly, and who had the sexiest damn body she’d ever seen on a man. What more could she ask for?
As for Mitch, he seemed quite taken with her as well, despite the fact that he probably could have had any of the single women at the Winking Wizard tonight. His hands traveled all over her body in the back of that cab, as his tongue dove deep into her mouth. At one point, he reached over and grabbed one of Vicki’s hands to put it between his legs, where he was hard as a rock. She gasped, both from surprise at the boldness of that move, and from the fact that he felt larger than she’d ever thought possible.
She was soaking wet between her legs now, and she couldn’t wait for this cab ride to be over. How was she supposed to hold out much longer, when she knew what pleasure awaited her? Her whole body felt like it was on fire, and her heart was pounding so fast and hard that she could feel it pushing out against her chest.
Mitch reached up and cupped her breasts in one of his hands. They had stopped at a stoplight, and Vicki glanced nervously up at the cab driver. But the man was keeping his eyes discreetly fixed on the road ahead of them, and Vicki decided not to care anymore what he thought. She was about to enjoy one of the wildest nights of her life. She could already tell.
Mitch’s hands massaged her breasts through her shirt, and the tingling heat she felt increased. How much longer was it to his house? She wanted to get out of these clothes and feel his skin on her skin.
The cab had started climbing up one of the long, winding roads that led to the top of the hills that surrounded Torch Lake. Vicki almost laughed. She should have known. Of course Mitch lived high above the lake. That’s where all the most expensive property in Torch Lake was located, and she had no doubt that, as a dragon shifter, Mitch was paid very, very well. He might not have been kidding when he said that the best sunset view in town was from his patio.
Unfortunately, it was too late to see the sunset tonight, but it wasn’t too late to have a heck of a lot of fun. When the cab finally pulled in front of a large, modern two story, Vicki felt a mixture of relief and awe. Relief that they were finally here, so they could stop holding themselves back from what they really wanted to do, and awe at the house Mitch lived in. The place was huge, and even from the outside Vicki could tell that no expense had been spared in building this house. Every detail, from the elaborate lampposts on the walkway to the flowerbeds overflowing with blooms, screamed out that whoever owned this place had the money to take good care of it.
Despite her love of flowers, though, Vicki didn’t want to spend much time outside admiring the garden. She wanted to get inside, and out of their clothes. She wanted to see this strong dragon shifter in all his naked glory. The thought made her tremble with anticipation.
It took a while to get inside, though, because Mitch kissed her all the way up the long pathway to the front door, His hands were underneath her shirt now, and he slipped his fingers between her bra and her breasts. Vicki stifled a gasp at the sheer ecstasy of that feeling. Having his fingers directly against the skin of her breasts filled her with such a strong heat of desire that she could hardly hold back from screaming. He seemed to realize the effect he was having on her because he only grasped her breasts tighter as they kissed their way up to the front door.
Once they were inside, out of sight from any nosy neighbors, Mitch wasted no time in taking off Vicki’s shirt and bra completely. He threw the clothes aside and pushed Vicki up against the wall of his entrance hallway, immediately moving his mouth to her bared breasts. Vicki felt the cool wall against her back, and Mitch’s hot mouth on her nipples, and she felt like she might explode with bliss right then and there. She reached for his shirt, trying to pull it off, but it was difficult to do because he was not at all interested in pulling back from her breasts, even for a second.
When he did finally pull back, his eyes were full of wonder, and hunger. “God, you’re amazing.”
Vicki felt empowered by his wonder, and she batted her eyelashes at him. “You think so, huh? You haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.”
He growled in response, and pulled her deeper into his house. The entrance hallway gave way to a large sitting area, with floor to ceiling windows that overlooked a large patio, which overlooked the lake.
“Wow,” Vicki said, so taken by the view of the moon’s reflection sparkling on the lake that she even forgot about Mitch for a second. But only a second.
He grinned at her. “I
told you it was a good view. You want to go outside?”
“Um, sure, but…” Vicki did want to see the patio, eventually. But she wasn’t ready to stop what they were in the middle of.
Mitch gave her that mischievous look he’d been using all night, and winked. “You want to go outside…naked?”
Before she could answer he was on her like a wild animal, pulling off the remainder of her clothes. Her flip-flops came off easily, and he slid her pants and underwear off like an expert. She tried to reach for his shirt again, but it wasn’t easy to grab a hold of anything because she was trembling so badly at this point. She hadn’t even realized it until she went for his clothes, but her whole body was shaking. The effect he was having on her was unbelievable.
She almost felt embarrassed, but she was almost too turned on to care. She was completely overcome with desire and she decided to embrace it rather than fight it. That was the point of a night of fun, wasn’t it?
Mitch was happy to help her out with tearing off his own clothes. He got rid of his shirt, shorts, and underwear almost as quickly as he’d removed Vicki’s clothes. He stood before her naked for a moment, grinning at her with his chest puffed out in pride. He knew he looked good naked, and he wanted her to see him. Vicki definitely saw him.
She couldn’t stop staring, in fact. His body was a perfect sculpture of muscles, adorned in the center by a large, thick erection. Vicki couldn’t believe her eyes. He was enormous. She stared at his rock hard dick in wonder, not even caring that she was gawking like a fool. It was impossible not to gawk at least a little bit. She’d heard before that dragons were big, in every way. That turned out to be more accurate than she could have imagined.
She felt the wetness between her own legs starting to make a slow trail down her legs. She was ready for this. For a night with a dragon.
Dragon Battling (Torch Lake Shifters Book 10) Page 2
