Maybe because it wasn’t easy finding someone to employ her at all when her father was in prison for armed robbery.
Billie could have lied on her job applications, of course, when it asked for “any further comments,” but what was the point? Once her new employer found out about her father, which they invariably would, then Billie would have very quickly found herself unemployed again.
Besides which, by the time she began working for Gregori Markovic, most of his business empire was legitimate, a condition his wife Gaia had made before she would agree to marry him.
Billie felt a sick lurch in her stomach just thinking about the other woman. She liked Gaia and the Markovics’ children, whom she’d met several times, but Cezar Fescaru, the bastard, had instructed Billie to cause a rift in the Markovic marriage. Billie had refused at first, but the next time she visited her father at the prison, his face had been covered in bruises and two of his ribs were broken, from the beating he had taken from one of the other inmates two days before.
Billie had been pathetically relieved when her one attempt to kiss Gregori had resulted in her being dismissed from his employment.
Fescaru had been less pleased and had instructed Billie to steal twenty million pounds of Markovic’s money online from one of his bank accounts before she left.
Not that she intended sharing any of that with Garrett; it was her own shame to bear.
“It paid well,” she stated flatly.
Garrett looked at her searchingly for several seconds, already knowing that stubborn expression on his mate’s face meant she wasn’t going to tell him any more than what she had already said. That would change once they were mated. Garrett would ensure that it did. “Well, there’s no reason why you couldn’t do the same job for Pendragon Security. But only if you wanted to,” he added as she raised mocking brows.
“You’ve already thought this out,” she mused.
“Only partially,” he defended. “I considered the situation while I was heating the soup.”
“Really?” Billie drawled. “Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but I have responsibilities of my own that don’t include mating a dragon shifter and shutting myself away in rural Wales.”
Tough didn’t even begin to describe this woman. His woman and his mate, Garrett corrected with satisfaction. “Whatever those responsibilities are, we can deal with them together,” he assured.
“Much as I appreciate the offer”—her sarcastic tone said the opposite—“they’re my problems, and I will be the one to sort them out.”
Again, this really wasn’t the time for Garrett to explain about the two of them both dying in three weeks’ time if they didn’t complete their mating, but as Billie’s conversation seemed to be heading in the direction of her asking him to return her to Wales, he really didn’t have any choice in the matter.
He stood up restlessly. “I realize we don’t know each other very well yet—”
“Make that at all,” she drawled.
“I know you want my cock inside you,” Garrett challenged.
Billie scowled at him. “That was said under the influence of an aphrodisiac!”
“Does that make it any less true?”
“No,” she conceded softly. “I found you attractive even before the aphrodisiac,” she admitted begrudgingly.
“See, blunt and straightforward.” Garrett appreciated her honesty. “But,” he sobered, “the fact you now have that aphrodisiac in your system, and it’s in mine too, means that the mating has already begun.”
“So we’ll undo it. What do you mean, no?” she challenged indignantly as Garrett gave a shake of his head.
“It’s irreversible.”
Billie pushed her chair back noisily as she rose abruptly to her feet. “Fuck that. And fuck you.” This situation of mating Garrett and his dragon was something she’d neither asked for nor wanted. “I want to leave,” she stated determinedly. “Take me back to England, right now, and then get the fuck out of my life!”
Chapter 5
“I can’t.”
She scowled at him. “Of course you can.”
“Well, of course I can,” Garrett conceded. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea right now.”
“Why not?” she snapped.
“Well, for one thing, it’s dark outside, and while that isn’t a problem for me, it could be for any aircraft in this area. It would be safer if we left in daylight. That way, I can cloak my appearance but still be able to avoid any obstructions that might come our way. For another,” he continued as she would have spoken, “you’re getting crankier and crankier by the minute, which means your arousal is also deepening—”
“I’ll thank you to leave my arousal out of this!” Her cheeks were ablaze with color as she glared at him.
“I think we need to take care of that before we decide to go anywhere.”
“Take care of it?” she repeated in an outraged voice. “I’m not a car that needs servicing!”
Garrett winced. “I meant we could spend a few more hours here, until daybreak at least, and then think about leaving. And if, during those few hours, we decide to—”
“Take care of my arousal,” she concluded furiously. “I’m not letting you anywhere near me again with that bloody aphrodisiac.” Her eyes narrowed. “Besides which, I only have your word for it that we’re in Iceland.” She strode toward the rocky corridor that led to the entrance. “We could be in a cave beneath your castle for all I know. You could just be telling me that to keep me as your prisoner— Oh dear God…”
Billie came to a halt on the flat rock just outside the cave entrance as she found herself looking up at a clear night sky where millions upon millions of stars were visible above them.
The air was also so clear, it made her feel lightheaded just breathing it in.
Wales was beautiful, and it did have some spectacular night skies, but nothing like this. The sky itself was an inky midnight blue, with tiny magical stars twinkling bright in that darkness. The air was clearer in Wales than it was in London, where she lived, but never so pure it seemed to burn her lungs each time she inhaled a breath.
Besides, the landscape was nothing like the area in North Wales where Pendragon Castle had been built. These were huge majestic mountains, stretching as far as the eye could see, with flat plateaus in between, and absolutely no lights as a sign of habitation for what looked like miles and miles.
“Believe me now?” Garrett murmured as he stepped forward to stand just behind her.
An icy finger seemed to snake down Billie’s spine, making her shiver. Whether with cold or just in reaction to the truth of her situation, she was unsure.
“Let’s go back inside.” Garrett placed an arm lightly about her waist and guided her back into the cave.
Billie looked at him with dazed eyes once they were back in the warmth of the lit cave. “You really did turn into a dragon and fly me to Iceland.”
“I shifted into a dragon,” he correctly softly. “And I thought we’d already established I did that.”
Yes, they had. But Billie had still been hoping it wasn’t true.
Her legs suddenly felt shaky again. “Maybe we should wait until morning to fly back to Wales after all.” She had passed out just from looking at his dragon earlier, but being held in Garrett’s dragon arms, flying thousands of feet above the ground in the middle of the night, was guaranteed to make her comatose, from fear rather than anything else. At least in daylight, she would be able to see any obstruction that came their way. “But there will be no funny business,” she warned him.
One eyebrow rose. “Laughter isn’t usually a woman’s reaction when I take them to bed.”
“I didn’t mean funny ha-ha, and you know I didn’t. Nor,” she continued in a firm voice, “will there be any lovemaking. You and your aphrodisiac have done enough damage for one night.”
“There’s only one bed,” he pointed out practically.
She nodded. “And you won’t be s
leeping in it.”
“I wasn’t thinking of sleeping in it.”
“You won’t be doing anything else in it either, because you’re spending the night in one of the chairs.”
He glanced at the armchairs. “They don’t look comfortable enough to spend the night in.”
Billie gave an unrepentant grin. “I don’t remember saying I wanted you to be comfortable.”
“You’re a hard woman, Billie Rider.”
“And you’re a hard man,” she glanced down pointedly at the bulge inside his jeans. “But that still doesn’t mean you’re spending the night in the bed with me.”
Garrett knew Billie thought she’d gotten the upper hand in that conversation as she crawled beneath the bedcovers still wearing the robe before turning her back on him. But if the sexual discomfort of his brothers’ mates before the mating was completed was an indication, then Billie would be the one begging him to share the bed with her before the night was through.
Two hours later, he knew Billie’s stubbornness was so strong and so deep, she preferred to writhe in agony rather than ask for his help to alleviate her suffering.
Billie wasn’t aware of it yet, but as a dragon shifter, all Garrett’s senses were heightened. At the moment, most especially smell, sound, and sight.
The enticing aroma of Billie’s arousal grew deeper with each passing second, causing Garrett’s cock to become harder along with it.
Within half an hour of her going to bed, Garrett’s preternatural hearing allowed him to discern the slight rustling sound as Billie removed her robe before throwing it on the floor in disgust. Billie’s arousal deepened the sweetness of her perfume, along with that female musk.
Garrett heard the softness of Billie’s gasp next, and he was able to see the slight movements beneath the bedclothes, and seconds later, the sound of her fingers thrusting into her wet pussy.
Billie was pleasuring herself in an effort to relieve the desire coursing through her body.
Garrett knew it wouldn’t help beyond the first few seconds of relief.
Dylan had been doing tests on all of them since Nathaniel met Chloe and realized he had a human for his mate. Quickly followed by Deryk and Izzy. Then Bryn and Tegan. Dylan and Holly. And now Grigor and Gayle. As well as taking blood from all of them on a regular basis, Dylan had wanted semen samples from his brothers and to know the amount and swabs taken of their mates’ cream from sexual arousal.
Some of those ladies had taken exception to the intimacy of that particular examination.
But those tests had proved that the aphrodisiac, once in their mate’s system, meant their sexual arousal couldn’t be assuaged by anyone other than their dragon shifter mate. Not even themselves.
Garrett heard Billie’s soft sigh of completion, followed minutes later by a muttering under her breath as that sexual need returned stronger than ever.
She’d followed that same pattern for the past hour, until Garrett lost count of how many times she came. Her body was now covered in a fine sheen of perspiration, her cheeks flushed, eyes fever bright, the release between her thighs having soaked into the sheet beneath her.
Garrett wasn’t faring much better. His cock had become as hard as iron and threatened to burst the zip on his jeans. Until he eased the metal tag down and unfastened the button at his waist before pulling his boxers beneath his straining balls. Sitting in the darkness with his cock jutting up to his waist and leaking pre-cum on himself wasn’t exactly sexy, but at least the cooler air in the cave gave him some relief. It was helped by the occasional stroke of his hand along that hot and throbbing length.
Until Billie asked for him, he couldn’t do a fucking thing to help either of them—
Billie gave a low groan before calling out. “Garrett!”
His preternatural speed allowed him to be at her side and bending over the bed within seconds. He switched on the bedside lamp so that she could now see him too.
Her hair was clinging to her damp forehead. Tears glistened in her eyes and balanced on her lashes. Her cheeks were bright red with fever. Lips dry. Her skin glowed with that fine sheen of perspiration. Close like this, the aroma of her arousal was so overpowering, it almost brought Garrett to his knees.
“Help me,” she whimpered.
“Be sure this is what you want,” Garrett warned. “I don’t want any accusations later of coercion—” He broke off as she reached up to grab hold of the front of his polo shirt and pulled him down on top of her.
“We’ve gone way past accusations,” she assured him, her breathing erratic. “Now get your clothes off and fuck me,” she spoke through gritted teeth.
He winced. “Maybe if I—”
She thrust her face up aggressively into his. “You really don’t want to mess with me right now, Garrett.”
He clenched his jaw “I’m trying to remain in control for both of us—”
“Fuck control,” she grated. “I want you, and I want you now, damn it.” She glanced down to where his rigid cock jutted out from his unfastened jeans. One of her hands moved down to grasp that turgid flesh, a single firm stroke causing Garrett to gasp and the pre-cum to bubble to the surface and dribble over her fingers. “You want me too,” she announced triumphantly. “Now stop playing hard to get and come to bed.”
Under any other circumstances, Garrett would have gladly taken his clothes off and fucked Billie until they were both raw. Except the aphrodisiac wasn’t only in his saliva but all his bodily fluids. If he came inside Billie now without the mating bite to her nape, it would only intensify her arousal and need to mate, not ease it. With the mating bite, their need to mate over and over again would be animalistic.
But he needed to establish some rules with her before he did anything else.
His fingers curled about both her wrists as he forcibly removed her hand from his cock before lifting her arms above her head and holding them there with one of his hands. “I have no idea how you’ve behaved with your previous lovers, but in our bed, I decide what does or doesn’t happen and when. Understood?”
Billie blinked as some of Garrett’s aggression pierced the sexual haze that held her as firmly in its grip as his hand now did both her wrists. “I need—”
“I know what you need, and I know I’m the only one who can give to you,” he bit out.
“Arrogant bastard!”
He gave a shrug. “It’s the truth. But first you need to know I’m not what you think I am—”
She snorted. “I think we already established that.”
“Listen to me, damn it.” Gray eyes glittered with repressed fury. “When it comes to the women I fuck, I’m in charge. Always. Even my mate. Do you understand?”
Billie stilled, her gaze searching the challenge of Garrett’s expression. There was much more to him than the caring mate he had behaved as toward her so far. He hid it well, but behind that controlled and charming rogue exterior, he was as fierce and dominant as his brother, Grigor. Maybe more so? His words seemed to imply as much.
She moistened her dry lips. “You said I’m your mate.”
He nodded. “And that has allowed you a certain amount of leeway up to now. But you’ve now reached my limit,” he warned. “From this moment on, in bed, at least, you’ll do exactly what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it. Do. You. Understand?”
She glared at him. “I’ll try. But with each second that passes, my arousal is increasing and my control becomes more precarious. My language along with it,” she conceded.
Billie had tried, she really had, not to call out to Garrett for the relief her body so desperately needed. But she had become mindless with that need when nothing else succeeded in easing her arousal. Ignoring it. Masturbating multiple times. The latter only seemed to cause her need for Garrett to touch her to become stronger rather than less.
He nodded. “Keep your hands above your head and don’t move.” He released her wrists to pull the bedcovers down until he had revealed her completely naked body.
Billie gave a low groan as the cooler air in the cave moved lightly over her painfully hard nipples and the throb of her swollen clit. “I take it I’m allowed to make the odd groan or two?” she challenged when Garrett glanced at her.
“You can scream at the top of your lungs if you want to,” he drawled. “There’s no one else to hear you but me and the odd mountain goat that might be passing by.”
Arrogant, mocking, controlling bastard—
Billie’s breath left her in a whoosh and her back arched at the first brush of Garrett’s fingers against the wetness of her folds. “Oh God, yes.” She pressed her pussy against his fingers, needing more, needing him to stroke harder.
Instead, he removed his fingers completely. “We do this my way or not at all.”
She gave him a murderous glare. She had been so close, so close, damn him. “Then get the hell on with it!”
He straightened. “You need to change your tone first.”
“What I need is some part of your anatomy inside me, preferably your cock, taking away and assuaging this ache!”
He rose to his feet. “You aren’t getting anything from me until I know you’re not only listening to me but obeying me too.”
Billie rose onto her knees. “Obey you? How’s this for obeying you?” Her eyes glittered darkly. “Get your naked ass in this bed, or I’m going to hit you over the head with something and just take what I want!”
She would try to do that, Garrett admired.
Billie’s need also meant she had completely forgotten to be self-conscious. Of her desire. Of her own nakedness. Her breasts were pert, nipples hard and a deep rose red. She’d obviously been playing with them for the past couple of hours too. The trimmed curls between her thighs were soaking wet, her clit so swollen, he could see it poking out from among those curls, her nether lips slick with the same cream.
Even so, Garrett needed to establish who controlled Billie’s pleasure, and he needed to do it before this progressed any further.
Garrett (Dragon Hearts 6) Page 4
