by Rinelle Grey
Hayden pulled back, his breathing ragged, and stared at her. “How far are we going with this? Because if we go much further, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to stop.”
Audrey knew just how he felt. “I’m not sure I could stop right now,” she said honestly. She looked up at him, seeing the strain on his face. She traced his cheek with her finger, watching as a shudder wracked his body. “I want you, Hayden.”
That was all the invitation he needed. With a groan, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her with a searing desperation. A few moments ago, Audrey would have said it wasn’t possible for her to want him more, but as the intensity of his kisses rose, so did her desire. It was far higher than she would have thought imaginable.
When he pulled back, she actually cried out in protest.
“Clothes. Need to go,” Hayden gasped out.
That, Audrey could agree with. She fumbled to pull off her singlet and her bra, raising her hips so that Hayden could slide her jeans off. He pulled back long enough to rid himself of his own, and Audrey couldn’t help staring at his magnificence.
He stared at her too, his eyes dark and intense, and she couldn’t help wondering what he saw. He was the perfect image of a man, almost too perfect, as though he’d been chiselled from a perfect, tanned, smooth stone.
“You’re beautiful,” Hayden said, his voice sounding a little choked.
Audrey reached for him. “Less talk, more action,” she said, pulling him down towards her.
He didn’t need any further urging.
Chapter 13
The urge to make Audrey his was overwhelming. Hayrian struggled to keep himself even a little bit in control. He’d almost lost it at one point. When she’d told him not to stop, he’d felt his eyes shift, and it had taken all his willpower to pull back.
He hoped he didn’t lose control later. Or that if he did, she was too preoccupied to notice.
He stared down at her, overwhelmed by his feelings towards her. She was beautiful, gorgeous, more amazing than anyone he’d ever known.
No matter how intense his feelings were, and he knew he wasn’t hiding them well, she didn’t seem bothered. She rose to meet him, her lips warm and demanding, her body ready and willing. The scent of her arousal filled his nostrils, almost sending him over the edge.
But he held himself back. He wanted to make sure she enjoyed this as much as he did. He wanted to be sure it was perfect for her.
He most definitely wanted her to want to do this again.
He knew they shouldn’t. If he mated with her three times, then they’d be mated for life. He would never consider doing that without first telling her the truth about who he was. Meaning he had to make sure things didn’t go that far.
How he was going to deal with that without telling her, he wasn’t sure, but he pushed that thought aside. It was a problem for the future. Right now, he had other things on his mind.
“Hayden?” Audrey said breathlessly, staring up at him. Only then did he realise he’d paused for the smallest of moments. Obviously enough for her to notice. Her expression was worried.
He bent and kissed her wrinkled forehead. Then her nose, then her cheek. Then her lips found his, and she kissed him with a desperation that matched his own.
Her hands were on his hips, urging him closer, and though he wanted to hold out, to pleasure her more first, he found her impossible to resist. He let her pull him close, nudging between her thighs.
Any willpower vanished when he felt her wetness. He groaned, fighting for control, then surrendered, burying himself deep within her, delighting in her gasp of surprise and delight.
“Hayden,” she gasped, her fingers digging into his back, begging him for something she couldn’t even voice.
He knew exactly what it was. He breathed her name, pulling back slowly, then thrusting into her again. His groan of pleasure matched hers.
Wrapping his arms around her, Hayrian began to thrust in and out, slowly at first, then building in intensity. Before long, both of them were gasping.
He saw the moment on Audrey’s face, her eyes widening, flicking towards his, staring at him in amazement. He felt her tremble first, then the shudders grew until they shook her whole body.
Her orgasm set off his, and he thrust one last time, burying himself deep into her, reaching out to hold her close, as though he could somehow cause them to merge into one. It almost felt like he could.
All he would have to do was make love to her again and again, and they would be one. The temptation to do so was great.
Once they were mated, she wouldn’t have to doubt him anymore. She’d know that he felt just the same way about her as she did about him. She’d know that would never change.
Well, she would once she got over the fact that he was a dragon…
Hayrian pushed that thought away. He couldn’t deal with it right now. Right now he just wanted to enjoy being close to her. Enjoy how her body fitted perfectly against his. Enjoy the feel of her curves up against his body.
He kissed her gently, the urgency sated, temporarily at least. Though he suspected that they really should get some clothes on in the next few minutes, or he wouldn’t trust himself to keep his distance.
In fact, as her hand wandered across his body, he suspected that even a few minutes might be too long.
At just that moment, the radio, somewhere on the floor in the pocket of his jeans, buzzed. “Hayden? Where are you?”
Rowan. Of course it was. He couldn’t even have one morning off, could he? Not even a few hours before something so urgent that no one else could deal with it came up. Resentment rose up in him, though Audrey’s delicious presence took the edge off it a little.
“Ignore it,” he growled in between kisses. “I’m sure they can survive without me.”
Audrey giggled against his lips. “But what if the resort is on fire?” She kissed him again, smothering the first reply that rose to his lips.
“Can’t reach us here,” Hayrian said, then kissed her some more.
She giggled again, the movement of her body setting off another surge of arousal in Hayrian.
Unfortunately, the radio kept buzzing. “Hayden? We have a bit of an issue here, and I could really use your help.” Rowan’s voice sounded strained.
A thread of responsibility wound its way around Hayrian’s mind and squeezed.
He bit back a sigh. “I’d better go see what he wants,” he said reluctantly.
Audrey gave him one last kiss, then patted his chest. “Go on. Apparently they just can’t survive without you.”
Hayrian reluctantly rolled off her and went searching for his radio. “This had better be important,” he said to Rowan.
“We have reports of a snake in one of the cabins. Probably just a carpet snake, but I’d rather not deal with this one by myself. Where are you anyway?” Rowan’s voice sounded harried too. Given that he’d probably been dealing with similar dramas all morning, Hayrian didn’t blame him.
No, there was someone else he could blame. “Why not call Dam…ien…?” he demanded.
Rowan gave a laugh. “It was hard enough to raise you. I’ll have no hope of getting Damien. Where are you anyway?” he asked again.
“I needed a break. I’m out at my cabin,” Hayrian said, knowing his answer was short, but really, how was it Rowan’s business.
And how much longer was his brother going to use the excuse of needing time to be with his mate? He’d had nearly a week. Surely it was Hayrian’s turn now, right?
Not that he had any intention of telling his family about Audrey. Not yet. He wasn’t even sure where this was going himself, so he had no intention of being badgered about it by them.
No, he’d just have to deal with the interruptions.
In this case, it was probably fortuitous. He and Audrey both needed to cool their heads a little. Then they could discuss this and where it was going.
And he could consider whether he could risk telling her the truth.
> *****
Hayrian headed up the path towards the bungalows. Rowan met him on the way, falling into step beside him. “Number nine called it in. Apparently it’s curled around the shower curtain. Scared the life out of them.” He handed Hayrian a hessian bag and a long metal pole. And he gave his brother a sideways look.
Hayrian braced himself for the next round of questioning. Why had he taken the helicopter out to his cabin when Rowan needed him most? What had he been thinking? Had he been alone? He looked straight ahead, not meeting Rowan’s eyes, sure that if he did, his brother would guess.
But Rowan didn’t say anything. That was almost more unnerving. Now wasn’t the time, of course, they were in public, where they couldn’t speak freely, even if they wanted to. And they had a snake to take care of. Or rather, Hayrian did.
He bit his lip to stop himself from asking why Rowan hadn’t just dealt with it.
He didn’t blame him. As a human, he was far more at risk than Hayrian. Even if the thing bit him, it was unlikely he’d die. His dragon blood ensured that.
Besides, his brother had no idea Hayrian had been doing anything other than taking a short break from his usual duties around the resort. And Hayrian intended to keep it that way. Rowan had a habit of seeing far more than you wanted him to despite his lack of any kind of dragon magic at all.
At least Rowan hadn’t met him at the helipad. There would have been no avoiding his brother figuring out about Audrey if he’d seen her get out of the helicopter with him.
As they neared number nine, a young couple hovered on the veranda, glancing nervously towards the bungalow.
Hayrian and Rowan joined them.
“Where did you see the snake?” Hayrian asked them. “And what did it look like?”
“It was in the bathroom,” the young woman said, giving a shiver. “I was going to have a shower. When I went to pull the shower curtain back, it didn’t move, so I looked up.” She shivered again. “It was all curled around the rod. I didn’t get a good look. I was too busy running.”
Hayrian gave her a smile. “That’s okay. We’ll get rid of it for you.”
It didn’t sound too serious. If it was curled up on the high up curtain rod, it was most likely a carpet snake or small tree snake. Not the first one he’d moved. They were common in this area, especially in summer.
“Aren’t you going to call a snake catcher or something?” the man asked, his eyes wide.
Hayrian gave a laugh. “Sure, if you feel like waiting three or four hours for one to take a boat over here.”
The man gave a sheepish grin. “Good point.”
Hayrian smiled and headed into the room. He was glad the couple stayed outside. He shouldn’t need to use any magic, but it was always easier not to have an audience, just in case. Rowan came in, but kept his distance.
The snake was just where the young woman indicated. As Hayrian had guessed, it was just a carpet snake, curled up around the rod with a lump in its belly. Probably it had found a rat and had been looking for a quiet place to digest it. Hayrian took a deep breath and headed forwards with the bag in one hand and the pole in the other.
The snake didn’t move as he approached, probably because it was asleep. Hayrian tried to hook the pole under it before it woke, but something must have alerted it to his presence. It took one look at him and began to move back along the metal rod.
Snakes, like any other kind of animal, could sense his true nature. Maybe they could tell that he smelled different. That fact was handy when he was out in the open. They would all leave the area. But here in the confined space of the room, he risked losing them in a crack or crevice. Or worse, cornering them and leaving them with no choice but to attack.
Hayrian moved around, careful not to back the snake into a corner, and tried to get the pole under it again. Unfortunately, it was stretched out now, and despite him managing to lift it slightly, it just slid off the pole.
Damn, he was going to have to do this the hard way.
Abandoning the pole on the ground, Hayrian glanced around quickly. Rowan was the only observer, and he gave Hayrian a nod, meaning they were alone.
Summoning a little of his dragon magic, Hayrian let his arm and hand transform, growing sea blue scales and sharp claws. In one swift motion, he scooped up the snake and swept it into the bag.
As he moved, the reptile twisted around and attempted to bite him, but his scales were too thick. It hissed in annoyance as its head disappeared into the hessian.
Hayrian let his arm return to its human form, wrapped a string around the top, and then lifted the bag. “All done,” he announced loudly enough that the couple on the veranda would be able to hear.
As he headed back towards the door, sounds caught his attention. Until that moment, he’d been so focused on the snake he hadn’t realised the television was on. Why had it caught his attention now?
“Can dragons have a place among humans? Is it possible for us to live side by side with these magnificent but terrifying beasts? Senator Mark Harris has his own opinion. Senator?”
Hayrian stared at the television as the reporter turned to a man, one of the politicians meeting with his new clan, he assumed.
The man was relatively young, maybe only ten years older than Hayrian, but his expression was stern as he said, “I don’t really see how it’s possible, no. I mean, we’re just too different. How can we live side by side with a beast who could fry us? Or mess with our mind? The powers these dragons have are too dangerous, and we have no way to keep them under control.”
The reporter turned back to the camera, still talking, but Hayrian’s mind was blocking it out.
He’d avoided watching the news about the dragon meetings for just this reason. Deep down, he’d always worried that the humans would be too afraid of dragons to see that they weren’t a threat. That they didn’t want to hurt anyone.
That they wanted a chance to find their place in this world, just like everyone else.
Coming close on the heels of his morning with Audrey, and his uncertainty about where their relationship was going and if he dared tell her the truth, it was too much. He didn’t want to deal with this right now. He just wanted a chance to focus on his own life.
“Hayden, are you all right?” Rowan’s voice reminded him of his surroundings, of the couple on the veranda waiting to come back into their cabin.
“Sure,” he said mechanically, and headed out, distantly noting that the couple shrank back as he came out with the bag. “What will you do with it?” the man asked.
Hayrian shrugged. “Take it out into the bush and release it. He’ll be far happier out there.”
The couple nodded and disappeared back into their room.
“Are you all right with that?” Rowan asked. “I need to go deal with some complaints in room five. Apparently they forgot to put out their ‘do not disturb’ sign, and weren’t happy about being interrupted by the housekeeper this morning.”
Hayrian gave a grimace. Dealing with the inevitable complaints of running a resort was his least favourite part of the job. He’d take snake removal over that any day. “I’m fine.”
He welcomed the excuse to get away from the resort, even if it was just for a short while. A walk in the rainforest was just what he needed to clear his head.
Chapter 14
Audrey lay back on the bed and stared at her phone or, more specifically, at the pictures of Hayden she’d taken, both at their picnic breakfast on the island and on the helicopter flight back. She couldn’t keep the silly grin off her face.
It had been a perfect morning. The most enjoyable one she’d had in a long time.
Even more telling, it was far more enjoyable than her failed wedding had been, even before she’d caught Mark with Louise.
That had to mean something, right? She wasn’t crazy for letting herself get involved. If it felt this good, she should hang onto it, shouldn’t she?
She flicked through the photos, picking her favourites, and sen
ding them through to Hayden’s phone. The thought that he might use some of them on the resort’s social media pages made her feel ridiculously pleased, overcoming some of her nervousness about the prospect.
It wasn’t like he was going to hang them on the walls in the atrium or anything. But it was the first time anyone had suggested that her photos might have some sort of value beyond the pleasure they brought her.
She hoped that other people could enjoy them too. And maybe it might convince a few of them to try out the resort and help Hayden and his family out in some small way. That made her feel happy too.
“Where have you been all morning?” Eliana bounced into the room, not even knocking.
Audrey fumbled to close the photo app before her friend could see any of the images. “Just exploring the island. Nothing exciting.”
Eliana raised an eyebrow. “Exploring the island, hey? And I suppose you were doing it all alone?”
Audrey knew her blush gave her away. “Not entirely alone…”
Her friend came over and gave her a thump on the shoulder. “Good for you. Is he good?”
By now, Audrey was pretty sure her face was on fire. “I… Um…”
Eliana laughed and took pity on her. “That’s okay, you can leave the details to my imagination.”
Audrey was pretty sure that statement was only designed to make her more embarrassed. So instead, she turned the questions back on her friend. “How about you and Ryan?”
Eliana’s face lit up. “He’s such a sweetie. I’m really going to miss him when we have to leave.”
Her comment only reminded Audrey of that reality. They were nearly at the half way mark of their holiday. Their departure date loomed large in her mind.
She’d been planning a holiday fling. Nothing more. It had never occurred to her that she could feel anything else, not so soon after the disaster with Mark. But the closer she got to Hayden, the more she realised that they might just have a chance at something special.
