“Let them try.” His voice was a deep rasp. “I’ve explained things carefully to the healer. She understands what would happen if word got out that she was free to rut at will.”
“An available human female in our midst. The testosterone levels in this place would go through the roof. It could escalate out of control quickly. They would declare it open season.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me. I know exactly what would happen. A bun fight of note would ensue.” He chuckled. “And she sure has a decent set of buns on her.”
Torrent smiled even though he still looked troubled. “That’s not funny. You of all people are not supposed to find her attractive. You had her already remember?”
Tide shrugged. “I’m not blind, I didn’t lose my sense of smell either.” He watched as Torrent’s frown deepened. “Relax, she’s sexy but I’m not an idiot. I know my duties. I will do everything in my power … whatever it takes to keep her safe and to make sure that her focus stays on her work. I doubt she’s a spy or a terrorist, but you never know. I’ll keep a close eye on her.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Torrent grinned.
“Not too close, asshole.” He rolled his eyes.
Torrent laughed. “If you say so.” He turned serious, looking him in the eyes. It was like he was trying to find something.
Tide wasn’t sure what it was that his brother was looking for, only that he was barking up the wrong damned tree. “Let me fix you another drink.”
Torrent shook his head. “Candy and Rain are waiting for me to get back. I can’t be late for dinner.”
"Just a quick one." Tide picked up the half-empty bottle of single malt. It wasn't like alcohol really affected them. Aside from warmth in the pit of the stomach and a two-second buzz, it was useless. Dragons liked the taste of it though.
"No can do. Duty calls." By the look in Torrent's eyes, he could see that calling it a duty was not true at all. Going back to his family was the complete opposite. Something he cherished and looked forward to. Tide poured himself another drink. It wasn't like he had anything better to do.
Chapter 14
Meghan swabbed Blaze’s inner cheek, carefully sealing and labeling the container before packing it away. She zipped the bag closed and gave it a pat. The last of the samples she needed had been obtained. “Thank you for your time,” she addressed Blaze, his mate Roxy as well as Coal and his mate Julie. The ladies smiled. There was giggling and the pitter patter of little feet as their two boys toddled after one another.
“I look forward to hearing the results,” Blaze said.
“It will take a week to ten days, and then I will need a day or two to put a report together.”
Blaze nodded. “I think it would be best to call everyone together, especially if there is something of importance to convey.”
Meghan nodded. "No problem. I will certainly let you know if that is the case." She felt her cheeks heat, quickly turning away, returning her focus to her notepad and documentation. She was bound to doctor-patient confidentiality. It was not her place to speak of the events of the previous day. Of what had happened on Earth territory. She sucked in a deep breath.
“So,” Coal stepped forward, “all of the children resulting in pairings between humans and dragons have produced offspring with the dreaded silver affliction.”
Meghan turned back to face them. “Yes, I’m afraid so. That’s why I’m here. I will work tirelessly over the next couple of months. Hopefully one or both of the children born to Sky and Candy will be allergy-free.”
“Do you really think it will be possible to develop a vaccine?” Julie asked.
“Yes, I do.” Meghan licked her lips. “Although, it might not be possible on the first try.”
“Just to be clear,” Roxy asked, “one of the children born needs to be allergy-free first.”
“Yes.” Meghan nodded. “The hope is that they will develop the necessary resistance in the womb. A vaccine will be created from the infant’s blood. I won’t go into too much detail. It’s groundbreaking technology and highly complicated but I truly believe that it’s more than possible.”
“I hope so. It would be life-changing for us, for our children and our future.” Roxy’s voice wavered as she spoke. Her eyes began to fill with tears.
Blaze put an arm around her. “Yes, a lifelong dream.”
"I will do my very best. Of that, you can be assured. My sister almost died from an allergy similar to yours. I was very close to finding a cure for her illness as well. What I learn here will help me when I return to Dalton Springs. The techniques for curing the illness are similar. Know that I also have a big stake in this. I'm not just doing it for the money. Any money I make from working here will go into continuing my research. So, this has nothing to do with money directly. It's important to me that you know that."
“Thank you for sharing.” Roxy reached and gripped her hand.
“Yes, we appreciate it.” Sincerity shone in Julie’s eyes.
“Thank you, Doctor.” Blaze shook her hand. “We look forward to hearing the results. Again,” he chuckled, “I’m sorry my son almost burnt you to a crisp.” He pulled a face.
“I’m getting used to it.”
He frowned. “What do you mean ‘getting used to it’?” He was frowning heavily.
Take it easy! Breathe normally! “Oh, George threw a couple of logs onto the fire last night and sparks went flying. I had to duck out of the way.”
Blaze smiled. “I must say, you do have great reflexes.”
“Thankfully.” Phew! She’d almost let what had happened yesterday slip. She finished packing the paperwork away and everyone said their goodbyes.
They made their way in silence down the hallways. Tide stepped in next to her. “That was close.”
She made a sound of agreement. “I’m sorry, I’m not used to hiding things.”
“Thank you for not saying anything.”
She nodded. “Sure thing. I don’t like it but I do understand.”
George and Ice walked up ahead, they were in deep conversation. The two of them had become fast friends. As per normal, people they passed stopped to stare. Some of the dragon men openly stared at her, looking her up and down. Tide growled if any of them tried to approach. He sounded like a vicious lion or cougar, wild and untamed.
Great! The first woman they passed grabbed hold of Tide. He didn’t growl at her. Oh no! “Hi honey, long time no see.” She fluttered her lashes at him. Gag!
“It’s good to see you, Scarlet.” She leaned in and hugged him. The woman had long red hair and even longer legs. That feeling was back in the pit of her stomach. Meghan had no place being jealous. Especially over a guy like Tide. For a moment, she wanted to pull back her shoulders and keep walking but she didn’t, instead, she stood her ground. She had been walking with Tide. They might not be friends but she’d been in the middle of a conversation with him when they’d been interrupted.
Tide put a hand on the redhead’s back for a second and then let go. Scarlet held onto him for a few seconds more before finally letting go.
“So how are you?” Scarlet asked. “You’re looking really good,” she added, giving Tide the once over.
“So are you.” Tide smiled.
Meghan had to hold back an eye-roll. Here we go again.
Tide glanced her way. His smiled widened. “This is Doctor Roberts.”
Scarlet turned to her for a second. “Hi.” Clearly not interested in engaging with Meghan, she turned back to Tide. “When are you coming to visit me again?”
Her meaning was clear.
“I’m very busy right now,” Tide replied.
"Surely not that busy." She used a sing-song voice.
“I’m afraid I am.” He stepped away from her, moving towards Meghan. “We’re on a tight schedule, I need to go now. You take care, Scarlet.” He winked. Double gag!
More of that pouting she'd seen yesterday. Scarlet waved at Tide using only one finger. "You
're welcome to come and visit anytime, and I mean anytime." She made kissy lips, eventually actually blowing Tide a kiss. Really and truly.
Tide smiled. “Take care of yourself.” He turned away and began to walk down the hall, pausing so that she could catch up.
Meghan fell in step next to him. They walked in silence for a few minutes. The Fire castle was bigger than the others. More opulent in its design and finishes. It was clear they were the ruling dragons. From their pure unmarred chest markings to the way they carried themselves in general. “You didn’t have to blow her off like that,” she blurted. “If you want to meet her later you should just do it. Don’t let me stop you.”
Tide glanced her way. “Of course I had to blow her off. We have a deal. I keep my word.”
Why did it bug her so much that he’d only turned Scarlet down because of their deal? What was with her? Why did she care? They’d had a one-night stand. Nothing more. One measly little night. She wasn’t in the least bit interested in Tide, yet she still felt disappointed and maybe a bit jealous.
"Still, you should go for it if you really want to. I don't mind either way."
“Well I do mind. We have a deal. No fucking around for either of us. I’m taking it seriously and I expect you to do the same.” Why did he look so angry all of a sudden?
“You don’t have to get so weird about it.”
“Yes I do, because you clearly don’t take our agreement seriously. If making it an equal playing field keeps you happy then so be it. I wasn’t interested in taking Scarlet up on her offer anyway.”
“I take it you’ve had her already, so she doesn’t hold much interest anymore.”
“Something like that.”
“You really are an asshole,” she muttered.
“Most females tend to become clingy if I rut them more than once. They start to think we’re in a relationship or something. Humans are the worst at that. If that kind of thinking makes me an asshole, then so be it. I’m very honest about my intentions.”
“Fuck and run.”
Tide choked out a laugh. “That’s pretty rude, doc. I might be rubbing off on you.”
“That’s Doctor Roberts, not doc, or Meghan, or human.” She looked him in the eyes. “It’s the truth though. Don’t you ever get lonely? Don’t you ever want something more?”
He sighed. “I guess I have moments where I feel I could settle down, but unlike every other red-blooded male in the four kingdoms, the thought of the hunt doesn’t blow my hair back.”
“The hunt? What hunt?” She felt herself frown.
“Oh, you’ve never heard about the hunt?” He grinned broadly.
“No, never.” Her frown deepened.
He chuckled. “Someone should have briefed you better before you decided to take this position. I guess Blaze and Torrent wanted you on board so badly they failed to inform you of a couple of things.” Then his smile turned into a frown and he grabbed her by the arm, pulling her o the side. “Please tell me someone told you to take birth control? I remember you saying you weren’t on anything the last time we … that night.” His voice was deep.
For once he didn't refer to what they did. Tide kept it civilized, he looked anxious, which in turn worried her. "Yes, I was told to go onto something, so I had a copper IUD inserted because …"
He huffed out a heavy breath and grabbed his chest. “Thank fuck. Dragons are very base and instinctual creatures.”
“So you keep saying.”
“Look, keep taking whatever it is you’re on.”
“I don’t have to take anything. An IUD was inserted into my uterus. A Para Gard can last up to ten years, so I think I’m good.”
“I take it, it’s effective?” He rubbed his chin, the stubble catching.
"Yes, of course. It's one of the most effective methods of birth control. Look, I'm not sure why we're even having this conversation because I'm not in a relationship and nor do I plan on sleeping with anyone anytime soon. We have an agreement, remember?"
“Just trust me on this one, it’s a good thing you’re on birth control and it’s a good thing you’re celibate while on dragon soil. I can sleep easier.”
“I plan on doing my job. I think we’ve talked about this enough over the last few days. I’m pretty sure George and Ice will be wondering where we got to and I need to start working on these samples. Until all of the DNA has been analyzed, I won’t know what we’re dealing with.”
Tide gestured with his hand down the hall. “Let’s go then.”
“By the way,” she continued, “don’t get any funny ideas, we’re not friends or anything. In fact, I’m going to go back to ignoring you now.”
Tide chuckled. “You’re still pissed at me because I won’t fuck you again.”
She tripped on nothing, almost falling on her face. Tide gripped her elbow and pulled her back upright. His chuckle only grew louder, which aggravated her. “That has nothing to do with it. You’re very wrong. Totally off track.” She wanted to say more but forced herself to shut it.
“Okay, why are you pissed at me then?”
“I’m not pissed at you. I just don’t like you ‒ simple!”
He looked at her like she had just lost her mind. “You don’t like me? I’m sorry, I find that hard to believe.”
“You would,” Meghan huffed. They were walking slower and slower, the balcony was just through a double set of doors at the end of the hall up ahead.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re so full of yourself. That’s all. The end.”
He raked a hand through his hair and stopped walking entirely. “You don’t like me because I’m confident and honest?”
It was her turn to laugh. It burst out of her, taking a good few seconds for her to compose herself enough to talk. “I don’t like you because you’re full of yourself. You call it confidence and I call it arrogance.”
“Oh yes, you prefer brains to brawn, right?”
“That’s right.” She nodded. Tide could go to hell.
“Berries and cream.” He grinned and out popped those dimples.
Meghan looked at the double doors just ahead of them. That was the other thing she didn’t like about him. He was an asshole and too damned good-looking for his own good. Or was it too good-looking for her own good? It didn’t matter. Probably a bit of both. “Berries and cream? What does food have to do with anything?”
“That’s what you scent of.” She snapped her head back in his direction. Tide was right there. Just an inch or two away. “When you’re aroused. Berries and cream, doc. Thick, ripe and sweet.”
Her heart-rate picked up against her will. She tried to control her breathing because her chest was rising and falling far too quickly. Her reaction would give him the wrong idea. It would give him the impression that he was onto something.
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you sneaking little looks at my dick when you don’t think I’m watching.”
“I have not—” He put a finger over her lips silencing her.
“Yes, you have. Deny it all you want. Pretend all you want. Your scent changes, you may not want me, but your pussy sure as hell does.”
Meghan felt her eyes grow huge and she made a squeaking noise. She still couldn’t talk with his hand in the way. The bastard was grinning at her. Tide shrugged, his grin disappeared in an instant. He licked his lips, his intense gaze still on her. “In another time, another place, maybe I would’ve given you another go.” He finally removed his hand. “Too bad it’s not possible.”
“Not if you were the last person on earth,” she whispered since a group of people was coming up behind them. Her cheeks felt hot. Her whole body felt hot. She vibrated with anger. How dare he? How dare he say those things?
She was appalled to find that she vibrated with something else too. Need. It was there, in the pit of her stomach. Unwanted and yet undeniable.
Tide sniffed the air, he raised his brows, his grin widening by the second. “If you say
so.”
“I do.” She stomped off ahead of him, blustering through the doors that led outside. George and Ice were still chatting away. Oblivious to the turmoil around them. George waved when he saw her, then immediately resumed his discussion with Ice. Tide chuckled as he walked past her. His beefy ass on display. Naked. No tan lines in sight. He walked up ahead and then turned, all but thrusting his cock out at her, a smirk on his face.
Her mouth fell open, he was semi-erect. His manhood out on display. Meghan tried to look away. She tried really hard and failed. He gave the tiniest circling thrust of his hips. It had felt so good when he had done that … inside her. He did it again. Did no one else see this? She looked around the large balcony. There was a small group to the side of them, but they continued to go about their business, no one paid any attention to them.
Tide made a big show of sniffing the air. Then he groaned like he liked what he smelled. Her. He was smelling her and liking it. Shit. Come to think of it his you-know-what was bigger, harder, longer. Tide put a hand over himself and looked at her. Like he blamed her for his erection. There was a hunger in his stare as well. His eyes narrowed, his skin grew taut. She’d seen that look before. When he’d pushed into her. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him.
“You ready?” Ice asked, his gaze on Tide.
“Yeah.” Tide turned away from them and erupted, he growled loudly as he changed. The sound filled with … pain and definite frustration. It seemed to take longer than normal as well.
Meghan stuffed her hair into her hood and tightened it up. Then she pulled on her gloves, making sure that her backpack straps were firmly on her shoulders.
So, Tide knew that she was still attracted to him despite not liking him one bit. Thing was, Tide was just as attracted to her. Even though he had teased her, he didn’t seem to like the idea. Well, it didn’t sit right with her either.
What the hell were they going to do about it? Nothing that’s what. Absolutely nothing.
Chapter 15
“Nothing?” George laughed hard before sipping his hot chocolate. “You still want him but you’re not going to act on it?”
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