The female raised her chin. “I won’t put up with crap from a dragon either.”
There was definitely a stirring in the back of his mind. Maybe the lass’s backbone was enticing his dragon.
After all, his beast had always urged Fraser to go after more difficult females. To his dragon, Holly was the equivalent of a fat stag waiting to be hunted and devoured. Although, both man and beast had different ideas of how to devour Holly Anderson.
Fraser reached out to touch her, but the leather around his wrists dug into his skin. “Release me, Holly, and I’ll make an effort toward my brother.”
“If you don’t follow through, there will be hell to pay.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “From a wee lass as yourself?”
“Aye, this ‘wee lass’ has a few tricks up her sleeve.”
Fraser’s dragon cracked his eyes open and yawned. Hurry up, dragon. The silence is killing me.
His beast shook his head and stretched. His dragon wasn’t quite ready to wake up yet.
Holly’s voice brought him back to the hospital room. “Is your dragon breaking free again?”
“He’ll be groggy for a while yet. Release me, lass. There’s much to do before the frenzy starts.”
Holly hesitated, but finally undid the cuff on his left hand. The second it was free, he reached up to cup her cheek.
Holly stilled and Fraser held his breath. Maybe the lass’s words didn’t match the truth in her heart.
Then she leaned into his touch and reached across his body to undo the other cuff. Her long hair tickled against his chest. With his free hand, he tucked a section behind her ear and murmured, “Much better.”
Holly freed his other wrist and met his eyes. With her heat and scent surrounding him, all he wanted to do was kiss her.
But not yet. At least, not on the lips. He wouldn’t allow his dragon to ruin his second chance with the lass.
Fraser traced her brow, the bridge of her nose, and finally her lips. Holly parted them and he rubbed back and forth across her plump bottom lip. “Thank you, Holly.” Before she could answer, he raised his head and kissed her cheek. “I’m glad you met me first.”
~~~
Holly’s heart thundered inside her chest. She’d entered Fraser’s hospital room as nervous as she’d been on her first solo nursing shift. But her heart was currently beating fast for an entirely different reason.
Finn and Arabella had warned her against any prolonged skin-to-skin contact, lest she stir Fraser’s dragon and begin the frenzy.
Yet as Fraser’s breath danced against her cheek, her resolve fractured slightly. She’d been told not to kiss him on the lips.
She would keep that promise, but she yearned to taste Fraser’s skin.
Holly turned her head. Fraser’s dark blue eyes were less than six inches from her own. For the first time, she noticed flecks of lighter blue around the iris.
Fraser’s pupils flashed to slits and back. His dragon must be waking up, which meant she didn’t have much time.
Leaning around his face, she whispered into his ear, “Don’t tell the others, but I’m glad I met you first, too.”
Fraser growled and she took his earlobe between her teeth. As she teased his flesh with her tongue, his hand wrapped around her waist before sliding down to her arse. “I knew your tightly controlled appearance was hiding the true lass beneath.” He slapped her bum lightly. “I look forward to seeing her free and open to my hands, my mouth, and my cock.”
She released his ear. “You still have to earn all of that, Fraser Moore MacKenzie.”
“What are you talking about?”
Smiling at the disappointment in his voice, she moved her head until she could see his eyes. “It takes more than a few pretty phrases and caresses before I trust you with my body.”
He frowned. “Did they not explain the frenzy properly? Because my dragon isn’t going to care about games until after you’re pregnant.”
“We’ll see about that, Fraser. After all, your dragon has yet to really get to know me.”
Fraser’s grip tightened on her bum. “My dragon will have to get in line. You’re going to know me first.”
Sensing the conversation was heading toward talk of a more permanent future on Lochguard, Holly pulled away and stood. Confusion flashed in Fraser’s eyes, but it was gone before Holly could blink.
Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Holly changed topics. “Well, seeing as Finn and Dr. Innes talked about keeping your dragon sedated for days if need be, that might be easier than you think.”
“Days? Why?”
She searched his eyes. “Is it really that awful to be without your dragon for a few days?”
Fraser adjusted his position on the bed until he was sitting upright and cleared a space at the edge. Taking the hint, Holly sat down and he answered, “My dragon started speaking to me when I was six. For twenty-two years I’ve had a constant companion with me. Sometimes he’s a pain and most other times he drives me crazy. But he is part of me. I know it’s hard for a human to understand, but imagine taking something essential to who you are and ripping it from your life. That’s what it’s like to have your dragon go silent and remain that way for any prolonged period of time.”
Holly tilted her head. “But surely there’s more to you than just your dragon.”
“Aye, there is. But the silence is uncomfortable. It’s probably similar to taking away your ability to nurse, every hobby you enjoy, plus not seeing your dad even though you know he’s still alive back in Aberdeen. You could probably live without all of those if need be, but you wouldn’t be the same person you are now.”
Holly looked away from Fraser. She should tell him about her plans to return home. Much like his dragon was essential to Fraser’s being, her dad was to hers. After all, it’d been just the two of them for longer than Holly could remember.
Fraser touched her lower back. “I don’t like secrets, Holly. Tell me what’s on your mind, lass.”
Deciding it wasn’t the time to talk of her future when she barely knew the dragon-shifter beside her, Holly forced a smile and looked back to Fraser’s face. “I just miss my father is all. You seem close to your mum, so you understand.”
Fraser’s voice turned dry. “Aye, we’re close but maybe a tad too close.”
Holly grinned. “I like her.”
“Of course you would, honey. She’s always going to take your side against me.”
Holly poked his chest. “My name’s not Honey.”
Fraser reached out and brushed her cheek. “I know that, but I can’t help but use it. You have such bonny eyes.”
Heat flooded Holly’s cheeks. “They’re just brown.”
Fraser took her chin between his fingers and turned her head one way and then the other. “No, you’re wrong, lass. They’re dark amber with little flecks of brown and green. If you don’t like Honey, then I can call you Kitty.”
She rolled her eyes. “Let me guess, I have cat eyes?”
Fraser grinned. The humor dancing in his eyes in addition to his pearly whites made him extremely handsome.
Unable to resist, she traced the scar near his left eye. “Where’d this come from?”
Fraser trapped her hand against his cheek. “Sit next to me and I’ll tell you.”
“I am sitting next to you.”
He tugged and she tumbled onto his chest. Heat radiated off his bare skin. Combined with his masculine scent and light brushing of hair against her cheek, Holly felt safe and wanted to lay against his chest for hours.
Fraser’s chuckle rumbled inside his chest before he said, “Now this is what I call sitting next to me.”
She looked up. “This is technically laying on you.”
He winked and her heart skipped a beat. “Call it whatever you like while I enjoy your soft body against mine.”
“I can’t help being soft. I’m not a dragon-shifter with a metabolism of a thirteen-year-old boy.”
Fraser
ran his hand down her back, her hip, and over her bum. “I like it that you’re soft. But can I tell you the truth?”
She raised her brows. “Let me guess, something about me needing to be naked before you can make a final judgment?”
The dragonman’s grin widened. “Exactly.”
Shaking her head, Holly answered, “You’re fairly predictable, dragonman.”
Fraser’s hand slapped her backside. “As soon as I’m out of this bed and not under constant threat of a frenzy, I’ll show you just how unpredictable I can be.”
She patted his chest. “You can try, but you won’t succeed.”
Determination flashed in Fraser’s eyes. “If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that when I’m told I can’t do something, I usually find a way to see it through.”
“Oh, really? Then maybe I should tell you not to talk with your brother and then you will.”
Fraser’s lips pressed together. “I’ll handle Fergus.”
Holly knew Fergus was missing and hadn’t reported in to Finn yet, but she decided not to mention it to Fraser. She didn’t need to stir his anger and possibly his dragon just yet.
Rather than speak again, Holly seized the quiet moment to become used to Fraser’s touch and scent.
She rested her head back against Fraser’s chest and took a second to memorize the firmness of his muscles and the unique scent that was Fraser MacKenzie. It wouldn’t be long before she was doing much more than pressing against him.
Holly should be afraid, but the thought of Fraser’s deep blue eyes staring into hers as she came sent a flood of heat through her body.
Stop it, Holly. She was about to ask a question to distract herself when Fraser’s hand roamed her back and caressed her in slow circles. Each pass helped to relax her muscles and ease her tension.
It was almost as if the bloody dragonman had magic hands.
Not that she’d ever admit that to Fraser. She could just imagine how cocky his grin would become then.
Clearing her throat, she looked up and touched Fraser’s scar again. “Tell me about this.”
Fraser shrugged, but never ceased stroking her back. “I was trying to scare away a few males following my sister. I tripped over a rock and earned what I like to call my scar of love and devotion.”
Holly snorted. “In other words, your scar of clumsiness.”
“Hey, now, dragon-shifters need to keep up an image of strength.”
She looked up. “Why lie about it? A person can be strong, even if they have faults.”
Fraser smiled. “You’re too clever, you know that?”
“It’s good for you to recognize that now.”
With a growl, he slapped her arse. “Once I’m back at full-strength, dragon and all, you’ll see just how clever I can be.”
Holly should object to Fraser constantly slapping her bum, but she rather enjoyed the closeness. “Oh, really? I look forward to the challenge.”
Fraser brushed his finger against her cheek. The humor in his eyes faded and was replaced with something much hotter. “Let’s just say I look forward to a challenge as well.”
He leaned down as if to kiss her. For a split second, Holly nearly gave in to the temptation. Considering a heated gaze would send a thrill through her body and wetness between her legs, she wondered what actually kissing Fraser would be like.
Then she remembered her meeting with Finn and Arabella earlier in the morning. They’d told her not to kiss him on the lips.
If it would only affect her and Fraser, she would kiss him right this second. But it wasn’t that way. There was Fergus, Finn, and hell, the whole clan to think about. After all, she didn’t know if Finn had successfully wrangled an agreement out of the DDA yet or not.
Laying her head back on his torso, she patted the firm planes of his chest. “The others should be here any minute. I really should get out of your bed.”
Fraser wrapped his arm around her back and hugged her tighter against him. “Stay, Holly.”
Glancing back up, she asked dryly, “So you can use me as a shield and Finn won’t punch you again?”
“Hey, now, what happened to me being noble before? I liked that better.”
She smiled. “Being noble comes and goes. You’ll have to work hard to keep it up.”
He gave an exaggerated sigh. “And here I thought you would be on my side. Does being the possible father of your child mean nothing?”
Before she could answer, there was a knock and the door opened before Holly could do more than turn her head.
Finn stood in the doorway. He studied them for a second before entering and shutting the door behind him. Finn looked to Fraser. “I see you haven’t wasted any time in luring Holly into your bed.”
Holly turned a little toward Finn and replied before Fraser, “I’m here of my own free will. I’m not easily ‘lured’ as you put it.”
Apology flashed in Finn’s eyes. “Sorry, lass. Let’s just say that I’ve had a hell of a day and it’s not even half over yet.”
Chapter Eight
At the sight of Finn entering his room, Fraser’s dragon rumbled in the back of his mind. While his beast still sounded sleepy, it wouldn’t be much longer before his dragon woke up and tried to wrestle away control.
Fraser hugged Holly tighter against his body and then jumped in. “Did you talk to the DDA, Finn?”
Finn’s gaze turned neutral. “Aye, I have.”
Fraser frowned. “And? From your tone, I’m not convinced it’s good news.”
Whether Holly realized it or not, she leaned more against Fraser. Good. The lass wanted him to be her assigned dragonman.
Whatever it took, Fraser would find a way to ensure it happened.
Finn crossed his arms over his chest. “They transferred the contract.” Fraser’s heart skipped a beat at the same time as his dragon gave a sleepy roar. However, Finn added quickly, “But it came with a cost.”
Holly asked, “What?”
Finn’s brows furrowed. “I have to allow a bloody human scientist to live on my lands for six months to do research.”
Fraser should feel sorry, but as he caressed Holly’s side, all he could think about was that Holly would be his soon enough. “It could be worse.”
Finn growled. “The older dragon-shifters are going to have strokes when I tell them a human is coming to study us. You will owe me big time. Once the frenzy is over, we’ll discuss terms.”
Fraser’s dragon stretched one leg and then another. The action reminded him of all that was about to happen. “Fine, but we can do that later. Right now, we need to discuss the short-term future. My dragon’s waking up.”
Finn answered, “We could drug him again.”
Holly spoke up. “No, I don’t want that.”
Finn searched Holly’s eyes and Fraser took a more possessive hold on his female. Knowing Finn was happily mated didn’t matter. Until Fraser and his beast claimed Holly, every male was a threat.
Finn finally answered, “Your adjustment period will vanish if we don’t, Holly. Are you ready to face Fraser and his dragon? I’m not sure you’re truly prepared for what’s about to happen.”
Holly sat up and raised her chin. “I discussed it with Fraser. I’m ready.”
Finn nodded. “Aye, I can see the stubborn determination in your eyes. However, I want a word alone with Fraser first.” Finn motioned toward the door. “Faye is waiting in the hall to take you to the cottage you and Fraser will have to yourselves. Faye can answer any lingering questions you might have on the way.”
Fraser’s dragon snarled. He said in a sleepy voice, Holly is ours. Don’t let her out of our sight. Another male might try to take her.
It will be for just a short while. Faye will keep her safe.
His beast grunted. She’d better or I will challenge her.
Finn’s voice prevented Fraser’s from answering. “Damn, Fraser’s eyes are flashing. Holly, go quickly. Fraser will follow before too much longer.�
��
Holly turned her face toward Fraser. Her honey-colored eyes were concerned. “Will you be okay?”
His dragon roared. We won’t be okay until she’s naked and we’re inside her.
Not yet.
Hurry. We must brand her to keep her safe from Fergus and the others.
Fergus won’t betray Finn or the clan. And the others won’t cross Faye.
His dragon was about to say something else, but Fraser gritted his teeth and ignored his beast to force a nod. “I’ll be fine. It’ll be easier with you out of the room, honey. Wait for me. I’ll come to claim you soon.”
Heat flared in Holly’s eyes and Fraser’s dragon snarled. She is ready. Take her.
Only because his dragon was still groggy from the medication could Fraser keep his beast at bay. “Go, Holly.”
With a nod, his human moved from the bed and went to the door. After one last look, she exited the room and shut the door behind her.
Fraser clutched the bedsheets with his fingers as his dragon continued to roar and snarl. It wouldn’t be long before his beast would be strong enough to take control, so Fraser growled out, “What do you want?”
Finn closed the distance between them and stared down at Fraser. His clan leader’s amber eyes were hard. “Fergus is missing. You know him better than anyone else in the world. Where would he go?”
Guilt squeezed Fraser’s heart. He really had wanted to speak with his twin before going into the frenzy. But it looked like it wasn’t going to happen until afterward. “Fergus has several places he likes to go to escape the family and to think. Mum and Faye know of a few.”
“And the ones they don’t know about?”
Fraser’s dragon flicked his tail, but Fraser managed to keep his beast contained for the moment. “He likes to perch on one of the hills or mountains around Loch Shin. Since the humans in and around Lairg village believe a dragon-sighting is good luck, he can observe them and not be reported to the DDA.”
Finn frowned. “Since when has Fergus been observing humans?”
The Dragon's Dilemma (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 1) Page 9
