by Kyle, Celia
With a rabid and slightly hysterical screech, Xavier shot forward like a rocket, heading straight for Charlie. The poor bastard never stood a chance. The mystery dragons knocked Xavier off course and then tackled him mid-air. As he fought off four dragons at once, two of his lackeys exchanged worried glances before speeding away, their tails practically tucked between their legs. Grizz, Thrett and two of the new dragons were on them before they could make it very far. Meanwhile, Elektra and the female dragon who’d saved Dyrk and Tessa wrestled the last remaining super-dragon into submission.
“Come on,” Dyrk said, jumping up and helping Tessa to her feet. “It’s not safe here. We might be winning but we’ve got to get to cover in case—”
“Dyrk,” she said softly, staring at him like he was a ghost.
“What?” he said.
But then it struck him that he wasn’t leaning on her shoulder. He was standing on his own two legs. The leg Xavier had frozen had somehow thawed and was now dripping wet, and best of all it didn’t hurt in the slightest. What the…
“Look,” Tessa said, pointing to a squirming dog pile of dragons.
When the dragons pulled themselves off the bottom “dog,” one by one, they revealed the reason for the almost-magical healing. Charlie or Klent—more likely both—had immobilized their good ol’ buddy Xavier with a shimmery band of electricity binding his wrists and legs. Dyrk guessed that when he’d been knocked unconscious, he’d shifted back to his human form, which neutralized the ice.
It was over. With all of the bad guys in custody, the team, including the new dragons, landed and shifted. Grizz and Elektra corralled the three living super-dragons, who looked like little more than junkies as humans. Once the chaos had subsided, Dyrk and Tessa joined the group, milling about and introducing each other.
Charlie smiled when he saw Tessa. “And here’s the hero of the day!”
Tessa looked as confused as Dyrk felt. “Who, me?”
“Yes, you,” Charlie said, beaming down at her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and caught everyone’s attention. “Tessa here was the only one on our team to suspect this would be a trap. If it hadn’t been for her warning, I might never have called Skypoint Security to send in backup.”
Robb Samuels, Skypoint’s big boss, stepped forward and shook Tessa’s hand. “Excellent work, young lady,” he said and then turned to Charlie. “This sounded serious enough that we stopped in the Rockies to pick up even more talent.”
Allon and Chelle, who’d left their positions at Wildridge and Skypoint to start their own agency in Colorado, strutted forward and grinned at their former coworkers.
“Bet you guys are glad to see us!” Allon said with a cocky snort.
“Chelle, definitely,” Thrett said. “You? Meh.”
Allon punched him in the arm good-naturedly.
“So, how’d you do it?” Robb asked. “How did you survive the blast? We heard it as we were flying over Vegas and saw the smoke plume.”
As Charlie and Klent explained to the Skypoint crew, Dyrk pulled Tessa aside and wrapped his arms low around her hips, pressing their bodies together. His heart filled with something he realized he had never truly felt before—love. Pure, sweet, unadulterated love.
“I’m sorry,” he said, peppering her face with kisses and making her giggle.
“I’d ask for what, but I don’t want you to stop your version of an apology.”
“I’m sorry for not trusting your instincts. It won’t happen again, my love. And if it does, I’ll deserve whatever may come.”
“Good. Don’t make me keep hunting you down.”
The rest of the squad applauded Charlie and Klent at the end of their tale, but Dyrk was oblivious. He was far too interested in Tessa’s irresistible lips.
Chapter Nine
The flames had died down to glowing embers by the time everyone was ready to leave the scene. Eventually, human first-responders would arrive to check out reports of a mysterious explosion in the desert, and they wanted to be far away by then.
“Hey, Ragan,” Dyrk called to the newest specialist at Wildridge. “Weird question, but can you drive stick?”
“Sure,” Ragan said absently and then followed Dyrk’s gaze to Tessa’s little beater. He smiled and held out a hand.
Tessa blinked in confusion as Dyrk patted her down until he located her keys, smirking at her as he tossed them over to Ragan.
Ragan caught them deftly. “But if I get pulled over and arrested for indecent exposure, you’re bailing me out.”
“What’s going on?” she laughed, brushing wild strands of hair out of her face. “Why am I being pickpocketed?”
“I had another form of transportation in mind for the trip home. Come on.”
He wrapped his large, warm hand around hers and pulled her along after him. Nearby, everyone else was shifting into their dragons for the flight home. A puzzle piece clicked into place and Tessa gasped. Was this really happening? Of course, she’d fantasized about it many times—who wouldn’t?—but she’d never dared dream it would come true.
A dragon was about to offer her a ride!
She melted at the warm kiss he planted on her cheek before stepping back, and she felt herself shiver as he grew. His dragon showed itself proudly, wings fanning out regally to allow her to climb aboard.
She stepped onto his foreleg gingerly, not wanting to hurt him with her weight, but when the scales under her foot felt as solid as wood, she lost her inhibitions and scrambled up to his back until she straddled his neck. Her human instincts may have been screaming that humans weren’t meant to fly, but her heart said otherwise.
Dyrk gave a nod to the others, some of whom roared in happy response, as he took off and raced through the air. Tessa’s hair whipped behind her, but she didn’t give it two thoughts. Her body was experiencing too many sensations at once to worry about how much conditioner she’d have to use later to work out the rat’s nest that would no doubt build up. Small price to pay, she thought as the desert whizzed past far beneath them.
He glanced back at her and winked, and then he dipped down as he flew low across the sand, the tips of his wings sending rooster tails of dust into air. The entire experience was a downright trippy rush that sent her head spinning in wonder before he beat his wings and sailed upward, higher.
Tessa was breathless at the sight below. She let her body slump against his with a wistful sigh, smiling down at Los Angeles from the back of her lover. It was hard to ask for more. She was in love—with her man, with her planet, and with her life. She felt whole. And as she realized they were drifting toward her neighborhood, it hit her that Dyrk had plans to make her feel whole in other ways, too. She could hardly wait.
Tessa hoped he had his special glamour up, the one that shielded him from human eyes, because she could see every inch of his long, lizardy body. When he coasted low over Ventura Boulevard and no one pointed, screamed or fainted, she knew he had. With a heavy thud, he landed on the roof of her apartment building. If anyone had heard or felt it, they’d probably assume it was a small earthquake.
Dyrk shifted quickly and then looked down at himself and grinned at her. “Maybe we should find a little privacy,” he said with waggle of his eyebrows.
Tessa led him down the stairwell to her floor. She poked her head into the hallway and gave him the all clear. Like teenagers not wanting to get caught by strict parents, they scurried down the hall like a pair of horny, giggling rats.
“I’m not complaining,” she teased as she opened her front door. “But why my place instead of yours? I figured the whole ‘back to the dragon’s lair’ thing would appeal to you.”
“To me?” he said, his fingers resting on her hips burning her flesh. “Honestly, I like your place better than mine. It feels more…comfortable? More like…home.”
Tessa wondered if her heart might explode. Ever since meeting Dyrk on her first day of work, she’d felt a connection to him. She had sensed that he wanted more from his li
fe, but those dang blocked chakras were holding him back. The future was really open to them now in a way she’d hoped for but never truly expected.
“That works for me,” she whispered against his lips, enjoying the way his fingertips brushed against her skin. When he brought his hands up and nestled them on her hips, his long fingers digging into her flesh over the fabric of her skirt, her whole body melted into his embrace.
This was a long time coming.
Closing the door with the tip of his foot, Dyrk spun around and pinned her against it. Her body hit the wooden frame with a dull thud and her heart did a somersault inside her chest. Her nerve endings awoke from their slumber, all of her body buzzing with anticipation, and her hands shot to his chest. She felt his heartbeat under her palms, and electricity crackled across the surface of her skin.
How many times had she dreamed of this?
Too many to count, that was for sure.
Laying one hand on the nape of her neck, he threaded his long fingers into her hair. He yanked on it, his movements gentle but dominant, and made her tilt her head back. Once he had exposed her neck, his mouth wandered down her jawline, his lips laying tender kisses all over her skin.
It was perfect, all of it.
He kept on going down her neck and all the way to her collarbone, her heart beating so fast she couldn’t even hear herself think. That wasn’t a problem. In that moment, she didn’t need to think of anything. All she had to do was close her eyes and enjoy the ride.
“I love the way you smell,” he whispered, his tone enough to send a shiver up her spine.
With a swift movement, he pulled her shirt over her head. He tossed it aside and only then did he take a step back, his eyes taking in the rising curve of her breasts. She dragged her teeth over her bottom lip, watching as flames of lust danced in his eyes, and now it was her turn to take charge.
Running her fingers through his hair, she pulled him into her.
He offered no resistance, and soon enough his mouth was pressed on the valley between her breasts. His tongue traced the contour of her bra and, delicately, he pulled a cup down to reveal a rosy nipple. She felt it harden as the cool air of the room whispered across it, and a quivering moan escaped from her lips.
Nope, she thought, this definitely isn’t a dream. This is happening.
Slowly, Dyrk let his fingers trail up her spine until he found the clasp of her bra. One quick flick and he undid the clasp, the cups drooping over her breasts. Gently rocking her shoulders, she allowed the straps to fall down her arms, that electric anticipation pooling on her breasts.
“How can you be this perfect?” Dyrk whispered, his voice honeyed and sweet.
She opened her mouth to say something—she had no idea what—but the only thing leaving her mouth was another moan. Moving fast, Dyrk cupped her breasts with his hands, her flesh molding to his fingers.
He caressed her skin with a blend of desperation and hunger, his thumb brushing over her aching nipples, and that’s when she let one of her hands drop. Her fingers went over the hard contour of his pectorals, over the grooves and ridges of his washboard abs, and they only stopped when they came across his hard length.
Reacting on instinct, she wrapped her fingers around his flesh, relishing the way it throbbed against the palm of her hand. She could barely contain her excitement. It was one thing to see it, but to feel it in her hand… Before she even knew what she was doing, she started flicking her wrist, her fingers traveling up and down his entire length.
“Tessa,” he merely said, his voice sinking into a low growl. Leaning into her once more, he brought his tongue to her right nipple. He sucked it into his mouth, his tongue dancing around it, and pleasure shot up to her brain like lightning. Her thoughts all scattered like birds taking flight, and a scorching heat took residence between her legs.
She had never been this wet.
The way she had felt during those sleepless nights, the ones when she had tossed and turned thinking of Dyrk, didn’t hold a candle to what was happening now. Her whole body felt as if it was boiling, every fiber of her being burning from the inside out. Even though Dyrk had no idea how to clear his chakras, he sure as hell knew how to clear hers.
“That feels so good,” she muttered, her voice nothing but a faint whisper. Dyrk said nothing. Instead, he let her nipple escape from the tight embrace of his lips. Slowly, he went down on one knee, his mouth tracing a downward path over her naked skin. She trembled in place as she felt his mouth going over her flat stomach and then arched her back as his tongue hit the place where her exposed skin met her skirt.
“It’s going to feel even better,” Dyrk said, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end. “Trust me.”
Taking his time with it, Dyrk hooked his fingers on her skirt and started pulling on it, the fabric caressing her legs as it went down. She kicked off her shoes, did the same with her skirt once it landed around her ankles, and then locked her eyes on Dyrk’s.
He smiled.
Then, his smile turned into a wicked grin.
Offering no resistance, she let him place a hand behind her left knee, her heart tightening inside her chest. Next thing she knew, her leg was resting over his shoulder and his eyes were locked on her drenched thong. She felt exposed, suddenly conscious of her own body, but all that became irrelevant once she saw the expression in his face. She pursed her lips as she realized what was about to happen, and her body tensed up with anticipation.
“You smell like heaven,” Dyrk murmured, his lips now going from her knee to her inner thighs. “It makes me want to devour you.”
As if on cue, the tip of his tongue darted from between his lips, hitting the tender flesh of her thighs. She laid both her hands on his head, desperate to feel his mouth where she needed it the most, but he held firm. He didn’t want or need any direction. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, and nothing would make him deviate from his course. Fine by her.
“Oh, god.” She threw her head back, her hair falling in waves over her shoulders, and she felt the crack of a whip inside her mind. It was as if lust was rounding up all of her sane thoughts and shooting them down, nothing but unbridled desire remaining inside her head. She didn’t even know it was possible to want a man this much.
Then again, Dyrk wasn’t exactly a man.
He was so much more.
He took his time tracing the contour of her thong, driving her crazier with each passing second. She yanked on his hair, desperately trying to reel him in, but he simply wouldn’t budge. No, he was hell-bent on torturing her, and he would only strike on his own schedule. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for that to happen.
Without any warning at all, he hooked his thumb on her thong’s elastic band and pulled it against her outer thigh. The fabric ripped apart, and then she was well and fully naked, her wetness ready to meet his perfect lips. A soft, little breath escaped her mouth, and she clenched her jaw as she readied herself for what was to come.
“Perfect,” Dyrk whispered, and then he reached for her inner lips with the tip of his tongue. He moved it up her length and then pressed down on her clit. “That’s what you are. Absolutely perfect.”
Without missing a beat, he wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked it into his mouth, his tongue applying just the right amount of pressure.
She didn’t need more.
Trembling like a leaf, she felt her muscles turn into concrete, the tension that pooled inside her body almost too much for her. She relished it. Tension came before release and, judging by how tense she was feeling, she felt pretty confident about the release that would follow.
“So good,” she whispered, the words leaving her mouth before she could even process their meaning. Right then, had anyone asked for her name, she doubted she’d be able to offer a straight answer. Her mind was frayed at the edges, nothing but an incoherent mess inside her head.
She liked it just like that.
Her insides clenched as, using his tongue li
ke a whip, he doubled the pressure on her clit. Not happy with that, Dyrk then brushed two fingers against her drenched folds, taking his time as he parted them. Slowly, he started easing his fingers in, massaging her inner walls as he went.
She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.
Dyrk didn’t seem to care. He just kept on pushing his fingers in, curling them upward into a hook until he could feel the ridges on that hidden spot inside her. Then, with a sudden movement, he went deep.
His fingers slammed themselves against that hidden trigger at the precise moment his tongue crashed against her clit. There was no turning back. She was like a pot of simmering water someone had forgotten on the fire. Whether she wanted it or not, she was going to boil over.
And, dang, did she want it!
Tessa pushed herself back against the wall as she came, her eyes rolling in their orbits. Pleasure shot through her at the speed of light, fireworks went off behind her shut eyelids, and the flames of lust that burned inside here turned into a wildfire.
She came, and she came hard.
If it hadn’t been for Dyrk’s firm grip on her backside, she surely would’ve collapsed. Her knees threatened to buckle under her weight, and whatever strength she had left abandoned her in a fraction of a second. She had never experienced anything quite like that. Her nerve endings popped like firecrackers, and all of her body seemed to have turned into a vessel for pleasure.
“We’re not done,” Dyrk said, his hands on her hips as he rose.
Pulling her into his arms, he spun around and walked across the living room toward her bedroom. He made a beeline toward the bed and laid her down. The mattress shifted under their combined weight, the muscles in his shoulders and arms bulging as he moved. She held her breath, simply watching this perfect specimen come for her, and that was all she needed to reignite the fire inside her.
Truth be told, that fire had never stopped burning.
Propping herself up on her elbows, she reached for Dyrk and laced one arm around his neck. She pulled him into her, their mouths crashing against each other, and they lost themselves in a desperate kiss. Their tongues danced in a frenzy, their hands exploring every nook and cranny of their naked bodies, and the warmth coming off their skin was enough for anyone to mistake them for a furnace.
