Dragon Guard: Earth Dragons Series: Book 1

by Hartnady, Charlene

  Anger pounded through him. “Your ex-knob obviously has tiny hands. By your reaction earlier I’d say he suffers from that problem in general.”

  Her lips twitched, her eyes flashed to his for a moment before moving back to the ceiling.

  “I know I probably shouldn’t mention it, under the circumstances, but you have stunning breasts, Page. Really plump…that’s a good thing!” He was shocked to hear how deep and animated his voice had become. He really meant it though and was pissed off at her ex for putting her down like that. “They are very soft looking, which again, is a very good thing. It sounds as if that Shaun male didn’t appreciate you.”

  “I wasn’t fishing for compliments but thank you. I was starting to consider having them made smaller.”

  Mountain gasped. “No! Please don’t ever do that…it would be a crying shame.”

  Page laughed. “I won’t! I don’t know what made me think it.”

  “He did!” Mountain growled and then grit his teeth. “That male got inside your head and… It doesn’t matter.” She didn’t want his advice, but he couldn’t help himself. “I would recommend that you never get back with a jerk like that. You definitely should disregard anything your ex said to you.”

  “He’s not technically my ex. I agreed to wait.” She shrugged, looking like she didn’t really believe herself.

  “Yes, he is your ex,” Mountain countered.

  “We’re not technically broken up. Well…not really.”

  “Yeah, you are. You gave the ring back, didn’t you?” Her ex had really gotten into her head and in a bad way. “That fucker moved out and was making moves on another female.”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “He moved out of our apartment. We aren’t seeing each other at the moment.”

  “Is he allowed to see other people? I don’t mean just for coffee?”

  “I know what you mean.” Her eyes clouded. “Technically, yes, he is. We’re on a break, so he can, but he specifically asked me to wait for him.” She frowned, looking sad. “Why would he do that if he planned on fooling around?” Her eyes were big and blue and innocent. This female was no slayer. Forget it!

  “You…” Mountain forced himself to zip his lips. Shit! He didn’t want to hurt her. “You don’t want to hear what I have to say.”

  “What is it? I want to know.”

  “Nothing! As you said, we hardly know each other. If you want to hold out for Shaun, you need to do what’s right for you. You need to do what you think is best.” He shrugged. “You don’t need my opinion. I already gave it to you earlier.”

  She pushed out a heavy breath. “I told you all of this because the break-up feels off. His need for space feels wrong. Running into him yesterday with that woman…felt really off. He was eating a cinnamon bun. They both were. Drinking coffees and eating their pastries. That was our thing. That’s how our relationship started. It felt…wrong!”

  “Trust your gut.”

  “You think he wants to have his cake and eat it too?” She looked down.

  “If by ‘cake’ you’re referring to …” Your pussy. He imagined it would be sweet like berry frosting. “To you, then yes, I think he wants to get between a couple of pairs of thighs while on this break. He would prefer it if you stayed faithful while he fucks around.”

  She made a face, born from pain. He could see that it hurt her to hear. “You sound very sure.” She sniffed back the tears that were threatening to fall.

  “I am very sure! Human males are wired differently. Shifters become fixated on one female. We are driven to mate. We wouldn’t even be able to consider fucking around.” Why did it sound like he was trying to sell himself to her? Ridiculous. It was too early for that. Even for a shifter. “Humans are different in that regard. Sometimes I think that fooling around is second nature to your species. It’s not just the males of your kind, although they are worse. It is sometimes the females too. You would be shocked how many mated individuals are screwing around.”

  She pulled in a breath, sounding shocked. “How do you know?”

  “I scent it. There are times when the males carry a scent of a female other than the one they are with and vice versa. Or when a mated female tries to talk me into sex. I can scent she is mated, can see the indentation on her finger. It is something we don’t understand.”

  She touched her own finger. “I don’t get it either.”

  “I’m sorry I made you take your clothing off. I hate how this must make you feel. I’m sorry I need to do this next part. So damned sorry, Page. Can I call you Page?”

  She smiled hesitantly. “It’s been so long since someone called me that. It’s nice…to be me again, you know?”

  “Yes, I can imagine.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “You’re too nice to be a slayer. I don’t want to take this further. To do the next check but…” He shook his head. “Thing is, I want to trust you but there’s just too much at stake.” He doubted very much that she was faking the scent of pain and hurt and anger, but what choice did he have but to move forward? To do what needed to be done.

  “I’m naked now, you may as well finish it! I need to prove to you that I’m not a slayer. That I left that all behind me. I need you on my side one hundred and fifty percent.”

  Mountain felt his jaw tighten. He felt everything tighten. “Are you sure about this? It’s just, I have no choice.”

  “Yes, I’m sure! It will be one more box ticked, right? One step closer to you believing me, helping me because I’m going to need help tracking down Alex. You will help right? You promise?”

  “I said I would.”

  “Fine! Finish it. Let’s just do this thing. I’ll be fine.”

  “It would mean checking…everywhere.”

  She swallowed thickly. “Fine!” She gave a sharp nod of the head, her eyes blazing with determination. “You won’t need to…to…touch me though, will you?” She sounded frightened. He hated that!

  “No!” he all but snarled. “Definitely not.” Calmer. “I would need to sniff at you, I’d need to get in close but no touching. I should be able to scent ‒ maybe even hear ‒ if you have a hidden device.”

  “By ‘hidden’ you mean inside me?” she squeaked.

  “Yes.” Fuck, he was a dick. He almost wanted to find something. It would make him feel better. He looked into her big, blue eyes. No, it wouldn’t. He’d get this over with and then he was going to get to work on making Page forget that dickhead of an ex ever existed. He only hoped she didn’t hate him when he was forced to turn in her twin sister.

  Chapter 8

  “Oh my god this is crazy!” Her voice was shrill.

  “If there was any other way.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

  Page wasn’t sure why she was insisting on this. It almost seemed like he might give her an out if she pushed hard enough. Maybe she was doing it as some act of defiance to Shaun for turning her life upside down. She was about to let another man see her, not just naked, but totally vulnerable. Was it a kind of ‘fuck you’ to the man who had hurt her? Was still hurting her? Was it a way of lashing out?

  Page didn’t know. She still wasn’t sure why she had blurted all of this to him. Maybe because she was very attracted to Mountain. Like more than she should be. Especially in this situation. Then again, adrenaline-fueled situations could lead down paths a person normally wouldn’t take. She had needed him to know the real situation, even though she felt attracted to him, that she wasn’t actually available. Probably because she ultimately didn’t trust herself with him. Was that it?

  No!

  That was stupid. Although not entirely stupid, since she was attracted to him. A woman would need to have her eyes gouged out not to notice a guy like him. But that wasn’t it. Page had needed a sounding board. She needed a male opinion. Quite frankly she’d expected him to tell her she had been worried about nothing. She hadn’t expected this reaction. From her best friend, sure. Jenna had never liked Shaun very much. Okay, Jenna didn’t like
Shaun at all. She maintained that he wasn’t good enough for Page. Her friend put up with him for her sake. So, when Jenna had been happy about the break, when she’d told Page her opinion of Shaun, it had been expected.

  But from Mountain? From a guy. Someone totally objective. No. She hadn’t expected it.

  Jenna had always told her that she was too loyal, too trusting. Too kind. Was she? Maybe she was. Was she fooling herself, not facing up to the truth? It was distinctly possible.

  “I can see you’re having second thoughts.” His deep, rich voice snagged her attention, making her eyes snap to his. “Do you need a moment?”

  “I don’t need a moment.” She needed to do this and then they needed to move on. “I think I’ll lie down. It’ll make it easier for you to…do your thing.”

  “I’ll start with your feet.”

  She nodded. “I’ll lie down over here.”

  “That’s fine.” Page noticed how Mountain didn’t look. He kept his gaze averted. He was very sweet. Both hot and sweet. A dangerous combination.

  Page swallowed hard as she lay down. She didn’t bother trying to cover up anymore. What was the point? He’d already seen her breasts and was about to see more of her than anyone ever had before. Except for maybe her gynecologist, and he didn’t really count.

  Mountain crouched down next to her legs. “Can I touch your feet?”

  “Yes.”

  He took her closest foot in his hand. She giggled when he felt between her toes. “Are you ticklish?”

  “I am,” she managed to push out between another laugh.

  Then he sniffed at her feet.

  “That’s weird,” she giggled again, feeling his breath against her skin, “and ticklish.”

  “You really are sensitive.”

  “Yes, I am.” She giggled some more as he checked her other foot. Then his eyes moved up her legs…slowly, slowly. Painstakingly so. Oh god. Here we go!

  He pushed out a breath. “I don’t want to even ask.”

  “It’s fine.” Page opened her legs. For every inch that her knees parted, her cheeks heated a little more. “I’ll pretend I’m at the gynecologist taking an exam.”

  “That’s where human females go to get their female organs checked?”

  “Yes, that’s the place.”

  “I will make this quick.” He looked her in the eyes as he moved between her legs. “I am truly sorry. I need you to know that I respect you.” His eyes dipped down and his jaw tightened. His frown became an all-out scowl. “Again, I shouldn’t say anything, but you have one hell of a pretty pussy.”

  Holy shit! His dirty way of saying things was a turn on. She shouldn’t be turned on right then. Not even close, but hearing him talk, seeing such a gorgeous man between her legs looking down at her like…like…she was his last supper or something. It made her lower belly clench. Especially when he leaned in. Right in. So close she could feel him.

  Feel. Him. There.

  His breath was hot. This time, it didn’t tickle, even though every nerve-ending caught fire. Even though gooseflesh lifted on what felt like every part of her body.

  She moaned when he sniffed at her, feeling appalled at her reaction to him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her voice was shaky. “I just…I—”

  “You’re aroused and shouldn’t be ashamed of it.” His voice was a deep rasp. Lines marred his forehead. His gaze moved back to between her legs.

  “Open a little wider and lift your pelvis. I need to get a good look.” He sounded upset.

  She put a hand over her face, wishing so hard that the ground would just swallow her whole already. “I’ve never had anyone…never had anyone so close to…I...” She really needed to shut the hell up. She did as he said, biting down on her lip to keep herself from chattering nervously.

  “You and this Shaun male were together for seven years?” He sounded angry.

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Please tell me that he…that he gave you pleasure.” He sat up.

  “Um…we had sex, yes…” She nodded.

  He visibly relaxed. “Good.”

  Page could only think about what Mountain must think of her. All that moaning and he hadn’t even touched her. She had sounded desperate and horny. Maybe because she was turned on and he’d be able to smell it as well. Oh god, she wanted to die from the embarrassment. He sniffed her again and she had bit her tongue to keep from groaning. How could the displacement of air feel good? “He never went down on me though,” she finally blurted, feeling like she owed him an explanation for her behavior. Another moan hovered on the tip of her tongue. “He’s been my only…Shaun has been it for me all this time and so, I…”

  She felt him move away, even though he hadn’t been touching her. When she opened her eyes, Mountain’s mouth was gaping. Then he tensed his jaw. His eyes blazed. “You are shitting me,” he growled. “Please tell me you’re joking. You were with a male for all that time and what…nothing? He never went down on you?”

  She shook her head.

  “Not even once?”

  “No! So, it just feels…It’s fine! I don’t mind that he never did that. It’s not important. It can’t be that good. It—”

  “Your reaction to…that…I didn’t even touch you for fuck sakes and look at you…” He looked down at her, his eyes turning feral as they raked her body. “Your nipples are hard. Your heart is racing. Your pussy is as wet as fuck. You’re so turned on that you don’t know what to do with yourself.”

  She whimpered, quickly biting down on her lip to stop herself from letting any other wanton noises escape. She was giving him the wrong idea. She was acting so inappropriately. Why had she told him all that?

  “You’re dying for my tongue to be on you. In you. You would love to cream all over my mouth. Well guess what, Page you’re on a break. I’d love to eat you out…to make you scream my name.”

  Since when had all the air left the cave? She couldn’t breathe. She could hear the air rushing in and out of her lungs. She could see her breasts rising and falling in quick succession, but she still couldn’t seem to get any air in. Need ran through her veins. It coursed. It beat. It tore at her. “We can’t.” She shook her head, pulling herself up on her elbows.

  “Yes, we can.” Mountain nodded. He still wasn’t touching her. His gorgeous eyes bore into hers. His broad, muscular chest heaved. His hands were fisted, making his biceps bulge.

  “It would be wrong,” she whispered; the excuse held no substance.

  “No, it wouldn’t.”

  “We don’t even know each other.”

  Mountain smiled. “We’re both adults. We’re both single. It would be an orgasm, Page, not a proclamation of undying love.”

  She wanted to say ‘yes’. She burned with the need to just give in. To throw caution to the wind. To take for once. To do something random and wild and selfish, but something held her back.

  He shrugged his massive shoulders, a smile toying with edges of his mouth. “I think I may have heard something inside you.”

  “What?” She tried to register what he was saying. “Heard something?” She frowned.

  “A tracker, you’re hiding one inside you. Admit it!” The edge of his mouth twitched.

  “No,” she countered and then realization hit. Page smiled. “I’m not.”

  Mountain leaned in, right in, his mouth millimeters away from her, his hot breath hit her, making her gasp in both surprise and need. “Oh yes, I definitely hear something.” His deep voice rolled over her, making her want to rock her hips. How would it feel? To have his mouth there? On her? How would it feel?

  Could she do this? They were on a break. She technically wasn’t cheating even if it felt that way.

  Mountain began to pull away. “Maybe I’m mistaken.”

  “I really want to prove I’m not a slayer,” she half yelled. The thought of this stopping, of him stopping… Page needed this. It might be wrong but she needed it so badly. More than just an orgasm, she needed to
feel wanted and sexy. Mountain made her feel those things. “Maybe you should check it out. Just to be sure.”

  “No, I think I was mistaken. I think we should be okay. I trust you.”

  Mountain was sweet. He was making really sure she felt comfortable with this. “Do the check!” She used a commanding tone.

  Mountain gave her a panty-wetting smile. “Are you sure about that?” He narrowed his eyes. “You need to think carefully about this, Page. It would mean putting my hands on you. Not just on you but inside you. At least, if I was to do it right. The check that is.”

  She bit down on her lip as need coursed through her. It tugged on her clit. It pulled from deep inside her belly.

  “Not just my hands but my mouth too…my tongue. I’d have to check you over thoroughly.”

  Oh god! That sounded good. It sounded amazing. She had this aching feeling between her legs. She’d never felt like this before. “O-okay.” She was panting slightly but couldn’t help it.

  “It would be purely clinical though.” He smiled. “Completely professional.” He used the same words from earlier. This time the connotation was completely changed.

  She smiled back, it must look tense and desperate because that’s how she felt. “I’m sure it will be.”

  “Open your thighs wider.”

  “O-okay,” she stammered again and did as he said. There was a part of her that wanted to put a stop to this. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t… Then there was another part of her that thought back to Shaun, how he had been leaning towards Daniella. Hanging onto her every word. She thought about his facial expression, his smile…all exactly the same as when he had been with her. Back in the beginning. She thought about the cinnamon bun on the table. That did it.