Firefighter Dragon: BBW Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance (13 page)

"Is it over now?" she said hopefully. "Can we go home?"

Dai tilted his head, presumably communicating telepathically with his commander. Across the courtyard, Ash never glanced round from his conversation, but after a second Dai nodded.

"He says we should slip away now." With a touch on her elbow, Dai guided her away. "The Commander will handle the police and Bertram's relatives. It's best if we stay out of the way."

"No kidding." Virginia realized that they were headed further into the field. "Uh, Dai, the road is back that way."

He flashed her a wry grin. "I don't usually go places by road. And I noticed that there's a lovely park behind your house. Perfect for landing." He hesitated, expression turning sombre. "Unless you'd rather I called a taxi. I'd understand if you've had enough of dragons for one night. Or lifetime."

Virginia laced her fingers through his. "There's one dragon I can never get enough of." She squeezed his hand, then released him, stepping back. "And I want to look at you properly, now that I'm not in terror for both of our lives. Go on."

Dai's outline rippled. Light distorted strangely around him—and then the red dragon stood in his place, posed like some heraldic beast. All the breath sighed out of Virginia's lungs. She cast a glance over her shoulder, but the police and paramedics were still going unconcernedly about their business, completely unaware of the wonder behind them.

Flashing lights from the emergency vehicles washed over Dai's scaled hide, striking gleaming red highlights from his jewel-like scales. The dragon's horned head curved downward, luminous green-gold eyes tracking her anxiously as she circled him. Virginia tentatively ran her hand across the vast shoulder, feeling the furnace-like heat emanating through the plated armor. The dragon rumbled, leaning into her palm a little. With a rustle, he spread his wings, one foreleg bending to offer her a way up to his back.

Feeling as though she'd stepped into a fairytale, Virginia climbed up. She fit herself between the crimson spines that ran down his spine, straddling the base of his neck. She felt Dai's enormous muscles shift and bunch under her thighs. Then, with a mighty leap, they were airborne.

It was nothing like her abduction by Bertram—Dai bore her up smoothly, with utmost care. His steady wingbeats rocked her as gently as if she was floating on the surface of the ocean. Virginia leaned into the motion, exhilarated by the wind rushing past and the sight of the ground falling away beneath them. She whooped, and Dai roared, echoing her delight.

All too soon, they reached the city. The lights of Brighton spread out like a shining constellation underneath them. Virginia braced herself against the spines before and behind her as Dai spiraled downward. Despite his bulk, he landed so lightly she didn't even realize he'd touched the ground until his wings folded closed. She slid off his back, wind-swept and laughing, stepping back to let him return to human form.

"Oh, that was wonderful!" She couldn't stop grinning like a loon as they walked the short distance from the park to her apartment. "Can we really do that whenever we like?"

"You'll never have to take a train again," Dai promised, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction at her reaction. "I'm afraid you're still stuck with planes for trans-Atlantic flights though." He hesitated on her doorstep. "Ah. You know, with Bertram gone, you don't need me by your side constantly anymore. If you'd prefer some privacy, I could go to—"

Virginia stretched on her toes to kiss him, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Rose was right," she said when she'd finished. She took his hand. "You really
do
overthink things."

He smiled ruefully as she led him to the bedroom. "I did make rather a hash of this, didn't I?" He caught her in his arms, tucking the top of her head under his chin. "My beautiful, brave mate. I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything straightaway."

"I didn't exactly make it easy for you." Virginia leaned against him. Even in human form, he retained that draconic heat. She snuggled closer to his chest, enjoying his more-than-human warmth against her wind-chilled skin. "I'm sorry too."

Dai was silent a moment. She had a sense of him diffidently questing at the edges of her mind, trying to untangle her mood.

"You're still sad about something," he said at last.

"No, not sad." Virginia sighed, still pressed against him. "Just a little regretful. I would have liked to examine the Dragon's Eye."

Though she couldn't see his face, she felt his puzzlement down the mate-bond. "Why can't you?"

"I'll appreciate it if you'll let me look at it, of course. But it won't be the same as being able to study it properly." She sighed again. "And it would have made a
spectacular
centerpiece to a museum exhibit."

Unexpectedly, Dai laughed under his breath. "Oh." His long, strong fingers circled her wrist, turning her hand over. "Virginia," he said, taking the Dragon's Eye out of his pocket. Without the slightest hint of hesitation or doubt, he placed the priceless artifact in her palm. "You didn't think I meant to
keep
it, did you?"

"B-But—" Virginia stammered. She stared down at the ruby-studded gold, then up into his warm, dancing green eyes. "I gave it to you, freely. It's part of your hoard. I thought dragons never gave away anything from their hoards."

"We don't." He tilted her chin up, bending his face down to hers. "But we do trade. So you'll have to give me something of equal value."

He kissed her, long and deep and slow. Virginia melted against his strong body, sweet fire singing through her veins. She could sense answering heat rising in Dai, their mutual desire echoing and amplifying along the mate-bond into an inferno of passion. That fire swept away all thought, all time, everything in the world except the two of them. She floated in a perfect, endless moment, aware of nothing except the blissful sensation of his mouth on hers.

Dai drew back fractionally. "There," he said, his lips brushing hers. He cupped her face in his palms, his thumb reverently stroking across her cheek. "That seems like a fair trade to me."

"Oh, no." Virginia pushed at his chest, guiding him down to sit on the bed. She stood in front of him, between his sprawled legs, and held up the Dragon's Eye so that the massive cabochon ruby caught the light. The hidden six-pointed star in its heart flared.

"I wouldn't want the other dragons to think I cheated you." She shook her head solemnly. "This is worth much more than just one kiss."

Dai's green eyes gleamed wickedly as he allowed her to push him back onto his elbows. His feet were still on the floor, his long, muscled body stretched across the bed. "Is it worth two kisses, then?"

"I'll show you what it's worth." Virginia let her robe slip off her shoulders. She still wore nothing but panties and one of his dress shirts underneath.

He watched hungrily as she slowly undid each button until the shirt hung open. She shrugged it off, and was rewarded by Dai's long sigh. His need pulled at her down the mate-bond as she slowly slid her panties down. She could feel how badly he wanted to touch her, to worship her.

*Wait,
* she told him silently.

After all her recent fear and helplessness, she wanted to reclaim power in at least one small area of her life. From the gentle glow of acceptance and love that washed over her, she knew that Dai had sensed her need to take control, and understood it. He settled back onto his elbows obediently, though his eyes tracked her every movement with intense desire.

Virginia straddled him, feeling the thick swell of his erection even through his jeans. His hips jerked involuntarily, the friction sending delicious waves of pleasure through her.

"Wait," she said again, out loud this time. She brushed his lips with her fingertips, forestalling his protest. "It's my turn to adorn you."

"Yes," Dai said hoarsely. His eyes had gone to thin rims of gold around the wide, dark pupils. His strong hands clenched in the bedcover. "Oh,
yes
."

Raising herself up a little on her knees, she freed the hem of his t-shirt. His abs bunched in hard ridges as he leaned forward to let her pull it over his head. Pushing him down flat again, she sat back on her heels, for a moment just admiring the gorgeous lines of his body.

*Mine,*
she thought wonderingly, and didn't even realize she'd sent the thought to him until she felt the wave of wholehearted assent coming back down the mate-bond. He was hers; all of him, always, hers and hers alone.

Very carefully, Virginia placed the Dragon's Eye in the center of Dai's chest, right over his heart. The gold and gems sparkled at his sharp intake of breath. The star at the center of the largest ruby danced with his heartbeat.

"Daifydd Drake, I adorn you." She tapped the artifact with one finger, shooting him a mischievous smile. "Now
stay
adorned. If you can."

Virginia bent to kiss the hollow of his throat. Her breasts brushed deliciously against the hard planes of his chest as she traced the line of his collarbone with her tongue. She ached to feel him inside her, but forced herself to stay slow and unhurried, relishing the way his breathing quickened as she worked her way down to his tight nipple.

He groaned as she grazed his nipple with her teeth, every muscle tightening. “Virginia—!”

"Careful," Virginia murmured against his tanned skin. She tapped the Dragon's Eye with one finger. "Don't let it slip."

He subsided again, though she could feel what exquisite torment it was to him to have to hold still. To have such a powerful man willingly placing himself entirely at her command was as exhilarating as flying on dragonback. Her own heartbeat sped, matching his as she worked her way yet lower, licking along his hard abs.

"Virginia," Dai gasped as she unbuttoned his jeans. His head was raised, watching her over the gold glittering between them. Awe and agony mingled in his face. He lifted his hips a little to allow her to work his jeans down. "Oh God. Virginia."

His hands fisted as she ran her tongue along the enticing grooves leading from hipbone to the base of his rigid cock.  "Please. I can't take much more of this."

In response, Virginia opened her mouth and enveloped the straining head of his cock. He threw his head back with a cry, the cords of his neck standing out. Virginia swirled her tongue around him, savoring his helpless moans as she explored every inch of his thick cock. She relished filling her mouth with him, in a tantalizing preview of being filled by that rock-hard shaft. Even taking in as much as she could, he was so long she still had room to wrap her fist around the base, working him with her hand as well as her mouth.

She could feel the way she was driving him to the very edge. His intense pleasure washed over her down the mate-bond, every stroke of her tongue or hand on him echoed in her own body.

She knew the point when he could take no more, because his urgency was her own. She reared up, straddling him again. His hands coming up to intertwine with hers, his strong arms bracing her as she finally, finally slid down onto his cock.

She was so ready that the first exquisite thrust tipped her over the edge. Waves of pleasure washed over her. She rode him in a strong, swift rhythm, his hips urging her on. They mounted to higher and higher peaks of ecstasy like a dragon spiraling up into the sky, and when Dai finally arched up underneath her, calling out her name as she gasped his, it was as if they flew together into the very heart of the sun.

Sweat-drenched and satisfied in every fiber of her being, Virginia collapsed down onto Dai's broad chest. For a long, luxurious moment, she just lay there as their heartbeats slowed in unison. Then she fidgeted. The Dragon's Eye was digging into her breast. She fished it out from between their bodies.

"Well," she said ruefully, placing the artifact onto the bed beside them. "My old archaeology professor would
really
not have approved of that."

Dai's laughter rumbled deep in his chest. "I did, though." His fingers traced wondering, tender paths down her bare back. "Even my dragon thinks we got the better deal in that trade."

Virginia propped herself up on her elbows, gazing down at him. "Oh, no, no. The Dragon's Eye is worth
much
more than that." She tried to school her face into a serious expression, but one corner of her mouth tugged up despite her best efforts. "That was just the first installment of my payment plan."

"Oh?" Dai smiled up at her. His love for her was a radiant beacon in her mind. "And exactly how long does this payment plan last?"

"Well, it
is
a priceless artifact." Virginia leaned down to claim his mouth again. "How about forever?"

***

T
hank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please
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Firefighter Dragon
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Page down to read a special sneak preview of another of my dragon stories,
The Billionaire Dragon Shifter’s Baby
.

The cover of
Firefighter Dragon
was designed by Augusta Scarlett.

Cover: Augusta Scarlett |
www.scarlettebooks.com

T
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