The Dragon's Dilemma (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 1) (7 page)

He nearly released a breath in relief. “Exactly. Go and find out as much as you can. Then you can lord it over Meg tomorrow.”

Lorna walked up to him and took his chin in her hands. Fraser had long ago practiced keeping his true thoughts hidden from his mother. It only worked about half the time, but maybe he’d be lucky.

Lorna searched his eyes before lightly slapping his cheek. “For all my harping, you’re a good lad, Fraser. I love you.”

“Mum, please.”

Shaking her head, Lorna moved toward the exit. “Sometimes, I wish I’d had all girls.”

He was about to tease his mum about female hormones, but she was gone.

Alone at last, Fraser worked on reinforcing his mental maze as he carved the roast. If Finn and his mother were already suspicious that something was wrong, he needed to up his game.

There was no bloody way he’d let them know how he wanted to whisk Holly to a private cottage and fuck her until she carried his child.

Oh, but not before he’d punched Fergus in the face first for daring to touch the human or glance at her breasts.

~~~

Holly’s hand was sweaty from prolonged hand-holding, but she thought it might be rude to tug it out of Fergus’s grip and wipe her hands on her trousers.

The meeting with Fraser had gone well enough. Neither of them had acted familiar beyond names and Holly had tried her best to focus her attention on Fergus.

Just as a young woman with brown hair and eyes entered with a large bowl in her hands, Fraser left and Holly let out a breath. Trying to entice Fergus would be much easier with Fraser out of the room.

 
After setting the bowl of salad in the middle of the table with flair, the young, brown-haired dragonwoman looked straight at Holly. “You must be Holly. I’m Faye, Fergus’s favorite sister.”

“You’re my only sister,” Fergus replied.

Faye stuck out her tongue at Fergus and then smiled at Holly. “I warn you that most nights when we all dine together, food ends up on the walls.”

Holly blinked. “Pardon?”

Arabella’s voice was amused as she said, “The MacKenzies and Stewarts may look to be in their twenties and thirties, but they have a mental age of about thirteen whenever they’re in the same room together.”

Finn, Faye, and Fergus said at the same time, “Hey.”

Arabella shrugged. “See what I mean?”

Holly grinned. “I’m starting to.”

Fergus released her hand and touched her lower back. “Let’s sit down before Arabella starts telling more tales to scare you.” He increased the pressure against her back. “Besides, it’s been a busy day. You must be exhausted.”

She was about to say she was a nurse and she was used to standing on her feet for hours on end, but the second she saw the kindness in Fergus’s eyes again, she backed down. “Thank you.”

Just as she settled in the wooden chair, a middle-aged woman with graying blonde hair came from the kitchen. She was tall, and slightly overweight. The older dragonwoman’s brown eyes reminded Holly of both Faye’s eyes as well as Finn’s.

The older dragonwoman met her gaze and smiled. “There she is at last. I’m Lorna MacKenzie, Faye, Fraser, and Fergus’s mother. I hope my kin haven’t frightened you yet. They always seem to find trouble when they’re out of my sight.”

From the laugh lines around Lorna’s mouth to the crinkles around her eyes, Holly guessed the older MacKenzie might complain about her brood, but spent a good deal laughing with them. “No, they’ve been pretty well-behaved so far, Mrs. MacKenzie.”

Lorna waved a hand. “Call me Aunt Lorna for now.”

Holly understood what was left unsaid—Holly might one day call her mum.

But if she stayed and did that, Holly would be cut off from her father.
 

No, the best thing was to fulfill her contract and go home. In order to do that, she needed to not think of a future on Lochguard.

Wait, since when did she want to stay on Lochguard? Maybe Holly was more exhausted than she’d thought.

Faye’s voice cut into Holly’s thoughts. “Are you sure it’s wise to leave Fraser alone with the roast? He’ll probably eat all of the best bits or save them for himself.”

Lorna placed a hand on her hip. “Faye Cleopatra, there is enough roast in there to feed a small army. Have a little patience.”

Fergus leaned to Holly’s ear and whispered, “Faye is really grumpy when she’s hungry.”

At that moment, Fraser walked in carrying a large tray. His blue eyes met hers. At the intensity in his gaze, a flash of heat rushed through her body.

When his pupils flashed to slits and back, her heart skipped a beat.

Fraser was the first to break eye contact. He laid the platter on the table. Since the room had fallen silent, the clatter of the porcelain against the wood echoed in the room.

Lorna was the first one to speak. “See, Faye? There’s plenty of meat for you to eat, even if Fraser ate some already.”

Faye looked away from Holly and toward Fraser. “You didn’t spit on it, did you?”

Laying his hand on his chest, Fraser put on a mock expression of horror. “And face Mum’s wrath? Are you mental?”

Fergus leaned away from her. She dared to glance at him from the corner of her eye. Fergus was studying Fraser’s face.

Her heart rate kicked up. Had their shared glance stirred up suspicion?
 

Calm down, Holly.
Even if anyone had noticed, Holly hadn’t done more than talk with Fraser and share a few glances. She hadn’t violated her contract.

And she would make sure she never did.

Holly’s determination renewed, she touched Fergus’s bicep. “Would you pour me some wine?”

Fergus finally looked from his brother’s face to hers. “Of course.”

He reached for the nearest bottle of red wine and poured her half a glass. The second he handed it to her, Holly took a sip and then another. She needed all of the liquid courage she could muster if she had to spend the next however many minutes not looking at Fraser.
 

Faye chimed in. “Can we eat now, Mum? The longer the food sits on the table, the higher the risk of a food fight breaking out and I’m pretty damn hungry.”

Lorna clicked her tongue. “Language, Faye.”

Faye muttered something Holly couldn’t hear, but Fergus chuckled at her side. “Just wait until I leave and it’s just you and Fraser in the house. Mum will have more time to focus on you two with me gone.”

From the corner of Holly’s eye, she just made out Fraser shrugging. “I probably won’t be home much, either. Without you around, brother, I’ll have more lasses for myself.”

Fraser’s words were a stab to her heart. She must’ve read too much into their shared glances and near-kiss in the greenhouse.

Fraser MacKenzie clearly wasn’t worth her time or worry.
 

Using her newfound determination, Holly glanced to Fraser. Yet as soon as he met her eyes, Fraser looked away and smiled at his brother. “This may actually be your last potential food fight for life. Holly doesn’t strike me as the type.”

Arabella’s voice chimed in. “You mean she acts older than a teenager.”

Holly took a sip of wine and then turned toward Fergus. “If a food fight breaks out, will you shield me?”

The corner of Fergus’s mouth ticked up. “That depends if you start it or not.”

Holly leaned closer. “I was thinking more of you starting it by hitting your brother with a cooked potato.”

Fergus grinned, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. “I like your way of thinking, lass.” Fergus leaned down and whispered, “It’s best to wait until Fraser isn’t expecting it. But no worries, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I’m the food fight champion.”

Fraser growled. “He’s lying, Holly.”

Lorna clapped her hands. “Now, now children, let’s play nice.” Lorna’s voice turned to steel. “Let’s eat.”
 

Holly hid her laugh by taking a drink.
 

Things were going well with Fergus. Each minute in his company helped relax her. Especially ever since Fraser pretended his meeting with her earlier hadn’t happened.

As Fergus lightly bumped his shoulder against hers, he murmured, “I’ll shield you, Holly. Always.”

She forced a smile. The words were meant to be romantic, yet they didn’t stir any flutterings or heat. Maybe with time the heat and awareness would come.

Glancing at Fraser one last time, he met her eyes. Heat flared briefly before his expression turned to a slightly cocky yet carefree one.
 

The flare of attraction only reminded Holly of what was at stake. Nothing would keep her from returning to her father.

Fergus slid a few slices of roast onto her plate and Holly focused on her food. The sooner she ate, the sooner she could convince Fergus to take her out of the room. She needed to sleep with the dragonman as soon as possible. Maybe even tonight.

Holly couldn’t afford to stay on Lochguard any longer than necessary or a certain auburn-haired, blue-eyed dragonman would get her into trouble.

~~~

Fraser gripped his knees under the table. His dragon was roaring and trying to claw his way out of the maze. Fraser wasn’t sure how much longer he could restrain his beast.

Yet if he left supper without eating, Finn, his mother, and maybe even Fergus would try to talk with him and see what was wrong. If there was one thing that was always true in the MacKenzie household, it was that meals were never missed and all of the siblings fought over the food. If someone missed supper, they either had a bloody good reason or something was wrong.

As long as he could make it through dinner, Fraser could spend the rest of his time working on the warehouse project and clearing Finn and Arabella’s garden. He wouldn’t have to see Holly again until after she’d slept with Fergus and possibly carried his brother’s child. By then, his dragon might even give up.

Fraser gripped his fork so tightly his fingers turned white. Who was he kidding? If his dragon’s tantrum was anything to go by, seeing Holly pregnant with anyone’s child but theirs would set his beast off. He needed to think of a plan to get him away from Lochguard. He might even request to be fostered at Stonefire. He could meet an English dragon-shifter female and forget all about Holly Anderson.

He just needed to make it through dinner first.

Faye plucked the basket of rolls from in front of him and piled three on her plate. Reinforcing his mental maze one last time, he decided to play his part and swiped one of his sister’s rolls and took a bite. “Thanks, Faye.”

Faye glared. Even when she’d been pitying herself after her injury and had been stuck in a wheelchair for four weeks, his sister had always been protective of her food. “You have five slices of roast and a heap of potatoes. Eat those first. You know rolls are my favorite.”

Fraser took another bite and replied with his mouth half-full. “But they’re warm.”

A pea bounced off his cheek from the other end of the table. Fraser glanced to both Finn and then Fergus. “Not now. We have a guest.”

Holly took another sip of wine and he watched the red liquid slide between her lips before she swallowed. The human had slender, pink lips he would love to nibble and then taste.

Before he was caught staring, Holly lowered her glass and spoke up. “Fergus here said he’d protect me. So, don’t hold back on my account.”

Fraser raised a brow. “Oh, aye? Did he, now?”
 

Fraser tossed the remainder of his roll in Holly’s direction, but Fergus snatched it out of the air. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

As Fergus and Fraser grinned at one another, Fraser nearly forgot about Holly coming between them.

Then the bloody human took the roll from Fergus’s fingers—did she have to brush her fingers and linger so?—and tossed it back in his direction. “How about we eat first and play later?”

Fraser’s dragon snarled and tried harder to escape Fraser’s maze. No doubt, the beast had his own ideas of play.

Before he did something daft, Fraser poured some wine and took a swallow.

It was Lorna who broke the silence by tapping her knife against her plate. “I call a time-out. I didn’t slave away in the kitchen all day so you could toss my food across the table. If this is how you appreciate all of my hard work, then next time I’ll take the easy route and make fish, chips, and mushy peas.”

Finn smiled. “That’s not much of a threat, Aunt Lorna. You know that’s my favorite.”

Lorna sighed. “Okay, then how about I order some frozen human foods that taste like cardboard and then reheat those?”

Fraser scrunched up his nose. “That is an actual threat, Mum.”

Lorna readjusted her bum in her chair. “Good, then eat and postpone the food fights for later.”

Everyone but Arabella and Holly murmured their assent.

Lorna turned her head toward Holly. “So, lass, how fares your father? Is he doing better?”

Holly swallowed her bite of potato and answered, “The doctors think so. But his recovery is going to take a while and they’re going to monitor his body for the further growth of any cancer cells. The treatments are experimental, but if they succeed, the process has a far higher survival rate than regular chemotherapy.”

Lorna smiled. “I’m glad you were able to help your father. When he’s feeling better, maybe he can come visit. I’m sure Finn can arrange it.”

Holly blinked. “I didn’t think human visitors were allowed.”

Finn answered, “The DDA and the Home Secretary office are issuing a few visitor’s passes to both our clan and Stonefire in England. I’m sure I can work something out, provided your father’s health is strong enough.”

Holly’s eyes lit up and Fraser sucked in a breath. Hell, when the lass was happy and excited, she became even more beautiful.

Fraser wanted to try and make her happy as often as possible.

Stop it, Fraser.
He took another sip of wine and half-listened as Holly and Finn talked about visitation passes. Their conversation gave Fraser a chance to study the human more closely without being overly obvious about it.

He loved how her long, dark hair tumbled past her shoulders to nearly her elbows. The gentle waves of her hair softened her face and if Fraser had a say in how she wore her hair, Holly would never wear it in a bun ever again.