Not His Dragon Read online

  Waving her fingers in front of his face, she showed him her sharp nails. “Only if you don’t care if I leave marks.”

  “My flesh is tougher than it looks.” He stood and took off his sport jacket, hanging it on the rack in the waiting room. “It’s safe to leave it here?”

  Beth nodded and elbowed Angie in the kidney.

  She grunted at the sharp pain. “Yes, Beth will watch it.” She narrowed her eyes as she turned in the direction of the service rooms and glared at the omega. “We’ll use room three, Beth.” It was almost a growl. Could they still charge triple rates on just a back scratch? She held out her hand to the strange dragon. “My name is Angie.”

  The dragon kissed the back of her hand. “My name is Zechariah the Impaler from the Icelandic clan, but you can call me Zech.” He ran his thumb over the inside of her wrist in slow seductive circles.

  She’d bet what little cash she had that his name didn’t come from impaling people with a spear. “Room three is the first door on your right. Undress and lie on the table face down. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “I like a female who can take charge.” Zech caressed her palm, let go of her hand, and did as he was told.

  Angie faced Beth. “I’m beginning to think all dragons are assholes by nature.” She said that for Beth’s benefit and it worked. Her best friend gave her a small smile. The worry lines around her eyes eased. “Do not call Ryota. Do you understand me?” Angie jabbed her finger toward Beth’s cell phone. “Promise me.” All she needed was another scene with the alpha.

  Beth clutched the daisy in a death grip. “What if this dragon causes trouble?”

  “I can take care of myself. You run.”

  Angie walked into room three. Zech was lying face down on the table, as instructed, completely naked without the sheet provided. She snatched a fresh sheet from the shelf and snapped it open, setting it over his firm muscular ass.

  “Is that sheet for me or you? Because I’m not shy.” Zech tossed her a heated look over his shoulder.

  She snorted. “I don’t know any shifters who are. At least, when it comes to their bodies.”

  “We are an exhibitionist race.” He chuckled. The lines of Zech’s well-defined back muscles were softer than Eoin’s. What she would call beach muscle, where Eoin’s cuts held an edge of violence. Zech’s skin was almost as golden as his hair. His scales were probably just as gold. “Iceland is a far journey just to get your back scratched.”

  “By wing, it’s only a few hours. The temptation to enjoy something new was too much. If I had known how beautiful you are, I would have been here sooner.”

  “Flirt much, Zech?” She began the procedure by running her claws over his smooth flesh. The sharp tips didn’t even leave a mark on his skin.

  “That feels nice. This is an excellent way to make a living. Doesn’t it bother your boyfriend that you are touching other males?”

  “Doesn’t it bother your girlfriend that you flew hours from home to have a stranger scratch your back?” She bit the inside of her cheeks to restrain her laugh. Zech didn’t need any more encouragement. In her heart, she was already taken. One dragon in her life was more than enough.

  “Alas, I am still unmated. I know, hard to believe, isn’t it?”

  She covered her mouth, gaining control of her giggle, but it almost escaped. “Very.”

  “The traffic is atrocious in this city. It must take you forever to travel to work.” He squirmed under her nails. “Right there, Angie. Right there.”

  She put more force into her scratching on the spot he requested. “I walk to work.”

  Zech relaxed under her nails, his body almost becoming liquid. “So you live in the area. Your boyfriend doesn’t worry about you walking alone in these neighborhoods? He mustn’t really care.”

  Caution ran along Angie’s spine. Zech seemed too interested in her. Not even her regular customers would have asked such personal questions. She shook her head. He was from out of town and a dragon, so maybe he just didn’t know how to act normal.

  Eoin parked his motorcycle illegally in front of Angie’s work place. She hadn’t been at home. This seemed like the next logical spot to search.

  Securing Viktor within his dungeon had taken longer than he had expected. The vampire’s strength was much improved on fresh human blood and Eoin had lost precious time. He needed to warn Angie about Cedric and could only hope he wasn’t too late.

  Beth popped onto her feet as he stormed through the shop’s front door. The sharp smell of brimstone struck his nose. Dammit, he was too late. “Where are they?” he demanded of the meek female.

  She clutched her hands to her chest and wouldn’t make eye contact.

  “Beth, she’s in danger.” He did not want to scare the little werewolf but for Angie’s safety he would put the pup over his lap and spank an answer out of her.

  She pointed to room three.

  He clenched his teeth and burst into the room without knocking.

  A naked male dragon lay under Angie’s attention. Her nails scratched along his bare flesh in his human form. But it was not Cedric.

  Bitter bile filled Eoin’s throat.

  She startled at his loud entrance. “Eoin?” Her lips thinned. “I’m with a customer.”

  “Not anymore.” Before the other dragon could react, Eoin pulled him off the table by his throat and slammed him against the wall. The drywall cracked and dust poofed over their heads. Wait, this one was blond. “Who the fuck are you? And what are you doing in my territory without permission?” How many male dragons looking for love in all the wrong places were in his city?

  Angie made a strangled noise. “I am not paying for that repair.”

  “You must be Eoin the Charismatic.” The strange dragon’s words came out strained through his constricted throat.

  Eoin clenched his teeth so hard his joints popped. He shook the other dragon and felt slightly better.

  “His name is Zechariah the Impaler.” Angie still stood on the other side of the table with her arms crossed over her chest, giving him a daggered glare. “Are you done being an asshole, Eoin?”

  “I’m trying to keep you safe, woman.” He set Zechariah on the floor but kept his forearm across the other dragon’s throat, ready to crush it at a moment’s notice.

  “By scaring off my customers?”

  “He’s not here for you to scratch his back. He’s here for you.” He returned his attention to the smaller dragon. “Answer my questions or I’m going to disembowel you.”

  “I couldn’t inform you of my presence in your territory because I don’t know where you live. It’s not like you’re listed anywhere.”

  “Cedric didn’t have any trouble finding me.” Dropping the older dragon’s name might put the fear of the gods into this young dragon enough for him to leave.

  Zechariah stiffened. At least he wasn’t a complete dumbass. “Cedric is interested in her as well?” The dragon was obviously young, to have the balls to trespass into New Port unannounced. He wasn’t worthy of Angie. None of them were.

  “Let me make this clear, and feel free to spread the word, but Angie is mine. I’ll cut off your wings and leave you earthbound if you ever lay hands on her again.”

  The dragon cleared his throat. “Technically, she had her hands on me.”

  Eoin punched a hole in the wall next to his head. “Am I clear?”

  “Crystal.”

  Angie cleared her throat. “I don’t remember being asked to be yours.”

  He released Zechariah and tossed his clothes at him. “Go home.” He turned his attention back to his prickly potential mate. The whole purpose of courtship was to attract receptive and compatible mates. Yesterday’s kiss had proven to be both and it was too late for her escape.

  Zechariah sauntered towards the exit carrying his clothes. He made sure that Angie’s eyes were on him before winking. “Catch you later.”

  Eoin slammed the door on Zechariah then marched to Angie. “No,
I didn’t ask.”

  “I don’t get a say in this?”

  He pulled her into his arms and let his mouth drift along hers. “You can say it now.”

  She tore her lips away from his.

  Chuckling, he trailed kisses over her graceful neckline and inhaled her intoxicating scent. The blood in his veins grew thicker and his heart pounded faster. With a whispered touch, he circled her hard nipple.

  She hissed. Not a silly little human hiss, but something a true viperous bitch could make.

  “Oh baby, I have all day to wait for your answer. Do you?” He forced his thigh between her legs and rubbed. If she held out much longer, he’d be tearing off his clothes and not so she could scratch his back. He had more demanding itches she could satisfy.

  The stiffness in her back softened as she arched against him. “Zechariah was only a client.”

  It was his turn to hiss. “Don’t say his name. He’s not worth your attention.”

  She snaked her hand around his neck and upper back, claws still extended, and dug into his skin. “Kiss me.”

  Fuck, yes. He bent her backward over the table, stroking his tongue against hers, dominating and demanding. He mimicked with his tongue what he wanted to do to her body with his aching cock, his erection painfully pressed against her hip.

  Wrapping her legs around his waist, Angie pulled him against her and rolled her hips. She sucked on his bottom lip, giving him a delightful taste of what she could do with her talented mouth. He could just picture her plump lips wrapped around his—

  She bit down hard.

  He jerked away, slapping his hand over his bleeding bottom lip. “What the fuck?”

  She set her heel against his hard cock. “I’m a person, not a thing. No one can or ever will own me.”

  Gently, he removed her heel, as if it were a grenade, from his precious, aching package. There was his hellcat. He’d feared she might have suffered damage yesterday when she couldn’t connect with her dragon. Not his Angie; she came back biting. A hatchling like Zechariah didn’t have the strength to handle a she-dragon like her.

  He gave his Angie a crooked smile and leaned over her, pressing her onto the table. “Fine, I belong to you then. Either way, I’m collecting on your rain check and I’ll be at your place by six. We could meet on the sidewalk or at your apartment.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

  She threw back her head and laughed. “You’re relentless. On the sidewalk.” She hadn’t a clue the length he’d be willing to go to keep her in his life.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Angie sat at Beth’s desk once more and watched as the omega locked the door behind Eoin. She spun around to face Angie with her back pressed against the door. “You need a dress.”

  Angie’s eyebrows shot up. “For what?”

  “Your date with Eoin. All he’s seen you in is work clothes. It’s time to knock the dragon on his tail.”

  “I own a dress.” Shifter hearing being so acute, Beth had heard their private exchange in room one earlier today.

  “I’ve seen the one you own. Five times.” Beth held out her five fingers and grimaced.

  “You count?” Angie pressed her hands over her mouth, but the laugh still escaped. When it came to numbers nothing got past Beth.

  “It’s in my nature. Not the werewolf part, but my fashionista genes cry every time I see you in that yellow frock. If he tears that dress off your body, it would be out of mercy for the rest of us.”

  “Wow, that’s brutal.” Nothing Beth said was taken to heart though. Angie knew exactly what she thought of her wardrobe. It was a subject of contention between them, but Beth came from a wealthy family who paid her credit card bills. The omega still tried to bribe her into burning all her flip-flops.

  “The accounts are almost done. I can finish things between clients tomorrow.” She joined Angie behind the desk and pulled her purse out of the drawer. “My treat.”

  Angie shook her head. “I don’t need your charity. I’m doing well enough to buy my own clothes.” If she didn’t eat this week.

  Beth looked at her long and hard. “Honey, I heard and smelled everything that went on between you and Eoin this morning. He is determined to mate you. I’m not going to let some dress wreck tonight.”

  “Eoin won’t care about what I’m wearing.” No, he was more interested in undressing her.

  Beth giggled. “But you want to make him sweat before he unwraps the present.” She pulled Angie out of her chair and propelled her toward the exit. “Let’s shop ’til we drop.”

  Excitement gave Angie a bounce in her step. She wanted to make Eoin breathless, and beg her to never stop. If it meant a new dress, she could suffer through an afternoon of shopping.

  “Oh, and a pair of new shoes.” Beth gave her a knowing smile. Angie hated to shop for shoes. Flip-flops were her things. Beth pointed south. “There’s a nice boutique a couple blocks down from here that I’ve been wanting to check out. The dresses in the window are to die for.”

  Shoes and a dress? Maybe she could be late on her rent. It wasn’t like there was a line of people waiting to lease her apartment or anything. Angie linked her arm with Beth’s. This could be fun if she’d let herself enjoy the moment.

  An armload of dresses later, Angie stood in front of the mirror for the hundredth time. Beth was much pickier than she when it came to clothes. The black cocktail dress she modeled was simple yet somehow made her feel like a vixen. The hem fell mid-thigh and didn’t expose any of her cleavage, but the silky material flowed over her curves like liquid. It hinted at what was underneath the fabric without revealing much.

  Beth whistled low and long. “This is the outfit. If things don’t work out with Eoin then I’m going to date you. Those shoes cry out fuck me all night long.”

  “Beth.” The omega didn’t use that kind of language. Maybe some of Angie was rubbing off on her. She laughed at Beth’s blush. Angie hadn’t looked at either price tag yet. She wouldn’t let Beth pay for them and she really couldn’t afford to spend more money. But Beth was right about the outfit. This was a date with a dragon of her heart. She turned and looked over her shoulder at her reflection. Eoin seemed obsessed with her ass, the way he kept slapping it. In this dress, he wouldn’t be capable of keeping his hands off her. She sighed. This was why credit cards were invented.

  Beth looked at her cell phone and gasped. “We’re going to be late.” She opened up her purse and pulled out a small makeup bag. With a few swipes of a comb, Beth cleaned up Angie’s short hair and applied some mascara and lipstick. She waved at the clerk. “She’s going to wear the dress and shoes out. Ring her up.”

  Angie slowly made her way to the exit after paying, trying to forget the dollar amount.

  “You look like you’re walking on a tight rope.” Beth shook her head. At this rate Angie would reach her apartment tomorrow morning.

  She grimaced. “I don’t have much practice in heels.” The stilettos felt like stilts.

  “It’s all in the knees and the hips. You have to pretend that they’re shock absorbers. Focus your weight on your toes, hold your head up high, look straight ahead and take long smooth strides.”

  Thankfully, Beth’s car wasn’t too far. Angie made it by following her advice. She was still wobbly at her ankles but at least she didn’t have to hold out her arms for balance anymore. She got in the car and breathed a sigh of relief. She could imagine spraining her ankle tonight if she wasn’t careful.

  Beth drove to Angie’s apartment. Her friend gave a chagrined smile. “Just try to stay seated as much as possible.” Beth pulled up behind a limousine parked in front of Angie’s building. “Looks like Eoin isn’t going to be pulling any of his punches.” She winked at Angie with a knowing smile. “Leave your clothes in the car. I’ll bring them to work tomorrow.”

  Angie could only nod. Her palms were sweating. She’d never been in a limousine before. From the state of his castle and his clothing, she just assumed Eoin struggled financiall
y like she did. Then again, there were all those cars in his garage. Maybe he just wasn’t as materialistic as humans. On wobbly feet, she stepped out of the car and slowly made her way to the limousine.

  Beth honked before she took off.

  The sudden loud noise startled Angie and almost made her fall flat on her ass. She gave Beth the bird and could almost hear her laugh.

  A chauffeur jumped out of the driver’s side door and opened the back door. She peered inside and met a stranger’s curious gaze. Backing away, she blushed. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.” That had been pretty presumptuous of her and Beth to assume the limo belonged to Eoin. Awkward.

  The stranger followed her out of the limousine, looming over her. Thick, dark hair and piercing black eyes were all she could focus on. Power and age oozed off him. Time slowed as he circled her with deliberate steps as if assessing her from head to toe. “Very nice.” He traced his fingertips along her neck and over her shoulder.

  She shrugged him off. Her pepper spray was in her jeans pocket on the backseat of Beth’s car. The fine hairs on her nape and arms rose as she edged toward her apartment building. She didn’t need shifter abilities to know this predator wasn’t human. His movements were too smooth, his grace unnatural. She took a quick step toward the door.

  He blocked her way. “I am Cedric of the Alaskan Pacific Rim clan.” He bowed and kissed her hand just as Zechariah had.

  She blinked rapidly. Another fucking dragon? Was there a convention in town because this seemed out of the realm of normal?

  “Do you have a title?” From her limited experience, dragons enjoyed titles and she hoped his was long. So long that it would give Eoin time to arrive. Cedric gave her the impression that no wasn’t in his vocabulary.

  He drew closer as he rose. “I think modern shifters like to use the term alpha.”

  Yes, shifters did like to use that term, but Angie hated it. “What do you want?” She backed away but he snaked his hand around her waist and kept her almost pressed to his chest.

  Lowering his face near her hair, he inhaled slowly. “Yes, there it is. Unmated female.”