Dragon Song (8 page)

Chapter Ten

“What,” Noah snapped into the phone. The call had broken his concentration on the information his partner emailed him. Noah had enough of a biology background to understand much of it, but others he had to read again and again to comprehend. He didn’t need unnecessary interruptions.

The man on the other end of the phone began to stutter. “Uh b-boss, he’s not with her today.”

Noah shot forward in his chair.
“Where?”

“One of them fancy restaurants.
Wait,
let me check my notes for the name.”

Noah ground his teeth. All this time, they had been waiting for the perfect opportunity, a time when Tielle Williams was alone. He was not a patient man, but approaching Stone head on was not the answer. The stubborn self-righteous ass felt as his father did, that some kind of cosmic power selected who would have the active dragon gene, and that left out everyone else. Noah wasn’t going for it. Not now, not ever. If he could get to Stone through his bitch, he’d do it.

Kidnapping at this time was out of the question. Scaring her, maybe even hurting her a little would distract Stone enough so that Noah’s men could get the drop on him just as they did on Noah’s father. That would be better, and outsiders would stay out. Noah counted on his uncle not to contact the authorities in order to keep the family secret in tact. Meanwhile, once Noah had Stone, he could have him transported to Ireland with none the wiser. All of his contacts were in place, waiting for him to give the word. Having almost unlimited finances came in handy. He chuckled.

“Jaunted,” his man exclaimed.

Noah snapped out of his reverie. “Come again?”

“The restaurant.
It’s called Jaunted. I don’t know what that means.”

“That’s because you’re an idiot. I don’t pay you to be smart anyway. I pay you to do what I tell you. So, you stage the accident just like I instructed. No
mistakes,
or I’ll have your head. Call me the minute it’s done.”

“Yes, sir.”

Noah rang off, but his phone buzzed a second time. He grunted. Seeing who it was, he reigned in his anger to answer. “Hello, uncle.”

“Noah,” Einin barked into the phone. Noah winced and distanced the small device from his ear. It amused him that Einin tried so hard to be a giant in bark and bite when he was such a small-built man. What amused Noah even more was the fact that the name
Einin
was a girl’s name meaning ‘little bird’. Why his uncle hadn’t paid to have it changed all these years, he couldn’t guess. Except maybe the older man felt he proved himself even bigger by keeping it. Who cared? Noah had no respect for his uncle, nor did he care for the man’s personality. When he became head of the family, Noah intended to put the little bird in his place, which was under Noah’s heel.

“What can I do for you, uncle?” Noah forced himself to sound pleasant. He suspected his tone was more uptight but hoped Einin wouldn’t notice. Einin didn’t buy into false niceties anyway. He preferred the more direct approach—in other words, I’m everything, and you’re nothing.

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” Einin told him. “Your father passed away this morning. At least we’ve determined that his accident was not someone who knew our secret. Stone uncovered that it was all the work of a jealous husband. There’s no accounting for how far a man will go where his woman is involved.”

Noah suppressed a chuckle. “Aye, you’re right, uncle. They’re unpredictable.”

Of course Noah knew all about it. He had been the mastermind behind making it look like his philandering father had fucked over the wrong husband and had his life snuffed because of it. The extra effort it took to fool Stone was worth it, although it rankled that Einin praised him as if he’d cracked the case of the century. Stone had swallowed whole the false clues Noah had set out for him. None of them came close to his intelligence, and the sooner they recognized it the better.

With effort, he attempted to sound choked up over his father, as if he was fighting the emotions. “W-When is the funeral?”

“In three days. I expect you here. I will contact Stone as well. People will fly in from all over him being a Hughes, so it’s best that you make arrangements immediately. Stone has use of the private jet, but if you’re in the United States, there should be no problem with the two of you coming together. File the manifest early, Noah. Have I made myself clear?”

Noah frowned. He lifted the mail opener he’d been using earlier and jabbed it into the wooden desk before him. Everything inside of him wished it was Einin or Stone beneath the sharp point.
“Crystal clear, uncle.”

“Good.” His uncle rang off without saying good-bye, but Noah hadn’t expected him to.

He tossed the tool away and steepled his fingers to consider how this news of his father’s death changed things.
Stone’s being
gone from his woman’s side would open her more for whatever plans Noah had for her. However, when Stone was in Dublin, bringing him down was harder. They would be surrounded by family, friends, and whoever else pretended to give a crap about Murray Hughes. In addition, Stone tended to get more focused at home, like his father’s expectations weighed him down more. Noah chuckled. “Better him than me with Einin.”

Noah’s best bet was to proceed as planned. If Stone was distracted worrying about his woman while he was away, then he’d open himself to attack. Noah would look for an opportunity in Ireland. If it didn’t arise, then the U.S. would have to do. Right now, they needed to focus on today. This time, he would not fail.

Chapter Eleven

Tielle stepped outside the restaurant and paused. “That food was
incredible,
wasn’t it?” she asked Jamie behind her.

“You said it.” Jamie moaned. “I think I ate too much, but that steak was so tender, so juicy.”

Laughing, Tielle shook her head. “I thought you didn’t eat red meat? Wait, weren’t you vegetarian for a few months?”

Jamie pouted. “Shh, say nothing.”

“You’re crazy, girl.” Tielle swung away from her friend and headed toward the street. Jamie had parked her car on the opposite side, a lucky break since normally when they came downtown, there were no spaces available. They’d end up driving around and around looking for an open meter. Tielle was still talking when she stepped out from between two parked cars. She paused, seeing a car rolling at a snail’s pace not far along. “Goodness, can he drive any slower?” she complained.

They started out ahead of him, but someone called from behind.
“Miss, your change.”

Jamie looked back.
“Change?
I didn’t use cash.” She hurried back to the sidewalk, but Tielle continued on. The second she moved beyond the parked vehicles, the car ambling along sped up. Tielle froze in place, her legs unable to work as fast as her mind’s command to jump back.

A blur zipped by Tielle, and with the stirring of her hair on a sudden wind, she found herself in someone’s arms being jerked out of the way of the speeding car. The nut behind the wheel yelled something drunkenly, scraped several cars at the side of the road and continued on.

Tielle clung to her rescuer shaking at what could have happened. She sucked in a deep breath and steadied herself before looking up into the man’s face. Stone’s worried eyes stared down at her. “Are you okay, Tielle?”

“Stone?
What are you doing here?” She pulled herself together and stood up straight. Peering around his shoulder, she asked, “Did you see that? The idiot was drunk.”

Jamie ran up and pulled her into a hug. “Tielle, are you okay? I saw it coming, but I couldn’t get myself together enough to yell a warning.”

“I know, right?” Tielle agreed. “I think I couldn’t believe it myself, so I stood there like an idiot. Thank God I’m okay, but what about the next person? We should call the police and report it.”

“Yeah,” Jamie agreed, slipping her phone from her pocket.

Stone’s heavy hands came down on her shoulders, and he twisted her to face him rather than Jamie. He moved his hand to her chin, forcing her to look at him. “What the hell were you thinking stepping into the street without looking? And why are you here when you said you had to study all weekend?” His gaze shifted to Jamie for a second and then back to Tielle.

She blinked at him. All fear of what just happened to her left the moment he started acting all high and mighty, like she was some fool who couldn’t handle her own business. “Excuse me?” She put her hands on her hips. “What gives you the right to question me?”

His expression darkened. “What game are you playing, Tielle? I don’t like women who try to manipulate me to get what they want.”

“Oh, is that right? Well, you know what you can do for me, Stone.” She whirled away from him, but he caught her arm and tugged her to his chest. Her body ignited with the impact.

“Is this what you want?” he demanded.
“To forget about us?”

She shoved at his chest, but he didn’t let her go. “You’re just pissed because you like to call all the shots. Get over yourself, Stone. I have a line of men just waiting to take your place.”

His face reddened. She didn’t take her words back. She wasn’t the kind of woman to play games, or at least she hadn’t thought so until she met him. But Stone was too big for her normal way of doing things. He held too much of her in the palm of his hand, and she needed to use whatever tool was necessary to keep things comfortable. If that meant playing games as he called it, oh well.

When the police arrived, Tielle gave the report of the drunken driver while ignoring Stone. She waited until the policeman was questioning him before she dragged Jamie to her car and they left. After the restaurant and her lover were out of sight, she breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes.

Feeling Jamie’s eyes on her more than once, she said, “What?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought things were good between the two of you, and the man just saved your life. Why did you brush him off?”

Tielle couldn’t admit that it was because she wanted to be with Stone more than anything else. Jamie would be worried, and Tielle just didn’t want to talk about it. “I’m taking a break, that’s all. You know how I get after a while.”

Jamie nodded. “The sex gets predictable. He gets boring.”

“Yeah,” Tielle said.
So not true with Stone.
The sex couldn’t get any better, and seeing Stone was the farthest thing away from boring. In fact, she suspected it would remain thrilling for the next century if they lasted that long. She groaned.

Jamie patted her hand. “Don’t worry, girl. You know what you said was true.”

“What was that?”

Her friend winked. “You’ve got a line of men just waiting to take his place. Nobody has them begging like you, Tielle, and you don’t even seem to notice half the time. You’re the only woman I know whose exes want to rekindle things after you break it off.”

“Damn,” Tielle complained. “You make me sound like a heartless bitch.”

“Naw, you’re not that.” She grinned. “I see it in you. When you fall at last, it’s going to be hard. That man will feel like he’s the luckiest person in the universe. That’s your destiny. It will happen soon.”

Tielle yawned. “Thank you, oh Zen master for those wise words.”

They giggled together, and Jamie dropped her at home before heading to her own place. As she ascended the steps to the third floor, Tielle thought about what Jamie’d said, how when she fell in love it would be hard. In some ways, she believed it would happen too. The problem was, would the man she loved, love her just as hard in return? That was the scariest part about the whole business and what had kept Tielle protecting herself up until now. She’d been careless with Stone, but that had to stop. A man like him wouldn’t likely fall for any woman, least of all her. He was heartbreak waiting to happen, and she wasn’t the one to play that game.

Tielle strolled into her bedroom and undressed. She’d showered before she left to meet Jamie for lunch, but somehow she felt like warm water raining over her body would wash away the unrest in her soul, along with the ordeal she’d just gone through. When she’d finished sudsing with her favorite body wash and rinsed it down, she turned off the shower and returned to her room for lotion.

A lightweight cotton sundress was the perfect outfit to slip into. The vee neckline hung low, and the back had crisscross straps exposing her skin. The cut would not allow a bra, so she didn’t put one on. Examining herself in the mirror while she slipped into her white thong, she noted how her nipples were defined behind the dress’ material. The last time she’d worn it, she’d put on the formfitting cups that would disguise her peaks and offer a little support. She had no idea where they were, and what did it matter anyway since she was alone. The day was too warm, and she didn’t want to turn on the air conditioner until she couldn’t take it anymore.

By the time she padded barefoot from her room and glanced toward her backpack in the corner, someone was ringing her doorbell. She frowned and went over to flick the intercom. “Yes?”

“It’s Stone.”

Her heart doubled its beats. She bit her lip, half grinning because she was excited to see him again. A frown followed because he didn’t believe her when she told him she needed to study. As if he might see that she wasn’t working, she darted over to her backpack and hoisted it onto the table. In moments, she had textbooks cracked open to random pages and her notebook planted on top of one.

She darted back to the intercom. “Stone, I told you I have an exam to study for.”

“I need to talk to you.”

If she expected to hear pleading or a lovesick tone to his voice, she would wait forever. His words were matter of fact, if a tad irritated.

“So why do I tolerate this dude?” she asked herself. She punched in the code to let him in. “Make it fast.”

Waiting by the door, she listened to him come up the stairs and then opened the door for him. All the while, she fought for control, for the nonchalant way he seemed to have about him. Stone must be used to putting women in their place, offering just what he wanted to give them and nothing more—certainly no wasted emotions like love.

He strolled by her, planting a casual kiss on her lips as he went. Tielle’s eyebrow shot up as she watched him. He was going to play it like that? She slammed the door and rested a hand on her hip. “What’s this about?”

After scanning the apartment, his gaze resting for a moment on her schoolwork, he turned to face her. The mild irritation increased when he saw what she wore. “You study dressed like that?”

“You have a problem with it?”

“Actually, I don’t.” He crossed the room to stand in front of her and with no warning, reached up to stroke a thumb over her nipple. Tielle almost sank against him. Instead, she twisted out of his reach and hurried away.

“You said talk, Stone, not fondle.” With everything in her, she hoped her voice didn’t just waver like she thought it did.

He moved up behind her and encircled her waist to bring her back to his hot body. Tielle closed her eyes. She concentrated on breathing and tried not to pay attention when he began running his tongue along her neck. Her stupid head tilted to the side, and she arched her back to press her ass to his thighs.
Come on, Tielle, get a frickin’ grip!

Stone found her mouth and covered it with his own. His tongue slipped between her lips. When he brought his hands up to knead her breasts, she moaned. He yanked the straps off her shoulders and forced the dress lower so she was exposed. Stroking both her breasts with one hand, he used the other to venture between her legs.

“Mm,” he grunted when his mouth left hers. “I love when you wear a thong. I can bury my cock in your pussy without taking them off, and it makes it all the
more sexy
.”

Tielle almost screamed. She wrenched herself from his hold and ran around to the opposite side of the dining room table. Stone stared at her like she’d lost her mind. With trembling fingers, she fixed her dress to cover herself and worked to calm her breathing.

“You n-need to respect me enough to accept when I tell you no,” she said. “You can’t just barge in here and take what you want.”

His eyes narrowed. “You cannot be serious. I see how much you want me. Your pussy was soaking wet just now.”

Tielle resisted falling on the floor and crawling over to him like his little love slave. She stiffened her back and rolled her eyes at him. She didn’t give a damn about him or his big piece. “Whatever, Stone. Like I said, I have a right to tell you no, and if you want to be my lover—for however long it lasts—you will respect my wishes.
Period
.
I don’t care if I’m butt naked and lying on a platter before you.
If I say no, it’s no, damn it!”

Stone ground his teeth, paced, and laced his fingers behind his back. She’d never seen him so worked up—not beyond sexual excitement, of course. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think this was more than about physical fulfillment, but she dared not believe something like that. It was too dangerous. She needed a firm foundation, and love was rocky ground at best.

Tielle took a chance and approached him, standing as tall as she could given the man was several inches taller and bigger in every way. “I need you to leave so I can get back to work. I don’t have to explain myself any more than that.”

His eyes blazed fire, but then it died out. He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out while rotating his shoulders. Not saying a word, he moved to the front door and opened it. Tielle felt a wrench in her chest that he was leaving. He stopped halfway out.

“I’ll give you this time, Tielle. But make no mistake about it, I will be back, and you and I are going to enjoy what we
both
want!”

The door slammed closed, and her knees gave out. She uttered a small
whoop
for victory. Everything inside of her wanted to be in his arms, but to be sure Stone didn’t dictate her life, she had to hold out. She’d done it, and with any luck, Stone had learned not to take her for granted. Tielle rolled onto her back and kicked her feet up while punching the air. After her little upside down dance was over, she fell flat on the carpet.

Thoughts of Stone’s hands on her breasts slipped into her mind, along with the zings that always flitted through her when he touched her. Desire curled in her belly. Okay, now that she’d gotten her way, what was she going to do about needing his body like she needed her next breath?