Surrendering to the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 7) (2 page)

She frowned. “What the hell are you talking about? Simon Bourne isn’t due to speak with the dragon hunters at his base outside of Birmingham for two weeks.”

Simon Bourne was the leader of the largest group of dragon hunters. Or, as Rafe liked to call them, the perpetual pains in his arse.

He took a step closer. “I know. But unless you’re going to tell Simon Bourne to kindly move his talk of destroying your kind for another two weeks, things have changed.”

Rolling her eyes, Nikki crossed her arms over her chest. “Stop being a prick and tell me what I need to know.”

A memory of a much younger Nikki flashed into his mind—an image of her standing before him and stammering a reply to his question before scurrying away. He blurted out, “I sometimes wish you were more like your old self.”

Nikki froze. Her reply was measured when she spoke. “What are you talking about?”

“Ah, so the strong, steely dragonwoman falters.”

With a growl, Nikki jumped at him. They tumbled to the floor, but Nikki managed to end up on top, with his head pinned between her legs. “I know it’s too much to ask, but can you stop being an arsehole for a second? If not for me, then for your sister’s future. Whatever happens to Stonefire happens to Jane, too. That includes future dragon hunter attacks unless we can take out the leader and maybe stop them for good.”

His anger faded a fraction at the mention of his younger sister. “Janey knows how to take care of herself.”

“Oh, my fucking god. Really? Ever since I met you, you’ve been banging on about how Jane needs protection. What’s wrong with you?”

He stared up at Nikki. Not only was her chest heaving with anger, her pupils flashed to slits and back. The sight should unsettle him. Yet his eyes darted to the long strands of black hair dancing around her cheeks. It was almost exactly like his dream from the other night except Nikki had been naked and riding him hard.

Before his mind could continue down that path, he bucked and broke Nikki’s hold on him. Rolling over, he pinned her wrists above her head with his hands and a knee pressed against her abdomen. “You’re what’s wrong with me, Nikola. Stop pressing my buttons and let’s just get on with business. There isn’t much time.”

Nikki searched his eyes, her pupils still flashing. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask what her dragon was going on about, but Nikki spoke up again before he could. “Fine. But it works both ways, Rafe. Shall we draw a temporary truce until after the mission is complete?”

The thought of Nikki being complacent didn’t sit well with him, but he pushed past it and bobbed his head. “Deal.”

He lingered another second, memorizing the softness of her wrists under his fingers before he backed up and away. Offering a hand, Nikki surprised him by taking it. Once she was on her feet, she dusted her hands. “So, care to tell me how you found out Bourne moved the date? Is the source reliable?”

“We hit a spot of luck. One of our contacts starting thinking with his dick and shacked up with a woman hunter. His partner mentioned something.”

“So much for the strict order of not sleeping with the enemy.”

“Right, because women never think with their pussies.”

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Nikki took a deep inhalation. “How, exactly, did you find this out?”

“I met him at our weekly rendezvous. When he kept lying to me about having nothing to report, I clocked him in the jaw. He became complacent after that.”

Most women would back away from him at the mention of violence, but approval flashed in Nikki’s eyes. “Good. Maybe once all of this is over, I can pay him a visit myself. But for now, I need specifics. What did the dick say?”

Rafe couldn’t resist replying, “Dicks don’t talk, Nikki. They only stand at attention.”

“Rafe,” Nikki growled out.

“Fine, fine. The man in question confirmed that Bourne has been growing his dragon hunter cult in the months since Stonefire and the others have backed off. So much so that they’re looking to expand to Ireland—both north and south.”

“That isn’t really news. We knew he was looking to other places in Europe.”

“Yes, but we didn’t know Bourne himself was going to handpick a new team and send them on their way to Ireland,” Rafe stated.

Nikki cursed. “Where the hell is Bourne finding all of these idiots? Public opinion has been turning our way for a while.”

“Does it matter? If we manage to capture Bourne and separate him from the hunters, we might finally have a chance to rid Britain of the arseholes.” Rafe leaned forward. “The question is whether you can mobilize everyone we need by tomorrow.”

Nikki narrowed her eyes. “Of course I can. Stop underestimating me just because I’m younger than you.”

“Good. Then I’ll meet you at 0300. Don’t be late.”

He moved toward the door, but Nikki blocked his path. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Rafe should merely push the dragonwoman out of the way and leave the building.
 

Yet as he stared into her almond-shaped eyes, his sex dream from the night before flashed through his mind. And that worried him. If he kept picturing Nikki naked and above him, he’d never be able to focus. What he needed was a quick fuck to clear his head.

The dragonwoman would probably never betray her clan and sleep with a human. However, Rafe murmured, “You were in the army. You know one of the best ways to relieve stress before a mission. I’m off to find a bird to sleep with unless you’re offering.”

Nikki’s pupils flashed, and Rafe swore he saw heat in her eyes. But it was gone soon enough to make him doubt he ever saw it in the first place.

Shaking her head, Nikki replied, “Men and their dicks. I’m starting to wonder how you ever get anything done.”

Turning her back to him, Nikki took a step toward the door. Rafe should let the dragonwoman walk away. His dreams were nothing more than attraction to something forbidden.

Yet the heat in Nikki’s eyes piqued his curiosity. On instinct, he reached out and gently took hold of her bicep. Her muscles tensed under his hand.

Despite the layers of clothing between her skin and his, his palm was on fire.
 

Nikki looked over her shoulder. “Let me go, Rafe.”

Her pupils remained slitted as he murmured, “Do you really want me to?”

~~~

Nikki’s dragon roared inside her head.
He’s offering. Take the chance.

What about Logan?

Who cares about him? You’ve pined for Rafe Hartley for years. I want him now. Kiss him.

As she and Rafe continued to stare into one another’s eyes, heat radiated from his touch to her breasts, hardening her nipples. The sizzle continued down her abdomen like a warm caress before it finally ended between her thighs.

For years, she’d dreamed of the human male’s bare, muscled chest under her fingers, not to mention the firmness of his lips against hers. Or, how he would tug her nipples hard enough to make her scream.

She really should say no.

Her beast huffed.
Don’t be a bloody fool. Kiss him.

Nikki hesitated. Considering the heat and fierceness between them with words, she could only imagine what he’d do with a kiss.
 

Rafe tugged her arm lightly and she let him pull her close. The feel of his hard muscles against her own melted her resolve a fraction. “We shouldn’t,” she murmured.

As Rafe traced her jawbone, his voice was husky as he replied, “Kiss me and then decide, Nikki. Will you let me?”

Her dragon spoke up again.
Say yes or I will toss you into the back of our mind, take control, and kiss the living shit out of him.

For some reason, the idea of her dragon being the one to experience Rafe’s kiss first sent a wave a jealousy coursing through her body.
No.

Leaning more against the man she’d fantasized about for years, Nikki tilted her head up. “Just one kiss.”

Rafe’s breath tickled her lips as he moved closer. Her dragon roared as the human’s scent filled her nose.
Why are you waiting? Kiss him.

“I see that your dragon’s impatient again,” Rafe whispered. “There’s no reason to keep her waiting.”

Yet the blasted male merely tucked her hair behind her ear. The seconds ticked by. She was about to frown when he finally lowered his face and took her lips.
 

Electricity shot through her body as his firm lips moved against hers. She wasn’t sure if it was human or dragon that ran her hands up his chest to behind his neck. The warmth of his skin under her fingers caused Rafe to growl and nip her bottom lip. When he licked the sting, wetness rushed between her legs.

Gripping the back of his neck until her nails dug in, Nikki opened her mouth in invitation. Rafe didn’t hesitate and thrust his tongue inside her mouth. With each stroke of his tongue, she felt Rafe’s cock grow harder against her abdomen.

No matter what had happened between them all those years ago, Rafe clearly desired her.

Her beast chimed in.
Of course. But I want more. Much more.

As if understanding her dragon’s demand, Rafe grabbed her arse and pulled her closer. Before she could stop herself, Nikki rubbed against his hard dick, which only made Rafe deepen the kiss.

Between his heat, taste, and touch, both dragon and woman wanted to feel his bare skin against hers. More than that, she wanted to feel his cock hard and long inside her.

Her dragon hummed.
Yes, yes. He is ours. Ride him hard for as long as it takes.

At her dragon’s words, Nikki froze.
No.

Before her beast could speak, Rafe searched her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Her dragon ordered,
Kiss him again. And again. He’s ours. He will give us a child.
 

Using every bit of control she possessed, Nikki created an invisible wall for her beast. As her dragon clawed and roared, Nikki knew it wouldn’t last long. She only hoped it lasted long enough.

Pushing against Rafe’s chest, she said, “You need to leave. Now.”

He frowned. “What’s going on? Two seconds ago, you were rubbing against me.”

With her dragon clawing at her mind, Nikki knew it was only a matter of seconds, maybe a minute, until she lost control. “Unless you want to become a father, then leave me alone and fetch Kai.”

Rafe’s eyes widened. “Holy fuck.”

“Yes. Go. I can’t resist much longer.”

Rafe hesitated. “Will you be okay?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she gritted out. “You have five seconds before I knee you in the bollocks to deny my dragon for a bit. Five, four, three…”

Stepping away from Nikki, Rafe went to the door. “I…” His voice died out.

“Why the bloody hell are you still here? Just go.”

With one last glance, Rafe exited the room and shut the door.
 

Clutching her head in her hands, Nikki sank to the floor just as her dragon broke free of the mental prison.
Why did you let him go? He’s ours. We need to find him and fuck him.

Shut it, dragon. Not going to happen.

Then I will take over. You’ll miss all of the hot, sweaty sex. I will claim him on my own.

Hoping to block out her dragon, Nikki hummed a random pop tune. Of course, it did nothing to ease her beast’s incessant roaring.

It took every bit of strength she had, but Nikki managed to fight off her beast from taking control until Kai finally burst into the room. “Nikki?”

Raising her head, she met the head Protector’s eyes. The instant she saw worry in his gaze, tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry, Kai. I was weak and kissed him. I never should’ve kissed a human.”

With a frown, Kai crouched down. “Don’t bloody apologize. Dragons are persistent bastards. The only question is what do you want to do?”

“You know better than anyone what it’s like to find your true mate and not be able to have them. What should I do, Kai?”

Kai’s pupils flashed. “Stay here. I’m going to talk to Hartley.”

Nikki opened her mouth to reply, but Kai was already gone.
 

Resting her head on her knees, Nikki took a deep inhalation, held it, and breathed out. Thanks to instinct and her dragon’s desire to breed, Nikki had just lost everything she spent the last six years working for.
 

Her beast roared and sent wave after wave of desire and lust.
Why are you sitting here? Find him. He’s ours to claim.

No.

Her dragon pushed to the front of her mind. Nikki pushed back but knew it would all be for naught. In a few seconds, Nikki would think of nothing but finding Rafe Hartley and having sex with him until she became pregnant.

Even if she never saw Rafe again, it was going to take her months to get the mate-claim frenzy and her dragon under control. Her hopes and dreams about proving herself to the clan had just shattered into a million pieces.

Chapter Two

Rafe paced the small room Kai had shoved him into.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.
While Nikki hadn’t spelled it out to the letter, Rafe had learned enough from his sister, Jane, to know about dragons and their true mates.

And unless he’d misread the situation, he was Nikki’s.

He stopped pacing and ran his hand through his short hair. What would the dragon-shifters do to him? As far as he knew, it was illegal for human men and female dragon-shifters to dally. Sure, people did it in secret. But a child in nine months’ time would be a fucking huge red flag of what he’d done.

There was also the matter of their mission. As much as he never admitted it aloud, Nikki was the glue holding the Stonefire side of things in place. Without her, the mission might fail.

He tried to think of a way to salvage their operation, but the image of Nikki’s face, crestfallen with eyes full of defeat, kept flashing into his mind.
 

And Rafe didn’t like it.

Nikki should be attempting to punch him in the face, or arguing with him about the best way to kidnap their enemy. She most definitely shouldn’t be in pain and fighting her dragon’s instinct to mate.

But what the hell could he do?

The door opened to reveal the piercing blue-eyed gaze of Stonefire’s clan leader, Bram Moore-Llewellyn.