Chapter 10
Tammy couldn't help but laugh. "So poor old you ended up womanless? That had to hurt your ego."
"Actually. There were two females."
Ouch! It hurt to hear him talk about another woman. She was an idiot for caring. He's too hot, too charming, he's wrong for you, Tammy. Stop it! "What happened?" she asked. "With the other woman?"
He gave a small shrug. "She turned out not to be my type."
"Hmmmmm," Tammy folded her arms. She was a sadom.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t. She had to be for asking the next question. "What's your type then?"
Thunder looked her deep in the eyes and she felt her heart beat harder. "I like a female who enjoys the simple things."
"Like?" What the h.e.l.l was wrong with her? That sounded just like flirting.
"I don't know, a female who enjoys toasting marshmallows and staring into a fire. A female who would enjoy taking a walk in the rain and making love under the stars."
Her heart sped up. She bit down on her bottom lip.
"Do you enjoy walking in the rain, Tammy?"
Yes! Yes! Yes!
He is a charmer. He wants to get in your pants so bad he'll say anything. "I'm not sure," she stammered. "I've never tried it."
"What about...?" His eyes had that mischievous glint.
"No!" she blurted. "Never tried that either. Did she not enjoy the simple things then? That woman from the last hunt. Was she complicated?" She decided to change the direction of the conversation. To direct it back to the other woman. Not that she was the woman.
"Nope, she wasn't complicated at all. She was here for the money. She didn't really care about me, only this," he rubbed his golden chest markings.
s.h.i.+t! Oh s.h.i.+t! Tammy was here for the money too. She was a bad person. A terrible person. Don't panic! You're not staying. Not falling in love and not staying. She had been honest about not being here for love. "Oh. That sucks. I'm sorry. She obviously made you believe differently"
"It's okay. It wasn't meant to be. She wasn't right for me. I enjoyed her company for a while..."
"I'll bet." It just slipped out.
"But when I really got to know her...What did you say?" He narrowed his eyes and his mouth gave a twitch.
"Nothing."
"Nothing, my a.s.s. You said 'I'll bet', and if I didn't know better I'd say you were jealous."
She shook her head. "I'm not, I mean, we're not even together."
He turned serious. "No, we're not." Thunder pushed himself off the wall. She had to look up even higher to maintain eye contact. "I'm going to jump in the pool."
Disappointment coursed through her, which was really stupid. He turned and headed for the back of the cave. He walked really slowly and carefully but it was clear that his strength was returning.
Why hadn't he played the relations.h.i.+p card? All charmers did it. They made you believe in forever so that they could sleep with you, or even worse, they actually seriously dated you while continuing to screw around. Thunder wasn't doing it though. "Okay," her voice sounded light and breezy even though she didn't feel it. "Enjoy!" she added as he was swallowed by the dark.
Was it her? Maybe he wasn't attracted to her after all. Maybe he was only referring to her arousal earlier as in one-sided. Maybe all of the remarks and taunts were only teasing, like he had said, and not flirting like she'd believed. She should be happy. Thrilled that he didn't have feelings for her. It's what she wanted. Join the program, stay for the minimum period and hightail it out of there. No falling in love. No letting a guy fall in love with her the easy part and make a bit of money in the process. No harm no foul. Just enough to start over. She'd been toying with the idea of moving to Florida. It would be nice to be closer to her father. He wasn't getting any younger. Point was, she should be happy he felt nothing for her. She should be happy Thunder wasn't attracted to her, yet all she felt was disappointment in the first degree.
It sucked. It totally sucked.
Chapter 12.
The water was refres.h.i.+ng. His body felt so much less heavy and c.u.mbersome than on the land. He could feel remnants of the silver still running through his veins. It made him feel slow and weak. It wouldn't be long now. Maybe by tomorrow they could head back. He could send a team to collect Cloud's body or to apprehend the male if he was still out there. More importantly, he could face Blaze and fight for a future with his female.
His mind kept returning to the human. Tamara was beginning to trust him more. To open up to him. The more he learned of her the more he wanted to know. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted.
Despite the temperature in the pool, his d.i.c.k still made an appearance. Just the thought of that female did things to him. Just the thought of peeling her clothes off and tasting all the treasures beneath. There was also the thought of sinking into her tight, wet heat that almost had him coming in their drinking water. Not a good idea.
Thunder forced himself to breathe slowly. He forced his mind away from the lush beauty. Sheep jumping, deer running, his brother's mate pregnant with their first child. Jealousy surged through him. Cloud, dead on the cave floor, smoke billowing from his chest.
That did it.
Thunder needed to get back to bed. He needed a whole lot more rest today. He had to be strong enough by tomorrow. Aside from needing to get the human back to the comforts she was used to, he needed to send that team out just in case Cloud had somehow survived his lightning bolt. Tammy had been right, he'd reacted out of pure self-preservation. The silver wedged in his back and a female to protect, he'd thrown the full force at the other male. Still, there was a chance he still lived and a chance he might come back from whatever dark place his mind occupied. Thunder could hope.
He climbed from the water, his arms shook a little as he took his weight onto them. Thunder shook his head. Blast, but he was a weakling. He hated the way it made him feel. At least he had managed to take himself to the bathroom this morning. He joked and teased Tammy but the truth was, he was embarra.s.sed about needing so much of her help. He could not wait to give her a taste of his true strength. To prove to her that he was a strong male. One of the strongest of his kind. Thankfully, such things didn't seem important to her. Not his status and not his power. She seemed to genuinely be interested in him. She had shown him glimpses of herself. Was opening up and starting to trust him. It made him happy and excited and worried and in equal measure. What would Blaze say? It wasn't something he would dwell on now.
After waiting a few
It took a while and he was out of breath by the time he made it back. Tammy was throwing logs into the fire. He sat heavily, the mattress dropping under his weight. Then he pulled his legs onto the bed and made himself comfortable.
Tammy was tidying up around the bed. He moved onto his side, tracking her movement. Her presence relaxed him. He enjoyed her company. He could feel himself calm, his heart-rate slow. Yes, a nap was exactly what he needed.
Wait just a second.
Tammy wasn't wearing her sweater. She was in a powder blue t-s.h.i.+rt. Come to think of it, from the way her b.r.e.a.s.t.s looked in the s.h.i.+rt, he didn't think she was wearing her coverings either. His gaze settled on the sharp points of her nipples as they speared the fabric. On how her b.r.e.a.s.t.s swayed as she walked.
f.u.c.k! His c.o.c.k twitched. Thunder moved onto his belly and turned to face the other direction. It was the first time she'd taken her sweater off, aside from when she'd bathed. She was right to call him a pervert because he was a pervert. A serious pervert. She really was starting to trust him and starting to relax around him and all he could do was stare at her and imagine what it would be like to slide his hands under her s.h.i.+rt. All he could think of was squeezing her flesh, of sucking on her nipples.
He tried to get comfortable but a hard d.i.c.k was not conducive to a comfortable position. Or sleep for that matter.
Unfortunately, Tammy moved into his line of vision. She bent over to pick something up. That a.s.s. Oh, that a.s.s. It was what dreams were made of. The dirty kind.
Thunder groaned and turned his head to face back the other way. She was such a sweet female and he was such an a.s.shole.
"Are you okay?" Her voice was laced with concern. "Are you in pain?" The bed dipped as she got onto it.
Great! She was in bed with him. It was just the three of them. Him, Tammy and his raging hard-on. He wanted to groan again but knew she would get the wrong idea. Somehow he managed to hold back a low growl as well, one that would speak of his extreme arousal.
He couldn't get the outline of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s out of his mind, or her plump nipples, or her sweet heart-shaped a.s.s. He couldn't shake the image of how her hair would looked spilled over his pillow. He was sure her eyes would darken with pleasure as he plunged into her.
"I'm good," he finally managed to croak. "I need to sleep," he added, as he closed his eyes. For the first time he found himself hoping she would leave. That she would go and sit by the fire or... just go. Somewhere else, anywhere else. His attraction for her, coupled with his body's need to heal were a powerful combination.
He groaned again... softer this time.
"You're so tense," she half whispered.
He jumped when she put her hands on him. It's just your back, d.i.c.khead! This doesn't mean anything. Down boy. She's not coming onto you, so take it easy and calm the f.u.c.k down.
"Wow!" she exhaled. "Really tense." Tammy began to ma.s.sage his tight muscles. She started at his shoulders. "Your wounds are looking so much better. They're properly closed." Her voice sounded strange. She ran her hands down his back and back up.
f.u.c.k!
His d.i.c.k throbbed beneath the weight of his body. It wanted freedom. It wanted her.
"How does that feel?" Her voice was soft and tentative.
He grunted a sound of affirmation. It did feel good. Far too f.u.c.king good. As far as his body was concerned, it was game on.
"I'm glad, but you're still so tense." Her hands stopped moving for a second. Part of him screamed out for more while another part the logical, rational part screamed for her to stop.
"Um... it would be easier if..." She swung a leg over him and straddled his a.s.s. Mother f.u.c.ker! As in, she put her p.u.s.s.y on him. Granted, said p.u.s.s.y was covered in jeans but still. His mind went into overdrive. His eyes widened and his d.i.c.k gave a lurch. Her hands were back on him, ma.s.saging, kneading. Working some kind of magic. He growled. It couldn't be helped. His chest vibrated something fierce.
By Claw and by Scale. By all that was green and winged.
All he could think of was turning around. Of putting her onto her back and... not a good train of thought. Not good at all. She moved to his lower back. Her touch firm and rhythmic.
What the f.u.c.k!
He growled again. Softer and lower this time. What was she doing? This felt like... this felt... "Maybe you should stop," his voice was thick with desire.
"Doesn't it feel good?" Her voice had a nervous edge.
"It feels too d.a.m.ned good. It feels like..." he let the sentence die, like she was coming onto him.
Her hands kept moving.
"What's going on?" he had to ask. This wasn't like her. Her MO was to flirt a little and then to run. To f.u.c.k the h.e.l.l out of him with her eyes and then blush just as hard. This was different. This was a definite come on. It had to be.
She gave a deep sigh. "I just..." She stopped ma.s.saging him, pulled her hands away. After a few more seconds she got off of him and sat next to him instead. "It was a stupid idea."
He looked up at her. Her cheeks were heated. Thunder turned, scrunching the blanket over his d.i.c.k so that she wouldn't see how seriously turned on he was. Not that she was looking at him. She was looking everywhere but at him. "Were you coming on to me?"
A tiny nod, almost undiscernible. "Um... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I... you... me... we..." She made a groaning noise and put a hand over her eyes. "You said it, we're two adults, I just thought that..." She shrugged. "I guess I a.s.sumed that you were just as attracted to me as I am to you and... it was stupid," she rolled her eyes. "I thought maybe we..." she gave a laugh. "Never mind. Forget this happened."
"It's not stupid."
"It was." She pulled a face. "I'm really embarra.s.sed now. I just... please forget it." She looked everywhere but at him. Her cheeks blazed. So d.a.m.ned adorable. "I'm such an idiot."
He had to fight his instincts, the ones that screamed for him to take her up on her offer and to do so immediately. He could think of nothing better than to strip her naked and to sink into her glorious heat. Of making her come a mult.i.tude of times and in a mult.i.tude of ways.
He wanted it so badly, he gripped the blanket to stop himself from reaching for her. Tammy scooted to the edge of the bed, a look of embarra.s.sment etched on her face.
"I am attracted to you," he growled. "But it's more than just an attraction. I have feelings for you, Tammy."
She sucked in a breath and those stunning eyes met his. "I don't understand why we can't..." She narrowed her eyes like she didn't believe his admission. "Let's just forget it okay?"
"I broke a couple of rules when I came after you. The main one being that I s.h.i.+fted. I changed into my dragon form after claiming you. It is grounds for an immediate disqualification."
"I don't know what that means." Her eyes looked so big. Her skin so pale.
"It means that there's a good chance we can't be together. You will most likely be sent home once we return to my lair."
"But that's crazy. You had to s.h.i.+ft otherwise you would never have made it in time. You came after me, rescued me." Her gaze was raised to the ceiling in thought. "You had to change." She gave a shake of the head.
"I'm hoping that Blaze will understand and that he will give me permission to pursue this... us."
She frowned but nodded. "Okay, well, I'm not sure how I feel about a relations.h.i.+p. You didn't seem interested in me at all, earlier when we were by the fire. Never mind that, I just thought that maybe we would relieve some of the... tension... you know..." She looked down at her hands which were folded in her lap.
"Still jaded?" He gave a smile.
Her frown deepened. "Something like that. I guess I struggle with trust."
"That d.i.c.khead really pulled one over on you." He touched the side of her arm, not trusting himself to do any more. "Look," he paused, considering his words carefully. "Let's get back and first ensure that this can actually go somewhere and then we can look at taking the next step."
She gave a nod. "I need to be honest with you. You're not really my type. I'm not sure I want more than just a physical relations.h.i.+p but we can talk about it in a couple of days." She seemed to notice how her admission affected him because she touched his arm, looking worried. "It's not you, it's me... I just don't know that I want to take that step with you... or with anyone for that matter," she quickly added.
Disappointment was a big, bitter pill to swallow. That a.s.shole had really hurt her. "Well, that's something you need to figure out then because I like you." He grabbed her hand. "I really f.u.c.king like you. Don't freak out but it wouldn't take much for me to fall for you. Just in case you misunderstood me earlier, you're exactly my type." He didn't believe her when she said that he wasn't her type. It wasn't him being arrogant. There was definitely something there. It had to come from both sides. She was just afraid. Thunder was sure of it.
She chewed on her lower lip.
Thunder squeezed her hand. "If we get the go-ahead, we can take it slow. One thing is for sure, we are not having a purely physical relations.h.i.+p."
"We're not?" Her cheeks reddened up all over again. Then she shrugged like it was no big deal. "It's probably for the best anyway."
He disregarded the comment. Thunder shook his head. "Don't misunderstand me, I want to be with you in that way. You need to let me know if it's what you want too because I don't want to fall for you and end up hurt. Be sure, Tammy. You need to be very sure."
She nodded. "Okay. I'm really scared though."
"Life isn't always easy. It sometimes takes courage. You need to be willing to take a chance and to be brave. We can do it together."
She wanted to say something else but he put a finger over her lips. "Think on it." Thunder couldn't help it, he leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips were so soft. It took everything in him to pull back, especially when her eyes drifted shut and her breathing kicked up a notch.
A musky scent hit his nostrils. It was a scent he recognized. Adrenaline surged through his veins. His scales scratched beneath his skin and his nailbeds tingled but he was still too weak to s.h.i.+ft.
He heard the flap of wings. One pair of wings to be exact.
There was also heavy beating of a beast's heart. A dragon.