The Alpha Dragon's Secret (Dragon Shifters of Kahului Book 1) Page 5

  Sara pulled out the other sofa bed for Edvard and Sebastian. They looked at it and each other before sighing. Each took a side as Carrie tossed them their blankets.

  "Where shall I sleep?" A deep voice rumbled behind them. Sara turned. Daegal stood in front of her. His expression was pleased, though there was a banked fire inside of his gaze meant for her. She could feel a tether of something between them, almost palpable. She'd never felt anything like it before, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.

  "We have an extra bedroom," Sara said. She stepped around him and motioned for him to follow.

  "Why does he get his own bed?" Sebastian yelled.

  "Because I am your king!" Daegal shouted back.

  "Semantics!" came the response.

  Sara pushed open a door across from Ella's room. She'd decorated and furnished this room herself. It also served as her office when she needed one. She no longer took private catering clients, but every once in a while, she performed a job for friends or acquaintances. Sometimes, she needed extra money during the competition season, too, so she kept a computer in good working order and a list of old clients to refer back to if she needed it. With the amount of gold Daegal had foolishly given her, she could afford to compete for probably five years and not worry about a penny. With the current price of gold, she'd secured close to twenty grand tonight. She'd share it with the girls, but all of it would go to important things—competition fees, food, household expenses or something of the sort. Hawaii wasn't a cheap place to live, but now they had a nice cushion.

  The bed was full size and usually worked for everyone, but Daegal had to be pushing six foot five. His feet might dangle off the edge, but there was nothing to be done about it. The quilt was precious to her. She thought about pulling it off the bed but decided against it. Daegal would care for it, she thought. He seemed to respect her things, for the most part. The quilt was a patchwork of drawings and artwork she'd done while in foster care. One of the women had saved them and turned them into a beautiful quilt. Her time there wasn't all happy memories, but the care that had gone into it made sure Sara cherished the item.

  Daegal stepped into the room, and it was like he'd taken all the air out of it. He looked around for a moment. Daegal's gaze landed on the computer.

  His brow furrowed. "What is this?"

  "It's a computer," Sara said.

  Daegal shook his head. "Explain."

  Sara thought about it. He was a dragon. He'd probably never been exposed to modern technology. "It's a processor of data. It operates at about the speed of lightning." It was way faster than that, but he'd understand lightning. "You use the browser." Sara leaned over and woke the computer from sleep. She showed him how to open the browser to a search engine. "Then you type your question into this box and hit the Enter key. It will answer the question as best it can."

  He bent over and peered at the computer. "It's like a mechanical oracle?"

  Sara snorted. "Yes. Sort of. Minus the creepy shawl and crystal ball."

  "Sometimes, you don't make any sense."

  A sigh escaped her. "I've heard that before." She tapped the computer and pulled out a chair for him to sit. "Maybe spend some time researching the modern era. The year is 2019."

  Daegal's eyes widened in shock. "2019?"

  "Yes." Sympathy filled her. She reached over and patted his hand. "You have a lot to catch up on."

  Daegal sat down in the chair and hunched over the keyboard like an old man.

  "No," she said. Sara touched his shoulders and adjusted him into the proper position. "If you don't sit properly, your back will hurt."

  "Thank you," he said quietly.

  Sara left him sitting there, his gaze intent on the screen.

  Twenty minutes later, Sara was in the kitchen cleaning up when she heard Daegal come out of the guest room. He sounded like he was in a hurry.

  "Wake, brothers," he said, his voice serious and earnest.

  The dragons rose as one. "My liege," Gregor said. How did a man look instantly awake like that? Give her that little sleep and she'd wake up looking like a zombie.

  "There is intelligence on the Google that leads me to believe Ludovic lives."

  The other two men were on their feet in an instant.

  "Nay," Edvard said. "We saw him die."

  "Dragons are tricksters, brother," Daegal said. "I awoke to a voice warning of peril. Perhaps this is the peril of which was spoken. I need you to scout the area and see what intelligence you can gather this evening. Be silent and fleet in your steps. The humans are wary in this era. Do not alarm them."

  All three of the men bowed and sat down to put their boots back down. They were out of the house before Sara could remind them they had no shirts.

  "They should probably have clothing," she said as the door clicked shut.

  Daegal gave her a funny look. "They have it."

  "People don't go around town at 10 p.m. without a shirt. It might be Hawaii, but no shirts are for beaches and swimming. Not late night intel missions."

  Daegal's eyes crinkled. Sara wanted to gasp. Was that a smile? His looks were already dangerous enough. Adding a smile to the mix? Dead sexy.

  "Humans are funny about their clothing," he said.

  Sara frowned. "You probably should stop using the word 'human' in sentences. People are going to wonder about you."

  Daegal's brows drooped down. "But it's true."

  "If you'd like to be kidnapped and studied for science, sure. Go ahead and keep saying it."

  "Humans are so weird," Daegal said.

  Sara shook her head. "I can't wait to tell you I told you so."

  Daegal gave her a funny look, but she ignored it. Sara picked up the towel hooked on the stove handle and dried her hands off. "I'm heading to bed," she said. She'd done well not acknowledging the tension between them and trying to play the kiss off as something unimportant.

  It shouldn't be important, especially since they'd just met less than a day ago. But Sara could feel something between them. Something almost tangible. She couldn't explain it, and she didn't want to look crazy by asking about it. But she thought maybe Daegal could feel it too.

  She gave him a small smile and left him standing in the kitchen. There would be time tomorrow to talk about it.

  Trying to sleep was the worst possible thing she could have done. As soon as her head hit the pillow, all she could think about was Daegal and his hands upon her body. She stared up at the ceiling in the dark room and watched the fan blades spin above her head in an endless loop. Sara was not the kind of girl to jump into anything right away, so the temptation to go to him made her uncomfortable. He was a dragon, for crying out loud. There was no maybe to it. He'd grown scales in her living room. Did he even have the right parts?

  Sara pulled the extra pillow over her face and groaned. Of course, he had the right parts. He looked as human as she and her roommates did. If she shut her eyes, all she could see was the strong outlines of his face and that smooth, defined chest. She had not been prepared for him or any of his friends to wade into her life and throw it into chaos. Sara had plans for her future. Plans that, up until today, did not involve some paranormal creature washed ashore.

  But what harm could a bit of fun do? She chewed the edge of her thumb and thought about it. Her body hummed in anticipation. All she had to do was get up and go to his room.

  She already knew he was interested. She was interested too. Sara frowned. It was more than interest. She wanted a future with him. As crazy as it sounded, she felt like she belonged with him.

  Sara scoffed and turned onto her side. Everyone knew 'instalove' wasn't actually a thing. It was something that happened to people who had no boundaries. She was a strong, professional woman and had no need for a man at this point in her life. She had a major goal to meet this year. Daegal, with his massive gold donation, would be instrumental in helping her get there. All she had to do was stay on track.

  Her gaze strayed to the door. All she h
ad to do was open it and walk down the hall. Sara shut her eyes tight. Why couldn't she seem to resist this call? She had never been this affected by a single man she'd ever met. Normally, she could walk away. Rarely did she go on a second date, and she almost never went past first base. This wasn't to say she was innocent. She wasn't. It didn't stop her from wondering about all the things the man down the hall could teach her, though.

  Sara flung the blankets off, but she still made no move to get out of the bed. She shifted over a little and stared at the door again. This felt like when she was a kid, and she knew there were extra cookies in the pantry. She would struggle for hours over whether to go and get a cookie.

  Sara knew Daegal would be way better than a cookie.

  She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and let her feet hit the floor. She'd see what he was doing. That was all. Maybe she'd chat for a little while and then go back to bed.

  Yeah. Right.

  Sara stood and walked over to the door.

  Her thoughts spun as she walked slowly down the hall. She didn't know the first thing about this guy. Where he was from. What his plans were now that he was here. How he planned to work once all of his dragon plunder dried up. Nothing. Other than he was probably from Scandinavia somewhere, if he had told the truth about that, and that he had three close companions. She knew his name and that he liked good cooking.

  None of these things pointed to the beginnings of a good relationship. Sara stilled and took a few deep breaths. Relax, she told herself. This is the modern age. You're a modern woman. If you want something, you take it.

  She started walking again and stopped at his door. If she knocked, it would be over. She wouldn't say no.

  Sara knocked.

  The door opened almost immediately. Daegal towered over her, his hair unbound and loose. He still wore those strange pants and boots, and he smelled of the sea.

  "Hi," she said.

  "My lady," he said. He didn't seem surprised to see her. Either he was that arrogant, or he felt the same thread of connection she did. He stepped away from the door and held his arm out. "Would you like to come in?" He kept his voice low. The house had good soundproofing, but you could still hear a conversation out in the hall if you were listening for it.

  She stepped inside without a sound.

  The computer was open to the search engine and cast a white and blue glow across the room.

  "Still researching?" she asked.

  "This bloody machine will suck hours of your time without you even realizing it. It's a modern succubus." He waited for her to sit down, his gaze intent upon her face.

  She chose the comfortable chair by the window. The move was casual enough to infer she wasn't here for sex but she could easily hop out of the chair if that's where things went. Her gaze never left his beautiful face.

  He perched on the edge of the bed, his hands dropped in between his spread thighs. She tried not to look at them, but she was losing the battle.

  "Do you feel this between us?" Daegal asked suddenly.

  Sara licked her lips. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

  One side of Daegal's lips pulled up in amusement. "Aye? I haven't known you long, but you're a pretty terrible liar."

  Sara frowned. She was a terrible seductress. "Fine. Yes. I feel this. What is it?"

  Daegal looked perturbed, and she couldn't figure out why. "It's...complicated."

  Sara stared at him and waited. When he didn't speak further, she let out a huff of laughter. "Complicated? Is that all you have? This morning I woke up to a planned day of hanging out and surfing. A few hours later, I'm hosting a dragon slumber party."

  "Slumber..." Daegal trailed off. He leaned a little closer to her, his hands clasped together in the space between his knees. "Nevermind. I probably wouldn't understand it anyway. Dragons are complicated, Sara. But rest assured, you and I are feeling the same thing." His gaze bore into hers. "The more important question is, are you here for what I think you are? Because if you are, we can't take it back."

  Sara's heart pounded in her chest. Blood rushed through her ears. She was that transparent, apparently. "What do you mean we can't take it back?" She tilted her head and studied him. There was a sweet kind of vulnerability to him, something absent when everyone else was around. He looked loose, relaxed. She liked it.

  "Dragons are temperamental beasts," he said. "We do not like to share."

  "Who said anything about sharing?" Sara demanded. "I feel like you aren't telling me something."

  Daegal looked like he wanted to keep speaking, but he stayed silent. His gaze beseeched her to stay. Heaven help her, she wanted to.

  Sara stood, only to see Daegal's face fall. She wasn't planning on leaving, but it was nice to know he wanted her to stay as much as she did.

  She stepped in between his powerful thighs. "I don't care," she whispered. She brushed a lock of golden hair away from his face. Daegal powerful shoulders trembled. His arms encircled her waist, and he pulled her toward him. His nose was buried against her chest. He took a long, shuddering breath and tilted his head up to her.

  "Yes?" he asked. His eyes were of the iciest blue, but heat banked at the edges of them.

  "Yes," Sara whispered.

  Daegal pulled her onto his lap. Face to face they sat, staring at each other.

  "Beautiful, Sara," he whispered. His lips claimed hers, softly at first. The heat of him against her made her gasp.

  "Daegal," she whispered.

  His tongue brushed against the seam of her lips, and she opened them gladly. He swept inside her mouth, claiming it. The shock of it made her moan. Daegal's arms tightened around her for a moment before his hand came up to cradle the back of her head. He dug his fingers into her hair and kissed her until it seemed all the oxygen was gone from the room.

  Sara wanted her hands to be everywhere. She felt the planes of hard muscle down his back and swept them up and over defined shoulders. He was heaven sent. Perfect. Every inch of him was a contradiction—smooth, yet hard. She brushed her fingers against his golden hair and hummed against his mouth.

  This was more than the need for physical release, more than the need for a comforting touch. This was an all-consuming fire that they needed to bank before it burned out of control. With each touch, that fire grew until both of them were panting with need.

  Daegal pulled away. Sara moaned at the loss of his lips. With a low chuckle, Daegal stripped her tank top from her. His eyes went molten as he realized she wasn't wearing anything else underneath it. He panted with desire and Sara watched him struggle with the beast that lived inside of him.

  She smiled and brought her mouth back to his. Daegal's hands were everywhere, all at once it felt like, but her world skidded and fell when he brushed her breast with the back of his knuckles. Sara's back bowed with pleasure. All of her nerve endings felt electric. Everywhere Daegal touched, she burned.

  Her fingers grew braver. She trailed them down from his hair to his back, and eventually, down to the place of his need. She touched him lightly at first and met his gaze.

  He was staring at her like she was the most precious thing on Earth. She could see the evidence of his desire, feel it throbbing against her core.

  She flicked open the button to his pants.

  "Sara," he breathed.

  She pushed against him and he lay back, allowing her ministrations. She flicked open the second button, and when she got to the third, she met his gaze again. "So many buttons," she whispered.

  A tremble of cool air brushed against her skin like salt spray from the waves.

  There was nothing but naked skin underneath.

  Sara gasped her pleasure.

  Daegal's rich chuckle made her laugh. "That's quite a trick," she said.

  He reached for her. "Too many buttons."

  Sara was still wearing her sleep shorts. "What about me?" she pouted.

  He flipped her over onto her back and loomed above her. "I'll take care of those wi
thout magic." His look was one of worship, one of care. Daegal's fingers brushed lightly over her chest at first. As they stared at each other, he took one of her nipples in his fingers and gently squeezed. Sara moaned with need. Her hips bucked up against him.

  Daegal leaned over and gently licked her breast. Sara tangled her fingers in his hair. He took her nipple into his mouth and sucked as his fingers trailed down and rested at the edge of her shorts.

  "Please," she begged. "Please, Daegal."

  He turned his attention to the other breast. Sara wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer to her. He grunted, and the sound of ripping fabric tore through the room.

  Sara let out a huff of laughter.

  Daegal growled and nipped the skin of her neck. "Sorry." He didn't sound sorry at all.

  They were so close together, she could feel the hard length of him against her thigh. Slick with need, she begged him, but Daegal was nothing if not infuriatingly thorough. He lavished attention on her breasts while teasing her with his fingers. But still, he hadn't touched the core of her, the place where she wanted him most.

  She growled against his ear. Raking her nails down his back gently. Daegal squeezed his eyes shut. "If you don't stop," he said, his voice strained, "this might be over earlier than you'd like."

  A grin formed on her face. "I'm sure you're lying." She dragged a bare leg down his back and reached for his throbbing length. She touched him lightly at first, reveling in the smooth length of him. He shuddered against her.

  "Sara."

  She turned her gaze to him and saw him struggling to maintain his form. His eyes went reptilian, and his skin shimmered with blue and green. Sara toyed with the tip of his cock, feeling the bead of moisture form at the top.

  His mouth fell upon hers, and he gripped her so tightly, she gasped at the feel of it. Sara was flaming with desire, wanting only to keep him near her forever. She ran her hands down the smooth planes of his back as they kissed. His hands ran the length of her muscled thigh, gently caressing her until his fingers fell into the secret depths of her. She clenched her muscles around him as he explored her.