Page 6 of Red Fury (The Dragon Tributes #8)

F ury

I shift in the leather seat, trying to focus on the security briefing documents spread across the tray table in front of me, but I can’t get my mind off the burner phone in my jacket pocket. I’ve received two messages from Steel in the last few hours.

My superior wants an update, and I’ve been avoiding giving him one, for obvious reasons. How exactly do I explain that I found the Draiger, and that we now have a tentative truce…at least for now? That’s not going to go over well with anyone back on Mistveil, that’s for sure.

I can’t keep putting this off. I need to give Steel an update. Things are going to be busy once we land. I might not get another chance until late tonight.

“Excuse me,” I mutter to the security specialist sitting beside me, pushing up from my seat. “I need to use the facilities.” I point in the direction of the toilets and then head down the aisle.

The aircraft’s restroom is more spacious than most, but it still feels cramped when you’re six-foot-eight and built like a linebacker. I lock the door behind me and finally pull out the burner, scrolling through the messages.

Now there are three texts from Steel, each one more demanding than the last:

Status report needed. Have you located the Draiger?

Send a brief report as soon as you can!

You read the last 2 messages, why haven’t you responded? You had better have a good reason.

I stare at the screen, my thumb hovering over the keypad.

What the hell am I supposed to tell him?

That I found her, and instead of neutralizing the threat, I made a deal with her?

That every instinct I have is telling me she’s dangerous, but I can’t bring myself to eliminate her?

Not yet, anyway. I might need her. She could be useful to have around.

In the end, I type out a lie:

No contact with target yet. Still investigating. Will report when I have solid intel.

I hit send before I can second-guess myself, then immediately delete the conversation thread. The small device goes back into the hidden compartment sewn into the lining of my jacket. It’s a little modification I had made before leaving the island.

I flush the toilet and wash my hands, studying my reflection in the mirror. The mark on my throat from Shadow’s blade is already healing, but it’s still visible – a thin red scar that will be gone in a few hours. Dragon shifters heal fast, but not instantaneously.

I’m drying my hands when I unlock the door and step out, nearly colliding with a familiar figure in a navy suit.

Her skirt is just above the knee, and her jacket and blouse give nothing away, which is somehow more enticing than if she’d been showing off her body.

She’s especially enticing now that I have an idea of what she is hiding under there.

Her breasts are not overly large but plenty big enough, like ripe little peaches.

Her nipples like cherries, wanting to be plucked.

“Oh!” The Draiger steps back, her eyes widening slightly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize—”

“No problem,” I say, steadying her with a hand on her elbow. “I was just finishing up.” I let her go.

For a moment, we’re standing too close in the narrow aisle, and I catch that subtle scent of candy with a hint of smoke.

Makes my mouth water.

“Oh…um…Damien,” she says, her voice quickly turning professional.

“Um…yes…hi.” I frown, pretending to be in thought. “Please remind me of your name,” I lie through my teeth. I know full well what it is, both the real one and the fake one.

She levels me with a stare but quickly schools her expression. “Claire. It’s Claire Douglas.” She tilts her head slightly, studying my face with those sharp eyes. “How are you settling in? This is some first day. You’re already on a jet to New York.”

“Great. Loving it.”

Her eyes narrow on my throat. Her lips twitch. “It looks like you cut yourself shaving. Right there on your neck.”

I reach up and touch the mark, feigning surprise. “Yep, new razor. Still getting used to it. I’m sure it won’t happen again.”

“Mmm.” Her eyes dance. “You might want to be more careful.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say, stepping slightly closer. “Wouldn’t want to have any…accidents.”

“No,” she agrees. “Accidents can be so darned messy.”

“They can, indeed.”

“Well,” she says, smoothing down her skirt, “I should let you get back to your…duties.”

She brushes past me to enter the bathroom, and I can’t help but turn to watch her go. That skirt hugs her body perfectly, accentuating an ass that could stop traffic.

My dragon purrs, and I have to force myself to look away. I can’t be seen ogling my boss’s PA.

“Marsh.”

I turn to find Jake Reynolds, one of the other protection specialists, approaching from the front of the aircraft. He’s former Secret Service, and takes the job seriously. I made it my business to know every single person on this jet.

“Reynolds. Everything good up front?”

“All quiet. Wanted to go over the protocols for when we land. Harrison’s got back-to-back meetings starting at four, then the dinner event at eight. There is a full security sweep of both venues when we arrive, but I want to make sure we’re all on the same page. Have you read the briefing?”

“Yes. I’m going over everything again just to be sure.” I glance at the file on my seat.

“Good man.”

“Anything else?” I ask.

Jake grins and glances toward the bathroom door, which is still closed. “Yeah, actually. I noticed you checking out Harrison’s PA,” he talks under his breath.

Damn! I need to be more careful.

“Can’t say I blame you.” He whistles low. “Claire’s a sweet piece of ass.”

My dragon snarls, and I have to work to keep my expression neutral. “Yeah…well… Just being observant. It’s all part of the job.”

He laughs. “Oh, come on, man. Every guy on all the teams has noticed her. Hell, I asked her out myself about a month ago. So did Peterson and Williams. She’s not having any of it, though.” He sighs. “Pity.”

Something hot and possessive unfurls in my chest. The idea of other men approaching her, asking her out, touching her…it makes me want to shift and tear them apart.

What the actual fuck!

Then again, she is a fellow shifter and a female, at that. My dragon doesn’t seem to care that she’s a Draiger. He wants to protect her, anyway.

“She hasn’t shown a shred of interest in any of the guys, even though there isn’t a ring on her finger.” He shrugs. “Maybe she bats for the other team. It has to be that.”

“Maybe she just isn’t interested. It could be that she’s focused on her career.” That, and she isn’t into puny humans.

“Not interested in anyone at all? Nah…that doesn’t fly with me.”

“The way I see it, we’re here to do a job. I’m certainly not interested in pissing in my own backyard. Maybe she feels the same way.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Jake says, but his grin doesn’t fade. “Still, if I had the chance, I’d love to tap that. Bet she’s a wildcat between the sheets, you know? All that control has to falter sometime.”

My hands clench into fists before I can stop them. Why does every cell in my body want to rip Jake’s head off for talking about her like that?

He’s a pig, that’s why. He has zero respect for her, which is just plain damned wrong.

“I hear you, but let’s just focus on work, shall we?” I push out, realizing that I sound a little hard. “I need to focus. Today is my first day, after all.”

Jake holds up his hands. “Of course. If you need to discuss any aspect of that brief, come and talk to me.” He winks at me.

“Thanks. I will do.”

Right then, the bathroom door opens, and Shadow emerges, looking as perfectly composed as ever. Our eyes meet for a split second.

She moves past us with a polite nod, returning to her seat and immediately focusing on her laptop. But I catch her glancing in my direction once, quickly looking away when she realizes I’m watching her right back.

Jake chuckles quietly. “See what I mean? Ice queen. Probably hasn’t been laid in years.”

I know the feeling. It’s probably why I’m so tied up in knots.

I need to shift, and I need release. That’s the problem.

It’s been too long since I’ve been with a female, and being around Shadow is messing with my head.

What I need is a meaningless hookup in New York, someone to work out all this pent-up sexual frustration on, and I’ll be able to think clearly again.

We work shifts. I’ll have a few hours to burn somewhere on this trip.

I’ll find some place to shift. Then I’ll find a warm body to slake my need.

I’ll be upfront. I’ll make sure she has a good time too. No harm done.

But even as I’m planning to find some random female to fuck, my mind keeps drifting back to green eyes and that smart mouth.

To the way she felt straddling me last night.

My cock liked being flush against her wet-as-fuck pussy.

It took every ounce of willpower not to cup her sex, rub on her clit. Not to…

Not happening.

Nope.

I glance toward her seat again and catch her looking at me. This time, she doesn’t look away immediately. We stare at each other across the cabin for a long moment, and I see heat flare in her eyes before she finally breaks the connection and focuses on her screen.

Yeah. I definitely need to get laid, and sooner rather than later.