Page 17 of Seducing the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons #2)

Chapter Ten

A s Evie finished cleaning up, she tried to concentrate, but the wonderful soreness between her legs was making it hard for her to think about anything but the way Bram had fucked her downstairs on the desk.

She’d had her fair share of sexual fantasies, some of which had included a dragonman or two, but none had compared to the real thing.

Not that she would let Bram know that for a while. Teasing him and poking his ego was fun.

Yet she still knew so little about him. While her gut said to trust the dragonman, her head wanted more information.

Opening the door, she paused as she was met with a very naked and aroused Bram lying on his bed. He’d suggested they use his room and bathroom to clean up. She was starting to think he had ulterior motives behind it.

Determined not to let his long, hard cock distract her, Evie leaned against the door jamb and focused on Bram’s face. “Expecting something, dragonman?”

He glanced over and smiled. The sight made her heart thump an extra beat.

Bram said, “You straddling me would be nice, but you’re the one who wants to talk.”

Images of her riding the dragonman popped into her head and it took everything she had to push them away. Focus, Evie. Sex can fade. Find out more about the man and what he does.

She arched an eyebrow. “Well, you can start by telling me about this Neil Westhaven. You seemed angry, and since he was assigned to the human sacrifice, I’m guessing you’re angry at both Neil as well as yourself.”

His expression turned unreadable. “Bloody former inspector. Your perception is not going to make things easy for me.”

“Of course not. Just like I can tell you’re trying to change the subject. Get to the point, dragonman.”

A smile tugged at his lips and Evie nearly let out a sigh of relief. For a second, she’d thought Bram would close himself off to her. Promise or not, he was clan leader and was used to doing things his way.

Bram said, “You’ll definitely keep me on my toes, lass.

” Evie opened her mouth to steer him back on track, but he beat her to it.

“As for Neil, you’re right. I fucked up with that one.

Everything looked good on paper, and while I know all of my clan members, some I know better than others.

Neil was so determined to get a human sacrifice, mostly because he interpreted it to mean he’d obtain a slave, he even had his references and coworkers lie about him. ”

“Why would they do that? Surely they knew you’d find out the truth eventually.”

“Yes, but from what I can gather, Neil figured I would never toss him out of the clan. He was wrong about that. What he did to that poor human female…you should’ve seen her, Evie. Cait could barely hold a conversation with anyone until Melanie Hall showed up.”

While she knew Melanie was happily mated, a slight flare of jealousy flashed through her body at the other human’s name.

Evie glanced to Bram’s cock and reminded herself that he was hard and ready for her, not Melanie, and she was able to rein in her temper. Glancing back at Bram’s face, she said, “We all make mistakes, Bram.” Taking a deep breath, she pushed forward. “I have cost two women their lives in the end.”

Bram patted the bed. “Sit and tell me, lass, because I have a feeling it wasn’t intentional.”

“I’ve come to terms with that, but you need to do the same.”

He patted again. “We’ll discuss me later. Tell me what happened. What was it you said? That you didn’t want to mate a stranger? I think sharing how we both caused people to die might just be the first step in getting to know each other.”

Despite herself, Evie smiled. “That’s a hell of a way to do it.”

He put out a hand and Evie took it. The warmth of his hand was enticing, and rather than sit on the bed, she snuggled up against him. “No funny business. I’m a little cold and you’re warm.”

Hugging her tight, he murmured, “I’ll promise, for now.”

She looked up at his face. “Just like that? No arguing or bargaining?”

“Oh, that will come later. Right now, having you laying on me helps to calm my dragon.”

Studying his face, she didn’t see his eyes flashing to dragon slits.

Part of her had wondered earlier what his dragon had been doing since Evie knew she couldn’t be Bram’s mate; their first kiss hadn’t brought on a frenzy.

Yet his earlier behavior contradicted the rumors and reports she’d read about his ironclad control.

She’d ask him about that later. For now, she didn’t want to break the little bubble of truth-telling and sharing.

Given all the shit going on with the dragon hunters and Cait’s death, Evie didn’t know when she’d next get the chance to just talk with the dragon leader.

Even if the topic was difficult, he was right.

Sharing was the first step in gaining his trust.

Taking a deep breath, the words rushed from her mouth, “They were both sacrifices. The first woman, Jenny, was my very first solo case as a DDA inspector. I was to check on her and make sure she wasn’t being abused.

The woman was quiet to begin with, but it was only when they found her in the bathroom with her wrists slit and a note nearby that I understood the enormity of her silence.

She’d been unhappy, but I hadn’t been able to see it. ”

Bram stroked his hand up and down her arm. “Some people are good at hiding their true selves.”

She wondered if his words had a hidden meaning. “I understood that later, after doing more thorough interviews with her family. But for the first few days after I heard the news, I locked myself in my flat and nearly quit the DDA.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No. Interviewing her family helped, as did learning she’d lied about her bouts of depression. Still, it was a blow to my confidence. It took me nearly a year to regain it.”

“You have it in spades now.”

She smiled against his chest. “With you, it just happens. I had my lapses of confidence with Marcus King down south.”

Bram’s growl rumbled in his chest. “If that bastard laid a hand on you, I will take care of him myself.”

Looking up, she propped her chin on Bram’s muscled chest. “Really? You’d throw away everything you’ve done for your clan for some half-arsed vengeance?”

“Anyone who hurts my female will feel my ire.”

Evie frowned. “Your female? You haven’t even agreed to let me be your mate yet. Have you changed your mind?”

He grunted. “Tell me about the other female first and I’ll answer your question.”

Searching his eyes, she knew the dragonman wasn’t bluffing.

From what she’d learned so far, her stubbornness was only second to his.

“Fine. The other woman was Imogen. At twenty-one, she was one of the youngest sacrifices I ever had to monitor. She survived her term and the birth, but a few weeks after she returned to the human world, she left a desperate voice mail saying she wanted to meet me. I tried to convince my superior to let me go, but due to departmental meetings and commitments, I had to postpone our meeting by three days. By the time I was free to check in on her, it was already too late. She’d taken a bottle of pills and overdosed. ”

Imogen’s death had hit her harder than Jenny’s simply because she’d tried to help but had been overruled by her boss, who believed bureaucracy must be followed to the letter, no exceptions.

That man was now the Assistant Director of the entire Department of Dragon Affairs.

If Jonathan Christie ever became Director, the dragon-shifter clans would suffer.

Bram poked her stomach and said, “Tell me what’s on your mind, human. I don’t like being kept in the dark.”

Evie’s distant look morphed into a glare, and both man and dragon were glad.

His female talking about the two women’s deaths wasn’t easy, but she’d been keeping her spirit up until the very end.

Despite their new, fragile bond formed through sharing secrets, he wasn’t about to let her stew on her own.

If they were to be mates, he wanted to know all of her troubles.

His dragon grunted. We will always look after her.

I don’t know if she’ll agree to that.

I don’t care. We will do it anyway.

He barely resisted a smile at his inner beast’s certainty. Instead, he poked Evie again. “Well?”

Her brow pinched further. “I know you’re used to getting what you want as clan leader, but would it kill you to ask me instead of demand?”

“Oh, wonderful human female beyond compare, would you honor me with your enlightened thoughts?”

The human’s glare slipped and her lips twitched. “So you do have a sense of humor.”

“Oh, aye. But stop changing the subject. What has you so lost in your thoughts?”

The laugh faded from her eyes. “The second woman, Imogen, her death was completely preventable. My boss at the time prevented me from helping her and possibly saving her life. If that wasn’t bad enough, that man is now second-in-charge of the whole DDA.

” Her brow furrowed. “If he takes over, it’ll be bad news for your clan. ”

He squeezed his female. “Give a dragon-shifter some credit. I do have a trick or two up my sleeve. The DDA might be powerful now, but with Melanie Hall-MacLeod’s help, that might soon change.”

“What?”

Bram hadn’t planned on telling Evie about Mel’s plans, but talking with her was easy, especially as his dragon kept sending thoughts of trust to him.

“Melanie is writing a book about dragon-shifters to help sway public opinion. Come to think of it, the female has all kinds of ideas of how to improve our image.”

“So Melanie is your PR expert?”

He smiled. “I hadn’t thought of it in that light, but aye, I think you’re right.”

The sadness faded from his female’s eyes and was replaced with a hint of determination. “Then I think I should help her. If she’s good at marketing, then combining that with my insider knowledge about the DDA and British law, we’ll become unstoppable.”