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Chapter Fifteen
I ris stared into Antony’s brown eyes, wanting to believe the truth and desire and longing she saw there.
And yet, he’d spent the last two decades living in the shadows, pretending to be other people on demand. It could be an act. Plus, he was handsome enough to snag just about any female he wanted.
So why did he want her so badly?
Her dragon growled. Don’t do that. Don’t make excuses. You want him, too, but are scared.
Aye, I’m scared. Of being pushed off this assignment. Or, if not, then I’ll be sidelined to a safe job, far away from the danger.
Just because he’s stubborn and strong and commanding sometimes doesn’t mean he’s going to become an overprotective dragon-shifter, aye? Let alone feel hurt if you do better than him at something.
I believed that once before with a human. Why would it be any different this time?
He isn’t our ex. Antony is ten times that male.
“Iris.”
She jolted from her thoughts and focused back on Antony. He tilted his head, studying her, and part of her wanted to say fuck it, and run into his arms. To take a chance, and for once feel desired and treasured and yet still respected as an equal.
He said, “Since you aren’t wearing Dr. Turner’s dragon-thought voice contraption, you’re going to have to talk to me. What’s racing through your head? Or maybe I should guess?”
Wanting a wee bit of a distraction, she replied, “What’s your guess?”
He tapped his finger against his chin a second before saying, “Well, there’s what I hope you’re thinking about and what you’re probably actually thinking about. I want you and your dragon to come up with some more of those fantasies, featuring me and you naked. However, you’re probably thinking of reasons to run away and stay safe.”
Her dragon snorted. I like what he wants us to be thinking about better.
Of course you would.
Iris hesitated, which was out of character for her. And yet, she’d been hurt badly. Aye, it’d been over a decade ago, but some wounds still smarted.
Paul’s angry words at her last promotion still haunted her: People like you are the reason the British Army is going to shite. Publicity is better than promoting true merit. So fuck your breakup, Iris. I only ever went after you because my mates bet me to shag a dragon-shifter. The sex was good enough to pretend to date you. But now, I’m going to do everything I can to ruin your career.
Even though Paul had eventually been kicked out of the army for drunkenness and lewd behavior, Iris had spent so many years trying to prove that she deserved everything she got. She worked twice as hard as any of the males, just in case. Sacrificing friends and even time with her family in the process.
But maybe, just maybe, after a while, it’d become a shield. A comfortable, familiar one that now hindered her rather than helped her.
Her dragon’s voice was softer as she said, Antony isn’t a young male, trying to prove himself. He realizes that a strong female isn’t a threat, but an asset. Don’t shut him out completely.
Before she could think better of it, Iris blurted, “I can’t promise that I won’t back off, or get scared, or keep trying to push you away when things get intense. However…”
Antony took a step toward her, but Iris didn’t back away. “However what?”
“I-I like you, Antony. More than I should.”
He took another step. “Like as in fancy? Or like as in friend?”
“A bit of both?”
He smiled. “I like that answer. But what happens next, if anything, is up to you. We can retire to separate rooms to study maps and what we have on Jude so far, to prep for tomorrow. We’ll focus solely on the job for as long as you need to.” He took another step. “I can be patient, but if you want anything more, even just a little, then tell me, Iris.”
Her heart thumped harder inside her chest as she scanned his gaze. He wanted her—he wasn’t trying to hide it.
Her dragon spoke up. Just lay the ground rules. No kissing on the mouth until you’re possibly ready for it.
But can he manage that? In my limited experience, males lose their minds as soon as they’re naked.
This is Antony. Stop making excuses and just talk to him.
Iris swallowed, clenched and unclenched her fingers, and whispered, “I need you to promise something before I say anything else.”
He tilted his head. “What?”
“You know dragon-shifters, which means you know how fated mates work. I can’t risk kissing you and starting a mate-claim frenzy. So that means no kissing on the mouth, aye? Can you handle it?”
He smiled. “There’s a lot I can kiss without touching your mouth, my dear. It’s a challenge, one that I look forward to.”
Even though his words sent a rush of heat through her body, she still rolled her eyes. “Your cheesy charm never goes away?”
He chuckled. “I’m afraid not. Besides, it makes your heart race and pupils flash, so I think you like it.”
She frowned. “Your hearing can’t be good enough to know when my heart rate kicks up.”
He closed the distance between them and lightly caressed her neck, right where her blood pumped under the skin. “No, but this tells me all I need to know.”
Each pass of his warm, rough finger against her skin made her heart race faster. Staring into his eyes, she sucked in a breath at the desire blazing there.
He murmured, “Yes, I want you, Iris. I have for a while, to the point I was jealous of my brother, even after he found his mate.” Leaning down, he nuzzled her neck. “I don’t know how other men have been fools for so long and haven’t tried to win you, but it’s to my advantage.” He nipped where her neck and shoulder met, and Iris quickly gripped his upper arms to stay standing. He whispered, “Tell me what you want, Iris. And do say it’s me.”
She chuckled at his teasing, arrogant words. “You never stop, aye?”
“No.” He nipped her earlobe. “But just know that with you, it’s different.” He leaned back until he met her eyes again. “With you, I’m doing my best not to pretend. Sometimes it’ll be difficult, given how I’ve worn a mask for so long. But I’m trying, and maybe with you I can finally figure out the real me.”
Iris burned to kiss him, but instead lifted a hand and traced his jaw. When Antony closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, she smiled. For all his gadgets and power and secrets, he was still just a male.
Her dragon spoke up. Then what are you waiting for? Strip him and ride him. Hard.
Ignoring her beast, she ran her other hand up Antony’s chest until she could trace the pulsing artery in his neck. “Aye, I see what you mean about not needing supersensitive hearing to notice a racing heart. Something I’ve never really had to pay attention to before.”
His eyes opened, and he said, “Well, those of us at a disadvantage must learn other ways of matching your skills.”
“Disadvantage, says the male with all the techno gadgets.”
“I knew showing them would impress you and help my case.”
She rolled her eyes. “They’re nice, aye? But since most of them are useless to me in my dragon form, they’re not really that impressive.”
His fingers traced her cheek. “Then I must find other ways to awe you, my dear. Ways that involve your legs spread and my mouth too busy to charm with words.”
A rush of heat shot through her body, and yet Iris wasn’t quite ready to end the playfulness. Something she hadn’t experienced with anyone in a long, long time.
So she snorted. “I somehow think you’ll still find a way to talk. You’re not the silent type, aye?”
He quirked an eyebrow. “I can be. But I don’t want to be with you, Iris. I don’t want to hide.”
As she searched his gaze, she saw nothing but truth. Aye, he could be lying—he was a professional. And yet, her gut said he wasn’t.
Iris also realized how tired she was of hiding herself, of always having to try harder just to avoid being criticized.
Her dragon spoke up. Stop thinking and just tell him aye, we want him. We want to give him a chance.
She stepped closer, wrapped her arms around Antony’s neck and opened her mouth to do exactly that when someone knocked on the front door.
Antony cursed, and she tamped down her irritation as she asked, “Were you expecting someone?”
“No. And whoever the bloody hell it is better have a good reason for coming.” He quickly kissed her cheek, the touch fleeting, before charging toward the door. After checking through the peephole, he opened it to reveal a human male Iris didn’t recognize.
Antony did, though, and ushered him inside. Only once he’d shut the door did he ask, “What’s going on?”
He glanced at Iris, and Antony waved a hand toward her. “She can hear anything you have to say.”
The unknown male stated, “We found Jude.”
Iris reached the males just as Antony said, “Don’t make me ask for more.”
The human male nodded. “Right, well, he’s dead. He was found in one of the canals in Manchester. I managed to get the case turned over to us and confiscated all the evidence. However, there wasn’t much. The water destroyed most of it.”
Maybe Iris should let Antony handle this, but her instincts kicked in and she blurted, “What did you find?”
Antony discreetly brushed his pinky against hers and gave a nearly imperceptible nod. He approved.
It shouldn’t mean so much, and yet it did.
Her dragon sighed. I told you he’s different.
Iris focused on the other human’s reply as he said, “His neck was sliced. Not with a knife, but rather a dragon’s talon.”
Iris cursed as Antony said, “But I’d lay everything that it wasn’t done by an actual dragon-shifter. Regardless of Jude’s betrayal, he was technically the DDA liaison and one of the last people a dragon would attack. The talon could be from a dead dragon, though.”
The male nodded. “I think so, too. The incision is large, meaning someone was in their full dragon form and not partially shifted. And there weren’t any reported dragon sightings in Manchester recently, either.”
Iris spoke up. “There’s a wee chance a dragon killed him and then moved him to the city via a car, but it would be a hell of a lot of work to do so.”
Antony nodded. “I agree. Stephen, did you bring the initial reports with you?”
The male took out a flash drive and handed it over. “It’s all on here, with the usual protections.”
Even though she wanted to ask what they were, she focused on the bigger picture. “Did a human find him?”
“Unfortunately, yes. But as far as I can tell, there aren’t any photos or video on the internet.”
“At least not yet,” Iris muttered.
Stephen shrugged. “It’s the world we live in now. People love true crime and gory photos.”
Antony waved a hand in dismissal. “I have a team who will scour and delete, as necessary. As for the body, I want Dr. Turner to work on the autopsy and see if she can find anything to help us. If even a tiny sliver of the talon is still in the skin, she should be able to extract DNA and go from there. I want you to work with her and do whatever she asks.”
The male sighed. “And I thought you liked me, Holbrook.”
Antony snorted. “Just try not to upset her again. I don’t need more messes to clean up.”
“I’ll do my best.”
After a few last comments, the male left. Antony leaned against the door and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, it seems as if we’ll be going to Birkwood Castle after all. Four hours of sleep and then we’ll pack up and leave.”
Iris studied him, wondering if “business as usual” was his way of brushing off earlier.
But then he walked over, kissed her cheek, and whispered, “We, sadly, don’t have enough time for that. But think of it this way—I now have time to think about how to drive you wild and make you scream even louder.”
“Antony.”
He nuzzled her neck, and Iris gripped his arms. Somehow, this male always made her knees weak.
Which was both irritating and exciting.
Her dragon spoke up. Who needs sleep?
Antony does. We napped. He didn’t.
Her beast sighed but then kept silent.
He leaned back, traced her lips with a finger, and she resisted a shiver as he said, “Sweet dreams, Iris. Selfish as I am, I hope they’re of me.”
As he waggled his eyebrows, she burst out laughing.
He whispered, “I love your laugh. You definitely need to do it more often.”
Before she could think of how to respond, he walked away and entered his bedroom.
Iris moved to the sofa and plopped down, placing a hand over her racing heart.
Her dragon finally spoke again. Maybe if we give him a shot of dragon’s blood, he won’t need much sleep?
Dragon, no.
No for now? Or no until later?
Maybe I’ll ask Dr. Turner about it. But for now, he needs to sleep, and so do we. I have a feeling the next few days or weeks are going to be intense and exhausting.
Try not to wear him out too much. We have to share him, aye?
She bit back a laugh. Naughty dragon. Stop it. I mean with the case, not sex.
Her beast sniffed. If you say so.
Iris’s brain raced with everything that had happened over the last few days, still unsure of how Antony Holbrook had chipped away at her walls so quickly.
However, she used her training as best as she could to pack away anything unrelated to finding who was behind the dead dragon-shifters, the dead human, and the kidnapped females. She needed to find Zoe, sooner rather than later.
And it worked. At least until she fell asleep, when she dreamed of what might’ve happened if that male hadn’t knocked on the door and interrupted her moment with Antony.