Chapter Ten

As Jane slowly came out of oblivion, she snuggled into the solid warmth at her side. After a few seconds, a large, warm hand rubbed up and down her back and Jane opened her eyes to see Kai’s broad chest in front of her.

Blinking, she half-expected to wake up from a dream, but as she looked up to meet Kai’s eyes, he smiled and the rumbling of his voice under her palms told her she was awake. “Good morning, Janey.”

She frowned. “Morning?” Jumping up, she gently slapped his chest. “I was supposed to check your wound and give you more pain medication hours ago. Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“I’m fine and you needed your sleep.” Rolling her eyes, Jane tried to move from the bed, but Kai kept his grip on her waist. “You worry too much.”

Jane sighed. “Gee, why would I worry? If your wound becomes infected and Stonefire loses its head Protector, it will all be because of me. I’m sure that’s nothing to worry about.”

The bloody dragonman smiled and Jane wanted to slap him. The twinkle in his eye, however, melted her heart a little when he replied, “You’re a little feisty and sarcastic in the morning. I rather like it.”

“Only because I can’t punch you right now since you’re injured. Trust me, without my morning cuppa, you don’t want to deal with me.”

Kai’s gaze dropped to her breasts and heat spread through her body. “I’m sure I can think of ways to make you forget about your cup of tea.”

“Kai, stop it.”

Grinning, he looked back to her face. Despite the trouble he was giving her, the sight of the stony Protector smiling at her warmed Jane’s heart. Kai had suffered for years, all whilst doing his best to protect his clan. 

Kai deserved a slice of happiness.

Maybe, if he didn’t drive her crazy first, she could try to give it to him.

For the present, however, Jane needed to make sure Kai was okay. Especially since Rafe would be arriving soon and her dragonman would need his strength to deal with her older brother.

Putting her alpha brother and her alpha dragonman in the same room was going to be interesting, to say the least.

But she was getting ahead of herself. Making her face as stern as she could, Jane waggled a finger. “Let me up. The sooner I finish my exam of your injury and go through the checklist, the sooner we can get ready and go see Bram.”

“Does getting ready entail me helping you in the shower?’

The image of Kai slowly caressing her body with a wet washcloth flashed into her mind. He’d probably linger on her breasts, her abdomen, and then finally reach between her thighs.

Jane shifted her position, hoping her dragonman couldn’t smell her arousal.

As his pupils flashed to slits and back, she knew that hope was smashed.

Kai’s voice was husky when he said, “I can behave, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Even putting aside the fact you’re not supposed to take a shower until twenty-four hours after your surgery, there’s no time for a long shower.” She looked pointedly at his hand. “Let me up.”

She swore she saw disappointment in Kai’s eyes as he released his grip on her waist. Before he completely pulled away, Jane took his hand in hers and looked Kai straight in the eyes. “I’m not going to string you along forever, Kai Sutherland, but I’m not about to let Sid or Bram down by making your condition worse. You know sex would do that.”

“Then how about if I just lie here and you give me a kiss?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to give up, are you?”

He tightened his hand around hers. “You already know I’m stubborn and when I make up my mind about something, I don’t pull punches. I may have done that as a young dragonman, but no more. I want you, Jane. Kiss me.”

The sincerity and hunger in his voice shot straight to her heart. “Just a quick one and no funny business, or I may just nudge your sore arm by mistake.”

“Then hurry up, Janey. Your kiss will help me heal faster.”

Rolling her eyes, she leaned down. “Sid mentioned nothing about kisses helping you heal.”

“It can’t be just any kiss, human. Only yours.”

Melting at his words, Jane moved until she was a whisper away from Kai’s lips. “You can be charming when you try.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but Jane shut him up with a kiss.

~~~

Kai’s dragon hummed as Jane’s face lowered to theirs. Let her know we want her.

Give me a bloody chance.

Once Jane’s lips touched his, Kai raised his good hand and threaded it into her hair. Jane didn’t waste time and pushed her tongue past his lips and into his mouth. 

He met hers stroke for stroke and he threaded his fingers through her hair. When she groaned, the sound shot straight to his cock.

Kai had survived flying for eight hours without a break as well as not eating for two days during a training exercise. But not taking his human right then and there was by far the hardest thing he’d ever done.

Except for maybe not killing Maggie’s mate when he’d first heard the news.

No. He didn’t want to think of anyone else but the human in front of him. Kai focused on Jane’s taste, the heat of her tongue, and the scent of hers that made him crave more, much more.

All too soon Jane pulled away. She smiled and the mischief in her eyes made his stomach flip. Life would never be boring with Jane Hartley.

He’d just have to ensure she stayed around.

Jane murmured, “I kissed you, so I expect you to get your arse up and not put up any sort of fuss.”

“I don’t put up fusses.”

She chuckled. “Sid was right about alpha dragonmen turning into big babies when sick or injured.”

Kai gently tugged Jane’s hair. “Just remember that when Sid clears me, you have a lot of payback coming your way.”

“Oh, is that so?” Jane sat up and he let go of her hair. “I should probably say something clever, but I’m looking forward to it too much.”

Kai’s dragon spoke up. We’d better be cleared later today.

And if we’re not?

Then we’ll find creative ways to skirt Sid’s rules.

For once, dragon, I like your way of thinking.

Jane snapped her fingers and motioned up. “Stop dawdling. There’s lots to do today.” He opened his mouth to ask what when Jane beat him to it. “The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can talk to Bram.”

She moved off the bed and retrieved her medical kit as Kai sat up. Each movement caused a thread of pain to shoot down his arm and across his shoulder, but he didn’t regret letting Jane rest. Having his human curled up at his side had given Kai the best sleep he’d had in years. If he could have that every night, with Jane next to him, he’d be a happy dragonman.

His beast spoke up. Just make sure she stays.

I’m going to try, but I’m not sure I can make Jane do anything.

Once she’s naked, that will change.

Jane handed him his pain medication. After he swallowed the pills, she stood in front of him and removed his bandage. As her soft fingers brushed his skin, he stared at her breasts. The temptation to lean forward and suck one of her hard nipples through her shirt was strong. He bet when he nibbled, Jane would moan and thread her fingers through his hair.

Since sucking her nipples might be too much too soon, Kai raised a finger and lightly brushed the taut peak. Jane sucked in a breath and he did it again. When she murmured, “Kai,” he looked up into her eyes.

Never ceasing the strumming of her nipples, he watched Jane’s pupils dilate. He half-expected her to scold him, but she placed a hand on his good shoulder and leaned into his touch.

Taking her actions as encouragement, he moved his hand down her stomach to the waist of her trousers. He traced her skin under the waistband and whispered, “Unbutton them.”

The scent of Jane’s arousal grew stronger and his dragon roared. Rip them off. She wants us. We’ll make her come with our fingers.

Kai waited to see what his human would do. After a few seconds, she answered, “We shouldn’t.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Does it say anywhere in your list of instructions that I can’t touch you?” He rubbed his hand under her top and back down again. “We’ll both focus better afterward.”

“For me, yes. But I can’t see how you going into a meeting with a hard-on will help things.”

Kai grinned. “Oh, tasting your sweet honey from my fingers will do for now. Not even I will risk Sid’s wrath by disobeying her orders.” He ran his hand higher and cupped her breast through her bra. He squeezed gently and a small moan escaped Jane’s mouth. “Let me make you come, Janey. It’ll make my dragon happy.”

The corner of her mouth ticked up. “And let me guess? A happy dragon means you’ll heal faster?”

“But of course.”

Jane laughed and the sound warmed both man and beast. His dragon growled, Rip off her trousers. I want to feel how hot and wet she is for us.

Not until she says yes.

His beast paced, but didn’t fight him. Deep down, even his dragon knew how important this moment was. Neither one of them would force it.

Jane traced his jagged flame tattoo on his left arm and the whispers of her touch made his dick pulse. When his human spoke, her voice was husky. “If you can think of a believable excuse to tell Bram why we’re so late meeting with him, then do it quickly.”

“Do what, my little human?”

“I’m over six feet tall. I’m not exactly little.”

He massaged her breast and Jane bit her lip. “Okay, my rather tall human, tell me what you want.”

Her eyes grew even more heated. “I want you to fuck me with your fingers.”

His dragon roared. Do it. Now.

Kai removed his hand. “Take off your trousers and underwear.”

Never taking her blue eyes from his, she unbuttoned her trousers and slowly slid them down her legs. Kicking them aside, she placed her thumbs in the waist of her underwear and Kai watched as she slowly slid them down to reveal a patch of dark hair between her long, shapely legs.

Mine.

Kai didn’t know if it was him or his dragon who’d said it, but he didn’t care.

Meeting Jane’s eyes, he ordered, “Come here.”

~~~

Jane’s heart thudded in her chest. Part of her knew she shouldn’t be doing this, but Kai had been right. Nothing in Sid’s list had said he couldn’t touch her. Moving his fingers and hand most definitely wouldn’t count as mildly intense physical activity.

And to be honest, she could do with some release. She needed a clear head to face Bram and Rafe.

Kai’s deep voice ordered, “Come here,” and for once, she didn’t feel like challenging him.

Each step she took toward her dragonman only made her wetter with his flashing pupils and heated looks. She’d never thought she’d be with a dragon-shifter because of her career. But since her reputation was already damaged and Jane had plans of her own, she wanted her dragonman more than anything she’d wanted in a while.

And not just because they worked well together as a team, which would be useful for her plans to succeed. Kai was the only man who could make her heart race and breasts tingle with little more than a glance. With a little more time, she might even be able to draw out the rest of his humor. She loved it when he laughed.

Reaching Kai, she placed a hand on his cheek and stroked his skin. “Make it count, dragonman. If you can’t make me come, then I may have to rethink this whole staying with you thing.”

Kai growled and placed a possessive hand on her arse. “You’re staying with me.”

She lowered her eyelids to half-mast and whispered, “Then convince me why I should.”

Instead of words, Kai moved his hand from her arse to her hip and finally to her lower abdomen. As he strummed his thumb an inch above her clit, Jane moved her hand from his face to his good shoulder. Digging in her nails, she ordered, “Stop teasing me.”

He stilled his thumb. “I told you payback was coming.”

She opened her mouth, but he ran a finger between her folds and his touch sent a rush of heat through her body. Her pussy pulsed with each stroke of his finger. Without thinking, she widened her stance to allow him better access.

Kai chuckled. “Impatient, aren’t you?”

She growled. “We have an appointment—”

He plunged his finger into her and she forgot what she was going to say.

Kai retreated and thrust again. As he continued in a steady pace, it became harder for her to stand. If not for her grip on his shoulder, she would fall over.

Her dragonman suddenly ceased his movements and she dug in her nails. “Don’t stop.”

His gaze was on her breasts, which were in front of his face. “I want to taste your pretty nipples first. Give me one.”

As he licked his lips, her breasts grew heavier. In any other situation, she would tell him not to order her around. But in the moment, she wanted nothing more than to feel his wet mouth around her sensitive flesh.

Using her free hand, Jane bunched her shirt under her chin and held it while she tugged her bra over her breasts. In the next breath, Kai sucked one deep into his mouth and twirled her bud with his tongue. She moaned and Kai moved his fingers inside her pussy again. Between him nibbling her nipple and fucking her with his finger, her body wanted more, so Jane started to move in time with Kai.

The vibrations of Kai’s growl around her nipple shot straight between her legs. In the next second, Kai released her nipple with a pop. His pupils were slits as he barked, “Kiss me. Now.”

Jane kissed him without hesitation and threaded her fingers through his hair. His taste made her want to do much more than stand and let him fuck her with his fingers. She wanted to feel his long, hard cock moving inside of her.

But as her dragonman moved inside her again, adding a second finger, Jane moaned. The man had found her G-spot.

Slowing his movements, Kai strummed her clit and her knees nearly buckled. She loved the friction of his rough skin against her bundle of nerves. Yet each pass turned her bones a fraction more into jelly.

When he started rubbing her nub in slow circles, she whispered, “Please, Kai. I’m close.”

He stilled his thumb and Jane cried out. “What are you doing?”

Rather than respond with words, Kai spread her legs wider and Jane had no choice but to sit on his thighs with her legs open. 

Kai broke the kiss and stared into her eyes. “Don’t look away. I want to see you come.”

As the pulse between her legs increased, Jane merely nodded. 

Kai’s eyes flashed again and he growled before saying, “Good.”

He stopped finger-fucking her pussy and concentrated on her clit with his thumb.

Jane dug her nails into his good shoulder and Kai’s circular motions grew faster and rougher.

Somehow, the man already knew how she liked it.

Then he pinched her clit and Jane closed her eyes as she lost all coherent thought. If he would just pinch her one more time, she’d finally have her release. 

Kai stilled. “Look at me.”

Close to whimpering, Jane did as he said. The second her eyes met his, he lightly squeezed and twisted her hard nub. 

Jane cried out as spots dotted her eyes and pleasure coursed through her body. Each spasm made it harder to keep her eyes open, but she didn’t want Kai to stop rubbing her clit. The combination of her orgasm and his touch was pleasure to the point of almost pain.

Once the last spasm wracked her body, Kai smiled, removed his fingers, and licked them slowly.

Despite her recent orgasm, the sight made Jane’s pussy pulse again in anticipation.

After a good twenty seconds and never breaking eye contact, Kai removed his fingers and licked his lips. Combined with the genuine hunger in his eyes, Jane desperately wanted to feel his tongue and mouth between her legs. 

Leaning over, Kai kissed her. He took his time exploring her mouth and nibbling her lips. Each slow stroke made her hunger for more than his tongue.

When he finally pulled away, he whispered, “You’re staying with me.”

She tilted her head and tapped her chin. “I don’t know. I might need another orgasm or two to convince me.”

Moving his good hand to her back, he pressed her close against him until she could feel his hard cock between her legs. “If Sid clears me today, then I’ll be fucking you until you can’t walk straight. You’re mine.”

She laced her hands behind his neck. Dancing her fingers against the edge of his short hair, she moved her hips and rubbed against her dragonman’s dick. 

Kai hissed. “You’re killing me, Janey.”

Jane smiled. “If you’re cleared today, then I have a few tricks of my own. I might wear you out before you can fuck me hard enough to mete out your threat.”

“Bring it on, human. In this, I will win.”

“We’ll see, dragonman, we’ll see.” As much as she wanted to stay on Kai’s lap all day, reason was returning to her brain. Bram was probably wondering where they were.

Jane tried to stand up, but Kai tightened his hold on her. She frowned. “We’re already late. We can’t keep Bram waiting forever.”

“Bram will understand.”

She raised an eyebrow. “The other visitor due today won’t. Trust me on that.”

Tracing circles on her back, he murmured, “I don’t care if it’s the bloody Prime Minister. They can wait.”

His words were sweet and she nearly leaned down to kiss him. But then the thought of explaining to her older brother that she was late because she’d been fooling around with Kai gave her the strength to resist. She shook her head. “No. Let me up so I can freshen up and we can go. Your clan needs you, Kai. The meeting with Bram is important.”

He searched her eyes for a second before he released his hand. “If you say it is, then I’ll trust you.”

She knew his words signaled an important shift in their relationship, but she pushed it aside. She would sort out everything later, after dealing with her brother.

Getting Rafe up to Stonefire had been hard enough; it’d taken nearly an hour to convince him to come. She couldn’t imagine what it was going to take for him to agree to help the dragon-shifters.

There was only one way to find out. She needed to get Kai and herself to Bram’s cottage.

Standing up, Jane took a second to find her balance. When she could finally stand, amusement danced in Kai’s eyes as he smirked. 

She placed a hand on her hip. “Don’t look so happy with yourself. I’m only holding back because of your bloody shoulder.”

“Go ahead and say that, Janey. I’ll make you beg next time and you won’t be able to use my injury as an excuse.”

She glared, and Kai chuckled as he stood up. 

Deciding that Kai needed a little payback, she zeroed in on his cock straining against his boxers. His laughter died instantly and Kai’s voice interrupted her visions of taking his hard length into her hands. “Stop it, Jane. Now you’re just torturing me.”

She grinned and met his eyes. “Then try not to get shot again.”

“Then try not to be daft and go after dragon hunters by yourself again.”

“We’ll see about that.” Jane motioned toward her doorway. “Now, go get dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs in five minutes.”

Kai closed the space between them and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I’ll be ready before you.”

“Right, then it’s on, dragonman.”

Kai winked. “I think we should start keeping score. If I reach twenty points ahead, then I get to tie you to my bed and do whatever I want with you.”

Heat spread across her body as she visualized Kai caressing her body and making her come over and over again with both his tongue and his cock. 

Clearing her throat, she replied, “Until I decide what I get if I get twenty points ahead, the deal is off.”

He nuzzled her cheek. “Then think of something quickly, Jane, because I want to earn my prize.”

She pushed against his chest and motioned toward the door again. “Go get ready. We can talk about my prize later. Consider it an incentive.”

“Right, so I can spend the whole meeting thinking of what you want to do with me.”

She gave a light shove. “Go.”

With a grin, Kai exited. 

The room was empty without her dragonman. But as much as she wanted to spend all day with him, she needed to fix her screw up back in Tyneside. That meant garnering her brother’s help. Without help from humans such as Rafe, Stonefire would have to spend who knew how many more months searching for the hunters again.

Jane righted her top and headed for the bathroom. Despite the uncertainty of the future and the upcoming meeting with her brother, Jane couldn’t stop smiling as she cleaned up.