Snippet: dodge

This is a snippet from Breaker's Ruin, book 2 of the Convergence Series and a work in progress. Book one of the series, Bramble Burn, is available wherever ebooks are sold.

She didn’t get what he was after, so she didn’t dodge until it was too late.

He snaked an arm around her waist and moved so their faces were nearly touching. He breathed deep, his eyes shuttered as he sampled her reaction. “I can smell your excitement, pet. You like being close to me.”

She pressed a shaky hand against his chest, but there was no give. “Breaker,” she warned.

“Your heart is hammering. You’re a little afraid, but you want to know what it’ll be like.” His voice was a purr of temptation. He shifted, making her jump, and smiled at her reaction. “Maybe my height intimidates you. We should make this fair.” He set her on the counter and stepped between her knees.

“This is not better,” she tried to snap, but it came out breathy. He had her so close to the edge, she had to hold his shoulders for balance.

His hands gently stroked her thighs. “I want you, woman. I can give you nights of ecstasy, days of pleasure.” He nuzzled her cheek.

She didn’t mean to make an encouraging sound. It just slipped out.

She felt his smile against her skin. “If you want a kiss, darling, you’ll have to come and get it.” He pulled away, his eyes glowing with pleasure. “For you, it’s always a yes.” He removed his medallion and slipped it over her head. “I put my number in your phone. Call anytime.” He strode for the balcony.

“Hey!” She tugged at the necklace, discovered it wouldn’t come off. It had shrunk, becoming daintier and more suitable for a woman, but despite its new size, it wouldn’t rise more than two inches from her chest. “Breaker, wait! Take this off.” She raced after him. He couldn’t leave her wearing his medallion! Everyone would think he’d staked a claim.

He soared off the balcony as she reached the doors, the swipe of his wings blasting her hair. Early morning light glinted off his emerald scales, shown through his inky wings. In moments the huge dragon was a mere speck, safely out of reach.

Robbed of her target, she turned on her brother. “Thanks for all the help!”

“You’re the one who started flirting.”

“I wasn’t! He makes me mad. I had to do something about his ego.”

Luke glanced at her neck. “Looks like he left you a gift.”

She tugged at it. “It won’t come off. Can you remove it?”

He picked it up, his expression thoughtful. “Is it hurting?”

“Of course not, but it’s…you know what this is, don’t you?” she asked suspiciously. “Is this like a class ring, or is he telling the world we’re engaged or something?” Luke knew more about the minutia of dragon culture. She’d never hung out with him and his dragon friends, partly because of the age gap and partly because she didn’t quite feel at home in that crowd. Unless they were family, unmated drakes could be trouble.

She didn’t trust Breaker not to try to own her.

Luke smirked. “Definitely not. He could give it to a child, and everyone would know she was under his protection. On someone like you…well, it might lead to speculation.”

“So get it off!” She hated when he was stubborn, and she had a suspicion this was going to be one of those times. “Please.”

“Even if I could, I’d rather you kept it on until dad gets home. You may not have noticed, but drakes have been watching you lately. Your changeling scent has gotten a lot stronger, and it’s drawing them like bees to nectar.”

Her eyes got big. The last thing she wanted was something else to attract drake attention. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She would have rolled in dead salmon or something.

“I just did. Besides, you know all those drakes we’ve introduced lately? They keep requesting introductions. Dad’s been vetting them, but honestly, I think he’s a bit annoyed with them. I think they might be on vacation so you can sort it out.”

“What? How can he desert me like that?” Panic threatened. Strange drakes made her nervous. She was far too aware of how powerful they were, and their confidence intimidated her. All right, their unapologetic sexuality was a problem, too. Thanks to her brother, she’d barely dated, had no experience with handling men. The art of flirting escaped her, and she did not appreciate being left to her own devices now.

“You’re the one who claims to hate our interference.” She shivered, so he led the way inside, where it was warmer. “You’re getting what you wanted, so why are you complaining?”