Her Dragon Hero (6 page)

Slade froze before he grinned wide and moved forward to slap Brim on the back. “This is fantastic! Congratulations, my friend. It proves the point we need to integrate our lives with the humans and learn to live among them. Our mates are scattered through the population. Surely, it is the work of the gods to mate us not only with our own kind, but humans as well.”

Brim grunted at his friend's long-winded speech. He didn’t care anymore. His only priority now was his mate, his beautiful, lush Amber. Was she still sleeping? Was her bountiful body tangled in the white sheets, or was she in the shower with water sliding over her skin? He was rock hard and contemplating telling Slade to go the fuck away, so he could fuck his Amber again in the shower, or from behind bent over the sink.

“Do I get to meet your lucky, human lady?” Slade grinned.

Brim growled again, not wanting Slade’s handsome face anywhere near her, but they were both sent on this mission.

“Wait here, I’ll make sure she is dressed first. Remember, she’s mine.” He pinned Slade with a hard stare.

Slade raised both hands, his grin still in place. “I don’t doubt it, my friend; I’d never poach your woman, especially your mate. By the way, does she know yet what you are?”

Brim shook his head. “No, and don’t say a word. I’ll figure out how and when to tell her.”

Slade chuckled and Brim turned back to the door, throwing it open and marching through the room, heading directly towards the bed. It was empty.

Brim scowled, his anger rising while he searched. Her scent lingered, but she didn’t. Amber and her suitcase were gone.

I’ve only been gone forty minutes. Fucking demon balls! I knew I shouldn’t have left her alone.

“Where the fuck is she?!”

At Brim's roar, Slade raced into their suite and scanned the room. “Misplaced your mate already?”

Brim marched to the door. He would track her down and…what? Drag her back? No, he would teleport her directly to his lair in the Dragon Realm where she couldn’t run off the second his back was turned. This was it. He was mating her the moment he tracked her down.

“You know, the thing about humans,” Slade said, picking up a notepad by the desk in the sitting area, “is if you don’t directly tell them things, they don’t understand what’s going on. Amber doesn’t know she’s your mate, or the fact you’re a dragon because you didn’t tell her. Humans don’t have the same ability given to us by the gods to tell when they find the other half of their souls.”

Brim turned on Slade, growling, ready to take his head off. “How do you know her name's Amber?”

“Because she left you this.” He held out the note.

Brim snatched the pad from Slade’s hand.

Brimstone, thank you for an amazing night, thank you for being my hero. It’s something I’ll never forget.

Amber.

P.S. If you feel like catching up again, I’m heading off on a bus tour. There is a spare spot with Wayne out of the picture. Seven thirty this morning from my previous hotel.

Brim checked the clock. It was fifteen past seven already, and he would never make it across town in time using human methods of transport.

“Just what is a bus tour?” Slade glanced over his arm.

“Change. We’re about to find out.” Brim used his powers to change into fresh clothing. Slade did the same, a gleam in his eyes.

“Well, what better way to learn about humans, right?”

Brim nodded, grabbed Slade’s shoulder and teleported them out.

Chapter 5

Sunglasses covered Amber's sleep-deprived eyes. She chewed on her lip, now regretting leaving the note in Brimstone’s room—a stupid afterthought on her part. No doubt, he would think she was an idiot, getting her hopes up about the possibility he would actually join her. He was probably out, having breakfast and boasting to his buddy about his easy conquest.

Such a stupid fantasy to entertain the thought she meant more to him than a one night stand. Fantasies she needed to keep for her stories and not real life.

A white bus gleamed in the morning sun as it pulled up, already reasonably full of fellow tourists.

The vehicle came to a stop and the driver, an older man, opened the door. He climbed down and greeted her with a cheery smile. He was dressed in black shorts and a white polo shirt with the company logo on the breast and 'Sam' embroidered below.

“Miss Anderson?”

She approached, her tote bag slung over her shoulder. “Yes, that’s me.”

“And Mr Goolia?”

Sam, the driver, glanced around as if expecting her ex-boyfriend to be hiding behind the foliage of the hotel entrance.

His eyes suddenly widened, and Amber’s heart pounded in both trepidation and excitement; she whirled around, knowing only one person commanded this kind of wide-eyed fear from people.

Brimstone stalked towards her with a fierce scowl on his ruggedly handsome face. Behind him was another man, not quite as tall, but he was seriously gorgeous, with golden blond hair and almost shining, hazel-gold eyes. A smile played upon his full, firm lips.

She looked back to Brimstone. Nup—nothing compared to his magnificence, especially in broad daylight.

Wow, with each stride, the power rolled off him. Her pussy quivered with the memory of everything he had done to her last night, and she struggled with a sudden, desperate need to have those strong arms wrapped around her once again.

“You left!” His outraged bellow made the tour driver step back and cower.

She wasn’t frightened by his outburst, or the angry scowl on his face. Instinctively, she knew he would never harm her. She shoved her sunglasses up, raising an eyebrow at him with a ‘yeah, so what’ look.

She was fed up to the teeth with pushy men, who thought they could take over and run her life.

“Look, Mr. I’m hotter than lava Brimstone. Of course I left; you were gone and I had things to do. Just because you can fuck like a machine doesn’t give you the right to order me about.”

The gorgeous man standing behind Brimstone burst out laughing. “Brim, I like her. Hello, my sweet, I’m Slade. Don’t mind my friend here, he’s got a real dragon of a temper.”

Slade moved around the big lug and took hold of Amber's hand. Brimstone growled low and threateningly at Slade, his hands clenching and his jaw so tight, Amber thought he might break both teeth and bone.

Brim’s jealousy and his caveman tactics made her hotter than the Darwin sun.

Slade took no notice of Brim’s behaviour. She shook his hand and he let go and stepped back when Brimstone growled out the word, “Mine.” She realised he might punch his friend.

“Nice to meet you, Slade.”

She smiled back, admiring his golden boy, beach surfer good looks
.  Another hero to add to my collection.

“You promised to be mine; you said you wanted me to be your hero. Am I no longer good enough?”

She rolled her eyes and hid her smile at his insecurity.
Men! Just when you thought you had them figured out.

“Hero?” Slade’s mirth-filled gaze turned on Brimstone.

Amber giggled. “It’s a long story. So, are you two coming on the tour?”

“Yes,” Brimstone barked before Slade could answer.

“Great.” She tried to hide her happy-sappy grin, and turned to the now red-faced, bus driver. “Sorry, Sam, is it alright if my friends join the tour?”

The driver cleared his throat. “I, uh… we do have a spare spot, but we prefer if they book in advance.”

“Mr. Goolia is not coming, so Brimstone can take his spot, which is already paid for.”

“I can pay my way.” Slade pulled out a wallet stuffed with cash, handing over a few hundred dollar notes before the driver could protest.

“Right this way.” The driver stepped back, waving them towards the bus. “It may be a good idea if, uh, Mr. Brimstone sat at the back with his, uh, long legs, he'd be more comfortable.”

“Thank you.” Amber boarded and the bus and the chattering tourists fell into a hush of quiet when she felt the presence of Brimstone close behind her. She stifled a giggle, glancing over her shoulder. He looked so uncomfortable; his huge frame made the bus look like a sardine tin.

None too gently, he pushed her into the corner seat, taking the one in the middle, caging her in. She opened her mouth to take him to task on his pushiness, but he leaned in, grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her hard on the mouth. She groaned, her fingers curling around his rock hard bicep, her body melting against his, totally forgetting why she was annoyed in the first place.

He pulled back and she opened her eyes, her lips tingling and her body throbbing. Despite still being sore from last night’s sex marathon, she wanted him again. What was it about Brimstone which flipped every switch she owned?

“I missed you,” he rumbled softly, his lips against her forehead.

She frowned in concern. “It’s only been two hours. Should I worry about how clingy you’re getting? We’ve only had one night together; what happens when we end? You’re not going to turn into some crazed stalker with super soldier training are you?”

“We’re not.”

“Not what?” She arched her eyebrow.

“Going to end.”

“We aren’t?

“No.”

“Oh.” Amber frowned, unsure of how to come back to that one. “Look, you’re a nice guy and all, but I don’t think—”

Laughter from the other side of Brimstone made her lean over to see Slade almost rolling in his seat. “Brim? Nice guy?” Slade continued to laugh hysterically.

“Shut up,” Brim warned his friend, following up with a low growl.

“I really like her, she’s funny and sexy.”

“If you like to keep your teeth inside your mouth, shut it, Slade.”

“Ohhh…” Slade drew in a deep breath. “Thanks for the laugh.”

“Um, you’re welcome, he's such a sweet talker.” Amber shook her head, setting Slade off into another round of hysterical laughter.

Amber decided to quit while she was ahead. She would come back to the topic of Brimstone’s possessive behaviour later, after the tour.

“Anyway, I’m glad you got my note. We can spend this time getting to know each other.”

“There will be no more notes.”

“There won’t?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Amber head spun with a sudden deja-vu.

“Next time, you aren’t leaving.”

“Ooh-kaay. There’s going to be a next time?” She was thrilled with the knowledge he still wanted her, but scared at the prospect of another go with the sex machine. Her body may not survive. Then again, it was a hell of a way to go—death from too much, fantastic sex. Was there even such a thing?

“Baby, if you hadn’t already left this morning, we’d still be back in the hotel room, and I would still be fuck—”

She leapt up, slapping her hand over his mouth and glancing down the bus at the other passengers, looking back at them.

“This is not the place to discuss such things,” she hissed, her face flushing redder than a stop light.

Slade’s amused chuckle made her lean forward. “Just full of wonderful tact, isn’t he?”

Brimstone nipped at her fingers. She yelped and pulled back her hand, glaring at him. His deep chuckle sent chills through her.

Amber leaned forward to ask Slade, “Does he always growl like that?”

“Brimstone has a language all of his own, but it’s not too hard to understand. We don’t let him out much in social settings, but he is one, as they say, bad-ass fighter.”

Amber was intrigued to learn more about the big man who swept her off her feet and rocked her world last night. “You’ve been friends a long time?”

“We went through training together and many a mission. He’s saved my golden rear more often than I care to count.”

“Because you can’t keep your mouth shut, or your dick in your pants,” Brimstone added, folding his arms, making his biceps bulge.

Slade sighed dramatically. “So many beauties and so little time.”

Amber chuckled. “I know your type, Mr. Slade. You’ve got all the looks, but you’re definitely a no-touch.”

Brimstone's laugh startled not only her, but also their fellow passengers, whose faces paled considerably at the sound. The bus driver navigated them out onto the Darwin freeways, heading out of the city.

“A no-touch? I’m wounded.” Slade’s toothpaste white smile told her he was highly amused at her statement. “I enjoy it immensely when I—and they—get to touch.”

“And break every poor woman’s heart in the process.”

“We can’t all be as lucky as my friend here.” Slade nudged Brimstone. “He’s always been more interested in killing things than women…well, 'til now. You, my new friend, are special to catch his interest.”

Mischief sparkled in Slade’s pale brown, almost golden eyes. Amber glanced at Brimstone questioningly.

“So where is this bus taking us?” Brim interrupted, when she would have opened her mouth to ask more questions.

With a sigh, she let it pass and answered, “We’re going to see Litchfield National Park. I read there are huge termite mounds and waterfalls to swim under.”