Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1)

by Thea Harrison

You could be the world’s only living roller coaster. Hey, I bet Six Flags would pay you a fortune. I see the lunatic inhabiting your body is alive and well, he replied.

I don’t think I can deal with this! Tough, he told her. I’m not taking the chance of anything else going wrong. This is a nonstop flight to New York. Thank you for flying Cuelebre Airlines.

“You’re not funny!” she screamed out loud. Dragon laughter filled her head.

She was in for another surprise as he kept a velvet blanket of Power wrapped around her. It protected her from the cold altitude and the wind.

We’ve got a good couple hours’ flight ahead of us. Oh, right. She drooped at the thought. And here I am without my magazines or paperback novel, and no money for an in-flight movie.

After everything, now she was headed back to New York in the grasp of the very creature she had been running away from. With whom, by the way, she had also had fantastic, mind-blowing sex.

Dragos had already warned her he would find her if she tried to run.

Life had turned so unpredictable she wasn’t willing to bet on anyone or anything at this point, least of all herself.

He turned her around to face him and tilted up her chin. She looked up at him, round-eyed and wary. “I know how tired you are,” he said in a quiet voice. “I want you to stay here, take a hot bath and rest. Everything you should need is here, clothes, drinks, and I’m going to have a hot meal sent up for you. All right?”

Armed guards. Guess she had one question answered. She was a prisoner.

Next she crept into a walk-in closet and dressing room. One side was filled with male clothes. The other side was filled with her clothes. From her apartment.

This was both creepy and . . . thoughtful. Finding familiar things was comforting at the same time as it scared her half to death.

Someone had apparently thought of everything, every last freaking thing, except for asking her opinion about any of it. What a gilded cage.

As prisons went, this one would be mighty hard to beat.

He didn’t like how he felt. He didn’t like it one fucking bit. He felt jittery and restless at leaving Pia alone. The feeling increased with every step he took away from her and with every minute that trickled by.

She had pulled away from him. It was unacceptable. But before he could go and take care of whatever was brewing in her head, he had to do this first.

“You mean, aside from housing the criminal in a penthouse suite and hiring a private chef for her? Yeah, we’re talking cruel and unusual punishment,”

Pia was his mystery. No one else’s. He intended to solve her all by himself.

“Thief or not, she is mine and I’m keeping her. If a single hair on that young woman’s head is harmed, you four bastards better be slaughtered and in pieces when I find you.”

His arms came around her. She made a noise and burrowed into his side. His warmth and energy enveloped her.

“Good.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Take the spell off.” “Sleepy,” she complained. He stroked her hair. “Please?”

He wrapped his body around her. Her cheek rested on one bulging biceps while he curled his other arm around her torso. He pinned her legs with one heavy thigh.

It was a jealous, suffocating hold. She should want to break free of it. She sighed. Something deep inside settled into place and she closed her eyes, content.

“I’m quite sure I went to bed with clothes on,” she murmured. “So you did,” he said,

“I found them in the way.” “You undressed me while I was sleeping?”

“It was just a little beguilement. You needed to rest.” “Without my clothes.”

Making note to self: they’ve got to discuss how she was not his personal Barbie doll to dress and undress whenever he felt like it.

“I needed to rest too,” he said in a bland voice. “And they ...

He traced her lips next. She got the feeling she was being stalked without ever having left the bed.

“I want to explore you too before you wreck me again.”

“Come inside me,” she coaxed. “No,” he purred against her ear, drinking down every response. “Not yet. You come just like this, lover.”

It’s just not right to be scared and turned on all at the same time.”

“I meant to lay a trap for you with that dream. I trapped myself instead.”

His interest sharpened, became electric. “I’ve got to remember to add shackles to all the bedrooms.”

Then he pulled her hair, forcing her head away.

he continued to hold her by the hair, imprisoned for his assault.

“You better not stop until you’re done. Remember, I can take any pace you can set, big guy.”

“You’ve got a few bite and scratch marks you didn’t have before too, big guy.” He smiled against her skin. Regret fled and left pure male satisfaction the victor on the field. “That I do.”

Underneath the covers, she pinched him hard. He grabbed her hand but didn’t contradict her.

“She called me ‘my lady,’ ” she told him in a plaintive voice. “I don’t know who that is. I’m no lady.”

“How much do you want?” “A lot,” he said, holding up a few strands so that they glinted in the light. Then he frowned. “Not too much.”

mind. I can cut it short and you can have all of it, if you want.” “Don’t you dare. I want just enough.”

He held out his right wrist. She wound the braid around it.

“The guards are for your safety. When I’m not with you, they will be.” As she opened her mouth, he said, “That’s nonnegotiable.”

You will have guards until this is all over. End of discussion.”

Yes, he was too sexy for words. He was also utterly insufferable and he didn’t have an ounce of shame or embarrassment to his name.

So I’ll argue with you whenever I feel like arguing, big guy.”

“I know that. Did I say I was being rational?”

She slammed the door. He put his hands on his hips and raised his voice as he told her through the panel, “We’re not through discussing this.”

He gave them his machete smile. “I had no idea this could be so much fun.”