Knock Down Dragon Out Read online

  At least he wasn’t naked. That one small detail was helping her control her carnal urges just a tiny bit.

  He’d put his barbarian kilt thing on again. He was probably cold. Even with the fire burning across the room, the air still had a very icy chill to it. Typical January in inland Alaska—or so she’d read.

  Not that the chill was cooling off her horniness in the least. Her nipples were puckered and needy beneath the blanket. Her arousal was slicking her thighs. She needed some damn clothes. Staying on the bed naked was only going to keep her mind on the super-hot, half-naked, dragon-man in the room.

  “Look, I’m going to need my clothes back. And then a ride back to where I had my shoot set up. I have a snow machine back there. And hopefully my camera is still intact. I’ll be out of your hair and back to town in a jiffy. Then you can get back to your hunting, right? Win, win.”

  “Your shoot?”

  “I’m a photographer. I was out here on assignment for a nature magazine.”

  Col shook his head, obviously not understanding.

  “I take pictures. Art.”

  “An artist,” he repeated. “What was left behind in the snow? I didn’t see anything.”

  “My stuff is back there. It’s expensive. So, let’s just call this a wrap.” Naomi grabbed her panties off the floor.

  Where the hell are the rest of my clothes?

  She slipped on the panties, trying to keep the rest of herself modestly hidden. It didn’t work. With only one arm to cover both boobs and a pair of panties that refused to slide up her legs, she flashed him everything more than once.

  “You are my mate, shuarra.” He stepped forward, taking the hem of her panties and pulling them up into place.

  His warm fingers lingered on her skin and she wished for a moment that more of his thermal skin was touching her. Wished his whole body was wrapped around her, warming her all the way through to her soul. Excitement rippled through her heart, tingling along the surface of her skin, as if she were awakening for the very first time. Just for this man—dragon—just for Col.

  “My name is Naomi, by the way. Naomi Parker. Not that I don’t like the shuarra name, especially the way you sorta purr it out like a big cat. Ohmygod. I’m doing it again. It’s like I’m sixteen and can’t control my hormones. I’m pretty sure if you keep touching me right now, I’m going to completely lose it. Can you hand me my pants, please?” She pointed to the corner of the floor where they’d been tossed during their dynamic lovemaking session. Maybe he would just ignore all of the word-vomit pouring from her mouth.

  Mouth. His mouth. His tongue.

  Damn. Her mind was in the gutter again.

  The man knew how to use his mouth. And his fingers. And his…cock. Okay, everything. Col knew how to use everything and everything on her body felt used. There were little red marks all over her breasts and her hips from his teeth.

  Her pussy was sore and well-used. It had been. She remembered every exhilarated moment of ecstasy.

  And, her unused-underappreciated-girly-bits were hungry for more.

  “These?” He picked up the pants from the corner.

  “Yes, pants.”

  He returned and knelt, allowing her to slip one foot in at a time. Then she stood, still holding the blanket against her chest to cover her boobs.

  He pulled up the ice-cold denim jeans and she tried to hold back a gasp, but the chill from the half-frozen fabric temporarily sucked all the warmth from her entire body like a dip into an ice bath. Chill bumps sprouted all over her body.

  “Naomi is a beautiful name, my shuarra.”

  “Thank you. But, back to what I was asking. You’ll take me back to where you found me?” she asked, hoping to capitalize on his positive mood. “And I still need my bra and my sweater and coat.”

  He shook his head. “You are safer hidden here. I must fight the traitors before they injure anyone else in your world. They are dangerous. And my responsibility.” Col grabbed her hand and tugged. “Come sit and warm yourself by the fire.” He paused, his gaze dropping to her chest. “Unless you would like me to crawl back into bed with you and warm you a different way.”

  “Ho, buddy, eyes up here. I may have a boob hanging out, but I need your attention.” Naomi could’ve sworn he smirked before meeting her gaze and nearly boring a hole through her with the intensity of his stare. Brown eyes flecked with metallic gold. So beautiful. So un-earthly.

  She shook her head, trying to put her thoughts back in order.

  Stop thinking about the gorgeous dragon man.

  “I just need to get back to my stuff and back down the mountain. I’ll come back out later and get the pictures I need.”

  Hopefully, all the dragons will be gone in a few days.

  Though after saying it like that, it sounded ridiculous. They’d just arrived. Why would they leave? And how many were there really? Just three?

  Col and these other two traitors as he called them. That seemed unlikely.

  Also, dragons were real…that was still not truly computing in the brain.

  “It is not safe.” His voice was more of a growl again. He stood and paced to the end of the cabin room and then back to the foot of the bed. “If you go outside they will pick up your scent.”

  “There’s nothing here. No food. No way to contact anyone. I’ll freeze.”

  He snarled, obviously not liking her protests.

  Naomi pondered a moment and changed tactics. “What if something happens to you? I’ll die up here. No one will ever find me. And I’ll never get down off this mountain alone without equipment.”

  “You are not alone. I am here.”

  “But you keep saying you’re leaving to hunt those other dragons. What about me?”

  “This cabin is safe.”

  “No,” she insisted. “This is someone’s cabin. We’re lucky there’s even water. Most of these cabins are dry. This one has a tank-less water heater and an indoor tank. Somebody spent some money on this place. Which means they probably won’t leave it empty for long. So, I guess if you want strangers to take care of me.”

  What the…what am I saying? And when did the dragon man become not a stranger? After the wild sex?

  Was she really entertaining the idea that she might want a man again? That she wanted Col to take care of her? That she didn’t want to go back to the monotonous sadness that had enveloped her life since Tommy’s death? Or allow the lung-crushing paralyzing weight that’d threatened to suffocate her for the last two years to return.

  Could she really move forward…with a dragon?

  How did she not think she was crazy? If she wasn’t crazy, and Col was real and not a fantasy in her mind, did she really think there was an option to stay with the barbarian dragon guy? What was he going to do for a job?

  She sighed. Staying with him wasn’t realistic.

  Was it? Her mother’s voice echoed in her mind. Would Tommy want you to live your life unhappy? What would he say if he saw you today?

  Naomi shoved down the thoughts. She couldn’t love anyone but Tommy. It wasn’t possible, and she didn’t deserve the chance. Staying with a dragon man from another world was on a whole different level than trying to get out there and date again. It was crazy. She was being crazy.

  “Look, you have your business to take care of, and I can’t stay here. So, take me back to my stuff or I’m walking out on my own.”

  “Not yet.” Col’s eyes flashed solid gold and he snarled. Not at her, just in general. He stalked over to her, picked her up, and carried her back to the bed. He laid her down and pressed his body over top of hers.

  His mouth crushed hers and his taste flooded her senses. She was locked between his powerful arms. One hand cupped her face, directing the kiss. His other hand had ripped away the blanket and was now kneading her breast, squeezing and flicking at her traitorously hard nipple. A whimper escaped into his mouth. He tasted so good.

  What’d she been complaining about? Being crazy?

&nbs
p; Maybe a little crazy was just what she needed. Maybe this was Fate’s way of giving her a kick in the ass.

  The only thing Naomi could concentrate on right now was the length of Col’s hard cock pressing into her belly, and the way his tongue plunged in and out of her mouth like a promise of what was to come.

  His kiss was intoxicating. His hands felt cool against her burning skin. The need for him was primal. Desperate. She wanted to feel alive. Somehow, he was giving her that. For now, she’d take it.

  “Col.”

  His mouth trailed from her lips to her ear and down her neck. Every touch was tender and demanding at the same time. He was trying to shut down her argument with him about leaving the cabin. And—surprise—she was totally fine with allowing it.

  “I need—” Her voice carried a deeper and huskier quality than she’d ever heard before. What did she need? What did she want from Col. More distraction?

  It felt like more than that.

  He reared his head up and smiled down, then crawled down the length of her body. Her pants and panties were quickly stripped off again.

  So much for getting dressed.

  Then his mouth was between her legs again.

  Naomi cried out and bucked her hips, but he held her in place, erotically torturing her pussy until her whole body shook with more need.

  His fingers slipped inside and stroked, finding just the right angle.

  She pushed her head back into the pillows and moaned as his mouth closed around her clit. “Ohhhhhh—”

  His tongue flicked deftly across her, driving her higher and higher.

  Bliss was so close. She could feel it wrapping its warm tendrils of pleasure around her whole body.

  Everything slowed. Every stroke of his fingers and tongue left her breathless, but desperate for more.

  “Yes,” she panted. “Yes,” she screamed, bucking against his hold.

  Heat and tension blasted through her like a racecar jumping from zero to sixty. Stars exploded behind her eyes. Pleasure washed over her in waves.

  Col kept sucking and licking and stroking. It was so much.

  She screamed again as he wrung yet another climax from her body.

  “Mine. You will not leave me.” He crawled up her body and stared. Waiting.

  Naomi nodded. She wanted this with every fiber of her being. All of it. Whatever came with it. She couldn’t go back to being an empty sad shell. Even if this wasn’t permanent, she wanted to experience everything she could with Col. She wanted to feel alive again.

  “Vow it.” His eyes flickering gold. The dragon was impatient for an answer.

  “I won’t leave you.” It was a promise. Every tone. Every syllable. She didn’t want to be alone for the rest of her life. Haunted by the memory of the man and love she’d lost.

  Tommy wouldn’t have wanted that for her either. It was killing her family too. Every time they looked at her, the pity cut to the bone.

  Not anymore. Whatever her dragon man wanted. That was fine by her. If Col was the trade-off, she could manage the guilt.

  You’re lying to yourself.

  No, she wasn’t. She could be happy. She could. She would. Naomi had never cared enough to try.

  Col made her want to try.

  The choice lifted a weight from her chest. “I need you, Col.”

  He huffed out a loud breath and flipped her to her stomach.

  She turned and watched him over her shoulder, quivering in anticipation.

  His hands trailed over her back, then to her ass, kneading and pinching as they went. He was so beautiful. The swirling tattoos. The rippling muscles. How the hell had she ended up right where he would be in the middle of Alaska?

  Her mind drifted back to the way he was caressing her ass. He gripped her hips, lifting her up toward him. She watched as he removed the kilt. His massive cock sprang forward and bumped against her aching clit. She wiggled her hips, rubbing against it.

  Col grasped the erection and guided it to her opening. Slowly. Gently. He pressed forward, filling her inch by solid inch until his hips were flush to her ass. Then he pulled backward with excruciating slowness.

  “Col,” she panted, “Please.”

  His hands clenched down on her hips and then he drove deep and hard. Naomi bowed under him, and he bent down over her back, thrusting and driving until she could feel nothing but him. Inside her. Around her. His hands clutched her so tightly to his body that it felt as though they were one being.

  One of his hands slid around her hip and brushed between her thighs. One little touch. That was all it took to send her careening over the cliff.

  She screamed his name and he roared hers, an animalistic carnal sound that shook her to the core, but instead of making her afraid, she just felt even safer.

  More content. More satisfied.

  They slumped together, Col’s cock still inside her as he rolled to the side pulling her with him.

  She fit perfectly against him. His cock still twitched and throbbed, as if at any given moment he would swell and fuck her senseless again.

  “My shuarra.” The heavy vibrations of his voice rumbled against the back of her neck.

  “Mmmm, yes,” Naomi murmured as she drifted to sleep in his warm arms, not aware of the chill in the air any longer.

  5

  Naomi woke with a start. The bed was empty. The cabin was still dark.

  It wasn’t morning yet…well, actually it could be. Sunrise in January in this part of Alaska wasn’t until nearly ten o’clock.

  She inched out of the bed and found her clothes, then her shoes.

  “Col?” she called.

  No answer.

  She rubbed the back of her head where the bandage was wrapped tight. Nothing hurt. Not even a twinge.

  Naomi hurried to the bathroom and pulled off the strips of purple fabric. She bent and twisted in front of the mirror enough to see that the wound on the back of her neck was gone. Healed. Just poof, it was gone. It hadn’t been a terrible cut. But there had been blood. There should at least be a scab. She ran her fingers over the smooth unblemished skin again.

  Her bladder clenched, warning her she still needed to get outside and find the outhouse. Getting out here and realizing that everything north of the coastline was a dry cabin—well, not in the city—had been a shock to her city girl disposition. She could handle an outhouse, even in minus thirty-degree temps. It was just a more rustic porta-potty, right?

  Her blue coat caught her eye where it’d fallen on the floor next to the sink. She pulled it on and went back out into the main room. Barefoot wasn’t going to work. She hunted around, finding one sock under the bed and the other in the far corner of the house.

  A giggle slipped from between her lips. Had Col really been in such a hurry that her clothes had literally flown around the cabin? One of her rubber snow boots was on the couch. She pulled it on and searched for the other, jumping up and down a little like a toddler in desperate need of a potty break.

  “Where the damn hell is my other boot?” Naomi looked down at her sock. No way was she getting her only sock wet in the snow. She clomped around and looked again, finally finding it halfway behind the couch. She rolled her eyes, yanked it from its hiding place and shoved her foot inside. Then she rushed for the front door.

  Darkness spread out before her. Not pitch black, thanks to the stars and the northern lights, but still it was creepy dark for a girl used to the always-bright-never-sleepy city of New York.

  At least at the cabin she’d rented north of McKinley Park, she’d had her cellphone and a flashlight. Here, she was totally cut off from the outside.

  Naomi squinted and stared into the dark. First the left. Then to the right. A blockish dark form to the right could be it. She stepped out of the safety of the fire-lit cabin and toward the dark blob. “Please be the outhouse.”

  She crunched through the deep snow, thankful that the resort guide had convinced her to go with the over-the-knee boots.

  The d
ark shape got clearer as she moved closer. Definitely the outhouse.

  Her heart slowed, and she released the breath she’d been holding. She was fine. Nothing had eaten her.

  She pulled the lever down and opened the door, breathing another sigh of relief at the sight of a plastic tub with toilet paper inside it. Looking for paper inside the cabin hadn’t even crossed her mind. Naomi quickly closed the door behind her and relieved herself.

  She was pulling up her jeans when a low growl outside made her heart leap out of her chest. “Shit! You scared me, Col.” She fastened her pants and pushed open the door. “Can’t a girl pee without—”

  Another, louder growl blew hot air straight into her face.

  A scream ricocheted inside the small building. It took a moment before Naomi realized the high-pitched cry was coming from her. She kicked at the enormous snapping wolf jaws in the opening and yanked the door closed. Her whole body shook as adrenaline rushed through her like a cabbie back home fighting rush hour, giving her enough strength to hold the door closed.

  The wolf snarled and clawed at the thick planks of wood. Splinters broke off. It would be only a matter of time before he got to her.

  “Col!” She hoped to God the dragon man was close enough to hear her. “Col, help!”

  The outhouse rocked.

  The wolf was huge.

  Bigger than anything she’d ever seen. Bigger than a damn bear.

  Tightness clawed at Naomi’s lungs. Her heart slammed against the inside of her ribs like a pinball bouncing against bumpers.

  The creature was trying to push the entire building over.

  “Stop it! Please,” she sobbed, hanging onto the lever on the door. It kept trying to swing open.

  The outhouse rocked again, lifting her a few inches off the ground before it fell back, jarring her. She lost hold of the door lever and fell to the ground hard in front of the bench in the outhouse.

  The door swung open and instead of a wolf, a huge man loomed over her. He was dressed like Col—bare chest, kilt-thing—but it wasn’t her dragon man.

  This guy was six and a half feet of tall-dark-and-fang-bared monster. If she hadn’t been so scared, she might’ve thought he was attractive with his long black hair and hooded brow, but the menacing golden eyes and the teeth totally stole that opportunity.