Denying the Alpha Read online

  I cracked an eye open and swallowed another moan because that action meant I got a full and close-up view of his groin as he straightened up.

  “I… That doesn’t look comfortable.”

  Gideon laughed, and I forced my gaze up from the long, hard imprint of his cock testing the strength of his denims, over the washboard abs clearly delineated under his tight t-shirt, up to the strong Adam’s apple which movements utterly fascinated me, until I reached those sinful lips which had given me such pleasure moments before.

  “You know it’s rude to do that to a girl before you’ve even kissed her.”

  One of his eyebrows shot up in that devilish way he had and those lips of his curled in a wicked grin while his amber eyes crinkled up the corners in amusement.

  “Didn’t hear you complaining a minute ago, girl, but by all means, let’s rectify that.”

  Before I could process those words, he’d pulled me to standing and that sinful mouth descended on mine, stole my breath, my last bit of resistance as he grasped my ass cheeks to hoist me higher up his body while he licked across the seam of my lips.

  I opened up to him without any conscious effort on my part, and it was the most natural thing in the world to lock my hands behind his neck and to wrap my thighs around his hips. We both groaned into the kiss because that move settled my bare pussy right across his cock. Need flared to life between my thighs with a speed that left me lightheaded. It shouldn’t be possible for me to be this ready to come again, not after the myriad of releases that very tongue now exploring every crevice of my mouth had given me.

  When I kissed him back, his dragon’s roar of satisfaction rumbled through me, settled in my clit, and then I stopped thinking altogether as instinct took over. I clenched my thighs around him and shamelessly rubbed myself over his hard erection, soliciting another one of those clit-clenching growls from my dragon. Blue flames engulfed us, testament to how on edge Gideon was. His claws ran out, pierced my skin, and that sweet sting of pain sent my hips into a frenzy as I chased another orgasm building inside me.

  Gideon tore his mouth of my lips, his breath as labored as mine was, and I stared into the eyes of his dragon. More flames engulfed us, which should have terrified me, but it just seemed right somehow, as we stared at each other.

  “Jesus, woman, I need to stop, before I can’t.” He attempted to set me down, but with a strength I didn’t even know I had, I held on.

  “No.” My eyes widened at the sound of my voice. Hoarse and guttural, it didn’t sound like me at all, yet I’d never felt surer that this was me. Heat rose deep within my belly in swirls of purple until flames licked from my skin onto his.

  “Fuck, I knew it.”

  I dimly wondered what the hell he thought he knew before flames engulfed me. Pain sliced through every part of my body and then I was free. Air rushed past me, and when I opened my eyes, it was to see my reflection soaring above the lake.

  Only it wasn’t me who stared up at me but a purple/blue/green dragon. I attempted to shriek, but a stream of orange fire erupted from my mouth instead. I lost control and would have gone face diving into the lake had much larger claws not grabbed me and pulled me to safety.

  Gideon, it had to be, thank God. That was my last thought before everything, mercifully went black.

  I came to in a darkened room and sat up with a start only to be pulled back into a warm, and thankfully human body.

  “Easy there, little goose, I’ve got you. Here, drink something.”

  A side light came on and Gideon’s worried face appeared in my vision. He held a glass of water to my parched lips and I eagerly drank.

  “Slow sips, baby. Don’t want you being sick, now do we? That’s it. That’s my beautiful little dragon mate.”

  I attempted to slow down my sips, but it was hard to do. Why was I so thirsty, and hang on, what had me called me?

  My heartrate kicked up and I pushed against his broad chest to sit up. That meant the sheet covering us both fell, and I pulled in a sharp breath as my nipples pebbled in the cool air of the room. At least they were nipples not scales and… “Oh my God.”

  As relieved as I was to hear my voice was back to its normal cadence and I wasn’t breathing fire, I still had a hard time processing any of this.

  “What in the hell did you do me?” I sought refuge in anger, for surely this had to be all his fault.

  Gideon frowned and rolled out of the bed. My traitorous nether regions clenched in need as I saw his tight buttocks before he pulled on a pair of joggers and covered that perfection, dammit.

  “I might have known you’d blame this one on me, woman.” A hint of his dragon showed in his voice and my other half stirred and spit. A plume of smoke left my mouth and I clamped my hand over my mouth in horror.

  Gideon crossed his arms over his massive chest and smirked.

  “And there she is. I didn’t do this, little goose. That was all her doing.”

  “Hers?” I mumbled that reply between my fingers, not at all sure I ought to be taking my hand off of my mouth.

  Gideon sat back down on the bed and did it for me. With his gentle and extremely reassuring strength, he pried my fingers off my lips and then leaned in for a kiss. A mere brush of his soft, firm mouth over mine, yet it grounded me in the here and now and the restless thing inside of me retreated.

  “Yes, hers. Your dragon’s beautiful, and dare I say it seems even more volatile than you.”

  “My dragon?” I couldn’t seem to stop parroting everything, but really, that was just impossible.

  Gideon smiled and skimmed his knuckles along my jaw, over my collarbone and lower. When he reached my nipples, I hissed in pleasure, and his dragon growled. An answering rumble came from my chest, and I stared down at myself in abject wonder.

  “I didn’t do that.”

  Gideon cupped my chin to make me look at him and the tenderness I saw in his gaze took my breath away.

  “I know, sweetheart, that was her.” He dropped a kiss on my nose. “Breathe, baby, it’s okay.”

  I took a much-needed breath at that gentle reminder and the tightness in my chest eased. “How, I mean, I would have known?”

  Gideon sobered and regarded me thoughtfully. “Not necessarily. You were adopted, right?”

  I glared at him but nodded. “Yes, but how in the hell do you know that? Oh, let me guess, your Magick.”

  Gideon shook his head and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Not this time, no. Just a case of one of the Dragoons, who happens to be good at hacking into computer files.”

  “You checked me out?” I winced at the screech I managed to produce. Nails on chalkboard sprang to mind. Add to that my hearing, which was definitely sharper than it used to be, and yes… Not the most comfortable combo.

  Gideon grimaced and tapped his ear. “Thanks for that. That cleared out the wax for sure. Have mercy, woman.”

  “Sorry, but, really?”

  I attempted to glare at him, to feel the rightful anger I should be feeling, but try as I might, I couldn’t. Seemed all I wanted to do was lean in to Gideon’s strength and finish what we started earlier. My pussy tingled, my breasts ached, and Gideon’s nostrils flared as I grew wet for him.

  “I had my suspicions, so yes, I looked into your background. Don’t tell me you didn’t at least Google me?” he asked. Heat rose in my cheeks and he laughed. “Thought so. Bet it pissed you off to no end when you didn’t find anything, right?”

  This time, I did glare at him. “Yes, and why the hell didn’t I?”

  Gideon shrugged.

  “I value my privacy for obvious reasons. I practice under Gideon Daring. Had you Googled him, you’d have found me. Well, the me I’m prepared for the public to see. The real me is buried in the dragon archives here in my father’s library. I dare say the truth about your parentage is to be found somewhere in there too. That’s if your father reported it. I assume your dragon comes from your father.”

  “Why automatically assume that?
That’s so typically chauvinistic. Why couldn’t my mother have been a … mmph.”

  His kiss shut me up very effectively, and by the time he finally let me come up for air, I had a hard time remembering why I’d been all annoyed.

  That wasn’t the only thing hard. His erection prodded my leg, and he hissed between his teeth when I stroked the heavy length through his joggers.

  “I said that because no she-dragon would ever abandon her young like your mother did you. They are fiercely protective of their young.” That stopped my exploration of his cock, and I frowned, all too aware that I’d jumped to all the wrong conclusions—again.

  “And male dragons aren’t? Is that what you’re saying? They what, get humans pregnant and just abandon them?”

  Gideon’s dragon roared his annoyance and I resumed stroking the shaft pulsing under my fingertips. He was so big and hard, my pussy clenched in need, and I couldn’t stop touching him. It was utterly insane, this need which was driving me, yet it felt so right.

  “That’s not what I’m saying, woman. Stop twisting my words. Assholes are everywhere, that’s all I’m saying, and, yes, some dragon shifters won’t think about any possible consequences when they use humans for sex, but it’s not the norm. Certainly not in my clan. Our young are too precious to not cherish them and their mothers, human or otherwise.” He paused, and that flash of sadness crossed his features again.

  I reached out to touch his face and a shudder went through his whole body.

  “You’re thinking of your mother, aren’t you?” How I knew that, I had no idea, but Gideon blinked and sighed.

  “Yes.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and I held my breath at what he was going to say. “You asked me earlier what happened.”

  He stared into space and his erection lessened under my hand, testament to how deeply this still affected him.

  “She was killed, wasn’t she?” I asked even though I knew the answer deep in my bones.

  “Yes, she was run off the road in her human form.”

  I gasped, and he smiled grimly at my response.

  “Drunk lorry driver took her out. Her injuries were so severe that even our combined clan Magick couldn’t save her. My father might as well have died with her that day. The light went out of his eyes and he retired from his duties as Alpha soon after.” Gideon shook his head and his gaze cleared and focused on me.

  “That’s when I had to step in. I should have had years yet of just being a dentist and not having to deal with being the Alpha, but I didn’t hesitate to step into the role, even though Daddy’s boots are mighty hard to fill.”

  My heart turned over in my chest at the way he said Daddy.

  “Where is your father now?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, little goose. He took himself off. Dragons mate for life and without my mother, he didn’t want to live anymore. I’ve no idea whether he’s still alive, but I hope if he is he’s managed to find some solace and if he isn’t then he’s with Mum, and they’re happy again.”

  I blinked away tears at the heartfelt emotion that came through with his words.

  “I miss them, you know.”

  I nodded, and he smiled and kissed my nose. “And I hope this answers your earlier question.”

  “What question?” I was somewhat distracted by the way his cock was once again hardening under my hand.

  “When you, once again, I hasten to add, made assumptions about me and referred to my floozies.” Heat rose in my cheeks as I recalled that conversation and I sought refuge in snark.

  “Well, what was I to think when you’re so good at sorting out women’s hair?”

  Gideon laughed and shook his head at me, and I was rather relieved to see that cloud of sadness lift off his shoulders.

  “I’ve had no time for women, floozies, or otherwise, and if you must know, I used to brush my mother’s hair for her whenever my father wasn’t around to do it for her. It was too long for her to manage on her own.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “Something I’ll gladly do for my own mate, if she’ll let me.”

  His cock jerked as he said that, and I bit back a moan as the implications set in. He meant me, little Annie Taylor, and I wasn’t at all sure what to make of that, so I simply grabbed him harder, hoping to distract him from this serious conversation. Gideon grumbled. “Stop doing that, or we’ll never get to eat, and I’m hungry now. All this emotional unburden will do that to a man.” He winked at me as he said that.

  It was on the tip of my tongue to say, “Forget about the food,” when my stomach and my dragon grumbled in unison. It was the oddest sensation. Gideon laughed, straightened, and held out his hand.

  The minute I took it, peace settled over me, and what was more, I was clothed. Another summer dress sans underwear, of course. I rolled my eyes at him but didn’t object. My nether regions were too sensitive to cover them, and besides, he’d seen it all already.

  Heat rose in my cheeks at that thought and my belly gave a little flip all of its own when I looked up and saw Gideon’s expression.

  The tenderness in his eyes, as though I was the most precious thing he’d ever seen … good grief almighty, that did things to me. I was angry with him, wasn’t I? Yet I found myself grinning up at him like a loon.

  “What is your obsession with keeping me out of underwear, Gideon Jackson?” I tried for a reproachful tone but failed miserably because that came out all breathy, and sure enough, he winked at me, leaned down, and stole a quick kiss.

  “Like I said, sue me, woman. Now, let’s eat.”

  Chapter Six

  Gideon

  Watching my mate eat was an exercise in torture. Not only did she thoroughly enjoy her food, the noises she made as she sucked the spaghetti into her mouth… I couldn’t get the image of those full lips wrapped around my throbbing dick out of my head. What was more, I knew full well it was her newly released dragon playing games with mine. I could see the shades of purple in her eyes, the challenge they held, and my dragon roared his approval.

  It was with a certain amount of relief I saw her push her empty plate away and rub her belly.

  “That was so good—what?”

  A blush crept across her cheeks as her dragon self receded and her human side took over, and I reached across the table to link our fingers together.

  Annie bit back a moan and her musk increased, calling my dragon to finish what we’d started, but we still had things to discuss and I was all too aware that my little goose’s mind had been blown enough for one night.

  “I was just thinking that I should escort you home. It’s getting late.” Darkness had fallen in earnest while we’d been eating, and the dining room was cast in long shadows only interspersed by the soft candles I’d lit on the table.

  “You want me to leave?” She tried to pull her hand away, but I wouldn’t let her.

  “No, that’s the last thing I want, but I thought it might be what you need.”

  A flash of purple heat hit me in the face as she erupted, and I grinned. It was so damn good to see her embracing her fiery half rather than be afraid of it, though I’d have to teach her to control it better. Folks on the whole weren’t ready to know that dragon shifters existed.

  “You don’t get to tell me what I need, Gideon, not after… Dammit, stop.”

  She glared into thin air as though she was having an internal debate with her dragon half and I swallowed a laugh. The carafe of water on the table promptly upended over my head, dousing me in ice-cold water.

  “What the fuck, woman?’

  I shook my head to clear it of the water, but I wasn’t really annoyed, more damn proud of the quickness with which my mate was coming to master her abilities.

  Plus, her face was a picture of shocked awe.

  “Did I do that?”

  “You know damn well you did,” I said. “I should put you over my knee and, oh, no, you don’t.” I countered her move to tip the wine bottle over my head with one of my own and she s
hrieked when her glass of water landed squarely in her chest. Not the wisest of moves for my sanity, as the wetness rendered the fabric of her dress transparent and I got a clear and enticing view of her full breasts. They shook in her outrage, or so I thought, until her laughter registered.

  “What’s so damn funny?” I asked, but my lips twitched too. Seeing her this happy and carefree; hell, yeah it was worth enduring that ice-cold dousing for.

  “You, you’re all wet and oh, so menacing, like a wet puppy or something.”

  “A puppy?” My dragon roared his fury at that comparison, and sure enough, the little minx’s she-dragon appeared briefly in her eyes.

  “Yes, where is your big, scary dragon now, you … argh.”

  I yanked her off her chair and over my lap before she’d even stopped talking, and rained a few hard swats on her still-covered behind. She screeched and squirmed, but I trapped her legs between mine and one hand behind her shoulder blades held her down while I lifted her dress and exposed her delectable ass cheeks. The possessive animal in me growled seeing my handprints already imprinted on her pale skin.

  “Let me go, you. Dammit, I’m not a child.”

  I laughed and continued to swat her ass, accentuating each swat with my words.

  “I’m … well … aware … you’re … not … a … child…” I paused briefly to pull the exhilarating musk of aroused woman into my lungs, satisfied to note that she’d stopped fighting me and had gone limp over my lap. My cock jerked against her soft belly and she gasped. I brought my hand lower to cup her soaked pussy and she panted her need.

  “So fucking wet for me already. I love how responsive you are to me.” I paused and swatted her ass again, much harder than before. The way she rose into each loud spank as though eager for my touch made me blurt the next words out. “I love you, Annie Taylor.”

  I rubbed the heated flesh in front of me, and my little dragon moaned and lifted her head up to look at me. The longing in her eyes made my chest tighten in emotion and my dragon retreat into the farthest corner. He didn’t do the mushy stuff, and I smiled at his grumbling in my head. There was no sign of Annie’s dragon half either, just a woman looking at a man, and our connection arched between us.