Dragon Actually

need be. He was enormous. And she had no doubt her knight and this man were brothers.

“I’m here to see the dragon.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“My, we are protective.”

“Yes. We are. Now answer my question.”

“I have a message for him. From family.”

“Really? Well, give it to me. I’ll make sure he gets it.” She held out her hand.

The knight smiled. “Actually, the message is in my head, sweet one.” He took her hand, and brought it up to his lips. Annwyl watched as he kissed the tips gently, all the while staring into her eyes. She let him finish, then pinched his nose between her thumb and forefinger. She twisted until she got a cry of pain from him.

“Don’t touch. I don’t like to be touched.”

“I see that.”

“Say you’re sorry or I’ll take it off.”

“Sorry. Sorry!”

She released him. He rubbed his nose and pouted. She couldn’t help but smile. So very cute. And so very charming. Of course she still wouldn’t trust him with her dead horse.

His sister was up to something. He could tell. He’d known her for over two hundred years and she’d been annoying him senseless that entire time. But she would tell him nothing now. She was still too angry at discovering his double life.

But she would never be as angry with him as he was with himself. Yesterday had been the final straw. He had no intention of touching Annwyl, much less kissing her. He, in fact, had started to walk away. But, once again, he couldn’t help himself. And when she kissed him back. . . .

Yet today would be different. Today he would get control of this human body of his. Today he would not touch her. He wouldn’t even look at her. Today he would face the fact she was human and he a dragon.

Fearghus sighed. When had everything become so difficult? When you just had to rescue her, you idiot. He now realized he should never have gone out to help. He should have let the humans fight their war as they’d been doing for centuries. As soon as he became involved, everything became difficult. Complicated. Now he had his sister and some human girl living with him. Who else exactly would appear to drive him insane?

He realized too late he should never have entertained that thought as he came upon them. They sat by the stream. His unmistakable charm oozing from every pore while she laughed loudly at whatever he’d just said. She almost looked as if she were flirting.

Brutal jealousy came up and choked him. He would throttle the little bastard. Send him back to their mother without the rest of his tail.

He walked out of the trees and Gwenvael looked at him.“Oh. Greetings, big brother.”

He gritted his teeth. Had the little bastard told her anything? Gwenvael, unlike the rest of their kin, did not believe in discretion. It didn’t take long to realize that if one asked Gwenvael a direct question about dragons or anything for that matter, he would give a direct answer.

“I’m here to see the dragon.” He winked at Fearghus. And Fearghus barely contained the near overwhelming desire to take the boy’s head completely off his shoulders and kick it right out of his glen.

“Is that a fact?” Fearghus spit out between clenched teeth.

“Oh, yes. Important family business has sent me this way.”

“Well, why don’t you find Morfyd? I’m sure she’s in the cave. She can help you.”

“Really? Do you think so?” Gwenvael’s glee almost caused the little bastard to froth at the mouth. He had Fearghus right where he wanted him and they both knew it.

“I’m sure of it.”

“Well, then. I guess I better go find this elusive Morfyd.” Gwenvael’s grin practically blinded him. But when the bastard caught Annwyl’s hand in his, and kissed it, Fearghus realized he would definitely have to kill the little toe-rag.

“I thought we discussed this, knight,” she chastised with a smile.

“We did. But I just couldn’t help myself, lady.”

Gwenvael stood up and walked toward Fearghus. “I’ll see you soon, brother.”

The two brothers stared at each other until Gwenvael disappeared out of sight.

Fearghus turned back to find Annwyl standing, brushing dirt off her backside. “You never mentioned a brother before. You two look very much alike.”

“What were you doing with him?”

She looked up startled and caught on to his implications almost immediately. “Anything I like.”

He snarled. She snarled back. He moved on her, his hands slipping under her arms, lifting her off the ground and pushing her back against a tree. He could smell the lingering scent of his brother surrounding her and he wanted that smell gone. If she smelled of a male, it would be of him and no other.

“You need to stay away from him.”

“Don’t try and tell me what to do. I answer to no man.”

He lifted her up higher so they were eye to eye. “You’ll do as I say.”

The look on her face. The smell of desire battering his senses. The fullness of her lips. None of that moved him. It was what she said next that did the most damage.

“Make me.”

This couldn’t have been what Morfyd meant. She must have meant something else. Something less . . . dangerous. Or, at the very least, less stupid.

But Annwyl challenged him. Not with a sword or a mace. Those she could handle. She challenged him. Had she lost her mind? Had she finally become as mad as her brother?

She stared into those beautiful dark eyes, one of them almost blocked by the hair that continually fell across it, and realized that for once she might be in over her head. Her feet weren’t even on solid ground. He lifted her as if she weighed no more than a babe. And, even worse, she still didn’t know the man’s name.

By the gods, woman. What have you done?

But she wouldn’t back down now. She had her pride to think about. At least that’s what she kept telling herself.

He leaned in close to her. His mouth brushing against her cheek. His hot breath tickling the inside of her ear.

“A challenge? Woman, are you trying to kill me?”

Annwyl frowned in confusion. What was he talking about?

“Do you speak of the dragon? He would not harm you.”

He ran his tongue along her jaw. “You think you control the dragon, do you?”

Annwyl had to force herself to focus. His tongue against her skin made her crave more. More of his touch. More of him. “He’s not mine to control.” Annwyl bit back a moan when he pinned her against the tree. His body, hard and tight against hers, the only thing holding her up.

“Then what makes you think . . .” He kissed her collarbone. “You can stop him . . .” He kissed her neck. “From harming me?” He nipped her earlobe.

“A creature he may be, knight, but an honorable one. I’d trust my life with him before any human.”

His hands stopped moving. His body became still. His lips rested gently against her ear. Had she insulted him? She didn’t want him to stop, but she would never beg him either. So she waited.

“You care for a dragon?”

“I care for this dragon, knight. He is my friend.”

“And I?”

“You? I have no idea. But I wouldn’t exactly call us friends.”

He released her, letting her drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes. “Then why are you here with me now, Annwyl?”

 “I didn’t say I didn’t want you. I just said I wasn’t sure if I care for you.”

He stepped back and stared at her long and hard. “Honest girl,” he finally managed.