Hunted by the Dragon (Captured by a Dragon-Shifter Book 4) Read online

  “So you were saying? Dragon-shifter universal traveler to Earth bounty hunter,” she prompted. “I can understand why the bail bondsmen turn a blind eye to you, but what about the police? Or the courts? Don’t you have to go to trial about your line of work at all?”

  “Since the Flaherty clan comprises mostly of police officers spread out over the state, I simply notified them when I am hunting in their territory. As long as I bring the bad guys in, no one seems to care. If anyone digs, they will find I have no real Earth documentation, so I am careful not to raise suspicion. Until you, Duncan’s immediate family members were the only ones who knew my secret. Since Duncan vouched for me, the other clan members don’t question how I track more criminals than any other hunter out there.”

  “You might not want to call them clan members,” Jules inserted. “Just an Earth tip.”

  “Thank you,” he answered. “As you see I am still learning, even though I have assimilated.”

  “So dragon-shifter, part alien, bounty hunter, Sean Flaherty.”

  “I would like for you to consider me your lover as well.” Sean smiled, happy that he was finally able to speak the request out loud to her. In truth, he wanted to be more than her lover. He wanted to mate her and someday do the Earth binding ceremony.

  Jules bit her lip and hid her face from him as she looked out the window. “Let’s see where the night takes us.”

  Sean grinned and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his arousal heavy and begging for attention. He knew where he’d like the night to take them. Was it unromantic to pulled over to the side of the road? He cleared his throat and forced himself to focus on driving in a straight line. “Since you are not alarmed by my shifting, I believe it is your turn to speak. Why did those men kidnap you and rip your clothing?”

  “I’ll make you a deal. You find a place to pull over for the night, and we’ll talk.” Jules made a show of yawning. “I feel like I’ve been awake for a month and this truck’s shocks bounce. It’s making me carsick.”

  “Deal.” He didn’t hide the eagerness from his tone. Seeing a sign for a hotel, he eased off the interstate, not bothering to note what town they were in. He kept his attention focused on her though he tried not to show it. “Now speak as I find a place. Why is the Velázquez crime family after you?”

  “Wrong place, wrong time,” she answered.

  “You seem to have been in that position quite a bit over the last few years.”

  “You checked up on me?” Jules’s tone dropped to a low whisper.

  “I was concerned about you. Don’t be mad. I had Brian use his connections to check on you so I could monitor what you have been doing for the past two years, but not to stalk you. Stalking isn’t good. I hunted a stalker. He was…not good.”

  “So that’s how you tracked me?”

  “I hunted you. Like a bond, but a good bond, one who I’m not going to take to jail.”

  “No offense to you or Brian and his cop family, but the law isn’t putting those who deserve it in jail. Someone needed to keep an eye on things. That’s all I do. I watch, I listen, and I report. Sometimes things get a little rough. Sometimes a car is stolen.” She sighed, her words coming faster, like a conversation she’d had a hundred times. “Cops catch them. But, without evidence, the courts have to let them go. Witnesses are too scared to come forward against the worst offenders. Those criminals not immediately released on their own recognizance are taken out by bail bondsmen. It’s a broken system.”

  Suddenly, she stopped, and he felt her eyes boring into him. Tension rolled down his neck and back. He’d expected her to be upset about his heritage. That seemed reasonable. Instead, she was mad about his Earth job. What else was he supposed to do? On his home world he followed the orders of his king and queen for the betterment of his people. Here, he chased after those who the human law told him needed to go back to jail.

  “How can you do it, Sean?” She took off her seatbelt to better turn toward him. “I saw the men in your files. How can you be part of the system that lets them out?”

  “Because I can track them,” Sean defended. “I did not invent the rules of your society. Someone will post bail. I know I can keep tabs on them. And, working for a bondsman, when they skip court I get more leeway with the methods in which I bring them in. In that situation, I can do more than the police.” He turned the truck, parking alongside the front entrance. “I haven’t let one get away yet.”

  He refused to think about his current prey, Dougie. At least Dougie wouldn’t do anything violent. The man was more destructive to himself than to society. Most likely, after he showed at court, he’d be given a reduced sentence for any information he could supply to help catch a bigger criminal. Brian told him that the higher bond amount was just a scare tactic used by the District Attorney to get Dougie squealing, and to discover if he was connected enough to have anyone cover the amount for him. Dougie wasn’t. His mother ended up bailing him out, putting her home and family business up as collateral.

  “What job would you have me do?” Sean asked. “I am not qualified for much here. What I have is the ability to see through your darkness and listen past what humans can hear. I can hunt. I can fight. I can track. That is what I can do. I did not wish for this life, but it is the risk I accepted when I stepped through the portal.”

  “I’m tired,” she said. He could tell by her tone she didn’t want to talk anymore, not that she’d said too much to begin with.

  “Promise me you’ll wait here,” he ordered. “This conversation isn’t over.”

  Blue eyes met his, and she nodded once. “I’m too tired to run away, and I need a shower.”

  Chapter 14

  Each heavy, sliding footstep led Jules closer to sleep. As she moved over the room’s threshold, her eyes strayed to the one queen-size bed in the middle of the room. Her pace didn’t falter.

  “They did not have rooms with two beds left.” Sean almost sounded apologetic. Almost.

  “Good.” The knowledge of where she’d be right now if not for his rescue filled her. He’d saved her. Again. Was her desire for him gratitude? It didn’t feel like simple gratitude. The need to touch him burned beneath her skin, zapping her flesh like bolts of internal lightning fighting to break free.

  In the truck, she knew the conversation he wanted to have. But, Jules didn’t want to talk about her life. As she neared the bed, she could think of several things she much rather do and sleep no longer appeared so important. She dropped her bag on the floor before slipping out of his oversized t-shirt. Next, she kicked off her shoes. Fingers slid down her naked arm, and she felt the warmth of him along her back.

  “Are you sure they didn’t hurt you?” Sean asked, his voice soft.

  Jules turned only to meet with his chest. Everything about him appeared human. The scent of his cologne curled around her senses. He always smelled great. Her eyes traveled up, slow and steady over strong muscles. Bronzed cords led in thick lines to his stiff jaw. The textured shadow of facial hair mingled with the smoothness of flesh. Every line seemed so perfect—a firmly sculpted mouth, the divot above his lip, straight nose with a small bump at the bridge where it had healed from being broken. “You don’t look like a dragon.”

  His eyes flashed with yellow, shifting only to return to normal once more.

  “I saw you that night. I knew I saw you,” she whispered.

  “You didn’t answer. Are you sure they did not hurt you?” The serious look in his eyes pierced into her with his worry.

  Jules shook her head in denial. “No. Not like that. Although, I would like a shower.”

  “I’ll, ah…” Sean glanced at her mouth. “I’ll start the water for you.”

  She expected him to kiss her, but he withdrew quickly, his movements awkward and jerking as he went to turn on the shower. Why the sudden shyness? She would’ve laughed if her body didn’t ache to feel him inside her once more. The sound of running water drew her attention, and she found herself pursuing him
.

  Sean withdrew his wet hand from beneath the stream of water. “It’ll take a second to warm—”

  Jules grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her so hard their mouths bumped together, causing her teeth to press against the sensitive inside of her bottom lip. She didn’t care. Sean made a weak noise of surprise before opening his mouth. Passion sizzled between them, burning in each rip of clothing, each thrust of the tongue, each loud groan.

  Mindless, she freed him of his clothes, eager to run her hands over his taut flesh. In their urgency, they stumbled against the shower curtain. The unsecured hold of plastic caused them to part long enough to step into the cool water. Jules gasped at the chilly shock.

  Sean shut the curtain. She pressed into his heat, warming against him as she rubbed her full length to his. The push of his arousal against her stomach grew at the intimate contact. They enjoyed the glide of wet flesh and, by small degrees, the water heated. Droplets pounded her side, splashing up on her face to moisten her lips. She kissed him, trapping him against the shower stall. Her hands roamed over his chest and shoulders. He trembled in response, touching her wherever he could reach—massaging her arms, running fingers over her back, cupping her ass so hard her heels lifted off the tub floor.

  Jules wanted to devour him. She licked his jaw, biting her way to his earlobe. Sean made small animalistic noises in the back of his throat, spurring her on. She ran her hand lightly over his flat stomach and thighs until his body squirmed. Forging a trail with the tip of her tongue, she traced the flow of muscle down his chest, pausing only to tease each small, erect nipple.

  The water flow hit her directly on the side of the face, so she turned her back to it, sliding him roughly along the slick wall. Sean braced himself as Jules aggressively kissed his stomach. His harsh breath echoed overhead. Jules grinned, liking the idea of control in an otherwise erratic world.

  His erection stood tall from his narrow hips. The thick shaft was long enough to please without being too much. As her mouth moved along his hipbone, he jerked. His groans became louder. His fingers delved into her hair, urging her mouth lower. Her feet met with the textured skid proof surface of the tub. She grasped his hips and darted her tongue over his shaft. A small sound of pleasure escaped her lips before she enveloped him. She sucked him into her mouth and brought her hands to stroke the extra length.

  Jules loved the sound of his sharp breaths as she grazed him with her teeth. His hands gripped her hair, pushing deep into her mouth, as the water cocooned her in its beating warmth. She continued her caresses, drawing out his pleasure. His hips thrust to keep the rhythm she set. She cupped his balls, rolling them gently before venturing to the hidden stretch of flesh beneath the soft globes.

  Soon, it wasn’t enough to control him. Jules slithered up his body. Sean swung her around, switching their positions in the shower. She held onto his shoulders as he pinned her to the wall.

  “Jules, I…” He tried to speak, but she pursed her lips, stopping him.

  Sean’s legs threaded between hers, parting them. He lifted her up, holding her firmly by the thighs. She supported herself by grabbing his shoulders. Urgently, she wrapped her legs around his waist, and hooked her ankles behind him, guiding him forward. Their bodies met. Anticipation built, causing her thighs to contract.

  Sean guided himself to her opening. He entered her hard. Jules sucked in a long, rasping breath. Her muscles stretched, fitting perfectly around him. Whimpering, she closed her eyes—feeling every sensation, hearing every noise. She met his thrusts the best she could in their position.

  Jules let go of reason, unable to think as the demand for release filled every ounce of her body. A tremor worked over them, and he increased his pace. Her thoughts couldn’t focus beyond the grunt of his voice, the stroke of his arousal, the brush of his mouth against her cheek.

  The tension between them heightened to a feverish pitch. She didn’t want it to end, but she couldn’t fight her climax. Her nails dug into his shoulders. Release surged over her, erupting from between her thighs to spread out over her body. He jerked, grunting loud and long as he came. Jules’s legs slid down to the tub floor, but her bones felt as if they’d melted.

  “I’ll get you soap so you may finish your shower.” He breathed hard, his hands lingering before letting go. “You said you needed sleep.”

  Sean stepped out of the shower, and Jules gave in to gravity, sitting so that the water hit her body like rain. She heard him leave the bathroom. Her lips barely moved, as she whispered, “Thank you for saving me again, Sean.”

  Chapter 15

  “I looked for you after you disappeared,” Sean said, his voice quiet. Warm hands ran along her naked spine. Jules sighed, not wanting to move from the middle of the hotel bed. Sean’s body stretched next to hers, and she traced small circles along his back.

  “I needed time to think. I hitchhiked around a few states.” Jules blinked hard, trying to keep her eyes open. The stress of the last several days combined with the sleepy heat of his body made it hard.

  “I didn’t mean now. I meant then.” He continued to caress her in leisurely, comforting movements. “When I first arrived here, after I healed from the gunshot, I looked for you.”

  “I know what you meant. I hoped you’d let it slide.” Jules let her hand drop onto the bed to rest next to him. “I didn’t want to be found. After you had saved me, I felt so much. Duncan convinced me it was victim bonding. He said it happened all the time. You rescued me from a horrible thing, and in return, I distorted who I was and who you were to me. That kind of love isn’t real. It also didn’t help that I had doubts about why the Flahertys were in the alleyway that night. What are the odds off duty cops would be walking by at the same time three criminals were having a secret meeting?”

  “You believed the Flahertys were corrupt? So you thought I was corrupt, as well, because I was there? Do you still think that way?” The sadness in his voice struck her, filling her with a deep and dismal pain in the center of her chest.

  “I wondered about it for a time. Though, to be fair, I hated everyone and everything, and trusted no one.” Jules didn’t want to think about the past. She’d spent years burying it. “At first, I was so confused and angry, but then I went numb, and by that time there was no point in going back. So much had happened. With my mom dead, I had no family to go to, so I decided to start over. Everything I had was gone.”

  “I was there. What I felt the moment I saw you wasn’t confused. I still feel it.”

  Jules sighed. “Life as I lived it died that night.”

  She closed her eyes, remembering the sound of rain on wet concrete. It had dripped in slow, fat drops, sliding over storefront windows illuminated by yellow streetlights. A chill gripped the city, despite the early fall season. She’d worn her favorite gray knit sweater.

  “Jules?” Sean interrupted her thoughts.

  “Can I see you do it?” Jules pulled her hand slightly away from his chest but didn’t get up.

  “You want to see me change?”

  Jules nodded. “Yes.” She focused on keeping her tone calm and her expression blank. The dim light coming through the narrow part in the curtain gave little to see by, but her eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

  He kept touching her, the stroke of his hands hypnotic against her skin. First, his eyes shifted to gold. The flesh over the bridge of his nose darkened and grew, forming a ridge over his brow. Brown armor spread over his face and down his neck.

  Jules’s breathing deepened. Her fingers shook as she reached to touch his cheek. The texture of his skin was exactly how she imagined a medieval beast might feel though he looked more like a hybrid man-dragon.

  His lips parted to reveal fangs, and a low growl sounded in the back of his throat. The fingertips against her arm turned into talons but stroked her as lightly as before. Unable to help herself, she leaned back and glanced down the length of his body. The armor continued lower to cover his cock.

  “I’m not
scared of you,” she whispered. His features softened once more to the Sean she knew.

  “You shouldn’t be. I would never hurt you. I stayed here because of you. I would do anything to protect you.”

  “You left your home world. You gave up so much, and I can’t even remember if I said thank you.”

  “You don’t need to thank me.”

  “We never really talked about what happened that night.” She scratched the side of her neck. “I should have found a ride home, but my mother had just died after a long battle with cancer, and I had no one to help me through it. I felt like my lungs were collapsing inside my chest. I couldn’t breathe. Everything hurt.” Jules closed her eyes, each detail of what happened still vivid.

  “I am sorry about your mother. It is never easy to lose someone in a fight.”

  “It was a fight against an illness,” she said. “Not an actual battle.”

  “Again, I am saddened to hear it.”

  “Thank you.” She nodded in appreciation before continuing her story. “Bruiser McManus bonded out Sammy Boy, Frankie and Joey. They were up on murder charges, but the authorities were still trying to make their case at that point.”

  “That case is how Duncan first explained the way bonds worked to me. I wanted to hunt them down and kill them. He would not let me.”

  “Bruiser was an imbecile. He’d bond out anyone with enough cash and barely bothered chasing them if they ran. It’s no wonder he’s out of business. Those three jumped bail weeks before, and he spent more time questioning people in bars than out on the streets looking for them.”

  “If the man hadn’t quit, he would’ve been scared out of Boston. I would have seen to it. The worst offenders I track the moment I hear about their case, even before they officially jump bond.” Sean didn’t stop touching her. His hand moved over her hip, the full palm pressing to her flesh. “Men like Sammy Boy, Frankie and Joey will not have the chance to hurt more people. Not on my watch.”