“You’re delusional.” Her haughty tone belied the blush creeping across her cheekbones. She dropped her focus to Jace, who was sweeping his tongue in lazy circles over her inner thigh. Her eyes widened and she tensed.
Aiden didn’t need to be a mind reader to know she was experiencing a major case of the what-the-hell-did-I-just-do remorse. He reached for her but she scrabbled sideways, nearly upsetting the chair. Jace dropped onto his haunches. Not a moment too soon, either, as her leg swerved past his head, narrowly missing sideswiping it, and she jumped to her feet.
“No, no, no.” Her voice approaching that hysterical pitch only dogs and rodents could hear, she whirled and scooped her clothing from the floor.
More than a little distracted by the mouthwatering sight of her ass waving in the air, Aiden hiked his khakis in place and hurried to catch up with her before she scurried from the kitchen. “Dana, wait.” He snagged her elbow and she wobbled backward, colliding with his chest. Loosening his grip, he gently brushed away the blonde lock of hair that’d straggled in front of her eye. “There’s no reason to be freaked out about what just happened.”
She gaped at him like a second head had just sprouted from his neck. “Riiight. Because God knows, having oral sex with a couple of dragons in the middle of my kitchen is practically a daily occurrence for me.” Clutching her balled-up clothes in front of her, she leveled him with an accusing glare. “Excuse the irony, but I’m screwed now, right?”
Blinking, Aiden let go of her arm. “Sorry, I don’t follow your meaning.”
“I just willingly gave in to you. Both of you.”
His confusion cleared. “You think that was our way of weaseling you into the contract?”
Her mouth pinched tight. “The thought occurred to me.”
“Sweetheart, I told you nothing is finalized unless you mate with us on the first night of the Talon moon.”
Some of the storm clouds brewing in her eyes diminished. “So I’m safe until then? The three of us could fuck like rabbits in the meantime, and it wouldn’t matter?”
Aiden and Jace both choked at the same time. Jace was the first to recover. He strode forward, his expression dark with lust. “Absolutely.”
Dana bit her bottom lip, her gaze panning between them. She took a deep breath, her breasts swelling softly against the sweater scrunched in her arms. “I…I’ll have to keep that in mind.” Without further word, she spun and took off down the hallway.
Slowly, the oxygen returned to Aiden’s brain. This is going to be the longest week of my life.
Chapter Ten
Aiden and Jace insisted on driving Dana to the gallery Monday morning. While annoying, it wasn’t exactly surprising. Hell, with as adamant as those two were about guarding her from nonexistent threats, she counted herself lucky they allowed her to use the bathroom alone. She glanced toward Aiden. His long, tanned fingers wrapped around the gear shift, and unbidden memories of those big hands roaming her body flashed through her mind.
Great, like she didn’t have enough work cut out for her trying not to relive every second of last night. Her attention automatically drifted to his lap. Sucking in a breath, she mentally gave herself a good wallop upside the head. No, she would not think about his beautiful, magnificent cock and how she’d loved having the satin steeliness of it between her lips.
She gritted her teeth. Yeah, I’m doing a frigtastic job not thinking about it.
Shaking her head, she lifted her gaze and found Aiden staring at her. Given that her rapt attention had been glued to his crotch, it was pretty damn obvious where her mind had been. Terrific, just what she needed—him knowing what a huge perv she was. Slouching in the leather seat, she glared out the windshield. Aiden keyed the engine and the Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House” pounded through the speakers. She slanted Aiden a sideways glance and swore she detected a definite curl to the corner of his lip.
“Let me guess, this song is the official anthem of your people.”
Jace’s rumbling laugh nearly drowned out the radio. Swiveling in her seat, she sent him a sizzling look. “Watch it. I still haven’t forgiven you for melting my silk flowers.”
“Really?” A wicked gleam twinkled in Jace’s eyes. “Aw, sweetness, and here I tried my damnedest to make it up to you.”
Bastard would have to remind me. Her face hotter than a furnace, Dana reached for her seat belt and buckled up. “Could we get going, please? Some of us have to work, you know.”
“Hey, you’re not the only one,” Jace piped from the backseat. “We’re a couple of poor, working schlubs too. Just not this week.”
Oh yeah, lucky me. Leaning forward, she lowered the volume on the radio while Aiden backed out of the driveway. “So what do you guys do when you’re not off rounding up female sacrifices?”
“I’m in the plumbing biz. And before you ask, no, I don’t wear my pants hanging halfway off my ass.” Jace’s voice dropped into that sexy, teasing pitch she was coming to know so well. “But I have been told I’m a real pro at handling my snake.”
Oh Lord. Desperate to get her mind off that visual, she peeked at Aiden. “How about you?”
“I work for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.”
She blinked. Okay, she’d figured they weren’t local boys, but…Washington? Crap that had to be close to two thousand miles away. Unease settled in the pit of her stomach. “If I agree to the contract, I would have to give up my home, my family and friends. Everything. Wouldn’t I?”
Tense silence shrouded the interior of the vehicle until Jace cleared his throat. “It’s not like we’re planning on chaining you to a wall. You’re free to visit them whenever you want.”
God, apparently having dragon DNA didn’t make him any less clueless than the average guy. “Thanks. That makes me feel so much better.”
She waited for Aiden to add his two cents worth but he remained moodily close-lipped. Taking his cue, she stacked her hands in her lap and rode out the remainder of the trip without uttering a single word. By the time they exited the freeway, her jaw ached from keeping it stubbornly welded shut and the beginnings of a headache taunted behind her temples.
Aiden swung into the parking lot of Fancies, and the first thing Dana noticed was the dark blue police cruiser blocking the walkway, its lights strobing. All other worries skittered from her head as her heart rate galloped into overdrive. Fumbling with her seat belt, she finally managed to release it and yanked open her door. She raced inside the gallery, Aiden and Jace hot on her heels. Her knees threatened to buckle at the chaos greeting her eyes.
Black spray paint graffitied the walls. Several of the paintings had also fallen victim to the paint and malicious slashes from a knife blade.
“Oh no.” Her belly churned, forcing a wash of acid toward her esophagus. She swallowed hard, fighting off a wave of nausea.
“Ma’am, are you the owner of this establishment?”
Through the surreal haze fogging her head, she gaped at the uniformed police officer approaching. Close on his heels was Tony. Struggling to get her neurons firing again, she swung her attention back to the officer. “Y-yes. I am.”
“As you can see, there’s been a break-in,” the officer pointed out rather unhelpfully. Using the tip of a ballpoint pen, he flipped over the top page of the little notebook he held. “Your assistant and I have gone over the damages, but I suggest you take a look and make sure everything’s accounted for. You’ll also want to contact your insurance company.”