Smoke and Fire

Release Date: April 5, 2016
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ISBN13: 978-1250071965

She wanted to touch him. There had always been something about being in his arms that made her feel as if she could tackle anything and the world wouldn’t dare get in her way…

SWORN TO PROTECT
A dragon shapeshifter and a computer mastermind, Ryder is sent to guard Glasgow after a devastating Dark attack. But when memories of an explosive affair come back to him-in the flesh-Ryder cannot help but want to protect the woman who haunts his dreams. Even if means shifting into the dragon he was never supposed to reveal…

DRIVEN TO DESIRE
Kinsey could never get enough of Ryder. His every touch only left her wanting more. But now that she’s seen him in his true form, Kinsey’s world is rocked to the core. She knows that to stay-and feel-alive, she must be with Ryder. But is Kinsey’s passion worth the risk of danger that comes with being a part of Ryder’s dark and fierce world?

Read an excerpt from Smoke and Fire...

Ryder reached for another strawberry jelly–filled donut from the box and sank his teeth into the pastry. He moaned in ecstasy at his favorite snack.

β€œYou’ve got powder on your lips,” said Dmitri from the doorway.

Ryder grinned and kept chewing as he winked at his fellow Dragon King from over the four rows of monitors that ran in a large semicircle around him.

Dmitri chuckled as he came around the screens and grabbed one of the chairs pushed against the table where Ryder worked. Dmitri pulled the chair toward him and sat, his bright blue eyes directed at Ryder. β€œAnything new?”

β€œNay,” Ryder said and took another bite. He didn’t need to ask what Dmitri was referring to with the war going on between the Dark Fae.

Dmitri blew out a breath and ran a hand through his short brown hair. β€œThe Dark are suddenly no’ interested in Dreagan? Tell me you doona find that odd.”

β€œI find it exceedingly peculiar. But at the same time, I’m glad we doona have to worry about them right now with MI5 crawling around the estate.”

Again, thanks to the Dark Fae releasing the video they shot of the Dragon Kings shifting into their true forms and fighting the Dark.

No sooner had the words left Ryder’s mouth than the camera near the gift shop of the distillery picked up two MI5 agents patrolling the area. As if they would find clues of dragons while looking among the flora and fauna.

Ryder shook his head at them. MI5 so intent on making a discovery that there really were dragons that they were acting like idiots in order to do it.

It’d been almost two months with the mortals on the sixty-thousand-acre property, and Ryder hated it. Every time he saw them it was a reminder of what the Dark Fae had done to the Dragon Kings’ world.

Every day Ryder spent hours taking down the videos that kept popping up, showing them in their true form as dragons. Now the entire world was obsessed with dragons. And not necessarily all in a good wayβ€”MI5 was a prime example of that.

How ironic since it was because of the humans that the Dragon Kings sent all the dragons to another realm thousands of years ago.

β€œThis willna end anytime soon,” Dmitri said in a voice laced with anger as he watched the MI5 agents on the monitor.

Ryder made a sound at the back of his throat. β€œWith every video of us fighting the Dark that night that I take down off the Internet, a hundred more pop up.”

β€œUlrik is behind this.”

β€œOr the Dark.”

β€œOr both,” Dmitri said.

Ryder nodded in agreement. β€œSomeone sure wants to keep it out there for the mortals to keep seeing and discussing it. I can no’ keep it off YouTube, documentaries are all over the place, and the news channels continue to talk about whether dragons are real.”

β€œWe are.”

Ryder cut him a hard look. β€œNo’ to the humans.”

β€œWhat about all the dragon experts out there?” Dmitri asked sarcastically.

Ryder finished off the donut before he said, β€œDragon experts my arse. They doona know what they’re talking about.”

β€œWhich is what makes things interesting. Right up until they unearthed that dragon skeleton.”

Ryder gave a shake of his head. β€œDoona remind me of that. I thought we’d gathered all of them. How the hell did we miss it? More importantly, how many more did we miss?”

β€œThere were a lot of dragons killed in the war with the mortals. I’m no’ surprised we missed one. Need I remind you we didna have a lot of time either. We went into hiding here from the mortals.”

β€œAye. Just something else for the humans to have on us. It has to stop sometime.”

Dmitri folded his arms across his chest. β€œI’m going crazy no’ being able to take to the skies at night. First we were sentenced to only fly at night, and now no’ at all. We’re dragons, Ryder. We’re supposed to be able to fly, but with the world watching us, we can no’ even do that.”

Ryder couldn’t respond because his eyes were glued to a screen to his left. That camera was pointed to the parking lot of the distillery.

Since they were closed to tourists for the winter, the red Fiat had caught his attention for two reasons. Oneβ€”because the car made him think of Kinsey. And twoβ€”because it wasn’t one of the government cars the agents of MI5 drove.

Then he could only stare in shock when the car door opened and he spotted long dark hair pulled into a high ponytail. Kinsey. Even with her back to him, he knew it was her.

His heart missed a beat. What was she doing at Dreagan? Had she pieced it together? The last time he saw her, she’d been running from him. Ryder could’ve caught her, but he’d remained behind and killed the Dark Fae ravaging Glasgow.

Since he left her three years earlier, he’d watched her from afar, making sure she was safe. Weeks ago, he was the closest he’d been in years. Now . . . now she was at Dreagan.

His palms began to sweat and breathing became difficult. Kinsey was at Dreagan. Ryder didn’t know whether to be excited or furiousβ€”but he was leaning to the side of thrilled.

β€œRyder?” Dmitri said his name.

He held up his hand to Dmitri, not bothering to look at him. As if Ryder could. His gaze was riveted on the woman he’d been in love with for four years.

Even as he began to think of all he would say to her, there was a niggle of worry. What if she was working with Ulrik or the Dark? What if they sent her there to use him for information?

Ryder’s enthusiasm dimmed. He didn’t want to believe Kinsey would do that, but a gut feeling wasn’t enough. The world of the Dragon Kings was in chaos. There was no room for mistakesβ€”of any kind.

Kinsey looked around the parking lot, her eyes searching.

He stared at her heart-shaped face, his heart clutching at having her so close again. How many times had he caressed her cheek or stared into her large violet eyes? How many times had he kissed those plump lips or simply held her as they watched a movie? Each time he saw her, she got more and more beautiful.

After a moment, she closed the car door and started toward the distillery. Ryder’s gaze immediately lowered to her amazing ass and the denim that only showed it off more. The black blazer was casual over the white tee, but like always, she looked amazing.

Dmitri whistled. β€œWho’s that?”

Ryder’s gaze moved to the next screen and saw Tristan near the gift shop. He opened the mental link between all Dragon Kings and said his name.

Tristan responded immediately. β€œAye?”

β€œThere’s a woman coming toward you. Her name is Kinsey Burns. Doona let her leave.”

β€œAll right.”

Tristan left the link open as he smiled and greeted Kinsey after he turned the corner and saw her. Ryder could only watch the monitor and try to decipher what it was Kinsey wanted.

β€œShe said she’s here for the job we ordered with the new monitors,” Tristan said. β€œWhat do I tell her?”

β€œI’ve already installed those monitors weeks ago.” Ryder hesitated. Kinsey was terrified of seeing him in dragon form. If she knew he was here, she’d never have come. Not after the way she’d looked at him. β€œKinsey wouldna come here on her own. We need to know who sent her.”

β€œYou know her?” Tristan asked in surprise.

β€œAye.” It was something Ryder had kept from all those at Dreaganβ€”especially Con. β€œBring her to me.”

Tristan agreed and severed the link.

Ryder sat back and blew out a breath, feeling a flutter of nerves. He laced his fingers behind his head and only realized then that Dmitri was still in the room. He slid his gaze to Dmitri.

β€œWhat are you up to?” Dmitri asked. β€œYou know that lass. I could see it on your face. If you have Tristan bring her up here, you’ll feel Con’s wrath.”

Ryder dropped his hands to the arms of his chair. β€œThat occurs all the time, and I do know Kinsey. I’m no’ yet sure why she’s here. But I aim to find out.”

β€œMeaning?” Dmitri urged.

β€œWe were lovers three years ago. Until I realized that I’d fallen in love with her. I didna want anyone to know that our spell preventing us from feeling deeply for humans no longer worked with me.”

Dmitri leaned forward, his brow furrowed deeply. β€œThat was around the time Hal fell in love with Cassie.”

β€œCassie arrived at Dreagan right after I returned from Glasgow.”

β€œAll right,” Dmitri said as he rubbed his jaw. β€œSo you fell in love before Hal. No’ a big deal.”

Ryder lifted one shoulder in a shrug. β€œI suppose no’. No’ compared to her seeing me in dragon form a few weeks ago when I was in Glasgow to protect the city from the Dark invasion.”

β€œOh, fuck.”

Anger crackled through him every time he thought about how close Kinsey came to dying that night. If Ryder hadn’t been there, she would’ve been taken by the Dark, her soul drained. β€œThere was a Dark after her. I shifted into human form to help her. Unfortunately, she saw it all.”

β€œAnd?” Dmitri pressed with a brown brow raised.

Ryder looked at the screens, following Kinsey from one to the other as Tristan walked her to the manor. β€œI’ve never seen anyone so terrified before.”

β€œOf the Dark?”

Ryder wished. That night still haunted him. No matter how many times he thought over what happened, there hadn’t been another way to save her. β€œOf me. I can still hear her scream before she ran away.”

β€œSo she doesna know you’re here?”

β€œI doona believe so. She’d rather walk through the fires of Hell than be anywhere near me.”

Dmitri sat there for a moment before he gave a slow shake of his head. β€œYou’re having Tristan bring her to you, are you no’?”

β€œI am.”

β€œThat . . . could be a bad move.”

β€œIt probably is.” In more ways than one.

But he wasn’t going to pass up the chance to talk to Kinsey one more time. Perhaps he could explain everything. It was a long shot, but he was hoping to have that chance. He knew he’d never have her in life as he wanted, but the thought of her fearing him cut him deeply.

His only hope was that Con didn’t discover she was here until after Ryder had spoken with her. Because once Con found out about Kinsey, it wouldn’t be long before Con learned she’d seen Ryder shift. That would lead to Con wanting to have Guy wipe her memories.

Ryder’s thoughts halted when he heard Kinsey’s voice with Tristan’s as they approached. He wiped his mouth to make sure there was no more powder on it. Then he looked to Dmitri for confirmation that he had gotten it all.

Panic struck as he looked down at his clothes. He was in an old Def Leppard concert tee and his favorite pair of faded jeans. Not exactly how he’d have dressed had he known he might see Kinsey. But there wasn’t time to change now.

β€œHere it is,” Tristan said as he came to the doorway.

A second later Kinsey emerged. β€œWow,” she said as she looked at all the monitors. β€œI should’ve expected to see so many screens. I gather the security system here is state of the art?”

Then her gaze landed on Ryder.

He couldn’t move as he stared into her violet eyes, remembering what it was like to hold her in his arms each night, to feel her lush body beneath his. The hours of conversations they’d had about the future and her dreams.

He’d missed her more than he thought was possible. It physically hurt for him to be so close to her and not go to her.

β€œWhat are you doing here?” she asked in a voice filled with shockβ€”and worseβ€”alarm.

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