Dragonfury 02 - Fury of Ice

“What a pair we make.”
    She frowned and met his gaze, a question in her own.
    He answered it without hesitation. “I’ve been holding back, afraid if I told you how I feel…that I want a future with you…it would freak you out. You’ve been through so much, Angela, and I didn’t want to be that male. The one making demands, pushing you into something you weren’t ready to accept. Expecting something you might never be able to give.”
    “Rikar?”
    “Yeah?”
    “You should probably know something right up front,” she whispered, wiping at the corners of her eyes, making her eyelashes tangle together. God, she was incredible. So damned beautiful she took his breath away. “I’m okay with you making demands. All kinds of them.”
    “Good to know.” His mouth curved as he dipped his head and touched his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, undemanding, nothing like he wanted, but all that she needed. “The energy-fuse…and feeding me…doesn’t bother you?”
    “Not even a little.” Her mouth tipped up at the corners, she ran her hands over his shoulders. “Fate, remember? You’re my mate. We are meant to be together.”
    “Bang-on, angel,” he murmured, his heart so full of her he felt close to bursting. “So…on the demand front. I’ve got another for you.”
    She kissed him softly. “Go for it.”
    “There’s a ceremony, one Forge says will cement the bond we share.” Nerves got the better of him. His stomach twisted as he said, “Would you—”
    “Yes,” she said, agreement quick, tone sure. She smiled, then popped up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on the underside of his jaw. “Yes to everything and then more after that.”
    He laughed. “You should probably hear me out, love. Get some details before you agree to anything.”
    “If it means staying with you? I’m in…all the way in.”
    “Forever sound good?”
    “Hmm, yeah.” Her fingers drifting through his hair, she pulled his head down for another kiss. “Really, really good.”
    “Fantastic.” He grinned against her mouth, nipping her gently, taking easy sips before he raised his head. When she protested, he said, “One more question, though.”
    “Uh-hmm?”
    “Where the hell is—”
    “Motherfuck!” The curse came from just below the cliff edge. A huge blue-gray talon followed. Claws spread, the sharp points bit into the ground. The scraping sound cracked the quiet as the paw slid, ripping grooves into granite.
    “—Mac.”
    Angela snorted. “Guess that answers that.”
    Mac cursed again. A second later his horned head popped up over the lip of the cliff. His aquamarine eyes aglow, he locked onto Angela.
    “I’m all right. Just a few scratches,” she said, reassuring her partner.
    Relief relaxed the fierceness of his expression. A moment later he shifted focus, throwing a load of pissed off in Rikar’s direction. “Good of you to show up, Ice Cube.”
    Rikar clenched his teeth to keep from laughing. Only B called him that—an affectionate nickname his commander liked to throw out every once in a while.
    He raised a brow. “The rogue?”
    “Dead.” Razor-sharp claw still digging into rock, Mac hauled his bulk over the ledge, bladed spine glistening with saltwater as he growled, “Can we go home now?”
    “Yes, please,” Angela murmured, pressing her cheek to his chest. “Home.”
    Home . That had a nice ring to it. Even better for the fact he wouldn’t be headed there alone. He had Angela now, and no matter the battles ahead, she was the only home he would ever need.

Excerpt from
Fury of Seduction

Chapter One
     
    Sleep always eluded him. Night. Day. It didn’t matter. A solid eight hours of shut-eye never made it onto Mac’s schedule. He’d tried everything: swapping his firm mattress for a softer one, kitting the thing out with silk sheets, and the best pillows money could buy. Stretching out in his La-Z-Boy recliner. Hardcore sex before bedtime. Nothing helped. No matter what he did, the most he ever got was three hours in a row.
    Which explained a lot, actually.
    Like why he stood by himself in the gymnasium he shared with the other Nightfury dragon warriors instead of tucked in his bed getting the recommended number of Zs. Seven stories below ground, Black Diamond boasted the best of everything: state-of-the-art workout equipment, a basketball court, and a room full of tools used to sharpen dragon claws. The fact he was alone in the underground lair said it all. None of his