Part 14 (2/2)
”Pardon?”
The smile returned to Aaron's face. ”Not only are you working with me for the celebration tomorrow, but I'm also overseeing the mission and going with you to Ireland. I'm fairly sure Kai mentioned that to you already.”
Rafe's irritation with the c.o.c.ky b.a.s.t.a.r.d was replaced with curiosity. ”Did Bram reach out to Killian O'Shea already?”
”Yes,” Aaron answered. ”Killian hasn't promised anything beyond a meeting and not killing us on sight. But it's a good start.” He leaned forward. ”So, get used to seeing me around, Hartley. Maybe with enough exposure, you can learn to lighten up a little.”
Nikki moved to Rafe's side. ”All that is well and good, but why are you here now? You could've told us this later.”
”Well, you two disappeared, and I'm impatient to go over the plans for tomorrow. Finn and Arabella arrived early, so we need to scramble to get security in place.”
Nikki looked down at herself. ”Can I at least put some clothes on first? It's b.l.o.o.d.y freezing.”
”I'll allow it, but you only have fifteen minutes. If you dally, I know you're s.h.a.gging somewhere and I'll come fetch you,” he said with amus.e.m.e.nt dancing in his eyes. He then rubbed his hands together. ”That will be a real show.”
Clenching his fingers, Rafe jumped in. ”I don't care what rank you hold or who you are. If you take advantage of Nikki, I will break your arm before you can finish blinking.”
Aaron scrutinized him for a second before nodding. ”You might just do, Hartley.” He raised a hand and flashed his fingers three times. ”Fifteen minutes, starting now.”
Wrapping his arm around Nikki, Rafe guided her away from the Italian dragon b.a.s.t.a.r.d and toward their shared cottage. ”Working with Caruso is going to try my patience. A few weeks with him, and I will most likely punch him in both eyes.”
”Rafe, stop it. Aaron does it on purpose, you know. It's his way.”
He glanced over. ”Why are you defending him? Did you ever fancy him?”
Nikki rolled her eyes. ”No, and you need to learn to tame your jealousy, human. Unless you deliberately hurt me, I'm yours for the foreseeable future.”
His heart skipped a beat at Nikki's words. ”That's the most promising thing you've said yet.”
”I would say I really like spending time with you, but I'm afraid you'll lord it over me.”
Stopping them, he pulled Nikki's body up against his. ”If I promise not to use it too often, will you say it again?”
She tried to frown but ended up smiling. ”You sound fairly eager.”
”Nikki.”
She laughed. ”Okay, I love spending time with you. Does that make you happy?”
He murmured, ”Yes,” before taking her lips in a rough kiss. ”And if we hurry, I might just be able to make you come with my tongue within the fifteen minute time frame.”
”That sounds like a challenge to me.”
”Then I accept.” He swept his arm behind Nikki's knees and lifted her up. ”To speed things up, I'm going to carry you.”
Before Nikki could protest, he took off at a run. Nikki's giggle sent a rush of peace over him. She should definitely laugh more.
Rafe added yet another item to his list of things to do with Nikki.
But he didn't think of it long because they arrived at their cottage. Once inside, he put Nikki on the couch, spread her legs, and made her scream his name.
Chapter Twelve.
Nikki was strapped to a chair. With her dragon drugged into silence, she had no way to s.h.i.+ft and escape the dragon hunters.
Two such hunters stared down at her. One held two metal rods with the bottom ends covered in plastic. Wires ran from the end of each and were plugged into a device on the table next to her.
He touched the tips together and electricity sparked. Antic.i.p.ation danced in his eyes as he said, ”I'm going to ask one more time. Where are the weaknesses in Stonefire's defenses?”
She remained silent. She'd already let Bram down once by allowing Evie, Charlie, and herself to be captured. She would rather die than do anything else to hurt him or the clan.
The sound of a roaring dragon in the distance only strengthened Nikki's resolve. She wouldn't let Charlie's pain be for nothing.
The man shrugged. ”Then we can do it my way.”
He approached her but never touched her. To help keep calm, Nikki made her inhalations and exhalations of equal length.
Then he touched the skin of her arms and electricity raced through her body. She held out as long as she could, but the pain was too much, and she screamed.
”Nikki.”
The pain vanished, replaced with a hand gently shaking her shoulder. Sitting up in bed, she met Rafe's eyes in the dim light. ”Rafe?”
He searched her eyes. ”Are you okay? You were screaming.”
d.a.m.n it. Nikki must've had a nightmare. It'd been a few months since her last one. She'd been under the false impression they had finally vanished.
Her dragon spoke up in a sleepy voice. They won't go away until you talk about it.
They'd had the argument many times over the last year. It was my failure that resulted in my capture and torture. It's my burden and no one else's.
You're an idiot.
Shutting out her dragon, Nikki plopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling. As if on cue, Rafe's voice filled the room again. ”Was it something from your time in Afghanistan?”
She met his eye. There was understanding in his gaze. ”No, but I have a feeling we both understand painful memories showing up when we least expect it-when we're asleep.”
”Call it what it is, Nikki. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. There's no shame in admitting you have PTSD.”
”You say that now when you're naked and sharing my bed. I highly doubt you'd feel the same way if you were in a room full of male soldiers.”
Rafe's quiet voice answered, ”Since it's cost me a few friends who took their own lives, I've learned to accept it more in the last few years. I've even seen one of the army's shrinks a couple of times.”
<script>