Dead Sexy Dragon(15)

She considered the request. Stig’s warning raced to the forefront of her mind. “But you said—”

“I need you.” There was no mistaking the pain and need in his voice. “Come, Cora. Please.”

And then he was gone.

Cora woke with a start and sucked in a shaky breath. She ran a hand through her hair and tried to reconcile her dream with reality. After Stig’s shocking revelations, she couldn’t immediately discount the possibility this was all real.

Stig needed her. Deep down inside, Cora knew it to be true. Ignoring the inner voice shrieking for caution, she slipped from the bed, left her room, and descended the stairs. Not bothering to turn on the lights, she wound her way through the living room and across the kitchen. Enough moonlight spilled through the windows to guide her way. She found the flashlight and clenched it tightly.

Cora paused outside the door leading down to the basement. Her instinct told her to go back upstairs. Stig had ordered her to stay out of there.

But the dream…

She opened the door and flicked on the flashlight. Trembling with trepidation, Cora took that first ominous step. Each progressive one came easier and easier as her bravery increased. The closer she got to the door, the more she wanted to see what was on the other side. She needed to know what Stig really was.

The flashlight beam settled on the keypad. The right numbers somehow popped into her head. Had her dream lover—Stig, she felt sure—planted them there during their rendezvous? Her fingers moved over the keys, punching in the correct number combination. A satisfying series of beeps and clicks echoed in the darkness.

Cora’s hand grasped the door handle. Once she opened this door, it would all be over. She would know everything. There would be no turning back, no forgetting.

It was now or never.

Cora yanked on the door and prepared to face her destiny.





Chapter Four



Cora stood just outside the door to Stig’s holding cell, and he vibrated with awareness. It seemed with each dream rendezvous their connection grew stronger. He had actually felt her moving through the house, drawing closer with each step. It terrified him. The last thing he’d ever wanted was to form such an attachment to her. Cora couldn’t possibly understand what was happening to her through the dreams. Honestly, Stig wasn’t quite sure himself. In the past, he’d shared dreams with other humans but the connection had never been this strong or vibrant.

How much control did he now have over Cora? While Stig wouldn’t dare manipulate the growing bond for his benefit, his inner beast was a different story. Even though he fought the dragon’s control, the beast coaxed Cora through the door. Her scent slammed into him, a mixture of breezy summer scents and the musk of sex. Apparently his dream self had done quite a job arousing her. Cora’s cries of ecstasy still rang in his ears.

Though her bare feet touched the cold wet stone with such softness there was hardly a whisper of sound, the footsteps echoed like hammer falls in Stig’s dragon ears. His heart raced with anxiety and fear. Any second now she’d catch sight of him. Would she scream with revulsion? Run away in disgust?

A sharp gasp marked her first glimpse. Humiliation soured his stomach. He kept his gaze locked on the floor. He couldn’t bear to see the expression of horror surely fixed on her sweet face.

“Stig?” Cora’s gentle voice seemed so out of place in the damp, dank cell. She belonged in the beauty of the sunlight, not hidden here in the darkness.

“Go away.” His words were garbled and thick, his tongue moving awkwardly in his mouth. He rarely spoke while in dragon form. “Please.”

“No.” She spoke firmly and took a bold step forward. “I’m not afraid.”

Her voice never wavered. She meant it. She truly wasn’t afraid of him.

Stig reluctantly lifted his head and met her curious gaze. She studied his new form. He could only imagine what a shock it must have been for her to come down here and discover a dragon chained to the wall. Cora slowly bent and put down the flashlight, flicking off the beam before placing it on the floor. There was no need for the handheld torch in the lighted cell. The hem of her thin cotton nightgown bunched around her thighs and revealed a swath of tantalizing skin.

Lust flared in his lower belly. His groin tightened. Stig swallowed hard and tried to get a grip. In his mind, he was all human at the moment. In reality, he was a dragon with the wings, scales, and talons of a beast. Cora lacked the ability to shift, so there would be no mating tonight or any other during his phase.

“You’ve seen what you came to see, Cora. You need to go back upstairs.” He had to get her out of here. His control over his baser instincts threatened to break at any moment. He hoped the chains he’d designed really were as strong as he’d intended.