Chapter Seven
Kayla
“We’re fine.” Kayla leaned her head back on the camper’s wall, cellphone pressed firmly to her ear.
“Are you sure?” Esther’s voice came across as if distorted and worried. “That Norwegian girl isn’t giving you trouble, is she?”
“No. We’re fine,” Kayla repeated.
She would have laughed if she wasn’t so tired. It had been a week since Esther and Bryant left the dig, and while things weren’t easy they were going smoothly. For now. The truth was that things were slightly disorganized and Kayla was pulling late nights to make sure everything was set out for the next day. Esther’s worried calls weren’t helping. She seemed to have forgotten about the time difference. Kayla repressed a yawn. She would have to hand the camper over to Bernie soon.
Esther made a humming noise. “Well… I’m glad to hear it. We don’t have any answers from the doctor yet. Still waiting on the results for a couple of tests.”
“Let us know when you know something.” Kayla glanced out the window as Shane’s car pulled into its regular spot. She frowned. Where had he been off to? “I got to go. Talk to you later.”
Kayla frowned for a moment as Shane, accompanied by a dark-haired man, got out of his car. He moved stiffly and shook his head at the other man. Kayla grabbed a cardigan, threw it on, and headed out. Shane had been sleeping in her tent since she moved to Esther’s camper, and when she got closer she heard them muttering to each other.
“… nearly lost.” That was the stranger. “What the hell are you doing here, Shane?”
“Just stay out of it. I—” Shane abruptly cut off. Seconds later he poked his head out of the tent. “Kayla. You’re up early.”
“You are too. Where have you been?”
Shane’s eyes widened. “Were you looking for me?”
Heat rushed to Kayla’s face as she imagined what she would have been looking for him for. She shook her head wildly. “N-no. I wasn’t looking. I don’t want you. I mean, I don’t want you for anything right now. I mean, I saw you drive in and… and please tell me to shut up now.”
The lines in Shane’s face eased, leaving him smiling. The look made her pulse flutter and she couldn’t help but smile back. The stranger stuck his head out from behind Shane and gave her a once-over before grinning.
“Well hello,” he said, a sparkle in his eye.
Shane shot him a half-glare as he climbed from the tent. “I was picking up my brother here from the airport. Kayla, Tyler. Tyler, Kayla.”
“Kayla?” Tyler clambered to his feet, smile dropping off his face. In short, he looked pissed. He wore a sleeveless shirt, which showed off tattoos inked into his skin. “Do you know what this idiot has been up to?”
“Shut up.” Shane punched his brother’s shoulder. “You had a long flight. Go ahead and get some rest, Ty. I need to talk with Kayla for a minute and then I’ll camp out in the hammock.”
Kayla frowned at the strange display. She wanted to ask him what was going on but it was also clear that Shane didn’t want to talk about it. Not wanting to press, she let him lead her back to the camper, where he gave her a tired grin before slumping into the chair next to the small desk.
“Are you okay?” she asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Just tired. Tyler can be a real pain. Don’t be surprised if he flirts with every girl in camp. He might even convince himself that he’s in love with one or two of them. Just leave him to me though, okay? I know how to handle him.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
Kayla frowned but nodded. With her own frazzled, tired mind there wasn’t really anything she could do, anyway.
“Well, I hope your brother knows how to pull his weight around here,” she joked. “Things aren’t exactly set up for speed dating.”
Shane gave her another tired smile. “You’re beautiful, you know? I wish things could be different. I wish that everything was different. I wish I had a clan to fall back to. You know that my mother was kicked from her home clan when she had me? My father was from a rival clan, and he didn’t want to have anything to do with either of us. And my mother’s clan, they wanted her to give me up. Said that she had already betrayed her mate–a mate she didn’t even have–by giving birth to me. But she refused and so they kicked her out. Later on, she had Tyler but we never had a father in our lives. My mother never let that slow her down. Stubborn as a mule. But I wish I had a clan name to give my children…”
Kayla’s brows rose. She stroked Shane’s hand, confused by everything he was rambling about. It must be because he was so tired… With a sigh, she sat on the desk and shrugged. “Clan name or not, you’re a pretty dang good guy. You’d be a good dad and any girl would be glad to have you as her husband or mate or whatever.”
Shane’s sleepy smile widened. “Dragons don’t generally have marriages. When they have a mate it’s for life. At least that’s the way it seems to work.”
“I’d want a marriage,” Kayla said absently. “Regardless. Marriage means something to me, you know? It’s more than a couple of rings and a piece of paper. It’s a formal commitment, an oath of undying love before the world. I get that it’s not like that to everyone but it’s important to me.”
Shane’s eyes focused on her. There was some haunted, hungry look in his eyes as he stood. “Kayla…”
His voice was husky. Just the sound of it did strange things to her pulse, and she swallowed dryly. “Um… yeah?”
He pressed his hands to the desk on either side of her. “Forgive me if this makes you uncomfortable… but I have felt drawn to you from the first moment I set eyes on you. And now, working side by side like we have been… I find myself wanting to…”
Kayla’s eyes were wide. Her mind skittered around from one thought to the next, wondering if he was meaning what she thought he was meaning… and what she’d do if he did mean what she thought… but then his mouth was on hers and everything else melted away. Her fingers wound into his hair as he teased her mouth open, hungry, demanding. If their first kiss had been passion, this was an animalistic need.
Shane’s hips rolled, grinding her into the desk, regardless of their clothes. His movements lit a fire inside of her and her head fell back. A gasp escaped her. He moved to her neck, undeterred. Her skin tingled and tightened and Kayla’s grip tightened. In a sudden explosive moment, she didn’t care about what might happen or what else was going on. She just wanted him. She wanted him to rip off her clothes and take her hard and fast until she was senseless with pleasure.
Either he felt the same way or he sensed her desires, because Shane suddenly pulled her off her desk. One arm was tight around her waist, the other locked on the small of her back as his mouth hungrily moved down her shirt. His teeth tore off several buttons on her blouse. It should have been infuriating but Kayla only found it to be oh so hot. She braced herself against the desk as he released her and tore her shirt open entirely.
“Kayla.” He moaned into her breast as he kissed it. “Kayla, tell me to stop.”
“No.” Her body undulated on its own, sliding against his. “I don’t want you to stop. Please don’t stop.”
And he didn’t. His hands continued on their destructive path, leaving her in nothing but scraps of cloth. Yet when on her flesh, his touch was gentle. So light it was like a feather brushing against her. Her clothes felt like the oppressors, and his violence in freeing her made the heat inside her body all the hotter. Something was twisting tight inside of her and her hands clenched on the desk, desperate for this aching need to be satisfied.
Shane undid his belt. Kayla opened her mouth to tell him to take off his shirt. She wanted to see the contours of his muscle, his beautiful hard body.
But before she could, he ripped it off. He growled deep in his throat as he did so, as though the clothing was something that offended him. Kayla couldn’t stop a giggle as he dropped to his knees. The look in his eye as he gazed up at her was adoring. As though he’d never seen anybody look so beautiful before.
Kayla brushed her fingers through her hair, heart pounding with anticipation, her core tight. When he kissed her thigh, she shivered. A moan erupted from her throat when his tongue coasted over its target. She held him with one hand while bracing herself on the desk with the other. It was all she could do to stop herself from thrusting her hips forward. Soft pants echoed in her ears, though if it was her or him making the noise, she didn’t know.
“Shane,” she moaned as she continued to shiver. She said it as though his name was a prayer. “Shane.”
He stood again, pressing kisses up her body as he did so. He lingered at her breasts for a moment before capturing her mouth with his. A finger entered her as he pushed his pants down.
Kayla groaned. “Let me—”
He cut her off as he pushed inside of her. He was big–almost too big since he’d done little to prepare her. There was a slight sting of pain but Kayla didn’t mind. She embraced it as his arms circled her again. He lifted her so she sat on the desk, enabling her to put an arm around him, and then settled there for a moment, gently kissing her.
“I’m sorry. What were you going to say?”
She laughed softly. “I was going to tell you to let me prepare you. But I guess you don’t need that, huh?”
She squeezed him with the muscles inside of her and he groaned. His fingers bit into her flesh before he loosened his grip. Another wild kiss left her breathless but he didn’t start moving. She rocked her hips to indicate she was ready but he still didn’t move.
“If you want me to stop, tell me,” he whispered. “I will. I promise I will stop.”
“I don’t want you to.”
“But if you change your mind—”
“I won’t.” Kayla stroked his face with her free hand. “Whatever demons you’re wrestling with right now, it’s okay. I’m here. I want you.”
Shane pressed his forehead against hers. He began to move, first in short thrusts but soon getting faster, harder, with more exaggerated movements. The tight coils inside of Kayla pulled her knees towards her chest. She locked her ankles behind his hips as he thrust harder, his mouth on hers, soft grunts filling the air between them.
Soon, even though he held her tight, she had to brace herself on the desk again. Her head was flung back and she burst out with small cries of pleasure. There was a slight pain mingled in with it but she found she liked it. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as a shuddering wave started up her spine and down her legs. Her toes curled.
Shane finished before her. His muscles went slack and he collapsed over her, pinning her to the desk. But one hand slipped between their bodies. It found its target, and with a few deft strokes, Kayla was left seeing stars.
***
After hastily cleaning herself up and putting on new clothes, Kayla left Shane to rest in the camper and went to start the dig for the day. Bernie was in an argument with the Norwegian girl. As she approached, though, both parties fell silent. Not a good sign. Kayla forced a friendly smile on her face.
“Is there a problem, Freida?”
“Yes,” the Norwegian said as Bernie opened her mouth. With a toss of blonde hair, she narrowed her eyes. “You are wildly inexperienced. I checked out your records, you have never done this before. I have far more experience than you do and I should be—”
“You are a student,” Bernie snapped. “An undergraduate. You do not get to dictate what goes on at this dig. You are going to either do what you have been assigned to do or you can go home.”
Kayla glanced between them, bewildered. Not only at the amount of hostility there but that Freida seemed to be… what? Making a play to head the dig? “Esther left me in charge, Freida. I understand that things are a little hectic but that just means we all have to work a little harder.’
Freida snorted. “Yeah. We all know how hard you were working this morning.”
Kayla’s face turned beat-red as she stared. Her first instinct was to tell Freida to pack her bags and leave but she stopped herself. Technically she didn’t have that authority. Besides, they needed all hands on deck. Although if Freida continued with this attitude maybe she’d have to call Esther and get her OK to send the Norwegian off.
“That was out of order,” Bernie snapped. “I’m taking you off the dig. You’re on KP.”
Freida turned a sneer on her.
“Get going. Now!”
The Norwegian strutted away. Kayla took a deep breath and shook her head. Crisis averted. Even though her nerves were on edge, she pushed aside her embarrassment and anger. There was work to do, and she wasn’t going to let the Norwegian’s attitude spoil this dig for her. No way in hell was she going to let that happen.