Dragon's Fire [PUP Squad Alpha 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read Free Page A

enjoying their company. At this stage, reading seemed less dangerous for her heart.
    Ava tried to control her breathing as she read through a rather passionate encounter between the lead characters in the story she was currently devouring. Again she questioned her choice of reading material, but after everything that had happened in the past few weeks, she felt the need for happy endings.
    Even though both men seemed to be trying to protect her from it, she knew that she faced more than a crazed serial killer. The child who’d attacked her in her own home had apparently appeared out of nowhere. Ava hadn’t seen nor heard a door or window open and had later found them still locked. If that hadn’t been ample proof, the officer’s startled exclamation when the child had seemed to disappear by walking through an invisible doorway had been enough to convince her.
    She’d actually worried for Nathan and Brody’s safety until she’d seen Brody light the burner on the stove with a flame from his mouth. He hadn’t realized she was in the room at the time, and she’d been careful not to give away what she saw, but it gave her a modicum of peace that it seemed the two men watching over her were equipped in ways ordinary police officers were not.
    Ava squirmed again as she got to the part in her book where the hero was thrusting hard and deep inside the heroine’s body, his mind filled with the need to claim his beautiful mate. He bit her, burying his canines in her shoulder as they both exploded into orgasm.
    Of course, the erotic paranormal tale did have her wondering if she’d somehow fallen into a wild fantasy of her own. She hadn’t thrown out the idea that she was completely delusional and lying in a hospital in a catatonic state. It was probably the most obvious explanation.
    She heard Brody breathe deeply and wondered if it was her overactive imagination or if the man could really smell her arousal. Figuring that if she was delusional, the question wouldn’t matter, and if she wasn’t delusional, she’d finally know the answer, Ava set the e-reader aside and looked directly at the man protecting her.
    “Is your sense of smell better than a human’s?”
    He smiled, laughed softly, and then confused the hell out of her by answering, “Yes.”
    She sat there stunned for a few moments wondering what to say next. It didn’t quite seem possible that he would try to hide his identity for the last month or so and then suddenly admit it so easily. Her theory that she was strapped down in a psych ward was starting to look very likely to be the truth.
    “Um…” She peeked at him through her lashes, not trying to be coy, but wondering if it was wise to ask the man—or whatever he was—such direct questions. “So…um…what…who are you?”
    He smiled, came to sit on the sofa beside her, and touched her face reverently. “I’m Brody Carmichael—still the same guy who’s been protecting you these last few weeks.” She raised one eyebrow, waiting for more. He laughed again and added, “And well, I’m a dragon-shifter.”
    “A dragon? As in a big freaking lizard with wings?” She bit her lips closed as soon as the startled question left her mouth. Hell, what must the man be thinking? He’d been nothing but kind, and she thanked him by suddenly being frightened of him. That didn’t seem very fair. Of course the fact that the whole conversation seemed surreal might explain, but certainly didn’t excuse, her rude behavior.
    “Probably more like a small dinosaur than a big lizard,” he said with a kind smile. “It’s true. We have a bad reputation, but I assure you we’re not as bad as human culture suggests. It’s quite possible we’re not even the species humans refer to as dragons in their literature.”
    “Oh,” Ava said, trying not to show how embarrassed she felt for her reaction. “I…um…”
    Brody smiled and, figuratively speaking, let her off the hook. “It’s okay, Ava. I’ve spent a