Heart of a Fighter (Rocky River Fighters 1)

“That’s why I want to train. I want to get better. I can do this, Cammie. I can hold my own,” he said, his firm tone stubborn and determined.

“What part of it takes years did you not understand? You can’t hold your own right now. Not against fighters like that.” She cursed under her breath and inhaled deeply. She should be denying all of this, but she kept getting so worked up she was practically handing him info on a silver platter. “Look, this is all moot, anyway. Nothing is going on. The tension was just because we didn’t know there were any new guys around who could fight like that. You know our guys. They don’t like to lose.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw and his gray eyes narrowed to slits as he searched her eyes. He finally blew out a breath, and she could see the effort he put into trying to force himself to relax.

“I’m not saying I believe you, but I’ll let it drop for now. I still want to keep training, though. Maybe you could help me out, since Seth has been so busy?”

“Oh, no,” she said, her voice higher than normal. Clearing her throat, she forced herself to answer, but it was hard when half of her wanted to run, and the other half wanted to show him moves that would end up with them in a tangled pile of plastered bodies on the floor. “I’m not the right one for that. If you want to learn more effectively, Seth is better. You’re more evenly matched in height and weight. Besides, there are two weeks until the next fight. Seth has time now.”

“But what if I don’t want Seth? What if I want you?” he asked softly, his voice gravelly, sending shivers up and down her spine.

Cammie closed her eyes as he moved closer still, only a hairsbreadth separating their bodies. “This is a really bad idea,” she whispered. And unequivocally, it was. But for the life of her, she couldn’t make her body move away from his. All she could hear in her head was I want you over and over on a loop, and those words coming from him were casting a spell over her.

“No, it’s really not,” he said softly just before his lips touched hers.

Cammie couldn’t stop a gasp from parting her lips at the first touch of his mouth on hers, but he didn’t immediately try to take advantage. He kept it slow and gentle, brushing his lips over hers in a soft caress, giving them both time to get used to it. She was grateful, because just this innocent touch was enough to burn her up in flames.

One Cammie size pile of ashes, coming up.

Slipping a hand around her waist, Alex tugged her in closer. She gasped again at the press of their bodies together, and this time he slid his tongue inside, tasting slow and easy. But she knew his restraint was costing him. His erection was poking into her stomach, and she could feel his hands trembling slightly as they pulled her in closer still.

Pressing her body more tightly into his, she stood up on her tiptoes so it wasn’t such a reach for him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She rubbed her tongue against his, moaning when his flavor hit her.

Coffee, peppermint, and a taste that was uniquely Alex. He tasted better than Starbucks, and she was already becoming addicted to it. His hands were roaming her body, sending tendrils of heat shooting over her skin, and their kiss became more aggressive, hungrier. She didn’t think she’d ever get enough of this, of him. And judging by the way he was devouring her mouth, he felt the same.

Yessss, mate.

Cammie stiffened as her eyes shot wide. Tearing her mouth from his, she put her hands on his chest and shoved him away. Starting to pace, she thrust her fingers through her hair, breath still coming in pants from that magical kiss.

The magical kiss that never should have happened. Because she’d opened a door for her dragon by allowing it, and look where that got her. This was bad. So bad.

“Cammie? What’s wrong?”

Shooting a quick glance at him, she shook her head, unwilling to answer, and unable to do so even if she wanted to. He was standing with his hands hooked on his hips, chest still struggling to take in air, and despite everything, she felt a thrill of satisfaction that she could affect him like that.

Forcing her frozen vocal chords to work, she finally pushed out, “This was a mistake. I have to go.”

Using more speed than she should in front of a human, and far less than she wanted to, she darted out of the barn, his protests fading behind her as she headed to the forest. Once past the tree line, she put on a burst of speed, streaking through the woods, intent on finding her special place by the creek.

All shifters had their own special gift. Some were mental, some were physical. Cammie’s was speed. She was faster than anyone, human and shifter alike, and she thought it never served her as well as it did right now. There was no way Alex would be able to follow her, and coming to know him as she had the last few days, she was sure he’d try.

She sank down on the ground in front of the creek, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She stared blankly at the shallow, slow moving water, but it brought none of the peace it usually did for her, so she decided to suck it up and face what her dragon whispered to her during that bone melting kiss.

Mate. Alex was her… she buried her face in her hands, still not sure she could contemplate the thought. Maybe her dragon was mistaken. Hell, maybe she imagin

ed her animal saying it to begin with.

Alex is our mate.

Okay, maybe she didn’t. Shit. He was so wrong for her, so wrong for the life she led. He wasn’t strong enough for the world she lived in, for the dangers she faced.

Strong enough, the dragon said serenely, not the least bit concerned.

Groaning, Cammie rubbed her hands over her face and turned toward the sun just creeping over the tops of the trees. She never thought her dragon was dense or stupid before, but she was thinking it now. Her animal knew the danger they faced from their kind, just as well as she did. Cammie would hesitate on bringing a shifter into it, and a human was unacceptable.

She wanted Alex. She could admit at least that much to herself. Maybe more than she ever wanted anything. But she couldn’t have him, and hearing her dragon call him her mate changed none of that. She couldn’t bring him into the life she led, couldn’t put him in danger. Just imagining it gutted her, because odds were, he wouldn’t survive. And even if he did, it would mean a life always on the run. She couldn’t do that to him.

Maybe if it was possible to turn him, make him a dragon like her, she’d contemplate it. They were more vulnerable in their human form, but as dragons, they were nearly indestructible. Huge, on average the size of a house, they had thick, nearly impenetrable scales. Add in lethally sharp talons and teeth, and powerful, spiked tails, it generally spelled doom for anyone stupid enough to challenge one.