Her Dragon Professor Page 4

  "I'm sorry," she whispered again.

  Why was she apologizing? "You didn't do anything wrong," he reassured her. "It's this situation. You're not thinking clearly, and with all the adrenaline… it's not your fault. Once we get to the safe house, then we'll be okay. We can calm down and discuss where to go from there. I shouldn’t have done that."

  Mia nodded. "You… you aren't going to kill me, are you?"

  "No. I'm trying to protect you."

  Lee wasn't sure if that meant that she trusted him now or not, but it hardly mattered. His heart continued to pound, and he couldn't help but wonder if maybe he had gotten himself in too deep with this one.

  Chapter Seven

  Mia

  The 'safe house' that Lee spoke about was nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. It was in a small spit of town that sat at the juncture of two major highways, with a couple of gas stations, a grocery store, what looked like a library, and a large faded sign that proclaimed it the birthplace of something that Lee said was a short-lived 60's TV show.

  The house itself was a little bungalow with white vinyl siding and a simple yard that looked well kept. Inside was nice but vacant. It was clean, so there had to be a caretaker of some sort, but it was clearly not lived in. Everything was in its place, everything with perfect aesthetic. Nice. But cold.

  Mia rubbed her temples as Lee lead her inside. She couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, shivering as she thought of the attack on the road.

  Witches were real. And they were after her.

  "They can't find me here, can they?" she asked, her pulse starting to quicken again.

  "We're magically protected here," Lee said. "So no, they can't track you down. I have to perform some maintenance on the barriers, but they won't be able to get in, either, once that's done. Here, I'll show you to your room."

  Mia followed silently. Lee took her to a bedroom that, like the rest of the house, was well-kept, pretty, but lifeless. She shivered a little, moving closer to Lee, wanting his warmth. When he put his hand on the small of her back, she had the sudden, insane urge to turn around and fling herself at him. She shrunk back, cheeks heating as she remembered her behavior in the car. It was so wrong for her to accuse him of murder and then to drape herself all over him like that. At least it was over.

  Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t do anything now. The kissing had to be over once and for all.

  Wait… kissing…

  "I remember something," she blurted. "At the party I went to. I was in the bathroom, putting on some lipstick and this girl came in. She grabbed me and kissed me full on the mouth."

  "On the mouth?"

  She nodded. Remembering that kiss made her skin crawl. It wasn't the girl showing interest in her that gave her the creeps, just the way she had kissed her like that, not bothering to even try to see if Mia wanted it. She glanced away. If the girl had asked, she would have been flattered. But to have that attention forced on her…

  When she looked at Lee again she was surprised to see his brows pulled together. He looked seriously angry and she shrunk back from him.

  "The kiss of death," he mumbled under his breath. He shook his head and straightened. "She was probably the witch that put her spell on you. The kiss was the spell that made you lose control. It also marked you, so that they could track you."

  A rumbling noise vibrated from his chest. Mia took a step back automatically, flinching at the noise. He stopped growling right away, regret flashing over his face.

  "Sorry. I just… it makes me angry to think that they would target you. I suspect that it's more or less random. Maybe that witch's personal preference…" He sighed and stepped out of the bedroom. "Not all witches are like them, you know. These are practitioners of dark magic. Worshipers of the worst of gods and devils. Most witches are good people. They practice magic for the benefit of others."

  Mia hesitated a moment before she followed him back to the living room and sat on the couch. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten all day. Oh, well. She had enough fat reserves to live off of–her brother often teased her that she wouldn't have to eat for a year. It hurt sometimes, but Aaron didn't always understand social nuances. The important thing was he loved her.

  "What about you?" she asked Lee, focusing on him. "Do you have magic?"

  He pushed his glasses up. "Yes. I'm not a witch, but I do have a certain brand of magic."

  She wanted to ask him more, but his tone was flat, clearly indicating that he was done speaking. She licked her lips, wondering what to say now. When he stood, she followed. She didn't want to be left alone right now… in fact, if she could stay plastered to his side, she would have gotten the glue herself.

  "You should go lie down," Lee said. "It's going to be a long night."

  "Oh." He didn't want her around to see his magic? "Um… okay."

  She crept back to her bedroom. It was getting dark outside, and her stomach growled again. The blinds were closed, and she left the light on as she peeled off her dress (sighing in relief as she was able to take off the Spanx Celia had stuffed her into) and slid into the bed. Then she got up and put the dress on again, so she wouldn't be naked in case of emergency.

  Naked with Lee.

  Ugh. Now was not the time for this. Witches were after her, he had magic, people wanted her dead, and she was in a strange house. Every little creak made her jump. Mia's eyes were wide as they shifted from the window to the door back to the window. Her heart hammered, until she thought of Lee again. Sitting on the couch, reading, his full lips pursed, glasses lopsided, shirt stretched over his muscles…

  Wow… now she was the slut, apparently. Celia had nothing on her.

  Frustrated, Mia threw the blankets off and went out. Lee was on the couch, lying down, but he sat up when she came out.

  "I can't sleep. Can we talk?"

  Lee nodded, looking wary. "What do you want to talk about?"

  "You." If she was going to be perving over him, the least she could do was know more about him as a person. She sat down beside him. "What's your story? How come you were there to save me?"

  "I was there because you came to my office." He gave her a half-smile and shrugged. "There isn't much to tell. I'm an only child. Moved away from home to pursue my education, and I love learning. I love teaching because it helps me learn more things myself."

  "I doubt that's it."

  "It's not much of a story." He shrugged again. "What about you? What's your story?"

  Mia ducked her head then. Now that the question was directed at her, she understood why Lee told her so little about himself. "I dropped out of school when I was sixteen because my mom got hurt and my dad couldn't support us all on his own. I've always loved learning, though. I've been saving for years and taking night classes so that I could get a better job."

  He leaned in a little closer, gaze concentrated. "That's intense."

  "Yeah…" Her gaze flickered to his mouth. "But… my personal life has left much to be desired. Sometimes I get frustrated, angry…"

  Lee cleared his throat and stood. "Miss Thompson, I appreciate that this is a… highly unusual situation, but I think we need to make sure we don’t… do anything we regret."

  Her face warmed and she drew back, horror and embarrassment mingling in her chest. She turned away and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, it must be the magic affecting me still." An uncomfortable silence followed. She peeked up at her… professor? Guardian?... to find a torn expression on his face. Her heart jumped to her throat and more heat flared to her face. "It's not the magic, is it?"

  "That part of the spell will have worn off by now. It's the situation. It makes emotions volatile."

  Mia took a deep breath. "She wanted me to go to her. That's why she made me… you know. Desirous. She said that when–not if, when–I changed my mind about being with her, I knew where to find her. But I went to you instead."

  "Because the spell she cast on you wasn't especially strong. She m
ust have been quite new."

  "Because I like you," Mia blurted. She had never done anything like this before, but right now with everything that was happening, she might never have the chance again. She wanted to be close to someone in ways she hadn't experienced before. "I really like you. I understand why you wouldn't like me that way, I'm…"

  Lee turned his gaze to her. It trailed over her body, heating as it dipped between her breasts and came to rest on her exposed thighs. "You're… what? Stunning. Sexy. Perfection."

  Mia's mouth turned to an o. "I was going to say fat."

  "All curves." He actually moaned as he looked at her.

  "Uh…"

  "You think I wasn't tempted? Why do you think I kissed you before?" He flashed her a quick smile then took a deep breath. "But you're still my student, and we're on the run, which means that if we do anything, we'll regret it."

  "I'm not your student. Not right now." Mia chewed her lip. "But I guess you're right about emotions… I just… I wanted a distraction. I'm sorry, it was stupid. I'm stupid."

  A growl answered her. Lee strode over to her and pulled her to her feet. Before she even knew what was happening, his arms had banded around her waist and his mouth crushed to hers. Heat flooded her body, sending her nerve endings on fire. His tongue breached her mouth and Mia melted against him, moaning.

  When he pulled away, his eyes were hard. "Don't ever say that about yourself again. You're not stupid. You're not fat." Another growl. "To hell with regrets. If I don't show you what a sensual, beautiful mind you have, I'll regret it."

  Mia didn't have the chance to ask him what a sensual mind was. His mouth crushed against hers again. This time she was ready for it and threw her arms around his neck, sucking on his lower lip while his hands wrapped around her waist. The kiss was the most passionate thing she had ever experienced as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. Heat spread and pooled in her core. A tightening, clenching between her legs made her groan.

  Lee moved to her neck as his hands found her zipper. They hesitated there while his mouth buried deeper, sending tingles of pleasure throughout her. She pressed against him, loving the feel of his hard body. Her heart pounded with excitement and a little fear. Should she tell him? But then her zipper was being undone and at the same time he was pulling it off, exposing her body to him, and she couldn’t find the train of thought.

  The fabric pooled at her feet and Lee stepped back, his heated gaze moving down her body. With a growl he yanked at his shirt, sending buttons flying everywhere. Mia giggled, fighting the urge to cover herself. Taking a deep breath she slid a hand between her legs, but a growl stopped her.

  "That's my job," Lee said, his voice deep, gravelly–animalistic.

  In one motion he tore away his pants. Mia barely got a glimpse of him before he seized her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder. His hand clapped on her naked ass and she gasped.

  "Put me down, I'm too heavy!" She wiggled.

  Lee carried her to the bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. He grinned down at her. "Heavy? Not at all."

  She had to gasp again as she saw him in all his naked glory. Abs and torso perfectly sculpted, the contours truly magnificent. She chewed her inner cheek as her gaze trailed down his body, focusing between his legs. Another gasp escaped her. It was getting ridiculous, but she couldn't stop herself.

  He stood there a moment, and a flash of uncertainty crossed his face. "Mia… are you sure? I mean, do you want—"

  She let her legs fall open, answering for her. Lee focused his gaze and let out a strangled groan. He fell to his knees and gripped her thighs, pushing them even further apart. As his mouth found its target, Mia's whole body jerked. He continued unrelentingly. Her fingers dug into his scalp. Her hips rocked, trying to increase the friction between them. She stared at the ceiling, momentary panic coming over her. What was she doing? She didn't even know this man!

  Lee seemed to catch onto her hesitancy and slowed his motions. He pulled back, and Mia moaned from the loss. It didn't stay that way for long, though, as he moved back into place. Everything tightened inside of her, pulling so tight that she panted for breath. A moan escaped her.

  "Lee," she gasped. "I-I—"

  She didn't know what she was trying to say. Her back bowed, the tension springing free. Every muscle inside of her seemed to come undone, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. She felt his mouth trail up her while his hands worked her still, and then he was over her. His big, muscular body caged hers and he entered her. Not slowly, not gently. Mia cried out, first pushing him away as a sharp pain shot through her, then pulling him back as his fingers kept up their pace, sending the pain to the back of her mind. It was nothing compared to the pleasure flooding her.

  "Did I hurt you?" He asked, eyes bright.

  She didn't want it to end so she shook her head. Lee kissed her, deep and hard, and everything began coiling again. His hips rocked. She matched him, clinging to him, grunting and crying out from mingled pain and pleasure, never wanting this to end.

  Chapter Eight

  Lee

  Lee woke the next morning to light streaming through the blinds onto his face. He started to move but stopped when he jostled Mia. He glanced down at her for a moment, surprised, before he remembered what happened. A slow smile spread across his face and he kissed the top of her head. She stirred, yawned, and cracked open an eye.

  "Morning," he whispered.

  "No," she moaned.

  "No?"

  She shook her head. "Not morning yet. Want to sleep…" Her eyes fluttered closed, then they sprang open. "Unless you were thinking we'd have a repeat of last night."

  Lee groaned as she found him with her hand, but he had to shake his head. As much as he wanted to have her again, last night was a distraction they couldn't afford. He had intended to do some research, try to find out what the witches wanted with Mia. They were safe here, but they would still need to leave to get food, clothes. At least he did.

  Even if they couldn't find out what the witches wanted, he needed to know his next move. Unfortunately, it was probably going to end up being a call to the clan… they would not be happy that he brought a human here, but they would just have to deal. Mia didn't know anything about them. He needed to give her a safe place to be. Hopefully at least one person would understand.

  With another yawn, he threw the blankets off–and froze. There was a smear of blood soaked through the sheet, and more of it caked on Mia's thighs. He gasped and grabbed her hips, pulling her towards him. She shrieked and giggled, a flush rising up in her face–clearly, she thought things were going to pick up where they left off last night.

  "You're bleeding." His own voice sounded foreign, it was so angry. "At least you were."

  The smile slipped from Mia's face.

  Lee glanced down at himself. There was blood on him as well. He should have followed instincts and cleaned up last night, rather than staying in bed all night… Dammit, Mia should have told him. He was surprised by how she had reacted when he entered, how wet it was between them. He stood and paced away from her, digging his hands into his scalp.

  "You were a virgin?" He sounded angry, though he didn't know why.

  "Uh…"

  He whirled on her. "You should have told me."

  Her bright eyes widened, then narrowed. "Why? What difference—"

  "What difference?" Lee couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I would have gone easier on you. Spent more time preparing you. I was impatient and I hurt you. Look at all this blood! This isn't normal."

  She glanced down at the stain, her brow furrowing.

  "Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell me it was hurting? Why didn't you tell me to stop?" He shouted the end.

  Mia wrapped the top sheet around her body and picked at something on her knee, her cheeks infusing with heat. "I didn't want you to stop. It wasn't hurting that bad, and it still felt good. I didn't say anything because… well, I didn't know how to say I was
a virgin. I didn't think it made much of a difference. And it didn't, to me. I still liked it."

  Lee shook his head. Whether she enjoyed herself or not, that didn't make him feel any better for making her bleed like this. With a growl, he turned away and pinched the bridge of his nose. If he had known she was a virgin…

  "Would you still have slept with me if you knew?"

  He hesitated. But he already knew the answer. "No. Your first time should be special, with someone you care about deeply. Not some random person that you're only with because of desperate times." He took a deep breath. "I'm going to shower, and then I'm going to try to find out more about those witches."

  She didn't protest as he slipped into the shower. The water ran pink with Mia's blood and he shuddered. What had she been thinking? What had he, to do that without knowing all of the facts? Guilt twisted in his gut. He should never have touched her.

  After he was clean, Mia showered while he went to his laptop and began researching the campus and magic to try to find any connection between them. When Mia came out, cleaned and dressed, he tried not to notice how the fabric of her dress bunched under her breasts, accentuating them, or how it rode up on her thighs. It didn't stop the guilt, though.

  "Have you found anything?" she asked, her voice low.

  "Just that amethyst is supposed to be a purifying mineral. Not much besides that."

  "What about our witches?"

  Lee shook his head and sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't exactly have a lot to go on."

  Mia sat beside him, tucking her ankles under the chair. "I remembered something about the girl who kissed me. She had a tattoo on her breast. It was a bleeding heart. You know, like the flower."

  The flower. The dragon frowned, brow furrowing. That didn't sound familiar at all. He turned to his computer again and looked up magical properties of the bleeding heart. It turned up nothing. Then he looked up the bleeding heart in conjunction to the campus's bedrock. After several hours of looking through website after website, he finally found something. An old folk tale that the locals told.