Authors: Donna Grant
Tristan with his mysterious air around him, and the dragon, a creature of myth and legend come to life.
She thought of Tristan’s soulful dark eyes and the dragon’s alarm and concern—that same look had been in Tristan’s gaze when she had tried to leave Dreagan and he stopped her.
Sammi’s eyes flew open as realization hit her. She knew why the dragon’s gaze had looked so familiar. It reminded her of Tristan.
Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a flash of amber through the clouds. The sun had set behind a mountain peak casting the side of her mountain in shadows. She kept still as if asleep, and closed her eyes until they were slits so she could still see.
And then she waited.
Between dozing, she would wake thinking she heard the dragon getting closer and closer. This last time was different. She cracked open her eyes to see the dragon glide effortlessly down from the clouds heading straight for her.
Her breath locked in her lungs as she watched the dragon tuck his head and roll as the amber scales changed into sun-kissed bronze skin.
The man rolled as he hit the ground and came up on bent knees with his hands on the ground and his head still tucked, his long, light brown hair falling to hide his face. Slowly, almost warily, he lifted his head and his hair fell around his shoulders in disarray.
Sammi recognized him before he stood. She knew that hair, had longed to run her fingers through it. Then he straightened.
She drank in the sight of him from his wide shoulders corded with muscles to his narrow waist to his tight butt and long, muscular legs.
Her eyes jerked back up to his lower back where she saw what had to be a tattoo, but she couldn’t make out what it was it was so long and narrow.
Then he turned to face her. Sammi had seen gorgeous men before, but not a one of them compared to Tristan in all his glory. He stood as opposing as a vengeful spirit and as commanding as a god. He was startlingly handsome, dazzlingly strong.
Mind-bogglingly virile.
The wind whistled about him, as if caressing his body as she longed to do. It pushed his hair away from his face. Sammi bit her lip as he closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sky as if being in human form pained him.
Her gaze lowered from his face to his chest and his impressive body, but it wasn’t just the thick sinew that caught her attention—it was the tattoo that covered his entire chest.
The tat was done in an amazing mixture of red and black ink, making it neither red nor black, but a beautiful mix of both.
The tat itself was of a dragon. It stood on its hind legs with its wings spread wide. The tail wrapped from his waist around to his back. Her eyes drifted lower to his flaccid rod and long legs.
His eyes opened and looked at her before his narrowed gaze shifted to the mist. A muscle ticked in his jaw as if he were deciding on what to do.
The decision had already been made for Sammi. He had disappeared once. She didn’t want him to leave again. When he took a step into the mist, she jumped to her feet.
His head whirled to face her, and all emotion fled from his face. He hesitated as if trying to decide to remain or go into the mist.
“I saw you,” Sammi said, hoping it would keep him near. She wasn’t sure why. She was both relieved she wasn’t going insane, but a little scared knowing Tristan was a dragon.
A dragon!
Where she might have run from him earlier, she recalled all too well how he had calmed her where others never could. He had reached a place inside her that only her mother had ever been able to touch.
The fact he could do that was what kept her from being frightened. She did, however, have a healthy dose of anxiety to just what he might be able to do.
“You’re dreaming.”
A shiver raced over her skin at the sound of his voice. How she loved his voice. Sammi shook her head. “I’m not.”
“You hit your head when you fell earlier. You’re dreaming now, Sammi. Your shoulder hurts, and you have a concussion.”
She smiled as she realized to what lengths he would go in order to make her believe she hadn’t seen him shift from a dragon to a human. “I did fall, but I didn’t hit my head. I was saved by a magnificent amber dragon. You.”
His chest expanded as he took a deep breath, causing the dragon tattoo to puff out. “With your injuries, I can see how dreaming this would help you cope.”
Irritation filled her. She knew she wasn’t dreaming, just as she knew she hadn’t hit her head. “Shift back into a dragon. Let me see you again.”
“I can no’.”
She took a step toward him. “I’m no’ supposed to know, am I?”
Tristan glanced away.
That was answer enough. “You’ve been with me this whole time, haven’t you? And don’t you dare say I’m dreaming,” she said before he could try that tactic again.
“Dammit, Sammi,” he grumbled and ran a hand through his hair.
She let out a long breath. A kernel of doubt had begun to fester until then. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“That’s just it,” he said. “It’s no’. They’re after you because of your connection to Dreagan.”
“Dreagan?” she repeated and grasped that he meant her sister. “Jane.”
“Aye. Jane.”
“They want Jane?” she asked, more confused than ever.
“They want us.”
Us, as in other dragons. Sammi’s eyes widened. “Banan’s a dragon, too?”
“We’re Dragon Kings, actually,” Tristan said and then frowned as he stiffened. “Shite!”
She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when he closed the distance between them in two strides and grabbed her uninjured arm as he dragged her after him.
He wedged them both between two boulders, his body pressed against hers from shoulder to thigh. Sammi looked into his dark eyes and found him staring at her.
“What is it?”
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “They’ve found you.”
She tried to run, but he held her steady.
“Nay, Sammi. They willna find you. I promise.”
But she couldn’t listen. She had seen exactly what they could do. They killed indiscriminately, brutally. Viciously.
“Listen. Listen!” he repeated when she continued to struggle.
Sammi paused and heard the unmistakable sound of a helicopter. She glanced around his shoulder before jerking her gaze back to him. “Oh, my God.”
“They shouldna be on our land. No one flies over Dreagan land but us,” he ground out.
She blinked. “We’re on Dreagan?”
“Aye. You left it to go to the village, but you returned when you ran to the mountains.”
Sammi leaned her head back and winced as the sound of the copter grew closer and closer. “What do we do?”
“Nothing. They willna find you here.”
She felt his hand alongside her face as his fingers slid into her hair. She forgot all about running with Tristan around. Her lips parted as she longed to kiss him, to run her hands over his sculpted body.
He was gorgeous, imposing. Irresistible, captivating.
Seductive.
With a look or a word, she was putty in his hands. The world seemed to be at his beck and call just waiting for him to tell it what to do.
Sammi was completely and utterly enthralled with the man who was also a dragon. A dragon who had saved her life.
A dragon who made her heart race and her stomach flutter with anticipation and excitement.
“If they do find you, they willna live to hurt you,” he vowed in that seductive timbre of his.
She calmed, because there was no way they could hurt Tristan—her dragon.
NOVELS BY DONNA GRANT
FROM ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS
THE DARK WARRIOR SERIES
Midnight’s Master
Midnight’s Lover
Midnight’s Seduction
Midnight’s Warrior
Midnight’s Kiss
Midnight’s Captive
Midnight’s Temptation
Midnight’s Promise
e-novella
Midnight’s Surrender
THE DARK SWORD SERIES
Dangerous Highlander
Forbidden Highlander
Wicked Highlander
Untamed Highlander
Shadow Highlander
Darkest Highlander
THE DARK KINGS SERIES
Dark Heat
e-novellas
Dark Craving
Night’s Awakening
Dawn’s Desire
Praise for the Dark Warrior novels by
DONNA GRANT
MIDNIGHT’S KISS
5 Stars TOP PICK!
“[Grant] blends ancient gods, love, desire, and evil-doers into a world you will want to revisit over and over again.”
—
Night Owl Reviews
5 Blue Ribbons!
“This story is one you will remember long after the last page is read. A definite keeper!”
—
Romance Junkies
4 Stars!
“The world of the Immortal Warriors is a thoroughly engaging one, blending powerful ancient gods, fiery desire, and touchingly human love, which readers will surely want to revisit.”
—
RT Book Reviews
4 Feathers!
“
Midnight’s Kiss
is a game changer—one that will set the rest of the series in motion.”
—
Under the Covers
MIDNIGHT’S CAPTIVE
5 Blue Ribbons!
“Packed with originality, imagination, humor, Scotland, Highlanders, magic, surprising plot twists, intrigue, sizzling sensuality, suspense, tender romance, and true love, this story has something for everyone.”
—
Romance Junkies
4 1/2 Stars!
“Grant has crafted a chemistry between her wounded alpha and surprisingly capable heroine that will, no doubt, enthrall series fans and new comers alike.”
—
RT Book Reviews
MIDNIGHT’S WARRIOR
4 Stars!
“Super storyteller Grant returns with…A rich variety of previous protagonists adds a wonderful familiarity to the books”
—
RT Books Reviews
5 Stars!
“Ms. Grant brings together two people who are afraid to fall in love and then ignites sparks between them.”
—
Single Title Reviews
MIDNIGHT’S SEDUCTION
“Sizzling love scenes and engaging characters fill the pages of this fast-paced and immersive novel.”
—
Publishers Weekly
4 Stars!
“Grant again proves that she is a stellar writer and a force to be reckoned with.”
—
RT Book Reviews
5 Blue Ribbons!
“A deliciously sexy, adventuresome paranormal romance that will keep you glued to the pages…”
—
Romance Junkies
5 Stars!
“Ms. Grant mixes adventure, magic and sweet love to create the perfect romance story.”
—
Single Title Reviews
MIDNIGHT’S LOVER
“Paranormal elements and scorching romance are cleverly intertwined in this tale of a damaged hero and resilient heroine.”
—
Publishers Weekly
5 Blue Ribbons!
“An exciting, adventure-packed tale,
Midnight’s Lover
is a story that captivates you from the very first page.”
—
Romance Junkies
5 Stars!
“Ms. Grant weaves a sweet love story into a story filled with action, adventure and the exploration of personal pain.”
—
Single Title Reviews
4 Stars!
“It’s good vs. evil Druid in the next installment of Grant’s Dark Warrior series. The stakes get higher as discerning one’s true loyalties becomes harder. Grant’s compelling characters and the continued presence of previous protagonists are key reasons why these books are so gripping. Another exciting and thrilling chapter!”
—
RT Book Reviews
4.5 Stars Top Pick!
“This is one series you’ll want to make sure to read from the start…they just keep getting better…mmmm! A must read for sure!”
—
Night Owl Reviews
4.5 Feathers!
“If you’re looking for an author who brings heat and heart in one tightly-written package, then Donna Grant will be a gift that makes your jaw drop. You don’t want to miss
Midnight’s Lover
.”
—
Under the Covers Book Blog
4 Blue Ribbons!
“Ms. Grant wields her pen with a lot of skill. Her consuming stories and relatable characters never fail to grab my attention. Her latest book,
Midnight’s Lover
, is a wonderful example of what a good romance should be about, passion, love and plenty of action.”
—
Romance Junkies Reviews
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
DARKEST FLAME
Copyright © 2014 by Donna Grant.
Excerpt from
Fire Rising
copyright © 2014 by Donna Grant.
Credits © Patricia Schmitt (Picky Me)
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
eISBN: 978-1-4668-3765-2
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / May 2014
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.