DragonMate by Jory Strong Page B

he turned to leave his gaze caught on the picture. Impulsively he picked it up and took it with him, careful to touch only the portion that kept it upright.
     
    At the front door he paused only long enough to use different sigils coupled with his will to engage the lock. Then he hurried to the car where Jazzlyn had the engine running.
     
    “Anything?” she asked, pulling away from the curb.
     
    “No signs of violence or trouble.” His thoughts hesitated on the wineglass with its odd scent. He didn’t want to alarm Jazzlyn, and yet without knowing more about her cousin, he couldn’t determine whether or not the combination of wine and something else was significant or not.
     
    “This is Carolyn?” he asked, tilting the picture so she could glance at it.
     
    “Yes.”
     
    He watched Jazzlyn carefully for her reaction as he said, “There were wineglasses next to the bed. I thought perhaps there were traces of a chemical substance there, too.”
     
    Her shoulders sagged and a sigh escaped. Her scent spoke of frustration and disappointment, not alarm. “I don’t think she’s an addict. But it’s not a stretch to believe she does recreational drugs. The club where she works attracts the kind of people who like to show off by flashings drugs along with their diamonds and rolls of walking-around cash.”
     
    Kirill cursed silently. His mate would be better off in the dragon’s realm, away from this cousin and worries over her. If it were left to him, they’d leave as soon as he could get Jazzlyn alone and rake his mating spurs across her flesh. But since that wasn’t an option, he would insist she think about her cousin only when there was action to be taken. And he would enforce his will with carnal demands that left no room for any emotion other than pleasure.
     
    His body reacted to his silent pledge, his mind lingering on images of Jazzlyn naked beneath him. It took him a moment to realize they weren’t heading in the direction of her apartment.
     
    “We’re returning to Inner Magick?” he guessed.
     
    “Yes.”
     
    Jazzlyn’s phone was on the seat next to her. She picked it up and called the half-elf, telling her about the encounter with Mark as well as the conversation with Carolyn.
     
    Kirill wanted to be aggravated by Aislinn’s interference. If not for her promise to Jazzlyn, then his mate would already be safely ensconced in his lair.
     
    And yet…
     
    Heated pleasure coursed through his bloodstream as various scenes from the day flickered through his mind. He had to admit that he was enjoying getting to know his mate while she was in her own world.
     
    His gaze traveled over her. Leisurely. Possessively. Satisfaction curled around his cock as her nipples hardened to press against her thin blouse and a flush rose to her cheeks.
     
    “Aislinn will meet us at the shop,” Jazzlyn said, closing the phone and trying not to think about just how obvious it was going to be that she and Kirill were already lovers.
     
    She’ll expect it , an internal voice prompted. She was there when the mirror responded to your touch and Kirill’s presence.
     
    Jazzlyn’s palms grew damp on the steering wheel. If she didn’t trust Aislinn, she’d have to give serious consideration to the idea she’d been hypnotized and today was all about how vulnerable she was to the power of suggestion. There was no way to explain today’s events rationally—especially the event encompassing meeting Kirill and becoming intimate with him so quickly.
     
    A flutter went through her belly. Heated desire slid from her channel as she remembered the way he’d used his mouth and tongue on her cunt, how he’d taken her on the bed and in the shower, making her believe while he did it that she really did belong to him.
     
    “You’re thinking about us together,” he said, closing the distance between them, his fingers brushing over a taut, aching nipple.
     
    It felt so good. Distractingly good.
     
    “Don’t,”