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“Nikki.”
She laughed. “Okay, I love spending time with you. Does that make you happy?”
He murmured, “Yes,” before taking her lips in a rough kiss. “And if we hurry, I might just be able to make you come with my tongue within the fifteen minute time frame.”
“That sounds like a challenge to me.”
“Then I accept.” He swept his arm behind Nikki’s knees and lifted her up. “To speed things up, I’m going to carry you.”
Before Nikki could protest, he took off at a run. Nikki’s giggle sent a rush of peace over him. She should definitely laugh more.
Rafe added yet another item to his list of things to do with Nikki.
But he didn’t think of it long because they arrived at their cottage. Once inside, he put Nikki on the couch, spread her legs, and made her scream his name.
Chapter Twelve
Nikki was strapped to a chair. With her dragon drugged into silence, she had no way to shift and escape the dragon hunters.
Two such hunters stared down at her. One held two metal rods with the bottom ends covered in plastic. Wires ran from the end of each and were plugged into a device on the table next to her.
He touched the tips together and electricity sparked. Anticipation danced in his eyes as he said, “I’m going to ask one more time. Where are the weaknesses in Stonefire’s defenses?”
She remained silent. She’d already let Bram down once by allowing Evie, Charlie, and herself to be captured. She would rather die than do anything else to hurt him or the clan.
The sound of a roaring dragon in the distance only strengthened Nikki’s resolve. She wouldn’t let Charlie’s pain be for nothing.
The man shrugged. “Then we can do it my way.”
He approached her but never touched her. To help keep calm, Nikki made her inhalations and exhalations of equal length.
Then he touched the skin of her arms and electricity raced through her body. She held out as long as she could, but the pain was too much, and she screamed.
“Nikki.”
The pain vanished, replaced with a hand gently shaking her shoulder. Sitting up in bed, she met Rafe’s eyes in the dim light. “Rafe?”
He searched her eyes. “Are you okay? You were screaming.”
Damn it. Nikki must’ve had a nightmare. It’d been a few months since her last one. She’d been under the false impression they had finally vanished.
Her dragon spoke up in a sleepy voice. They won’t go away until you talk about it.
They'd had the argument many times over the la
st year. It was my failure that resulted in my capture and torture. It’s my burden and no one else’s.
You’re an idiot.
Shutting out her dragon, Nikki plopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling. As if on cue, Rafe’s voice filled the room again. “Was it something from your time in Afghanistan?”
She met his eye. There was understanding in his gaze. “No, but I have a feeling we both understand painful memories showing up when we least expect it—when we’re asleep.”
“Call it what it is, Nikki. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. There’s no shame in admitting you have PTSD.”
“You say that now when you’re naked and sharing my bed. I highly doubt you’d feel the same way if you were in a room full of male soldiers.”
Rafe’s quiet voice answered, “Since it’s cost me a few friends who took their own lives, I’ve learned to accept it more in the last few years. I’ve even seen one of the army’s shrinks a couple of times.”
