Free Dragon's Curse (Harlequin Nocturne) by Denise Lynn Page B

power
to know she was pushing one of the dressers against the door.
    If the crashing noise of something breaking and her curse were
any indication, she wasn’t having much luck rearranging the furniture.
    Cam knew he could walk away—just leave the apartment and by
morning she’d probably be gone. It would be easier. Unfortunately, his beast
disagreed.
    The mere thought of letting her leave the Lair sent a wave of
pain lacing through him. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe through what
felt like an explosion in his head.
    Perhaps letting her leave would be a mistake. The Learneds
would only find another way into the Lair. They obviously weren’t going to give
up until either they or the Drakes ceased to exist. While it was true that Ariel
Johnson was a threat—at least she was a known threat.
    Relieved that the pain in his head eased to a dull throb, Cam
stood outside the bedroom door. The sooner he dealt with this difficulty, the
sooner he could try to deal with his dragon’s misconception about Ariel.
    He rapped his knuckles on the door. “Ariel, open the door.”
    “Go away.”
    “I’m not going anywhere. Open the door.”
    “I’ll call the police.”
    That’s just what they didn’t need—attention from outside
authorities. Short of patience, he gave up on the idea of reasoning with her and
materialized in the bedroom. Before Ariel could react, he grabbed her and
dropped her onto the bed.
    As he’d expected, she fought him wildly. Either she’d had some
training in self-defense, or she was frightened to death.
    Between her clawing fingers and kicking legs, he had his hands
full. When he dodged, preventing her nails from raking his face, she dug gouges
down his forearms. She planted the hard heel of her shoe into his knee, then
brought her leg back, aiming higher.
    “No, you don’t.” Strengthened by his own anger, and his beast’s
rage at the pain inflicted from her kick, Cam flipped her over onto her stomach,
pinned her wrists to the mattress and straddled her on the bed.
    “Let me up.”
    Her breathless, panting order made him laugh. “I like you
better where you are.”
    She screamed her outrage at his comment and tried to
unsuccessfully buck him off her.
    “Ariel, Ariel, you’re wasting your energy.” He leaned forward.
“No one is hurting you. There’s no danger threatening your life.” He kept his
tone gentle and even, hoping to calm her.
    She ignored him and switched from bucking to trying to twist
herself free. “Do you think I’m stupid? You’ll talk nice and sweet until I’m
relaxed and then—” Her voice broke.
    He felt her body heave with a sob beneath him. “If that’s
intended to make me feel sorry for you, it won’t work.”
    She went limp. “Please, don’t hurt me. I’ll do whatever you
say.”
    Cam frowned. Exactly what did she think he was going to do? His
stomach rolled. Quickly turning her over onto her back, he readjusted his hold
on her wrists. “Look at me.”
    When she kept her eyes tightly closed, he bounced her wrists on
the bed. “I said, look at me.”
    He could tell by her washed-out, hesitant gaze that she was
terrified. Cam shook his head. “Listen to me. I have never harmed a woman in my
life. You don’t have to fear me.” He leaned closer. “Nod if you understand
me.”
    After she nodded, he loosened his hold. “If I release your
arms, will you attack me again?”
    “Not today.”
    Cam was certain her bravado was nothing more than a cover for
her wariness. He released his hold on her wrists, but he remained straddled over
her.
    “What are you?” Her question was little more than a
whisper.
    He could tell her anything, or everything, and it wouldn’t
matter. When he left this room she wouldn’t remember a thing. It would all seem
as nothing more than a strange, disconcerting dream to her.
    “I’m a wizard.”
    The pulse point in her neck pounded visibly. “A what?”
    “Wizard.”
    “Like a witch?”
    “Not exactly.” Leave it