Scorched Desire

By Lexxie Couper

There be dragons!

In a world of hunters and the hunted, things are about to get hot . . . really hot! Scorched Desire from awarding winning, Australian paranormal romance author Lexxie Couper, is Book 4 in her bestselling Fire Mates series. Take flight with the dragons of Australia, and discover what dark secrets await in this thrilling erotic paranormal romance.

Jilly Parker knows three things to be true.

One, her Master's Degree in Ancient Norse mythology is never getting her a job. Or laid.

Two, she's never going to be a size 4, let alone a size 2, no matter how many miles she runs every day.

And three, the hot hunk covered in tats who rides past her apartment every morning on his Harley is never going to screech to a halt, dismount and haul her into his arms, no matter how much she wishes he would. But hey, a girl can dream, right?

Except one day . . . Harley driving, tat covered, hot hunk does . . . stop! And suddenly, Jilly discovers herself in a world of dragon shifters, carnal lust, and fated lovers. A world that leaves her breathless and aching for more.

This erotic paranormal suspense contains dragons, shapeshifters, and adult themes. Scorched Desire is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Previously published: (2016) Curved Lines Anthology

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Boutiques
• Release date: Dec 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781944003852

Lexxie Couper

Lexxie Couper started writing when she was six and hasn't stopped since. She's not a deviant, but she does have a deviant's imagination and a desire to entertain readers with her words. Add the two together and you get erotic romances that can make you laugh, cry, shake with fear or tremble with desire. Sometimes all at once. When she's not submerged in the worlds she creates, Lexxie's life revolves around her family: a husband who thinks she's insane, an indoor cat who likes to stalk shadows, and her daughters, who both utterly captured her heart and changed her life forever. Contact Lexxie at [e-mail], follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lexxie_couper or visit her at www.lexxiecouper.com where she occasionally makes a fool of herself on her blog.

Book preview

Dubois

Excerpt

"Where…" Jilly stopped the question before it finished forming on her lips. Her throat felt lined with hot gravel. Her heart seemed to be banging its way out of her chest via her ears.

She licked her lips, looking around the dimly lit room Sam had brought her to. She assumed it was Sam. The last thing she remembered was being in a taxi with him, confused as to why she was there. How did she get from the taxi to here?

Come to think of it, how did she get to the taxi in the first place? When had she left her apartment?

Movement in the shadows to her right drew her eye, a moment before a warm yellow light spilled from a table lamp, eating up the dark.

Sam smiled at her from the edge of a plastic chair. Worry swam in his eyes. How do you feel?

Jilly frowned. My head feels…weird. Light. Fuzzy. Like someone has stuffed it full of cotton wool. She licked at her lips again, parched. I’m thirsty. And my eyes hurt.

She looked around the room, seeing more of it in the lamp’s glow. It wasn’t a living room, more like an office of some sort. She could make out a desk in the dimness, a filing cabinet and what might be some sort of sofa. This is not your place. Where are we?

Somewhere safe, Sam answered, leaning his elbows on his knees. The weirdness will go away soon. What do you remember?

She frowned again, scraping at the fog in her head. What did she remember? She was in her living room, talking to Sam, making a cup of tea. He offered her a job…then she had a shower. Or thought about having a shower. Or maybe…something about a movie…

You told me about a job. At a pet store. She swallowed, and rubbed at her face. Her eyes felt full of grit. And we were talking about a movie. But I don’t remember which one. And then I was in a cab. I think.

Sam studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Would you like a drink of water?

Jilly nodded. Please. I feel like I’ve been eating sandpaper. How did I get here?

Without answering, Sam straightened to his feet and walked out of the lamp’s muted glow.

The sound of glass chinking wafted out of the darkness, followed by running water. Sam? She peered after him, trying to make out the shapes beyond the light of the lamp. Where are we? What happened? She paused. Something he’d said earlier itched at her, but she couldn’t remember…

Scorched Desire

Fire Mates, Book 4

Lexxie Couper

Published 2016 by Book Boutiques.

ISBN: 978-1-944003-85-2

Copyright © 2016, Lexxie Couper.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Book Boutiques.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, locales, or events is wholly coincidental. The names, characters, dialogue, and events in this book are from the author’s imagination and should not to be construed as real.

Manufactured in the USA.

Email [e-mail] with questions, or inquiries about Book Boutiques.

Blurb

Jilly Parker knows three things to be true.

One, her Master's Degree in Ancient Norse mythology is never getting her a job. Or laid.

Two, she's never going to be a size 4, let alone a size 2, no matter how many miles she runs every day.

And three, the hot hunk covered in tats who rides past her apartment every morning on his Harley is never going to screech to a halt, dismount and haul her into his arms, no matter how much she wishes he would. But hey, a girl can dream, right?

Except one day . . . Harley driving, tat covered, hot hunk does . . . stop! And suddenly, Jilly discovers herself in a world of dragon shifters, carnal lust, and fated lovers. A world that leaves her breathless and aching for more.

Previously Published

(2016) Curved Lines Anthology

Acknowledgement

Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs, Tibbs Design

Chapter 1

"I so wish I was that bike," Jilly murmured as she watched the hunk of inked-up hotness ride past her apartment on a blood-red Harley.

What?

Jilly blinked, heat rushing into her cheeks. Oh God, had she uttered the words loud enough for Sam to hear?

Shit. Sam would be horrified. As much as she adored him, her friend could be a tad prudish.

Nothing, she blustered, turning from her living room window to grin widely at him. She smoothed her palms down over the fronts of her thighs, the worn denim of her jeans for some reason making her tummy tingle.

Every morning for the last two weeks, she’d watched the hunk on the Harley ride past her home. Every one of those fourteen mornings, she’d found herself feeling tingly and aroused after he disappeared from her sight.

She usually dealt with the tingly horniness with the aid of her battery-powered rabbit.

Nothing? Sam pulled a face at her, hurrying over to where she stood. Nothing is making you blush.

He looked out the window, his gaze darting around what lay two stories below.

Jilly fidgeted on her feet. The building sexual ache that always followed her admiration of the unknown Harley rider burned hotter this morning. More insistent. Demanding.

Wow, if she touched herself right now—

The dude on the bike? Sam wondered, casting her an askew smirk. Really?

Why do you say that? she asked, trying to sound surprised and confused as she returned her attention to the world beyond her window.

Yep, there he was. Waiting for the traffic light to turn green. She could almost hear the powerful thrum of his bike’s engine. Could almost feel its throbbing vibrations between her thighs.

God help her if he ever swung his head in her direction and found her drooling all over him. She would probably orgasm there and then.

Well, it’s him or the geriatric on the mobility scooter on the sidewalk, and if it’s the geriatric, I’m worried.

Jilly snorted out a nervous laugh, even as her stare slid back to the hunk.

Tummy tightening, pussy fluttering, she studied him.

Sexy as sin in black leather pants and a sleeveless black leather vest that showed off the muscular perfection of his arms, he could easily have stepped directly from her deepest sexual fantasies.

Long blond hair hung down his back in a thick plait. Stubble roughened his chiseled jaw. Dark sunglasses wrapped his eyes.

Licking at her dry lips, Jilly moved her gaze to the pièce de résistance—an exquisitely detailed and amazing tattoo of an emerald-green dragon extending from the top of his right shoulder down over his upper arm. As always, the sight of the dragon—its power and ferocity and beauty—made her pulse quicken.

Years of studying for a Masters in Norse Mythology meant she was well-versed on dragons. And Vikings. The sexy Harley rider embodied both of her favorite things, all wrapped up in one delicious, wicked package.

Hey? Something hard nudged her ribs. Are you listening to me?

She jerked her stare back to Sam, fresh heat flooding her cheeks. What?

Oh God, what were the chances he would ever let her live this down?

Sam rolled his eyes. You need to find a boyfriend, Jilly Parker, he muttered, shaking his head as he moved away from the window.

Jilly flicked a quick glance at the window. A heavy weight settled in her stomach at the green traffic light she found.

Her biker with his dragon tattoo was gone.

Maybe tomorrow she’d wait outside for him to drive past and flash a sign at him saying, Take me. I’m yours.

A wry snort tore at the back of her throat. Even if she did, he wouldn’t. A hunk like that wouldn’t look twice at a girl like her. What with her size-fourteen jeans and curves that had long ago stopped being lush and voluptuous and now bordered on—

Earth to Jilly. Sam snapped his fingers in front of her face, expression exasperated. Come in, Jilly.

She swiped his hand away with a wave of hers, pulling her own frustrated face. You need to tell me why you’re here, she said, stomping away from the window. Tea. She needed a cup of tea. If Sam insisted on being here, tea would need to suffice instead of her vibrator until her friend vamoosed. I’m meant to be meeting Nadine for coffee in an hour and you’re holding me up.

A cushion smacked into her back. Have you not been listening to anything I’ve said since I arrived? Sam asked.

She snatched up the cushion and tossed it back at him. No, she said, resuming her stomp to the kitchen. I’ve been ogling geriatrics on mobility scooters.

You haven’t heard about the dragon sighting? Seriously? Sam followed her, his burly bulk filling the small space before he hoisted himself up on the counter to gape at her. The whole side-of-a-hotel-bursting-out-and-a-dragon-flying-away thing?

Jilly frowned. Are you serious? That’s a thing in the news?

Sam nodded. "The official word is it was a promo stunt for a movie, but no one is saying what movie. From what I’ve seen, the dragon was freaking amazing. Whatever the film is, the budget must be huge."

Reaching for her kettle, Jilly tried to ignore the flutter of delicious heat in the junction of her thighs at the word dragon. An image of the hunk on the Harley with his dragon tattoo filled her head. Her pulse quickened. Her clit throbbed.

Ah man, perhaps Sam was right? Maybe she did need a boyfriend? Nadine—her friend and co-worker—had been saying the same thing for some time now.

She filled the kettle, set it to boil and then leaned her hip against the counter and studied her friend. So you’re here to talk to me about some movie promotion gimmick? Shouldn’t you be at work?

Swinging his legs, he snagged an apple from the fruit bowl and bit into it.

Jilly watched him, tapping her foot with melodramatic exaggeration.

He chewed, contemplated, chewed some more.

Well? she finally said. The heat in her girly bits thanks to Harley Dragon Hunk had begun to fade. For some reason, she felt