She was sprawled out, mud streaking her naked body, her eyes wide and stunned. She looked…good.
Good and mad. “What the hell was that?”
“Magick taser, a new Guard weapon. It sucks out your magick, which in a Dragon’s case, makes you human again.” He held out a hand to help her up. “Sorry, I don’t actually have a death wish.”
She gripped it, jerking him forward and off balance. He held on to her hand and took her with him. They landed together in the mud, a tangle of bodies. His fingers slid across her skin as he got to his feet. She slugged him, catching his jaw because he was a bit too distracted by the feel of her to be as quick as he should be. She still looked as though she’d kill him.
“Why can’t I Catalyze? What’d you do to me?” she screamed, gripping his shirt and shaking him.
Damn, she was strong. She reared back to hit him again, and he caught her fist. Their hands collided with a loud slap. She slammed him in the chest with her other hand.
He shoved her into the puddle again, trying to immobilize her. “I’m not here to hurt you. Look, I have no weapon.” He held out his hands, showing her his dagger tucked away.
She kicked him in the stomach and tried to crawl away. Which left her sweet, mud-slicked rear in full view. A groan started climbing his throat but he stifled it.
“Assaulting an officer,” he muttered, grabbing her around the waist. “Again.”
“So, it is a death wish then?” She jerked her head around, pinning him with a glare as sharp as his dagger. “Since you have no reason to arrest me.”
“Settle down now, darling.”
She let out a growl worthy of her Dragon and jumped on top of him, her hands around his collarbone. “Don’t you dare call me darling.”
“It slipped out,” he grunted as she ground him into the mud. “It doesn’t mean anything.” But damn, that word never slipped out while on duty. She was firing up his wild side big-time. Her thighs squeezed his hips, her hands pinned his shoulders. He tried to gain control but she wouldn’t budge. “Damn, woman, you an alligator wrestler?”
“Champion in the local division four years running, umpteen years ago.” Her smile reeked of pride and challenge. And he always accepted a challenge. With a heave, he rolled her so he was on top. She kept the roll going, besting him again.
“Will you listen?” he said.
She grabbed a handful of his hair and jerked his head back. “I would have listened if you’d simply called the number on all that damned paperwork they made me fill out. While you were all laughing at me, I’m sure.”
How to gain control of the situation without grabbing her somewhere inappropriate—somewhere that wouldn’t piss her off even more? Damned tricky when she was naked. And muddy. “I wasn’t laughing at you.”
“Sure you were. Inside. Outside you were giving me that smug smile you probably think…is…gorgeous.” She fought as he tried to wrap his arms around her upper arms. “While you looked down your nose at me.”
“Actually, I was looking at your tight shirt.”
She slugged him in the jaw again, not really hard enough to do any damage. He threw his weight toward her, pushing her backward and coming down on top of her. Now he straddled her thighs, leaning down to hover above her body.
“I was kidding,” he said, his mouth only an inch from hers. “I was taking all of you in. I couldn’t believe you were the same wild Violet Castanega I saw in muddy clothes and a tangled braid.” He couldn’t help the smile as he let his gaze drift from her neck down to her chest that rose and fell with deep breaths. The mud didn’t cover the curve of her breasts. “Then again, you do look extraordinary in mud.”
“Let me up!” She tried to buck him off, which drove her pelvis up and dangerously close to smashing his balls.
He lay all his weight on top of her. “Not until you promise to stop fighting.”
“I can’t promise that. How long do the effects of your magick stun gun last?”
“Up to thirty minutes.”
She bucked again, but he finally had her under his control. And he liked it. Which was odd because his women were always willing. Something about the fight completely turned him on, especially the way her pelvis bumped against his.
Her eyes widened. “Holy dragonfire, are you…does fighting get you…hot?”
He supposed, with all this writhing around, it was inevitable that she’d notice. “Not usually, but then again, I’ve never fought a feisty, naked female in the mud before. I have to admit, it’s doing strange things to me.” At her surprised look, he added, “Well, you asked. I answered honestly.”
She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Okay then, answer this honestly. Why are you here?”
That was a bit trickier, but he could stick to the true part. “I came to ask you more about your allegations.”
