Burn: Dragon Shifter Romance Read online

  Contents

  Burn

  Dad’s Best Friend Romance Collection

  Steamy Romance Collection

  Paranormal Romance Collection

  Bad Boy Romance Collection

  Mail Order Bride Romance Collection

  More Steamy Books From Ava Frost

  WARNING:

  This book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language that may be considered offensive to some readers. This publication is intended for adults ONLY. Please ensure that this book will not be accessed by underage readers.

  _______________________________________________________________________________

  By: Ava Frost

  Copyright ©2017 by Ava Frost

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without

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  quote brief passages in reviews.

  © Copyright 2017 by Ava Frost. All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  Burn

  Dragon Shifter Romance

  Ava Frost

  Burn

  Chapter 1

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” Elder Charlie says and my cousin grabs the back of her new husband’s head and crushes her lips to his.

  Our clan members rise and clap for the happy couple, and although I follow along, I’m not exactly happy right now. I have no problem with my cousin Hailey, or my new cousin Cal, but I can’t help but feel a tad envious of them and their happiness.

  Hailey and Cal are both dragon shifters, like myself, and both found each other a few years ago and finally made the leap to marriage. There was no rush for marriage for them, since their meeting already bonded them in the most sacred way, allowing them to finally have access to their dragons.

  In our clan, a member cannot shift into their dragon form, or use any of their powers, until they find their mate. Which I think is bullshit. How the hell are you supposed to meet anyone these days? And how do you know whether or not your mate is in the same state as you, let alone the same country? Hell, they could live on a different continent and you’ll never know.

  It can’t be possible that there’s only one person in the world for you.

  “I’m so happy for your cousin Hailey.” Mom says, wiping a tear from her face. She puts the tissue into her bag before she turns until she’s staring at me with hope. Oh, no. Here we go again. “Don’t worry, dear. Your day will come and hopefully, one day soon, you’ll be blessed by finding your mate. And I’ll be blessed by all the grandchildren you’ll give me.”

  I refrain from rolling my eyes at my mother, but it’s difficult, considering we have this discussion at least once a week. She complains I don’t visit or call her enough, and yet, when I visit her and call her on the phone, all she wants to talk about is finding my mate or setting me up with a possible mate. In my clan, you’re considered half a person until you meet your mate and become one with your dragon. And if you never find your mate, you’ll never gain your powers and you’ll be a human forever.

  And that’s fine by me. I’ve been alone for over twenty-three years and I don’t mine it. Who needs a mate when you can have a different partner every night of the week? No responsibility. No drama. No disappointment.

  “Yeah, mom. Maybe one day.” I give her a forced smile and nod my head at Hailey, who’s waving me over to her and Cal. “I’ll be back, mother. It seems my favorite cousin wants a word with me.”

  Mom grins at Hailey and nods her head. “Such a beautiful, good girl. Go ask her if Cal has any single family members. What?” she asks, innocently, when I give her a pointed look. “I’m just curious, son. Who knows, we could be sitting in these chairs next month at your wedding. Just ask her.”

  This time, I can’t help but roll my eyes. “Whatever you say, mother.”

  I walk away as fast as I can, not being able to talk to my mother any longer about mates or children. I’m not sure which of the two freaks me out more, but I’m leaning towards the children part. That’s one responsibility I’m just not ready for.

  “Thank you for rescuing me, Hailey.” I say, grabbing my favorite cousin into a giant bear hug. Since she just gained her dragon, she’s stronger than usual and I have to put her down after a minute of hugging, otherwise my arms would turn into jelly from her newfound strength. “Damn, Hail, you got to stop eating all that spinach. That actually really hurt.” I rub my arms and glare at her when she laughs at me.

  “Sorry, cousin, I guess I don’t know my own strength yet. It’s been a while since I’ve gained my dragon, but I still forget I’m not human anymore.” She smiles sadly at me. “I’m sorry, Asher. I didn’t mean to complain about my powers when you, you know…” she’s babbling now, seeming to feel guilty complaining about something that will probably never happen to me.

  I smirk. “Stop your stuttering, doofus. I can barely understand you. Maybe the dragon powers are starting to scramble your brain.”

  She punches me in the shoulder and I groan in pain, but try to keep my face blank. Damn. I need to remember not to tease her, because that punch is causing my shoulder to bruise and throb with pain. “You’re such an ass, Asher.” She shakes her head at me, but her smile betrays her. “I called you over for a reason. I wanted to know if you want me to set you up with one of Cal’s sisters. They all seem like lovely girls.”

  “Lovely girls?” I ask, holding back a laugh. “No offense, but I don’t really spend time with lovely girls. Kinky girls? Hell yes. Mouthy girls? Sure. Lovely?” I shake my head and chuckle. “No thanks. Girls like that lead to feelings and emotions.”

  Hailey pouts at me and crosses her arms over her chest. “Why not, Asher? You’re not getting any younger and aren’t making an effort to find your mate. Why not find a nice girl to settle down with? If you’re not interested in gaining your dragon or your powers, what’s the harm in finding a nice girl to create a future with?”

  “Hailey, you know I love you, but stop.” I shake my head and eye the champagne, which the servers are beginning to pass around, with interest. “I already get this lecture from my mom weekly, I don’t need it from you as well. I was hoping you called me over to save me from this conversation with my mother, but it seems you guys are on the same page right now.”

  Hailey’s eyes soften and she grabs my hand. “I’m not trying to help your mother, Asher. I’m honestly concerned for you and want you to be as happy as Cal makes me. Is it so bad that I care for my favorite cousin and want to see some lucky girl make him happy? I love you, Asher.”

  My eyes soften and I ruffle Hailey’s perfect hair, earning me a glare. “I love you too, kiddo. Now stop bugging me and go annoy your new husband. Show him what he got himself into.”

  She rolls her eyes and walks away. “You’re lucky I love you.”

  “Back at you!” I yell after her, making her laugh.

  Having nothing to do now, I grab a flute of champagne and down the glass in one gulp. I’m reaching for another, when a woman’s voice from behind me pauses me. “Relax on the bubbly, champ. A couple more of those and you might actually smile.” I turn around and the first thing I notice about this girl is her flaming red hair. It’s so bright and appears to be almost glowing under the night’s full moon. She grins at my stunned expression and win
ks at me, her emerald green eyes sparkling with humor. “You’re so talkative, you know that?” When I still don’t respond, the red haired beauty smirks and offers me a quick wave. “Well, I have to get back to work, handing out these tiny appetizers. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it. I’ll see you around, handsome.”

  With those parting words, she’s gone, and I’m still standing here with my mouth open like an utter idiot. My heart is racing in my chest and my body feels flushed. I try moving my hands, but they’re shaking so bad, I decide to leave them at my sides.

  What’s gotten into me? She’s just a girl. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen, but still, she’s just a chick. I shouldn’t be this shaken up just by the sound of her voice and her stunningly captivating eyes.

  And yet, I can’t stop thinking about her.

  “Asher!” Hans—Hailey’s older bother and my other cousin—gestures for me to come and join his family at his table. Eyeing his mate, his three kids, and his parents, I sigh, knowing that the subject about my mate, or lack thereof, is going to be brought up again. Still, I can’t ignore him when he clearly sees that I saw him call me over. I go over to him and he stands up to slap me on the back in greeting. Fuck, why do all my dragon relatives hit me so hard? They all know I don’t have my abilities, and yet, they constantly forget I’m still human. “Cousin! I want to introduce you to the family.”

  I raise my eyebrows at Hans and glance at his family. “Um, Hans, I’ve meet your family before, remember? We only see each other every month at mom’s family dinners.”

  Hans waves away my comment. “You met my mate, Opal, and my children, but you haven’t met Opal’s side of the family before. Let me introduce you to her five sisters: Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Jade, and Diamond. Aren’t they all lovely?”

  “Um…neat names.” They all giggle at my words and I refrain from rolling my eyes. Although they are all stunning in their own way, I can’t get the girl with the flaming red hair out of my head. She makes them all pale in comparison. “Although I’m sure you all are amazing girls, I’m not looking for a girlfriend right now. And I’m pretty sure if one of you were my mate, we would know by now.” Sullen frowns appear on all the girls’ faces, but they nod in agreement. Turning to Cal, who’s shaking his head at me in disappointment, I gesture to the table where my best friend, Gavin, is sitting. “Thanks for introducing me, cousin, but I have to go talk to Gavin about something. I’ll see you at dinner in a few weeks.”

  Before he can try to set me up with anyone else, I bolt over to Gavin’s table where he, thankfully, is sitting alone. Gavin hasn’t found his mate either and, like me, doesn’t care whether he finds her or not. We’re the only ones in our clan who don’t give a shit whether we remain humans forever or not.

  “This night sucks.” Gavin says as a greeting to me. “My mom and sisters have been trying to set me up with one of their friends all night. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if I have to meet one more pretty girl tonight, I’m going to barf.”

  “For once, we agree on something. Hailey, Hans, and mom tried the same thing tonight. Is it so hard to believe that we’re happy with the way things are now? That finding our mate and having a girlfriend just isn’t what we want right now, or ever?” I lean back in my seat and sigh. “This is why I don’t do commitment, especially with the dragon girls in our clan. Everyone always expects so much from you and then you fuck it up by not being what that girl wants at the end.”

  Gavin nods his head and takes a sip of his beer. “Word, bro. I’ll stick to my fuck-buddies for now. If I find my mate in the future, fine, but I’m not going to cry and bitch that I haven’t found her yet. Life is too short for that shit.”

  I nod my head and I’m about to reply when a flash of red catches my attention. It’s her. The girl I’ve been obsessing about. She’s bringing food to tables, so she must work for the catering company Hailey and Cal hired for tonight. She stops by Hailey’s table and my cousin jumps up in excitement when she sees her. They embrace in a hug and Hailey starts rambling about something that has the girl laughing hysterically.

  Hailey catches my eyes and smirks. She says something to the girl and she turns around, her emerald green eyes meeting my golden hazel eyes in surprise. She inclines her head to Hailey and grins at me.

  Then, she turns on her heels and heads straight for me.

  My heart begins thundering in my chest and I’m afraid it’s going to make a break for it and pop out of my chest. I wipe my now sweaty palms on my dress pants and try to act nonchalant as she approaches, but secretly, I’m losing my goddamn mind.

  “So, you’re the famous Asher I’ve heard all about. I’ll admit, when Hailey told me she had an outspoken cousin who was a constant pain in her ass, I wasn’t expecting that man to be you. You seem too…” she taps on her chin, her eyes glimmering with laughter. “Quiet, I guess is the word I’m looking for. And shy.”

  My mouth drops open and I narrow my eyes at the girl. “I’m not shy, or quiet.”

  She chuckles at my words. “So the man finally speaks. For a moment there, I thought you forgot how.”

  I stand up and take a step towards the girl, impressed when she doesn’t back away from my tall frame and instead, straightens her posture, staring me right in the eye, refusing to break eye contact. I smirk at her spunk. “You’re brave for such a tiny thing. I like that in a girl.” Where the fuck did that comment come from? I want to stop talking, but I have verbal diarrhea and I can’t stop my train of thought. “But I wonder if your bark is worse than your bite.”

  The girl smirks and takes a step towards me. She reaches out with her hand and lays it flat at the center of my chest. Looking up at me under her lashes, she smiles seductively. “Wouldn’t you like to know what my bites feel like? But since you don’t, I’ll let you in on a little secret.” She leans in closer, her lips dangerously close to my mouth. “My bites feel fucking wonderful, Asher. And you can experience them firsthand if you want. All you have to do is one thing.”

  “I’ll do anything to test out that sexy mouth of yours.” I reply back, pleased when I see her eyes darken at my words. “Just name it, beautiful. But first, tell me your name. It seems only fair since you know mine.”

  She smiles and leans back. “The name is Lillian.” She says, stretching her hand out for me to shake. When I take it, electric shocks run up my arms and something inside of me awakens. I push that thought aside and listen to Lillian as she tells me her request. “Smile for me, Asher.”

  I furrow my brows at her, confused by her request. “Smile?”

  She nods her head slowly, like I’m an idiot. “Yes, Asher. As in, let your lips curve upwards. This usually happens when a person is happy or in a good mood.”

  God, I want to spank her ass for being such a wise-ass. Actually, that’s a fantastic idea. I wonder if the adventurous Lillian likes being topped in the bedroom.

  “I know what a smile is, smart-ass.” She laughs at me and it causes my lips to twitch, but I keep my smile at bay, wanting to tease Lillian by not giving her what she wants right now. “Why do you want me to smile? Seems like an odd request to me.”

  Lillian shrugs and, surprisingly, she blushes slightly. “You’re hot as fuck when you frown, so I want to see you smile because I know it’ll drive me wild to see it. You don’t seem like the kind of guy who smiles a lot, I just want to be the one who gets a smile out of you.” She examines my body, her eyes starting at my feet, and ending at my lips. “Plus, I sense you have powerful lips. Am I right, Asher?” she licks her lips and stares at me innocently, as if her comment didn’t make me rock hard for her.

  I give in and smile at her. “Oh, Lillian, I’m going to have a lot of fun with you.”

  Lillian puts down the silver tray she was holding and grabs my shirt, tugging until I lean down and our lips are literally a breath away. Biting her lip, she purposely moans, trying to slowly make me go mad with need. “Bring it on, Asher. I think you have finally met your mat
ch.”

  She gracefully turns around and I watch her ass as it sways side to side. Lillian is a knockout in a pair of black slacks and a white button-up, so I know seeing her naked flesh is going to be a treat.

  “Damn, Asher.” Gavin says, eyes wide. Shit. I totally forgot he was even there. Was I that fixated on Lillian that I forgot Gavin was sitting only a few feet away from us? “If you want, we can both team up and show that girl a good time. I don’t think she’ll mind if I joined. Hell, she seems kinky enough that she would prefer the two of us. Can’t hurt to ask, right?” I growl at him and my body’s temper begins to rise. Gavin holds his hands up and sighs. “I get it, Asher. Put the claws away, I get the picture. You’re not willing to share that lovely piece of ass with me. Selfish bastard.”

  I smirk at him and hand him a beer that a passing waiter has on his tray. “Sorry, Bro. But Lillian’s mine.”

  I glance up and see Lillian watching me. Saying my goodbyes, I stalk towards her and throw her over my shoulder, ignoring her protests for me to put her down.

  She wants to play tonight?

  I’ll give her what she wants and more.

  Chapter 2

  Fumbling with my keys, I manage to open the front door, and carry Lillian inside my house without much difficultly. From the moment we left the wedding reception we had been all over each other like a couple of horny teenagers. I can’t remember the last time I made out with a girl for fun. Usually kissing is low on my list of things to do to a woman, since I can think of a million other things I rather be doing with my mouth, but there’s something so electrifying and satisfying about kissing Lillian.

  I let Lillian down so I can close and lock the door behind us, but before she can take more than a few deep breaths, I grab her and slam her against the front door, attacking her lips with mine again. I swallow her moans and slowly slide my hand up under her shirt, firmly grasping her left breast in my hand.