Firefighter Dragon: BBW Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance Read Online Free Page B
Author: Zoe Chant
dangerous that nonetheless provided life-giving warmth, and protection against the encircling dark.
Virginia shook her head again, more ruefully. If the paramedic hadn't given me a clean bill of health, I would suspect that I have a concussion .
The taxi slowed to a crawl, pulling into a street of close-packed Victorian townhouses, and stopped outside her building. Dai was out of the car and opening her door even before Virginia had managed to get her seat belt unbuckled.
"I'll pay the driver," he said, in that lilting Welsh accent that seemed incongruously gentle coming from such a big man. Virginia could feel the calluses on his long, strong fingers as he offered her a steadying hand out of the car. "Do you need help up the stairs?"
"I'm fine," Virginia said, though in truth she had to haul herself up the few steps to the front door.
Her legs had definitely had enough tonight, and were threatening to mutiny from her body. She surreptitiously leaned on the wrought-iron banister as she fumbled for her keys, grateful that she had the ground-floor apartment.
She let herself into the high-ceilinged lounge, and some of the lingering tightness in her chest eased. Even though it was only a temporary rental rather than a home, it was comforting to be in a space of her own. The research papers scattered over the worn sofa were just as she'd left them this morning, back when the world had been a rational place. It felt like an aeon ago now.
Virginia took the nose-guard out of her pocket, eager to see it in decent light. For the second time that evening, she found herself unable to breathe. It made every piece of Saxon gold work she'd ever seen before—even the famous Sutton Hoo helmet—look like cheap costume jewelry.
Down the length of the nose-guard, the thick gold was chased with exquisitely carved spiraling dragons, writhing round small cabochon rubies. A much larger cabochon ruby took pride of place at the top of the piece, which would have placed it centrally on the forehead of the warrior wearing the helmet. The ruby seemed to glow through the dirt veiling it, a rich blood-red with a dazzling six-pointed star captured within its depths.
Virginia bit her lip, glancing out the bay window. The taxi was just pulling away, which meant that Dai would be entering the apartment at any moment. Where he would find her standing with a king's ransom in the palm of her hand...
And I really don't know anything about this guy .
Even if Dai wasn't the sort to be personally tempted by a hunk of solid gold set with precious gems, there was still the fact that he worked in emergency services, alongside the police. Who would already want to be asking searching questions about how the fire started, and why she'd been up on the Downs in the middle of the night in the first place.
If Dai found out about the artifact, he'd probably feel obliged to inform the police, and then they'd find out that she'd been illegally metal-detecting without the permission of the landowner. In the best case, they'd confiscate the artifact, and she'd lose all chance to work on the find.
In the worst case, it would end up in Bertram's hands.
Best if Dai just doesn't find out about this.
Cradling the treasure, Virginia glanced around. Her tools and specimen boxes were set out on the small dining table, where she'd been working on some coins and minor finds from other sites, but that that didn't feel like a safe enough hiding place.
Hearing boots coming down the hall, she dashed into her bedroom and yanked open the drawer of her bedside cabinet. She tucked the nose-guard carefully out of sight behind a packet of tissues, a tube of hand cream, and a box of aspirin. As an extra deterrent to casual snooping, she made sure her favorite vibrator was right at the front.
There. That ought to do it .
"Virginia?" Dai called from the lounge. Virginia heard him shut the door behind himself. "Are you all right?"
"Be out in a sec!" Virginia called back.
She
Virginia shook her head again, more ruefully. If the paramedic hadn't given me a clean bill of health, I would suspect that I have a concussion .
The taxi slowed to a crawl, pulling into a street of close-packed Victorian townhouses, and stopped outside her building. Dai was out of the car and opening her door even before Virginia had managed to get her seat belt unbuckled.
"I'll pay the driver," he said, in that lilting Welsh accent that seemed incongruously gentle coming from such a big man. Virginia could feel the calluses on his long, strong fingers as he offered her a steadying hand out of the car. "Do you need help up the stairs?"
"I'm fine," Virginia said, though in truth she had to haul herself up the few steps to the front door.
Her legs had definitely had enough tonight, and were threatening to mutiny from her body. She surreptitiously leaned on the wrought-iron banister as she fumbled for her keys, grateful that she had the ground-floor apartment.
She let herself into the high-ceilinged lounge, and some of the lingering tightness in her chest eased. Even though it was only a temporary rental rather than a home, it was comforting to be in a space of her own. The research papers scattered over the worn sofa were just as she'd left them this morning, back when the world had been a rational place. It felt like an aeon ago now.
Virginia took the nose-guard out of her pocket, eager to see it in decent light. For the second time that evening, she found herself unable to breathe. It made every piece of Saxon gold work she'd ever seen before—even the famous Sutton Hoo helmet—look like cheap costume jewelry.
Down the length of the nose-guard, the thick gold was chased with exquisitely carved spiraling dragons, writhing round small cabochon rubies. A much larger cabochon ruby took pride of place at the top of the piece, which would have placed it centrally on the forehead of the warrior wearing the helmet. The ruby seemed to glow through the dirt veiling it, a rich blood-red with a dazzling six-pointed star captured within its depths.
Virginia bit her lip, glancing out the bay window. The taxi was just pulling away, which meant that Dai would be entering the apartment at any moment. Where he would find her standing with a king's ransom in the palm of her hand...
And I really don't know anything about this guy .
Even if Dai wasn't the sort to be personally tempted by a hunk of solid gold set with precious gems, there was still the fact that he worked in emergency services, alongside the police. Who would already want to be asking searching questions about how the fire started, and why she'd been up on the Downs in the middle of the night in the first place.
If Dai found out about the artifact, he'd probably feel obliged to inform the police, and then they'd find out that she'd been illegally metal-detecting without the permission of the landowner. In the best case, they'd confiscate the artifact, and she'd lose all chance to work on the find.
In the worst case, it would end up in Bertram's hands.
Best if Dai just doesn't find out about this.
Cradling the treasure, Virginia glanced around. Her tools and specimen boxes were set out on the small dining table, where she'd been working on some coins and minor finds from other sites, but that that didn't feel like a safe enough hiding place.
Hearing boots coming down the hall, she dashed into her bedroom and yanked open the drawer of her bedside cabinet. She tucked the nose-guard carefully out of sight behind a packet of tissues, a tube of hand cream, and a box of aspirin. As an extra deterrent to casual snooping, she made sure her favorite vibrator was right at the front.
There. That ought to do it .
"Virginia?" Dai called from the lounge. Virginia heard him shut the door behind himself. "Are you all right?"
"Be out in a sec!" Virginia called back.
She
Readers choose
Duke Most Wanted
Seraphina Donavan
Peter Murphy
Stephen Lawhead
Christine Bongers
Alyssa Day
John Gilstrap
Jayne Faith, Christine Castle
Emma Cline
Rain Stickland