The Dragon’s Chance by Jessie Donovan

Chapter One

Roughly One Year Ago

Sylvia MacAllister played with the lanyard around her neck and took one last deep breath before entering the large space that would be used for the baking competition. For the next few hours at least, she was determined to be the person she wished to be. Or at least the one she was trying to be for the duration of the restaurant expo in Glasgow.

In other words, she was just a female without her grown children, without the heartbreak of her long-dead mate, without the usual reserve she tended to show around everyone back home.

She was just Sylvia, the female who loved to cook and run a restaurant. One who was currently surrounded by people who loved to do the same.

However, despite that, the sight of so many people milling about the large room looking for their assigned stations for the competition caused her heart to thunder inside her chest.

Her inner dragon—the second personality inside her head—spoke up. They don't know who you are. You can be anyone. Enjoy it. Otherwise, what was the point of coming?

Taking strength from her inner beast, Sylvia murmured, I'll try.

After all, she'd only be in Glasgow a few days, so surely she could manage it. Not to mention how not being surrounded by her grown children or her late mate's family made it easier to be all those things she had secretly wished to be—spontaneous, charming, and someone who dared to take risks just because she felt like it.

Nearly almost everyone else in her life, from her children to her friends, were fairly outgoing and charming. Even her mate, before he'd been killed a little over a decade ago, had been able to make anyone laugh or feel special, all without even trying.

It was part of the reason she'd fallen in love with Arthur MacAllister back when she'd been sixteen. That, and he'd made her feel safe and special each and every day.

Arthur.Even after all these years, she still missed him.

Her inner dragon said softly, He would want you to be happy, to seek out more adventure, even with him gone.

I know.

Besides, we may not have a lot of time left. We need to enjoy it.

It was true—Sylvia had been diagnosed with a mysterious dragon-shifter illness about a year ago. The doctors were still trying to figure out what was wrong with her, the only clue being her worsening blood test results. But even without those numbers, every day she was more tired, more prone to bouts of depression, and feeling more lost in a storm she couldn't control.

No.She wasn't going to think of that. This weekend was for her and her alone. Aye, she was at the expo because she ran Clan Lochguard's only restaurant, and she liked to see the newest equipment on offer and to find suppliers. However, she was also determined to enjoy herself as much as she could. To try and have a little fun, make her own mischief, and pretend she didn't have five adult children despite the fact she was only forty-three.

She scanned and wandered the giant room filled with hundreds of cooking stations, looking for the table assigned to her, and did her best to calm her thumping heart. As soon as she found her assigned partner for the competition, she'd need to fight against her shyness and be more than quiet Sylvia, the one sitting in a corner more content to watch than talk.

Her inner beast spoke up again. You have something in common with every single person here. No one would have entered the competition if they didn't like to cook or at least have ties to the restaurant industry.

Maybe.

The event was open to anyone attending the expo who wasn't a pastry chef or ran a bakery. In other words, it was a lighthearted competition for those who didn't bake professionally.

Her dragon sighed. Just find our station and focus on our assigned partner for now. Maybe if you talk with him, you'll forget to be nervous. Because if you don't calm down a wee bit, you'll never get to try out this new side of you.

Sylvia glanced down at her paperwork and read the male's name again—Jake Swift. The only other information on the paper said he was American.

Of course she'd be paired with a foreigner. At least with another British or Irish person, she'd have a lot more in common.

Her beast grunted. Just stop it. We mated young and never got to travel. I think it's brilliant we have a Yank partner. At least that's something new, and the whole reason you're here is to try something new. Stop making excuses.

Her beast was right. Standing tall, Sylvia pushed aside both her excuses and her nervousness and walked on, looking for her station.

As she drew nearer the one labeled #88, she noticed a male standing near the counter, with his back turned to her. He had broad shoulders, ginger hair that contrasted with his pale skin, and looked to be a little taller than her.

Then he turned around and she did a double take.

He had a strong jaw, a close-cut beard, and eyes that had crinkle lines at the corners, as if he liked to smile and laugh a lot.

It was only then he looked down at something on Station #88's counter and Sylvia realized that the sexy human standing there was her partner for the event.

That was Jake Swift.

Her dragon hummed. Good. Charm him and maybe we can have some fun tonight.

He lifted his gaze and met her eyes. For a second, her heart stopped beating. He had lovely hazel eyes, ones with a tad more brown than green, and they were full of amusement.

It was only then she realized that she'd been standing still with her mouth slightly ajar.

Closing her jaw and taking a deep breath, she forced her legs to work again. It took everything she had to keep her cheeks from heating as she reached the station.

The human male was only about an inch taller than her, and she rather liked they were almost eye level. When he spoke, his deep voice made her stomach flutter. His flat American accent greeted her ears. "Hello. Are you Sylvia MacAllister?"

This was it.Old Sylvia would've mumbled something and stammered a reply. However, she wasn't about to let her momentary gawking earlier ruin her weekend of good fun. She never broke her gaze and kept her voice strong as she answered, "Aye, that's me. Call me Sylvia. Jake, is it?"

He nodded just as her dragon spoke up. Ask him if he's single.

Not now, dragon.

She had expected Jake to either be surprised or wary since her pupils flashed to slits whenever her inner dragon spoke and most humans weren't used to it.

However, he merely smiled and asked, "So which dragon clan are you from then? The Scottish one?"

"Aye, Clan Lochguard, which is far up in the Highlands. And since you're not running away in fear, I'm guessing you work with dragons wherever you're from…?"

He smiled easily and Sylvia's stomach did a little flip. "Yeah, I run a series of restaurants in the San Francisco area and sometimes deal with nearby dragon clans. But that's not the sole reason. My cousin works with the American Department of Dragon Affairs and even mated a dragon clan leader herself. I've only met him the once when I had some business in Las Vegas and stopped near Tahoe, but he seems nice enough." He shrugged. "Dragon-shifters are just like humans, for the most part. And to be honest, the flashing eyes is kind of cool, if you ask me." He leaned closer. "Is it rude to ask what your dragon was saying?"

She raised her brows. "If your cousin works with ADDA, I'm sure you know it's rude to ask that."

He raised an eyebrow. "Seeing as you were staring at me and drooling a minute ago, I think it'd make us even."

Her cheeks heated. Damn. He'd noticed that.

However, she wasn't about to back down. "I'm sure you're used to people staring at you." Bloody hell, had she really said that? She tamped down her embarrassment, shrugged, and added, "Aye, I stared, but I can promise you I won't jump you and rip off your clothes at any second. There's a competition to win, aye?"

He grinned and lowered his voice. "I think the ripping off clothes sounds like a lot more fun to me."

Was he…flirting with her?

Since Sylvia hadn't done that with anyone but her late mate in more than years, she had no idea.

Her dragon grunted. Aye, he is. Don't stop now. At this rate, we might get some sex after all.

An image flashed of Jake over her, pinning her hands above her head with one hand as his other stroked between her thighs, and she did her best to push it away.

Jake's chuckle garnered her attention. "Between the flashing pupils and how red your face is, I think I really, really want to know what your dragon said."

She couldn't help but smile at his teasing tone. "Let's win the competition, and I'll tell you whatever you want about my dragon."

"Anything? Is that a promise?"

She nodded. And as he smiled down at her, playfulness dancing in his eyes, Sylvia's heart beat double-time.

Bloody hell, this human was too handsome for his own good.

For a second, she glanced at his lips. Firm, yet soft and inviting.

What would it be like to kiss him?

Jake put out a hand, as if to shake. "I'll take that deal."

She looked back at his hazel eyes. "You're either quite cocky or really good at baking."

"I can be really determined when I want to be. And I want to know this dragon of yours. After all, it's the more instinctual side of you, right? And that fascinates me."

Oh, dear.Just how much had his cousin shared with this human about dragon-shifters?

Because if they did win and he asked about her beast, she'd feel honor bound to answer him.

Her dragon growled. Good. Because him naked in bed would most definitely be a mini-adventure.

She'd never really thought about having sex with another male after her mate had been murdered, not once in the eleven years she'd been a widow.

Until now.

Because something about Jake Swift put her at ease in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.

Placing her hand in his, she nearly sucked in a breath at his warm, firm grip.

He may only be an inch taller, but his hands dwarfed hers.

One of those hands would be more than able to palm her entire breast. And at that thought, her nipples tightened.

Jake squeezed her hand and finally let go. "Then let's make sure everything is here and in working order. Because now I have a reason to win, and pity the fool who stands in my way."

He was just so…confident. Not in an arrogant way, but in the self-assured way of a male who'd worked hard and seen success.

Having more than one restaurant in a place like San Francisco definitely signaled success.

And if she were honest with herself, she rather liked how he was determined to win simply so he could get to know her better.

So Sylvia helped get everything set up. And once the competition started, she and Jake worked together seamlessly, barking orders when needed at each other, almost as if they'd done this a million times before.

* * *

Hours later,Jake tugged Sylvia into his hotel room and she squeaked. As soon as he shut the door, he pressed her up against it and said, "Tell me something else your dragon said."

Sylvia's cheeks were on fire, but she didn't care. She waited for her dragon and her inner beast said, I want to kiss him, shred his clothes, and toss him back on the bed.

It was the most direct statement by far, bolder than the little flirtations her beast had tossed about. But Sylvia repeated it to Jake, and heat flared in his eyes. "I like that idea." He leaned closer, his breath dancing against her lips. He murmured, "I want to kiss you, Sylvia. Tell me I can."

With his hard, warm body surrounding hers, her nipples throbbed at the same time wetness rushed between her thighs. She itched to pull him close, dig in her nails, and have her way with him. "As long as you know the risk."

He brushed hair off her cheek before kissing her jaw. After worrying her earlobe with his teeth—which made her lean even more against the door behind her—he said, "You told me you had a true mate before, right? It's highly unlikely to happen again."

Aye, a dragon finding two true mates in their lifetime didn’t happen often. But it wasn't impossible.

Still, her beast didn't think he was one.

And she rather hoped he wasn't.

Not that she didn't like Jake or want to get to know him better, but he had a life back in America. One that he wouldn't want to give up.

A night of fun, however, would be quite another thing.

And given his hard cock pressed against her lower belly, he wanted that as much as she did. "Unlikely, aye."

Threading his fingers into her hair, he moved even closer. "Good enough for me."

He crushed his lips against hers. No need to claim him for a mate-claim frenzy spread through her body, so she moaned and opened her mouth.

Jake slid his tongue inside, stroking, licking, teasing until she battled with him. As they both tried to dominate the other, Jake lifted her up against him, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

As he pressed her harder against his cock and front, her nipples crushed against his firm chest. She groaned and took the kiss even deeper, needing to taste him, and drown herself in this male's heat.

The next thing she knew, he laid her on the bed. As he tugged off his clothes, she did the same.

Then he kissed her again, pulled her to the edge of the bed so that her legs dangled off the side, and tweaked one of her nipples with his fingers.

He rubbed his cock back and forth against her clit, and Sylvia dug her nails into his back, hissing at the friction.

If he kept it up, she'd come within seconds.

However, he stood up and looked down at her, stroking his cock with his hand as his burning gaze traveled down her body.

At the approval in his eyes, she grew even wetter.

He ran a finger down her belly, over her hips, and to her inner thigh. As he lazily traced shapes there, she widened her legs, needing more than a teasing touch.

"Jake," she murmured.

He met her gaze and slowly kneeled until his shoulders were between her thighs.

As his warm hands rubbed the inside of her legs, he spread them wider. "I want to eat this sweet pussy, Sylvia. Tell me I can."

His dirty words made her skin even hotter.

Suddenly, all she could think about was his tongue fucking her, teasing her, making her come.

He murmured, "I know enough about dragons that I don't have to worry about diseases." He stroked her once, making her gasp at the slightly rough pad of his finger. "Let me taste you, devour you, make you lose your fucking mind."

If her skin grew any hotter, she'd burst into flames.

And thankfully whatever illness she had only affected dragon-shifters, so she had no reason to deny him.

Not trusting her voice, she nodded.

His hands inched closer to her cunt, but didn't touch. "Say it, love. That way I know you want it."

"Aye, I want it."

Never breaking eye contact, he lowered his head until his tongue licked her slit, and she arched at the warm, wet feeling.

Not that she had many more thoughts as he teased her pussy, her lips, and circled but never quite touched her clit. It both frustrated and aroused her, the way he took his time and kept her on the edge.

Then he lightly flicked his tongue against her clit, and she moaned.

But instead of continuing, he entered a finger into her pussy, slowly thrusting, and she instinctively moved her hips to fuck his finger.

"My sweet Sylvia. That's it. Take what you want, love."

He added another finger, and the fullness made her want more, so she moved faster, trying to get him deeper.

She was lost, chasing her own pleasure. When Jake suckled her clit as he lightly flicked it with his tongue, pleasure exploded. She screamed as her pussy milked his fingers, the slight fullness making the orgasm that much sweeter.

The whole time he continued to stroke her lightly on her clit, her lips, and his light touches kept her dangling in bliss, hovering between pleasure and pain.

Eventually he stopped teasing her, removed his fingers, and she relaxed against the bed. Jake stood, lightly rubbed his lips, and then leaned down to kiss her.

At the faint taste of herself in his mouth, heat fired again in her lower belly.

She wanted much more than his tongue between her thighs.

Jake pulled away and smiled. "Well, I'm guessing we're not true mates then?"

"No," she managed, trying to make her brain work.

Damn the man for turning her brain to mush.

And he'd only used his tongue and fingers.

He reached down into the drawer next to the bed, took out a condom packet, and went to work putting it on. As he did so, something at the back of her mind—from when she'd been a teenager in sex ed class—niggled about human condoms and dragon-shifters, but she couldn't remember why that was important.

Then Jake scooted her back on the bed before laying between her thighs, and she forgot about everything but the male pressed against her.

She brushed hair off his forehead, and he said, "I have three more, my dragon lady. So let's see if we can use all of them."

He kissed her as he positioned his cock at her entrance. As he entered, she groaned. She may have had five children, but she hadn't had sex in over a decade.

And damn, Jake was big.

He finally planted himself to the hilt but held still, and Sylvia grew impatient for him to move.

Her inner beast spoke up. Tell him to hurry. Or he might get to meet me and I'll ride him. Hard.

She dug her nails in his arse and said, "Just a warning—if you take too long, my dragon might take control and claim you herself."

A mingle of heat and anticipation flashed in his eyes. "Promise?"

Her beast hummed. Aye, I like him. He'll do.

Not wanting her dragon to think this was more than one night of fun, she pulled Jake's lips down to hers and kissed him.

He rocked his hips, slowly at first, but soon he was thrusting hard, each movement reaching even deeper inside her.

She continued stroking his tongue with her own, digging her nails into his back, and moving her hips to meet each of his thrusts.

Even though she'd just had an orgasm, another was building.

Jake broke the kiss and laid his cheek against hers. "Fuck, Sylvia. You're taking me so deep, clenching me so tight. You're perfect."

She knew it was the lust haze talking, but she didn't care.

His words made her feel beautiful and desired. Something she hadn't felt in a long, long while.

Not wanting to dwell on fanciful thoughts, she squeezed her inner muscles, and Jake groaned. He rewarded her by moving a hand between them and rubbing her clit.

His touch was electric, bringing her even closer until she cried out. Jake claimed her mouth again, swallowing her screams as he stilled and found his own release.

He finally broke the kiss and stared into her eyes, both of them breathing heavily, and she saw tenderness in his expression.

Not wanting to read into that, she smiled. "How long before we can work through the rest of your condoms?"

He grinned, the dimple on one side of his cheek making her insides wobbly. "With you? Not long." He kissed her roughly a beat before pulling back and saying, "I hope your dragon comes out to play soon."

Her inner beast—still dazed slightly from the orgasm—said, As soon as he's hard, I'll ride him. That's a promise.

Sylvia giggled. Jake raised his brows and she repeated her dragon's words.

He took her chin between his fingers, kissing one side of her mouth, then the other, before saying, "Give me a couple minutes to rouse the little soldier and then I'm all yours."

"Little?"

A smug smile came across his face. "And that is exactly how to help me get hard again."

He kissed her and then pulled out. "Stay right there."

Jake dashed into the bathroom and shut the door.

Sylvia smiled and stretched her arms above her head.

Aye, she'd found her adventure at last. And even though it had to end before morning, she wouldn't think about that. Tonight was about fun and pleasure with one of the sexiest males she'd ever seen.

And that was all it could be. Not only because the doctors didn't think she had more than a year or two left to live because of the dragon-only disease—they were positive it wasn't something humans could catch since it seemed to thrive on dragon-shifter hormones—but Jake had a life back home in America.

No, the night would be for fun and only fun, with plenty of pleasure thrown in.

And by the time Jake came back into the room, she forgot about everything else but the moment. Her dragon took control of her mind and rode him until he squirmed. After two more times—with Sylvia back in control—Jake fell asleep, and she slipped out of bed, gathered up the things in her room, and rushed back to Lochguard in the Scottish Highlands.