“Do whatever it takes.” The words played like a mantra through Jake Ramsey’s head.

He checked his gun in his holster hidden under his suit and left arm. If he needed to kill someone, he could. After all, he’d done it before. His job as a Dragon Center Agent demanded he perform such horrific tasks.

But this assignment jerked the dragon’s tail.

The large building, crawling with young interns who had just left their youth behind, consisted of sweeping hallways and huge common areas. If gun play broke out, a number of innocent people could get hurt or killed.

He glanced around the corner at the shiny chrome walls to confirm no security guards stood in his way. His mission to return Sarah VanHorn to her family ruled his strategy for success. His boss and best friend, William VanHorn wanted his sister rescued. They both preferred Jake achieve the task without gun play.

Syndetic International might be guilty of unethical practices, but their security ranked among the best Jake had seen in any private business. Motion sensors on the ceiling and floor, metal bars over the doors and windows, and security guards roamed the building both day and night.

He glanced at the ceiling tube. Bright Skylar lights glowed in the evening sky. The place fell into lock down for the night in about thirty ticks of the time veil. Even if he made it to Sarah’s room, he’d be stuck inside until morning.

He shoved his squeaky work bucket into the storage pit and caught sight of the cot in the back where as janitor he’d been assigned to sleep. The hard bed served as his alibi for tonight. The smell of cleaning chemicals assaulted his senses as he shut the door. The entrance to the intern’s bedrooms lay only two steps away.

He clicked the button on his security card. A light next to the door blinked, then turned black, his signal for entering the dorm area. He grabbed the handle and tugged the door open. The moment he released the handhold, the opening began to shrink, closing automatically and forcing him to rush through before the partition hit his backside.

Sarah’s room was at the end of the hallway.

His muscles on alert, his confidence of not encountering anyone drew him forward. The guards patrolled a different area when the apprentices were in the grub room. The savory scents of cooked meat met his nostrils. His stomach growled, and he glanced at his messenger on his wrist. No time for food. The students were due to return to their suites in the next few moments.

At Sarah’s door, Jake hit the button, and the door opened. The dorm rooms weren’t locked until the final check for the evening. Without making a sound, he slipped inside and hit the dial to close the door.

The light stones in the ceiling cast an eerie glow over Sarah’s meager furnishings. A frilly doily on her couch, a ribbon pinned to the wall, a stack of thick books on her desk, she’d leave little behind when they left.

Without pausing in the sitting room, he strode into her bedroom. In a corner, he spotted a folding screen, a standard feature in all of the dorm rooms. He settled behind the tall wooden shield to wait for her return.

Her unique apple scent filled the room, making him hungry for a taste. He’d been avoiding her for years. After she hit puberty, he’d stopped visiting William at home. Her young femininity, blooming into a ripe luscious woman, called to his blood. His desire to claim her as his mate burned through him every time he drew near her.

Yes, his high level of dragon slayer’s blood required regular sex, but he couldn’t become involve with his best friend’s sister. William refused to let any man near her.

Jake reminded himself that his job was to deliver Sarah back home to her family. Tonight, he planned to tell her about how they’d escape.

Tomorrow, they’d leave.

He planned for her to follow her normal schedule the next day, then after the morning meal she’d meet him in the parking structure. From there, they’d leave the campus with no problem.

The information he’d gotten on the compound so far hit the mark, but he didn’t want to push it. His boss at Syndetic aided in Jake’s search for Sarah. A chart of each intern’s room showed all the suites that couldn’t be entered. Sarah’s name and room number were at the top of the list.

The squeaky sound of shoes caught Jake’s attention. He stared through the slit in the panels. Through one, he could see her front door, the other her bed.

A young woman with short raven hair entered the suite. Could this be Sarah? She turned after crossing the threshold to stop the progress of the man dogging her steps. The big guy ignored the hint and forced his way farther into the doorway. She stopped him by ramming her hand in the middle of his chest, a typical move for Sarah when she didn’t like something.

“No, Bruce, I’m tired. I’m going straight to bed.” Her soft sultry voice caressed Jake’s body. When had the childish squeal he remembered turned into such an alluring purr?

“But I’ll help you relax. If I rub you in all the right places, you’ll feel so much better.” Bruce wrapped his hands around Sarah’s waist. “The air is perfumed with lust to spike our desires. The commander says it keeps us on our toes and helps us work off all our anxieties.”

“I’m not sure his description is accurate, but I’m planning to wait. I can’t afford to get pregnant right now. There’s too much work to do.” Her arms stiffened, the muscles of her biceps bunching. Bruce didn’t release his hold.

Jake knotted his hands, wondering if Sarah could handle the man. Hoping he wouldn’t have to interfere, he watched intently. The oxygen generator cut on, muting the rest of their conversation.

Sarah hit the dial next to the door, using the action of it closing to wedge Bruce out. Her finger spun the dial. The lock clicked, and she headed Jake’s way.

The lights in the bedroom spontaneously snapped on the moment she entered the room. Her exquisite looks struck Jake in the chest. The cute little girl pestering him and William had grown into a gorgeous woman. Jake’s dragon blood ignited into a hot flame of desperation. He sympathized with Bruce’s plight.

Her flawless complexion glowed with a soft sheen of the sun. Short dark hair danced around her face. Following the line of her luscious form, the heavy curves of her breasts flowed into the gentle bow of her waist. Flared hips led to long lean legs that begged for a man between them. Jake’s cock swelled.

She walked toward him, hips swaying in a graceful rhythm. He licked his parched lips and considered revealing himself.

The plan of waiting until after the final security check of the night before making his appearance raced through his mind. He couldn’t afford for any of the guards to overhear their conversation.

But now, he wondered if he’d over simplified things.

Before he determined his course of action, Sarah hit the magnetic mechanism of her dress. Her lush breasts fell forward, free from the confines of the material. She slid the garment off her shoulders and cupped her breasts, holding them in her delicate hands like a gift.

Jake almost swallowed his tongue. Desire pooled in his loins.

She exited his line of sight, and he took a silent breath to replace the one he’d been holding. The sweet scent of apple blossoms filled his lungs.

Dragon dung. He’d forgotten how an innocent woman smelled like pure paradise.

The blankets on her bed shifted. A rustling sound echoed through the room. He imagined her removing the rest of her clothes. A tick later, he caught a brief glimpse of her in a red robe, and then she stepped into the wash room.

The click of the door closing allowed him the freedom to shift his position. He cursed the dragon blood running through his veins. He normally redirected his lust without a problem, but with his current dry spell, Sarah’s scent slammed him against the limits of his self-control.

He told himself she’d be under the blankets soon. A few deep breaths later, he relaxed and centered his mind on the strategy for their upcoming escape.

The door to the washroom whispered opened. Her shadow passed directly in front of the screen, and then she slid into bed and the lights dimmed.

Her form shifted under the blanket. In a few moments, the guard would lock the outside bolt. Then he’d explain his mission.

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