Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

D espite how much Hayley had looked forward to Nathan teasing her again with his mouth, she'd fallen asleep as soon as she'd climbed into bed. Still, waking up the next morning and being able to snuggle against him was pure bliss.

She'd missed sharing a bed with a guy and learning how he snored or tossed and turned or merely laid in place as he slept. All the little things that made a relationship intimate and wonderful, at least in her view.

While they hadn't discussed an official relationship status, he'd called her his human. And given what she knew of dragon-shifters, he wouldn't be messing around with others while pursuing her.

Not that it would take much to convince her.

Slow down, Hayley. It's way too early. Besides, she needed to focus on getting out of the bunker. It wasn't as if she could really concentrate on anything else until they did.

Nathan's sleep-tinged voice interrupted her thoughts. "Morning."

Raising her head, she met his flashing dragon eyes. At the heat she saw there, Hayley resolved to stay focused. Otherwise, they'd never leave the bedroom.

A part of her thought maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

No. "Morning, Nathan. And before you start teasing me with words or your mouth, listen to me first."

He raised his brows. "Okay, now I'm curious."

"Good, because I have a plan for the day."

His lips twitched. "Just how long have you been awake, love?"

"A while."

Before she could say anything else, he traced up her nose, around her eye, and then the other. "Can you see me, or do you need your glasses?"

Oh, right. He didn't know she could see close up and told him. Then he leaned up, kissed her cheek and murmured, "Good, because I always want you to be able to see me as I claim you."

As his pupils flashed rapidly, her breathing quickened, and heat rushed through her body. It would be so easy to give in, forget about their plan for the day, and finally get to tease him with her mouth, too.

But while she was becoming more open to an eventual mate-claim frenzy, she didn't want to risk another panic attack. Nathan might think it was because of his dragon, and she never wanted to hurt him that way.

Focus, Hayley. Clearing her throat, she finally spoke again. "I'm thinking more and more that I want that. However, not down here."

His pupils flashed more rapidly, and eventually he sighed. "I know you're right, of course you are. But it doesn't mean I have to like waiting."

A little thrill went through her at the hunger in Nathan's eyes.

He really did want her, didn't he?

She traced his cheek, his jaw, and then his lips. "I don't like it either. But it's the best course of action, you know it is."

"Yes, I do." He played with some of her hair. "So, what's your plan for today, then?"

The fact he hadn't tried to persuade her differently, and he took her words and wants into account, made her soften even more toward the dragonman.

She hadn't even had sex with him yet, but Dawn had been right—once you had a dragonman, there was no going back.

"Hayley?"

"Hmm? Oh, not much different from what we discussed last night. We'll work on your grappling hook launcher design and see how far we get. I'm not sure what I can do, but I'll assist however you need."

"However?"

At the playful glint in his eyes, she lightly batted his chest. "Not that."

Nathan winked. "I know." He cupped her cheek, and Hayley leaned into his touch. "I'm going to work as fast as I can, love. Not only so we can get back to the surface, but also so we can finish the database project."

The fact he remembered about that too made her like him all the more. "Thank you. I couldn't stand to let Bram down. One thing I pride myself on is being true to my word."

He sat up and helped her up, too. "I vow we'll finish it, love. And to prove how much keeping my word means to me, I'm going to shower and get to work without even trying to convince you an orgasm would help you relax."

So she wouldn't think about being underground.

Yes, he'd get pleasure from it too. But Hayley was starting to wonder how anyone could be afraid of Nathan simply because he was a dragon-shifter. The man was more thoughtful than any other she'd ever met.

She nodded. "It would relax me, but then I'd also want a turn with you. By the end, we'd both be tired and little would get done." Caressing his jaw, she whispered, "But they do say anticipation makes it even better."

He grunted. "I'll always be impatient for a taste of you, Hayley. Say the word at any time, and I'll whisk you off to drive you wild."

Her cheeks heated as she imagined Nathan spreading her on a desk in the records room, the danger of someone walking in on them making it even more intense.

Stop it, Hayley. She needed proof that when they were back in the real world, things wouldn't become awkward or either of them would have regrets. Even if Hayley didn't think she would, she needed to be sure of Nathan. She'd been hurt too many times to just jump in and hope for the best.

She stroked his jaw. "I'll keep that in mind, and thank you for not pressuring me, Nathan. It means a lot to me."

"Of course, love." He kissed her cheek. "Now, let's get ready for the day. The quicker we finish my improved grappling hook launcher device, the sooner we can return to the surface and work on us, the future, and keeping promises."

They both got up but showered separately—it was too tempting otherwise—ate breakfast, and set to work.

As Hayley helped Nathan by finding supplies he needed, it kept her mind occupied. Although every once in a while, she dreamed of a future on Stonefire. The more she did, the more she started to want it. Both because of Nathan, but also for the close-knit community and her ability to make a difference in the dragon-shifters' lives.

Right after lunch, Nathan proclaimed his device ready, and they set out for the other side of the lake.

It was strange how Nathan shifting and her riding on his dragon's back across the lake seemed so…normal now. Sometimes life could change drastically in a matter of days.

Once they reached the far side of the lake and Nathan was in his human form again, they laid out everything from the pack they'd brought. As Nathan assembled his device, Hayley eyed the tiny holes far up in the ceiling. "This is going to be like playing a video game on the most difficult level."

"Luckily for you, you're looking at the king of difficult modes. My faster reflexes come in handy for so many things."

He flashed her a grin, and she laughed. "Yes, yes, you're a god in the bedroom, I get it. Use those reflexes to make this work."

"You've gone from calling me lazy to a sex god. I rather like that."

"I never said sex god. I don't have any experience to judge that yet."

He groaned. "Now I'm thinking about you naked again."

She poked his shoulder. "The sooner you finish this, the sooner that may happen."

"May happen?"

"Well, I'm sure the clan will make a fuss, as will your family. I'm sure you'll be busy with them for a bit."

In truth, Hayley was afraid that returning to the familiar would revert Nathan to his grumpy, cooler self from before.

He placed a finger under her chin and gently raised her face until their eyes met again. "I'm not going to instantly forget about you, about us, and I'm going to do my bloody best to see you again as soon as possible, love. Dragons don't give up easily, and I'm sure as hell not going to give up on you."

Some of her anxiety eased. "Oh, good."

"I know it's a lot to ask, but I need you to trust me a little, Hayley. Can you do that?"

Searching his gaze, she thought of everything he'd done since getting stuck in the underground complex. From taking care of her to making her laugh, to treating her as an equal when it came to ideas and forming plans, Nathan really was different from other men.

She bobbed her head. "I'll try."

He stroked her cheek. "Good."

They stared at each other, and Hayley wondered when Nathan's face had become so familiar to her.

Not wanting to crumble and ask him to make her come again, she cleared her throat and said, "Right, then, let's get all this assembled."

They put together the tripod that would hold the launcher. The launcher was a combination of a crossbow found in the tunnel storage room, as well as some sort of air compressor from blow-up mattresses. Although Nathan had fiddled with it, making it a lot more powerful.

Last, they put a scope on the launcher, taken from a powerful tranquilizer gun. Ever since the Dragon Knights and dragon hunters had started using them to pick off dragon-shifters, Stonefire had devised their own varieties.

Which were technically illegal, but Hayley wasn't about to rat them out.

Once assembled, Nathan took out one of the two grappling hooks he'd put together and loaded it into the device. The old one, from the treasure room, was the third option and would be used as a last resort since it was probably the most fragile.

After finishing, he turned toward Hayley. "All done. Now, let's set it just inside the tunnel and you wait there whilst I try to knock down some stalactites."

This was the part of the plan she was most unsure about. "What if one of them pierces your wing? Won't you crash?"

"If that happens, and I don't think it will, I'll maneuver into the lake." He cupped her cheek. "Promise me you'll stay in the tunnel until I land again, Hayley."

"I will, with a caveat. If you crash, I'm going after you."

He kissed her cheek. "Here's to Operation Badass Dragon."

"I still think Operation Falcon would've been better, as we need that sort of agility."

"Dragons are better than Falcons."

"Maybe. Just a little."

He lightly swatted her backside and added, "Stay here, love. It's time to put our plan into action."

She hugged him before stepping further into the tunnel—far enough back to protect her, but she could still watch him shift into his dragon form. Once done, his beautiful red dragon jumped into the air and hovered. She couldn't help but stare at the powerful muscles keeping his wings moving. It still amazed her that any dragon could be brought down by a human.

Nathan slowly ascended until he reached just below the longest stalactite. He batted his wing against it, and it sailed downward, crashing into the lake. Over and over again, he knocked them down, until he reached the biggest one, right next to the largest opening—which was their main target.

She chewed her nails as she watched him move a little this way and that, until he finally hovered in place. His wing wouldn't work for this one since it was so thick, so he'd have to use the force of his entire body.

After what seemed like eons, he moved backward and flew for the thick column dangling from the ceiling. As his side crashed into the rock, Hayley bit off a nail. And for a second, time stilled. Then she watched as the dragon and rock tumbled down together, Nathan's body under the stone.

They both crashed into the water.

Nathan didn't immediately surface.

Hayley cried out. Uncaring of the few small pieces still falling from the ceiling, she went to the edge of the lake and scanned the surface, looking for any sign of Nathan in either his human or dragon forms.

Nothing.

Just as she debated diving into the water to find him, his human form broke the surface, gasped, and dove back down.

"Nathan!"

Hayley charged into the water and made it up to her waist when Nathan's head rose above the surface again and he started swimming toward her.

She debated going out to meet him, but as he was making steady progress, she merely watched his every move. If he went down below the water again, she'd go after him.

But within minutes, Nathan reached the shallow area and stood.

She charged for him and stopped just short of lunging at his body. "Are you all right? Did you get hurt anywhere? Are you bleeding?"

"I'll have a massive bruise tomorrow, no doubt. But otherwise, I'm fine."

"A bruise could signal internal damage."

He shook his head. "I'm a lot stronger in my dragon form. I only shifted back because it was easier to talk to you, if needed." He took her hand. "I'm fine, Hayley. I promise."

Tears pricked her eyes. "I was terrified. Seeing you fall with a giant stone on top of you? Don't ever do that again. I mean it."

He pulled her against his chest, and she held him gently, not wanting to cause him any pain but needing to feel his heartbeat against her cheek.

The experience had clearly shown her just how much the dragonman meant to her already.

Stroking her back, Nathan murmured, "Once we're back aboveground, I'll stick to computer-related assignments. The worst injuries I can get are sore shoulders and wrists." He kissed the top of her head. "I'm fine, love. I promise."

She merely took in his heat and scent for a second, to reinforce that he was still alive and well. "Good, because if you die down here, I'll bring you back to life so I can kill you myself."

He chuckled. "Duly noted. Now, let's get out of the cold water and dry off. I'm impatient to try our grappling hook and get out of this bloody place."

She reluctantly released him, and they walked hand in hand to the shore. "Me, too. That way, we don't have to worry about rocks falling from the skies, in addition to being trapped underground." Wanting to lighten the mood a little, she added, "Not to mention I miss real food and milk in my tea."

"Don't mention food. I've been craving a bacon butty since the first day."

"You can have that. I want a good bolognese, warm garlic bread, and some wine."

"We really need to stop talking about food or I won't be able to concentrate."

She snorted. "First sex, now food. What can we talk about that won't distract you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Most everything else. Start citing old laws to me, and my eyes will glaze over."

She sniffed. "Some of the oldest ones can be quite interesting. You wouldn't believe the things that used to be illegal."

They reached their packs, Hayley shivered, and Nathan promptly said they'd change and worry about old laws later.

They both went to work getting dry and changed. Once done, Nathan moved the tripod from the tunnel back to the lake's shore and checked it over. Thanks to his efforts, it should be easier to aim and hit one of the openings.

He glanced at her. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Since Hayley knew she wouldn't be any good at aiming—she couldn't even throw a ball straight when she tried—Nathan took his spot behind the device. After a few agonizing moments of him looking through the scope and adjusting the trajectory, he said, "Here goes nothing."

She barely noticed the launcher's noise and watched as the grappling hook went up, up, and up. But it hit next to the biggest opening and fell, splitting it into several pieces on impact.

Hayley nibbled on her thumbnail. "Two more tries left today."

Nathan bobbed his head and focused entirely on his aim. Then he launched the second hook into the air. Up, up, up it went and through the hole! But then it bounced back into the center and crashed down, landing and breaking like the first one.

All they had left now was the old metal grappling hook they'd found in the treasure room.

Releasing her nail, she said, "Third time's a charm, right?"

Nathan grunted before looking through the scope and making minute adjustments. Even though Hayley was merely the observer, her heart pounded, and she crossed her fingers. They could try again tomorrow, but she really hoped this worked.

After Nathan hit the trigger, the hook sailed upward. At first, Hayley wasn't sure it'd reach since it was slightly heavier than the two improvised hooks they'd made.

But it just barely sailed through the hole and then nothing. It didn't come tumbling down.

However, they still weren't out of the woods, not by a long shot.

Nathan took a deep breath and walked to the dangling rope. "Wish me luck, Hayley."

"Good luck!"

He took a few more deep breaths, and she did the same. They were so close to getting out of here, and a longing to see the sky crashed over her.

She crossed her fingers even harder and willed for the hook to hold.

Nathan took the rope in his hands and gently tugged. However, the hook didn't come crashing down. With his gaze trained on the opening, he said, "I hear a little scraping. Let's see if it wrapped around something sturdy or not."

She hadn't heard anything, which was probably a good thing. Her nerves and blood pressure were already off the charts.

He tugged a little more until there was tension. After tugging again and the rope not moving, she cheered. "It worked! Didn't it?"

"I think so. But I'm still going to be extra careful about this." His gaze met hers. "Are you still okay with our plan?"

The plan was for him to climb up alone and then he'd fashion a loop she could stand in and he'd pull her up.

Of course, it meant being left alone in the dim light. Underground.

You trust him, Hayley. This is the best way. Your combined weights could snap the rope. "Yes, I'll be fine as long as you keep your promise."

He nodded. "If I think the rope is going to give, I'll dive toward the lake immediately."

It was likely he'd hit the water, but there wasn't a guarantee.

However, this was still the best chance they had. She walked over, kissed his cheek, and said, "Be careful."

"Always, love. Always."

She stepped back, and Nathan slowly ascended the rope. It took incredible upper body strength to keep going, and yet he didn't look to be breathing hard.

Another unfair thing about dragon-shifters. But for once she was glad he had the advantage since they wouldn't have this chance without it.

Watching his progress up the rope was agony. She bit off one nail and then another. It'd been years since she'd done it, and yet she needed something to keep from yelling for him to come back. Nathan didn't need any distractions.

And so she watched, fingers still crossed on one hand, as her dragonman climbed toward their possible freedom.