“Your leg!” She gasped, and once again he fought off the urge to laugh. He knew it had just hit her that he was standing here talking to her, instead of being laid out flat on his ass.
He sensed, more than saw, her drop down to the ground and begin to hastily gather up her supplies. He could barely make out her outline in the sparse light filtering through the cavern from the fire he had stoked back to life when he discovered her gone, but not much else at all.
“Not to worry, my leg’s fine. It’s healing,” he told her as he moved even closer and squatted down beside her, attempting to help, but he only succeeded in knocking his chin against the top of her head with a sound snap as she scuttled about. “Shit! Sorry.” He apologized, reaching out and taking her arm. “Are you alright?”
“My heads harder than you’d think,” she replied, beginning to stand, and her delicate hand skimmed across his middle and rested on his hip in what must have been an attempt to steady herself. He found the contact absolutely distracting in the most delicious way and sucked in a breath.
Without conscious thought, his arm slithered around her waist and he pulled her to him, his mouth lowering and instinctively finding hers in the darkness.
He didn’t give it any forethought whatsoever, or worry for a single moment about what he was doing; he was acting purely on desire and he wasn’t about to listen to what common sense was trying to tell him.
As he had wandered about the cavern, searching for some sign of her, and ultimately finding nothing more than a few items stashed away, he began to feel what he could only describe as an extreme sense of loss hit him at the thought that she had finally had enough of his gruff disposition and had just simply stolen away. And, as much as it pained him to admit it, even to himself, he realized that it felt quite a bit like a punch to the gut. Something he had never experienced before in his very long life.
It had been something almost like…panic.
Now, his mouth greedily took hers; his tongue skimming along her lips, urging them to open, and his heart slammed against his ribs when she obliged. His free hand lifted to her face, his fingertips brushing along her cheek and caressing her warm flesh, soft as the finest of silks. A groan vibrated through his body, insisting he needed more.
Their tongues sparred and chased the others with a growing need that was impossible to deny. It was a palpable thing. Raw and demanding, and before he was fully aware of what he was doing, he had lifted her up in his arms and was walking towards the area near the fire, his mouth refusing to leave hers for even a single moment.
As if some divine presence was guiding him, he stopped where the discarded blankets lay crumpled on the floor of the cavern and gently laid her down on them, his body trembling with need as he stretched out beside her.
He knew that he should slow it down. That this was beyond crazy. But it seemed as if he had wanted this woman forever, and the taste of her mouth was the sweetest nectar that he was unable to resist.
Finally, summoning up every ounce of self-control he contained, and praying to the Gods in the Heavens to give him strength, he broke free from her mouth and looked into her eyes, those aqua depths shining like sea glass as the burning fire reflected in them, snapping and dancing as nothing he had ever seen before.
“Marissa…” he husked, not sure what it was that he wanted to say. He just knew that he needed to give her the chance to tell him to stop. To tell him that she didn’t want him as much as he wanted her.
And the thought of her turning him away nearly killed him.
Marissa gazed up at this man in something very much like awe, her breath hitching in her throat as his eyes seemed to stare directly into her soul, and all she wanted to do was scream…
…More.
She couldn’t even begin to find the right words to express to him what she was feeling exactly. It was as if a million butterflies had been released in her tummy and her body was crying out for him in a way that was new to her.
She was so unschooled and naïve to the surge of emotions rushing through her like a whirlpool. She only knew that she didn’t want it to stop. She didn’t want this sublime euphoria to end, and consequences be damned!
“Chase,” she husked, and the thought popped into her head that this was the first time she had called him by his name, and her mouth lifted at the corners a bit as she realized that she liked it. It sounded right. She took a quick breath as she tried to calm her pounding heart, not truly believing that this was actually happening. “Don’t talk,” she demanded finally. “Just shut up and kiss me.”
She felt his chest vibrate against hers as he moved in closer, a cross between a laugh and a growl rumbling through him. It seemed to come from the very recesses of his soul, and his mouth slammed against hers.
Marissa’s fingers skimmed up his back and into his thick, wavy hair, pulling him closer as he kissed her stupid.
She felt him tense and he broke their kiss once again, much to her distain.
“What’s wrong?” she croaked as he pulled away from her, and stood.
She watched in confusion as he spun around, looking off into the darkness, his head tilted slightly as if listening for something, and she could feel the tension rolling off of him in waves. She moved and joined him, standing beside him and listening as intently.
Silence.
“Chase? What is it? What’s wrong,” she whispered, a growing sense of unease beginning to wash over her.
Finally, after several nerve-wracking moments of silence, he shook his head, gracing her with a small grin, and she knew that he was trying to reassure her. It seemed forced. “I thought I heard something,” he replied softly. “It’s nothing, I’m sure.”
Marissa wondered if he had used this as an excuse to stop where their kiss was obviously leading, and swallowed back her mortification.
She cleared her throat and began to gather her forgotten bags, trying to find something to busy herself with in the hopes of hiding her embarrassment.
“Oh! I almost forgot,” she rushed out, and found herself beginning to ramble on like a fool before she could stop herself. “I…um, I got stuff for dinner and…and I got coffee.”
His chuckle drifted through the air and warmed her belly as he helped her to gather their supplies and head back to the fire. He moved around searching for driftwood as she began to prepare what she hoped would be an edible meal, wondering if his sudden change of heart was because he had come to his senses and knew that getting involved with her was a mistake, and completely beneath him.
He was a dragon leader. A warrior. He had no business consorting with the likes of her.
Chase watched her as he moved about, his curiosity piqued as to why she was suddenly so flustered.
After much deliberation, he realized that she must have been confused by his abrupt ending to their kiss when she had obviously not heard what he had, and he found that he wanted to reassure her that it had not been by choice, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He had no right to kiss her as he had. It damn well wasn’t the right time, nor place. His basic desire had gotten the better of him and had distracted him, causing him to let his defenses down, again. Something he should have learned the hard way that he should never do. Especially considering his current situation. He wasn’t about to go down that road again.
He knew that he had heard something. It had been faint, almost like the sound of a soft cough. He was fairly certain of it; yet couldn’t help but wonder if it had merely been his subconscious telling him he needed to stop.
No matter how much he hadn’t wanted to.
His priority needed to be concentrating on finding the men who had done this to him. He wanted to get his Amulet of Dragaan back, and return to his clan. They would begin to wonder where he had gone, and a beautiful mermaid was just the distraction he sure as hell didn’t need at the moment. He had been searching for, what he now believed to be, this very group of men who were attacking paranormals; robbing and killing
them at will, and he was not about to stop now that he was so close to ending them.
He glanced over at the lovely creature in question as she busied herself preparing their meal and felt a strange ache begin in his chest.
She was exquisite.
He thanked the Gods that she had found it within herself to lend him assistance. Not to mention that if he were to be completely honest, she was just the lead he had needed to find these bastards and end their reign of terror once and for all.
It was almost as if fate had stepped in.
A small part of him felt guilty for using her this way, but the one thing Chase had learned over his many years of leading was that you never looked a gift horse…or fish…in the mouth.
He sure as shit didn’t need to muddy the waters by toying with her emotions simply because she was just too hard to resist for her own good...or his! It wasn’t her fault that she was perfection personified.
He grabbed what driftwood he could find and brought it over to the fire. He sat down beside her and gave her a wayward smile.
“It smells delicious,” he commented, suddenly at a loss for what to say to her.
Christ! She was distracting as hell.
All he could focus on was the overwhelming desire to pull her back into his arms and kiss her until they were both out of breath and senseless. His body cried out for it.
He really needed to focus.
“You stupid, ignorant son of a bitch!” Magnus growled in fury, grabbing Dimitri by the neck and throwing him against a nearby tree with a powerful crack. “You could have just screwed everything up!”
“I wasn’t thinking,” he pushed out as he gasped for much needed air.
Magnus had him in a death grip, fighting with every ounce of restraint he had not to just snap the bastard’s neck, knowing that Dimitri’s ignorance could have cost them dearly.
The boy hadn’t been thinking. He’d been day-dreaming. Wishing he were in some woman’s bed instead of keeping watch on a dragon leader and freaking Ariel!
“No. You were not.” Magnus countered angrily, easing his hold on him a bit. “Luckily, we seem to be in the clear. I suggest we go report back to Aquilas and see what he wants us to do next.” He glanced toward the small opening that Krill’s daughter had slipped through. “I doubt they will be leaving anytime soon.”
He dropped his hand and Dimitri slid down to his knees in the dirt, greedily pulling air into his lungs. He’d had his fill of this group of mermen. At first, he had found enjoyment in robbing and ridding their world of other beings. It made him feel superior. Not to mention lined his pockets and granted him the ability to buy and live a way that a mer never could have imagined.
But now…it was beginning to get out of hand. They were actually beginning to believe all this hype they were selling.
Yes. It had been thrilling and prosperous, but it was just getting old now. They were getting careless, and the fact that they had tried to kill a leader of a powerful dragon clan was just foolhardy and arrogant.
Dimitri had done some homework, and the dragon in question was a powerful and important man. Not to mention the rumors that he was also looking for them.
Shit and hellfire! What in the name of Poseidon had Aquilas been thinking? Although, he doubted very much that Aquilas had truly known what and who they had been messing with.
Now, thanks to the daughter of Krill, the dragon was still alive! Where in the hell had she come from?
He looked up at Magnus who was staring down at him in what could only be described as pure contempt, and decided that he was done. No more. He would leave this group of pirates at the first opportunity. He was done killing and stealing from others. He was done listening to the bullshit these men spewed about being the superior species.
He was just done.
“Get up,” Magnus sneered in disgust before turning and walking away.
Chapter Five
“I have to give you credit, Sweetheart,” Chase sighed, feeling more content then he had in years. He leaned back and took a long swig of his coffee. “You did one hell of a fine job on dinner considering that you live underwater most of the time.”
He watched her eyes light up at his compliment and it hit him how absolutely striking she was. Her flawless alabaster skin and heart-shaped face were things most men could only dream about. Her lips were plump and pink, and they glistened in the firelight as if begging to be tasted again.
And, by God, he wanted more than anything to just throw caution to the wind and give in to the gnawing need that was pulling at his gut.
Instead he cleared his throat and took another sip of his coffee.
“So, tell me,” he said, trying hard to distract himself by any means possible. “What exactly about living on land doesn’t appeal to you?” He didn’t know why he cared to know; he just knew that he did.
She was silent for a very long time, almost as if debating on whether to answer him or not, and he found himself not liking the look that suddenly appeared behind her eyes. It was much like that of a caged or cornered animal.
His curiosity piqued, he leaned forward a bit and captured her gaze, trying his best to give her a reassuring smile. He didn’t understand why he was so…protective of her. He was a leader. He usually didn’t go the gentle route.
But with her…
“Marissa, you can tell me,” he urged.
Marissa tried to force back the lump forming in her throat as the sound of her name leaving his lips wrapped around her. Good Lord, but the man’s voice was like a soothing balm that just instantly eased her soul. It slithered across her body and made her want to do whatever he asked of her, and before she could even think to stop herself, the words were spilling from her mouth in a heated rush.
“I’ve never really felt like I belonged anywhere,” she said, her voice low. “My father was a leader who never had time for me, and my mother left not long after I was born. Merpeople are nomadic by nature, and family isn’t very important to most. I never felt that way. I found myself longing for a family, and as I grew, I thought that maybe I would fit in better on land. Perhaps find what I was missing. I had heard so many stories of others who had chosen that life.” She hesitated a moment, feeling as if she needed to explain that not all her people were scum. “Merpeople, like the men who attacked you, but…also others. Good people, who simply wanted a life away from the waters.” She took a shaky breath, looking down at her hands as she twisted them in her lap. “I never really planned to stay above the water. I thought I would simply venture on land from time to time, experiencing whatever I could. There were so many amazing things to do and see, and I was fascinated by it. That was when I began to stash away money and clothes and the necessities that I knew would be needed to fit in. This way, I could move among the landwalkers undetected and learn all about their way of life.”
Marissa stopped, feeling as if a very large stone had been placed on her chest. It felt as if the air had thickened around her, and she tried to take a calming breath. She hadn’t realized that this would be so difficult.
“I was walking alone late one night, and I passed a pub. I guess I must have been unconsciously drawn to the sounds of laughter coming from inside. It was intoxicating. I stopped to watch a moment, listening to the music as it filled the air. As I stood there, almost transfixed by the sight of people dancing, there was a trio of men who were being thrown out for what I can only assume was drunkenness. I realized that it would be in my best interest to keep walking and I quickly continued on, not wanting be noticed.
But it was too late, and they began to follow me.”
She stopped, feeling as if her throat was closing up on her and realized that it was because of the tears that were stinging the backs of her eyes. Threatening to spill out, and she tried to will them away. That night had been horrendous. They had taunted and grabbed at her, and she had come as close to being violated as she had ever been. She hadn’t had anyone to run to for help. Luckily, the sound of som
eone coming had caught their attention enough that she had been able to break away and run.
And run she had. Like the Devil himself were chasing her.
Marissa knew how lucky she had been that night, and had all but stopped venturing on land after that unless it was absolutely necessary, realizing that the creatures who lived there were dangerous and vile.
“Let’s just say that I was fortunate enough to have been able to refuse their advances and leave them behind in one piece, but they really didn’t leave a great impression of landwalkers on me,” she choked out, shaking her head and looking back up to meet his gaze. The compassion that she saw reflected in his eyes nearly stole the breath from her lungs. It was honest and genuine.
She caught her breath and watched in stunned silence as he leaned forward and grasped her arm, pulling her toward him so that she was suddenly nestled firmly on his lap as he wrapped his strong arms around her. His biceps felt like steel bands around her as he held her to his chest, and she felt safer than she could ever remember feeling before.
“Chase…” his name was no more than a whisper coming from her lips, but he didn’t say a word. He simply tilted his head and leaned forward, silencing whatever she had been planning to say with his mouth on hers.
Not that she had even the slightest inkling as to what she was going to say, but it didn’t matter. The moment his lips met hers, all rational thought flew out of her head and she kicked into running on pure instinct and desire.
She kissed him back greedily, hungrily, without a moment’s hesitation, making sure to convey to him that she wanted this as much as he seemed to.
Their tongues tasted and teased the others in a sensual game of tag that had an urgency and demand that had her skin humming with excitement. Marissa’s blood rushed through her veins and her body ached for so much more, even though she wasn’t quite sure what that actually was.
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