by Caris Roane
He took her arm in a gentle clasp. The kitchen might not have been the most romantic location, but the moment he touched her, the surroundings faded. All she saw was Liam.
But he was scowling.
She was surprised. “You’re mad? Why?”
“I’m remembering. You’d planned on going home with Ethan.”
Emma’s lips parted. “You shouldn’t have reminded me, because now all I can think about was what he was doing to my neck.”
He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Hard. “You’re mine, Emma. You need to forget about him.”
He leaned in and kissed her forehead, drifted lower to do the same to her brows, her eyelids, her cheeks.
When he went lower still and found her lips, she released a soft moan.
Liam was kissing her.
A tremor ran through her entire body and it felt like dragon.
She gasped and drew back. “Did you feel that?”
“Yes.” His voice was low. “What was it?”
“The dragons of my ancestors. I swear I’ve never felt this way before though many of my friends have. I am such a small percentage of dragon, compared to my human genes, that I never thought I could have any dragon sensations.”
She then looked down at his chest where his shirt was open. She could see the edges of the tattoos that covered much of his golden skin. She could also see a glimmer of his dragon flowing beneath the surface. “What am I looking at? I’m seeing something moving over your skin.”
He drew back and looked down at his chest. “I don’t see anything.”
She reached for his shirt. “May I?”
His lips quirked. “Of course.”
For a moment, she forgot what she wanted to explore. Liam seemed so different right now with a gleam in his eye and a soft smile on his lips. He was so handsome, this fire dragon.
Movement at his throat caught her eye again. She reverted her attention to what had made her so curious. She unbuttoned his shirt all the way to his waist.
He slid off his coat and set it on the kitchen counter.
She peeled back his shirt to his shoulders.
He looked down at his chest again. “What am I supposed to be looking at?”
“It’s not there right now. Let me try something.” She put her hand on his left pec. “Do you see it now?”
“Yes. You’re right. My scales, black with red iridescence. How are you doing that?”
“I don’t know. Come with me.” She took hold of his hand. “This must be the way to the bedroom.” A hall intersected with the kitchen doorway.
He laughed as she tugged him along. “Are you always so enthusiastic. I mean, about everything?”
“And curious. Get used to it.”
There were two or three guest bedrooms that would have fronted the forest side of the property. But she’d seen another set of French doors that opened onto the lake. If she’d designed the house herself, she would have put the master bedroom lakeside.
She found the door. Throwing it wide, sure enough, it was the main bedroom. She moved straight to the bed which was definitely king size. She gestured to the flat surface covered with a black silk topper.
“I need you naked and right here. I have to see this for myself.”
He chuckled as he removed his shirt. He then sat down on a chair by a tall dresser and slid off his black leather shoes.
She stood at the foot of the bed, her gaze fixed to his chest. His dragon sign wasn’t there. Yet in response to what she’d witnessed earlier, her own newly discovered inner dragon began moving through her body. It was the most amazing experience, like having water flow over her skin but from the inside.
As he stood up then stepped out of his slacks, she became acutely aware that he was naked. He’d gone commando and there he was, his beautiful warrior body and his long thick cock, partially erect.
Again, she nearly forgot what she’d intended to do and let her gaze rake his tall, heavily muscled form. She drew a deep breath then let it out slowly. She wanted to jump his bones, but she forced herself to stick to her original plan. “Lie down on the bed.” She stepped aside for him.
Smiling and clearly amused with her, he stretched out and once again, her initial train of thought almost got derailed. He was gorgeous and now fully erect. Apparently, he liked her taking charge.
She moved close to the side of the bed. “Lift up on your elbows. I want you to see this.” He obeyed.
She placed her hands on his upper chest as she had before then slowly moved them down to his navel. The black, iridescent scales of his dragon appeared on his skin, glowing and beautiful with a hint of red. “Isn’t this amazing?”
“It is. But I still don’t understand what it is or why it’s happening.”
“I think your dragon likes me.”
“Oh, I know he does.” He fondled her arm, squeezing the tender part above her elbow gently.
But she wouldn’t be distracted.
She continued down his body, with her hands over his lower abdomen then his thighs, calves and feet. Anywhere she touched, the dragon scales appeared, and they were so beautiful.
Of course, she had to know and moved back to his cock which, no surprise was still very erect. As she fondled his stalk, the scales appeared there as well. She smiled and something inside her warmed as well.
He groaned. “Your touch is like fire.”
She turned to meet his gaze. “Just as it should be, dragon-to-dragon.” She left the bed and unhooked the halter strap of her silver dress. She peeled it slowly down her body on purpose. His eyes flared as her breasts came into view then her abdomen, her sex and her long legs. Her shoes had disappeared on the sidewalk outside the club, so all that was left was her thong.
His gaze drifted over her entire body. He shifted position to sit on the side of the bed and put a hand on his cock.
Her mouth watered.
She was torn again. She wanted to drop to her knees and spend some time worshiping with her tongue and lips. But she also wanted to see if her dragon would come to the surface like his.
“Touch me,” she said. “I want to see if the dragon inside me, which your presence seems to be igniting, will appear on my skin like yours?”
He joined her and stood in front of her. His hands were warm as he caressed her shoulders then glided his palms down her back and all the way to her bottom. She sighed with pleasure.
He dipped close to her ear. “You’re beautiful.”
His gaze then fell to her firm breasts, peaked in the cool air. He drifted his hands to her front and placed both on her chest, covering her breasts. His palms were wonderfully warm, fiery warm like his dragon. She didn’t look at her skin to see if her dragon responded. Instead, she watched him as he ran his hands up and down her chest and abdomen.
She realized she never thought she’d be this close to him again.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t see anything.”
“It’s okay. It was a long shot but I’m not really feeling anything different either. Just the pleasure of your touch.”
His hands did another slow glide over her breasts and down her navel.
When he reached her thong, his fingers slid inside the elastic. Instead of pulling them off, however, he tugged upward which put a whole lot of pressure on her sex. It felt so good. “Oh, God. I forgot how well you know the female body.”
“I do.” He knelt in one easy movement so that his tongue laved her breasts and caused her to moan. Her sex tightened as he lowered to lick her navel. When he began a full descent and his tongue plied the silk fabric between her legs, she groaned heavily.
“Liam.”
She remembered all the ways he’d pleasured her the one night they’d been together. Over and over. She didn’t know how many orgasms she’d had, but she had relived them in detail many times afterward.
He was wicked with his tongue. And his fingers. And every other damn part of his body.
Liam.
; She sighed with contentment.
She felt his thumbs grip the elastic once more, only this time, he slid the thong down until she was stepping out of it. The cool wood floor felt wonderful against her feet.
He stood up, then gathered her into his arms.
She was in the air before she realized he’d levitated. She chuckled, loving it all.
He flew her to the bed then flipped back the covers. He settled her on the sheet but didn’t join her. Instead, he ended up at the bottom of the bed, grabbed her ankles and pulled her toward him.
Her entire body shivered in anticipation.
He balanced one of her legs on one shoulder and then the other. What came next startled her. He breathed a hot stream of air over her lower lips, a gift of his dragon-ness. Hooray for fire dragons.
She laughed and cried out. It felt so good to be tended to in this way.
He licked her repeatedly, and every once in a while continued to blow that same stream of heat. At the same time, his fingers made a northerly march and he played with her breasts. She covered his hands with her own, closed her eyes and let it all happen. He licked and teased her with his tongue and blew the hot air until she trembled with pleasure.
In the back of her mind was her desire to see the dermal scales again. But for now, oh God, this would do.
Her hips began to rock, and he flicked her lower lips until she was crying out. He dipped lower. She knew what would come next and she waited, her sex clenching and begging for his tongue.
He stopped and looked at her. “Tell me what you want.” His eyes were now almost pure silver, heavy with passion and carried the look of his dragon. “Tell me what you want.”
“Your tongue plunging deep into my sex. Please.” Her hips jerked in response.
He smiled. “Look at me while I tongue-fuck you.”
Her gaze became transfixed on his eyes as he penetrated her. She’d been longing for this for months and now here he was, in a room, on a lake in vampire country, piercing her with his beautiful, long muscular dragon tongue.
He went faster then sent along a broad stream of exquisite heat. She grabbed for air then the orgasm hit her, causing her throat to open and a long cry to come out of her mouth. He sustained the pace until her hips settled down. But she knew this was only the beginning.
His mind slid into hers, Come for me again, Emma.
Once more, his tongue thrust, fast and hard. Heat followed. She gripped the sheet with both hands. She cried out again as another orgasm peaked. Pleasure pulsed through her sex only this time it pushed up through her lower abdomen and teased her navel.
So good. So good.
But he wasn’t done. Again for me, Emma. I know you. I know how many times you can come.
Once more, his tongue took her up to the pinnacle and beyond. Only this time, the orgasm crested over her sex then became a wave that kept flowing up and up until pleasure washed through her brain. She knew she was making a high, keening sound, but she couldn’t help it.
When she finally began to descend on the other side, her body fell lax.
He settled her legs to hang over the side of the bed, then slowly kissed his way up her stomach. Just as he would have reached her breasts, he stopped and spread his hand over belly. “What is this?”
She lifted up on her elbows and there it was the same sign on her that had been on Liam, only it was a beautiful fiery red and silver, the latter the color that rimmed his eyes. “I don’t know, but this is what I saw on you, except the scales were black and iridescent red, like your dragon scales.”
“Then your dragon must be red and silver.” His hands stroked her breasts. His touch was heaven. “Even here,” he said. His palms glided over her upper chest, then her shoulders and down her arms. “I’m loving your fire-dragon.”
She caressed his face with both hands. “I’ve always loved your silver dragon eyes. It’s the same silver in a narrow rim around your blue irises.”
He kissed her on the lips, a full wonderful kiss that felt like a first kiss. She slid her arms around his neck, then drove her fingers into his thick, wavy hair.
He deepened the kiss and his tongue was in her mouth, pushing and exploring. She did the same so that soon they were dueling and pushing at each other.
She spread her legs, the very best invitation she could offer him.
He groaned then reached low to guide himself to her entrance. Once seated, he began to push.
Emma savored the feel of his cock as he made his way inside her. She hadn’t been with anyone since Liam and now she understood why. He felt just right, like he’d been made for her body, to fill her, to please her, to meet her womanly needs.
He continued to kiss her, and she responded, kissing him back, embracing his powerful shoulders, running her hands up and down his arms. Every dip and swell enhanced the pleasure of each thrust.
“God, you feel good, Emma. Really good.”
“You feel wonderful, too. I love having you inside me like this. Faster, please.”
He chuckled softly. “My pleasure…or yours.”
“Both.” The word came out on a groan.
When he lifted up and began to thrust harder, her gaze fell to his chest.
Her throat caught on a gasp. His dragon sign was moving just beneath the surface of his skin in timing with each plunge of his cock into her sex. It was beautiful and completely erotic.
“I wish you could see this.”
He nodded. “I see your dragon. It’s flickering over your skin. So beautiful.” He kissed her again and again.
He began to thrust his tongue in her mouth the same way he thrust his cock. A series of moans escaped her throat.
His mouth and tongue had the most beautiful charred flavor just like his scent.
When she caught his tongue and began to suckle, he groaned long and loud and his hips went dragon fast, faster than a human.
The orgasm built inside her, intensifying and sharpening until it exploded within and pleasure burst through her body.
She screamed as he drew back and shouted his own orgasm.
But even as the initial sensation abated, he kept thrusting and she knew from experience he had more to give.
She gripped his shoulders. He held her gaze and leveled his silvery blue eyes at her. He sped up his thrusts, faster and faster, deeper and deeper until once more pleasure soared through her.
His dragon sign pulsed with the same speed. Her own dragon moved within her. She could feel his dragon.
The orgasm hit hard. She cried out as his body arched away from hers. His shouts mingled with every cry and moan of hers until her body simply lost its ability to do anything but collapse.
He eased onto her as well though supporting himself on his forearms.
He kissed her. “Thank you, Emma.”
Contentment flowed through her like she’d never known. She was beyond satisfied physically, but it was the warmth swirling over and around her heart that held her captive. She wanted to stay right here in this place forever, beneath him with his cock buried deep inside her, with his dragon moving over his skin and her own dragon becoming more real and present.
She cupped his face with her hand then leaned up and kissed him. “My pleasure.”
Literally, physically, metaphorically, mystically.
Dragon to dragon.
She released a deep sigh.
The thing she had desired for so long had finally happened.
She stayed lost in the euphoria of the moment, holding him close and caressing his shoulders until she realized how quiet he’d grown.
She eased back enough to look at his face. A crease had formed between his brows. Anxiety of the worst kind tightened her stomach. “What is it? I something wrong?”
“Nothing. I mean, Emma please don’t make more of this than it is.”
His words began to shatter the moment.
“What is it, then?” She’d asked the question before could weigh the wisdom of it.
Slowly
, he began to pull out of her. He tucked a washcloth between her legs. This small act, as kind as it was in one sense, left her feeling empty.
He rolled onto his back. She would give him that. He didn’t immediately leave the bed.
All her doubts about him and his inability to be with a woman since his wife died, flooded back. She tried to block the sensations because she knew his fears were only exacerbating her own.
She didn’t feel entirely rational.
She had to think.
She didn’t want the next thing she said to be the wrong thing.
A thought popped into her head. She examined it and felt a faint warning that she should hold back. But she said it anyway. “I wish you could forget your wife.”
The moment the words were out, she knew she’d said the absolute worst thing she could have said to him. Even Logan had talked to her about how raw Liam was about his wife’s death even after almost two decades.
She attempted to backtrack. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be unkind. I shouldn’t have said anything, but I felt you pulling away.”
He spoke quietly. “I guess this was a mistake.”
He left the room and she didn’t try to follow him. It occurred to her that if she had ever desired to end a budding relationship with Liam, she’d found the swiftest, surest way. More power to her, God help her.
She had the worst, most profound insight that Liam wasn’t the only one with issues in their relationship.
She didn’t care about protocol or anything else. She put her thong and club-dress back on and headed out to the lakeside porch.
She was a good flyer and before she could talk herself out of it, she rose into the air and set a course for the hotel. When she was almost there, she contacted Liam with a brusque telepathic message. I’ll be in my rooms at the hotel. Apologies. I’m afraid this is on me. I’ll take my transport back on the caravan.
There was a long pause, then finally, he responded, Message received.
How hollow his voice sounded even inside her head.
~ ~ ~
Later, Liam sat on the deck overlooking the lake. He’d poured five fingers of Scotch into a tumbler and most of it was gone. He was pretty sure he’d need another five before he’d be able to sleep.
He wasn’t feeling much and that’s exactly what he wanted right now.
