by Caris Roane
~ ~ ~
The sensation of being airborne caused Emma to immediately shift gears. Like the dragon-rider she’d trained to be, she flowed with his body and held her sex fast to his cock at the same time.
Seamless.
Perfect.
Erotic.
When she landed on her back, she wrapped her legs quickly around his ass and pulled his groin tight against hers.
He was smiling. Again. All those beautiful teeth and a sense of contentment. Maybe even joy.
His first thrust brought a moan gliding from her throat. “You feel so good inside me.”
“I like being here.” He spoke the truth. She could see it in his face, and she felt it.
She took a moment to savor his cock as well as their connection. At the same time, she could feel her dragon more alive than ever within her. She’d meant what she said. She swore it was Liam who coaxed her dragon to the surface.
As he moved over her, she closed her eyes and pictured her dragon, then becoming a dragon, shifting from human to the powerful form that had brought Earth’s dragons all the way to Dusane so many thousands of years ago.
Emma, your dragon.
I know. I’m really feeling her now.
So beautiful. Open your eyes.
Emma met his gaze and saw how fiery his eyes glowed, all silvery blue, like a distant star. Something was happening between them she didn’t understand except that it was more dragon than human. She felt as though she could connect more deeply to him than any man she’d ever known.
She gripped his arms and sank her nails. His body arched then he increased his tempo. He moved swiftly inside her now, thrusting hard and deep, hitting her sex just right.
The orgasm built, pushing her higher and higher. “Liam.”
When she called out his name, he went faster still and took her straight over the top. A high-pitched cry left her throat as pleasure began to course through her. The orgasm rolled with a power she’d never experienced before, setting her sex on fire and exploding up through her abdomen.
She cried out again and again.
As Liam began to release, yet another orgasm shot through her, another flow of exquisite fire that spread all through her body especially her lower abdomen. She felt consumed with intense pleasure that kept her throat open with even more piercing cries.
He slowed his thrusts after his release, but he was still granite hard.
She met his gaze with some difficulty as her body continued to writhe. “More?” she asked. She could hardly catch her breath.
“God yes. Emma, this is amazing.”
“It is.”
Again, he thrust into her, deep and heavy. Her sex gripped him and pulled on him, needing everything he had to give.
He moved faster than before, dragon fast, until she was screaming at the red crystal flames on the ceiling and absorbing more of the heat from the fire. Her dragon loved it all.
Pleasure flowed, cascaded then flowed some more.
Finally, she began to ease down as the last orgasm rippled through her body.
Liam had all but collapsed on top of her. He was breathing hard. She was as well.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, finishing the way she’d begun when she’d kissed him on the patio. She held him tight. That was magnificent. Incredible.
Yes, it was.
He was smiling as he drew back and met her gaze. “We are definitely good at this.”
She laughed and caressed his face. ‘Love’ came to mind.
She blinked. Was it possible? Did she love him? If not, this was about as close as anyone could get. “I hope we get to do this more.” She wasn’t sure she should have said that, to have expressed her desires. She knew they were both vulnerable.
Though his expression sobered, she could tell he wasn’t upset. “I want to do this more, Emma. When I spoke to you earlier about my wife, it was my way of saying I’m trying to move on, and I want to be with you. But like you, I know it won’t be easy, for either of us. Maybe it’s because we’re warrior dragons and we have a job to do, a duty beyond our own needs and desires.”
She slid her fingers into his thick hair once more. “I want to be here, too. I really do. I want to give this a shot. And I’ll try not to hold back or to sabotage. But I may call you on your bullshit.”
At that he chuckled. “Counting on it.”
How easy it all felt, to be talking about their future while he was still buried inside her. She didn’t want him to leave, either.
So, instead of saying more, she kissed him again and rocked her hips several times.
He drew back just enough to meet her gaze. “Again?” His smile was crooked.
“Yes, please.”
Chapter Seven
Over the next week, Emma was sure the bubble would burst. She half-expected Liam to remember the loss of his wife and to disappear again. But he didn’t.
Which meant she worked hard not to throw anymore grenades.
She spent every off-hour with him, taking turns at their respective homes. Though given how vocal they both were, she was happiest at Dragonslip Gorge. They didn’t have neighbors to worry about.
Jane had asked her, “What’s it like?”
“A dream.” There it was again, a sense that her time with Liam was unreal and wouldn’t last. “I’m scared.” The words had come out on a whisper.
But Jane had hugged her. “You deserve this man, Emma. You deserve to be this happy. Try to relax, live in the present moment and enjoy.”
Easier said than done, but Jane’s words had helped.
She had also thought that given how close she and Liam had become something would have emerged to help thwart the Magi. Though their skill levels continued to sharpen, Emma didn’t see that she was offering anything unique to their current battle skill set.
The Magi were her greatest concern. Her instincts told her Arranfar would soon be under siege. She and Liam needed to be ready, yet an additional weapon in their arsenal eluded them.
~ ~ ~
Liam sat in Logan’s favorite club, The Spiked Tail, listening to a band. He sipped a bottle of amber ale, a nice Earth import. Logan had asked him to toss back a few shots, but he’d refused. Logan, despite his occasional prank, was a good friend and one of the finest dragon warriors Liam had ever known.
A band played a combination of jazz, country and dragon folk-rock. It was nice. Liam knew the bass player. Before Emma, he’d often paired with Charlotte in battle. She was an exceptional dragon-rider. She was also Logan’s ex. Liam wondered if Logan knew just how high he carried his torch for the woman. Logan had never shared the details of their break-up, but Liam suspected his fellow warrior had played a guilt-worthy role.
Then there was Emma. He wished like hell he was with her right now. How long had it been since they’d made love at Dragonslip Gorge for the first time? A week? Ten days. Time had passed, but he wasn’t sure how. The days had become a blur of lovemaking and the occasional bout of hot unexpected sex like in the bushes when he’d been on a run with her.
How willing Emma was on all fronts. She was a dedicated warrior just like him. Completely professional. And she was athletic in bed.
He always knew when she wanted him which was often while they were battle training. Her desire, full of her lilac scent, tended to spike his. And at least half the time, he did something about it.
Everyone knew what was going on with them. He blamed himself. He hadn’t exactly been a model of discretion. Yet, somehow, he didn’t care.
“So, what do you think?”
Liam put the cold bottle to his lips and swigged. Shit. He hadn’t been listening. He swallowed and shrugged. “About what?”
Logan laughed and threw back yet another of several shots of whisky he had lined up. He had an oversized mug filled with cheap tap beer as well and alternated. Liam was pretty sure this was a second mug and he was waiting for an announcement Logan was off to the head.
“About the bet,” Log
an said. “I want to win this one. I’ve got ten thousand on an autumn wedding.”
Liam frowned. “Whose wedding?”
“Yours and Emma’s.”
Liam felt thin tendrils of smoke curl from his nostrils.
But Logan slapped his leg and laughed out loud. “Damn, you’re easy.”
“There is no bet.”
“Nah. Just yanking your chain.” Logan then sighed and again his gaze drifted to the auburn-haired beauty executing a run on her electric bass guitar. He tossed off another shot.
Logan added, “But you are making one fine ass of yourself.”
Liam chuckled. “Don’t I know it.”
“So, what’s it like having a girlfriend after all these years?”
A girlfriend. He was two hundred years old and he had a girlfriend. He chuckled.
What was it like? Feeling weightless. Constantly sexed up. His thoughts focused on Emma like she was the sun and he had to keep her spinning or the universe would explode.
He finally answered Logan’s question. “Like I’m hungover all the time but in a good way.”
“Ah, the beautiful nausea of love.”
Liam paused mid-swallow, then forced the rest of the beer down his throat. Was it love? Was he willing to call his experience with Emma the same as his feelings for his wife? Could he go that far?
He admitted one truth to Logan. “I’m scared shitless.”
Logan’s expression sobered as he shifted his gaze for the hundredth time back to Charlotte. “Aren’t we all, Brother? Aren’t we all?”
~ ~ ~
Completely naked yet completely distracted by her thoughts, Emma knelt on Liam’s bed. His dark silk sheets were cool beneath her knees.
She was looking at Liam, though not quite seeing him. He was stretched out in front of her, elbow crooked on the pillow, his head supported with his hand.
He was probably smiling, something he did often now.
“I keep wondering why we can’t figure this out.” Her gaze slid to the red crystal flames on the wall behind his bed. “We’re both smart, you’ve been a warrior for eons, I’m trying my best, yet we remain stuck.”
“You know what I’ve been wondering?”
She shifted her gaze back to him. “What?” Maybe he had an idea about how they could improve their battle strategies.
He patted the spot next to him. “I’m wondering why you, and that gorgeous body of yours, aren’t stretched out right here.”
Her breath caught then she released a sigh of relief. “Are you saying I should let our battling tactics go for now?” She grinned.
“Just for a little while. I’m feeling very needy.” He drew the sheet back and revealed that he was in that gorgeous half-erect place of exquisite promise.
She eased herself down next to him and glided her hand over his cock. At the same time, she kissed him, savoring the feel of his lips on hers and the quick emergence of his tongue.
She loved being with Liam, making love with him, feeling his tongue pressed against her lips until she opened for him.
The room heated up and her fire dragon began to race around inside her. For a moment she felt dizzy, even nauseous, but the sensation passed.
It had been two-and-a-half weeks of non-stop lovemaking, morning and night. Sometimes at noon.
Once he’d gone on a run with her then pulled her behind a tall bank of shrubs. She’d given herself easily.
More than once, she’d taken him to her rooms at HQ right in the middle of training. A couple of days ago Jane had almost walked in on them.
Now, as he entered her, she fell into a familiar place of bliss. Nothing had ever felt so wonderful in her life as having Liam inside her, being one with him, loving him.
She no longer wondered what was happening. She was madly in love with her warrior dragon. She respected him as a man and as a warrior, she approved of how he treated all the dragon-riders and he made time for his friends.
Most of all, she loved how he was with her.
When he took her to the pinnacle again, his voice pierced her mind and the most precious words spilled out. I love you, Emma.
With pleasure cascading over her in heavy waves, his words brought tears to her eyes. She met his gaze. “I love you too, Liam, more than I can say.”
Later, when Liam had fallen asleep, she headed to the bathroom. On the way, she felt dizzy again and her stomach churned. What had she eaten that she was feeling this way? Though it wasn’t the first time over the past few days that she’d felt off-kilter.
She drew a few deep breaths and when she felt better, she stepped into the shower, got beneath the spray and savored the hot water.
Just as she had rinsed the soap off her body, however, awareness dawned coupled with a certainty of innate knowledge.
She pressed her hand to her lower abdomen and drew in a slow deep breath.
There it was, a sensation of life not her own, separate and extraordinary.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered beneath the water.
She carried a powerful dragon daughter who she knew would one day serve in the ADF just like her parents.
~ ~ ~
“Why would Santos call a meeting this early?” Liam was in his master bathroom and had just gotten off the phone with HQ though it was barely five in the morning. HQ never called him at this hour, not even when he had a caravan run. Emma was in the bedroom.
When Emma didn’t respond, Liam paused at the doorway to the bedroom and looked at her. She sat on the edge of the bed staring at the red and black flames on the wall in front of her.
“You okay?”
She turned to look at him. “What? Oh, sure.” She stood up then started hunting for her clothes. “I’d better meet you there. I’ll need my uniform.”
“Right.” He sensed something was wrong, but Santos’s emergency call took priority. He made a mental note to find out what was going on with her. For now, he needed to get ready.
By the time he finished his shower, Emma was gone.
Later, arriving at the general assembly room, he didn’t see her. He grabbed a coffee then saved her a seat. There were a lot of groggy faces as the rows filled up.
Emma was quiet when she sat down beside him. Most everyone was. But she didn’t have a coffee in hand, which was unusual for her. Her cheeks looked drawn. Maybe what would no doubt be a call to arms had gotten to her. Despite her abilities, he had to keep reminding himself that she wasn’t a seasoned veteran.
Santos and two of his assistants were on the low, carpeted stage. One of them was fiddling with a monitor control. The other spoke in low tones to Santos then left.
Liam watched the woman leave. Did she just brush a tear off her cheek?
Without thinking, he took Emma’s hand. She squeezed in response. His chest felt tight. Whatever was going on wasn’t good.
As the lights came down, the audience’s soft, serious chatter drifted away.
Santos drew an unusually deep breath then said, “It’s best if you see this for yourself.”
A cellphone video started up with an agitated but hushed male voice narrating. “I hope you can see this. Help us, Field Marshall. We’re near the border of Magiffe at the southeastern end of Lake Yaardoe. My family has lived here for generations. We’ve had Magi cruising the lake for the past week. Oh, God. Here comes another attack. I’ve never seen anything like this. Hundreds are already dead. The smell, even across the lake.”
Liam could hear a low rumbling then suddenly, on the opposite side of the lake where he could see the lights of a small village, a small squadron of three Magi dragons belched fire that a second later became a storm so large that the entire village was engulfed. A few muffled screams followed then silence.
“I’m sending the video. Field Marshall Santos, please help us. There are two thousand of us here.”
As the Magi turned and headed toward the camera, the video ended abruptly.
Santos brought the lights up. He stood next to a large wood
podium, a mic in hand. “This happened at 0200 hours. There are few survivors. I’ve had Intelligence reviewing every aspect of what you just saw. The Magi have new technology, an amplification device of some kind. We’ve heard rumors over the past few months, but nothing concrete until this morning.” He took another long breath. “It gets worse. We’ve had similar reports that the Magi have been planning a run at Blue Lake South though no specific dates or times were given. Our satellites have just confirmed that a Magi contingent is in the air and heading our direction.”
“How many?” The words left Liam’s throat before he could stop them. Santos met his gaze then shifted to scan the audience.
“Six squadrons of three. The Council in Davathorpe has ordered an evacuation of our region, something I concur with completely. ETA for the attack is three hours. The Magi have caught a Konbrack wind out of the east, so they’re bringing grit with them. We’re planning to engage to the east out at the Mud Flats where the population is thin. You all know what to do. Warriors remain behind. The rest of you, dismissed. Let’s make our people safe.”
The administrative staff at HQ rose to its feet and began making its way to the different exits. There were twelve-hundred pairs of feet and very little talking.
A Konbrack wind was one of the hardest to navigate and sometimes to endure. It came with sharp, jagged bits of rock and sand picked up from the volcanic deserts at the western edge of the Animarragh Mountains.
As people shuffled out the doors, a distant evacuation alarm sounded over the lake. A long blare then three short blasts. The sequence would repeat for a full two-minutes, rest for five then resume until city patrols could confirm that every resident had left Blue Lake South. Liam glanced in the direction of the bank of windows that faced west. The sky was still dark.
It was moments like these Liam wished for an air force. But the continental governments of Dusane had agreed to limited warfare because of the horrendous engagements recorded on Earth. There were no bombs, no planes, no tanks, no drones, no long-range artillery on their planet. All battles were fought dragon-to-dragon and with only those weapons that could be transported via the backs of their kind or their riders. Even the Magi restricted themselves to these rules. Any escalation that had mutual self-destruction as a logical end, was avoided.
