by ERIN BEDFORD
Table of Contents
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Also by Erin Bedford
Also by J.A. Cipriano
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Thank You for reading!
Author’s Note
Grinding Frost
Starcrossed Dragons Book 2
Erin Bedford
J. A. Cipriano
Copyright © 2017 by Erin Bedford
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Want to get this FREE?
Also by Erin Bedford
Also by J.A. Cipriano
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Thank You for reading!
Author’s Note
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Also by Erin Bedford
The Underground
Chasing Rabbits
Chasing Cats
Chasing Princes
Chasing Shadows
Chasing Hearts
Fairy Tale Bad Boys
Hunter
Pirate
Thief
Mirror
Stepbrother
The Celestial War Chronicles
Song of Blood and Fire
Visions of War and Water
The Mary Wiles Chronicles
Marked By Hell
Bound By Hell
Deceived By Hell
Tempted By Hell
The Crimson Fold
Until Midnight
Vampire CEO
Granting Her Wish
Also by J.A. Cipriano
World of Ruul
Soulstone: Awakening
Soulstone: The Skeleton King
Bug Wars
Doomed Infinity Marine
The Legendary Builder
The Builder’s Sword
The Builder’s Greed
The Builder’s Pride
The Builder’s Wrath
The FBI Dragon Chronicles
A Ritual of Fire
A Ritual of Death
Starcrossed Dragons
Riding Lightning
Grinding Frost
Swallowing Fire
Elements of Wrath Online
Ring of Promise
The Vale of Three Wolves
Kingdom of Heaven
The Skull Throne
Escape From Hell
The Thrice Cursed Mage
Cursed
Marked
Burned
Seized
Claimed
Hellbound
The Half-Demon Warlock
Pound of Flesh
Flesh and Blood
Blood and Treasure
The Lillim Callina Chronicles
Wardbreaker
Kill it with Magic
The Hatter is Mad
Fairy Tale
Pursuit
Hardboiled
Mind Games
Fatal Ties
Clans of Shadow
Heart of Gold
Feet of Clay
Fists of Iron
The Spellslinger Chronicles
Throne to the Wolves
Prince of Blood and Thunder
Found Magic
May Contain Magic
The Magic Within
Magic for Hire
Witching on a Starship
Maverick
Planet Breaker
1
Nothing was more awkward than having lunch with my family. Correction. Nothing was more awkward than having lunch with my family and all three of my current lovers. Even more so when one of them wouldn't stop pawing me under the table.
I flushed with pleasure and pushed at Firestar’s hand for the third time, but he was relentless. His fingers dipped between my thighs, and I snapped my legs together to squeeze them out. I shot Firestar a warning look as I picked up my glass.
“So, Firestar,” my sister, Aeis, started and looked up from her meal, eyes full of suspicion. “What exactly happened when Aeis came to see your father? I thought you and he weren't speaking?”
“We weren't,” Firestar answered placing his hand on top of mine and smiling. “But Maya helped us work through our issues and come up with a plausible solution.”
I gave Firestar a small smile in return not because it was expected, but because I genuinely liked seeing him. If it hadn’t been for Firestar, I wouldn’t be in the mess I was in now, but I didn’t blame him for it. I’d known how my father would react when I’d brought Firestar home with me.
That wasn’t the real problem though. Not really anyway. My anger had gotten the better of me, and I’d made a bad situation even worse.
When I’d announced I was pregnant, my father, while angry for a time, rejoiced at finally having an heir to our legacy.
My sister and mother had not.
They had both looked at me with suspicious eyes. Since then, I hadn't given them any reason to doubt me. The guys had doted on me like expectant fathers. But behind closed doors, they found every opportunity to make me moan and scream. Except for Jack.
This was the same Jack who'd gone out of his way to give me a small amount of time on Earth. He had let me show him all my favorite places. We were comfortable with each other now, so much so, we didn’t think about it when we casually touched each other.
Sure, we had kissed and even had some heavy petting, but every time we came close to doing the deed, Jack pulled away. It made me wonder if it was me. I knew he could feel his desire for me. It pressed between my thighs while I sat on top of him. So, it couldn’t be the lack of want. Maybe my father wasn’t the only one who said something he really didn’t mean. Did he not want to be with me because of Raiden and Firestar? He’d said he was okay with it, but maybe he’d only said it so I wouldn’t turn him away. The very thought made my heart ache. I hated to have him with me and not be happy.
My eyes glanced to the side, seeking out Jack where he stared down at his salad, a pinch of skin sat between his eyes as if he were thinking hard about something. My hand slid onto his thigh, and I squeezed. Jack's ice blue eyes jerked up from his meal and met mi
ne. The intensity there startled me.
Something was wrong. I opened my mouth to ask him what, but then snapped it shut. Now was not the time. Especially if what he had to say had to do with us and my lies. Couldn’t have him airing our dirty laundry at the lunch table. If only everyone else at the table would learn to follow suit.
“How are you feeling, Maya? Any morning sickness?” My mother asked before taking a sip from her water glass. She might be as suspicious as my sister, but at least she seemed to be letting me figure it out on my own rather than prodding me with questions every moment of the day, making me feel even guiltier. I had lied about being pregnant.
“A bit,” I muttered, turning my eyes back to my own plate. I was never good at lying to her, and she could tell right away every time I did. My father, on the other hand, didn't pay enough attention to me to know my eye color let alone if I was lying.
Speak of the dragon.
“Let's not talk about such things right now, I'm eating,” My father, the Lord of Waesigar, said, clearly disgusted by the talk of my pregnancy symptoms. As if he wasn't the one pushing me to get pregnant in the first place.
“Lord Dannan,” Raiden interjected. Bless his heart. “My brothers have sent word about more raids on our lands. Have you heard any news of them?”
“Oh, yes.” My father turned his attention away from me and to my suitor. “I’d meant to speak to you about those. Your father must have his hands full dealing with raids on top of your brothers’ fight for the throne.”
While my father went on about the newest raids, I mouthed thank you to the black and white-haired lightning dragon. He winked in return.
Of all my suitors, Raiden was the easiest to get along with. From the beginning, we’ve had an intense attraction to each other, combine that with a personality that made it impossible to stay mad at him for long, well, it was easy to see why I enjoyed his company.
…And it didn't hurt he was a complete alpha in the bedroom.
When the lights went out, those playful eyes turned hard and controlling as he demanded my pleasure while rarely caring if he found his own. The very thought of it shot straight to my core, making me press my thighs together.
The chair next to me jerked back from the table, and Jack stood abruptly, making my hand fall from his lap. “Please excuse me, I have business to attend to. My lord, ladies?” He bowed slightly, and his eyes met mine briefly. The pain within them hit me like an arrow to the heart before he turned and walked away.
I sat there for a moment stunned by what I saw before I wiped my mouth and also stood from the table. My movement startled the others, the conversation died out as everyone’s eyes turned to me. I couldn’t be bothered by their questioning eyes, my own gaze following Jack’s back.
“Maya? Is everything alright?” My mother's concerned voice pulled my attention. The look in her eyes made me straighten out, clearing my face of all expression.
Placing a hand on my forehead, I tried to sound exhausted. Though, it wasn’t that hard to fake. “Just feeling a bit tired. I think I'll go lie down.”
My mother nodded, though her eyes told me she didn't believe me. I didn't doubt she probably knew I was going after Jack but thankfully didn't voice her opinion to everyone else.
I glanced at both Raiden and Firestar who each waved me off with a knowing look. Hell, Firestar seemed more interested in his meal than our fourth member. I tried not to think much about that as I left the dining room to find Jack.
I checked his room first which had been moved closer to mine as well as the others. Better to have them close for when the baby came, was my mother's thought. I had been grateful because it made it easier to hide how hard we were working to get me pregnant. I rarely slept alone, but sadly it was never Jack.
I really needed to remedy that. While I had no reason to be so needy, the desire to have him in my bed was overwhelming. Maybe it was the thrill of the unknown that made me crave his touch so much. Would Jack be a patient lover? A dominating one like Raiden? I needed to know!
Stomping my foot in frustration, I realized the ice dragon wasn't in his bedroom. I frowned, staring at the empty room and wondering where he was. Had he gone to the gardens again? He often liked to go there to think…
Only, I hadn't any need as I passed by my room, I saw him lying in the middle of my bed. Unfortunately, he was fully clothed, and something about the look on his face told me that was unlikely to change.
“Jack,” I said his name slowly as I walked toward the bed. His almost translucent hair created a curtain around his face, making it impossible to see his expression. “While I love the idea of you in my bed, I’m guessing this isn’t a, um, social call. What’s wrong?”
“How long do you expect us to keep up this charade?” His voice though muffled by his hair, came out tortured and exhausted. I knew the feeling. Lying had never been my forte, and the guilt always ended up eating at me until I eventually gave in and told the truth. But this time I couldn't. It was imperative that my father didn't find out I'd lied. If he did, I was pretty sure Firestar would mysteriously disappear.
Worse, if he did find out, he wouldn’t just blame Firestar or me, he would blame Raiden and Jack too. Both of them would be in danger of my father’s wrath. That I couldn’t have.
“It wouldn't be such a lie if you and I slept together,” I suggested, my fingers tracing the design on the bedspread.
Jack scoffed his head angling toward me slightly. “And have our first time be tainted by the pressure of your father? No thank you.”
“Then when do you think we'll be able to?” I asked, sitting next to him on the bed. “If one of the others gets me pregnant that solves only one problem, but then we would still have to pretend.” I placed my hand on his leg and leaned forward so I could brush his hair away from his face, tucking it behind his ear so I could see his pale blue eyes. They were so full of anguish, my heart hurt even as I told him the hard truth. “And then there will be no chance it will be yours.”
“As if I have a chance now?” He shifted away from me his shoulders tense. “Raiden and Firestar are in your bed and between your thighs at every chance. I don't have much of a chance as it is.”
I sighed as aggravation started to sink in. I wasn't going to feel guilty for having sex with the others. The whole point of this was to get me pregnant. It wasn't my fault Jack had hangups. I had tried my best to make sure they all felt equal. Even Firestar who had been against our foursome had come to share better than Jack did.
Instead of venting my frustrations out on him, I moved closer until I sat between his thighs. Then I wrapped my arms around his neck, my fingers tangling in his long, lustrous hair. “No one's between my thighs now.” I coyly grinned. “It’s a problem to be sure.”
Jack opened his mouth, and for a moment, I swore he was going to push me away again, but then his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me close.
“I suppose I will have to remedy that,” he murmured, bringing his face to mine.
A brush of lips turned into a fight to breathe as we tried to devour each other. I crawled up into his lap so that I straddled him, my lower half grinding against him. Jack grunted, and his hand clutched in my dark tresses, pulling me closer to him.
My hands pulled at his shirt, his usual suit jacket already tossed in a chair before I’d entered the room. I hurried to undo each button, but my over-excited fingers couldn't get them undone fast enough. With a twist of my wrist, I used my magic to pull the shirt open, causing a few of the buttons to pop off.
Jack pulled away from our kissing to frown at me. I smirked, daring him to chastise me but in an out of character move, he flipped us over, so my back pressed against the bed. Laughing, I wrapped my legs around his waist to keep him close.
My laughter died in my throat as my eyes met his exposed chest. Long lines of pale muscle showed through the flaps of his shirt, and my hands itch to touch him. Giving into the need, I traced my fingers along the contours of his chest
, reveling in the hard strength beneath them. My fingertips trailed down his abs and along the line of pale hair ending at the top of his pants.
Locking eyes with Jack, I licked my lips before unsnapping his pants and reaching inside. I grasped him in my hand. Far thicker than the others, it was like warm steel wrapped in silk. The dragoness inside of me craved every last inch of it, but the other half of me wondered if he'd even fit.
“Don't worry, Maya. I would never hurt you.” His words came out a breathy groan as he placed his hand on top of mine slid our hands together along his length.
I sat up on the bed, my hand still on his as my mouth sought his. Tongues tangling, Jack released my hand, and the coolness of his touch found my skin beneath the bottom of my shirt. I shivered but didn't pull away as the contrast of our temperatures nearly overwhelmed me with ecstasy.
Reluctantly I let go of Jack long enough for him to pull my shirt over my head, revealing my naked breasts since I’d neglected to wear a bra today.
The moment the cool air hit my nipples, they pebbled, but it was Jack’s need that truly set me ablaze When Jack's eyes settled on them, his pale blue orbs filled with hot desire that warmed my skin.
Urging me onto my back, Jack slid down my skin with his lips while his hands went to my pants. His nimble fingers quickly untied my pants, dipping them inside briefly, teasing me so I squirmed on the bed.
Jack’s mouth trailed along my stomach, and I arched up, making it easier for him as he pulled both them and my panties down my legs. Now completely bare to his view, insecurity filled me. Raiden and Firestar had never been quiet in their praises of my body, but Jack had a stoic way about him that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
