by Lowe, Anna
Then a raven cawed overhead, and they broke apart.
“Gareth?” Gemma shielded her eyes against the sun for a closer look.
“Gareth.” He sighed. “I swear he still thinks I’m a child.”
She laughed. “Maybe he’s just looking out for you.”
Liam snorted, though that was the truth. Gareth had always looked out for him, though the raven shifter was careful to hide his feelings behind a mask of indifference. In fact, Gareth had dedicated himself to looking out for generations of Liam’s family.
Much as Liam appreciated that, a stubborn urge took over as the raven circled overhead.
“No. Wait.” Liam reached for Gemma. “If we want to kiss, we’ll kiss, dammit. No matter what anyone thinks.”
She grinned and wove her fingers through his hair. “You’re right.”
He kissed her harder and more defiantly than before. Let Gareth caw all he wanted. Let the fates be damned. Gemma was his mate, and no one could tell him otherwise.
So they stood high on that bluff, kissing in plain view. Not that there were many witnesses — not once Gareth swooped away with a huff, leaving them alone in the surrounding wilderness.
That kiss might have started as an act of defiance, but it rapidly gave way to a raw, smoldering need. His kisses grew deeper, and his hands started wandering upward from her ribs.
“You know, I was thinking,” Gemma mumbled.
“Yes?” he whispered, still peppering her ear with kisses.
“We ought to head back to my room. You know, to check the fireplace. We wouldn’t want to set the castle on fire.”
He chuckled. She’d already set fire to his soul, and nothing would extinguish that blaze.
Still, he hesitated. He really, really had to tell her about the Guardians’ plan. He had to assure her that he’d fallen for her first, and that his love had nothing to do with job requirements. But Gemma’s eyes were glowing with need, and her hands wandered down the rear of his jeans. He could tell her afterward, right?
“Liam,” she whispered, coaxing him home.
Chapter Fourteen
No matter how many deep breaths Gemma took, she couldn’t pull herself together. Did all lion shifters possess magic power that drew in women? Or was her heart correct in insisting that Liam was the one? Maybe it was the extraordinary circumstances, preventing her from thinking straight. Whatever the cause, it wasn’t even lunchtime, and she was already starving to wrap herself around Liam again.
Just the again part blew her away. She couldn’t believe she’d slept beside a lion all night, not to mention having slept with a lion — er, a lion shifter. Yet there she was, strolling back to the castle — his castle — for another round of fun.
Hand in hand, they walked through the grand hall and climbed the stairs to the upper floor. Liam kissed her hand, and his eyes glowed in the dim light. Neither of them spoke, and Gemma hardly breathed, already flushing with anticipation. Silent suits of armor saluted her and Liam, and a sword glinted as she passed — the one she’d wielded the previous evening. Her bracelets shone back, and part of her mind hung on to that fact, but the rest fast-forwarded to the bedroom.
“Why do you do this to me?” she finally demanded. “How?”
Liam looked stricken. “What did I do?”
She chuckled and ran a hand across his back. Okay, closer to his ass than his back, but who was counting? “Around you, my brain turns off, and the rest of me — well, everything else turns on.” She slid a hand into the rear pocket of his pants.
His eyes flashed with some wisecrack that was sure to make her laugh. But a moment later, he went serious and took both her hands.
“Shifters have fated mates. Like…soul mates. The one person in the entire universe that destiny sends your way. The one you’re meant to be with. Forever.” He gulped. “I’m pretty sure you’re mine. No, I know you’re mine.”
Her mouth cracked open, because what exactly did one say to something like that?
Say yes, a little voice prompted. Say, “Liam, you’re the one.”
“Mates, huh?” she whispered.
He nodded. “Like a husband or wife, but with an unbreakable bond.”
She tried a joke. “Sounds good. What’s the catch?”
“You’d be stuck with me. Forever.”
She bit her lip before it started to tremble. “That doesn’t sound so bad. Is the castle part of the deal?”
She was joking, of course, and Liam laughed. “The castle. The butler.” He frowned. “My whole crazy family.”
She squeezed his hands. “You’d be stuck with my crazy family.”
He flapped a hand. “Easy.”
She tilted her head. “Is that it? Can mates just be mates, or is there a ceremony or something?”
He blushed, which only made him cuter. “Well, you…um… You take your mate somewhere private…” He motioned toward the bedroom. “Where you…uh… You know.” He motioned vaguely.
Her pulse skipped. Oh, she got the gist, all right.
“Then, you — well…um…”
She furrowed her brow. “It doesn’t involve sex toys, does it?”
“No. Just a bite.”
“A bite?”
It was crazy, but her sweet, sexy, adorably tongue-twisted lion shifter managed to make biting sound good. Her neck tingled, and a hidden side of her soul cooed, Oh, that would be nice.
“It doesn’t hurt. At least, so I’m told,” Liam said. “You only do it once. I mean, you can do it lots of times, but only with that one woman you love.”
“And then what?”
He shrugged. “Then you’re mated. You love each other. Forever.”
Liam’s jittery voice made it perfectly clear that he’d hadn’t thought through the details, but she hardly cared. Her heart thumped wildly, and she nearly said, I’m all in.
Still, she made herself take a deep breath, then joke it off. “Maybe we should save that for later. As appealing as it all sounds, I swear I’m not thinking clearly right now.”
She couldn’t have been thinking clearly, because she was ready to promise him everything. Her body. Her soul. Her future, whatever that might bring.
Liam’s eyes glowed. “Wise woman.”
She snorted. “Not so sure about that. But if destiny wants us together, then it will happen, right?”
His face clouded, but he didn’t say no. And anyway, she was kissing him by then, making sure he knew how much she wanted him. At first, he held her tightly, as if worried something might rip them apart. Gradually, he relaxed his grip enough for her to run her hands over his rear.
“Mmm,” she hummed, pulling him through the door.
The fire had died out, but her body temperature rose as Liam’s kisses grew deeper.
“Now, where were we?” he murmured. “Oh yes…”
He skimmed the lower edge of her breasts, then untucked her shirt. Within minutes, they were both naked and toppling onto the bed.
“I call the top,” she murmured, straddling him.
“Bossy little thing.” He grinned.
“I’m not little.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “No? Then prove it to me.”
She grinned and made a show of looking him over. “Easy.”
His chest seemed like a good place to start, so she ducked and kissed him an inch above one nipple, then kissed her way over to the other. And man, was that a lot of ground to cover. The position was a little cramped, though, so she inched lower, tracing his centerline. She kissed her way over the ridge of one boxy muscle, then into a tiny valley. The man was built like the Welsh landscape. His belly button was the lake at the bottom of the valley, and she couldn’t help but nuzzle her cheek there. Then she paused and glanced up.
He’d started with an easy smile, but he looked breathless now, and his eyes had started to glow.
She took a deep breath. It was only logical to continue downward, though she’d never been big on that kind of foreplay. Still, someth
ing deep inside her bubbled up, begging her to try.
Just one little taste, that inner voice begged. The voice of her inner dragon?
She dragged her chin down the lowest part of his belly, watching Liam’s eyes go wide, then drop to half-mast.
A rush of power surged through her along with the insatiable urge to take him in. Which was a challenge, given the size of his rapidly swelling shaft. In the end, it was easy to go from little licks and pecks to sliding her whole mouth over him. And, wow. The tip was velvety soft, the rest of him rock hard. Liam didn’t make a sound, but she swore he bit back a groan. That became her next challenge — to make him cry out the way he’d made her come undone.
His hands fisted the sheets, and she moved faster, bringing him closer and closer to the edge.
“Gemma…” he whispered.
She smiled, continuing her relentless slide.
“Gemma…” His voice was hoarse.
It’s good for me too, she would have said if she hadn’t been otherwise occupied.
His fingers furrowed through her hair while she bobbed up and down. But then he muttered and raised his head.
“Gemma.”
She glanced up, lips poised over the silky tip of his cock. “Yes?”
His abs stood up in one mountainous ridge, and his eyes shone.
“Point proven,” he rasped.
She grinned, tempted to keep going. Instead, she crawled back up until her breasts were within nipping distance and her legs straddling his waist.
“Just getting started. Now, where were those condoms?”
Liam pointed to the bedside table, letting her do all the — ahem — handling. She unrolled the condom over him with a few unnecessary squeezes, just for the pleasure of making him groan.
“Woman, you kill me.”
“Now you know how I feel.”
Moving slowly, she dragged her hips along his body until his cock lined up with her core. Then she sat back, hissing as she took him in, one achingly good inch at a time. When she paused, catching her breath, he jackknifed up, kissing her breast.
A shudder went through her. The man could probably make her explode in two or three licks. She clenched her teeth, determined not to shatter in pleasure — yet.
“A little closer,” Liam whispered.
She dipped a shoulder, offering him one pink, pert nipple, then the other, grinding her hips at the same time.
And dammit, she started making noises too. But it felt so good. Liam was a master with his lips, tongue, and teeth, teasing her along the threshold between pleasure and pain. And as for what was going on below…
She reared back — way back — taking him deeper.
“Oh…” She mumbled, swaying.
Liam gripped her hips and ran a thumb along the crease of her leg. The moment he touched down on her hidden, aching bud, she cried out. Then she threw back her head and began to ride him in earnest, succumbing to the pressure building inside her. Coaxing it higher and higher until she thought she would explode.
Fated mates… like soul mates. The one person in the entire universe that destiny sends your way.
She’d never felt as connected to anyone as she did to Liam. But somehow, she wasn’t quite ready to come. She groaned, partly in frustration, partly in delight. Then she realized what she needed to send both of them over the edge. Gradually, she leaned forward, panting.
Liam looked up, watching. Waiting.
“I have a new plan,” she mumbled. “Do lions like doggy style?”
He broke into a huge grin. “Lions invented doggy style. Damn canines just stole the term.”
She laughed then eased her hips up.
No, her body cried. Don’t let him go.
But she wasn’t letting go. She was just shuffling to all fours. Liam took his time getting into position behind her, running his hands over every inch of her body.
She groaned, practically waggling her ass. Didn’t he know she was dying for more?
“Can’t help it. You’re too beautiful,” he said.
Then he gripped her hips, and the sudden quiet told her he was concentrating… Lining up…
She lowered her head to the mattress, aching in anticipation. Would Liam thrust in with a powerful burst, or would he take it slow?
In the end, the combination he used left her howling. A gradual push, an equally slow withdrawal, followed by a piercing thrust. If the pillow hadn’t muffled her cry, the sound would have carried through the castle walls.
“Okay?” Liam panted, checking in.
Was he kidding? She mumbled unintelligibly, but Liam got the gist, because he repeated the move.
Jamming her arms over her head, Gemma anchored herself. When she pushed back, meeting his third thrust, Liam hissed. On the fourth, she squeezed her inner muscles, making him groan outright. And on the fifth—
“Yes,” she cried.
Blood rushed in her ears, and her heart hammered. Her body was on fire.
Liam paused, making her want to scream. She wanted to come, and come now.
But he bent over her, combing her hair to one side, then kissing her neck. No, wait. He was nipping her neck, sending a series of shock waves through her nerves. She held perfectly still, ready to beg him to bite. He’d only explained the basics, but she sensed exactly how it would go and how excruciatingly good it would feel. She just knew, deep in her soul.
A mating bite…with the woman you love…
Yes, she wanted to cry out. Please.
She turned, exposing more of her neck. To hell with thinking things through.
Yes, yes, yes, the animal inside her begged.
But then, with one ragged breath, Liam jerked back. He held her for a moment, panting like a man who’d wrestled with demons and barely made it out alive. Gemma drooped against the mattress. Did he not feel the way she did?
“Believe me, I want you. I want you so much,” he whispered. “But I have to explain first. Everything.” His tone was so grim, she wondered what he meant.
For the next few heartbeats, they remained still, sensing the moment slip away. But then the fire inside her flared all over again, and she wiggled her ass. Maybe the bite could wait, but she couldn’t.
“You’ve got unfinished business, sailor.”
Liam chuckled, running his hands over her back. “You really are amazing.”
Then he tensed, took firm hold of her hips, and started pumping again. Gently, then harder. Faster too, bringing them back to the cusp of a screaming high. Every muscle in Gemma’s body tensed, and she clamped down around him. Then she cried out, shuddering at exactly the same moment Liam came.
Her body blazed, and her head spun. Visions flooded her mind, moving in such quick succession, she couldn’t make out any details. She was flying over London with Liam — or was she trotting beside him on all fours? Then he spat fire, and she saw a pair of massive wings beat. But none of it made sense, and every image was overlaid with a thousand shooting stars. She squeezed her eyes shut, wallowing in ecstasy.
Gradually, her panting breaths turned into satisfied sighs. Liam kissed her cheek, then slowly withdrew, making her moan.
“Believe me, I’d rather stay too,” he murmured. “But soon…”
Soon was a promise she would hold him to, for sure.
Liam shuffled around, disposing of the condom. Then he lay on his side, spooning her tightly, caressing her shoulder. Outside, birds chirped, and a beam of light sliced into the room.
Gemma’s mind galloped away with wild plans, and she didn’t have the willpower to stop herself. She and Liam could talk things out. When the time was right, they would follow through with that bite. Then he would be hers forever, and she would be his. They could divide their time between pulsing, lively London and the peaceful timelessness of Wales.
And as for the scheming Guardians — not to mention the lurking Lombardis — she and Liam would find a way to solve those problems, too. Problems that felt light-years away in her current state
of mind. Yes, evil was lurking out there. But right now…
She crossed her arms over Liam’s, patting him. Right now, all she wanted was to bask in his warmth.
Outside, a cloud dimmed the golden sunlight, but she turned away. Nothing was going to ruin this moment for her. Nothing.
Chapter Fifteen
Gemma, I really have to talk to you.
Liam tried out the words a thousand times in his mind, but actually saying them was hard. Excuse after excuse filtered through his head, but none really held up. Finally, he took a deep breath and forced the words out.
“Gemma, we need to talk.”
It came out half hidden in a kiss to her shoulder. But, hey. It was a start.
Gemma burrowed closer to his side. “Soon. Just let me enjoy this little bit of peace.”
And, hell. Every soldier knew not to disturb something as precious as that. So, he held her for a good, long while, biding his time. Then her stomach rumbled, and he laughed.
“We need to get lunch before Gareth accuses me of starving you.”
Gemma sighed, staring at the ceiling, then nodded. “All right. Back to the real world.” She rolled toward the edge of the bed, then rolled back, groaning. “One more minute…”
That feeling, he could relate to all too well. Still, he dragged himself away and stood. “I’ll get lunch ready. You can meet me there in a few minutes.”
“You don’t mind?”
No, especially since it bought him some time to figure out exactly what to say and how.
Gemma, I’m part dragon, and loving you has nothing to do with the Guardians ordering me to.
He stuck out his jaw. Yeah, that would go over well.
“See you soon,” he called from the door after getting dressed.
“See you soon,” Gemma mumbled, turning back to the pillow.
He strode down the hallway, rehearsing a different version of what to say. But, damn, those empty suits of armor silently judged him the whole way. Gareth’s sharp look did the same once Liam entered the cavernous kitchen on the ground floor.
“Lunch, sir?”
Liam sighed. “Lunch. Please.”
