by Julia Mills
“Oh my Goddess, Tessa. I need you,” he reverently whispered, sending fire racing through her veins as his lips took hers with the wild abandon of their life-affirming, all-encompassing connection.
Lost to his kiss, Tessa heard the slam of a door somewhere in the back of her mind a split second before her body was sensually sliding down her dragon’s. Deepening his kiss, she felt the wall behind her as his hands slid from her waist, down her legs and under her skirt.
Shockwaves rocked her body as the tips of Lenn’s fingers left fiery trails on her heated thighs. Tessa tore her lips from his, gasping as his index finger teased the tip of her aroused clit through the silk of her panties.
Her legs spread wider of their own volition as his finger moved with more determination and his teeth teased the lobe of her ear while he murmured, “Tell me you want me, Tessa. Tell me you need me as much as I need you.”
“Oh, Goddess…yes… Lennox…” she panted, her nails biting into his shoulders as her head fell to the side and her hips rolled against his.
“Say it, Tessa. Say you want me,” Lennox’s tone turned darker, more demanding and it made Tessa want more.
Opening her mouth to answer, the vampire instead groaned as his finger left her clit. Just about to beg for more, she never had the chance as he ripped the panties from her body and slid not one but two fingers into her pussy. His thumb took up where his index finger left off, teasing her clit as his fingers moved in and out, making rational thought almost impossible.
“Open your eyes, Tessa.”
At his commanding tone, her eyes snapped to his as her panther purred. His was strong and domineering, with her best interests at heart. What else could she want in a man, a lover…a mate?
Absolutely nothing…
With his fingers deep inside her, his thumb laying on her clit, Lennox leveled his emerald gaze and demanded, “Say it, Tessa.”
He moved closer. She could see the dragon shining deep in his eyes. Her need to move, to chase the orgasm building within her, caused Tessa’s hips to roll forward. Lennox growled low in his throat, his hand tightening on her hip. Shaking his head, his eyes glistening with barely contained want and desire, he ordered, “No, not until you say it.”
Searching her lust-soaked mind for what he wanted, needed, her to say, Tessa pleaded, “Please, Lennox…please... I need…”
The words froze on her lips, and her mind went blank when Lennox leaned closer still, moved the tips of his fingers deep inside her, teasing the sensitive bundle of nerves at the height of her channel and growled, “Yes, mo chroi? What do you need? Who do you need?”
“You!” She screamed, swallowing his growls of triumph as his lips smashed to hers and his fingers began a furious pace in and out of her throbbing pussy.
Wild with passion, Tessa climbed his body, rolled her hips and met her mate thrust for thrust until she threw back her head and screamed her release. Still reeling from the most explosive orgasm in her already very long life, the panther struggled to breathe as Lennox continued to tease her flesh with kisses while lifting her into his arms and climbing the steps she hadn’t known were there.
Her feet touched the hardwood floor at almost the same moment Lennox pulled her sweater over her head. Her bra went flying over his shoulder and the rip of her skirt echoed through the room. Tessa couldn’t catch a breath, as once again her dragon kissing her as if she was the very air he breathed, and walking her backwards until his bed touched the back of her legs.
In one smooth motion, Lennox sat Tessa on the bed, stood to his full height of at least six-foot-six and stripped the light-blue T-shirt from his body. At the sight of his amazing physique the vampire’s mouth watered and her brain damn near short-circuited.
Watching as he unzipped his pants, Tessa’s fingers tingled with the need to help, fighting the urge, needing to see the man the Universe had created for her. Sitting completely still as he bent over, pushing the soft, worn denim down his muscular thighs, she almost fainted when he stood up, revealing his large erect cock.
“Like what you see, mo piscín beag milis?” He purred, closing the distance between them and putting one knee on the bed, momentarily breaking the trance. Tessa’s eyes snapped to his face where she found his panty-dropping grin and glowing green eyes.
Deciding it was her turn to play a little, Tessa leaned back on her elbows and just slightly spread her legs as she breathed, “Oh yeah.” Letting her head fall to the side, she teased, “Come here and let me show you how much.”
Nodding, Lennox’s grin widened as he leaned forward, his hands sliding up her calves and under her thighs. Sniffing the air, he rumbled, “You smell good enough to eat,” at the same time that he pulled Tessa’s ass to the edge of the bed and dropped to his knees.
With her legs over his shoulders and his face hovering over her glistening curls, Lennox winked, “How about I check that out?”
Before she could even think, Lennox laid the flat of his tongue at the bottom of her slit and licked from top to bottom, sucking her throbbing clit between his lips and teasing it with his teeth until she saw stars. Tessa squealed his name as her fingers dove into his hair, and her hips flew off the bed.
Thrusting his tongue deep inside, Lennox licked and sucked until Tessa was sure she would lose her mind. Her heels dug into his back, needing more of what only her dragon could give her. It was as if he knew what she needed even before she did.
His tongue dove deeper. He curled the tip to tease her sensitive g-spot then pulled out to lick her outer lips and tease her clit before doing it all again. Over and over Lennox drove Tessa higher and higher until she was crying out, begging for release. “Yes…oh yes… Lennox…yes…”
Groaning his agreement with his lips against her heated body, Lennox sent Tessa’s arousal flying so high that when he pulled her clit into his mouth one last time and bit the tip, the panther could no longer hold back. Pulling fistfuls of his hair, she wailed his name as orgasm after orgasm threatened her very sanity.
Unable to think or breathe…only to feel, Tessa held on with all her strength. Lennox licked and sucked, taking all that she gave, slowing his attention until she could finally take a breath.
Slowly lowering first one leg and then the other from his shoulders, Lennox kissed the top of her thighs and then each of her hips before tenderly making his way up her body. Caging her in with his hands on either side of her head, he smiled a very proud smile while leaning forward until his lips hovered just above hers as he breathed, “We’ll be doing that again…soon.” The tip of his cock teased her center as he rolled his hips, igniting new and fiery flames of arousal within her.
“But now,” he sighed. Pushing just inside her pussy, the tip of his tongue teased her upper lip making her gasped in pleasure, as he added, “I need you, Tessa.”
He pushed further into her once again needy body. Her hips rolled to take all of him. Tessa moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist as Lennox gave a raspy chuckle and pulled back just a bit before shaking his head, “Easy, Tess. I want to enjoy all of this I can. You moving that sexy body of yours around me like that is pure heaven. I might just explode before I’m ready.”
Tired of waiting, needing to feel him moving inside her, claiming her from the inside out, Tessa, wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, held onto his shoulders and with all the strength she had, rolled them over. Stopping only when she was straddling his lap with his cock buried deep inside her, she rolled her hips against his, loving the burn of her inner muscles as they stretched to accommodate her mate’s size.
Following her lead, Lennox’s hands closed over Tessa’s waist as he started to lift his hips, slowly at first but quickly picking up the pace. Holding her tight, the Guardsman sat up, and sucked her nipple into his mouth, teasing her hardened bud with his teeth.
Lifting her up until his cock threatened to fall from her pussy, Lennox pressed her down until he was once again completely seated within. His fingers slid down her hips l
anding on her ass and massaging her heated skin, urging her to rock on his cock.
“Yes, Tess, yes,” he groaned.
Leaning forward, kissing her lips and jaw, Lennox sucked his way down her jaw, all the while rolling his hips in tempo with hers. Moving faster, her climax rushing to its peak, Tessa nearly lost all control when he growled, “I love your body…your scent…your soul,” against her skin. His breathing was ragged as he added, “I want to bite this spot right here.” His tongue swirled at the base of her neck, where her pulse beat hard against her skin. “I want to mark you. I want the world to know you are mine, Tessa.” He gave a hard thrust of his cock, touching all of her, forcing a moan of pure bliss from her lips.
Her pussy contracted around him. His fingers bit into her hips as he lifted her from his lap once again before dropping her onto his cock. Need rocketed through her body. Tessa trembled with desire. There was no doubt she was melting from the inside out.
Riding the waves of her impending orgasm, Tessa gave into the passion she knew only Lennox could ever give her. Continuing to lift and impale her, speeding up with every move, his actions became jerky. His hands warmed upon her skin, hotter with every stroke of his cock. With one final push Lennox buried himself as deep as he could go within her at the same time that his canines closed over her pulse and slid through her skin.
An orgasm, the likes of which she’d never thought possible burst through Tessa like a runaway train. Pleasure surged through every fiber of her being, leaving her dazed, confused and utterly blissful. Lennox’s cock pulsed inside her as he roared her name, bathing her insides with his warm semen.
Pulling his teeth from her skin, her dragon gently lifted her from his body, laying her head on the pillows at the head of the bed before laying down facing her. Gently caressing her cheek, Lennox tucked a stray hair behind her ear before kissing the tip of her nose and smiling, “I’m never letting you leave this bed.”
Feeling the pull of sunrise before she could answer, Tessa yawned. To her surprise, Lennox burst out laughing, “And that’s my cue to let you sleep.”
With her embarrassment heating her cheeks and quickly moving south, Tessa tried to hide her face, only to have Lennox grab her hands and pull her to him. Laying back, he positioned her head on his chest and wrapped his arm across her back.
“No way, mo piscín. No hiding. You’re mine, and there’ll be no secrets between us.” Running his hand up her spine, his words and his actions doing very scary things to her heart, Lennox continued, “Rest, mo chroí.’
He ran his fingers through her hand. “After what we just shared, you deserve a little R and R,” he chuckled.
Tessa wanted to answer, wanted to tell him everything she was feeling and that she was sorry she had yawned in his face after he’d given her the single, most amazing experience in her life, but she couldn’t. The pull of the sunrise was too strong. She had no choice but to succumb to the day sleep of her vampire side as she listened to the beat of her mate’s heart and felt the beginnings of what she had no doubt was love growing in her heart and soul.
“Sleep, mo cheann lómhara,” was the last thing she heard as Lennox’s kiss atop her head ushered her into peaceful dreams of a celestial blue dragon with glittering scales flying across the night sky.
Chapter Seven
Waking to the sounds of voices in the kitchen below, Lennox quietly slipped out of bed, and into his jeans. Deciding Tessa looked too peaceful to disturb, he kissed her cheek, pulled the comforter over her bare shoulder and crept into the hall.
Making his way down the stairs, grinning from ear-to-ear, ready to tell the world he’d found his mate and marked her as his own, the mad bomber had barely stepped off the bottom step when Kayne called out, “Get your ass in here and tell us all about it.”
Shaking his head, the Guardsman walked into the kitchen, grabbed a mug and began filling his coffee as both the demi-god and his roommate badgered.
“Details are the least you can do for kicking me out of my home for the night,” Pearce teased.
“And I get to know because I hooked you up with Gerri and,” Kayne got up and walked forward, poking Lenn in his bare shoulder, “You went to The Sundowner without me.”
Taking a drink of java while looking over the rim of the cup at his brethren, Lennox finally gave in, lowered the mug and nodded, “You really think I’m gonna kiss and tell?”
“From the way you ripped through the lair last night and the sounds I heard coming from this house,” Kayne laughed out loud, “there was a hell of a lot more than kissing going on.”
Trying to look shocked, and failing miserably because he couldn’t stop grinning, Lennox sat at the table and sighed, “All I can tell you is that she’s a panther, her name is Tessa, and she’s absolutely perfect.”
Rolling his eyes, the demi-god snorted, “Oh my Goddess, the boy is already in love.” Bumping elbows with Pearce, Kayne added, “Isn’t he cute? He thinks she’s perfect.”
“Actually, it is kinda sweet. Lennox is one of the few men I know who wants a mate. The rest of you scoundrels seem to think you can run from it.”
“Scoundrels? Who? Me?” Kayne pointed at his own chest with his free hand. “Surely you jest.” Chuckling, he added, “I’m not running from it, but I’m not looking for it either.”
“Well, I was, and I found it.” Lenn took another sip of coffee. “And I’m happier than a dragon in a gold mine.”
“Good for you, my friend,” Pearce nodded before patting Lennox on the shoulder and adding, “And while I’d like to bask in the glow of your newfound mate with you, I instead have to tell you that Rian has called us all to the Grande Hall. Something about dead humans.”
“But…”
“But nothing, loverboy,” Kayne interrupted. “Get up those stairs and into a shirt and some boots. Duty calls.”
“Yeah, well duty sucks.”
“And absence makes the heart grow fonder.” The demi-god raised an eyebrow. “Leave your sexy little kitten a note. She’ll understand.”
“Whatever,” Lenn grumped, finishing his coffee before setting his mug in the sink and jogging up the stairs.
Slipping into his room, he was surprised to see that Tessa hadn’t moved but figured it was all the better she was sound asleep since he had to leave for a bit. Grabbing a clean T-shirt and his boots, the mad bomber couldn’t resist kissing her just over his mark.
Running his nose along the beautiful column of her neck, Lennox’s eyes slid shut as he inhaled deeply. Stopping as the faint scent of copper hit the back of his throat, the Guardsman opened his eyes, took another quick breath and instantly relaxed as the scent of orchids and water lilies made him smile.
“Be back, mo maité. Beats mo chroí ach amháin ar do shon.” One more quick kiss and he was out of the room, down the stairs and out the door.
Laughing at himself for being a sappy old dragon, Lennox jogged to the Grande Hall, slipped through the front door and into a seat just as Rian, the Leader of the Blue Thunder Dragons, entered the room and began. “So, there has been a serious increase in the number of human deaths both here and across the pond.”
“And you think it’s the same killer?” Maddox, an older Guardsman, known as the mad dragon and one of the elite Enforcers, asked.
Looking up from the open folder he held in his hand, the Dragon Leader nodded, “Or killers,” as he shoved a stack of photos down the long oak table. “Each of you take a set. Those are crime scene photos from here and Miami. I’m waiting for more to come in from Scotland Yard as well as New York, L.A., and Dallas.” He paused, “See anything suspicious?”
“What the…? Have these people been mummified?” Kayne asked, looking up from the photos with fury burning in his eyes.
“And the auspicious son of Lugh gets it in one,” Max, aka Maximillian Prentice – King of the Big Cats and an ally to the Dragon Guard, said as he walked through the door. “Sorry I’m late,” he nodded towards Rian before gesturing towards the t
all, elegant woman with long dark hair and eyes the color of delicately aged whiskey and the muscular, brooding man to her side that followed behind. “You all remember my sister, Sophia and Juan Carlos, yes?” Max’s South American accent painted his words with the King’s usual suave demeanor as he stopped next to the Dragon Leader and smiled to the Guardsmen around the table.
“I hope you don’t mind me crashing the party, but I became involved a little over three months ago after a call from my dear friend, Jake Espinosa in Miami. He knows of our,” Max waved his hand in the air and raised an eyebrow, “special abilities and thought I might be able to help. His superiors are shoving these murders under the rug and falsifying reports because they have no idea who, or more precisely what, could’ve done this to a human in less than twenty-four hours.”
“And you do?” Lennox asked, looking up from the grisly photos in his hand. “Know of something that can make a completely healthy human look like King Tut’s mummy in less than a day? Max, my friend, you are one scary King.”
“I believe I do. You might say I’ve been around long enough to see more than my share of the atrocities in this great big world.” Max smiled sadly. “But those stories are for another time. With regards to what you see in the photos Rian has given you, it wasn’t long after I arrived that the fourth murder in as many weeks occurred. Jake and I were able to get to the scene before the human police and all their forensic people arrived.”
The King began to pace, something Lennox had never seen him do no matter how bad the situation. Taking a deep breath, Max stopped, turned and stared out the window across the room. His voice took on a haunted tone as he went on, “There was no doubt in my mind that it is a Family of Cambion.”
Jumping to his feet, Maddox challenged, “You’ve lost your ever-loving mind.” He threw his hands in the air and stalked towards Max and Rian. “We haven’t seen an Incubus or a Succubus since the lads and I were tearing across the countryside, much less one of their offspring.” Stopping short of standing between the two men, the mad dragon frantically shook his head, “And they only ever travel in pairs. There’s no way there can be an organized group of them, much less a Family.” He pointed at Max. “You have to be wrong.”
