Yet as he fingered her, the strong woman inside her emerged. She wanted this, and she sure as hell was not going to cower in the corner when something so incredible was being offered to her.
Reaching out, she curled her fingers around the back of his head and shuffled her bottom forward. He needed no further invitation. Lowering his head, he kissed along the inside of her thighs, drawing irresistibly closer to her throbbing clit. She held her breath, wanting to focus every ounce of her concentration on this one needy point in her body. And when his mouth closed over her mound, her world exploded into a million stars.
“Oh, there. Right. There.” She didn’t need to tell him. He knew. He could read her body, and play it like the finest instrument.
Harlan sucked and licked her clit, while his fingers worked deep inside her, curling to brush her inner walls, in and out, until they hit just the right spot to send her spiraling out of control. Her first orgasm slammed into her, and he rode it out with her. But if she thought he was going to stop there, she was wrong.
As her orgasm ended, he eased back, kissing her thighs, letting her recover. But he did not let her arousal wane. Slowly, deliberately, he brought her back toward her peak. His mouth devouring her clit, his fingers delving deep inside her. Then he swapped around so that his thumb and finger pinched and rubbed her clit, and his mouth covered her sex, his tongue probing her.
Fiona leaned forward and watched him, her brain making the connections between what she saw and the sensations flooding through her body. Damn, this was so good. His tongue filled her sex, pushing deep, deeper than a tongue should go. He glanced up at her, his eyes glowing, his dragon was near the surface, and then she understood. He had enough control to allow part of him to become a dragon. And that part was his tongue. His forked tongue.
That was her last thought before her orgasm slammed into her and she lost herself, swept away on the waves of pleasure coursing through her. She sure could get used to having a dragon lover on call to satisfy her every need.
But Fiona cared about more than just her own needs. As her orgasm subsided, she shifted her weight and hooked her legs off his shoulders. Leaning forward, she put her hands on his chest and pushed him backward, down onto the floor. The flames from the fire had died down to bright embers, making his skin shimmer with a golden glow; they could almost be alone in the mountains, in a cave, away from the world
Straddling him, Fiona raised herself up on her knees, her hand encircling his hard cock. Stroking him up and down, she watched his face as he struggled for control. He was hers, but she was wrong if she thought she was the only one with control. With every beat of her heart, she understood that this was a two-way relationship. As much as he would do anything for her, she would do anything for him. No matter the cost.
A thrill of fear and excitement passed through her. She was no longer alone.
Guiding him toward her, she rubbed his cock back and forth along the length of her sex. He bit his bottom lip, his hands gripping her hips. Slowly, she lowered herself onto him. Inch by torturous inch he filled her. Fiona groaned, aching for him. Her whole life had been leading up to this moment when she would become one with her mate.
The moment did not disappoint.
Raising herself back up, before lowering herself down further, she took him deeper inside her. The friction of skin against skin was incredible. A heat grew between them, a frisson of electricity sparking and crackling as two ancient souls joined as one, mirroring the joining of their bodies.
Lower, she took him inside her fully. He was big, he stretched her inner walls, making her muscles throb. She took a moment, adjusting to him, but then he moved his hands from her hips and touched her breasts, caressing her skin, pinching her nipples, and the need to move, to make love to her mate, filled her.
A wild, primal abandon took hold of Fiona, and she moved in a rhythm that grew faster as her orgasm rushed at her. Harlan placed his hand on the small of her back, holding her in place as he sat up, his mouth claiming her nipples. She could not hold on through the onslaught of emotions rocketing through her body.
Riding him hard, her hips moving in circles, he impaled her again and again on his cock, and she came. Bursts of starlight filled her brain, and she soared above the clouds with him.
Two dragons, as one.
Chapter Twelve – Harlan
“Morning.” He kissed Fiona, drinking in the sight of her lying next to him, her body warm against his.
“Morning,” Fiona answered, brushing her hair from her face. “I must look like death.”
“No, you most certainly look like life to me.” He kissed her lips, ignoring her scowl.
“I should brush my teeth.” She started to get up, but he pulled her back down by his side. “I cannot remember the last time I woke up with a woman beside me, so give me a few minutes to enjoy it.”
“I would have thought a rich and attractive man like you would have had to beat women off with a stick.”
“Are you trying to hurt yourself with jealousy?” he asked.
“I’m not jealous.”
“Really, because I am jealous of every man who has ever spent a night in your bed. I envy them all. I would burn their bodies and char their bones…” His voice was fierce, but humor flickered in his eyes.
“Don’t, they meant nothing. Not now.” She reached up and stroked his face. “We have both been waiting for this day.”
“We have. Although I admit I did not abstain from sex only for you.” He grinned when she pulled a face. “I did it for Chrysi. I hated the idea of her waking up to a different face in my bed, a different woman. I didn’t want to parade them in front of her, and I never dated the same woman for too long. It seemed so unfair, knowing we were never going to be together in the way they wanted. So I never took a woman home after I adopted Chrysi.”
“And how does she feel about me?” Fiona asked, clutching the sheet to her breasts as she sat up.
“She needs to get to know you.”
“She doesn’t like me?” Fiona asked, hurt in her voice.
“She doesn’t know you. But that’s not all. She likes to keep a lookout for her old man, and she was worried about how fast things moved yesterday.”
“I don’t understand. She knows about the mating bond. Obviously, since she is Nevis’s mate.”
“I don’t think that was the issue. Although she did question how long it took me to find you. And then when one dragon became three, she was worried you were after my fortune,” Harlan said, and then added, “Of course, that is in strictest of confidence. I want my two, or four, special ladies to get along.”
Fiona drew her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them, with her head tilted toward Harlan. “Four special ladies. Does that mean you would consider taking on Ruby and Sapphire longterm?”
“Wouldn’t you?” Harlan asked. “There are not many of us left, and they need a home.”
“I would. Although it would take some rearranging of my schedule to make it work. They can’t be left to fend for themselves, we need to be here for them.”
“That is why you have a man around the place.” He put his arm around Fiona and pulled her back down beside him. “You just happen to have found a man who knows how to raise a daughter. I think between us we can make it work.”
“Don’t you have to be at your office?” Fiona asked. “I thought you had to work at keeping that fortune of yours getting bigger.”
“Luckily, Chrysi set up an office here. With a fast internet connection, I can be virtually in control of my empire from Bear Creek. Sure, I’ll have some meetings I must attend face to face, but mostly, the business runs itself. I learned a long time ago how to delegate effectively. I’ll have you know, I never missed one of Chrysi’s milestones.”
“Well, that is all in the future. Right now, we need to get up and get some breakfast. I need to go into the office and decide what I’m going to do with regards to paperwork. I also plan to dig around in the files a
nd see what I can dredge up on Roxanne Cunningham.”
“Will you find anything in the files? How much information do they go into when you hand over children to social services?”
“Not enough,” Fiona said, grabbing her robe and putting it on. “Luckily, I can go a little deeper than that. At least see if Roxanne flashes up on any of the databases.” She gave him a small smile. “I managed to get a password for clearance above my pay grade.”
“Do I want to know how?” Harlan asked.
“Probably not. Anyway, a dragon has to have some secrets.” She winked at him, and then slipped out of the door, heading for the bathroom.
Harlan lay back in bed and let his mind clear. He was a great believer in daily meditation. It helped him keep his thoughts in order, and made his will stronger. Important when you had so many years of information stored up in your brain.
After mentally putting the tasks he needed to do today in order, he closed his eyes and went over his conversation with Nevis and his later conversation with Chrysi. Was it possible he was on to something? Might there be a prenup in place? One that would make the family treasure theirs, and theirs alone?
He’d catch up with Chrysi later and check that she had contacted Sam, the private investigator. He expected Sam to come up with more information than Fiona could get out of her databases, but he wasn’t going to discount her. The more ammo they had, the easier it would be to get the girls’ treasure back.
“They mentioned a man,” Fiona said suddenly, coming back into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around her hair. “There was so much going on, I never thought anything of it.”
“A man?” Harlan asked, swinging his legs off the side of the bed.
“When they were talking about Roxanne yesterday, they said something about Roxanne in their parents’ bed, with that man.” Fiona came to stand in front of him, and it was all he could do not to strip the robe off her body and take her again, and again.
Harlan closed his eyes and grasped hold of his self-control. “That man. A particular man.”
“Yes. Maybe he has something to do with all of this. Their father hasn’t been dead for long, for her to find another man that fast…”
“OK, let’s get some breakfast and then get as much information as possible from Ruby and Sapphi.” He got up, and kissed Fiona quickly on the cheek, heading for the bathroom while his mate dressed. Ten minutes later they were in the kitchen making breakfast.
“I should go and wake them up,” Fiona said when the coffee pot was on, and the bacon was sizzling in the pan. “I also need to make a list of all the groceries I need to buy. I was not prepared to go from living alone, to having three other people in the house.”
“That sounds like an invitation,” Harlan cast over his shoulder as he cracked open an egg and sent it sizzling into the hot pan.
“Maybe it is. If you can earn your keep,” Fiona said.
“What do you need me to do?” Harlan asked, a twinkle in his eye that told her he would willingly earn his keep in her bed. Fiona blushed, her breasts heaving before she turned and left the room.
“For now, just make sure you tidy up after yourself. I only have one pair of hands,” she called as she headed for the stairs.
“And what a wonderful pair they are.” He chuckled as he heard her stomp up the stairs. “What a woman!” He whistled as he cooked. He’d missed this. During his stay with Chrysi in Bear Creek, she had cooked all the meals. She was reveling in the life she shared with Nevis, building a nest, that was what Teagan had told Nevis, who then passed the information to Harlan, and so he hadn’t interfered.
But he missed these simple pleasures. He was a provider as well as a protector.
“Harlan!” Fiona’s voice came from upstairs. “They aren’t here.”
“What?” Harlan moved the pan off the heat and set it aside, wiping his hands on a dishcloth as he went into the small hallway. He looked up, to see Fiona’s stricken face.
“The room is empty.”
“Bathroom?”
“I’ve checked that too,” she called down. “We must have slept heavily and missed them sneaking out. I should have known, I should have been more careful.”
“There is no use blaming yourself,” Harlan said. “They are as much my responsibility as yours.”
“It’s not your job at stake.” Fiona came downstairs, her face pale. “What if something happens to them? What if they have gone back to their house and someone gets hurt?”
“It’s a long way.”
“Oh, what if they hitchhike?” Fiona asked, nightmare images in her head. He knew what she was going through. As Chrysi grew up and became more independent, he had to accept her going places on her own, but it was never easy.
“They are sensible girls.”
“Who are?” Ruby asked, appearing in the doorway behind them, a piece of bacon in her hand, which she was happily eating.
“Where have you been?” Fiona demanded.
Ruby’s eyes widened and she prepared for battle. “In the woods. Sapphi and I went for a morning walk.”
“You should have told me where you were going.” Fiona stormed down the remaining stairs.
“And they will next time, won’t you, Ruby?” Harlan asked.
“We are not children,” Ruby said sourly.
“You will always be our children,” Harlan said the words he had told Chrysi so many times. “No matter how old you are.” He smiled. “Let’s eat. Fiona can put a notepad in the kitchen. When you go out, make a note of where you are going and what time you will be back.”
“What, you want to keep tabs on us?” Ruby asked.
“All of you, Fiona too, so you know where she is.” He stopped in the kitchen doorway. “We are treated equally in this house. We all take responsibility.”
Ruby glared at Harlan, but he stared her down. “All right. But we never had to do that at home. We do have these things called cell phones.” She held hers up, as if to make a point.
“Is that your dog?” Fiona asked, changing the subject. “What was his name? Muffet?”
“Muffin,” Ruby said, her voice softer as she showed the photo to Fiona. “I bet he misses us.”
“I bet he does.” Fiona took the phone and had a good look at the hairy dog.
“I would never guess you were a dog lover, Fiona,” Harlan said.
“I’m not.” She looked as if she was going to add something else and then changed her mind.
“OK, before this gets cold, sit, eat.” Harlan finished cooking the eggs.
Sapphi and Ruby sat down at the table, while Fiona passed the plates. Then she got the knives and forks, before grabbing the toast and setting it in the middle of the table. She was quick and efficient, and he sure did like the way she moved, but what he really wanted was to see her fly.
He longed for them to go out on the mountain and catch the updrafts and glide together.
“Harlan?” Fiona asked, and prompted him into action.
“Here we go.”
They sat and ate, skirting around the difficult questions he and Fiona needed to ask. For now, it was great to see them smiling. What would come later, that might bring tears.
Chapter Thirteen – Fiona
Over breakfast, Fiona got over the shock she had experienced at finding the girls’ bed empty. Her first thought was that they had run away, gone back home. There Ruby would turn into her dragon and bite Roxanne’s head off before spitting it out.
It would have meant failure for Fiona, and too many questions by the authorities that could never be answered.
“I am stuffed,” Sapphi said, leaning back with a groan.
“Good,” Harlan said. “Keep your strength up.
“For what?” Ruby asked sharply.
“For whatever we are going to do for the day,” Harlan said. “I have a couple of calls to make, and then I’m free if there is something you girls want to do.”
“Can we explore the forest and the mountain?” Ruby ask
ed.
“If that is what you want to do,” Harlan agreed. “I would rather do that than have to hit the mall.”
“We prefer the outdoors to the mall,” Sapphi said. “Mom used to fly us high up into the mountains when we were younger.”
“I miss those days,” Ruby said with sorrow in her voice.
“What about you, Fiona?” Sapphi asked, her eyes bright with tears.
“I have to go to work. I have a couple of things I need to check out.”
“What if they ask questions about us?” Ruby asked.
“Most people know not to ask me questions.” Fiona frowned. “I aim to stall for as long as possible.”
“Why?” Sapphi asked.
“We’re hoping to dig up some dirt on Roxanne,” Harlan answered matter-of-factly. “So if you have anything you can tell us.”
“Where do we begin?” Ruby said acidly.
“Well, you can begin by telling us about that man.” Fiona used the same tone and inflection Ruby had yesterday to describe Roxanne’s man friend.
“Roger Humphries. At least that’s what he calls himself,” Sapphi said.
“That isn’t his real name?” Fiona asked. Why was she not surprised there might be some kind of fraud going on here?
“No. Or if it is, he has a fake ID,” Ruby said.
“How do you know?” Harlan asked gently. “You won’t be in any trouble.”
“Muffin needed dog food, and Roxanne refused to buy any.”
“She’d also stopped giving us any kind of allowance,” Ruby added defensively.
“He was hungry. And so when Roger and Roxanne were upstairs, we took some money from his wallet.” Sapphi lifted her chin. “It was wrong, but Muffin needed food.”
“It’s OK,” Fiona said, although any kind of stealing was against her principles. “He had ID in his wallet?”
“He did. I pulled it out when I pulled out the note. It had the name Dougal Campbell on it.”
Harlan pulled out a small notepad from his pocket and wrote down the name. “Anything else?”
“Anything at all.” Fiona thought for a moment. “Did they know each other from before your dad married Roxanne?”
Silverback Dragon (Return to Bear Creek Book 6) Page 8
