by Julia Mills
Pushing back up onto his good knee, leaning forward on his elbows, he finished the slow trek to his pallet located next to the lagoon. Collapsing next to the pool, he grabbed his cup, filled it with water, and drank until his body temperature finally started to return to normal.
Sitting up and scooting until his back touched the wall, Andrew removed the ancient text from under his shirt. Opening the book, he pulled out the pages with John’s translations and began to review.
A powerful white witch sworn to the Earth, of long regal lineage made whole by human love, must mate a dragon of royal descent marked by devastating loss and the heart of not one clan, but two.
The vibria born of human parents and the last female bred of two dragons lost in plain sight.
Born to an extinct race, thought to be one but actually two. Both with destinies blessed by Fate, neither knowing the other exists…
A calling to heal, a hidden nature, a history long forgotten…all protected in the heart of a woman destined to complete a warrior and his beast. The revelation of all she is brought forth from the joining with her mate.
He searched the back of the book, finding his translations…
…The gift of love and the hope of a future unlocks her true nature with the surrender of a mate’s heart.
The page from the ancient grimoire, written in blood and containing the spell that would deliver the forever death, fell onto his lap. He looked at it like it was the Holy Grail and in all actuality…for him it was. It was his secret weapon against the race that wronged him. The race that had forgotten him. The race that had left him to die.
Andrew held the paper to his chest, closed his eyes, and chuckled.
This is gonna be good.
CHAPTER SIX
Charlie had tossed and turned all night, dreams of Aaron fighting a black hooded figure chased her every sleeping moment. There were times it looked like his opponent might take him down, but then she would glimpse his cocky grin and watch the man that was becoming so important to her cut down everything in his path. His raw power was awesome and fueled by the dragon she could feel within him. He not only possessed brute strength, but also an iron will and a pure determination that would not be defeated.
Reluctantly, Charlie opened her eyes, squinting at the glare. Shards of light shone through the gaps in her light blue blackout curtains, nearly blinding her as she cursed under her breath. Those curtains had been the best investment she’d made during her first year as an intern. Working all kinds of crazy hours, never sure when she’d be able to get back to her bed, she’d learned quickly that even in the bright light of day an hour or two of sleep was a blessing, and her curtains tricked her brain into believing it was always nighttime.
Not when you don’t shut them all the way, doofus.
Throwing the blankets over her head, she groaned while rolling away from the offending light. She tossed and turned until her legs were encased in the sheets and she felt like a mummy. Laughing at her own silliness, Charlie threw off the covers, careful not to look towards the window, and stared at the far wall, once again thinking about the man that would not leave her alone, whether awake or sleeping.
He’s an addiction they don’t have a twelve-step program for.
After several long minutes, she sat up and threw her legs over the edge of the bed, talking to the room around her. “Might as well get this day started. Wonder how much trouble I can get into?”
Making her way to the bathroom, she brushed her teeth, took a shower, and threw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. She followed the smell of freshly brewed coffee to the kitchen, thanking the Lord above for coffeemakers with timers. Steaming mug in hand, she padded to the deck and plopped into the redwood Adirondack chair, propping her feet on the large terra cotta pot in front of her.
The daisies, looming big and beautiful, reached for the sun and made her smile. She knew it was silly, but knowing Aaron had planted them for her made them all the more special. Glancing to the side, she gazed at the huge red flowers of the rose bush and made a mental note to ask him where he’d gotten such a beautiful plant, and why it always seemed to be in bloom. The backyard needed some sprucing up.
That would be a great ‘thank you’ present to Sam for letting me use the cottage. I’ll get right on it…as soon as I find the gumption.
Letting her head fall back, her eyes slid closed and she soaked in the warmth of the sun, letting her mind wander. Thoughts of how much her world had changed and how happy she was that she and Sam were back on speaking terms floated around her brain. That made her think of her parents, which made her remember that it had been days since she’d spoken to them.
Her mom usually called at least every other day, especially now that her dad had retired from the police force. It was funny to hear them bicker. Marian Gallagher was a smart, sassy, retired nurse that always took care of everyone with a firm hand and a whole lot of love. Charles, aka, Chuck Gallagher, was a hard-nosed retired city detective with a heart of gold, and was Charlie’s very own version of a superhero. After all, she was named after him.
The day Chuck Gallagher had responded to the 911 call about an abandoned newborn on the church steps was the best day of Charlie’s, then, very short life. She’d heard the story so many times she could recite it while almost perfectly imitating her dad.
You were the prettiest little thing I’d ever seen. Snow white hair and bright blue eyes, rosy cheeks and sweet, rosebud lips that spread into a smile just like sunshine. I’d never seen anything as beautiful as you, except your mom. You were all wrapped in a fluffy pink blanket, cooing like you didn’t have a care in the world. The reverend said he found you safe and secure in an old-fashioned wicker basket. You know the kind, with high sides and handles.
It was filled with bottles, blankets, little pink outfits of every description, and the tiniest diapers I’d ever seen. There were even two white teddy bears and a package of pacifiers. We never did figure out the meaning of the pretty copper pendant on the brown leather cord attached to the basket handle. Just knew that it exactly matched the birthmark on your hip. Your mom saved it until you were old enough to wear it and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without it.
I took you straight to the hospital. Never left your side. The doctors and nurses knew me from your mother and all the times I’d brought victims in. When I said I wasn’t leaving you, they just backed away and did their jobs. At first, the doc was worried about the markings on your back, but they soon said they were only a birthmark.
I was getting really impatient. Kept asking when they’d finally be done. Of course, you just smiled and even giggled a time or two. The nurses said they’d never seen a baby so young be so responsive and happy. Always so happy. I was just about to lose my mind when your mom showed up. She’d been covering a shift in surgery and recovery. Thankfully, she was just in time to hear the doctor say you were perfectly healthy.
The folks from Child Protective Services came. Marian said there was no way in hell you would spend one minute in one of those scary group homes or a crowded foster home. It took a few calls and some big time favors, but a few hours later we were taking you home and you’ve been ours ever since.
A flood of memories washed over Charlie; pictures of birthdays, holidays, family vacations, even simple days at the park; all the things that made her childhood so perfect. She felt like someone with a big announcer’s voice should be declaring, “Charlene Gallagher…This is Your Life.”
Chuckling aloud, she lifted her head just in time to see twinkling blue eyes and a handsome face blocking the rays of the sun. Lips she recognized as Aaron’s slammed onto hers. A scent that was all man, specifically him, flooded her system, making her feel tipsy. Opening for him like it was something she was born to do, Charlie reveled in the feelings this one man brought out in her. They groaned in unison at the sheer pleasure of being together as his tongue tangled with hers.
Warm, strong hands slid around her waist, cupping her ass and sendin
g electric tingles throughout her entire body, making her instantly wet and needy. In the next instant she was lifted into his arms, helpless to do anything but what he commanded. The feel of his body against hers, his arms around her, his mouth on hers, nearly short-circuited her brain. Her entire world narrowed to that moment, that man, and what they were together.
They moved. She felt the air at her back, recognized the sound of the sliding glass door opening and slamming shut, then the smell of her heather and dewdrop candles. The sounds of his boots on her tile floor changed as they hit the carpeting in her living room and then the hardwood floors of the hall. Upward motion told her they were on the stairs, but she really couldn’t care; all that mattered was that he kept kissing her…kept touching her.
A kick to a door sounded far away, and then Aaron abruptly stopped, turned, and sat. Charlie found herself straddling his lap, the muscles in his thighs warming the inside of hers as she fought to get as close to him as possible. Sliding forward, their lips never leaving one another, his erection made contact with her engorged clit. She gasped as flashes of light burst behind her closed lids. Aaron took advantage, nipping and tasting her jawline, raising goose bumps all over her body. He worried her earlobe with his teeth and tongue. His breath on her ear and the words he whispered sent shivers up and down her spine. “Good God woman, you make me crazy. I can think of nothing else but loving you until the end of time.”
She grabbed his head with both hands on the side of his head and pulled his face until she could see his eyes. Her voice was low and breathless when she spoke, “Ditto, dragon man, ditto,” was all she got out before his mouth was on hers again. The fire they had started erupted into an inferno, burning her from the inside out.
Aaron’s hands slipped under her shirt. Sparks flew between them at every touch of his hands on her bare skin. He moved upward, taking the flimsy fabric with him. Faster than she could track he pulled the top over her head. Next to go were her shorts, leaving her sitting in only a bra and panties, holding her breath to see what he would say.
Good thing I wore the good stuff today.
He stood and spun in one fluid motion. The cool softness of her favorite comforter touched the markings on her back as they tingled where he’d carefully laid her down. Her legs hung over the side of the bed on either side of Aaron’s incredibly muscular legs.
Charlie watched his face as his eyes surveyed every inch of her curvy form. She knew she should’ve been nervous or embarrassed at his intense scrutiny, but her old feelings of insecurity never rose. Instead, she watched his pupils dilate and his nostrils flare. Aaron obviously liked what he saw. Her heart soared when he spoke.
“You are absolutely stunning, Dr. Gallagher…absolutely stunning.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, Mr. O’Brien, but I think you’re a little overdressed.”
Aaron ripped his T-shirt over his head while kicking off his boots and stripping out of his jeans. Charlie watched in amazement as muscles she knew had to be from good genetics and hard work rippled and rolled, while a mass of gorgeous tanned skin became visible. She’d seen many naked bodies in a clinical setting, and a few in not-so clinical ones, but none of them compared to the near perfection that stood before her.
Holding her hostage with his eyes, Aaron slowly leaned down, capturing her between his palms as they touched down on either side of her head. The coarse hair on his legs brushed against hers as he moved to the side. The bed shifted and one of his hands lifted as he lay down beside her.
The back of his fingers skimmed her cheek and then her chin. His index finger outlined her slightly separated lips, moving across her chin and down her neck, leaving chills in its wake. He stroked across her collarbone with just his fingertips, making his way to the tops of her breasts. His fingers slipped inside the lace cup of her bra, teasing first one nipple and then the other to a painful point. She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in a loud rush.
Aaron chuckled and she saw the passion burning in his eyes. Before another thought crossed her mind, he was lifting her shoulders from the bed and unfastening her bra. The dark burgundy material flew over her head, closely followed by her matching panties.
“How the hell?” she gasped.
“Oh, Darlin’, you have only begun to know the wonders of lovin a dragon.”
He rolled to the side, taking her with him, moving until she sat atop him. Charlie was forced to let her legs fall on either side of his hips. She bent forward, kissing and tasting first his shoulder, then his neck, and finally, his jaw. The fire burning at her center made it impossible for her not to move. The roll of her hips against his rock hard abs created a delicious friction, sending shivers through her excited core. She felt the moisture coat the insides of her thighs. She was sure he felt the heat on his stomach.
Aaron gently grabbed her hips, lifting her while scooting just a fraction of an inch backward. She jumped as his erection rubbed across her excited clit. He lifted his hips, slowly entering her as he lowered her inch by inch onto his cock. Her heart soared. He was a gentle and considerate lover, frequently pausing so that she might adjust to his enormous girth.
Unable to stand one more moment of separation from the man that was quickly capturing her heart, her body, and her soul, Charlie placed her hands over his, pushing her hips down until they touched his. The speed of her action forced the tip of his cock to bump the opening of her cervix. Her muscles tightened around him, making it hard for her to feel where she ended and he began. Belonging unlike anything she’d ever imagined pushed all rational thought from her mind. Charlie could only feel.
The look in Aaron’s eyes told her he liked the effect he had on her, liked tearing away all her inhibitions. Winking, he slowly started to rock, barely moving in and out of her, but sending shockwaves through her body, nonetheless. It was obvious he was in no hurry. His only focus was driving their excitement higher with every stroke.
They were slow dancing to the music of their heartbeats, their bodies moving in unison. She’d never thought it possible to be simultaneously excited, and so at peace. The walls of her pussy contracted harder around him the longer he continued their erotic tango. She was completely captured in the web of desire they wove together.
On the edge of what she knew would be the best orgasm of her life, Charlie threw back her head, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the ride. Words tumbled from her mouth. “Mmm, oh, oh…this is feels…you are…it’s…amazing.”
Aaron swiveled his hips, moving in and out, touching all her sensitive spots and some she didn’t know she had. Her clit was on fire, while the sensitive bundle of nerves at the top of her channel pulsed faster with every touch of his cock. She writhed in pleasure. Moaning so loud it was almost a scream.
“Oh, oh, oh…Aaron…”
So close to completion she felt out of control, Charlie began rotating her hips on every down stroke. Their intricate lap dance wiped all thoughts from her mind. She increased the tempo, applying more pressure as she rode Aaron, searching for the stars. She needed something more…anything, just could not think past her need, could only feel and move…her sex-addled brain unable to form one intelligent thought. Shifting forward just a bit, a squeal leapt from her lips as Aaron gave her what she needed.
“Oh. My. God! Yes! Yes! Yes!”
“You are simply spectacular. Just stunning. Come mo ghra’, come for me. Come with me. Take whatever you need. Ta’ mo chroi istigh.” The smooth, low baritone of his voice was breathless from their lovemaking. It skittered up her spine sending another, more potent shock of arousal through her body.
Aaron moved faster and deeper, angling himself so that every thrust in and out of her overly aroused pussy pushed the head of his penis to her very depths. Together, they panted. Sweat pooled between their bodies. The moans of pleasure that bounced off the walls were only rivaled by the sounds of their bodies as they met in passion she never knew was possible.
She heard his voice in her hea
d, “Open your eyes Charlie. Look at me.”
Their eyes locked. Every muscle in her body flexed tighter than a bowstring. Aaron thrust stronger and harder, seating himself not only in her body but also in her soul. In the next second, they bellowed their release to the Heavens. Their combined orgasm went on and on until Charlie collapsed into a boneless dead weight upon his chest. She fought hard to catch her breath, praying her sanity would return. Aaron’s chest rose and fell under her limp body. She worked up a weak grin as she realized he wasn’t having an easy time of it either. His arms came up around her, locking her securely in place. It was then she felt their hearts beat in unison…as one.
The markings on her back tingled. She felt them move everywhere his skin touched them. The tingle quickly became an itch, making her squirm and wiggle against his arm.
“Got an itch, mo ghra’?”
“Just a bit,” she answered, wanting nothing more than to fall into blissful sleep in Aaron’s arms, but unable to get comfortable.
“Let me take care of that for you.”
His large, calloused hand moved over her back, soothing her itch, taking away her pain…lulling her to sleep. Charlie thought she’d have to remember to thank him for the use of his magical hands. She let go of the breath she’d been holding and floated away. The last thing she heard before her world faded to black seemed like it sounded in her head and made no sense at all.
I gcónaí agus go deo. Mine grá.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Always and forever. Mine to love. He smiled, thinking of the words he’d sent directly into Charlie’s mind. Speaking the old language was not something Aaron did very often, but with his mate, it just seemed natural. Aidan and the others were going to give him seven kinds of hell when they saw what a marshmallow he’d become.
