What the hell were they doing, having a damn reception anyway? So they could show the entire world they had a sham marriage? Her husband, for one, looked like he would rather be anywhere else. He hardly looked at her, instead preferring to stare ahead or talk to people who would come by and offer their congratulations.
Her face hurt from all the smiling during the receiving line, and if she never smiled again it would be too soon. Plus, as she greeted all of Hank’s guests, she couldn’t help but feel their scrutiny and see the surprise on their faces when they looked at her.
Riva knew that look. It was the same look she got whenever Daniel introduced her to other people as his girlfriend. The one that said, what is she doing with him?
She’d gotten used to it with Daniel, even laughed it off, chalking it up to jealousy. But today, it stung particularly hard. She’d always known she wasn’t gorgeous, but she’d at least made some effort today with her hair and makeup. Hank probably dated supermodel types, she thought glumly. Why hadn’t he picked one of them to be his broodmare?
As the night wore on, she felt the weight of the entire day on her shoulders. She wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse in bed. But then that wasn’t going to happen either, right? She was moving into Blackstone Castle tonight.
She had done some research on her future home in the weeks leading up to the wedding. Lucas Lennox, the founder of Lennox Corporation and Blackstone town, had built it for his wife, who was a Swedish countess. She had seen pictures of the imposing castle, with its tall spires and dark roofs, and couldn’t believe she’d be living there with Hank.
And Melissa, apparently.
Something about Hank’s sister-in-law rankled her but she wasn’t sure what. Maybe it was the way her eyes had seemed to devour Hank, or the familiarity of that hug they’d exchanged.
She shook her head. No, she was being ridiculous. But still, it was obvious that something was not quite right, and she couldn’t believe Melissa would be living with them. It was something she probably should have clarified, but then again, it was her fault for not insisting on a face-to-face meeting with Hank.
She snuck a glance at her husband, who was talking to James Walker on his right side. From beside James, Laura’s face popped up and the perky blonde flashed her a smile. She smiled back. They had only spoken briefly at the reception line, but she’d made sure to thank Laura for all her hard work. The other woman had laughed, saying it was her pleasure. Riva had immediately decided she liked Laura, even if she was a teensy bit envious of her relationship with James and their adorable son.
Now, as Hank continued to ignore her, she felt the last of her patience leave her. Even worse, she felt someone looking at her, and saw Melissa staring at her, her eyes narrowing as she sipped on a glass of wine. Riva stood up, more abruptly than she’d wanted, making the legs of her chair scrape against the ground. Hank’s head whipped toward her, but she ignored him, instead turning and walking away.
She wasn’t sure where she was going, just as long as it was away from the reception, from Melissa, and from her husband. She yanked the crown of flowers off her head and threw it to the ground. Picking up her steps, she continued to walk, going deeper into the woods.
“Ahhh!” she cried when her soft flats hit something—a root or stray branch—and she felt her body hurtling to the ground. She braced herself for the impact, but she never felt the ground. Instead, large, strong arms held her up and put her back on her feet.
She shook her hair away from her face and looked up. Twin silver orbs glowed at her in the darkness and as her vision adjusted, she realized who it was.
“What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” he asked, his low voice sending tingles across her skin. “You left our reception.”
“Well, excuse me for not wanting to be ignored,” she huffed.
“Ignored?” he said, his voice raising slightly. “You’re the one who looks like she swallowed a bug or something. Can’t you at least not look miserable on our wedding day?”
She felt her temper rising. “Ha!” She threw her hands up. “Wedding day. Right. I can’t wait to get this sham of a marriage over with.”
She could have sworn she saw a flash of pain on his face, but she ignored it. It must have been the moonlight overhead playing with her eyes. Whatever that emotion was, it was gone, only to be replaced by a cold, haughty mask.
“We both know what can end this ‘sham’, don’t we?”
He advanced toward her, making her step back. She suddenly felt like an animal being stalked by a predator, which in this case wasn’t very far off the mark.
Her back hit something solid and rough—the trunk of a gigantic tree—and she swallowed a gulp as she became aware of how close Hank was to her and how alone they were in the middle of the forest. She pressed her body up closer to the tree, trying to get as far away from him as possible.
She could only feel the brush of jacket against her, but the heat of his body was undeniable. This close, she realized how big and imposing he was. He towered over her and his chest was almost as broad as the tree behind her. He pushed a lock of hair away from her face, his warm palm staying on her cheek.
She barely let out a gasp before his lips covered hers. It was nothing like their first kiss at the ceremony (if she could call it that), which was hasty and rushed. His lips had barely touched hers. Oh no, now, he took his time. His lips moved over her mouth in a deliberate caress. Blood rushed out of her brain, making her feel lightheaded. Oh God…she couldn’t… She tried to turn her head, but his hand held her in place and when she tried to seal her lips together, his finger tugged at her chin, making them open so his tongue could snake inside.
The first touch of his tongue into her mouth made her gasp in pleasure, and she could have sworn he smiled. Damn, the bastard! She attempted to wiggle away from him, but his hard, warm body pinned her back against the tree.
He pushed up against her. Something hard was digging into her hip and she realized what it was. Dear God, her insides were on fire and the wires in her brain must have crossed because she found herself rubbing against him. It was his turn to moan now and she couldn’t help but feel smug.
As his lips continued their assault, his hand crept down to her thigh. Grabbing the delicate fabric of her long dress, he pulled it up, hooked a hand under her knee, then brought it up against his hips. She ripped her mouth away from him as she moaned when the ridge of his erection bumped against her core.
“Say my name, sweetheart,” he whispered against her neck. His tongue licked at her skin, making her arch her back.
“Hank…”
“Hmmm…I like how you say it when you’re hot for me. Maybe I’ll make you beg for it…”
A cold, freezing wave washed over her. Beg for it? Cruel bastard. She shoved at him, surprised at her own strength. “Get away from me.”
He staggered back, but quickly regained his footing. “What? I thought you wanted this over with? You know what I want…”
“An heir,” she spat. “I know. And once I’m done paying my father’s debt to you, I’ll be on my way. I can’t wait to get away from you.”
He was on her again, hands on either side of her. “No.”
“Excuse me? That was the agreement, right?” She gave him a cruel smirk. “After I give birth to your heir, I’m free. Free to live my life and take lovers as—”
His lips cut her off, a kiss so hard and rough it left her breathless. “That’s what I meant. You won’t take a lover until you’ve given me an heir. Wouldn’t want there to be any doubt who the father is.”
Hot rage burned through her. How dare he insinuate… “Fine. The sooner we get this over with, the better.”
“Hmmm…as appealing as outdoor sex is, I’d rather not.” He traced a finger down her cheek and tipped her chin up to meet his eyes. They were glowing again, like molten pools of dark silver. “I won’t force you, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’ll wait for you
to come to me.”
“What are you talking about?”
His lips curled into a smile. “You’ll beg me to make love to you. And not just so you can have my heir, but because you’ll be wanting me so bad.”
Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “In your dreams.”
“Oh, you don’t want to know what my dreams are like…or do you?”
“Bastard!” What the hell was wrong with him? “Why are you being like this? Just get it over with and you can have what you want.”
He tsked. “Of course I’ll get what I want. I always do. C’mon.” He took her hand and dragged her forward. “Let’s go.”
“Go?” she asked in a confused voice. What was going on? “Hank?”
“I’ve said our goodbyes at the reception. We’re going back to Blackstone Castle.”
The trip to Blackstone Castle was quick. Hank had already instructed their driver to get the car ready as he went to fetch his bride. No, wife, he told himself. Riva was his wife now. His. He practically dragged her back to the reception, where most of the guests were clearing out. Good. The car was waiting for them, ready to take them home. As he expected, Riva sat at the other end of the back seat, as far away from him as possible.
He wasn’t sure what had come over him. Maybe it was how she’d looked so achingly beautiful under the moonlight. Or the defiant look in her eyes. Or the thought of anyone else possessing her sweet little body. Rage had built in him, like the fire his dragon created. Oh no, if she thought she was going to get away from him….
Kissing her and touching her had been madness. She’d offered her body right then and it had taken all his strength not to take her. To raise her skirt, pull down her panties and bury himself in her. But her words…get it over with. They had struck a pain in his gut he’d never felt before.
This was madness, the rational part of him was saying. Get her pregnant and be done with the whole thing. But as soon as she got pregnant and gave birth, she’d be done with him, too. And then his thoughts went to that dark place again, the thought of her moving on with other lovers, and it drove him into a cyclical argument that went nowhere. Damn the woman, why couldn’t she just have been the plain, homely-looking girl in the pictures?
“We’re here, sir,” the driver said.
“Thank you,” Hank replied. Not bothering to wait for the driver to open the door, he pulled it open himself. He reached over to her and she flinched. “C’mon, we’re here.”
“Here?”
“Your new home.”
She waved his hand away and he shrugged, then stepped out of the car. As she looked up, he couldn’t help but hear her audible gasp.
Blackstone Castle stood on the edge of the mountain, surrounded by huge pine trees. It really was designed to look like a fairy-tale castle, with its tall spires, stonework walls, gables, balconies, and elaborate cornices. Behind it, the moon was full, making it look even more unreal.
His home was intimidating—maybe some might even say majestic. However, in the last decade, the castle had definitely gone to ruin. There just wasn’t enough money left over for upkeep.
The door opened, and one of the staff members greeted him. He couldn’t quite remember her name—Anna? Alyssa? It wasn’t that he was too good to remember, but he hardly knew who was running the castle these days. After all, Melissa had taken care of that since she married Harrison. And now…damn. He hadn’t even considered what Riva would want to do. Frankly, he hadn’t expected her to live there long enough to care. And now, seeing the rundown castle, he felt shame that he hadn’t made an effort to make it more presentable for his bride.
“Where am I supposed to go?” Riva asked.
He didn’t even realized he had suddenly stopped. “To my…I mean our room, of course.” He had meant for her to stay in the Countess’ suite next to the master bedroom, his parents’ old room. Harrison and Melissa had stayed in his room because it was in the more modern wing of the castle. Hank had his old room in the same wing.
He’d had the master bedroom and the adjoining suite prepared when he decided to get married. He’d thought it would be more prudent to have her close, but give her some space if necessary. But now, he changed his mind. He’d have his staff close up the Countess’ suite and have Riva’s things moved into the master bedroom.
She followed him up the steps, toward the east wing of the castle. He was surprised she didn’t protest, though he noticed the definite sagging of her shoulders and the tired look in her eyes.
He opened the door to the master bedroom, glad to see that the staff had aired out the room and cleaned it up. It had remained abandoned for years, but now it looked much better.
The curtains were drawn on the large balcony doors to let some moonlight in. The lights were turned down low and there was even a fire burning in the old fireplace in the corner. The four-poster bed had been polished and fresh sheets and covers were laid down. It was almost romantic. The perfect setting for a wedding night. Riva’s eyes were wide, and for a moment he thought he saw a flash of desire when her eyes settled on the large bed.
“I had some of my things sent ahead,” she finally said. “Did someone unpack them here?”
“They must have been sent to the wrong room,” he said. He walked over to the chest of drawers and took out one of his shirts. “Here, you can wear this for tonight. Bathroom’s over there. There’s probably a spare toothbrush in there too.”
She grabbed the shirt from him without a word and then disappeared into the bathroom.
As soon as he was alone, he sat down on the bed. For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, he asked himself what he was doing. Maybe James had been right. He shouldn’t have done this. But then, he would never have met Riva. A thought brushed his mind, something he tried to ignore.
Was Riva his dragon’s mate? No, that was ridiculous. Dragons didn’t choose mates. Sure, other shifters—bears, lions, wolves and other animals—supposedly recognized their mates right away. James said he knew the instant he saw Laura that she was the one, and his bear wouldn’t let him even look at other women.
But dragons were far above such things, his father had told him. He had chosen Hank’s mother, because she was from a good family. He wasn’t sure if his parents had been in love, though they certainly respected each other.
Harrison pretty much did the same thing. It wasn’t that his marriage was arranged, but Harrison and Melissa were definitely encouraged to get together. Because Hank was the second son, they hadn’t really cared who he dated.
His fists clenched around the sheets and the memories came rushing back. No, he’d told himself he’d stop thinking about the past.
The bathroom door creaking open shook him out of his thoughts. He swung his head over to Riva, standing by the door. A wave of possessiveness swept over him as he saw her standing there in nothing but his shirt. It was too big and went down to past her knees, but the light behind her shone through the fabric and he stifled a groan. He could see her luscious curves, including the outline of her breasts and her nipples straining against the front.
“I’m done, you can use the bathroom now,” she said as she walked passed him. He got a waft of her scent, so sweet and womanly, and he shifted uncomfortably as he felt the blood go straight to his cock. He got up and went to the bathroom before he embarrassed himself.
He got undressed and got into the old claw foot tub, turning the shower on. Cold water blasted at him, and he didn’t bother to turn the tap for hot water. No, cold was what he needed tonight.
When he was done, he walked out into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. Looking over to the bed, he saw that Riva was already under the covers, her small body curled up at the edge. For a second he wondered what would happened if he crawled under those covers and pressed his body to hers.
No, he thought. He meant what he’d said. Riva would have to come to him, want him and want to be with him. He could have her anytime, he knew that, because she was so desperate to ‘ge
t it over with’. But he would take his time. Fathering an heir could wait. For some reason, he wanted to tie Riva to him, so that she would never leave.
Chapter 5
The early morning light hit her eyelids, making them flutter open. For a moment, Riva thought she was still in her on-campus apartment. Then the memories of yesterday’s events—her wedding day—came flooding back, and she knew exactly where she was.
Of course, that didn’t explain the heavy arm around her waist. Or the warm, hard chest pressed up against her back. Or something else hard poking her ass.
“What the—oh my God, you’re naked!” She scrambled up to the headboard, trying to get far away from Hank and his nakedness.
He stretched out like a cat. “And so are you. Under my shirt.” His voice was raspy and sleepy, sending a thrill through her. She turned away, trying not to look at his naked form. She definitely was not checking out the expanse of his chest, his washboard abs, or the substantial erection jutting from between his legs. Oh God…
“Did you change your mind yet, sweetheart?” he asked, his gaze lazily running over her. A flush crept up her neck, as if it was his hands doing the caressing, not his eyes.
“Have you?” she asked in a defiant voice.
His face turned dark and then he rolled off the bed. “I’ll use the other bathroom,” he mumbled, walking toward the door on the left side. Peeking over, she realized there was a whole other suite connected to the master bedroom.
With a sigh, she got up and walked to the bathroom. Bracing herself on the marbled countertop, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. What the hell kind of game was Hank playing? He got what he wanted, and she was here, ready to have his child. Why did it matter if she wanted him or not? It was all biology, after all. The sooner she got pregnant, the sooner she could move on with her life. Her professors had been disappointed when she filed for a leave of absence from her MBA program. She was desperate to go back and finish it.
The Last Blackstone Dragon Page 3
