However, he merely cupped her cheeks and strummed his fingers against her skin. His love shown in his eyes and her heart skipped a beat. Finn was even more gorgeous when he allowed her to see his true feelings.
He murmured, “That’s great, but remember, I love you more.”
Her warm feelings eased a bit and she frowned. “Really? Here I am, telling you I bloody love you, and you turned it into a contest?”
“Of course. Just saying I love you and then fawning over you would be pretty boring, don’t you think?”
Her dragon laughed. He is right.
There’s no bloody way I’m telling him that.
Her beast laughed some more. Arabella ignored her and moved a hand to the back of Finn’s neck. “Just shut up and kiss me already, dragonman.” He opened his mouth and she cut him off. “Seriously, for once, just listen to me.”
Caressing her cheeks, he moved closer. A whisper from her lips, he murmured, “I just wanted to tell you that this kiss is a down payment for later. Once you’ve rested, there will be more, much more.”
Arabella opened her mouth and Finn’s lips descended on hers.
~~~
As Finn nibbled Arabella’s lip before moving his tongue between her sweet lips, he battled his dragon’s instinct to mate. Now is not the time. She’s tired, hungry, and probably sore.
She is ours. We need to show her how much we love her until every inch of her body knows it well.
We did that during the frenzy.
It wasn’t enough.
Forcing his beast into a mental cage, he pulled Arabella’s body flush against his. The second her nipples crushed against his chest, she gasped. He took advantage and stroked deeper.
Yet Arabella recovered and fought back. As their tongues tangled, Finn knew he’d never get enough of his stubborn female.
Moving his hands down her back, he gripped her soft arse. His dragon may have been in control during the frenzy, but Finn remembered everything and would never get enough of taking his female from behind.
Of course, Arabella still had her clothes on. He couldn’t do anything until she was at least half naked.
It was time to see if she wanted it, too,
He snaked one hand between them and took her breast in a possessive grip. Arabella moaned and broke the kiss. “Finn.”
His name was a plea and he wasn’t about to pass it up.
He slowly kissed his way down Arabella’s neck until he reached where it met her shoulder. After biting her gently, he licked the sting. Kissing back up her neck, he bit her sensitive skin again.
Arabella threaded her fingers in his hair and arched her back in invitation.
He should stop. A good clan leader would stop and use every second available to heal the rift.
His dragon huffed. In the time it takes you to decide, we could’ve fucked our mate already.
Shut it, dragon.
Stop talking and use your time more wisely.
Fine.
Stealing a few minutes with his mate wouldn’t hurt anyone. After all, a few minutes with his mate would help ground him for the possible shitstorm to come.
Leaning back, he put his forefinger under her top and lightly traced her skin. His female was so soft.
Arabella reached out and ran her hand across his chest. Even with a shirt on, her touch left a trail of heat and he yearned to feel her skin against his.
His beast roared in impatience.
Taking the hint, Finn raised her top and pulled it off. Arabella opened her mouth and he stopped her from replying with a kiss. He then scooped her breast from her bra and played with her taut nipple.
The scent of her arousal grew stronger and he moved to her other breast. Just as he twisted her other nipple, Arabella bit his lower lip. The slight sting went straight to his cock.
She broke the kiss and whispered, “Do we have time?”
“I thought earlier you said we had to wait until tomorrow for your dragon.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You think I need my dragon to have sex?”
“No, but I’d rather not piss her off.”
Arabella reached behind her and unhooked her bra. As the contraption fell to the ground, she took her breasts in her hands. “If you’re so afraid of my dragon, then maybe I can pleasure myself.”
As his mate fondled her own breasts, his mouth went dry. Part of him was tempted to watch Arabella make herself come.
His dragon growled. No. We should make her come.
A shot of lust rushed through his body. Finn barely prevented himself from moaning out loud. Bloody hell, dragon. The frenzy is over.
We will never get enough of her. Fuck her.
Tugging off his shirt, Finn replied, “If you want my cock, then strip and bend over the table.”
~~~
Arabella stopped massaging her breasts to ask, “I’m supposed to take orders from you, now?”
Finn’s pupils flashed to slits and back. “In this instance, yes.” He reached out and his touch was feather light across her breast. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Her heart rate kicked up. The frenzy was over and her dragon was present in her mind, but tired. A part of Arabella wanted to cede control in just this situation, but another part recoiled at the thought of giving in to Finn so easily.
Her dragon’s sleepy voice filled her head. Try it once. If he’s rubbish, you know for next time.
Says the beast who controlled the frenzy. From what I remember, he did just fine.
I’m too tired to push you. Make the decision yourself.
Finn watched her with predatory eyes. Since his pupils were round, his human half was in control.
The look shot straight to her pussy. Whatever soreness she’d felt earlier had all but disappeared and had been replaced with a pulsing need.
Even without the frenzy, she wanted Finn’s cock.
Arabella undid her jeans and shimmied out of them. “Lock the door and hurry. We have stuff to do.”
In the blink of an eye, Finn locked the door and was out of his clothes. Yet all he did was stare at her, then the table, and back at her.
Rolling her eyes, she moved toward the table. “Fine, mister alpha. But if you disappoint me, I’m not going to let you take control again.”
Finn’s voice was husky when he replied, “It’s not just me who will take control, heather. I look forward to you riding my cock and being in charge without your dragon.”
The thought of riding Finn and his dick reaching deep inside of her made her even wetter. As she placed her hands on the table, she looked over her shoulder. “Behave, or I’ll tie you up and walk away.”
In the next second, Finn was behind her. Running one warm, rough hand down her back, he murmured, “You had better never walk away from me, Arabella, or I will tie you up, tease you, and then stop. We’ll see how you like it.”
Opening her mouth, Finn’s hand caressed between her legs and she forgot whatever she was going to say. He thrust a finger inside her and she leaned against her hands.
Finn’s breath was hot against her shoulder as he asked, “Are you too sore or do you want my cock?”
Arabella wiggled her hips. “Fuck me, Finn, and quickly.”
He chuckled as he fingered her. “Someone sounds like they’re about to have another frenzy.”
Growling, she met his eye. “At least your dragon gets to the point.”
Finn’s eyes flashed and he removed his hand. For a second, she thought he’d walk away. But then he leaned over her body and held her in place with his arm around her waist. “Women are supposed to like it slow, but I see my lass wants it hard and fast.”
Widening her stance, she leaned forward slightly. “Then get to it, dragonman.”
With a growl, Finn released his hold on her waist, positioned his cock, and thrust.
She was so wet he slid in without a problem. The fullness combined with the slight soreness felt good in a delicious way.
Yet he stayed st
ill. Arabella glared and he took her lips in a swift kiss. His breath was hot against her lips as he murmured, “Brace yourself, heather.”
Before she could tease him for his ridiculous line, Finn took hold of her hips and moved.
With each hard thrust, her breasts jiggled and she had no choice but to lean on her hands or she would fall onto the table.
Arching her back, one of Finn’s hands snaked around to her front and finally gripped her breast tightly, never slowing his rhythm. He changed his angle slightly and Arabella leaned forward with a moan. “Yes, there.”
With a grunt, Finn released her breasts and snaked a hand to her clit. He strummed her hard bud with light brushes, but it wasn’t enough. It would take forever for her to reach orgasm with such a gentle touch. “Harder, dragonman.”
Finn didn’t increase the pressure against her clit. Arabella growled, but just before she could glare at him, Finn pressed hard against her nub.
Arabella nearly collapsed on the table.
Somehow she made her arms work and she decided Finn needed a little teasing, too.
Clenching her inner muscles, Finn groaned behind her. Yet the bloody man never slowed his pace.
And damn him, she loved the feel of his cock this way.
Finn’s voice was husky as he stated, “Come for me, love.”
“As if I can come on demand.”
“You will if I do this.”
He pinched and lightly twisted her clit and lights started to dance across her eyes. Arabella tried to hold back her orgasm just to spite him, but then he pressed hard and pleasure broke free, spreading throughout her entire body.
She barely registered the growly chuckle behind her before Finn stilled inside of her and roared her name. As he came, he sent her into one orgasm after another.
Only when her pussy had wrung the last drop from his cock did the spasms slow and Arabella came down.
Finn lightly rubbed her back from her shoulders to her arse and back. Arabella tried to put two thoughts together, but before she could say anything, Finn said smugly, “You’re welcome.”
Somehow she found the strength to turn her head and give a half-hearted glare. “Damn you, Finlay Stewart.”
He grinned. “And what are you damning me for now, heather?”
“I was rather hoping you’d be rubbish at something. I’m going to keep searching.”
Winking, he continued to rub her back. “That almost sounded like a compliment.” He placed his free hand over his heart. “You really must love me.”
Shaking her head, she murmured, “Don’t worry, I won’t let it happen again.”
Chuckling, Finn pulled out and turned her into his arms. Too tired to resist, she cuddled into his chest. A dragonwoman could get used to sleeping against a solid, warm chest like Finn’s.
Finn’s voice rumbled inside his chest. “I’ll try to change your mind about that later.” Placing his finger under her chin, he forced her to look up. After studying her a second, he asked, “Are you tired? Tell me the truth, Ara. I need to call a clan gathering and I won’t be able to think clearly if I’m worrying about you the whole time.”
At the mention of being tired, Arabella felt exhaustion settling in. Yet if she told Finn she wanted nothing more than to sleep for twelve hours, he’d order her to go to bed and she wouldn’t miss Finn addressing the clan for the first time after the recent attacks for anything.
So, she decided to compromise. “I’m a bit tired, but if I can sit down while we plan the gathering, then I should be all right later.”
For a second, she thought he would call her a liar. Then the corner of his mouth ticked up. “Admitting you’re tired nearly killed you, didn’t it? We’re going to have to work on that.”
With a sigh, she laid her head back on his chest. “How about you just feed me and get to work?”
He squeezed her tightly. “One roast pig, coming up.”
Unable to resist, she smiled. “Make it two. Your little dragon baby needs some energy.”
He leaned down to her ear. “I rather thought it was you who needed the energy after experiencing my fantastic cock again.”
“Finn.”
Chuckling, he murmured, “You know you love me.”
She raised her head to meet his eyes. “And I have no idea why, but yes, Finlay Ian, I do love you.”
“Good, but remember, I love you more.”
She was about to growl when he placed a tender kiss on her lips and Arabella decided she’d rather kiss her dragonman than argue.
She really must love him after all.
Chapter Nine
A few hours later, Finn stood on the dais in the great hall and watched as Grant and two other Protectors escorted Duncan Campbell through a path cleared by the clan. As much as he wanted to be cooking for his mate and pampering her a little, his clan needed him. The sooner the issues with Duncan were resolved, the sooner he could work on healing the rifts in his clan.
Duncan finally met his eyes, but the older dragonman’s expression was unreadable. Not that Finn worried. No one from Clan Skyhunter would swoop down to rescue Duncan. The dragonman was expendable.
Grant escorted Duncan up the side stairs to the dais and positioned him a few feet to Finn’s left. Finn turned toward the already silent crowd. Meeting Arabella’s gaze briefly, he then began. “All of you have received information on what Duncan Campbell is convicted of as well all of the proof of his guilt. The DDA has granted me the power to sentence him. Since the proof was verified by the clan’s council, there is no doubt of his part in providing information to the Dragon Knights. He is ultimately responsible for all of the injuries we suffered on that day. All that’s left is to determine his punishment. Then we can move on and focus on the future.”
He paused to read the crowd. Most of them were glaring at Duncan to his right. A few looked bored, and several more were worried. He mentally catalogued the ones who looked bored and continued, “Now is the time to voice your opinions. A microphone has been provided to the right of the hall. While we realistically don’t have enough time to listen to hundreds of suggestions, I will try my best to hear as many as I can. Please form a line now.”
When old Archie MacAllister reached the microphone first, Finn braced himself for the old farmer’s long-winded rant.
Once the line settled, Finn nodded. “Go ahead, Archie.”
The dragonman cleared his throat and stated, “He should be dropped from the skies onto one of the nearby mountains. I say Ben Klibreck will do.”
Finn’s dragon spoke up. I like that idea. Can we be the one to do it?
No, we’re not dropping a man from that height. Even if Duncan shifted mid-air, he would crash before he could fly. That mountain is over 3,000 feet tall.
His beast huffed. I still say we should do it. The clan would appreciate the show.
Rather than argue with his dragon, Finn replied to Archie, “While I understand wanting to make a public display of Duncan’s betrayal, the humans would cast us as monsters. If we’re to ever go back to friendly terms with the nearby villages, we shouldn’t scare them.”
Archie frowned. “In my youth, the locals appreciated a good dragon drop every once in a while.”
There had only been one recorded dragon drop in the last hundred years, and it had been an accident. But he wasn’t about to embarrass old Archie. Still, Finn threaded his voice with every ounce of dominance he possessed. “Be that as it may, cameras in mobile phones make any public display a risk. We’ll punish Duncan, but not in a way that would damage the clan’s reputation.”
Archie nodded reluctantly. “Aye, I suppose not. But I still think it’s the best idea.”
“Your opinion’s been noted. Let’s give someone else a say, shall we?”
As Archie grumbled and left the microphone, Finn stole a quick glance of Arabella. His mate was biting her lip. The bloody female was fighting a smile.
Another clan member addressed him via the microphone and Finn turne
d his attention back to the clan. He only hoped there wouldn’t be anything more absurd than dropping a man from the sky. Of course, given the imagination of his clan, it would probably happen.
~~~
Arabella was surprised she hadn’t bitten her lip hard enough to draw blood.
Watching Finn keep his cool while he listened to ridiculous suggestions was hilarious. As the second clan member suggested tying Duncan’s feet to two giant boulders and tossing him into the loch, it took everything she had not to burst out laughing.
Her dragon’s voice was bored. Why does our mate listen to these ideas? Clearly, Finn has a plan already.
He wants the clan to feel involved. Who knows, maybe someone will have a reasonable suggestion.
This is one of those human ways to make things complicated. Our mate needs to sentence the traitor and then come to us.
Patience, dragon. This is important.
With a huff, her dragon curled into a ball and dozed. And just in time for Alistair Boyd’s turn at the microphone.
Arabella forced herself to listen. Alistair had helped Finn the night of the Dragon Knights’ attack. He might have something reasonable to say.
Alistair’s deep voice echoed in the hall. “I don’t see why we should try to come up with a creative way to punish Duncan. Do as the DDA does—lock him up and inject him with drugs to keep him from shifting except once every three months. Honestly, we should just hand him over to the DDA since they already have the facilities and resources to complete the task.”
Murmurs rose up all around Arabella. A few people cursed the DDA while others seemed to think it was a good idea.
While she rather thought it was a logical choice, she waited to see what Finn would say.
Her mate replied, “Aye, I was leaning toward that choice myself.” Some cries of outrage rose up, but Finn merely gave the crowd a cursory glance. Once they were quiet, he continued, “I, more than anyone, know the DDA can fail us.” Most of the outrage died down at the reference to the rogue DDA employee who had killed his parents. “But constructing a secure building, positioning guards, and then hiring people to look after Duncan Campbell takes resources away from strengthening the clan as a whole.”
Healed by the Dragon: Boxed Set (Parts #1-4) Page 26
