“I knew it was several hours past dawn, but I couldn’t have given you an exact time.” He leaned down and brushed his mouth over hers.
She kissed him back but didn’t linger.
He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Once again, Darius was blunt and straight to the point. She liked that about him most times, but not in embarrassing situations like this. “Morning breath.” She really needed to brush her teeth.
He flashed a quick grin. “I don’t mind.”
“I do.” She felt grungy all over. “I need a shower and clean clothes.” Then it dawned on her that Darius wasn’t wearing a shirt. He couldn’t be naked, could he?
Of course he could. The wicked gleam in his eyes told her without a doubt that he wasn’t wearing anything but the bed sheet.
“What time did you come to bed?” She really didn’t want to think about him being naked, not when she had bed head and stale breath.
“I’m not sure, but it was late.” He rolled onto his back and stretched his arms up in the air. She got an eyeful of rippling biceps and rock-hard abs before he dropped them back down.
“I’m glad you got some sleep.” He’d been pushing himself hard since this whole situation had begun.
He turned his head so he could see her. “I’m fine. No need to worry about me. I can go days without rest if necessary.”
“Good to know, but I’m still glad you slept.”
He rolled onto his side, and his eyes took on a familiar gleam. “I’m glad you managed to rest. You needed it.” He reached for her, but she scooted back.
“Shower and toothbrush,” she reminded him.
He sighed and let his hand fall back to the mattress. “You’re really serious about that?”
“Dead serious.” She was weak where he was concerned, but there was no way for her to feel sexy with morning breath and feeling this grungy. She was wearing the sweater she’d confiscated from Tarrant’s closet, along with the sweat socks she’d purloined. After sleeping in them all night, she felt less than fresh.
Darius shoved back the bedclothes and sat on the edge of the mattress, giving her a prime view of his back. He definitely wasn’t wearing any underwear. Her heart began to beat faster, and all the air in the room seemed to disappear.
He stretched his arms again, and the muscles in his back bunched and relaxed. The tattoo covering his left side made him seem even more dangerous and exotic, a visual reminder that he wasn’t human. She swallowed heavily and twined her fingers together to keep from reaching for him. Honestly, it wasn’t like her to be so drawn to a man.
“Do you give off pheromones?” It would explain her sudden and complete attraction to him.
His head whipped around. “What do you mean?”
She wished she’d kept her mouth shut, but it was too late for that now. “You know.” She waved her hand toward him. “Some scent or something that attracts women.”
His frown was fierce. “I don’t need to emit some scent to attract a woman.”
Great, now she’d insulted him. As quickly as his frown appeared, it disappeared. She wasn’t sure she liked the speculative gleam in his eyes.
“So you admit you’re attracted to me.” He swiveled around on the mattress and rested one knee on the bed, giving her a prime view of his erection. Most men woke hard in the morning, but it was still impressive.
“That’s hardly a secret.” Sarah was proud at how level her voice was. “But it’s not like me to feel such a pull to someone, and certainly not so quickly.”
“So you figured it must be some drakon trick I used on you?”
She shrugged, only partially ashamed of her accusation. How was she supposed to know what drakons did or didn’t do? “Maybe.”
Darius shook his head. “As far as I know, I don’t give off these mysterious pheromones you spoke of. If it’s any consolation, you do the same to me.” He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. “I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you.”
Her insides quivered. Maybe he was handing her a line. That’s what men did when they wanted to get lucky. But Darius wasn’t like most men. He was blunt and honest. “Really?”
He kissed her before she realized his intent. “Enough to risk morning breath and your wrath.”
She knew she was smiling like an idiot but couldn’t seem to stop herself. It felt like high school all over again, and she was telling a hunky guy that she liked him. And lo and behold, he liked her back. She really needed to get a grip.
“Did you learn anything new after I went to bed?”
Darius skimmed his hand down her neck and over the front of the sweater. His palm landed right on her breast, the heat of his skin seeping through the material. “Only that seeing Tarrant’s priest about an exorcism seems to be the only possible way we might destroy the book.”
It wasn’t easy to keep her mind on the conversation with Darius touching her. “And where can we find this priest?”
Darius pulled his hand away and stood. He was turned away from her, but that didn’t help matters. He was still naked. “Father Simon is currently in a town called Salvation in North Carolina.”
“Salvation?” She sat up and the sheet pooled in her lap. “How are we going to get there undetected?”
Darius grabbed the jeans he’d worn last night and pulled them on. He zipped them before he turned around, but there was no hiding the heavy bulge or disguising his arousal. “You shouldn’t look at me like that unless you mean business,” he warned.
Her gaze snapped up to his face. He was dead serious. “North Carolina?” she prompted.
He raked his fingers through his hair. It wasn’t fair that he looked sexy and ready to face the day while she felt like a wrung-out dishrag. “We’ll get there the same way we got here,” he told her. “Plane.”
“Won’t they track us?”
He shook his head. “We won’t exactly be filing a proper flight plan. Tarrant will handle that end for us. We’ll land at a small airport nearby and drive from there.”
“Renting a car will be dangerous, won’t it?” The logistics involved were simple, unless you were dealing with the Knights. She wouldn’t underestimate them.
“I’ve got an idea about that.” He grabbed his T-shirt and dragged it over his head. “I’m hoping this Father Simon has someone he trusts who can loan us a truck or car. The longer we stay off the Knight’s radar, the better chance we have of destroying that damn book.”
She scooted out of bed, making sure the hem of the sweater was pulled down enough to cover her. She wasn’t wearing any underwear. “We could get in and out without the Knights of the Dragon ever knowing we were there.”
Darius grunted. “That’s the plan.”
“And Tarrant trusts this priest?”
“He does.”
That was it—no trying to convince her, no reasons why she should trust Tarrant. Not that she really had a choice. Darius was not one to sugarcoat anything or to evade the truth. “When do we leave?”
“Not yet.” He came to her, wrapped his arms around her, and held her close. “We need to see if Tarrant’s found out any other useful information. Then we formulate our plan and several escape routes. I won’t take any more chances with your safety than I have to. I’d leave you here, but I know you wouldn’t stay.”
“You’ve got that right. I’m not hiding while you risk your life.” The very idea made her sick to her stomach. She needed to be near him to protect him, which was ludicrous, because—hello—he was a drakon. Still, there was no denying the powerful instinct that welled up inside her.
“I didn’t think so.” He nuzzled the top of her head. “And, truthfully, I’m not sure I could leave you behind.” He sounded totally disgruntled with himself, but his confession warmed her soul. He wanted her with him.
“I’ll get cleaned up, and we’ll go see what Tarrant has discovered, if anything.”
“I’ll find you something to wear,” he promised. “The
n we’ll eat.”
She was hungry. “Sounds like a plan.”
He gave her a gentle squeeze. “You go ahead and get your shower. I’ll have clothes on the bed for you by the time you’re done.”
He released her and headed for the door. She almost called him back, not ready for this quiet interlude to be over. There were so many things that could go wrong with their plan. They could make it all the way to Father Simon and he could turn on them and hand them over to the Knights, or try to use the knowledge in the book to enslave Darius. Or he could try to help them but not be able to destroy the book.
She shivered and rubbed her hands over her arms. That book was evil and had to be destroyed. No more hiding. The time had come to take action. She hurried into the adjoining bathroom, stripped off her socks and sweater, and jumped in the shower.
She had no idea what would happen in the days or even weeks ahead. The only thing she did know was that she’d be at Darius’s side all the way.
…
Darius found Tarrant in the kitchen. The smell of coffee lured him to the pot, where he filled a mug and took a sip.
“About time you dragged your lazy ass out of bed.”
“Good morning to you, too.” Darius leaned against the counter and took another sip of coffee. “I need clothes for Sarah.”
“What am I, the butler?” When Darius didn’t bite, Tarrant sighed. “I collected her clothes and ran them through the wash. They’re dry and sitting in the utility room.”
He wasn’t sure how he felt about his brother handling Sarah’s panties and bra, but in this situation, he couldn’t really quibble. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” The words were polite enough but came out sounding more like a curse.
“I’m going to raid your closet and get a shower.”
“Of course you are,” Tarrant muttered. “I’ll just make breakfast. Or rather, brunch.”
Darius ignored his brother’s sarcasm, slapped him on the back, and smiled. “Sounds good to me.” He left the room with Tarrant’s growl following him.
Darius detoured by the utility room long enough to grab Sarah’s clothes. When he entered the room they’d shared, he could hear the water running in the bathroom and knew she was naked in the shower. His erection, which had gone down slightly, jumped back to life.
He forced himself to set the clothes on the bed and leave the room. As much as he wanted to spend hours in bed with Sarah, he had to ensure her safety first. That meant destroying the book, and then the Knights, in that order. He didn’t want to kill anyone, but he would in order to protect his brothers and Sarah.
The Knights would never stop hunting them. Never leave them alone. The only way to get rid of the threat was to get rid of the Knights permanently. It had never been a priority before. Even though they had primal natures, drakons didn’t like to kill unless there was no other choice. They especially didn’t want to risk the lives of innocents. But now it wasn’t just himself and his brothers he had to protect. He had Sarah to protect as well. She was everything to him, and he’d destroy anyone who stood in the way of her safety.
Darius hurried into Tarrant’s room and took a quick shower before redressing in a clean pair of jeans and another T-shirt he helped himself to out of Tarrant’s closet. After pulling on socks and a nice pair of leather boots, Darius was ready. He cleaned up the bathroom before he went back to the kitchen.
The other bedroom door was still closed and Sarah was nowhere in sight when he stepped into the kitchen. Tarrant had been busy. Darius could smell bacon and ham warming in the oven. Several skillets were filled with eggs that Tarrant was busy scrambling.
Without bothering to ask what he could do to help, Darius poured juice, filled coffee mugs, and set them on the counter of the island.
He heard the bedroom door open and Sarah appeared seconds later. Everything inside him settled when he laid eyes on her. She was wearing her own clothing—jeans, sweater, and boots—but she was also wearing his shirt beneath the sweater.
“Thanks for washing my clothes.” She glanced from man to man, looking unsure who she should be thanking.
“Tarrant took care of it,” he told her.
She seemed a little embarrassed but offered Tarrant a small smile. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Tarrant shrugged. “No problem.”
“What can I do to help?” she offered.
Darius pointed her to one of the stools on the opposite side of the counter. “Sit. We’re almost done here.” Tarrant shot him an irritated look. “Or rather Tarrant is almost done.” Darius opened the oven door and pulled out the platter of bacon and ham that was warming there.
“It smells delicious.” Sarah slid onto the same stool she’d used before and went straight for the coffee. She added sugar and then took her first sip. “Nothing tastes quite as good as the first sip of the day.”
“I beg to differ,” he murmured in her ear as he set the platter in front of her. “You taste mighty good first thing in the morning.”
“I’m standing right here,” Tarrant reminded them. He plunked a huge bowl filled with scrambled eggs down next to the platter. “No sex talk. At least not until after we eat.”
Sarah’s cheeks turned pink, and Darius couldn’t help but grin. He didn’t like that he’d embarrassed her, but damn, she was sweet. He motioned to the food. “Help yourself.”
He and Tarrant both waited until she’d scooped a small portion of eggs onto her plate and added several slices of bacon and a piece of ham. Then he and his brother divided what was left between them.
Sarah paused with a forkful of fluffy eggs halfway to her mouth. “Wow, you guys really pack away the food.”
“Big appetites,” Darius reminded her. When she blushed again, he realized that there was a double meaning to his words.
“Again, I’m right here. You want to talk sexy, go back to the bedroom.” Tarrant popped a piece of ham into his mouth and chewed.
“Anything new to report?” Darius began to methodically eat his meal.
Tarrant shook his head. “Not really. I dug up a bit more information on Temple and his son, but I’m no closer to finding the head of the Knights. Temple has a lot of business and social connections, and I’m going through all of them. It’s likely he does business with other members of the group.” He downed half his coffee in one swallow. “I contacted everyone on my list, but no one has gotten back to me with any extra information. I have to assume they’re even more in the dark than we are.” He paused and emptied his mug. “And Ezra called. He wanted to come, but I told him to stay put.”
“Ezra? Who is Ezra?” she asked. “And what list?”
Before Darius could answer her questions, Tarrant surprised him by doing so himself.
“The list is of known drakons. It’s written in language the world no longer knows. It’s also in code,” he added. “Just to be safe.”
To give her credit, Sarah didn’t seem the least bit perturbed by Tarrant’s continued mistrust of her. She seemed to take it as a matter of course. “And Ezra?”
This time Darius didn’t wait for Tarrant to answer her. “Ezra is our brother.”
She swiveled on her stool until she was facing him. “Just how many brothers do you have?”
“Three.” Tarrant swore, but Darius would be nothing less than honest with Sarah. “Different mothers, same dragon sire.”
“Wow. Just wow. I’m an only child. I always wanted a brother or sister.” As if realizing she might have revealed too much about herself, she grabbed her mug and chugged her coffee. When she was finished, she set the mug on the counter. “So Darius tells me we’re headed to North Carolina.”
Tarrant studied her for a long moment before slowly nodding. “The sooner the better.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Darius turned to his brother. “Has anything happened?”
Sarah was glad the spotlight was off her. She hated being the center of attention. She especially hated being vuln
erable, and she felt that way at the moment. Darius had three brothers. He and Tarrant were tight. That much was obvious. But there were two more men out there somewhere who had Darius’s allegiance.
Jealousy was not a pretty emotion. She felt petty and stupid for coveting something she’d never had—unconditional love and acceptance.
“The book. It’s getting stronger. Maybe being around us is feeding it somehow.” Tarrant calmly picked up a piece of bacon, bit of the end, and chewed thoughtfully. “Hard to tell without having the time to study what’s inside. I only had a peek at it before.”
“No.” Sarah sent Darius a pleading look. “It’s too dangerous.” That book had tried to destroy her.
“No one is going to handle the book,” he promised her. She took him at his word but still glanced at Tarrant.
“I’m inquisitive, not stupid.” He ate the rest of the piece of bacon and then picked up his fork. “As much as I’d like to know what the hell is written in it, I’m not stupid enough to risk my freedom for it.” He started in on the mound of eggs on his plate.
“Good to know.” Sarah began to eat. She knew she needed the fuel, and everything was delicious, even if her appetite wasn’t as sharp as it had been. All this talk about the book was enough to put a girl off her food.
Darius had been quiet, which meant he was thinking. As if sensing her gaze on him, he looked her way. “What?” he asked.
“That’s my question,” she shot back.
“Maybe there’s a way we can study the book without having it affect any of us. After all, Tarrant used his talents as an air dragon to open it.”
She shook her head. “It’s too dangerous.” The food she’d eaten started to curdle in her stomach, and she carefully set her fork down on the edge of her plate. “That book tried to take me over. I think it would have consumed me if it could have. Maybe even taken over my will and made me do things I didn’t want to.”
“It’s that powerful?” Tarrant shoved his empty plate aside. The discussion obviously hadn’t spoiled his appetite.
“Yes. It felt different the second time I touched it. Like it was gaining power.”
Drakon's Promise (Blood of the Drakon) Page 22
