by Judith Leger
own need pulsed. She whimpered at the answering throbbing
between her legs.
“Easy, my sweet, we have all night,” he murmured, and
then ran the tip of his tongue over her nipple.
A gasp escaped before she could stop it. “I don’t know if I
can. I’ve never wanted someone like I do you.”
He took the tip into his mouth. A second later, he sucked,
drawing a moan from deep inside her. Her head fell back,
leaving her neck open and vulnerable. Panting, she marveled
over how his simple touch could leave her feeling boneless.
He nibbled her breast and soon buried his face in the curve
where her shoulder joined her neck. She shuddered, her
body moving of its own accord against his.
His hands clasped her waist as he lifted her off the floor
and into the tub. “I’ll bathe you if you return the favor,” he
whispered.
All she could do was moan and nod.
He removed his robe before he stepped into the warm
water after her, guiding her down to kneel in front of him.
Eyes half-closed, she watched him take a cloth and pour
shimmering liquid onto it. Paladin rubbed the two ends
together until a white sudsy foam appeared. He placed the
cloth on her shoulder, massaging the soap onto her skin.
She leaned closer, kissing the edge of his jaw, her lips
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parted to draw in his flavor. The tension between her legs
tightened, throbbing slow and long. The cloth moved over
and around her breasts, pulling at the hard tips, sending
sharp tingles through her belly.
“You’re tormenting me,” she ground out.
He chuckled, deep in his chest, before he dipped the cloth
between her open legs. At the first contact of material against
her, she cried while shockwaves flowed from the swollen
flesh between her legs. Hands gripping his shoulders,
holding on, she bucked her hips in time with his hand’s
motion. Striving to maintain control, she relaxed when he
slipped the cloth over the rest of her body.
Each touch added to her passion, demanding more. He
gave it. Once he finished passing the soap over her and
rinsing her off, she glanced at the cloth, panting. She took it
from his hand. “Payback time,” she said with a lazy smile.
From the very first moment she had seen him, she’d
thought he was beautiful. The very first night, she’d made
love with him, but it had been almost an animalistic mating,
both seeking some type of fulfillment for the emptiness
inside them. Now, she savored each touch to his body.
His hard, lean abdomen quivered under her hand as she
in turn leaned into him, taking the tip of his breast into her
mouth. He released a breath through clenched teeth. She
smiled. Applying pressure to his middle, she eased him back
so that he sat, his knees spread, allowing her to stay kneeling
between them.
She grazed her palm over his tattoo, admiring the lines
shifting with his muscles. The grayish-white design rippled
under her touch. She slipped her hand up to his collar bone,
running her fingertips over the hard bone before continuing
down the center of his chest to his belly button. His teeth
ground together. She shifted lower to grasp the hard length
below.
He groaned, clenching the tub’s rim, knuckles whitening.
She straightened, shifting her legs to fit on the outer side
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of his hips, her body stroking up over his, ending with the
pulsating core between her legs opening over his tip. The
pressure within increased with her slow descent over him
and wrung a moan from her.
Wrapped around him, she was complete. She’d come
home without even realizing it. He shifted closer and she
murmured his name. She moved on him, starting a slow,
mind-numbing rhythm. He slipped his palms under her hips,
guiding her, helping her.
His strength filled her with the one piece of her soul
which had been missing for so long. All the new sensations
along with the deepening emotions riffling inside amazed
her. Lights, dim before, brightened. The air permeated with
rich sandalwood; his aroma, the one she would remember as
belonging to him.
Throbbing around him, she continued to move, striving
to reach the glowing splendor he’d given her the first time
they’d made love. Heat built, muscles tightened then
exploded in white hot layers between her legs, sending
numbing fire throughout her body. His body stiffened then
jerked, spewing his life force into hers, branding her.
She lay, pressed against his chest, her cheek against his
neck, waiting for her pulse to slow. A low, rumbling chuckle
vibrated under her.
Smiling, she pressed a kiss over the beating vein in his
neck. “What’s so funny?”
“Not funny, just happy. Content.” He massaged her scalp
with both hands. “You’ve made me complete.”
“Me too.” She nuzzled his neck.
He tightened his arms around her and stood. Lifting her,
he stepped from the tub, set her on her feet, and then moved
back, separating from her. She wanted to cry out at the loss
of his closeness, but he was already reaching for a towel. He
dried her with the plush white cloth, his hands massaging
her body, making the fires re-ignite in her. She moaned,
moving closer to him.
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When he’d finished, he lifted her again and carried her to
the bed. Tucking her in, he dried off. She studied him,
admiring the taut skin covering hard muscles. She could
never tire of staring at him. He met her look. She patted the
mattress at her side.
He slipped under the covers.
“Hold me close,” she murmured, moving nearer to him.
He encircled her with his arms, and tucked her against
him.
“Forever,” he promised, his lips brushing her hair.
She closed her eyes, snuggling alongside him, trying to
shove all worry aside, but one sad thought kept appearing in
her thoughts.
His forever would end once she returned to Earth.
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Chapter Sixteen
Paladin stretched, enjoying the texture of the clean sheets
against his skin. The musky scent from their recent
lovemaking rose from disturbed covers. In an instant, heated
desire pooled between his legs. He throbbed, painfully.
Without opening his eyes, he rolled toward Seren and pulled
her close.
He positioned her head so when he opened his eyes, her
features would be the first sight he’d see. Such a beautiful
face with a light line of freckles coating her nose. Her skin
carried a slight tan from her time aboard his ship. Her lips
tilted up at the edges.
Seren was so different from his dead wife, who’d had pale
skin, black hair and eyes. She had been beautiful in a cold,
&nbs
p; untouchable manner. He’d tried to open his heart and love
her, but she made it impossible. Not at all like the warmth
coming from Seren.
When Seren spoke, laughter laced her voice. “Do you like
what you see?”
“Very much.”
She opened her eyes, the pale gray sparkling with joy.
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
He bent and kissed her, basking in the fervor of their
passion. The slickness of her tongue over his urged him to
rise up and ease on top of her. She opened under him and
allowed him to slide inside her. Wet, hot, and slick, her body
welcomed him.
She matched him stroke for stroke, urging him on until
he could hold back no longer. His blood pounding
completion took his breath. He laid there for several
moments before he found the strength to move off her. She
moaned, her hands pressing him closer.
“I’m too heavy,” he mumbled, settling at her side.
“I don’t mind,” she answered.
He chuckled, “You do not, but I believe our son will have
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some complaints if I stay.”
She smiled against his shoulder. The tender peace which
radiated between them made him desire to stay there in bed
and never leave, but Avaris beckoned with its bright sol light.
A heavy fist pounding on his door was followed by the
announcement that land had been sighted on the horizon.
They had arrived in Durfalin. And as his crew demanded his
attention, so did the world.
He swallowed, dreading how little time remained for
them to spend together before his departure to Velhaven.
Would he survive the trip to return to her? He desired a
future with Seren more than his life, but Denol, his father by
marriage, might want him to suffer. If so, he would be hard
pressed to survive. The unknown reeled in front of him.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Seren whispered, her hand
cupping his jaw, bringing his gaze to hers.
Puzzled at the unfamiliar phrase, he asked, “What?”
“Nevermind, it’s just a silly old saying on my planet.”
“No. I think it is special, just like you.”
She flushed a lovely rosy tint. “I’m not special. I’m just
me.”
“Stay like you are. I like it.”
The blush on her cheeks increased, erasing some of his
worry. He grinned. “Come, it is time to see my world with
your blessed blood. Let us enjoy what it offers together. We
might not have an opportunity to do so again for some time.”
She shot him a knee weakening, bright smile. Without
waiting for him, she crawled from the bed and pulled on her
clothes. The sight of so much bare skin had Paladin’s mouth
watering. He wanted to reach out and grab her, hold her
tight against him while he devoured her lips. The curve of
her hips disappeared, hidden by the pants she tugged on. He
sighed and stood, finding fresh clothes then started to dress.
Once clothed, they went on deck. There, they found the
crew preparing to dock the ship. A wall built from pale,
creamy-beige stone towered around the city, completely
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encircling it. A broad walkway atop the wall spanned the
diameter of the city. Soldiers in formal blue and purple
uniforms paced in their positions along the walkway. Each
man carried a long pike with blue and purple ribbons tied to
them.
“Is it dangerous here?” she asked.
“Not anymore. Many years ago, this city lay amid the
neutral lands between the white and black dragon clans.
They fought many battles on this land.” Paladin took her arm
to guide her to where Leo stood on the bow. “Look there, the
docks.”
Durfalin’s docks sat a few feet lower than the top of the
wall. Wooden wharfs projected from the side of the wall with
wide stone ramps leading through archways and into the
town. Nothing supported the wharfs from below. Seren’s
eyes widened in surprise.
Paladin grinned at her reaction. He pointed at the nearest
wharf. “Magic is used to keep them in place. Durfalin has the
greatest wizard’s academy in all of Avaris. Many prominent
families aspire to send their children here to learn. They
often practice their abilities to create new and better ways to
improve the city. This is one of them.”
“Does the magic ever fail?”
“No, the docks remain in place during the day, but are
lowered in the evening. If an attack is launched after dark,
the invaders cannot use them as a means to enter the city,”
he explained.
He changed the direction of where he pointed to the
ground below each of the three wharfs. “See there, those are
the containers which hold the dock structures. The cases
magically protect the wood. With them sealed away, an
attacker cannot utilize the wood to build their own war
devices or set the city on fire.”
Seren studied the large rectangular units situated
underneath each of the docks along the outer walls. They did
sit directly beneath each dock. Double doors lay open,
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waiting for the wharfs to fit inside so they could be closed.
Each case was made from a swirling coppery-like metal.
When she looked back at the spot their ship glided
toward, she noticed several men and a few women who
roamed amid casks, barrels, and large wooden crates.
Inhabitants of Durfalin, merchants, and travelers milled
along the wharf. Small tented booths were pitched along the
outer edges, closer to the archways leading onto the wide top
of the wall. The voices of customers along with vendors rang
across the dwindling distance between the ship and city,
growing louder the nearer they came.
She glanced at Paladin. He winked at her, his body
relaxed. Without thinking, she wrapped an arm around his
waist.
“Do you suppose I can get some decent clothes? I hate to
say it because I’m grateful for the ones I have on, but I’m
getting a little sick of wearing clothes that don’t fit me.” Her
gaze dropped to the oversized pants held up with a leather
strip and one of Paladin’s gray shirts.
“You may have anything you desire,” he replied. “There
are many shops here. You will be able find something which
suits you.”
She glanced at him and smiled, slow and sexy. Memories
of their recent lovemaking rushed to his mind. Just the
thought of how she felt under him made him desire her
again. His sex hardened, pressing against the front of his
pants. Tightened to the point of pain, he debated whether or
not they had enough time to return below.
With his body tilted toward her, blocking her face from
curious eyes, he warned, his voice gruff from his desire. “Do
not look at me like that Seren.”
Her eyes widened in what he could only call innocence.
“
Sorry, I was just thinking of soft silky, see through
underwear back on Earth. I wonder if they have anything
similar here.”
He hadn’t thought it possible for his body to react any
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stronger, but it did. Deep throbs pulsated through the length,
the ache increasing. “Why don’t we step below for a moment
to discuss this?”
She ran a finger across his chest where his shirt gaped
open. “Anticipation, Paladin. Buildup of tension makes what
you do so much better.”
His knees weakened, and he placed a hand on the rail to
keep from falling at her feet. “Does it?”
She lifted a brow at him, daring him to argue with her.
Without saying another word, her finger gliding a bit lower
before she turned away. She moved, her hips swaying with
each step, to join Leo and Calis further along the railing
where they watched the approach of Durfalin.
He remained where she’d left him for several moments,
hoping that once he went to meet the others, the evidence of
his need for her would have lessened. How had she become
so important to him in such a short amount of time? He
admitted the baby brought forth his need to protect her, but
this strange emotion that came to life whenever she was
near—he couldn’t explain it. She had become a delight. Every
moment they spent together strengthened her hold on his
heart. Was this love?
He’d believed he had cared for his wife. When he was
under better control and had moved to their side, the ship
had maneuvered to an empty berth. The off ramps were put
into place.
Once the ship was tied off, he laid a hand at the base of
Seren’s back and escorted her down the ramp and onto the
dock. Humans, Felerians, dragonseeds, and many more
rushed in the bustle around them. Shouts of greeting to his
men, nods of respect to him, and curious glances at Seren
flowed over them as they moved past one group to the next
until they reached the archway.
Seren stopped and tilted her head back. Her body
swayed. “Wow, it didn’t look so big from the distance.”
“Each one has a name. This one is called Justice. It is
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considered a blessing from the dragons to enter here. To
receive justice for all things is fortunate. The one there is
opportunity. Most who arrive desire to enter through that
gate, but not all are lucky enough to do so.” While he
