by Julia Mills
She slid her lips over him and once again hollowed her cheeks, but this time, she moved her fist up and down the base of his cock, and with her free hand, she massaged his balls. He shouted, “Kyra…Kyra…mo chroi…
Unable to answer, she merely hummed, “mmmmmhhmmmmmm?’ the vibrations a happy accident that caused him to groan loud and long.
He tried to pull from her mouth as hard as she tried to keep him there, and the result was a give and take in which they met one another stroke for stroke until she felt his balls in her hand tighten. He changed his tactics by sliding his hands under her arms and tried to lift her from the ground, but Kyra doubled her efforts, quickening their pace until he roared her name to the heavens and she felt the warm wet flow of his essence down her throat. Kyra swallowed every drop and worked him in and out of her mouth until his breathing slowed. Only then did she let him fall from her lips.
Royce knelt before her, placed his hands on her waist, and looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. “You are absolutely amazing, my a sta’rin’. You and your love saved me from myself.”
Ever so slowly, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on first one temple and then the other, above one eyebrow and then the other. He continue to show tender adoration with his lips, touching as many places as he could, until he had worked his way all the way down her throat. His journey continued to the very top of the lavender gown she was still wearing. Every inch of her décolletage knew his attention, while his hands slowly worked the zipper of her dress downward and then her gown hit the ground, leaving her in nothing but the lavender lace thong the girls had given her at her ‘bachelorette’ party. Royce leaned back and ran his eyes slowly from her baby pink toenails that Grace had demanded be painted to her shoulders and back again. She felt her nipples harden to just shy the point of pain, and the wetness that until now had gathered in her pussy wet the inside of her thigh.
“You are the most beautiful creature ever created, Kyra O’Reilly, and you are all mine,” he whispered right before his mouth slammed to hers and he laid her back on the soft pillow of the pallet he had prepared. They kissed and tasted until she was sure she would never be able to live without his touch. She felt Royce everywhere, in her heart, in her soul, and in her thoughts. The sensual overload was indescribable, and combined with his hands on her body, made her insane with need. She felt his fingers slide under the lace on her hip and a slight tug later, she was completely naked and utterly at his mercy.
Kyra lifted her hips in an effort to get his wandering hands where she needed them most, but Royce only placed one hand flat on the skin above the curls that covered her mound and held her still. His hands were so large that as he moved his thumb back and forth, he brushed the tip of her very excited clit, raising goosebumps all over her body. She screamed her frustration and ever growing arousal at the ceiling, using only his name, “Royce...oh my Goddess…Royce…”
She could hear the smile in his voice as he answered, “Yes, ce’adsearc. Yes. I am here.”
His body moved against her and she opened her eyes to see him kneeling between her legs. Their eyes met and Kyra was snared, unable to do anything but look into the eyes of the man that was hers forever. He placed his hands under her ass and gently pulled her closer to him. She felt the head of his cock touch the outer lips of her pussy and her hips lifted in response, causing him to slide between her outer lips and bump her clit. She tried to move her hips forward, tried to push him farther inside, and the movement caused both of them gasp. She watched his eyes become half-lidded and finally, his hips began to move.
She rolled her hips to meet his thrust and his thick, hard cock slid all the way into her wet warm pussy, only stopping when he reached the very bottom. They both sighed and the feeling of utter bliss rolled over and around them…they were truly one in all ways. Savoring the feeling of her womb contracting around his hard, throbbing cock, they paused, savoring the moment. The emotions freely flowing between them only heightened Kyra’s excitement.
Royce’s looked at where they were joined and spoke with incredible reverence, “Look at us, mo ghra’, look at where we are joined...always together.”
The sight of their bodies joined amped up her need to move, to feel release from the orgasm that was barreling towards her. She moved with renewed vigor against her mate, watching him glide in and out of her pussy. Royce needed no more motivation, he drove in and out of her, rolling his hips every time their hips touched. The change in motion made the head of his cock rub against the bundle of nerves at the top of her channel and her clit to make contact with the base of his cock on every stroke. Unable to do anything but feel, she let go of everything but the love and devotion she felt for her mate and reached for his hands. His fingers slid between hers just as she screamed her release to the heavens and heard Royce roar his.
She slowly returned to earth as Royce continued to slowly move in and out of her with their hands still clasped. “Hey there, a sta’rin’, how you doin’?”
She knew she wore a goofy grin and really didn’t care as she purred her answer, “Perfect, my love, just perfect.”
Royce let their hands fall apart, pulled completely out of her, picked her up, and moved her to the top of their pallet, laying her gently on her side with her head on a feather pillow. He laid facing her and smiled. Kyra had no idea how long they laid there, just gazing into each other’s eyes, before he pulled a royal blue velvet box with a beautiful white ribbon tied around it from under her pillow and handed it to her.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“Open it and find out,” was his answer.
“But I didn’t get you anything.”
“I have everything I want, right here…you. Now, open it or I’ll tickle you until you do.” He grinned and she wondered if a day would ever come when she would grow tired of just looking at him.
She carefully pulled the ribbon, untying the perfectly crafted bow and laid the ribbon across Royce’s chest. He laughed out loud and asked, “Am I gonna get unwrapped soon, too?”
“If you’re lucky,” she answered and winked.
Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw when she lifted the lid on the box. Her words came out jumbled, but thankfully Royce understood, “Oh my…when did you…I was gonna…”
Sparing her anymore verbal diarrhea, Royce leaned forward and kissed her while taking the anklet she had admired in Emma’s shop from the velvet box. Only when she was breathless, did he leave her lips, kissing her chin, then the base of her neck, and the spot between her breasts. He worked his way down her body, randomly placing kisses that drove her wild. Kyra was shocked that she could feel herself getting wet again so soon after having the best orgasm of her life. When Royce kissed the sensitive skin right above her mound, her hips lifted of their own accord and he chuckled, but sadly, moved on.
He kissed the inside of first one thigh and then the other, the back of one knee and then the other; his stubble tickled and she giggled in response. Finally, he lifted her leg so that he could kiss all around her ankle. She had never imagined her ankle as an erogenous zone, but with Royce, everything was an erogenous zone. He placed the anklet around her ankle and made the bells tinkle with their special song. Kissing his way back up her body made her feel the flush of arousal and the joy of love. When he reached her lips, he kissed her long and deep, speaking directly into her mind, “Every time a bell rings…”
“A dragon kisses his mate,” she finished for him, feeling the depth of his commitment.
“I adore you, a thaisce, and I promise you a life of endless happiness and incomparable love.”
“Oh Royce, I love you.”
“And I you, Kyra, and I you.”
As she drifted off to sleep in the arms of the man she was meant to love, she knew everything that had happened had been worth the love they shared, and that there was nothing she wouldn’t do, for the love of her dragon.
EPILOGUE
SIX MONTHS LA
TER
Devon had overslept for the fourth straight morning, making him almost late to escort Sam to the hospital…again. It was the last day of her residency and his last day to keep her safe in case the traitor or the human criminal came after her again. Lance had tried to guard her but since he freaked out every time any man even spoke to his mate, Rayne had asked for volunteers. Devon had had nothing better to do, so he had jumped at the chance and that was over six months ago.
He actually enjoyed his time in the hospital. Sam was a really great doctor and he loved watching the way she dealt with her patients; she had a real gift. Devon had always loved healing, and the fact that his mother was the Elder Healer of their clan, said it was in his blood. He might have chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Guard, but healing called to his heart.
“About time, Bro,” Lance said as he answered the door.
Devon grunted in his direction, not really in the mood for any of his smartassed brethren’s shit after another night filled with dreams of a faceless woman begging for him to save her.
Lance’s hand on his shoulder stopped his forward progress. “Don’t forget to bring her straight to Rayne and Kyndel’s. We’ll all be there waiting to surprise her and congratulate her on finally, officially being Dr. Samantha Malone, MD.” He used their unique link to keep Sam from hearing their plans.
Devon nodded and tried to smile. He was so happy for Sam, and it was cool to see Lance happy for his mate, but today was not a good day. Saved from more conversation by Sam’s entrance, he breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the Heavens for the travel mug of coffee she shoved into his hand. “You ready to go, Mr. Bodyguard?” she asked.
“I’ll meet you in the car,” was his answer, and he exited so the couple could have some privacy to say goodbye.
Sam ran out the side door, jumped in the SUV, and they rode together in companionable silence. As he drove, Devon thought more about the dreams he continued to have. At first, he thought it was just that…a dream. Probably caused by too many hero/action movies or too many conversations with his mother about mating, but by the end of the second one, he had changed his mind. They were too real. He could feel her terror, and on a few occasions, had caught the scent of sand and the sea. Scenting a dream was strange, even for a dragon shifter. They had to be some sort of premonition, it was the only explanation, but of what? As they reached the hospital parking lot, he shoved all thoughts of dreams and damsels in distress to the back of his mind and escorted Sam to work.
Several hours before the end of the day, Sam was called to the Emergency Room. There had been a multi-car pile-up on the freeway and all the injured were being brought to her hospital. On the way down in the elevator, Devon noticed Ernesto, one of the werepanthers from Max’s Pride, and nodded. Luckily, Max had agreed that Ernesto, who was a male nurse already employed at the same hospital as Sam, could work her schedule, allowing her to be protected even in the restricted areas of the hospital. Devon had no idea where the werepanther was any other time or how he mysteriously appeared just when Samantha was heading to such an area, but he knew the Big Cats were good at getting in to places no one else could, and making impossible things happen, so he didn’t question. He was thankful for the help.
Once Devon had watched the huge doors marked STAFF ONLY close, he headed to the waiting area to watch TV until Sam emerged and he was back on guard duty. It wasn’t long until the Emergency entrance was flooded with EMTs and Paramedics pushing gurneys and caring for the injured. Every seat in the waiting area was filled within minutes and the family and friends of those involved in the accident still continued to pour in. Devon offered his seat to an elderly woman that was crying into a tissue and excused himself.
Not wanting to be far from Sam in case Ernesto was called away, he positioned himself at the reception desk right outside of the Emergency Room. He had seen others shooed away, but for some reason, the nurses always let him hang out and even got him coffee from their coffee maker, saving him from the horrible vending machine coffee. The clock ticked by another hour and there were still gurneys lining the halls with patients that needed to be seen. Every available doctor had been called from other departments and Charlene, Sam’s best friend and fellow doctor, was called in on her day off to deal with the never-ending flow of patients.
Needing to stretch his legs and get some fresh air, Devon stepped outside, sure to keep the large doors at the end of the hall in sight. Watching a cluster of dragonflies flitting around the blossoms of an azalea bush, his mind wandered, and for the first time he heard the voice of the woman from his dreams during his waking hours. She sounded even more desperate than when he was deep in slumber. “Help me, please.”
He closed his eyes, focused on the echo of the voice, and spoke to her the same way he communicated with his brethren, “Who are you? Where are you?”
There was a slight intake of breath and then she answered, “Can you really hear me? Please tell me I’m not dreaming.”
He looked around to make sure one of his brethren wasn’t pranking him and saw nothing or no one that even looked familiar. “Yes, I can hear you.” He paused, realizing she hadn’t answered his questions and decided to try a different approach to get the answers he needed. “My name’s Devon. What is yours?”
There was no answer and the silence droned on until he was sure either he had imagined her or she had decided to screw with someone else. As he reentered the hospital, the voice came again, and this time it was louder and clearer, and if possible, more panicked. “Help me, please?”
His lack of sleep and frustration got the better of him and he snapped, “How the hell am I supposed to help you when won’t tell me where you are or who you are?”
Again his question was met with silence, but this time it made him want to yell or hit something, or act in ways completely uncharacteristic for him. There was something about her voice, something that he felt every time he heard it, something that called to him. He wanted to chalk it up to the fact that he was a sworn protector and she needed help, but he knew it went deeper than that. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, he decided she was gone for real this time and took his seat next to reception.
It wasn’t long before Sam came out looking like she needed a weeks’ worth of sleep. Trying to lighten the mood, he teased, “How’s tricks, Doc?”
She smiled and leaned against the desk, “Busy and beat, my friend. How about…”
He missed the rest of what Sam said because at that moment, his senses were assaulted with the scent of sand and the sea. It wasn’t a dream this time. It was real…and nearby! Without a word, he followed the tantalizing aroma, immediately locating its origin. A gurney quickly moving away from him with long dark tresses hanging off the side and an elegant olive-toned hand lying precariously on top of the white blanket covering the patient it transported was the source.
Devon raced to catch up but just missed the elevator as the doors closed. Using his enhanced senses, he listened as the orderly pushing the gurney asked his companion to press the button for x-ray. He raced back to reception, grabbed Sam by the arm and quickly walked back to the elevators.
“What’s going on, Dev?” Sam asked, and it was the concern in her voice that made him stop and explain.
“You’re going to think I’m nuts, but the woman that was just wheeled to x-ray has been talking to me, through mind speak…in my dreams.” He waited for Sam to tell him he was crazy, but all she did was push the down arrow and smile at him.
“You aren’t taking me to the Psych ward are you?”
“No, silly man, we’re going to x-ray.”
“You believe me?” He was as surprised as he had ever been.
“Of course I do. Of all the things I’ve seen hanging out with you guys, this is tame,” she laughed as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside.
When they arrived at their destination, Sam used her access to look up the patient, but came back knowing no more than they did bef
ore. “She is listed as a Jane Doe and they have no idea what’s wrong with her. She has no outward injuries, but has been unresponsive for almost six weeks and shows no signs of improvement.”
His heart sank and it apparently showed on his face, because Sam touched his forearm before saying, “I’m so sorry, Dev. Is there anything else I can do?”
“I don’t know, Sam, I just don’t know,” he answered, and it was then that everything clicked into place. The mind speak, her scent, his undeniable need to help her no matter the cost, it was all there, but he had been too frustrated and too tired to see it. Devon blurted out what he was thinking, “Holy shit, she’s my mate.”
~~~~~~~
It had been six months since the failure on the mountain top and the death of Master Eaton. Six months since his own brother had tried to kill him, not that Andrew wasn’t also trying to kill Aidan, but his was a bid for vengeance and Aidan was doing it out of a sense of honor; what a fucking waste. As if that was not enough, he had seen Lance…alive and well, just another failure in a long list of crap that hadn’t gone his way.
