Fire in His Blood

by Ruby Dixon

  My ‘apartment’ is coming together, but there’s no tub here. It’s the only thing I’m missing. Maybe we can find a claw-footed one tomorrow, but for today, enough is enough. “I wish we knew of someplace that we could get a nice hot bath. Or a shower. I’d take either.” I’d even nabbed soap and shampoo in preparation for that. A sink bath will just have to do.

  You wish to clean? I know of a place.

  I turn in his arms, excited. “You do?”

  I do. It will please you to go there?

  “Very much.” I smile up at him. “I’m filthy and disgusting.”

  You are lovely. Other dragons would be jealous to see my mate. His eyes whirl brilliantly, and he brushes his knuckles over my cheek.

  Flattering words, but they also make me nervous. I don’t want to think of other dragons. If everything falls as it normally does, there’s supposed to be a red dragon attack over Fort Dallas later today. But we’re not close, and Kael’s big enough to defend me. “Is it safe?”

  Always safe with me. I would let nothing harm you. One claw traces my lips, as if he’s fascinated by them.

  I shiver, but it’s a good shiver. Even the big claws don’t scare me much anymore. I know he won’t use them against me. “Let me get my things, then.” I slide out of his arms and gather my new soaps and shampoos into a backpack, and then shrug it onto my shoulders. “Ready when you are.”

  He leans in and kisses me fiercely one last time before transforming to his dragon form. We’re so domestic, I muse as I lift my arms so he can grasp me by the waist and haul me into his claws. Shopping, decorating, and now getting cleaned up before dinner. He launches his big draconic form off the side of the building, and then we’re in the air.

  We’re going to have to talk about a better way of travel, I think, as I push my flying hair out of my face. Dangling in his grip grows more nerve-wracking each time we do it. I know he won’t drop me, but I don’t feel as secure with clothes on, because his grip is less secure with a layer of slippery clothing. It’s either ditch the clothes (which I’m not keen on), or find a better way to fly.

  Whatever makes you happy, he tells me, his thoughts affectionate.

  I pat his claw, feeling a little pleased at that, too. Maybe we can come up with a harness of some kind, I tell him, and I like the idea. I’m feeling good at the moment. Retail therapy has done a lot for my mood, and so has the thought of an upcoming bath. Actually, what helped the most was this morning’s sexy play…and the fact that he won’t have to bite me every time he wants to mate. Things are looking up.

  I’m so lost in thought that when Kael turns and swoops, mid-air, I give a startled yelp and cling to his scales, desperate for traction.

  I have you, he soothes. I would never let you fall.

  That doesn’t mean I won’t let me fall, though! But I relax a little when his free hand comes around to cradle my legs. Below us, a massive lake spreads out, the water crystalline and lovely. Is…is this where we’re going? I ask him. I don’t know what I’d imagined, but a lake isn’t it. I giggle to myself, because what was I expecting? A carwash? A dragon-sized bathtub? A swimming pool? I’ve seen a swimming pool or two in the After. With no one to balance the chemicals, they’ve turned into murky, mosquito-infested swamps. But this water is crisp and pretty and ripples ever so nicely as we glide in lower. It’s a hot day, and a dip in the lake sounds amazing.

  You wish to be dipped? He descends sharply, and my feet skim the water, Kael’s massive shadow blotting out the light of the setting sun.

  I shriek, drawing my legs up as high as I can. “No dipping! No dipping!”

  A rumble starts low in his chest, and I realize with wonder that he’s laughing. Suddenly, I’m laughing, too, because my dragon has a playful sense of humor, after all.

  My dragon?

  Where did that thought come from? I squash it instantly and feel a little guilty. Just because I’m content with Kael today doesn’t mean this is going to work out. I have to save Amy. “How about you take us down nice and easy on the shore?”

  If you wish, Kael tells me, and there’s definitely amusement in his tone. It makes me feel warm to hear it. The longer I’m with him, the more his personality seems to surface. Is this how he was before the madness crept over him? Confident and amused, as well as fierce and possessive? I wonder what he must have been like back then. I know being here in my world has changed him.

  What…what if he went back? Why does that fill me with a gnawing sort of dismay?

  Do not worry. I would not go back now, Kael tells me. You are here. I will stay in this place with my mate.

  I didn’t know I was thinking so ‘loudly.’ “But you hate it here,” I remind him as we circle back to the sandy shore and begin to descend. “You said it smells awful and it makes your mind crazy.”

  My mind is no longer wild now that I have you. And my nostrils are filled with your sweet scent. My mate is here. I have all that I need.

  That’s…sweet. I can’t help but feel flattered and pleased to hear it. But what if I’m not always here? What if something happens to me?

  Kael’s claws tighten around me.

  I squeak in alarm as his thoughts grow fierce, and flashes of madness seep through into my mind. Nothing will happen to my mate. You are mine, Claudia!

  “Okay, okay. It was just a rhetorical question.” I stroke a hand over his scales to calm him. “Don’t squeeze me to death.”

  His thoughts calm, but mine remain troubled. What will he do if something does happen to me? I’m going to retrieve Amy—it’s not an ‘if,’ it’s a ‘when’—and I worry as to how he’ll react when I do. I can’t stay with a dragon forever…can I? Do I even want to? I’m full of questions and conflicting feelings.

  We land gently on the banks of the lake, and there’s a sandy ‘beach’ area that is overgrown and has a few small boats stuck in the reeds a short distance away. I don’t know what lake this is or even what part of Old Dallas we’re in, but it looks inviting enough. Kael sets me down gently and leans in to nuzzle me. I will not let harm come to you. Do not worry, my Claudia.

  I pat his large nose. “I know, big guy.” But he can’t control everything, and I can’t, either. And I don’t know what the future will bring.

  His claws uncurl from my waist, and then I’m free. A moment later, he flashes into human form, all gorgeous rippling hair and long golden limbs taut with muscle. He stretches, oblivious to his nakedness, and gives the shore a pleased look.

  I blink at all the flesh that long stretch reveals to me and feel a little flushed at the sight. “We might want to talk about some pants for you,” I tell him primly. “I don’t know that you should be running around naked all the time.”

  Pants?

  I toss my backpack down on the weed-filled sand and slip off my boots. “Yes, pants. Like these.” I give my ragged jeans a pat. “They keep you, um, safe.”

  He gives my clothing a scornful look. So I should cloak my limbs in material? What good does that serve?

  “It protects your skin.”

  My skin is hard. Nothing will hurt me. Kael strides to my side, cupping my cheek and nuzzling my neck again, as if he can’t get enough of my scent. You, however, are small and fragile. You should keep wearing these ‘pants’ if it will shield you from wounds, though I find the materials you choose flimsy.

  “It’s not just for wounds,” I tell him, amused. “It protects your modesty.”

  Modesty? I do not understand this term.

  “Obviously,” I say in a dry voice. “Humans do not run around naked, though. It’s a little alarming to other humans.”

  Then it is good I am not human, isn’t it? With that, he tugs at my shirt. I do wish to see my mate without these pants, though. I do not like them.

  “That’s a shirt,” I correct him, then sigh. “Never mind.” I pull my shirt over my head, only to squeak in surprise when his big hands immediately clasp my bra.

  More pants?

  I squirm a
s his fingers tease my breasts, his claws dragging against the worn, lacy fabric of my old bra. “Not pants! That’s a bra. It stops my breasts from bouncing.”

  But I like it when they bounce. He looks fascinated as he rubs the small mounds of my breasts with his big hands. That is very attractive in my mate.

  I’m having a hard time thinking at the moment, especially with the way his fingertip claws keep grazing over my nipples. “It’s to stop my breasts from bouncing. Apparently men find that distracting on women.”

  Ah. This I approve of, then. You are mine, Claudia. He peels a strap from my shoulder. Though I do not want you wearing these pants while we are together. I like to see my mate’s breasts quiver when I touch her. And I like to see these harden. His fingertips brush over one nipple through the fabric.

  I suck in a breath and bat his hand away. “You’re in a flirty mood, aren’t you?” Flirting leads to sex, and I’m not sure I’m ready to jump toward sex again, despite his promise not to bite. But at his lascivious grin, I can’t help but smile back. “Your mate wants a bath and dinner before she flirts back, sorry.”

  I will allow you to get clean, he agrees. Then I will put my mouth all over you like you did to me, and make you cry out again.

  I’m blushing hard at his frank words, and I avoid making eye contact as I finish undressing. Despite his flirtiness and the sexual tension in the air between us, the call of the water is too strong to resist. Baths are rare luxuries in the After, and I plan on enjoying this one. I grab the soap and washcloth and a bottle of shampoo, and head to the water’s edge and dip a toe in. Cool but not cold. Yummy.

  I head in to my waist and hear the sound of nearby splashing. I’m surprised to see Kael wading in next to me. “You going to bathe, too?”

  I wish to be clean to please my mate. You enjoy cleanliness.

  “I do,” I admit. I sink deeper into the water, juggling my bottles. “A lake’s not the epitome of cleanliness, but it’ll do until we figure out how to get a bathtub up into our tower.”

  What is a bathtub?

  I send him a mental image, complete with bubbles, of me sitting in the tub and washing my hair.

  And you wish to have this? He studies me with intense golden eyes.

  “Heck yes,” I tell him, then dunk myself in the lake, clutching my soaps. My dirty hair streams into my eyes and I juggle my soaps a moment longer before tossing the soap bars and the washcloth back onto the shore for now. I squeeze out a handful of shampoo and toss the bottle, too. The moment I begin to lather my hair, I can’t help but moan at how good it feels. Even in Fort Dallas, it’s a challenge to stay clean. There’s a public bathhouse, but they charge a fortune for a quick dip, and you have to re-use someone else’s water. And shampoo’s far too expensive for me.

  Having this entire lake to myself? Having shampoo?

  This is paradise.

  I feel Kael’s pleasure before I even hear the rumble emitting from him. A moment later, his hands caress me under the water, sliding over my hips. I’m not even upset at his handsiness, because I like all the attention and affection. It’s probably wrong, but I’m not sure I want to be right.

  What is it you are doing? he asks.

  I continue to lather my hair. “Washing my hair with shampoo. It feels amazing to get clean again.”

  This is another human thing? He caresses my slick breasts, thumbs teasing my erect nipples. I gasp and squirm at the touch, but…I don’t pull away. I don’t know if I want to. You are making the sounds that you made when I was between your legs. I like this. It brings me pleasure.

  Does he have to keep bringing that up constantly? Or is he doing it deliberately to make me blush? “Yes, well, I’m enjoying getting clean. And if you’re going to rub your hands on me, why not soap them up?” That way I can be totally justified in allowing him to manhandle me. It’s totally for cleanliness, not because his big, strong hands feel good. Just cleanliness.

  Show me how to do this soap.

  I dunk my head to rinse it free of shampoo, then wipe the water from my eyes. “How about I show you how to clean up, okay, big guy?” I wade to shore and grab the bottle of shampoo, then head back out to his side and gesture at his thick shock of hair. “You’ll need to get that wet.”

  He immediately flings himself into the water and resurfaces a moment later, hair dripping.

  I can’t help it—I laugh. “You don’t do anything by halves, do you, Kael?”

  He grins at me, showing a flash of sharp teeth. It feels good to relax with him for a change, to have a moment of relief amidst all the stress of the world. Right now, our world exists purely in the confines of an outdoor bath. I’m enjoying myself. I’m not thinking about tomorrow or what the future holds. I’m just having fun in the water with the guy I’m attracted to.

  “Lean in,” I tell him, and when he does, I squirt a dollop of precious shampoo onto his thick hair. I re-cap the bottle and toss it aside, then begin to rub the shampoo into his hair, massaging his scalp. He rumbles with pleasure, his arms wrapping around me, hands moving to my ass. He pulls me up against his thick erection, hidden by the water. “No,” I say with a laugh. “Not right now, Kael. This is about getting clean.”

  I wish to put my mouth on you and pleasure you, Claudia. It would bring me much pleasure. I hunger for your taste.

  My laugh dies in a breathless gasp, and my mind fills with images of him, his big hands pushing my knees forward as he licks my pussy ravenously.

  Oh, mercy.

  “Bathing,” I remind him. “We’re bathing right now.” But the words come out breathless, and I can’t seem to stop touching him under the pretense of washing, even as he nuzzles at my wet neck, his hands flexing against my butt.

  Can I not hold you while I bathe? I enjoy it.

  “You can…” I breathe. He lifts his head, and I see that his eyes are swirling with the black of desire. He leans closer to me, and his mouth captures mine, even as he pulls me flush against him once more.

  My Claudia. I sense your arousal. The scent of it hungers me. His tongue strokes against mine, a mimic of his cock, and I whimper. Let me taste you.

  “You have shampoo in your hair,” I tell him softly. Even now it runs down his forehead into his eyes.

  He releases me and dunks under the water again, shaking his head furiously. A moment later he pops up again and then clasps me close, water streaming down his big, golden body. Now I will taste you.

  I tremble at the intensity in his thoughts. I run one hand down his shoulders, feeling his muscles and considering his big body. We stand in hip-high water, out in the open. Anyone could see us. More than that, I suspect that he wants more than just oral. He’s going to want sex, and this is a slippery slope.

  I’m full of desire…and fear. “I don’t know.”

  As if sensing my thoughts, Kael brushes his mouth over my cheek. “Claudia…” he murmurs aloud, startling me. Then, in my mind, he says, I wish only to bring you pleasure. There does not have to be pleasure for Kael in this joining. I simply want to taste my mate and enjoy her flavor. Let me do this.

  I shudder, clinging to his wet skin as his hands settle at my waist again. I can’t decide…and yet, I’m not leaving. So maybe I’ve decided, after all. He waits a moment and then leans in to kiss me again. When he kisses me, I open my mouth to his, acquiescing to his dominance.

  One big hand slides down my belly, gliding down my wet flesh. He finds my mound and cups me there and breaks the kiss. I gaze up at him, hardly daring to breathe. The look on his face traps my gaze, all delicious black swirls of intensity.

  And he presses a finger in, stroking into the curls of my sex and between my pussy lips.

  I moan, arching against him.

  He continues to rub me, mindful of his claws, and I feel him dip into my core, where I’m aching with need.

  You are hot and slick with mating juices, my Claudia. He rubs his finger up and down the folds of my pussy, wetting me with my own need. Feel how wet you ar
e. That is not just water. That is my Claudia.

  And he lifts his hand to his mouth and licks his fingers, his intense gaze still on my face.

  I can feel the pleasure that rolls through his mind and whimper at the intensity of it. My Claudia, he tells me. Nothing tastes better than your sweetness. Let me lick you.

  Here? Now?

  Now, he agrees. He pulls me into his arms and heads for the shore of the lake. I will lay you down under me, spread your thighs, and feast upon your beauty.

  My body trembles with the intensity of his thoughts, and his gaze pins me as he gently lays me down on the sandy shore. Then he looks down on me, full of admiration.

  So beautiful, my Claudia. My mate is lovely.

  He bends over and runs his mouth lightly down my stomach, caressing me. His big hands move to my thighs and pulls them wide, parting me for his attentions. His pleasure storms through my mind again, and I moan even before his hot breath fans over my pussy.

  As I watch, he studies my folds and then leans in. His tongue snakes out and flicks over my flesh, giving me a quick taste. Then he rumbles with pleasure and sinks against me, his mouth burying between my thighs. I gasp in response, startled by the onslaught of sensations. Whatever I feel is being mixed with the thoughts he’s allowing to leak from his own mind, and it’s like my pleasure is being amplified by his. I can feel how erotic it is for him to taste me, how wild it makes him.

  I writhe against his mouth as he begins to give my clit long, slow strokes with his rough tongue, lapping at it slow and steady. My moaning turns to panting, and he increases the movements of his tongue, faster and faster. When he begins to rumble low in his chest again, I can’t help but gasp because it makes things feel even better—the vibrations moving through his mouth seem to transfer directly to my clit. My hands go to his head, and despite myself, I’m clinging to his hair as he works my pussy with his mouth. I savor every long stroke of his tongue, every flick, every swirl, every rasp against that most sensitive of spots. He begins to increase the intensity and pressure of his licking, as if sensing that I need more.