Caleb could not hear Lumi's next words, because he'd stopped his worried shouting. He saw Lisa nod. "It wasn't your fault," she said reassuringly. "He has a lot of power, and everything turned out all right. I think it was supposed to happen. Stop crying and deliver my messages. You be there, too, all right?"
Caleb again could not hear the response, but he imagined Lumi gulping and saying, "All right," in return.
"Thanks, Lumi. See you then." Lisa clicked off the phone and laid it on the table. She turned back to the kitchen, looking pleased.
Caleb pried off the top of the ice cream tub, dipped a finger inside, and licked off the cold ice cream. Sweet, creamy goodness rilled his mouth, chilly and satisfying. He dipped his finger in again.
"I don't like you meeting with Malcolm," he said around his finger. "Then again, I wouldn't mind seeing you kick his ass."
"I'm not going to kick his ass." Lisa picked up the spoons and offered him one, but he shook his head, enjoying eating with his fingers.
Lisa dipped into the ice cream. "I have something he needs, and he can pay by helping us."
"Black dragons are tricky, Lisa. They live nearly forever and spend the time thinking up devious things they can do to other dragons and witches and humans."
"The silver dragon can be pretty tricky, too. Hmm, we need chocolate sauce, I think."
Lisa rummaged in a cupboard and pulled out a large, dark-colored bottle. She popped the top off the bottle and poured a stream of shining black liquid straight onto the ice cream in the tub. Caleb caught a dribble on his finger and raised it to his lips to lick it. A rich, dark taste coated his tongue that was amazingly satisfying.
Lisa dug a spoon into the chocolate and ice cream mess and scooped a dollop into her mouth. "Oh, that is so good."
"Lumi is well?" Caleb asked her. He enjoyed watching her lick the chocolate from the spoon with her pink tongue, droplets of ice cream and chocolate lingering on her lips. He tried to reach the thread of her thoughts again, but the music was weakening, like wind chimes growing fainter. She was pulling away more each minute, and likely she didn't even know it.
"Poor Lumi," she said. "Ming Ue has been all over him, blaming him for what happened."
Caleb scooped ice cream and chocolate on his forefinger and sucked it clean, hiding his thoughts. "Malcolm almost killed you," Caleb reminded her. "While he was trying to kill me."
"I never said I'd let him off easy."
She sounded so confident, like she had no doubt everything would work out exactly as she wanted. The Lisa he'd met when she'd first opened the bedroom door to find him lurking was a Lisa who'd been kicked around by life, who wanted to do nothing more than go to work and watch television with her new dragon friend. She wanted to retreat from life and lick her wounds.
This Lisa was eager to face the world. More than just the world—she was ready to face down a black dragon and an evil witch and tell them what she thought of them. She was the same Lisa, but she was different, too. Perhaps she was pulling away from his mark because she no longer needed him and his protection.
"Talk to him if you want," Caleb said, filling up his fingers with more ice cream. "But if he doesn't behave, I'll kick his ass. And Donna's, too."
"You can't hurt Donna. She wields your true name, remember?"
"Maybe. But I can use what you call, I think, duck tape! To put over her mouth so she can't talk." He licked off the ice cream and chocolate. "Why do you need tape for ducks?"
She grinned, and his heart spun with a mixture of love and worry.
"It's duct tape, goofball. And I don't think taping Donna's mouth will stop her casting the name spell." She looked thoughtful, or would if chocolate hadn't streaked the corner of her mouth. "But you've given me an idea."
"Something involving ducks?"
The chocolate streak was inviting. He could lean down and lick it clean.
"You said the spell over you wouldn't break until all witches who knew your true name were dead. I won't kill Grizelda or Saba, but I could wipe their memory of your name. If they don't know it, they can't use it or teach it to others."
"You can do this?"
"I don't know. I'll try with Saba this evening."
"What about Donna?" He wiped the chocolate from the corner of her mouth, then raised his finger to his tongue. Him, chocolate on Lisa was even better than on ice cream.
"Donna is a different story," Lisa said.
"You are going to kick her ass."
"Maybe."
He grinned around his finger, trying to bury his feelings where she would not see them. "You are so sexy."
She blushed. "I'm mad at her for hurting you. What does that have to do with being sexy?"
"You gearing up for battle while you're half-naked in the kitchen with chocolate on you. That's sexy."
"Caleb." She reached for a roll of paper towels on the counter. Caleb stopped her with a hand on her wrist, leaned down, and licked her mouth clean.
She softened under his touch, her lips forming a kiss as he drew away.
She's still mine. Here and now in this room, she is still mine.
Caleb set down the tub of ice cream, picked up the bottle of chocolate, and drizzled a stream across Lisa's breasts bared by the open shirt. She gasped, eyes widening. Caleb bent over and lapped the chocolate from her skin, scooping up the line of sweetness with his tongue. He stood up and squirted a little chocolate on her right nipple, then enjoyed himself suckling it clean.
Lisa's fingers threaded his hair, pulling him to her. Her nipple filled his mouth like velvet, so soft. The salt taste of her skin and the sharp sweetness of the chocolate blended well.
He came up, licking his lips. She watched him with heavy-lidded eyes, her face flushed. Grinning, he reached for the bottle and sent another dribble of chocolate between her breasts, letting it trickle to her abdomen.
Lisa took the bottle from his hand as he bent to lick her. He dragged his tongue between her breasts, right above the place where the deadly bullet had gone in. There was only a tiny pink scar now, as though the injury had occurred long ago.
He eased his tongue downward, taking the chocolate from her skin, then he knelt and laved the chocolate from her belly and navel, his tongue moving in slow strokes.
He loved the taste of her. He'd never get enough of her. He licked her abdomen back and forth, dipping toward her pussy but never quite making it. The smell of her sex tantalized him, making the chocolate sweeter.
When he had her squirming, trying to lift her pelvis so he'd lick between her legs, he stood up again and kissed her mouth. She suckled his tongue, moving against him in newfound excitement. Pushing him away, she upended the chocolate bottle and squirted a wild design on his chest.
Caleb landed against the opposite counter in the small kitchen. Lisa grabbed him and went to work with her tongue, licking and suckling the chocolate from his skin. His hardness had grown full length, and she bumped against it as she ran her delicate tongue all over him.
"Lüüsa," he breathed. He loved saying her name, liked the way his tongue curled over the L and the sound the S made as it slid from his mouth. He also loved the way her determined mouth pinched his skin, eager to suck the sweet chocolate from him.
She came up, her face covered in chocolate. He laughed and licked a long streak from her cheek. Lisa grabbed the ice cream tub and her spoon. She scooped out a huge gob, then glanced at his erect cock, a sly smile on her lips.
Caleb stiffened. "No, Lisa… ay!"
The glob of ice cream landed on him, the cream half-melted, but still damn cold. Lisa followed it with a long stream of chocolate. "I just love sundaes," she said.
"I thought it was Tuesday."
She laughed at him, and he knew he'd misunderstood her. She yanked open the refrigerator and took out a jar of red floating spheres. "An ice cream sundae." She unscrewed the jar and removed a fiery red piece of fruit on a stem. "All you need is a cherry on top."
She set the jar on the cou
nter and plopped the cherry right on the tip of his hardness. He watched, still wide-eyed from the half-frozen ice cream, as she dropped to her knees and rolled the cherry from him with her tongue. She chewed it slowly, then leaned her head back and plucked the stem from her mouth. "There," she said, after she swallowed. "I took your cherry."
He didn't understand that reference either, and she laughed out loud. Before he could ask what she was meant, Lisa opened her mouth and slid it over his erection, ice cream, chocolate sauce and all.
"Sweet gods," Caleb moaned. He clutched the lip of the counter as she licked off the ice cream, her tongue moving around and around.
He dropped his head back, his long hair tickling his back, an erotic counterpoint to what Lisa was doing to him. She placed her fingers on the creases where his legs joined, massaging with her thumbs as she rubbed his erection with her tongue.
He gripped the counter. His knees had gone weak, ready to buckle, but he wanted to stay standing so she would keep… doing… that. He spread his legs a little, letting her get her fingers behind his balls. She stroked his scrotum, which was tight and hard, barely holding back his seed. He wanted to come, but he wanted the feeling to go on and on. Not yet. Don't let me release yet.
She suckled him harder, her tongue moving on the sensitive skin beneath his tip. He felt her fingers between his buttocks and groaned again. He'd let Lisa explore his body all she wanted to, and then he'd make sure he explored every inch of hers.
She licked off all the ice cream and sauce, but she didn't stop suckling. Harder and harder she pulled, until he was rocking his hips back and forth and groaning out loud, unable to stop.
"Gods, Lisa." He seized her shoulders and pulled her up, ceasing the sensations, but not his excitement. "I want to fuck you. I want to be in you when I come."
Her eyes were bright, sparkling with arousal and need. He lifted her buttocks to the counter and shoved her knees apart, positioning his tip right over her moist, sweet opening.
Her eyes went wide as he pushed himself into her. Her walls closing on him felt so good. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs around his hips, leaning back as far as she could to take him all the way inside.
His gold armlet gleamed in the kitchen's fluorescent light, the runes glimmering softly. Lisa writhed and squealed, her red hair a mess, her body sticky with chocolate. She licked his shoulder where splotches of chocolate lingered.
He pumped into her, clenching his teeth against the wild sensations spiraling from their joining. This was primal, almost like dragon mating, but at the same time human and loving. He felt her fingers in his back, her teeth scraping his shoulder, the sweet, sweet hotness of her walls, the soft of her buttocks under his hands, her feet scrabbling for hold on his thighs. He wanted to roar with joy, he wanted to whisper her name in the softest voice he could muster.
His excitement built to a frenzy. He slammed himself into her, dragging her head back so he could devour her mouth. The position was not easy, and he didn't care. His strong arms held her hard, muscles working automatically to hold her and to drive her onto him. His balls were tight with unreleased seed, and he felt the pulsing deep within him that pushed him toward climax.
Then he had no idea what happened. She was screaming, and he shouted, his seed streaming into her. Her skin glowed with light, a bright white that blinded him, then a vibrant silver, more beautiful than the most polished silver he'd ever seen.
"Love you," he said, his voice broken. He pressed into her, this coming the headiest he'd ever experienced. Stay with me, Lisa. Please stay with me.
hey held each other for a long time, the frenzy slowly dying, but not completely going away. The newness of being with her was too strong for satiation, although Caleb knew he'd never get tired of being with her. He knew this was insane, that he was only making the inevitable harder, but he could not push her away now if he tried.
He moved and winced a little in pain. Lisa looked up at him guiltily. "I think I scratched your back pretty hard. I couldn't help it."
He touched a kiss to her forehead. "I am pleased you couldn't help it. Thank you, Lisa, for showing me how beautiful lovemaking can be."
She slanted him a hot smile. "Stop sweet-talking me. I'll think you just want more sex."
"I do want more sex. But I still think it's beautiful. And you're beautiful."
"Ooo, you are a sweet talker."
"But very truthful. How long until we go to Ming Ue's?"
She stretched her arms, twining her fingers behind his head. "I said six. That gives us about two hours to get there."
A nice long time. "Good." He drew the word out, cutting her a heated look. He slowly released her, sliding her to the floor, and she rose on her tiptoes and kissed him.
"Don't you want to rest first?" she asked.
"No. Do you?"
She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Not particularly."
"Good," he said again. He reached for the bottle of chocolate, pleased that it was still heavy and full. "Let us go into the bedroom."
She eyed the bottle in trepidation. "That could get messy. I'd better grab some towels."
"Whatever you like." He put his lips to her ear. "But go into the bedroom and lay down on the bed."
Her eyes widened, but she looked excited, not fearful. She swung away from him and made for the bathroom, her sweet backside swaying. Lord, she was beautiful.
She ducked into the bathroom and emerged with her hands full of fluffy towels, which she spread across the bedcovers in the bedroom, trying to lay them as neatly as possible.
"Get on the bed," he repeated, caressing the chocolate bottle. "Facedown."
Shooting him another worried glance, Lisa climbed onto the bed and settled herself on her stomach, moving her hair out of the way, as if she knew what was coming.
Her body was sweet and lush, and his arousal rose when he just looked at her. Human women, he knew from watching television, would do anything to make themselves rail thin, including slicing into their bodies to remove bits of it. Why, he could not fathom. A woman was beautiful, whatever shape she happened to be. She had curves in the right places and hair to stroke, and eyes to admire, and a smile to warm your heart. He wished he could make them understand how perfect they were.
He could tell Lisa, at least. And he could show her.
Smiling, he upended the bottle and squeezed hard. Chocolate streamed out all over Lisa's back, making her jump. He swiveled the bottle back and forth, drawing designs and swirls and complicated whorls then, his grin widening, he let a large puddle form right on her backside. Chocolate pooled up and slid between her legs.
"Caleb," she gasped. She glanced over her shoulder, her face bright red.
Caleb gave her a dragon's smile. She might be a silver dragon and later she might despise a lowly golden, but for now, she was his mate, and he had the power.
He plunked the bottle down on the nightstand, knelt behind her, and spread her legs. Chuckling softly at her squeals of protest, he lowered his head and began his delectable chocolate feast.
* * *
Chapter Seventeen
Much later, Lisa led Caleb out of her apartment and down the street to catch a bus to Chinatown. Lumi still had Lisa's car, and while yesterday Lisa would have thought it safer to call a taxi, today she saw no reason not to walk along the streets in the sunlight, although she wasn't sure why she was suddenly so brave. Also, she wanted to see people around her—normal people getting off work or going to visit family or friends or heading to work. Humanity in all its glory.
She sat by the window, and Caleb again sat protectively next to her. She slid her hand into his, twining their fingers and letting their clasped hands rest on his thigh. It was fun, holding hands.
It had been fun in the shower, too, Lisa and Caleb washing the residual chocolate from each other's bodies. After Caleb had snacked on her, delving his tongue into places no man had delved his tongue before, she had smeared chocolate all over him and enjoye
d herself. She'd delved with her tongue as well, and then she'd tried something she'd never done before, taking him in her mouth while letting him lick between her legs. Both of them had come pretty fast.
The towels saved the bed, but barely. Every towel in her house was now covered with chocolate. They'd had to share the last clean one to dry themselves after the shower.
She blushed thinking about what they'd done in the shower. Soap had made Caleb slick, and her hands had brought him to readiness and then to climax again. He'd returned the favor. She blushed harder as she remembered how, when they'd run downstairs, Mrs. Bradley had popped out of her apartment under Lisa's to say hello, beaming a knowing smile. Lisa had put her hand over her face, realizing how much noise she and Caleb must have made upstairs. Mrs. Bradley had giggled.
Next to her on the bus, Caleb covertly massaged her palm with his fingers and not so covertly nuzzled her cheek. The riders around them smiled. As they descended at their stop, a few of the boys in the back gave Caleb high fives and told him how lucky he was. Caleb had to take a moment to figure out how to do a high five, and then his slap nearly knocked the kids over.
"It is unreal how you make friends everywhere you go," Lisa remarked as they walked, hand-in-hand, around the corner onto Grant Avenue. "Those are the kind of kids who shoot people they don't like."
"I'm a golden dragon," Caleb said, as though that were a good enough answer.
A cable car clanged by on California Street, full to the brim with tourists desperately clinging to handrails while they swiveled their heads to see everything they could. Caleb watched interestedly, and not a few women on the car turned to study him until Lisa pulled him around the corner deeper into Chinatown.
Lumi was on the lookout for them, pacing fretfully in the tiny courtyard in front of Ming Ue's restaurant. When he saw Lisa and Caleb approaching, he jumped like a greyhound, his tall, lanky form swaying back and forth.
Lisa hugged him. "Lumi, it's all right."
Lumi squeezed her hard, his young body shaking. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he repeated like a litany.
Dragon Heat Page 19
