WickedBeast

by Gail Faulkner

  “It’s not time to think yet, just relax and enjoy,” he instructed as his lips dropped to replace his finger.

  The kiss was soft, feathering over her features. He worshiped her face as his hand drifted down her collarbone to cup a warm breast. His thumb lazily stroked back and forth over her erect nipple. There was no pressure, just a gentle caress as his mouth moved down her neck and around to go up to the other ear.

  Kelly closed her eyes and let her head fall back on the couch arm. His mouth moved over her, his hands caressing, and she wasn’t sure she could take any more. She was aware that though she was rapidly losing count of her own orgasms, he had yet to come. If he waited much longer, she would be asleep and it would be all his fault.

  His mouth moved down to her neglected breast, sucking it in gently to lap at her nipple as he continued caressing the other one with his thumb. His attention kept her body burning on a low heat level. She was aware but didn’t have the strength to even mention it. And why start now? Apparently she’d surrendered to his control a very long time ago. If he was dumb enough to exhaust the woman before he let himself join her in pleasure, he deserved the dead body in his lap now.

  Cord shifted, pulling her down to the seat of the couch with him as he continued the gentle kisses and quiet murmurs. He stretched out beside her, enjoying the play of candlelight across her skin as he followed the shadows with his tongue. Kelly’s eyes barely opened and he could feel the tremble of exhaustion in her thighs.

  “Sleep,” he murmured as he straightened to wrap his arms around her. Her only response was an intelligible mumble as she adjusted in his embrace. Her breathing indicated she’d dropped off into slumber.

  Closing his eyes, he held his Wind Witch. She could nap, he was a long way from done and the night was young. A beast like him would never be satisfied, part of the problem humans had not understood the first time. Hunger for food was not the reason dragons always needed more fuel. Hunger was a human interpretation of the sensation.

  He’d pushed her. She’d answered new sensations with growing excitement, meeting his demands. She’d been surprised. He’d smelled her initial response. Still he’d pushed, knowing he was taking her to the edge of her experience. Sweet, beautiful Kelly had glimpsed the beast.

  It was his nature, a drive as elemental as survival. He knew he would keep pushing her, taking more. As he looked down at her face relaxed in sleep, a new sensation invaded his body. Doubt.

  The dark question swirled in his mind, was he hurting her? Not physically, no, he had complete control of that. Was pushing her to explore the hidden submissive in her soul a mistake? Was he taking innocence?

  His hand swept down her body in a light caress. He just needed to touch her, feel her skin under his hand. The compulsion to touch, connect with her physically would grow in him. In pushing her, he’d only been feeding the natural need in him. She wouldn’t understand it.

  Dragons were not human. His reactions were ruled in ways she still didn’t grasp. He was fiercely territorial. A predator in the wild marked his territory and was willing to kill or be killed in its defense. There were no morals, no questions, no choices.

  His kind had been created masters of the world, instantly the most deadly predator alive. They had never struggled to survive, been forced to evolve with the environment to create a balance in nature. Everything about them was a direct violation of natural law.

  Crafted by brilliantly shortsighted humans, it had taken less than a mortal lifetime for dragons to free themselves from their masters. The species had continued to take, unfettered by fear of consequences to any action. The driving greed or hunger had been intended as a control, the humans being too arrogant to ever envision a world where a creature of their own creation became the master.

  The three ladies of the Earth had solved that developmental flaw in dragon engineering. He was indeed leashed to the woman in his arms. Bound to her with all the ravenous greed dragons embodied. Whatever the original Earth Witches had done, it was working. There was nothing but grave consequences to any action he took.

  Pushing her sexually for his gratification was not acceptable. He was worried about her response to his appetites and it was a new experience. Not worried that she would reject him, he knew too much about human females to fear that outcome. His concern was that he would change her. Would his needs create in her something that was never meant to be? Something unnatural to the woman that was Kelly.

  Unnatural was bad. If anyone knew how bad unnatural could be, it was the three elemental dragons. There was no point in wishing he could be anything else but what he was, cursing the commands programmed into the core of his being. He couldn’t change his nature, but there was a new pain below his breastbone. For her, for her future.

  She stirred his arms, shifting slightly brought a soft moan to her lips. The scent of pain tinted the air, telling him she was sore. His hands moved over her, healing bruised muscles. When she woke, there would be no pain. The last part of her to receive his attention was the lovely channel he could not get enough of. His hand slid between her legs, fingers lightly combing through damp curls.

  This time the moan had nothing to do with pain as she shifted to open her legs, welcoming his touch even in her sleep. Cord clamped down on his response to her blind trust. That sweet, welcoming movement punched him in the gut with punishing power.

  She should be running from him. He was the worst possible future and she would never get rid of him. Perhaps she would never know. He was a master of deception. A shapeshifter was a natural liar, deception built into every form by virtue of the fact that he can shift to another to suit himself.

  His fingers between her legs stroked, petting her because she had asked him to with her movement. Even in this, he was an excellent liar. Touching her intimately was a desire that would never be sated. He would always want to, but the dragon knew so well how to make her want him to. Get her to ask for what he would always take.

  Sleepy eyes opened to look up at him. Leaning over, propped up on one elbow as his other hand strummed plump folds between her legs, he wished he could smile for her. He was afraid attempting that would simply be a show of teeth. Apparently his ability to deceive her to her face was diminishing. A purring smile and sleepy eyes as her hips shifted eagerly translated to complete trust, and he had no defenses against that innocent gift.

  His head sank to take her lips so her eyes would close. The kiss was deep and sweet, a soft plunder of her soul’s secrets. He sucked her tongue into his mouth, keeping his ravenous cravings hidden behind a blind of gentle touches and sensuous requests.

  One of her arms was trapped between them but the other hand rose to trail through the thick hair on his chest. She seemed fascinated with it as her mouth opened under his.

  Between her legs, he carefully, ruthlessly stroked her with seemingly casual touches. His fingers gliding around her slick opening, drawing liquid up over her clit in quick passes and down again. He leaned farther, deepening the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her, but still gentleness was all she felt.

  Kelly moaned as her body arched, inviting his attention with growing hunger. The hunger he was creating, encouraging, building. She was asking for exactly what he wanted. His lips trailed across her cheek, dropping light kisses as he found the sensitive nerves below her ear. Kelly turned her head so he could better reach what he wanted.

  Knowing he was manipulating her did not make him any less of a dragon. He took what she offered, rewarding her with subtle stimulation to little-known nerve bundles directly beneath her skin. Sucking where he knew it would have an erotic response, kissing and nipping down to her collarbone. His body moved over hers and his head rose to gaze into her eyes as his hips settled between her legs.

  She was ready for him. He’d made sure of it. His cock found the entrance to paradise and he pushed into her slowly. Kelly’s knees came up in response, opening her center to his invasion. Her fingers threaded through his hair, pulling his head down t
o her mouth so as his body pushed into her fully they were kissing like lovers should.

  Cord bent his will into channeling all his animal greed into being the gentle, sensual lover she deserved. This time he would be with her all the way, in every way it was possible for a dragon to pretend he was a man.

  He didn’t move in her until her little fingers curled into claws and scrape down his back. His hips pulled back slowly, savoring every inch of the journey, out then back to her body. She arched into his gentle thrust, trying to take him faster. His large hand clamped around her hip, not tight enough to bruise, but firmly.

  This was for her, and she would endure being treasured. Establishing a slow rhythm of entry and retreat, he lifted his mouth from her lips. Her beautiful eyes were closed and her head naturally arched back, inviting his mouth to her skin. The bruise he had left on her alabaster neck this morning had long since disappeared. Something else he’d made sure of. But the spot that drove her crazy was right there beneath his nose.

  He kissed around that temptation, refusing to take any shortcuts to her fulfillment.

  “Cord,” she whispered, her head still tilted back, eyes closed.

  “Right here, baby,” he rumbled into her neck.

  “Kiss me like you did this morning,” she requested in a trembling voice.

  “It would be cheating,” he admitted reluctantly.

  “That doesn’t make sense. Kiss me.”

  “I am kissing you.”

  “Please.”

  Little Wind Witch had found the whip. It didn’t matter what he said, what his intentions were, she had just hit the master control button. He wasn’t sure she was aware of it so it seemed prudent for him to simply shut up and do as she wanted.

  Cord’s mouth settled over that sensitive spot on her neck. Sucking gently, he felt the ripples of excitement wrap around the ever-rising flame deep in her abdomen. His hips picked up the rhythm of his mouth on her neck. The woman in his arms became fire racing through the air. His heaven and hell were her pleasure.

  He rode the wave with her this time, allowing her to feel urgency building in his body. Giving her what she needed while he took another piece of her soul.

  Doing his best to mimic human male responses, he allowed his hips to speed up so he carefully controlled the power of each thrust. Feeling her contract around him, he knew exactly when she was ready to fly. In that moment, he gave her a little more of his greed. His hand reached between them to firmly caress her clit. Tight circles forced her body to respond. Hard and fast, he pushed her over the edge and fell with her. Coming in her body was a pleasure he wasn’t expecting.

  Pushing deep in her, the sensations of her internal grasp shot flaming spears up his spine. It was blazing, feral delight in his possession of her. The beast gloried in his woman and would not be restrained.

  At the first burst of come, the world exploded. Apparently controlling the power of his body’s use of her had nothing to do with the power she could pull from him. His hips jerked, slamming into her in short thrusts as he emptied. Grinding his seed into her and sealing it there with his body. This wasn’t the first time he’d come in a female, but it was the first time he’d lost control in that moment. She ripped away his ability to hide from her for those few minutes. His head jerked up to look at her face and see if she realized what had just happened.

  Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open as she gasped through her own release. She didn’t know.

  Metaphorically grabbing his beast by the neck, Cord forcefully shoved it back into the cage of control before she could open her eyes and see what she did to him.

  As the contractions in her body wound down, her eyes opened slowly. Gentle fingers trailed down her cheek as he gazed into her lazy smile. This woman glowed, she radiated the light of contentment and it blinded him.

  “Kiss me,” she asked softly.

  His lips covered hers, but the touch was featherlight as he rubbed them back and forth, savoring the feel of her beneath him. It wasn’t until she opened her mouth and ran her tongue over his lips that he took her kiss. Gentle, painfully gently, he kissed the wind.

  He lifted his head but still couldn’t smile. This had been much more than he’d intended. He had wanted to give her the reverent touch of an adoring lover. It never occurred to him that she could return that same touch with such painful honesty.

  Cord didn’t want to discuss it. Being a gentle lover meant time spent cuddling. He knew the rules, exactly what to do next. He just couldn’t face it. Moving over her and off the couch, he slid arms under, lifting her to his chest. He strode out of the living room to the stairs.

  “What are we doing?” Kelly wanted to know.

  “Taking you to bed.” He kissed her forehead as he lightly mounted the steps.

  “Oh.”

  They were in her room already. He reached down and pulled back her bedspread. Placing her in the bed, he drew the blanket over her. Dropping to one knee, with an arm around her head on the pillow and one across her body, he kissed her cheek, her forehead, her eyelids, forcing her eyes shut. “Go to sleep,” he whispered into her neck has he continued the soft kisses.

  “Stay with me?” she whispered.

  “I can’t. When your baby runs in here this morning, she will find Mommy in Mommy’s bed. That’s how it should be. Now is not the time to change what you’ve taught her.”

  “What I’ve taught her?”

  This time he could smile. “You’ve taught her the difference between what married people do and single people do. I don’t want to get in trouble by not following the rules.”

  Kelly returned his smile sleepily. “Thank you.”

  Cord briefly dropped his head to the bed as he battled the urge to break every rule. Without lifting it, he made sure she knew what he wanted. “You know I want to stay, right?”

  “I know, but thank you for supporting me as a parent. It means a lot to me.”

  Cord lifted his head to look at her. This was very important. “I know the difference between right and wrong, Kelly. I know what a difference it makes when raising a child. I will always support you, support instilling values, checks and balances. These are the things, the only things that Minuet will have to keep her a child of the light. Her power will tempt her to break all the rules, to take whatever she wants, to be anything she can imagine. Without a core set of values, she will be lost.”

  He could have gone on, but this wasn’t how he wanted to leave her. Not with a mind full of worry and a heart heavy for the future. “Relax, baby. You know your daughter is everything right. She has an inborn concern, an uncommon awareness of those around her for a three-year-old. You’re doing it right. I did not mean to imply differently. I’m trying to say that I support you and will continue to do exactly that.”

  Kelly nodded, but the clouds did not disappear from her eyes, and Cord wanted to kick his own ass. What they had just experienced was beautiful. He’d wanted her to drift off to sleep feeling safe and treasured, not worried and anxious. How was he supposed to walk out of this room if she was upset? It wasn’t possible.

  “Look, hand me that other pillow, will you?” he said. Unsure how to fix what he’d done, he figured it was time to just stop talking already. Every time he attempted to reassure her, he exchanged the shovel he was digging a hole with for a bigger tool, he had to shut up. Apparently this dragon was not eloquent.

  Taking the pillow, he dropped it to the floor beside her bed.

  Kelly shifted up on an elbow to look down at him as he stretched his long form on the floor. “You’re sleeping on my floor?”

  “Yeah, you’re worried and upset, I can’t leave you. If I keep talking, you’ll never get to sleep, and I’m only making your concerns worse. If I get in that bed, you are not getting any sleep either. So this is it, you fall asleep and I relax. You stay up worrying and I’ll be awake right here with you, except with a hard-on.”

  Kelly bit her lip to keep from smiling as the big beast below h
er firmly closed his eyes and folded his hands behind his head. “I see. So you on the floor is different from Minuet finding you in my bed?”

  “Way different.” He didn’t open his eyes to respond.

  Kelly relaxed back on her pillow but lay there looking up at the ceiling. “You’ll know if I worry the rest of the night?”

  “Absolutely. You’ll know if I worry the rest of the night. Breathe in the air, draw it over your tongue. You can taste the worry as well as smell it.”

  She did as he instructed, marveling at how clearly she could identify the different emotions swirling around them. “Good to know.”

  Cord grunted from below her.

  Outside the open window, the breeze picked up, bringing the night into the room with them. Kelly tested her new knowledge, inhaling deeply. Abruptly she sat straight up in bed. “Do you smell that?”

  Cord opened his eyes but didn’t bother taking the deep breath she had needed. “Yeah. Power is on the air tonight, and it’s not us or Legion and Molly. We have company a lot sooner than I’d hoped.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Lie down. I’m not sure who it is but they are far away. The power you taste is weak.”

  “You expect me to sleep?”

  “You have to, Kelly. Humans can’t afford to skip that much sleep.”

  Kelly looked down at him, his eyes were closed and his body seemingly relaxed. “Who do you suspect it is?” she asked.

  The corner of Cord’s mouth ticked up in a brief show of teeth as he acknowledged her intuition. “I think one of my cousins was sleeping within range when Minuet called me.”

  Slowly Kelly lay down as she thought through his response. “You are trying not to tell me it’s a dragon.”

  “Go to sleep, Kelly. I’m tracking his every move and you’ve given me the power to take care of any problem that might arise. Your dragon is bigger, badder and a helluva lot more motivated than this guy could ever hope to be.”

  Kelly closed her eyes, seeking sleep, but she was pretty sure it wouldn’t come. Cord was probably right. Sleep might be in short supply in the near future. She had to be rested. Had to maintain a normal life for Minuet, or as close as they could come to it.