by Anna Lowe
“We shouldn’t.” His protest was hoarse, as if his wolf were trying to smother the words. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one fighting her inner beast.
But, hell. If giving in to raging desire placated it, that was fine with her.
“We definitely should.” She took another step toward the bed. “Trust me.”
The room was dim, but Sergio’s eyes glowed so intensely, the space between them seemed to glow too.
“I trust you,” he whispered.
Her heart thumped, because that felt like it ought to be her role — trusting him. Sergio was the one who knew about shifting, Rome’s hidden supernatural world, and all the new and frightening things she faced. But, hell. Maybe he was facing new things too. Like questioning orders. Untangling mysteries. Opening his heart. Maybe even trusting destiny for a change.
So she cupped his cheeks, then plunged into a deep kiss that made his eyes go wide. Hers too. Wow. Where did that come from?
No idea, her inner beast said a little too innocently.
She fumbled the buttons of his shirt open, one by one. But dammit, his tie kept getting in the way.
“Do you always have to dress so well?” she grumbled between kisses.
He sawed his tie loose and pulled it over his head. “I’m starting to wonder myself.”
What that meant, she’d ask about later. Right now, one thing was sure — Sergio was a pro at stripping layers. He tossed his shirt to one side and hers to another. Then he unclipped her bra and slid his hands forward, cupping her breasts.
For one breathless moment, he gazed into her eyes. Yes, her eyes, not the flesh in his hands, showing that was secondary. Then he moved his thumbs over her skin, making her bite back a moan.
She desperately wanted to lie back on the bed and give him free rein. But his pants would be hell to get off once they were there, so she uncinched his belt first. Slowly, she slid her hands down his hips, then palmed his groin.
Oh yes, she nearly mumbled.
Sergio rocked back on his heels, and his eyes fluttered shut. She rubbed a few times, feeling him swell. Then she pushed down his pants and boxers before the poor man ran out of space completely.
“Shoes,” she urged.
He kicked them off along with the rest of his clothes and stood like a statue in the flickering candlelight. One of those chiseled, packed-with-muscle statues the Romans loved to copy from the Greeks and claim as their own masterpiece.
Well, she’d claim him the same way.
Slowly, she closed a hand over him and stroked a few times. Then she played with the silky tip, marveling at the contrast with the bulging hardness of the rest. She even considered sitting on the edge of the bed and opening her mouth to him, but Sergio shook his head. Had he read her mind?
“I’d love that — later. Right now…”
He helped her out of the capri pants she’d worn to the yacht, smoothing his hands over every inch of her rear and thighs along the way. Her panties rolled down with the pants, and his breath hitched when she stood before him, totally bare.
“Not too fancy,” she murmured, knowing her own imperfections too well.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, kissing her again.
The next few minutes rushed by, with his mouth grazing down her neck and, eventually, to her breasts. Then he rolled his lips around a nipple, making her gasp.
“More,” she whispered, lying back on the bed. “Please…”
Yes, her inner beast growled. More…
Sergio came down over her exactly as she expected — smoothly. Expertly. Elegantly, almost. The only pressure she felt was where she needed it most. Soft, sensitive places begging for Sergio’s magic touch.
“Oh,” she breathed, because touch wasn’t all Sergio did. He kissed. Tickled. Scrubbed with his stubble, murmuring happily as he went. His lips worked their magic on her left side, then her right. Next, he trailed his fingers down her belly, and—
Lena threw back her head and rocked against him. First, against the firm breadth of his hand, then against the fingers he gently circled around, and finally—
He dipped deeper, and she moaned, aching for more.
He looked up, eyes glowing, face serious, like this was life and death and he couldn’t possibly let her down.
She wound a leg around his and coaxed him closer. And, whew. Her inner beast might not have made her shift, but it had definitely taken over.
“We’d better watch out,” she whispered.
He tilted his head.
“A little more of this and the highlights of my day will outnumber the lows.”
He crawled back up her body, kissing her lips. “Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?”
She cupped his chin. “Yes, it is. I thought you might need a reminder, though.”
For a moment, his eyes flickered, and she wondered if she’d hit too sensitive a nerve. But then he nodded thoughtfully. “I might need some help with that.”
Oh, she could definitely help him with that. Starting with tonight.
She jutted her chin, coaxing him closer. Her kiss started softly and slowly, giving them both time to mull over the idea. But soon, it became as deep and breathless as the rest. At the same time, she stroked him, matching the movements of her tongue. Then she wrapped her legs around his waist, heeding the desperate urge for more.
Sergio didn’t say a word or utter a sound. He just slipped into position and hitched her legs against his side. Then he pinned her with a gaze packed with yearning and desire.
“Come to me,” she whispered.
With a roll of his hips, he slid in, his face straining with the effort of holding back. A moment later, he slowly withdrew. When he plunged in a second time, she cried out.
She was one step away from heaven, floating amidst fluffy white clouds. Her body ached, demanding more. A call Sergio heeded until they were both sweaty, panting, and moving in perfect harmony.
“Yes…” she whispered, bucking in time with him.
When she squeezed her inner muscles, Sergio hissed, then panted in her ear. “Do that again. Do that each time.”
Gladly, she would have said if she could manage a coherent word. Mostly, it was all cavewoman sounds. Shifter sounds, maybe?
For a few thrilling minutes, they pushed each other to ever loftier heights. Then Sergio pulled her knee higher, and her moan dropped in pitch. His fingers dug into the sheets on either side of her head, while hers raked his back. A drop of sweat fell from his chest, and she wouldn’t have been surprised if it sizzled against her skin. Then he plunged even deeper and groaned, tensing all over as he came.
Lena shuddered, and images flooded her mind. She saw herself and Sergio, naked and glistening with sweat in an erotic scene glimpsed from above. Then the scene jumped, and she saw flames explode from her mouth in long, passionate plumes. Dancing, controlled flames, like fireworks that put her pleasure on display for the world. Aqueducts blurred beneath her, as did roads and streetlights, because she was airborne. Soaring and roaring into the night.
This man is mine, her dragon roars declared. This man is my mate.
A wolf trotted to a rocky outcrop and howled back. This woman is mine. My beautiful mate.
When she swooped toward the earth, the wolf jumped high, and for a split second, their bodies brushed. A wild, exhilarating trick they repeated again and again.
Then she was barefoot and running through grass, human again. She reached for her lover, who had also shifted to stand on two feet. Not for long, though, because they sank slowly to the ground and made love under the stars. Slow, sensual sex that ended in a sizzling, orgasm-inducing bite.
What it all meant, she had no clue. But there were no ominous thunderclouds in her visions, no evil waiting to creep in. Just blazing glory like nothing she’d ever experienced before.
So, whoa. Maybe having a shifter side wasn’t so bad after all.
Then an aftershock hit her, and she moaned, gripping Sergio hard.
�
��More…”
Boy, was she bossy. And, boy, did he make her feel good.
For a while, she flew high as a kite. Then she sighed and slowly wafted back to earth. When she finally opened her eyes, she was nestled in a world of bulging muscles and pulsing veins. Sergio panted into the sheets beside her, then rolled to his side.
Wow couldn’t begin to sum up what she felt, and neither did amazing. Only one word did, and she and Sergio both uttered it at the same time.
“Destiny…”
Sergio nodded slowly, and then, in the only awkward moment of the night, he fumbled to clean up with a corner of the sheet. Afterward, they lay spooned together, quietly marveling at what they’d done. The candles flickered, and the odor of melting wax mixed with the sweet scent of sex.
“Look,” Lena murmured, pointing.
Sergio kissed her shoulder. “I don’t need to look to know how beautiful you are.”
She broke into a smile so big, it hurt her cheeks.
“I mean the diamond. It’s glowing.”
They both stared at the warm, white light pulsing from within the pile of discarded clothes.
“I don’t get it,” she whispered. “Sometimes, it looks like fake jewelry. Other times, it’s practically radioactive. Right now, it’s almost…happy.”
Sergio ran his hand along her side, as always, thinking before he spoke. “I don’t know much about dragon treasure, but I know spelled pieces can have a will of their own.”
Her breath hitched. There it was again — spells. Magic.
“Shifter magic?” she asked.
“Witch magic, from generations past. But the really powerful witches died out centuries ago.”
Witches. Shifters. Vampires, even. If she hadn’t been snuggled tightly in his arms, she might have panicked at the thought.
Sergio stroked her hand gently. “Some shifter species went extinct too. But those that could blend in around humans survived. Like wolves — there are dozens in Rome. Lions run London—”
“Lions?” Her voice rose.
Still, Sergio’s steady voice and warm touch kept her anchored. “There aren’t many here. Bears and eagles are rarer, but the populations are healthy enough.”
“And they’re all over, without humans having any clue?”
“Some shifters are more reclusive, but yes. Most live among humans, being careful not to give themselves away. At one point, we were hunted. Take unicorns, for example.”
Unicorns? That was one shifter she would love to see. She pictured medieval tapestries covered with unicorns and other fanciful creatures. Then it hit her. All those stories of St. George…
“What about dragons?”
“Those who showed themselves openly were hunted. Others were wiser. Most dragons, like most wolves and other shifters, mean humans no harm. Like anyone else, they want to live and let live. Most of what humans believe about shifters goes back to medieval times, and most of it is false.”
She considered that for a moment, then the diamond. “What about treasure?”
He caressed her arm. “That part is true. Some noble dragon families amassed huge treasures over generations. But others, like my friend Tristan, have nothing. Again, like humans.”
Except humans don’t hand down spelled gems, she nearly said.
She studied the glowing diamond a minute longer. Really studied it, tuning in to the vague sensation all things gave off if she searched hard enough.
“I swear it’s happy. Almost like it approves of us together. Am I imagining things?”
Sergio thought that over for a long time. “I don’t know. We wolves never had a dragon’s fascination with treasure.” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I do know that I’m happy we’re together.”
She nearly melted in his arms. “Me too.”
For so long, she’d heeded her mother’s warnings and steered clear of love, afraid to make her own Big Mistake. But maybe there was an even bigger mistake a girl could make — like avoiding love. Shuttering her heart. Letting the best thing that had ever happened to her slip away.
She held Sergio’s hand against her cheek, feeling his warmth.
“Tesoro mio,” he murmured, snuggling her closer like his own personal treasure.
Another minute ticked by before Sergio sighed and spoke. “One thing. The diamond may be why you keep getting the urge to shift. That, and the fact that you’re in Rome.” He gestured outside. “Well, near enough, anyway.”
She frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Your shifter roots are calling to you.”
She hugged his hand to her belly as they lay together, still spooned. Could it really be?
“We should try to find out more about your father.” Sergio stroked a thumb over her bare skin.
Her shoulders tensed. As a child, discussing her father had been taboo, though she’d invented an entire noble storyline about how extreme circumstances had forced him to send her and her mother away. Now, a whole new shifter world had been exposed to her, and her mind spun.
“Maybe he was some kind of rogue…” Sergio murmured pensively.
Lena frowned, hating that idea.
“According to your mother, he had money, correct?”
She scowled. “Vicente has money too.”
God, she’d hate to find out her father was that kind of man. But she couldn’t believe her mother would fall for that type.
Finally, she pressed her hand to Sergio’s mouth. “We can talk about this later. I want to go to sleep on a highlight, okay?”
He smiled, drawing a finger down her cheek. Then his eyes sparkled, and he traced the line between her breasts…down her stomach…to the apex of her legs…
“Another highlight? I’ll do my best.”
She nodded, going breathless all over again. I know you will.
Before long, she was cooing, oohing, and aahing. Wrapping her limbs around him and begging for more. And when he gently turned her around…
“Doggy style?” she blurted.
Sergio halted. “If you don’t want to…”
She chuckled, getting down on her elbows and wiggling her rear in the air. “Oh, I want to, all right. But I’d be lying if I said I was in control of my inner animal right now. Just saying.”
Sergio laughed, then hunkered over her from behind, whispering in her ear. “I would be lying too.” Then he chuckled. “Just one thing. Never tell a wolf it’s called doggy style.”
She laughed. “Show me the difference, then.”
He ran his hands along her body, making every inch of her burn with desire. An early hint of how good Sergio would prove the position could be. Howling good, with her doing the howling, she suspected.
Yes, please, her inner beast hummed.
“I’ll show you different, my love,” he whispered, caressing her one more time before sliding in, hot and hard.
Oh yes, her inner animal growled. Show me.
Chapter Nine
Sergio had experienced lots of short nights, especially in the military. Times when an hour or two of sleep was all he could snatch, and every minute was misery. But the two hours he squeezed in before waking later that night were peaceful. Fulfilling. Heavenly, even.
He stretched slowly, surprised to find his body glowing with satisfaction instead of jittery with stress. Then he hugged Lena, just to prove she really was there. Finally, he slipped out of bed, careful not to rouse her, and padded to the kitchen, where he swung open a shutter and scrutinized the surrounding landscape.
The world was still slumbering, but somewhere, evil was on the move. He could sense it.
Vicente, his wolf growled.
He glanced back at Lena and let out a slow breath. Had he been right to stop here for the night? Yes, he decided. Vicente could track down Sergio’s place in town or the apartment Lena rented more easily than he could track them here. And while seeking shelter with the Guardians had been another option, it could just as well turn out to b
e counterproductive, as he’d witnessed with the Guardians of London.
Still, he couldn’t leave anything to chance, so he checked his phone. A moment later, he cursed and put it down. The battery had run out, and he had no way of charging the damn thing.
He closed his eyes and reached his thoughts toward Marco, but that proved futile. His friend was miles away. Only destined mates and blood relatives had a chance of making a mental connection from that distance.
The sheets rustled, and he opened his eyes. Lena blinked and looked around sleepily. When she spotted him and smiled, it was like the sun bursting over the horizon and bathing his weary soul in brilliant light. Of course, sunrise was hours away, but you could have fooled him.
“Hey,” Lena murmured, stepping toward him.
Moonlight dappled her body, and he couldn’t help admiring her curves. Outside, crickets sang a happy chorus, echoing the one inside him. It was like having an angel appear out of thin air and approach — but better, because Lena was flesh and blood.
Definitely not thin air, his wolf hummed as she brushed her lips over his.
Also, she was naked and too sleepy to be shy about her body. Another plus.
“Are you all right?” she whispered, running a hand over his chest.
Her caress made his soul sing. How had he survived all these years without her healing touch?
His wolf snorted. Simple. We stopped feeling. Stopped living, really.
Well, now he was alive in a way he’d never been.
He kissed her a second time. Was he all right? “I am now.” Then he motioned toward the shutters. Would she prefer if he locked out the moonlight?
She shook her head. “I’m feeling pretty human right now. Blissfully human, you might say.”
She nestled against him, and together, they gazed over the shadowy landscape. The tall grass swayed, and Sergio pictured a pair of wolves loping through it without a care in the world. The way he and Lena could do if it weren’t for Vicente, the Guardians, and the Lombardis.
He sighed. Not only was that unlikely, it was impossible. Lena was a dragon. He was a wolf. How would they ever make it work?
