by Sofia Stone
Finally. Finally, thought Amelia as she reached for him to steady herself. Her hands slipped into his hair. Down, it was wonderfully curly and soft, a counterpoint to all his hard edges.
His mouth claimed hers like she belonged to him . . . just like he said. It sent a thrill through her from head to toe. When his lips captured her lower lip between, she gasped. It was like she couldn’t get enough air into her lungs. Her head spun. If she wasn’t sitting already, her knees would have given out.
She swung a knee over his lap, so that she was straddling him. That made it easy to press herself against him fully, shoulder to hip. Everything in her wanted to get closer.
And so did he: he growled, and tugged her hips against him, so that she could feel his erection pressed against her stomach. The sensation made something deep inside her roar with triumph. She ran her hands over every inch of his body that she could touch, down his chest until her fingertips slipped just inside the waist of his pants.
His hands roamed, too, dipping under her shirt to caress her sides, breasts, belly, but he paused when she reached for his zipper. He pulled back slightly, gray eyes fiery and intense. “We can’t take this back,” he said hoarsely.
It sounded more like a promise than a warning to Amelia. “Good,” she said stubbornly, tugging off her shirt. Days of longing had built up into an inferno of desire, stoked by the heat of his body and the touch of his capable hands.
The next few minutes were a mad scramble of undressing. When they were finally bare, he rolled them both over so she was underneath him. For a moment she was uncertain about being so revealed—but the look in his eyes suggested she had nothing to worry about. His lips trailed over her, light and teasing, until from her collarbone to the tips of her breasts to her belly button. . . . and lower.
At the first stroke of his tongue, she cried out and seized him by the hair, which made him laugh and moan at the same time. It wasn’t long before she couldn’t take it anymore, and she tugged on him to bring him up.
“I need you,” she panted. The dark desire in his eyes reflected her own. She was wet and ready for him—all of him, which was substantial.
He slipped into her, joining their bodies together, making her cry out again and clutch him. This was so right. She couldn’t believe she had waited so long for something so natural and perfect.
“Gabriel. My mate,” she gasped, knowing it was right and true.
“Yes,” he panted between thrusts that made her toes curl. “I’m all yours. And you’re mine.”
He filled her completely, each stroke taking her higher and higher until she shattered in the most intense climax she’d ever experienced. Gabriel lost his carefully controlled restraint as he followed, shuddering at the peak of his pleasure.
She was still gasping as they came down from the high. Lifting his face, he kissed her temple and her cheeks and her chin and the tip of her nose, and then pressed his forehead to hers. The harsh sawing of their breath abated, leaving her feeling tingly all over. His hands came up to cup her cheeks, and he ran his thumbs lightly over her jaw.
“I’m really glad you’re okay,” she whispered, knowing he could hear her heart in her words.
“I was protecting you. I’ll always protect you,” he promised. “I’m yours, forever, no matter what. I love you, Amelia.”
Her heart leapt into her throat. He wasn’t just promising to be her bodyguard forever.
Mate. There was that word again, the one she’d been trying to avoid. Now she knew it fit perfectly.
“I love you too,” she whispered.
* * *
Amelia woke slowly. Her dreams had been sweet . . . full of Gabriel, and kissing and laughing and loving him. She sighed, wiggling around a little, and found a warm, hard body behind hers. Memories of the night before came rushing back, bringing a sleepy smile to her face. Not just a fantasy, then . . . a reality. Her and Gabriel. Together. He loved her, and she loved him. They were soulmates.
For once, the dragon in her head was satisfied and content.
Her body was tucked into his and his arm wrapped around her, keeping her close and safe, their hands twined together. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
Amelia glanced at the alarm clock. It was still early and dark, and for a moment she felt safe before the memories of the day before came flooding back to her. The crack of the gunshot, Gabriel protecting her, Gabriel getting hurt while protecting her and almost dying.
Gabriel must have sensed her tension, because he asked in a gravelly voice, “What’s wrong?”
Amelia pushed herself up to a sitting position. “Just remembering how you almost died yesterday. You know, silly little things like that.”
He chuckled at her acerbity. “I’m tough. It takes a lot more than one measly little gunshot to take me down.”
“Well, that ‘one measly little gunshot’ was pretty terrifying on my end.”
“I know.” He kissed her shoulder, his gray eyes soft.
“I would appreciate it if it didn’t happen again,” she informed him, then paused. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. We have to get ready for our red-eye flight. As soon as you’re ready to go.” Edric had told her yesterday while she was fretting over Gabriel.
He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and sat up, the sheets pooling at his waist. “I didn’t think about that. But yeah, I guess we can’t stay here anymore.”
“How did they even find out where we are? Aren’t you guys supposed to be all secret and stealthy about this?”
“Yes, we are.” His eyes narrowed in contemplation, but he didn’t tell her what—or who—he was thinking of.
“Do you think someone could have told?” she asked tentatively, rolling out of bed. She’d thrown on one of Gabriel’s button-ups to sleep in, and she caught him eyeing her bare skin with clear desire and grinned.
“No time for that. Unless we made it very, very quick.”
“I can be very, very quick,” he said, then made a face at what he’d said. “No, I take it back. Never mind. Pretend I didn’t say that.”
Amelia laughed, shrugged off his shirt, balled it up, and threw it at him. “Get dressed and packed, Mr. Very, Very Quick, or we’ll be late.”
The next few minutes were a flurry of activity as they dressed as quickly as possible and threw everything they could into their suitcases and, in Amelia’s case, duffel bag. Just as they were wrapping up, a sharp knock sounded on the door.
Gabriel stiffened. “I’ll see who it is.”
“Sure,” said Amelia distractedly, trying to stuff a pair of shoes into her duffel.
He hesitated before continuing, like he knew she wasn’t going to like what he had to day. That caught Amelia’s attention. “What is it?” she asked warily.
“We need to be discreet. It shouldn’t look like we . . .”
Amelia glanced around. “I don’t think it does, does it? And I know Lady Nancy isn’t exactly going to approve, but . . .” She would face the old biddy down for Gabriel.
“It’s more than that. There are some things we need to talk about.” He didn’t look happy.
We need to talk. Not the most inspiring words in the world. Amelia’s subconscious zoomed straight to concocting terrible scenarios: he didn’t want to be with her because he was ashamed of her, he had joined some kind of celibate order that prevented him from being with anyone, he was already married . . .
None of those things are true! trumpeted the dragon in her head commandingly. He is our mate and he will not hurt us.
Amelia took a deep breath, deciding to trust him. “Okay. When we get a second, we’ll talk about whatever that is.”
Gabriel nodded, and the knocking sounded again, this time more insistent. He looked through the peephole and, apparently deciding it was safe, opened the door. It was Edric, looking rather sleep-tousled and yawning.
“How are you feeling?” he asked Gabriel, giving him an up-and-down look.
“I’m fine. Better than ever, really.”
“Better than ever, huh?” Edric’s assessing eyes flicked to Amelia, who tried to maintain an innocent expression.
“You know me. I walked off a sea serpent’s bite, a gunshot is nothing.”
This serves to distract Edric, who laughs. “I don’t remember you exactly walking it off, Gabriel. If I recall correctly, I had to carry you out of there . . .”
Maybe a “sea serpent’s bite” is a mixed drink, Amelia thought, though she didn’t get any more time to think about it before they were whisked away to the airport, and she was distracted by other, more pressing matters.
Like the fact that she was getting on a flight to Zavinia. Her father’s homeland.
And the country she would someday rule.
Chapter Six: Gabriel
B e careful, Gabriel told himself.
I shouldn’t have to be careful, said his dragon grumpily. We’re mates and she’s ours. We should be shouting our love from the rooftops.
Gabriel tended to agree, but the human side of him also knew that sometimes discretion was useful. Dragons, being enormous, flying, fire-breathing creatures, weren’t so big on discretion.
That was what Gabriel told himself. But it didn’t sit quite right with him. Keeping their relationship secret felt more like the actions of a coward than the actions of a dragon. Amelia didn’t even know that the biggest hurdles to their relationship were yet to come.
After she’s confirmed by the Draconic Council, he promised himself. Once she was officially accepted by Zavinia, they would find a way. Together.
It was easy to set aside his worries as Amelia caught her first true glimpse of Zavinia—outside the airport.
“Oh my god, it’s so beautiful,” she breathed, staring out the window at the rolling countryside passing them by. They had moved up their timetable, deciding to finish Amelia’s princess training in Zavinia. It increased the chances of their plot being found out—but they were safer here, too. Especially since they were at the royal family’s private summer estate in the countryside, which was their destination until the council ruled on the succession.
“Isn’t it?” he replied to Amelia with a grin. He’d felt a burst of profound relief the moment the wheels of their plane touched the Zavinian ground. Home. He was showing his mate his home—and now it was her home, too.
Between them there were several respectable inches of empty space, but his hand lay on the seat between them, and she let her hand brush his—just a brief, tantalizing touch. Lady Nancy seemed too preoccupied to notice.
“I’ve seen pictures, of course, but this is something else entirely.” Any closer, and she would be pressing her nose against the glass.
“Zavinia’s the most beautiful country in the world,” said Gabriel.
“And its people are so modest,” teased Amelia.
“Not modest,” he corrected. “Honest.” Her bright laughter rang out.
“I wish I had my camera on me,” she said, looking forlorn. It was packed away in one of her bags in the trunk of their car.
“There will be time to take pictures later,” Gabriel promised. “For now, just enjoy the view. It’s an important part of Zavinian culture—to be in the present moment, without delay or distraction.”
And what a view it was. Zavinia was blessed with lush vegetation and gently rolling hills.
The timing of their arrival was perfect for appreciating the scenery. Spring had arrived in full force. Vast swathes of wildflowers blanketed the ground outside in a riot of color and scent amidst the greenery.
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing.
Gabriel peered out the window beside her. The object of her curiosity was a roundtower in the distance, made of dragon-stone and glittering black.
“That’s a watchtower,” he explained. “In the old days, there was always somebody up there on the lookout for dragons arriving or dueling amongst themselves. That was dangerous for ordinary people.”
Amelia laughed. “It’s like stepping back in time,” she mused, tucking a lock of air back over her ear. Gabriel’s fingers itched to do it for her, but he reluctantly kept his fingers to himself. “Like walking into a fairy tale or something.”
As they passed farmland dotted with picturesque country cottages and farm animals, Gabriel knew what she meant. But for him life had not been a fairy tale, even though he’d grown up amidst such beautiful sights.
“No happy ending built in, though,” he murmured without thinking, and Amelia’s hand squeezed his, offering comfort.
The estate was tucked snugly into the countryside, away from the politics of the capital city.
“A castle?” Amelia squeaked at her first glimpse. “You didn’t tell me we were going to a castle.”
Lady Nancy sniffed. “This is Europe, Amelia, and we are royalty. Of course we have a castle. Many, in fact.”
“I didn’t think about the fact that this would be your first time seeing a castle,” Gabriel said as they got out of the car, Amelia pausing to better look around. His hand settled into the small of her back.
“We don’t have many castles in America,” Amelia agreed.
“This castle isn’t like other castles, though,” Amelia pointed out. Adrian had to admit that was true. Where other castles were constructed of stone and wood, the castles in Zavinia were something else entirely. The summer estate was made of the same material as the watchtower Amelia had been curious about earlier. It looked like a glittering black stone, but there were no seams, no individual stones or mortar like you would see in a castle in England or France.
“These castles were constructed more than a thousand years ago,” he told her, enjoying her awe as they approached the castle.
“It doesn’t look that old.”
“Well, we do try to maintain it,” he said with a grin. “Of course, it helps that it’s made of dragonstone.”
She frowned. “Dragonstone?”
“It’s born from the fire a dragon breathes on volcanic glass,” he explained. “There are no stones or bricks—just enormous slabs. It’s very durable stuff. You could even make some yourself if you wanted to.”
She laughed at that. “Right. Because I’m a dragon.” She breathed on a patch of the dragonstone and giggled at her joke.
“Enough playing, children,” scolded Lady Nancy as she came up alongside them. Upon their arrival, they were beset by the servants taking their luggage. “The guards will be in the west wing,” Lady Nancy instructed them. Then she turned back to Amelia.
“We are very secure here,” she assured the younger woman, “but we will keep them with us a little while longer.”
It was clear from her expression that Amelia had not considered that they might be separated. “Oh—all right. Good,” she replied, shooting him a private smile behind Lady Nancy back.
Amelia had her own suite of rooms several times the size of the hotel’s. “This is too much,” she said to herself when they stepped inside. The rooms were filled with beautiful, traditional oak furniture, with ornately carved decorations.
“No, it’s exactly right,” he corrected. “You’re the Crown Princess of Zavinia, or you will be, after the Council approves you.”
Biting her lip, Amelia strode further into the suite, trailing a fingertip along pieces of furniture and, in the bedroom, the posts of the enormous four-poster bed.
“Are the servants gone?” she whispered. “Oh my god, I have servants,” she added in a more normal tone of voice.
Gabriel chuckled. “Yes, they’re gone, for now,” he said.
“Good. Now kiss me,” she demanded. He raised an eyebrow.
He kissed her, long and slow and sweet, his worries about secrecy and assassination plots slipping away. There was only the softness of her lips and skin and the inviting warmth of her body pressed against his. One hand traced over the zipper up the back of the dress, longing to undo it and touch the skin underneath. But he couldn’t, not at this very moment at least. The thought bothered his dragon.
> She made a disappointed sound when he pulled away.
“We have a full schedule today, sweetheart,” he murmured against her lips.
“We do?” She sounded disappointed. “We didn’t exactly do a lot of sleeping last night. I feel like I could sleep for days.”
“Best way to combat jet lag,” he said, squeezing her shoulders. “Stay up until evening. It resets your body’s clock.”
Amelia pouted. Then she sighed. “Okay, what’s the plan?”
* * *
It was unlikely Amelia would stay awake through a dry history lesson, so it was Gabriel’s idea to take her out to see Zavinia. Lady Nancy was hesitant, so Gabriel brought out his most persuasive arguments.
“No one here knows who she is—or who I am, for that matter. We won’t be recognized. Besides, she’ll rule over Zavinia one day; she should be familiar with the people here. And she’ll be able to practice her French.”
Amelia hid a yawn behind her hand, and Lady Nancy gave her a sharp look.
“And it’ll help us stay awake,” he added blandly.
Finally she relented. They would be able to transform to protect themselves if it came to that. He’d thought they were safe in America, where no one was supposed to know who they were or where. He would have to be vigilant. He wasn’t going to allow the woman he loved to be put in danger a second time.
For their outing, Amelia abandoned her formalwear and dressed in a dark blue sundress dotted with white flowers. The color made her hair seem redder, a burnished auburn that looked almost copper when the sun hit it just right, and her eyes as blue as the sky. His dragon gave a growl at the sight.
She’s the most perfect treasure ever, his dragon informed him, so you better not fuck everything up.
Never, Gabriel thought, his heart skipping a beat.
The sweetheart neckline dipped in the middle, just baring the tops of her breasts to Gabriel’s sight. It was nothing inappropriate in itself, but it made Gabriel’s cock twitch in his pants. He wanted to touch her again. They only made love the night before, but as wonderful and perfect as it had been, it hadn’t satisfied his need for her at all. If anything, he needed her now more than ever.