“Are you prejudiced against my species?”
She looked genuinely shocked. “Of course not.”
Something eased deep inside him.
“Then why don’t you want to want me?”
“Because I was bartered like a piece of property by my own father.” She wrinkled her tiny nose. “I’m supposed to be a martyr, not a willing victim.”
A martyr? Baine barely suppressed his shudder.
“This has nothing to do with your father.”
“Of course it does.” She sent him a glare that informed him he was being impossibly dense. “If he hadn’t used me to pay his debt to the trolls, you would never have known I even existed.”
Baine gave a sharp laugh. Did she know nothing about fate?
Destiny would have eventually crossed his path with this glorious female.
She was his purpose in life.
“Your father’s weakness provided the opportunity for our first meeting, but that was not the reason I hunted you for twenty-five years,” he said.
A hint of vulnerability softened her features before she was giving a sharp shake of her head.
“Dragons are notorious for protecting their hoard,” she muttered. “You couldn’t bear the thought that I had escaped.”
His fingers moved to touch the thin chain that shimmered in the cresting morning sunlight.
“True.” At last they could agree. He would always protect her. “You are mine.”
Her eyes widened, her pulse fluttering at the base of her throat. “Stop saying that.”
Baine could feel her tension vibrating through her slender body. He didn’t understand why she battled against her sensual nature. Or the ruthless power that was drawing them ever closer together.
But he wasn’t going to rush her.
Not because he cared about her good opinion, he hurriedly assured himself. He was, after all, a dragon. And dragons were above petty emotions.
But her remark about being a martyr had struck a nerve. He didn’t want a female in his bed who was determined to treat their passion as some sort of curse.
He wanted Tayla warm and welcoming and insatiable for his touch.
Which meant he needed to convince her that her place in his harem had nothing to do with her father’s debts. And like any good predator, he’d already searched and discovered her weakest points.
In contrast to his previous lovers, Tayla had no interest in gold or jewels. Or even power.
No. She’d spent her life being denied the love and affection that was the foundation of most fey families. She was eager to have someone care for her.
Granted, he didn’t have much experience in tending to a female. Actually, he had zero experience.
But how hard could it be?
“I have something for you,” he said, grasping her hand to lead her into the kitchen.
“For me?”
Warily she allowed herself to be tugged across the sun-drenched room to the wooden table that was set near the window.
Baine urged her into one of the wooden chairs as he opened the woven basket he’d demanded his servants prepare before returning to the cottage.
With care he set out the platters of home-baked bread with butter and honey still on the comb. There was another platter of fresh fruit and nuts. And last, but not least, was a bottle filled with a golden substance he’d been assured was the very best nectar money could buy.
Opening the bottle, he poured the thick liquid into a glass and settled in the chair across the table to watch in anticipation as Tayla cautiously took a sip.
Her eyes widened in shock. “Where did you get this?”
He watched her lick a golden droplet from her bottom lip, his cock hardening with a painful need.
“Direct from the Chantri,” he said, his tone distracted.
She gasped, abruptly setting down the glass. “You have connections with fey royalty?”
He grimaced. He hated dealing with the arrogant Chantri. They had an insane belief that they were equal to dragons. Unacceptable. But they did come in handy on occasion. Like when he needed the finest food to feed his imp.
“I make it a habit to ensure that I have a variety of demons in my debt at all times,” he murmured. “I called in a favor owed to me by Prince Magnus.”
“Oh.” She abruptly set down the glass, studying the bounty spread across the table with a helpless expression.
“Doesn’t it please you?”
“Of course.”
Baine frowned. She was supposed to be giddy with gratitude. He’d forced himself to waste over an hour traveling to fairyland. Then he’d had to cash in a very useful favor.
Why wasn’t she giddy?
“You are…” He hesitated, choosing his words with care. “Very difficult to please.”
She reached to grasp a succulent strawberry, studying it as if she’d never seen a piece of fruit before.
“I just don’t understand.”
“Understand what?”
Lifting her gaze, she studied him in wary confusion. “Why would you trade in a favor for me?”
He shrugged. “It’s my duty to make sure you’re adequately fed while you’re in my care.”
“Oh. Duty.” Something that might have been disappointment rippled over her pretty features. “I see.”
Baine grimaced. He felt oddly embarrassed to admit he’d been determined to please her. No matter what the cost. But then again, he didn’t want her to think he would do the same for any other female.
It was all very unnerving.
“And I thought it would make you smile,” he grudgingly confessed. “Something that has become important to me.”
A charming blush warmed her cheeks. “Baine.”
“Eat,” he ordered in gruff tones.
“Bossy,” she muttered, but she obediently devoured the food with a gusto that filled him with a smug satisfaction. She was more cautious with the nectar, taking small sips as if she wanted to savor each taste. At last she glanced up to discover him watching her with an unwavering fascination. Her blush deepened. “Aren’t you hungry?”
Hungry? He was ravenous.
“Not for food,” he said in low, husky tones.
She choked on a strawberry, the scent of her arousal spicing the air even as she tried to pretend indifference.
“What do dragons eat?” she asked.
He resisted the urge to lean across the table and lick the strawberry juice from her lips.
Patience…
“I’m a predator,” he said. “I eat what I kill.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I suppose you hunt in your other form?”
“I do.” He paused. Then with a sharp surge he was on his feet and holding out his hand. “Would you like to see?”
She blinked. “See you hunt?”
“See my other form,” he corrected, not entirely sure why he was suddenly so determined to witness her reaction to his beast.
He just knew he needed to make sure that she wasn’t going to be freaked out by his native form.
“I…” She hesitated, and for a second he feared she might actually refuse. Then, with a hesitant motion, she rose to her feet and placed her hand in his. “Yes. I would like that very much.”
An odd relief surged through him as he urged her out the back door.
“Come with me.”
He tugged her through the small garden and into the wide meadow that was filled with wild flowers. He left her standing next to a small stream and moved far enough away he wouldn’t startle her with his transformation.
Then, keeping his gaze locked on the female who watched him with wide eyes, he released the magic that thundered deep inside him.
###
With a fiery burst of power he was covered in flames that rolled over his body, transforming his skin to silver scales that expanded as his body elongated. Tayla could hear his bones popping, his muscles and sinew ripping as the beast inside emerged, revealing the lizard-like form with
a long, spiked tail and short legs that ended in razor-sharp talons.
His head was heavy, with a narrow snout lined with ten-inch teeth and eyes that glowed with amber fire. And from the center of his back his leather wings spread out in graceful lines.
With his shift completed, Baine shuddered, pure ecstasy seeming to race through him as he shoved off the ground and headed for the sky.
He was…
Tayla struggled for the words that would capture the imposing beauty of the creature soaring above her.
In the cresting sun his scales shimmered like polished silver, the sheen so brilliant it hurt her eyes. In contrast, his wings were as dark as death, slicing through the air with a lethal ease.
She’d always assumed dragons in their native form would be large and bulky, like a flying alligator. But Baine was the complete opposite. He was a sleek, sexy predator who made her shiver in awe.
Watching him circle the sky with a breathless fascination, she didn’t even consider scampering backward when he floated down and landed only a few feet away. Heck, she actually stepped forward, indifferent to the claws that dug huge chunks out of the ground and the rush of air that flattened her nightgown against her as he gave a last flap of his massive wings.
Instead she was mesmerized by the amber gaze that was studying her with a fierce intensity, luring her ever closer.
One step forward. And then another. And another. Until she could feel the explosive heat that radiated from the silver body, and a tendril of smoke wrapped around her tense form.
Being this close to Baine was like standing near a volcano that might explode any second. A very sexy volcano, a voice whispered in the back of her mind, excitement shivering through her as there was a flurry of magic and the dragon was once again a stunningly handsome male dressed in a pair of loose dojo pants.
“Well?” he demanded, his voice husky and his amber eyes burning with his inner fire.
Still lost in a sense of wonderment, it took Tayla a second to realize he was waiting for her to respond. She blinked, puzzled by his carefully composed expression. Was he seeking compliments? That was…oddly endearing.
“You must know you’re magnificent,” she said with a shrug. There was no way she was going to admit that she’d been utterly enchanted by the sight of him.
“Yes,” he agreed.
Tayla rolled her eyes. “Yeesh.”
He stepped toward her, his tattoos swirling over his skin as if he was hiding some intense emotion behind his expression of indifference.
“What I want to know is if my animal form…” He hesitated, clearly choosing his words with care.
“What?” she prompted.
“Bothers you.”
She frowned, genuinely baffled by his strange question. “Why would it bother me?”
His gaze remained locked on her upturned face. “The fey tend to be skittish of the larger predators.”
She snorted. “Probably because we aren’t overly eager to become dinner.”
“But you weren’t frightened,” he pressed.
“No.” She’d been far too captivated by his fierce beauty to think of all the reasons she should be terrified. “Obviously I’m either out of my mind or I’ve reached my fear quota.”
He reached out to thread his fingers through her hair, his brooding gaze studying her mouth with an unnerving concentration.
“There’s a more logical explanation,” he told her.
“And what’s that?”
“You want me.”
She shuddered at his blunt claim, feeling the urge to purr beneath the stroke of his finger, like a cat.
“Baine,” she breathed.
He lowered his head, their noses nearly touching. “Admit it,” he commanded.
She planted her hands against his chest. She was going to push him away. At least, that’d been the plan. But as soon as her palms came into contact with the satin heat of his skin she was dangerously distracted.
“Why does it matter?” she muttered, exploring the sculpted muscles that flexed beneath her light touch.
Yow. She’d never realized the male body could be so beautiful.
She could pet him all day.
There was a rumbling sound of pleasure deep in his chest, his fingers tightening in her hair to tilt her head back, exposing her throat.
“When I take you to my bed, I want it to be because you are eager for my touch. Not because it’s your duty.”
Oh. Tayla struggled to hide her small smile. Clearly her earlier claim that she didn’t want to want him had struck a raw nerve.
Now he was determined to prove he could make her forget her pride.
“You’re so arrogant,” she accused, forgetting how to breathe as his lips blistered a path of kisses down the side of her neck.
“Say the words, Tayla,” he insisted, his lips trailing over the dragon marque that rested against the upper curve of her breasts.
Her hands moved to clutch at his shoulders as her knees went weak. Oh lord. His lips were magic. Sheer magic. It was no wonder he had to build a harem to keep the females who were anxious to be his concubines.
Who could blame her if she gave in and…
No. Bad imp.
She dug her nails into his skin, desperately trying to hold on to sanity.
“You can’t make me,” she stubbornly denied.
Open-mouthed kisses singed over the tender skin of her breasts as his arm lashed around her waist and he pulled her tight against his hard body. Tayla moaned, her nipples acutely sensitive to the heat seeping through the thin fabric of her gown.
“Is that a challenge?” he demanded, lifting his head to regard her with a smug smile. “Accepted.”
Tayla swallowed a curse. Yikes. Had she actually just challenged a dragon? Not good. Not good at all.
“No…I…” Her stumbled words were brought to a sharp end as he swooped his head down to kiss her with a stark hunger.
She stiffened, then with a strangled groan, parted her lips.
Desire raced through her like wildfire, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck as his tongue dipped into her mouth. Yum. He tasted of raw power and exotic spices.
It was addictive.
Tayla lost track of time as he held her tight against his stirring erection, plundering her mouth over and over as she softly moaned.
He was passionate, demanding, and increasingly aroused, but Tayla was acutely aware of the thunderous power he was keeping leashed. It crackled around them like a thunderstorm, filling the air with electricity.
The tingling sensations should have set off all sorts of alarms. She might be stronger than a human, but she couldn’t begin to match this dragon in power or magic.
Instead they only intensified her arousal.
Catching her bottom lip between his teeth, he gave it a tiny nip before he lifted his head far enough to study her dazed expression.
“Say the words.”
Words? What words? Tayla struggled to think. Oh yeah.
Those words.
She narrowed her gaze. “If I don’t?”
He pulled in a deep breath, a wicked smile curving his lips at the heavy scent of her arousal that filled the air.
“Then I’m not trying hard enough to convince you,” he warned, abruptly grabbing her around her waist so he could sling her over his shoulder.
“Baine,” she shrieked in protest. She didn’t have to ask him what he was doing. Not when his long strides were taking them back to the cottage and down the short hallway with dizzying speed. A dangerous anticipation clenched her muscles. “Don’t you have some dragon business to take care of?” she muttered.
“Nothing is more important than this,” he assured her, bending forward to dump her onto the center of the bed.
She landed with a small bounce, the air knocked from her lungs.
Okay, it wasn’t actually landing on the soft mattress that stole her breath. It was the sight of Baine as he leaned over her.
; With the morning sunlight threading through the raven darkness of his hair and emphasizing the perfection of his features, she was struck by his otherness. The fey were a beautiful species, and vampires could be drop-dead gorgeous…literally. But Baine’s beauty was like a punch to the gut.
So overpowering that it was difficult to believe he was real.
The sense of unreality was abruptly shattered as he reached out and, grabbing the neckline of her nightgown, ripped it in two.
“Hey,” she rasped.
With graceful ease, he was kneeling on the mattress next to her rigid body, his eyes burning with an amber fire.
“Don’t worry,” he said, his hand skimming over her shoulder and down her arm. “I’ll buy you a dozen new gowns,” he promised, his voice low and hypnotic. “A thousand.”
Tayla shivered, acutely aware her nipples were hardening beneath Baine’s smoldering survey. Her ego might demand she pretend that sharing a bed with this male was some huge sacrifice, but her body refused to cooperate.
“I can buy my own clothes,” she ridiculously muttered.
He gently traced the delicate line of her collarbone. “I want to see you draped in the finest silks.”
“That’s so…” The words tangled in her throat as his fingers drifted down to tease the sensitive tip of her breast. “Oh.”
Planting his hands on each side of her shoulders, he bent downward, replacing his teasing finger with his lips. Oh…yes. The wet heat was exactly what she wanted.
With growing insistence he sucked at her nipple, his glossy hair brushing her face and his hand running a bold trail down the tense muscles of her belly. Everywhere he touched, sparks of acute pleasure shot through her, coalescing in a throbbing ache between her legs.
Tayla hissed, her body bowing as a shimmering, incandescent bliss streaked through her.
His fingers traced the curve of her hip, his head lifting to reveal his expression that was rigid with barely restrained hunger.
“But then again, such amazing skin should never be covered,” he husked. “Perhaps I’ll keep you in my harem without anything to hide such beauty.”
She trembled, not nearly as outraged as she should be by his fantasy of watching her waltz around butt-naked. In fact, she was beginning to appreciate the advantages of allowing his lips and clever fingers free access.
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