by ERIN BEDFORD
Hand between my thighs, Raiden played me to my release until my knees buckled beneath me. Then when with me bent over at the waist, he took me again from behind, our skin slapping in the spray of the water until the liquid went cold.
We stumbled from the shower shivering and laughing. To not be tempted and even more delayed we dried ourselves off, though our eyes kept finding each other. My cheeks had begun to hurt from smiling so much, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had been so happy. I imagined it probably had been back on Earth where no one wanted anything from me.
As we finished drying off, I asked Raiden, “You said your mother is a difficult woman. Do we have any reason to fear her or your family with our ... secret?”
Raiden seemed to think about it for a moment before he said no longer smiling, “She’s my mother.”
“That doesn’t answer anything,” I accused. “Dannan is my father, but do you think I would trust him with this secret? He’d have me lined up to be taken by every man in his guard just so he could increase his power base. Can you say the same about yours?”
“Oh. That secret.” He shook his head in denial. “No, no. She wouldn’t betray me that way, nor would my father or brothers. They are trustworthy. You have nothing to fear from them.” He took my hands in his and pressed them to his lips. “I would never let anything happen to you.”
His words were meant to be reassuring, and I forced a smile on my lips even as a sinking feeling took up residence in my stomach, and I tried to push it away but without hope. I didn’t doubt Raiden’s words. I was sure he believed every one of them. But the best of us knew that family could betray you worse than anyone else.
10
We were all ready for whatever the night held. Which if we were lucky would mean a short evening and a soft pillow soon after. But from the way Raiden carried on with his brothers, I highly doubted that would be possible.
“I’m telling you,” Raiden stood by my bedroom door and smacked Firestar on the arm with a laugh. “You’ve never been to a party until you’ve partied with an easterner. There will be wine and dancing - and food! The food,” he licked his lips, his eyes gleaming at the prospect, “is better than anything you have ever tasted in your life.”
Firestar and I exchanged a look as Raiden went on to describe all the types of food we’d encounter. I couldn’t really think of food now. The occupancy of my stomach had increased the closer the party came. I had to have a whole flock of butterflies in there by now, all fluttering about making me want to stay curled up in my bed.
It didn’t help that Jack had been quieter than usual. I didn’t know what bug was up his butt, but I could guess it had something to do with us not being together completely. Unfortunately, his bad mood wasn’t helping my stress level any.
“All right, all right,” I interrupted Raiden who would keep us there all night describing what would happen rather than letting us go find out for ourselves. “Let’s get going before all this glorious food has been gobbled up by your brothers.”
“And they would!” Raiden cried out and then laughed. “The greedy bastards.”
Raiden continued to poke fun at his brothers as he and Firestar left the room. I tried to follow him, but Jack caught my arm, stopping me.
“May I have a word?” Jack asked and then looked at the others. “We’ll be on in a little bit.”
Raiden and Firestar gave me a questioning look, but I only nodded for them to go. When they were gone, I turned back to Jack. “You wanted to speak to me.”
Jack moved past me and closed the door. When we were in private, he stayed quiet. He paced back and forth for a moment as if he couldn’t get his words together.
“Jack,” I started, placing a hand on his arm to stop his pacing. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve been thinking.”
I smiled slightly. “I can see that. You’ve been so quiet I was afraid you might turn into stone.” When he didn’t smile, I frowned. “Really, Jack. What has you all torn up?”
“I feel,” Jack began but then stopped and sighed. “We’re doing this all wrong.”
“This?” I quirked a brow. “What’s this?”
“Us.” He adjusted his jacket and then folded his hands in front of him. “We keep thinking that for us to be together, we have to be together physically. But in all actuality, we don’t.”
Brow furrowed, I slowly asked, “We don’t?”
“No.”
When he didn’t embellish on it, I tried to make sense of where he was going with his train of thought. “So, let me get this straight. You think that we are trying too hard to have sex which is why we can’t have sex?”
“Correct.”
“And then the fact that we need to sleep together, which will make it so I am no longer lying. You’d also actually have a chance at being the father, doesn’t matter to you at all?” I scoffed not believing it for one second.
Jack’s lips pressed together into a tight line. The ice dragon didn’t like to be questioned? Well, too damned bad. His logic was stupid, and I wasn’t going to let him talk me in circles.
“Why do we need your father’s approval?” Jack asked after a moment. “How will he know if we lay together or not? I’m not going to tell him, are you?”
“Of course not.” I shook my head in disgust. I wouldn’t tell my father the time of day if he asked for it.
“And as far as whether I am the father,” Jack continued before stepping closer to me and taking my hands. “I only want to be with you. Sure, I would love to have children with you one day, but it doesn’t have to be the first or even the second child. I just want you.”
“And I want to have children with you as well,” I shook my head, smiling. “I could just imagine pretty little babies with white hair and your blue eyes. Nothing would make me happier. But you are forgetting one thing…”
“And what could that possibly be?” Jack tried to cut me off. I stared him down and then when he didn’t catch on to my thoughts said, “If you and I don’t have sex, you won’t get the extra power boost like Firestar and Raiden–”
“I don’t care about that.”
“You might not,” I countered, moving away from him and sitting on the edge of the bed. “But with all the attacks and now with Ned out for us too, we could use a bit of extra power. God knows I’m not contributing much to this foursome.”
“That’s not true,” Jack argued, coming to sit beside me. “It’s not like you are some helpless child. You can fight.”
“Barely.”
“And once you can fly, you will be a force to be reckoned with.”
“If, you forgot if,” I reminded him. “I’m no closer to being able to fly than when we first started this adventure if you can call it that.” I rubbed my eyes already tired and ready to go to bed. Would the Lord and Lady of the East be offended if I begged off with the excuse of my fake child making me ill? From the way Raiden talked about his mother, I highly doubted it.
“In any case,” Jack interrupted my thoughts of sleep. “I think we should take a page out of Raiden and his family’s book.”
“And what’s that?”
“That we should how do they say it,” he paused for a moment before flicking his hair over his shoulder with a smirk. “Go with the flow.”
“Go with the flow,” I drew out and then huffed. “And what does that mean?”
Jack turned to me, putting one leg up on the edge of the bed. He cupped my face in his hands and leaned in close. “Do not stress about when our time will come. The more you want it, the harder it will be to have it.”
I placed my hands on top of his, stroking his fingers. “So, we should just let it happen, is what you are saying?”
“Exactly.” He pressed his lips to mine and then stood from the bed. Offering me a hand, he pulled me to my feet. “Now, let’s go get rip-roaring drunk. I have a feeling that’s the only way we’re going to get through tonight.”
I snorted as I followed him out o
f the room. “Unfortunately, I will have to suffer through the next few hours sober. I don’t think Raiden’s family would look too kindly on a pregnant woman drinking.”
Jack squeezed my hand. “Then we best make the most of it.”
We could hear the party before we saw it. The music played loudly, and the laughter was high. I hadn’t heard such a commotion since I was back on Earth, celebrating the release of Waesigar, Land of the Dragons game.
The doors opened for us as we approached. The room was packed to the brim, barely leaving room for walking let alone dancing, but there was dancing nonetheless. Dancing like I’d never seen before. They moved like the dragons I had seen just earlier that day, slithering and writhing through the air. They moved together like a rehearsed dance, their bodies rubbing against each other in an almost provocative way.
“Would you like to dance?” Jack asked, leading me toward the dance floor.
Smiling like a fool, I let him pull me into his arms, but we only just began to move when Raiden approached with an older woman at his side. Hair as black as night, the white streaks through it only enhanced her beauty rather than lessen it. She had a modest build. Not like those lord’s wives I’d seen before who had let themselves go after they’d had children. Lady Nariko seemed the type to be in control of everything, even what she ate.
Even if I couldn’t figure out who she was, I would know she was not a woman to trifle with. There was a hardness in her eyes that came from a lifetime of experience. I’d imagine raising three men like Raiden would have to make anyone hard, especially with their father as her husband. Someone had to be the grown up.
And the Lady of the East definitely was.
“Maya Rose,” Raiden said, bringing his mother forward. “May I present my mother, Lady Nariko. Mother, this is my mate, Maya.” He then leaned in and muttered not too low. “Be nice.”
Lady Nariko shot him a chastising look, the only way a mother could, before giving me a tight-lipped smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear.”
“And you,” I nodded to her, my hand on Jack’s arm, which she noticed. By the pinching of her brows, and the press of her lips, I could tell she was not happy about it. Not one bit.
“I heard you have quite the harem on your hands,” Lady Nariko glanced to at Jack before turning her gaze to where Firestar stood talking to Raiden’s brothers. “I don’t know how you can handle so many men at once, I’d imagine it would get tiring. I barely have enough patience with the one I have.”
I offered her a smile and a nervous chuckle. “It can be challenging at times.” I exchanged a look with Raiden and Jack who smiled in return.
“Even more so now that you are pregnant.” She raised a brow as if it were a question and not a statement. I had a feeling she didn’t entirely believe I was pregnant. I’d found an amazing number of women were more suspicious than the men. Probably why we find ourselves with such difficult men because we could smell bullshit a mile away. Lady Nariko was no different. I’d have to be careful of her from now on.
“Yes,” I answered, my own smile going thin. “It can be difficult. But you would know that having three sons all with strong personalities, I could imagine it would be quite a challenge to raise them and keep your sanity.”
“Well, we do what we must,” Lady Nariko paused and then added with a hint of warning, “We mothers tend to do whatever it takes to ensure the happiness and longevity of our children.”
“I would expect nothing less. If you would excuse me,” I said, turning to Jack. “I’m feeling a bit tired, would you escort me back to the room?”
“Of course,” Jack answered without question. He was smarter than the others. Firestar would have told me to let loose and quit worrying so much. Raiden, on the other hand, didn’t question my request either but did raise a brow. At least, he had the wisdom not to voice those questions in front of his mother. It had been him that warned me about her.
“It was a pleasure to meet you.” I nodded to Lady Nariko and allowed Jack to lead me away before she could say another word. I’d had enough backward threats and backhanded compliments in my lifetime. If I wanted more, I could go back home to my father.
Nevertheless, there was one thing I had learned from the encounter, Lady Nariko would not make this a pleasant visit, not at all. The way she looked at me like I was either an obstacle to overcome or something she could use, didn’t bode well. I could only count the minutes until we left and yesterday could not be soon enough.
“Are you all right?” Jack asked once we were out of hearing distance.
“Yes,” I answered as we walked down the hallway and back to our rooms. “I just needed to get away from that vile woman.”
“She seemed perfectly pleasant to me.”
I snorted. “That’s because you are a man. You don’t see the subtleties in the way we women attack one another. Our conversation was the equivalent of knife fight in a locked closet.”
“So, Lady Nariko doesn’t like that you are with Raiden and all of us?” Jack raised a brow.
My arm was looped through his arm as we strolled through the hallway and back to our rooms.
“No,” I said with a twisted grimace. “Not at all.”
Lady Nariko’s dislike for me was only one of the many problems she represented. Just a few minutes with her and I could tell what kind of woman she was. A cougar in a house full of kittens, she’d sooner eat her whole litter than let me have her baby boy. I’d met many like her before. But on Earth they were harder to deal with. I couldn’t just beat the crap out of them. Couldn’t do it to her either, but the idea had occurred to me. Not to forget how she hinted at knowing I wasn’t pregnant. Why else would she keep asking so many questions about it?
We turned the corner down the hallway that housed our bedrooms, but when we approached my door, Jack shoved me behind him. His hands began to glow the eerie white of his powers as he pressed a finger to his lips telling me to be quiet.
Not sure what was going on, I tried to see around him to my bedroom door which had been ripped open, so it barely hung by one metal hook. Jack pushed the door open further, causing it to fall to the ground with a loud thud. Jack and I tensed for an attack, but none came.
Flicking the lights on, Jack held up a hand for me to wait at the door. The room was trashed. My bed sheets had been torn to shreds. My small bag of clothes thrown all over the room. I’d have been upset about the ornate furniture so kindly provided by the Lord and Lady of the East, but now that I’d met Raiden’s mother, I didn’t feel so bad.
Nevertheless, whoever had come for me hadn’t cared if they drew attention. If anything, they wanted people to know they were here. I’d been lucky not to be in the room at the time.
“Whoever they were,” Jack said after he came out of the bathroom his hands no longer glowing. “They aren’t here anymore.”
I worried my bottom lip as I surveyed the damage. I knew I had plenty of enemies and was gaining more by the day it seemed but to so boldly attack me in the home of the Eastern Lord? They would have to be stupid or arrogant. I was betting on stupid.
“Come,” Jack ushered me out of the destroyed room and across the hall to his room. “Stay in my room tonight, and we’ll see about getting you a new room in the morning.”
Sitting down on his bed, I placed my hands on my lap, forcing them not to shake. I’d been attacked before, but usually, it was out in the wilderness or on a training field. This person didn’t want any witnesses. Why else attack in my room and not out in the open?
“Maya,” Jack softly said, kneeling in front of me. He took my hands in his, a small comfort to my shaken nerves. “You are safe here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I nodded my head but didn’t answer because my words were caught in my throat.
“I need to tell the others and Lord Shen. He will want to up his security if they were able to get this far without being caught.” Jack stood and started for the door, but I held tight to his hand.<
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“Don’t go.” My words came out small and childlike even to me. Usually, I’d be berating myself for acting so cowardly, but at that moment, all I wanted was for someone to hold me to show me I was safe.
Jack came back to me, and I wrapped my arms around his middle, pressing my head to his stomach. Hands on my head, Jack stroked my hair until I hummed with pleasure. My fear started to ebb, and in its place, a deep seeded desire to have his skin pressed against mine grew.
Shifting my hold, I slid Jack’s shirt up until I could press my mouth to his hard abdomen. Jack’s stroking stopped, but I didn’t. I unbuttoned his shirt from the bottom up, moving my mouth along him in a hot trail of open-mouthed kisses until I was kneeling on the bed. Now at eye level, I took Jack’s face in my hands, covering his lips with my own.
We sat there for a moment just kissing before Jack eased me away. “Maya, are you sure about this? You’re in shock. I wouldn’t want to take—”
“Shut up and make love to me, Jack.” I cut him off before covering his mouth with mine once more.
No more protests came from my ice dragon as I pushed his shirt and jacket off his shoulders and let them fall to the ground with a satisfying plop. Next, I wasted no time undoing his pants and giving them the exact same treatment. With Jack long and hard before me, I scrambled out of my own clothes, the need to press my heated skin against his too much for me to take.
Laying back on the bed, I guided Jack to me until he settled between my thighs. His long white hair skimmed my skin causing me to giggle slightly at the sensation. When Jack’s eye snapped up to my face, I tried to sober my expression but couldn’t and ended up laughing whole heartedly.
“You find me funny, woman,” Jack growled against me, making my already aching center mew in pleasure.
“No.” I shook my head violently but still smiled. “Your hair tickles.”
“Oh.” He raised a brow, and then his fingers found their way between my thighs, and I wasn’t laughing more. “Does this tickle?”
“No,” I gasped, arching my hips off the bed.