The Dragon of New Orleans

by Genevieve Jack

  “What are you talking about?”

  He tipped his face up to hers, humiliated but helpless to stop the words that tumbled over his lips. “I gave you everything you asked for. Your freedom, my distance, the truth about who I am and what I’ve done.” He pointed toward where Kristina had been. “Still you hold yourself back from me. Hold yourself over me. I am not your lapdog, Raven.”

  “You want me to be yours. To commit to you. But what does that mean? Will you suffocate me? Imprison me?”

  “No.” The word fell bitter from his lips. “Be mine. Trust me. Dragons do not mate lightly, Raven. This isn’t about sex. This is about forever.”

  She gazed down at him, her body trembling, and he wondered how it was he was scaring her when he was the one on his knees, submitting to her will. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she steadied herself. “Yes, Gabriel. Yes.”

  On his knees in front of her, Gabriel had taken a submissive posture, but Raven knew better than to assume he was harmless. There was a dragon coiled at her feet, a magical entity normally powerful enough to tear her apart. Binding herself to him was as terrifying as it was exciting.

  No sooner had she said yes than his expression turned to hunger. He rose slowly and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her flush against his side. “Come with me,” he whispered in her ear, and the words were seductively smooth and laden with promise.

  Raven thought he would take her back to his VIP room, but instead she found herself swept from the Bacchus and into the atrium of the building next door. All she could hear was the rush of blood in her ears and the pounding realization that she was his. She was bound. And the oddest part was, she wanted to be. Something deep inside her finally felt wholly alive in his arms.

  Gabriel slipped a card into a slot near the elevator and the doors opened. He ushered her inside.

  “What is this place?”

  “I have an apartment here.”

  “You— Why?”

  “I told you the owner of the club next door invited Blue Radio. That is me. I own Bacchus. I keep this place for the times I have responsibilities here and have to stay late.”

  She paused as the elevator doors closed. “You invited Blue Radio here so that I could meet Kristina and know she wasn’t dead.”

  “I couldn’t tell you. I’d promised her. I had to ask her to do it. Thank the Mountain she agreed.” Gabriel pushed her against the wall of the elevator, smoothing his hand along her side, his thumb grazing the bottom of her breast. Raven melted into him, parting her lips as his kiss landed on her mouth. The tangle of tongues and limbs that followed was almost violent. His mouth worked hers, thrusting and stroking against her tongue in a rhythm that was undeniably sexual. She fisted his hips and pulled him against her with all her strength, feeling the hard length of him press into her belly. His mouth was a brand, scorching hot against her lips, her throat, and all she could think was it wasn’t hot enough. She wanted more, everywhere, over every inch of her body.

  The ding of the elevator brought her to her senses. As soon as he whirled off her, Raven smoothed and adjusted her dress. Gabriel gave her a seductive smile and interlaced his fingers in hers. The doors opened. The hall was empty.

  “Thank the Mountain,” he said. “With the size of the erection you’ve given me, I might have frightened someone.”

  Raven ran her fingers along the length that challenged the fly of his jeans. He was hard enough it must have hurt inside the heavy denim. He growled, and then that deep rumbling purr started again. She took it as a challenge, running her fingers along his length again.

  Quickly he keyed into a room to their right. The door wasn’t even closed before he had her in his arms. He swept her off her feet and carried her into the room closest to the door: the kitchen. He lifted her, setting her bottom on the edge of the marble island. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, his heavy purr rattling her mouth, her throat. God, she wanted him, wanted to feel that scorching tongue against her flesh.

  His hot fingers moved like tongues of fire up the outsides of her legs and under her skirt. It reminded her of standing too close to a bonfire. When the flame flickered, it would almost hurt. Her skin prickled beneath his touch but then adapted, wanting, needing more. The throbbing between her legs had become a heavy weight. She needed him to fix it, to end this torturous ache.

  He snapped the sides of the black lace panties and tore them from her body.

  “Oh!” was all Raven could think to say into his mouth. He backed up a step and unbuttoned his shirt. Underneath, his chest was a work of art, all lean, corded muscle, golden peaks, and deep shadows. She reached out and ran the tips of her fingers down his front and over his abs. “I want you, Gabriel. So badly.”

  He looked at her through his lashes as he gently lowered her onto her back on the island and used his folded shirt to cushion her head. The marble was deliciously cold against her hot skin. His hands skimmed along her thighs as his lips trailed from her jaw, along her neck, the mound of her breast, over the thin material of her dress and lower.

  “Gabriel…”

  His lips brushed her inner thigh. She thought she might combust at the feel of his hot breath against her. Reaching for him, her fingertips nestled in the silky strands of his hair.

  “Please, please,” she whimpered. He was so close. She needed him.

  His response was a growl and a warm, wet lap of tongue up her center. She arched and moaned, the tips of her breasts tingling with the electric need that shot up her torso. His purr grew louder, vibrating against her center as his slightly rough tongue darted inside her. His teeth gently grazed her flesh. She gripped the edges of the island, her legs crossed at the ankle behind his back. She was so close to the edge, she bucked her hips, desperate for release. Instead, he slowed, then pulled away.

  “Gabriel, please!” she cried.

  “Say it,” he demanded. There was no misunderstanding what he wanted. It couldn’t have been clearer to her.

  “I am yours,” she said. “All yours. Just yours.”

  The pressure and intensity of his mouth increased along with the vibration of the purr. Sparks of light exploded behind her closed lids. The orgasm took hold of her like the rumble of a passing train. She jackknifed off the marble and released a cry of delight that drew out another possessive growl from Gabriel. Before she’d even come down from the high, he’d swept her off the counter and whirled her through the apartment to the bed. Her dress went flying, and then talons landed on her bra. Talons. Sharp and sinister, the claws had sprouted from his knuckles, his hands becoming something not quite human. He traced the tip of that talon along her belly and drew a sharp, cool line around her nipple.

  “Don’t be afraid. I would never hurt you. Tell me if you want me to stop,” he said.

  She grabbed his wrist and pressed her lips to the side of the sharp appendage that once had been his index finger. “Don’t you dare stop.”

  With him hovering over her, she felt small, dwarfed by his size, but not threatened. There was a part of her, even now, that pictured him on his knees and she knew—knew on a deep, psychological level—that Kristina was right. She was powerful, and right now, she was his equal. She hadn’t meant to do it, but she’d claimed him as hers long before she’d agreed to be his. So as he slid that talon between her breasts and sliced her bra away, she didn’t fear him. She reached between her knees and tugged at his belt.

  Gabriel helped her remove his pants. The sight of him above her was glorious, his erection long and thick, almost intimidating. Almost. She wrapped both hands around him.

  “You wicked, wicked woman,” he hissed through a smile. The noise he made next was more animal than human.

  His wings fanned out over her as he laid her back. “You are mine, Ravenna Tanglewood. I claim you.”

  She met his gaze, her nails digging into his silky hair. “Yes. I am yours.”

  He joined with her then, his arms braced on either side of her head. She close
d her eyes and moaned. When she opened them again, Gabriel’s smoldering gaze met hers, his smoky scent the strongest it had ever been. It seemed to sink into her skin.

  “You’re mine, Raven. Mine,” he whispered in her ear.

  She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck as his body moved above her.

  “You’re mine too,” she said breathlessly.

  He didn’t let up. His heat filled her until blissful tongues of fire rushed through her veins. Another release barreled into her. His came on its heels, and the feeling sent her over again, both of them on some sort of blissful ride that wouldn’t end.

  When they finally came back to earth, she was covered in his smoky scent, her heart pounding. And she’d never felt closer to anyone. Her heart was warm and full to overflowing. Gabriel pulled her against his chest and wrapped his wings around them both.

  “I love you, Raven,” he whispered against the back of her neck.

  Raven burrowed her face in his chest. “I love you too,” she whispered.

  He closed his eyes. She stroked the side of his head as he drifted off.

  Funny, Raven wasn’t a bit tired. She thought she could run a marathon. She slid out from between his heavy arms and the shelter of his wing and headed for the shower. With the warm water pouring over her, she assessed her body. Scratches curved along the side of her left breast, teeth marks grazed her throat, and her sex was blissfully sore. She lingered in the hot spray, but nothing seemed to calm the building energy inside her. Antsy and vividly alive, she dried off, then went in search of her dress.

  Gabriel was still asleep, so deeply he didn’t rouse when she passed the bed. Raven scooped up the dress and put in on, relieved it hadn’t been torn. That was saying something, considering her underwear was in ribbons. Oh well, she didn’t need underwear to take a walk. She slipped on her heels, borrowed Gabriel’s apartment key, and left him a note.

  As soon as she emerged from the building, she took a deep breath of night air. Delicious. The city throbbed with energy that crackled around her. She started walking, picking up speed. She weaved between the people on the street.

  Raven broke into a run, her legs loose and strong. The city blocks flew by. Laughing, she pumped her arms, amazed the booties she wore, with their four-inch heels, didn’t even pinch her feet. They felt like athletic shoes, and the way they absorbed her weight, almost as if her feet weren’t completely striking the ground. Like she was flying. This was freedom. This was life—unadulterated life with no limits.

  She was so caught up in the rush that she didn’t notice the truck backing out of the alley.

  The bumper struck her hip and her body flew. The traffic, the buildings: it all became a silver rush, and then she collided with the pavement and rolled into the opposite curb to the sound of screeching tires.

  Gabriel is going to be pissed, she thought. She’d promised him she’d keep herself safe, and now she was… What was she? She raised her head. The dress was shredded and she wasn’t wearing any underwear. Great. The truck driver was yelling at her to stay still. He was calling 911. Her shoe was missing. Where was her other shoe? Oh, in the middle of the street. She sat up and cracked her neck.

  The truck driver dropped his phone.

  Raven looked down at herself. No blood. No pain. Not even a scratch. She held her hand out to stop traffic and limped across the street, scooping up her other shoe. Ruined, just like the dress. She hoped they weren’t expensive. Who was she kidding? The ruined clothes were the least of her problems. Gabriel was going to be livid.

  “Are you… Are you okay?” The truck driver shouted at her, his hands shaking.

  “Fine!” she yelled back, removing her remaining shoe and running barefoot for Gabriel’s building. “Don’t worry about it.”

  Minutes later, she ignored the stares as she held her dress together as much as possible and walked through the lobby to the elevator. At least she’d kept ahold of the key. She was back in Gabriel’s place before she could cause much more of a stir.

  “I know what you’re going to say, Gabriel, but I’m fine. I didn’t even bump my head.” She turned the corner and stopped dead. He hadn’t moved since she’d left him. Absolutely still, wings limp, he lay in the same position he’d been in when she slipped out of bed hours ago.

  And it didn’t look like he was breathing.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Gabriel! Gabriel!” Raven shook his shoulder. “Breathe!” She lowered her ear to his lips. Shallow but there. “What’s wrong? Gabriel, please, I don’t know what to do.”

  His eyes fluttered. “Richard,” he whispered.

  Raven shook him again. “You want me to call Richard? You need an ambulance!”

  He squeezed her hand and mouthed, Richard.

  She grabbed his phone off the nightstand and used his finger to unlock it. She thanked her lucky stars when Richard’s face popped up in the recent calls list. She tapped the number.

  “O dragon, my dragon! What can I do for you at this late hour?”

  “Richard, it’s Raven. There’s something wrong with Gabriel.”

  “Where are you, darlin’?”

  “Next to a place called the Bacchus. I don’t even know the address.”

  “Never mind. I know where it is. I’m on my way.”

  Raven hung up the phone. “He’s on his way. Stay with me.” He was curled on his side, his knuckles near his lips, pale skin barely darker than the sheets. She couldn’t miss the contrast of his ring. Almost completely black. A deep sense of dread weighed on her. The magic that had protected her, that had filled her with energy—it had come from somewhere, from him. She’d drained him. She’d absorbed his magic without realizing what she was doing. And now he was barely alive.

  She thought about trying to put the energy back where it came from, but she had no idea how to do that. What if she tried and ended up taking more by mistake? No. Richard would know what to do. She removed her hand from Gabriel’s shoulder, afraid to keep touching him.

  “I’m sorry,” she gasped, tears streaming now. “I didn’t mean to.”

  His eyes fluttered again. “Not your fault,” he mumbled. “Curse.”

  Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the door flew open and Richard and Duncan rushed in. Richard took one look at her torn dress and frowned. “Did he do that to you?”

  “No!” she said. “I did this to him.” She gestured toward Gabriel’s motionless form. “I was hit by a car, but I’m fine.”

  Richard’s brows dipped.

  “I’ll explain later. Do something. Help him!”

  “Room,” Gabriel mumbled.

  Richard nodded. “Right away. Duncan, give me a hand.” Duncan slipped his arm under one shoulder and Richard took the other. They stood him up between them.

  “Wait,” Raven said, realizing he was completely naked. She quickly pulled on his boxers. “What about his wings?”

  Gabriel groaned and his wings retracted into his back, completely gone.

  “Quickly. Out the service elevator,” Duncan said. The older man grunted with the effort of helping to carry him.

  Raven held the door. A quick ride down, and Duncan’s car was waiting near the garbage bins at the back of the building. They loaded Gabriel into the back seat with Raven.

  “What is this room he’s asking for?” Raven asked.

  Richard sighed from the passenger’s seat. “Maybe it’s better— I like you a lot, Ravenna, but Mr. Blakemore has secrets I don’t exactly feel it’s my place to divulge.”

  Gabriel’s hand landed on Raven’s. “With.”

  She looked down at his pale hand on top of her own. “It looks like Gabriel wants to share this particular secret with me.”

  Neither Richard nor Duncan said a thing, but they exchanged glances in the front seat. They arrived at Blakemore’s, but Duncan pulled into an alley down the road. A privacy gate opened at the touch of a button, and they drove into a courtyard. Ravenna recognized it as the far end of the one where she�
��d had breakfast with Gabriel, the one behind Blakemore’s. Duncan parked, and the men helped Gabriel out.

  “Try to remain calm,” Richard said.

  “Do I look like I’m freaking out?” Raven shouted in a tight, high-pitched voice. They led her through the doors opposite the entrance to Blakemore’s. Raven halted. She was standing in a room as big as a warehouse, and it was filled with treasure. Gold coins and loose gemstones, silver urns with gracefully sloping handles, strings of pearls larger than teeth, twinkling chalices, and jeweled goblets. Treasure beyond her wildest dreams was stacked in a heap at the center of the room: a mountain of wealth. There had to be millions of dollars of valuables in that stack. Her jaw dropped.

  Duncan and Richard placed Gabriel on the pile and backed away.

  “What are you doing? You can’t just leave him there.” She rushed forward, but they grabbed her arms and held her back.

  “Wait for it. Trust me, you don’t want to be too close,” Richard said.

  “What’s happening to him?”

  Gabriel’s body started to seize, his back bowing over the treasure. His knees went rigid, then snapped, bending in the opposite direction. Talons sprouted from his knuckles and his toes. His jaw elongated and his skin… his skin tore and stretched until Raven had to look away. There was a series of popping sounds, a wet splat, and then a huff as if someone was operating a massive bellows.

  Raven opened her eyes. The dragon before her was as dark as the man it had once been, with black scales that reflected emerald in the light. Its nose was covered in bony projections, its head dominated by two intimidating horns. The body was long and graceful, ending in a tail barbed with bone. On its back sprang two membranous wings, tiny scales sparkling like diamonds along their frame.

  Raven had known Gabriel was a dragon, but until that moment she had never appreciated what that meant. He was gigantic and terrifying. His teeth were longer than her entire body. Everything about his presence was fierce, overwhelming, monstrous.