I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie (The I Like Big Dragons Series)

by Lani Lynn Vale

  The whole time he kept his eyes on his brother, gauging his reaction.

  I moved my own eyes to Keifer, surprised when I saw his back to us. His fists were clenched into hard balls at his sides, and his shoulders looked bunched and knotted underneath his polo shirt.

  I yanked my hand away from Nikolai, barely restraining the urge to knock him upside the head for taunting his brother.

  His mother, however, did not.

  She walked right up to Nikolai, and smacked him on top of the head with some rolled up papers I hadn’t even noticed that she was holding.

  “Owww!” Nikolai whined. “You’re giving me paper cuts.”

  I highly doubted she injured him at all, which was why I started laughing softly underneath my breath at the two’s interaction.

  She frowned at her son, waggled her papers once again, and then backed away, gesturing at me to follow.

  I did, looking over my shoulder at Keifer as we passed, but just as quickly looking away.

  His eyes were closed, but I could tell the second he realized that I was looking at him.

  I heard large, heavy boots step into place at my back and wasn’t surprised when I looked over my shoulder again to find Keifer there, stalking me as I walked.

  “This place is gorgeous,” I breathed as we passed what looked to be a formal dining room.

  Where I grew up, the dining room table wasn’t used for dining. Everything took place at our dining room table but meals. It was used for laundry, games or, sometimes, both. In fact, my parents, to this day, still refused to eat at a dining room table, even during the holidays.

  But this dining room was something else altogether. I highly doubted that laundry was folded in this room. In the center of the room, beneath a large, round, sparkling crystal chandelier, sat the largest table I’d ever seen. Made of a dark stained wood, possibly mahogany, it easily sat twenty-two people. The surface positively shone, reflecting the image of the candles in the center of the table.

  But what made this room special was the intricate trim. In matching dark mahogany, the obviously hand-carved crown molding wrapped the room where the ceilings and walls met. Long stretches of gorgeous woodworking, carved to look like dragon skin, rounded out from each wall leading to every corner of the room where a cornice, carved in the likeness of a dragon’s head, sat. The chair rail and base molding also matched the dragon skin crown molding. It was incredible, and I’d never seen anything like it.

  “It was built in 1850. The entire place is still original, drafts and all,” he chuckled, the sound slithering down my spine at the erotic smokiness.

  “You’d never be able to tell,” I murmured, trailing my fingers along a stone wall that we passed.

  “It’s been remodeled recently. Every twenty years or so, to preserve the integrity of the building and its structure,” Keifer explained as he led us into a bright room overlooking the backyard. “This is the sun room. It’s the perfect vantage point to observe the goings on outside while being protected from the elements.”

  “Mmm,” I hummed, as I approached the windows to look out.

  There were a lot of dragons outside, definitely more than there were when we arrived.

  Keifer came up beside me and looked out right along with me; the more we stood there, the more nervous I got.

  Which, in turn, triggered my newly acquired, yet still uncontrolled, powers to burst forth from me.

  The windows, which had been clear and open, started to haze over as frost started to nip at the edges.

  It almost reminded me of the fake snow that people used to decorate with over the holidays, except this ‘snow’ was most definitely real.

  It started with the windows, but slowly began to fill the room around us and then beyond to the outside.

  The fountain that was right outside the door slowly froze, becoming a beautiful work of ice and concrete before my eyes.

  “Holy shit,” I breathed.

  The three blue dragons I had met earlier, screeched in excitement and barreled straight towards the window.

  I stepped back reflexively, but Keifer’s hand at my back had me stilling as we watched the three small dragons barrel into the ice, biting into the icicles.

  “Wow,” I said in awe. “They’re eating the ice.”

  Keifer laughed.

  “They’re ice dragons. They’re from Alaska originally, but their home was destroyed by a horde of Purists who happened to stumble upon them. Those three were the only ones to survive the attack out of the entire pack of dragons that lived there. Their parents were among the first to go, but they managed to hide those three in a hidden cave on the property,” Keifer explained softly.

  My heart broke.

  Literally broke for them.

  “That’s awful,” I swallowed. “Why would someone do that? From what I’ve been able to gather over my lifetime, dragons are harmless.”

  Keifer moved to my back, warming me. “Think about something warm. Think about taking a hot shower. It’ll stop.”

  I nodded, and thought about the way I was feeling right now with Keifer’s big, muscular body at my back, warming me in a way I’d never been warmed before.

  It worked, allowing the ice to melt just as suddenly as it came over me.

  Then it started to get really warm.

  I’m talking seriously hot.

  My mind was in hyper drive as I thought about what Keifer’s body was doing to my own.

  In fact, I was so entranced by thoughts of what Keifer could do to my body that I didn’t realize that I was putting off so much heat.

  “What are you thinking about, little Blythe? Surely a shower wouldn’t get you this hot,” he whispered seductively.

  My face flushed, and I pulled away from him abruptly, turning to find us alone in the room, and his mother nowhere in sight.

  “Your mom. I thought she was going to talk to me,” I asked in confusion. The room was returning to a normal temperature but I was still at a loss as to what was going on with me.

  He looked at me with those beautiful golden brown eyes and smiled.

  “She went to get the book,” he answered.

  “What book? Why would I read any book right now when what I really want is answers as to why I’m here and what the hell is going on with me?” I asked, taking a step back when he moved to come toward me.

  He grinned at the movement, but wisely chose to stay where he was.

  “The answers you want are in the book…it’s going to change your life. It changed mine, and well…you need to read it first, and then I’ll do my best to get answers from my mother,” he answered.

  I raised a brow at him. “Well then, where is this mysterious book?”

  His mother entered the sun room at that moment, bringing with her a leather bound book that looked like one of those huge old dictionaries that you’d see in a library.

  She held it out to Keifer, smiled at him, and walked outside, leaving us alone once again.

  “Now,” Keifer handed me the book. “Sit down and read.”

  Taking the book cautiously, I did just that.

  ***

  My vision had blurred by the time I finished reading.

  I’d been so riveted by what I was reading that I hadn’t moved a single muscle except for the ones in my hand that were needed to turn the page.

  Keifer, as promised, was still directly in front of me, staring at me.

  He watched as I flipped the last page, and closed the book, silently.

  I cleared my throat and gathered the courage to look up at him.

  “You’re…you’re my mate? Is that what you’re trying to get me to understand?” I asked, voice cracking with astonishment.

  He shrugged. “I don’t really know. I’m assuming so. The violent reaction I had to you yesterday, as I touched you in the hallway when I was dragging my brother out, would suggest so. And it all makes sense,” he cleared his throat. “I w
ent to bed last night with my full powers, and I woke up to them gone. My bonded dragon, Declan, the one we rode here on, told me to talk to my mother, and the moment I explained what had happened, she handed me the book.”

  I blinked. “So you’re not sure if it’s true?”

  He shook his head. “I…don’t know.”

  “And how are we supposed to test this theory?” I asked in confusion.

  “The book says that if we’re truly mated, then my powers will return in three days. The powers that you now have, you will keep and gain control over, and, we’ll both share the powers I’ve obtained from Declan,” he sighed. “You’ll be able to communicate telepathically with me, as well as Declan. And when we first,” he licked those full lips, “mate, then our life forces will become one and a matching tattoo will appear somewhere on both of our bodies.”

  I’d read that.

  I knew that.

  But I still didn’t see how this was going to work.

  “So, say I can hear the dragon…and that I have your ‘powers.’ Now, all we have to do is um…have sex and we’ll be mated,” I reiterated. “What happens if I don’t want to be mated to you?”

  He grimaced. “I don’t think that we’ll have a choice, or at least that’s what I gathered from the book.”

  “What do you mean?” I leaned forward slightly.

  He took the book from me, and flipped to the halfway point, before handing it back over. “Second passage, page 81.”

  I took the book from him and started to read once again.

  The mated pair shall not be able to resist. This is the way of the dragon riders. A way to forward a thriving bloodline for the royal family. A way to ensure that dragonkind can have someone strong enough to fight if ever there shall be a need. The pull will start out small, but eventually, the pair will not be able to fight it any longer. The longer you wait, the stronger the mating will be.

  I blinked.

  “So we don’t have a choice,” I whispered.

  He shook his head. “No. And it doesn’t say how long, either. Then again, this could all be just ramblings. This could be just one man’s experience. It may not happen to us.”

  I could tell he didn’t believe the words he spoke.

  Hell, I didn’t believe it.

  I’d read the book.

  And too many things had been spot-on to not be true.

  “What now?” I asked quietly.

  “Now, we get our answers,” he stood up and gestured to someone in the yard.

  I looked over to see his mother drop one of the smaller dragons to the ground carefully before starting inside.

  And I wasn’t sure that I wanted her answers.

  I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to like what she had to say.

  Chapter 7

  Some people will only like you if you fit in their box. Don’t be afraid to shove that box up their ass.

  -T-shirt

  Blythe

  Later that night, as I got into the bed I’d been given, I realized I was in deep shit.

  Last night, in my own apartment, I’d gotten into bed thinking about the hot man that had touched me in the hall, and tonight, in this—his—castle, I was getting into bed on the verge of being mated to him.

  He’d walked me to my door a little over a half hour ago, kissed me softly on the forehead, and walked a door down to his own room before disappearing inside.

  I’d closed the door only after I’d heard his close and then walked stiffly into the room.

  A room that was magnificent. The bed was massive, with huge sage green pillows, crisp white sheets, and about a hundred and fifty decorative pillows.

  The walls were a rich shade of brown, making the room feel homey and soothing.

  There was a huge wall of windows that overlooked the back yard, and I knew that as long as I lived, nothing would ever compare to the view of the dragons flying over the rolling hills of the estate.

  Then there was the bathroom.

  I’d never seen a bathroom so big—the large claw foot tub dominating the majority of the room.

  After taking a quick shower, I dressed in a t-shirt that’d magically appeared on my bed after I’d gotten out, and climbed between the most decadent sheets I’d ever felt before in my life.

  Sinking down until I practically melted into the mattress, I finally allowed my mind to wander to where it wanted to be.

  The t-shirt smelled like him.

  I assumed he dropped it off while I was in the shower.

  I also didn’t think he’d had anybody else do it, since I’d witnessed it myself when he’d told the head of staff to give the remaining workers the weekend off.

  Therefore, it was either him, his sister, his mother or one of his two brothers, and I just felt that he wouldn’t allow anyone to intrude into my room with me in the shower.

  That’s about when the shaking started.

  My mind went into overdrive as I thought about how my life would change if what I read in that book—what was already happening—was actually true.

  If I was mated to him, then what?

  Would I still be able to live in my apartment?

  What about my cat?

  My job?

  Money?

  Would I be allowed to do anything here?

  In fact, I had myself in such a tizzy that I didn’t realize that there was someone in my room with me until a large hand came down on either side of my head.

  “Deep breath,” Keifer instructed, his face so close to mine I could feel his breath.

  I gasped, taking in a lung full of air, and looked into his brown gold eyes.

  When had he turned on the light?

  “What…what…what’s going on?” I gasped for air.

  “You’re freezing. You need to think about something else,” he decided.

  I closed my eyes, and started thinking about the way his body heat made me feel.

  The way it had felt when he’d stood at my back earlier.

  The way my sex had clenched in anticipation.

  The way he smelled like fresh air and clean man. The way I was surrounded by his scent.

  My eyes opened on a gasp, and I knew he knew what I was thinking.

  Because my panties were on fire. Literally.

  Again.

  “Gah!” I squeaked, kicking the covers off my body in agitation.

  He didn’t move, though.

  Only watched as my panties, yet again, disintegrated from my body.

  My hands went down to cover my hairless sex, but not fast enough for him not to see.

  His eyes were zeroed in on my hands.

  It was almost as if he was willing them to move with the power of his mind alone.

  “Why does this keep happening?” I gasped.

  He grinned, and then maneuvered himself until he was lying beside me in the bed.

  “Close your eyes and think about the light turning off,” he instructed me.

  I did as I was told, thinking about how, if I were to use my hands and I wanted the light out, that I’d twist the tiny knob with my two fingers.

  The click of the lamp had me opening my eyes to pitch blackness.

  “Holy shit,” I breathed.

  “When I was twenty-one and first came into my powers, I was masturbating in the shower,” he said without preamble.

  I blinked into the darkness.

  “W-what?” I gasped in surprise.

  I felt him nod as he turned to his side, and let his hand rest on the crest of my hip.

  “Yep,” he nodded. “Coming into your powers is usually accompanied by a sexual act.”

  I blinked. “I wasn’t doing anything sexual when I got yours.”

  “No,” he agreed. “At least, not that you’re aware of. But the act of mating is sexual, which is what is inevitably going to happen between us.”

  I bit my lip as he started to run his fingers over my h
ip.

  “Aren’t you worried that you’re going to accidentally catch on fire?” I whispered worriedly.

  He snorted. “I may not have my powers, but I can still feel them there. You’re channeling them through me,” he explained. “And I can’t be hurt by my own powers.”

  Which explained why he wasn’t worried about me setting fire to anything important that was attached to him.

  “What…” I stopped when I felt his hand go lower down my stomach, coming to a rest at the top of my pubic bone.

  He didn’t move it any further, but I sensed that he wanted to.

  I respected that he didn’t, though. And respected it even more when he curled his big body into my side and sighed, “Go to sleep. We have all day tomorrow to talk.”

  I nodded, closing my eyes, and took his advice.

  Tomorrow would be soon enough.

  ***

  Keifer

  My cock was in heaven.

  Literally.

  I’d never felt anything so good in my life.

  I’d had plenty of women since I’d turned sixteen, but holy shit, this was an all-new high.

  I took stock of my surroundings without opening my eyes.

  My bed smelled like peaches and cream.

  My eyes slowly peeled open, and I was left with an eye full of hot, juicy pussy belonging to the woman that I knew in my heart was my mate, Blythe.

  And that thing she was doing with her mouth was phenomenal.

  She was working my cock with hot, wet pulls of her mouth, and I couldn’t help but lift my hand to run along the inside of her thigh.

  I started down low next to her knee, and slowly moved my hand up until it rested at the apex of her thigh. One long finger lay against the seam of her sex, not quite touching, but oh so close that she started to writhe her hips to coax me further.

  I obliged.

  Moving my other hand to span her waist, I urged her over until she was straddling my chest with her knees.

  Her pussy was in the perfect position for me to take a lick of her juicy lips, and I buried my face into her sex.

  My eyes rolled back in my head as I got my first taste.

  Sweet. Oh, so sweet.

  I growled low in my throat, as I plunged my stiffened tongue deep into her cunt.