“But, Shalin—”
“Is he mine or not?”
Ailean raised an eyebrow. “I certainly don’t want him,” he informed her before pulling on his clothes.
“Then he’s mine to manage as I see fit.”
“‘Then he’s mine to manage as I see fit,’” he mimicked back to her in a high-pitched voice that had her slapping at his shoulders in a pitiful attempt at an assault.
Laughing, Ailean grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close again. “You have quite the temper, don’t you?”
“Don’t sound so mocking. I do have quite the temper. Few, though, make me angry enough to show it.”
“I’ll have to work on that. I’d like to see you truly angry.”
Shalin’s face fell and she looked a little…terrified. “No, Ailean. No you wouldn’t.”
Before he could ask her more questions, the skies opened up and rain poured down on them. Quickly setting the dragoness aside, Ailean pulled on the rest of his clothes and boots.
While he did, he watched Shalin merely crook her finger to get Nightmare to trot over to her side. Without any further prompting, he lowered himself so Shalin could mount him easily.
“Meet you back at the castle?” she asked, using Nightmare’s hair for reins.
“We’ll be right behind you.” He whistled for Dragon’s Gold. “Stay on the path and head straight home, Shalin. I don’t desire searching for you in this downpour.” Ailean placed his hand on her thigh. “Oiy.”
“Yes?”
“No kiss?”
Leaning down a bit, she kissed him and Ailean felt no cold blowing in from the storm. He only felt warmth and desire, his hands reaching for her automatically.
“No, no,” she laughed. “We have to go.” Shalin sat up straight, her hand stroking his cheek. “Thank you for today.”
He grinned at her, completely unaware that his clothes were already soaked through. “And are you leaving this afternoon?”
Shalin looked up at the sky. “In this storm? Of course—”
“Then we’re not done. We can thank each other another day. For now…”
“For now…what?”
“For now we’ll need to find a way to avoid my family’s involvement. Unless you’re hoping what we do every day turns into a nightly topic of discussion at dinner.”
“Gods no!”
“Between us then?”
She surprised him by looking impossibly relieved and he didn’t understand the bit of resentment that caused. Usually he adored the ones who wanted to keep their involvement between the two of them rather than spreading so many rumors it turned into another edition of those damn books.
“Yes. Between us.”
“Then ride and I’ll see you back at the castle.”
Smiling, she pushed her soaking golden hair off her face and said to Nightmare, “Go.”
And to Ailean’s shock, the beast did just as she’d asked.
What power did this female possess over wild animals?
“Well, she has no control over me, Dragon’s Gold.” When the horse snorted at him, he glared until she looked away.
8
A meal had never been so delightful for Shalin. Especially with so many others around. But none of Ailean’s kin bothered to note or question the two of them putting their horses up together or quickly going off their separate ways. Instead they were too busy arguing, because apparently that’s what they did when trapped in close quarters for any length of time. Any length of time being about five minutes, because it really hadn’t been raining that long.
So Shalin spent the rest of the afternoon in the library. The entire time she had a book open, but she never actually read it. She couldn’t focus. Not when she kept thinking about Ailean and what they’d done that afternoon. And the fact that he wasn’t done with her. Perhaps they could meet again at the lake tomorrow. Or someplace else on his territory out of his kin’s line of sight. On her ride earlier in the day she’d noticed a nice little cave built into a small mountain. A perfect place to spend some time alone.
But that would be tomorrow and she still had to get through the night. Still, not too hard when it involved the Cadwaladr Clan. What she never expected, though, was for the twins—who sat on either side of her so they could keep her laughing through the entire meal—to turn to her and say in unison, “So tell us another story.”
The room immediately fell silent at their request and all eyes were on her.
“Me?”
“You told us one before. Didn’t she, Kennis?”
“Aye. That she did, Kyna.”
“It can’t be hard, then, to tell us another.”
Without even thinking about it, her eyes focused on Ailean at the other end of the enormous table. She knew he could see the panic in her face, but instead of rushing to her rescue, he simply gave her a warm smile and winked at her.
And like that…her panic melted away.
Swallowing, she asked, “Humans or dragons?”
“Och,” Kyna said with a wave of her hand. “We know all the dragon stories. Give us some human ones.”
“Uh…all right.” She thought a moment. “There’s the story of the blind warrior who challenged an entire army to get back the woman he loved.”
His family sat enthralled by Shalin’s softly spun tale. Yet he felt like a right bastard because he couldn’t stop thinking about her naked. And coming. Naked and coming. He had to see her like that again.
Ailean had never known himself to be so enthralled by anyone. He’d lusted, panted even, but never been enthralled. He wasn’t exactly sure how to handle enthralled. Although he knew what he wanted to do, but he felt pretty confident Shalin would tear his balls off should he simply grab her up and take her to his bedroom to finish what they’d only just begun by the lake.
The room erupted into laughter from something she said and Ailean tried again to focus on her words and not the way the green dress she’d put on before dinner draped over her curves, or the way her body loosened up the more comfortable she became while telling the story, or the way her breasts rose each time she took a deep breath. He really had to stop focusing on her breasts.
Knowing he had to do something or risk everyone in the room noticing his lust, Ailean tried focusing on his breathing and thinking about the new cattle he’d recently purchased and the weapons he’d ordered. He tried thinking of anything, but nothing worked. His gaze kept moving back to Shalin, sitting there in front of his kin, appearing so innocent and shy—he knew better now.
Gods! How much more could he take?
He forced himself to see where in the story she might be, perhaps she neared the end…but he quickly realized the blind warrior of this story had not yet gone blind! Since Shalin’s audience seemed more than happy to let her ramble incessantly about some not-even-blind-yet bastard, Ailean had no choice but to sit and wait until the evening ended.
Oh, but then he’d get what he so desperately needed.
“No, no. Books are not for chewing.” Shalin dragged her tenacious little puppy off one of the books she’d found carefully stacked in a corner of her room. The books hadn’t been there when she’d changed before dinner, so she could only guess Ailean had them sent up for her. The gesture made her smile. “We need to get you something else to chew on.”
She glanced around the room. “Here. Use this chair.” She crouched down and unleashed him on Ailean’s furniture. It had seemed like a good idea until she watched the puppy go after that chair leg like she went after grazing cows. She reached for the hungry little demon again when she heard a soft tap at her window.
Looking carefully through the thick glass, Shalin didn’t see anything. But the soft tap came again. This time she put her hands against the glass to keep out the glare from the torches and pitfire and leaned in close.
“Are you going to open the window—” a voice snarled at her, making her jump back several feet “—or just keep staring at me?”
She took a deep breath before she snatched the lock back and pulled the window open. “You scared the life from me!”
“I couldn’t figure out what you were doing.”
“Trying to see you.” She blinked. “I still can’t see you.” She leaned out the window only to bump into Ailean’s snout. “Oh!” It took her a moment and then she exclaimed, “You’re a chameleon!” Which meant he’d been able to blend into the night and the building perfectly. Unless one was right on top of him, they’d never know until it was too late. It was a rare gift among the dragons of Dark Plains.
“Must you shout that?” he whispered. “My kin don’t know.”
“Why?”
“Because it irritates them when they don’t know how I get past their defenses. And their irritation brings me such good humor. Now, are you going to let me in or make me stay out here in the cold?”
Shalin placed her hands where she knew his head to be and leaned forward, trying to see the rest of his body. “Ailean, this is simply fascinating—and stop sniffing me!”
“I can’t help it.” His snout pushed through the window and nudged her groin. “You smell so good.”
His moaned words had her stumbling back into the room and, after a moment, Shalin watched the dragon shift from nearly invisible to clearly visible and human. He flipped himself into her room and she quickly looked away from the sight of all that lovely nakedness. Drooling would do nothing but embarrass her.
“What is that vicious animal of yours doing to my furniture?” Shalin turned in time to see the chair tip forward because the puppy had eaten through one of the legs.
“Oh!” She picked up the puppy and turned the chair around so it leaned against the wall. “Bad puppy!” she chastised, but he seemed much too happy to care about her harsh tone. “Your teeth seem unnaturally strong for someone so young.”
“I bred them that way.”
“I see. I’m sorry, Ailean,” she said, turning to face him. “I’ll get you a new—oh!” He stood right behind her, all naked and warm and sinfully delicious. “Chair! I meant to say, I’ll get you a new chair.”
“Later.” He took the puppy from her hands and set him down. As soon as those little paws touched the floor, the puppy ran right back to the chair and, Shalin thought with some despair, the remaining legs.
Ailean’s hands slid into her hair, massaging her scalp while his firm lips skimmed across her cheek, her jaw, down to her throat. Teeth nipped at flesh while hands began to purposely move. Pushing her dress off while brushing here, touching there.
Shalin groaned when teeth nipped a bit of flesh hard enough to bruise.
“They lied, you know,” he muttered, walking her back to the bed and going down with her on it.
“Lied?” She found it hard to concentrate when he kept nipping at her with his teeth before laving the same area with his tongue. “Who lied?”
“Whoever named you ‘Innocent.’ They lied.” He rose over her, his hips between her thighs. As if he belonged there, he slid inside her and Shalin let out a gasp of pure pleasure.
“Trust me,” she panted, her hands gripping his shoulders, “it was better than my other options.”
His first stroke was slow. The second equally so, only he’d moved a bit. The same with the third and fourth, moving a bit each time.
Frustrated, she demanded, “What are you doing?”
“Figuring out what you like.”
She frowned. “Figuring out what I—oh, oh, gods!” Shalin’s torso arched, and she barely had time to bury her face against his shoulder and moan desperately into his neck.
“Aye. That’s the one.”
He didn’t have to sound so smug. Until he did it again a few more times and Shalin realized he could sound any damn way he wanted to.
Ailean kissed her, his mouth slowly moving over hers, his tongue exploring. Lazy was the word for it. Lazy and wonderful.
“I can make you come like this,” he murmured. And she knew he wasn’t boasting. Any moment, she’d come all over him. “But I’m not going to.”
His rhythm changed and Shalin’s eyes opened wide in panic. “What—wait—why?”
“That would be boring, wouldn’t it? Making you come the same way every time.”
She desperately grasped his face between her hands. “Please. Feel free to bore me. At least this time. Or, if you’re so inclined, the rest of the night. I like being bored.”
Ailean grinned. “You’re funny.”
“Ailean—”
“Sssh.” He took her hands in his own, pushing them to the bed, one on either side of her head. He nuzzled her cheek. “Trust me, luv.” Now he nuzzled her jaw. “I’ll get you there,” he whispered before nipping her earlobe, hard. “When I’m ready.”
Ailean gritted his teeth and stared up at the ceiling. He tried counting to ten. Thought about the weather and tried to focus on the storm that had come back to life outside this room.
But nothing, absolutely nothing, could distract him from Shalin’s mouth on his cock.
She lifted her head, releasing him with a “pop” sound that made him shudder.
“Is everything all right?”
Ailean fisted his hands in the fur coverings beneath him. “Yes, Shalin, everything is fine.”
“Are you sure?”
He glared down the length of his body at her. She’d been doing this to him for the last hour. Keeping him on edge, torturing him, really. And she knew exactly what she was doing. She kept that innocent expression on her face but Ailean knew all that innocence for the lie it truly was.
“Yes. I’m quite sure.”
“Well…if you’re sure.” But she rested back on her heels. “Although I’d hate to disappoint you.”
Ailean closed his eyes, tried the counting thing again. It still didn’t work.
“Shalin.”
“Ailean.”
“Everything you’re doing is perfect.”
“Perfect? Really?”
His eye twitched. “Yes. However—”
“However?”
“However, you must keep going in order for it to remain perfect.”
“Ohhhh. I didn’t realize that.”
“I think you did realize that.” And slowly, he sat up, going on his knees. “I think you know exactly what you’re doing to me, Shalin the Not Really Innocent.”
Laughing, she backed away from him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do.” He reached out, snatching her around the waist and yanking her close. “You’re a cruel, vicious vixen.” He kissed her hard. “Admit it.”
Her arms went around his neck and she relaxed against him. Nothing had ever felt better. “You’re right.” She kissed his jaw, his throat. “But I can make it up to you.”
“Think you can, do you?” But she was already making his eyes cross simply from kissing a line across his shoulders.
“Well, Ailean,” she said in his ear after she’d kissed her way back up, “I think I can definitely try.”
And who was he to stop someone from at least making the effort?
They’d fallen asleep with Ailean cuddled up behind her, his arms tight around her waist. And he was still like that when Shalin felt the first thrust as he took her from behind.
Gods. Insatiable. This dragon was insatiable. And she absolutely loved it.
“It’s almost dawn,” he murmured in her ear while he used one hand to pull her hair off her neck. “I’ll have to go soon.”
“I understand.”
“Unless you want me to stay.”
She did want him to stay. But she didn’t want to end up in one of his books. Another Ailean the Wicked conquest for the annals. No thank you.
“No. Go.” She gripped his thigh, digging her small nails into the ungiving, hard muscle. “But come back. Tonight.”
One hand slid down to her sex, his fingers stroking her, while his other hand roughly grabbed her hair. Holding her, he took her harder, his cock hitting
that wonderful spot inside her that he had found earlier. This time he didn’t stop, this time he didn’t change his rhythm. Instead he kept up the pressure, the harshness of it until Shalin’s entire body shook in his arms.
“I’ll be back, Shalin,” he growled against her neck. “You won’t be able to keep me away. Understand?”
She couldn’t answer, not with that climax ripping through her.
“Understand?” he pushed.
Shalin nodded and buried her face into her pillow so she could muffle her cries. Then Ailean pulled out of her and flipped her onto her back. He drove into her again, another climax washing over her.
“I love looking at you when I fuck you,” he told her plainly, each harsh thrust extending the life of her climax until she feared the intensity of it would tear her apart.
Ailean kissed her as he came inside her, his shout of pleasure lost in her mouth.
When he finally pulled away from her, he covered her sweat-soaked body with furs and kissed her cheek.
“I’ll see you tonight, my little innocent.”
She tried to say something meaningful to him but all she could manage was a rather undignified grunt.
9
Ailean had barely stumbled into his own bed when his brothers knocked on his door and walked in without actually waiting for him to tell them to.
“What?” he barked, his forearm covering his eyes from the now-invading light of the two suns blasting through his window.
“The old dragon is on the move,” Arranz informed him, dropping down on the foot of the bed.
“Where?”
“Devenallt Mountain. He’s arranged for a meeting with the queen.”
“And he’s still protected?”
“Of course.”
“Don’t give me that look. If anything happens to Shalin’s father, she’ll never forgive herself and I’ll never forgive myself for making her unhappy. And we all know I hate when I’m miserable.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Bideven asked, his eyes watching Ailean closely.
“Nothing. I’m tired.”
“The twins will take her to their home if you don’t want her any more.”
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